Games for monster campaigns?

[Meanlucario]

No idea where else to ask this, honestly. I suggested a campaign where we play as monsters, and people were interested, so now I need to figure out what to use to play the campaign. Any suggestions or recommendations?

[The Jack]

You could do DnD with Lawful evil bosses.


Classic World of darkness. Vampire: The Masquerade (1st, 2nd, rev or 20th edition) Werewolf The Apocalypse, Demon...
There's rulebooks for the dark ages and the victorian era, though you can really adopt any time-frame with the basic rules.
Formori are fun. (they're found in Werewolf) You've got free licence to customize them.
Different editions put different stress on how much of a monster you are. W20 is relatively optimistic when it comes to getting along whilst prior games had a more pessimistic take on triblistic murder machines.


I understand Chronicles of Darkness is a more streamlined game with a less developed setting. I like (modified) WoD rules and you're free to make **** up so I never got into that.

[Meanlucario]

You could do DnD with Lawful evil bosses.


Classic World of darkness. Vampire: The Masquerade (1st, 2nd, rev or 20th edition) Werewolf The Apocalypse, Demon...
There's rulebooks for the dark ages and the victorian era, though you can really adopt any time-frame with the basic rules.
Formori are fun. (they're found in Werewolf) You've got free licence to customize them.
Different editions put different stress on how much of a monster you are. W20 is relatively optimistic when it comes to getting along whilst prior games had a more pessimistic take on triblistic murder machines.


I understand Chronicles of Darkness is a more streamlined game with a less developed setting. I like (modified) WoD rules and you're free to make **** up so I never got into that.

The only D&D version I'm very familiar with is 3.5. so I'd need to look into the other books you suggested.

[The Jack]

5e is very easy to pick up, especially already coming from 3.5 familiarity.


Have you played dread? If you're doing a short -monsters get mercilessly slaughtered by heroes game it might be worth while.

[CE DM]

The only D&D version I'm very familiar with is 3.5. so I'd need to look into the other books you suggested.

If u like 3.5e, u can play monsters in that just fine.

Any ideas on what kind of monsters?

If u (or the majority of players) do NOT like 3.5e, what games DO you like & have? It's maybe better to start from there.

[Meanlucario]

5e is very easy to pick up, especially already coming from 3.5 familiarity.


Have you played dread? If you're doing a short -monsters get mercilessly slaughtered by heroes game it might be worth while.

If u like 3.5e, u can play monsters in that just fine.

Any ideas on what kind of monsters?

If u (or the majority of players) do NOT like 3.5e, what games DO you like & have? It's maybe better to start from there.

We found a list of playable monsters that are homebrewed for 3.5 and a list of playbale monsters that don't require level ajustments, which I think will work for use, thanks.

[Knaight]

If you want something more narrative Monsterhearts is exactly this.

For big dumb action there's always All of Their Strengths.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

If you want something more narrative Monsterhearts is exactly this.

Monsterhearts' focus on sexuality might come as a bit of a culture shock, though. I think Urban Shadows might be a better stepping-stone, although it does also have a baked-in focus on politics.

[opaopajr]

AD&D 2e Reverse Dungeon module. Ta-dah! You play as a goblin tribe invaded by plunding adventurers, and so on until you play as the undead repelling the plundering adventurer hordes.

[Vizzerdrix]

Rifts is an option. Not a GOOD option, but still an option.

I`ve managed to make a psychic mech piloting houseplant, and a bioengineered dog, so monsters should be easy.

[CE DM]

indeed it is, it's even "designed" for many monsters, with them done up as classes

He/they have/know 3.5e though, so I think they are going to use that (per above).

[Particle_Man]

I think a cool idea would be to borrow from the card game "Aye, Dark Overlord!" and play the monstrous minions of the Evil Army that just got curb-stomped by the Forces of Righteousness and ran away. Now your problems are: a) Avoiding the "mopping up" part of the Forces of Righteousness, and b) Avoiding a very cranky Dark Overlord that will almost certainly blame you Minions for their failure, with fatal results.

So where the heck do you go to survive? How about The Really Dangerous Lands where No One will Follow You, because only the Stupid and Desperate would go There.

[Rhedyn]

No idea where else to ask this, honestly. I suggested a campaign where we play as monsters, and people were interested, so now I need to figure out what to use to play the campaign. Any suggestions or recommendations?

The Savage Worlds core book comes with a race builder. The Sci-fi companion has a race builder. The Super powers companion adds a lot of possibilities, but the Horror companion has classic monster templates so people can play as the standard spooky stuff.

[kyoryu]

No idea where else to ask this, honestly. I suggested a campaign where we play as monsters, and people were interested, so now I need to figure out what to use to play the campaign. Any suggestions or recommendations?

What kind of things will these monsters be doing? How do you expect sessions to go?

I could suggest anything from 5e to Fate to Monsterhearts to GURPS/Champions to Savage Worlds.

[Rakaydos]

Are you playing monsters to be monsters, or are you playing lizardfolk, gnolls, and kenku because they're the only anthro races you are familiar with?

Personally, I favor FFG Star Wars with the unofficial species compendium. Star wars is chock full of inhuman races, being just as inhumane as the humans are.

For anthro focused games, there's also Ironclaw.