Monster Wrangler

A Glimpse at Monster Wrangler Organizations
over 2 years ago – Fri, Jul 08, 2022 at 06:16:23 AM

Let's take a look at some of the organizations in the Chosu Region!

AMBA - the Amateur Monster Battler's Association - is a household name in the Chosu Region. They work with schools to sponsor "Monster Safety" programs, manage the popular "Junior Wrangler" program to match young Wranglers with their first monsters, provide discounts on monster food and stabling fees, and host televised tournaments that are open to its members. It's a sprawling organization that works tirelessly to support the "monster training" lifestyle, and for many Wranglers, it will be a supportive presence in their monster training careers. 

The tournaments organized by AMBA are geared more toward amateur Wranglers than professionals, and as a result, the prizes aren't especially amazing. This serves to keep most of the competitions relatively down-to-earth, and the handful of cash and fleeting fame of getting to fight on television is draw enough for most young Wranglers. 

Unless, of course, you're from the nation of Rosalia. 

Rosalia is a nation that is characterized by its isolationist tendencies and its vicious political squabbles and backstabbing. The nation has just started to move into the modern age, but it flat-out rejected the presence of AMBA in its borders, believing it to be some sort of seditious spy organization. In its place, Rosalia has RoMBA, the Rosalian Monster Battle Association. 

RoMBA is, for all intents and purposes, an organization that is equal parts monster support organization, governmental propaganda wing, and day time soap opera. While Wranglers of any nationality are technically allowed to join RoMBA,  the organization goes to great lengths to portray foreigners as villains and miscreants whose monsters can only be stopped by brave Rosalian Wranglers and their loyal, Rosalia-bred monsters. The most popular Wranglers have flamboyant personalities, hated rivals, and trusted allies that always seem to betray them at dramatically appropriate opportunities. Every pre- and post-battle interview has a chance of erupting into an "impromptu" battle as a rival appears and sends their monsters to attack. 

Basically, if you think of RoMBA has an ultra-nationalistic pro wrestling organization, but with monster fights instead of wrestling, you're not far off the mark. 

Of course, not every organization in the Chosu Region is a monster battling association. NamTech is a widely influential tech company that produces a wide variety of technology ranging from electric cars and television sets to the beloved Steamosaur, the first artificially created monster available for mass retail. 

NamTech has its roots in Revara, a nation that once attempted to conquer the entire Chosu Region following the discovery of ancient construct monsters. The march of Revaran mechanized monsters was eventually stopped by the first monster Wranglers, and as the offensive stalled, the Revaran leadership collapsed into infighting and led to a regime change. Some of the Revaran mechanics turned to the private sector and established NamTech, which sought to push the cutting edge of technology and bring the world, kicking and screaming, into the modern age. 

Some seventy years later, there are few would argue that they've failed in that goal. NamTech's interests have led to its tentative exploration of space, the deep oceans, and even virtual reality, always with an unwavering eye on its profit margins.

NamTech's rise in technology has led to the advancement of numerous fields of entertainment, not the least of which has been motion pictures. Ophidian Studios was an early presence in the burgeoning film industry, and in the years since, they've risen to become the preeminent media empire in the Chosu Region. 

Ophidian Studios shoots nearly all of its films on location, and they are famous (or some might say, infamous) for recruiting local talent to star in their films. This goes doubly so for monsters, as the studio's executives consider it much easier (not to mention cheaper) to simply hire a local monster to perform in a role than to go through the effort of training a monster specifically for a given movie. Scripts are rewritten on the spot to accommodate talented actors and local areas of interest, to the point where the tone and even genre of a movie can turn on a dime simply because a Wrangler's monster caught the director's eye. 

Of course, no conversation about Ophidian Studios would be complete without mentioning Wally the Womburn, the star of dozens of beloved cartoons and the studio's official mascot. The cartoon Womburn is all but inescapable in the Chosu Region, as just about everyone has owned a Wally the Womburn lunchbox, backpack, power drill, or autoclave at some point in their life.

Amidst all of the helpful organizations and generally neutral companies in the Chosu Region are, unfortunately, a few bad apples. The Apex Syndicate is a criminal organization that has its rotten fingers in just about every rotten pie that can be imagined. Its agents steal technological prototypes for their own use, sabotage hydroelectric dams and power plants unless their ransoms are paid, hijack trucks carrying valuable materials, and blackmail influential people into doing their bidding. They're just not nice people, you know?

Worse yet, Apex makes a point of recruiting Wranglers who have demonstrated "flexible morality." A few high-profile professional Wranglers are actually members of the Apex Syndicate, and they pay a portion of their tournament winnings in exchange for "dealing with" up and coming challengers who pose a threat in upcoming matches. The less well known Wranglers even accompany other Apex agents on their missions, lending the strength of their monsters to whatever foul plan the Syndicate's leaders have dreamt up. 

That's not all of the organizations we have listed in the book, but it's a good sampling to give you a sense of the world around the players. Any of these organization could be allies, victims, or antagonists in an adventure, though some - such as the Apex Syndicate - certainly lend themselves more to one role than another. 

Then again, it could be fun to play a campaign where the Wranglers are hooligans trying to stay one step ahead of the law! Just make sure to make little bandit masks for all your monsters.  :P

One Week and Halfway There! (Also, some Scroungers?)
over 2 years ago – Tue, Jul 05, 2022 at 04:35:17 AM

We're one week into our campaign, and already we're halfway to our goal! That's amazing progress, and we'd like to thank everyone that has contributed to the project thus far!

We talked about Brutes and Brawlers a bit in the last update, so this time around, I thought we'd go the other direction and show off some of our scrappy underdogs, the Scroungers!

First up, and closest to my heart, is the Hergh, a Beak/Poison Scrounger that primarily survives via an unpleasant scent, a sharp beak, and copious amounts of projectile vomit. These guys are one of my favorite monsters, and part of that is because, despite their repulsive methods of fighting (they can basically carpet bomb the battlefield in toxic vomit), they're incredibly affectionate and caring. Plus, they're resistant to poison, which makes them great in battles against other poisonous monsters.

Definitely not for Wranglers with strong scent allergies, though!

The Cindrow is a Beak/Fire Scrounger that shares some potential Techniques with the Hergh (due to its Beak Type), but they play out much differently during the game. The Cindrow is constantly shedding ash and cinders from its body, allowing it to hamper the eyesight of those it flies over, and it takes no damage from being on fire. In fact, being on fire in something of an advantage for the Cindrow, as it can consume its Burning status after it hits an opponent in melee to light them on fire!

Unlike the lovable Hergh, Cindrow tend to have "strong personalities" and can definitely be unruly and bossy in the hands of a permissive Wrangler. They're also not great monsters to keep indoors, on account of the "sheds ash" and "sometimes spontaneously bursts into fire" aspects of its biology.

Since we're talking about fire, let's take a look at the Womburn! These little guys are largely considered to be pests, as they nest in dark, quiet places like attics, garages, and tree houses. They're incredibly oily creatures, which gives them a very musky odor that can be distracting both in and out of combat, but that's not even why they have a bad reputation. You see, those studs on the Womburn's flat tail are flint-like grows, and they strike their tails against metal surfaces when they're angry or agitated or frightened or just whenever. The sparks hit the Womburn's oily coat, and the whole monster goes up in a fireball. 

Of course, the Womburn is highly resistant to fire, so after a few minutes of frantically running around in every direction, they eventually extinguish themselves and calm down. Of course, having a flaming rodent running wildly through a garage or attic is, to put it mildly, not ideal; these little guys are the #1 cause of house fires in the Chosu Region. 

Of course, those same properties - hyperactivity and a tendency to be on fire - make them interesting monsters to raise and train. They're cute, though!

Next up is the Mesmot, a Beak/Psychic Scrounger that is known for its hoarding tendencies, hypnotic powers, and extravagant plumage. Mesmots looooove shiny objects are will go out of their way to find such items to decorate their nests, even if they have hypnotize humans into handing over the shiny items in their pockets. And if those humans happened to have some food in their pockets (or back in their homes, bring all your food to the bird), then so much the better!

Despite their seeming fragility, Mesmots can be incredibly helpful monsters to have around. They're natural empaths, so having one hanging around - even if it's not in combat - helps to enhance your other monsters. They're also thieves, so they excel at running up to a person, stunning them with a quick flip of its plumage, and then grabbing a held item before trotting back to their Wrangler. 

They're not exactly subtle monsters, but who needs subtlety when you can just hypnotize everyone into a psychic stupor and strut calmly away?

If Mesmots want to be the center of attention, then the Deluzo is the polar opposite. These desert-dwelling Horn/Psychic monsters tend to avoid humans whenever possible, which is pretty easy, given that they can cloak themselves in illusion. They like to pretend to be other, larger monsters to scare off predators, only resorting to violence when cornered. 

Fortunately, they've got an excellent sense of smell and a fondness for fresh fruits, so some Wranglers have managed to lure these gentle monsters out of hiding. They're very soft and snuggable, despite their considerable psychic talents. Watch out for the sharp horns, though!

Finally, we have the Panchin, a Claw/Poison monster. These unpleasant monsters are responsible for a considerable number of livestock deaths across the Chosu Region, though they will happily hunt deer, birds, rodents, garbage, or just about anything else that crosses their path. They're pack hunters, but they're also somewhat lazy, and many Panchin have grown quite comfortable with the idea of simply raiding garbage cans for delicious human food in lieu of hunting down prey. 

Okay, so there's a Panchin in your garbage, just head outside and scare it off, right? Well, it gets worse. The "mohawk" along their back is comprised of fur and thin quills, the latter of which contain concentrated doses of the Panchin's toxic musk, to which humans (and other monsters) tend to be very allergic.

Oh, and Panchin are also notorious for releasing clouds of strong, stomach-churning musk when agitated, so honestly, it's probably just better to let them have the garbage. 

But hey, if you can overlook their poisonous quills, terrible scent, nocturnal sleep patterns, lazy attitude, and tendency to dig through the garbage the moment your back is turned, maybe a Panchin is the right monster for you! 

So that's all the Scrounger monsters (so far, at least)! As you can see, they all tend to rely upon tricks to survive in the wild (or in combat), whether that takes the form of potent poison, psychic powers, or just having wings and being able to fly away when annoyed. They're all great monsters, and...

Hmm?

Oh, right, there's also... that thing. 

Welp.

Okay, so there's actually another Scrounger in the game. We use it as an example "this is how to read a monster's stat block" monster, but it's, uh... it's technically playable in the game. If you're... into that sort of thing. 

So... here's the Loxabox.

The Loxabox is a Poison/Psychic monster that is lovingly referred to by our playtesters as "the anxiety fish." They don't like to venture out of their burrows, only doing so when they're so hungry that they don't really have much of a choice. When they do crawl out into the wide world beyond, they usually do so from underneath a protective item of some sort. Cardboard boxes are a favorite, as they are lightweight, yet flimsy enough that he Loxabox can gnaw eyeholes in the sides so that it can see where it's going. 

They tend to live along rivers, streams, and ponds, though landfills are also popular homes, as they provide lots of debris to hide beneath and drag along on their panic-filled searches for delicious... *checks notes* ...rock slime. 

While Loxaboxes (Loxaboxen?) are psychic, they really only use their psychic powers to project their own anxieties onto their would-be predators, before quickly sliding back to safety on the toxic slime that they excrete from their bodies when they become frightened (which is pretty much all the time).

So yup, these guys are total winners. Gold star monsters. 

And I absolutely look forward to some crazy Wrangler figuring out how to turn a Loxabox into a brutal combatant and rising to the top of the tournament rankings. 

Some Wranglers just love a challenge, you know?

A Look at Classes, featuring the Brawler
over 2 years ago – Fri, Jul 01, 2022 at 10:24:09 AM

I wanted to take a few moments to talk about Classes and how they work. To do that, we're going to take a look at the Brawler Class. 

How Abilities Work

There are four different "tiers" of Abilities for Classes: Basic Abilities, Advanced Abilities, Expert Abilities, and the Signature Ability. 

A Wrangler begins play with two Abilities, which they can choose from any Class. Additionally, at the end of every session, a Wrangler learns one new Ability. 

The Classes are relatively free-form, and Wranglers can either dedicate themselves to a single Class or diversify their interests to learn Abilities from a bunch of different Classes. When learning Abilities, there are only a three few restrictions: the first Ability learned from a Class must be its Signature Ability,  and within a given Class, character cannot have more Expert Abilities than Advanced Abilities, nor can they have more Advanced Abilities than Basic Abilities. 

This means that a starting character who wanted to be a Brawler would first learn the "Combat Maneuvers" Ability (since it's the Class's Signature Ability). For their second Ability, they could either learn one of the Brawler's Basic Abilities, or they could learn the Signature Ability from a different Class. 

Brawler Breakdown

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at the Brawler Class!

The Abilities of the Brawler Class are focused around melee combat and Brute monsters. Brute monsters tend to be incredibly strong, so this Class is a good fit for anyone who wants to put subtlety aside and just wade into battle.

Signature Ability

The Signature Ability of the Brawler, "Combat Maneuvers," gives them more effective melee attacks by giving them additional Raises that they can spend on additional effects, such as dealing more damage or knocking their target prone. That's pretty useful for someone that's planning on getting into lots of fights! Directly attacking an opponent's monster isn't allowed in reputable tournaments, but out in the wild, this is a great way for a character to directly support her monsters. 

Basic Abilities

After that, there's a broad selection of Basic Abilities to choose from. "Combat Awareness" lets the Wrangler tag-team enemies by giving her free attacks after her Brutes hit an enemy.

"Command: Taunt" is a special kind of Ability called a Command. A Wrangler can issue Commands to her monsters to let them do special things, such as moving outside of their turn, removing status effects, or in this case, taunting an opponent. This makes it more difficult for an opponent to hit targets other than the taunting monster, which is very useful in fights involving multiple monsters (or when the Wrangler wants to wade into battle alongside her Brute).

"Iron Will" is defensive Ability, that allows  Brutes to use the Wrangler's Mind in place of their own and lets them spend Rage (the resource they use to pay for attacks) to reroll failed Mind Rolls. Most of the time, when a monster is making a Mind Roll, they're trying to avoid being stunned, so this ensures that the Wrangler's Brutes (who typically have low Minds) can more easily retain their focus in combat.

"Looming Presence" is a fun Ability that makes the Wrangler's social skills more effective when there's a big Brute standing behind her and looking intimidating, while "No Escape" gives the Wrangler's Brutes a chance to catch slippery enemies that are trying to flee melee. 

"Unstoppable" rounds out the Basic Abilities by letting Brutes shrug off status effects by hitting their opponents, which is a great way to avoid being overwhelmed by things like Bleeding, Poison, or Blinded. 

Advanced Abilities

Advanced Abilities tend to be stronger than Basic Abilities, and we can see that with "Brute Force". This lovely Ability gives the character a "do-over" on failed Skill Rolls with the caveat that the do-over attempt be more violent. This can be incredible for ensuring that skills succeed... for the low, low cost of seeming like a violent hot head. 

"Destructive Rage" is subtle but very powerful. Monsters spend Rage to use their Techniques, and they can spend additional Rage to roll more dice (and thus, to make their attacks more powerful). This Ability gives the Wrangler's Brutes three extra dice for every two Rage they spend, which only serves to super-charge their attacks even further.

This can be combined with "Ferocity," which gives the Wrangler's Brute monsters 1 Rage each time they suffer damage. The Brute monsters of experienced Brawlers can generate Rage very, very quickly, allowing them to use their most powerful attacks far sooner (and more often) than one might expect.

"Wide Swings" is a bit less brutal but no less powerful. It lets the Wrangler's Brutes hit two targets with each melee attack, effectively doubling their melee output against multiple opponents. 

Expert Abilities

Finally, we have the Expert Abilities, which are the pinnacle of Brawler-dom. 

"Command: Assault" is another Command Ability. This one lets the Wrangler order her Brute monsters to aim for the opponent's head or other weak point, giving them a chance to stun their opponent if they fail a Mind Roll. (This is the sort of thing that Iron Will helps to prevent!)

"Massive Trauma" is a particularly nasty Ability that gives the Wrangler's Brute monsters a chance to injure opponents when it makes them Bloodied (i.e., when it drops them to half health). Being Injured is really bad for a monster (or a human) and comes with significant drawbacks. Worse yet, if an Injured character becomes Injured again, they are killed (unless, of course, you're playing with the "no death" variant rule). Normally, characters only suffer Injury rolls for excess damage after being reduced to 0 health, so this gives Brutes a chance to cripple their opponent at the halfway mark of a fight, instead of at the end. 

So there we have it, that's the Brute Class! It's very much focused around melee combat and pushing the beefcake-y Brute monsters to their limit, often with terrible consequences for their opponents. 

Thanks for an Awesome First Day!
over 2 years ago – Tue, Jun 28, 2022 at 08:30:06 PM

Hey everyone! 

We just wanted to take a few moments to thank all of our backers for supporting us. We had a great first day, and we're feeling pretty good about the campaign so far!

Please share links to the campaign with your friends and social media besties in order to help push us across the finish line so that we can start knocking out some stretch goals! Personally, I'm really hoping we can unlock some Amorph monsters. I dig the slimes.