Play the Monster! | Hunted to Legendary

Creating your character

Character creation will be done with me before the first session, since monstrous characters need a little more attention than standard D&D characters. Start by choosing the creature you would love to play. We’ll use official D&D 3.5 material, with Savage Species as one of our main resources for monstrous characters. Trolls, minotaurs, medusas, giants, harpies, monstrous humanoids and much stranger creatures are all possibilities. If you have something unusual in mind, ask me — I would much rather try to make an interesting monster work than limit everyone to a short list. Racial Hit Dice and Level Adjustment will be handled individually. Monsters with a high ECL may use a gradual monster progression so that everyone can begin the campaign at a comparable power level. You won’t need to understand all of the 3.5 monster advancement rules yourself; I’ll help you build the character. Your creature does not replace normal character development. You’ll also be able to take character classes and develop your own build as the campaign progresses. Your species determines what you are, but it doesn’t determine who your character has to become. Stats and final starting level will be established together once the group is forming, so I can balance the party around the monsters everyone wants to play. Newer 3.5 players are welcome — you do not need previous experience with Savage Species.

Preparing for the session

You’ll need a free Roll20 account and Discord for voice chat. A working microphone and a stable internet connection are required. Once you join, I’ll send you the Discord invitation and we’ll create your character together before the first session. You don’t need to purchase any D&D books or have previous experience with Savage Species or monstrous characters. If you already have a monster you would love to play, feel free to bring the idea with you. You don’t need to build it in advance — we’ll work out the mechanics, Level Adjustment and progression together. Please make sure your Roll20 and Discord accounts are ready before the first game. No camera is required.

What Antigoni brings to the table

I run character-focused games where player choices can change where the story goes. Published adventures give us the foundation, but I don’t expect the party to follow a predetermined path just because that’s what the book says. For this campaign in particular, I’ll handle the extra work involved in running unusual monster characters: adapting published adventures for a monstrous party, balancing different creatures and their abilities, and helping with Level Adjustment, racial progression and character builds. On Roll20 I provide prepared maps, tokens, handouts and visual references, with music and ambience where it fits the scene. Combat is tactical, but roleplay, exploration and creative solutions are equally important. Playing a monster gives you abilities normal adventurers simply don’t have, and I want you to be able to use them creatively rather than treating every situation as a standard combat encounter. I’m comfortable adapting when players do something unexpected, and I prefer Rule of Cool when an idea makes sense and adds to the game without making another character irrelevant. I know 3.5 can become mechanically complicated, especially with monstrous characters, so you won’t be expected to figure everything out alone. Most importantly, I’ll build the campaign around the monsters the group actually chooses. If the party ends up being a medusa, a troll, a minotaur and something I never expected anyone to ask for, I want that combination to matter to the story rather than simply changing the numbers on your character sheets.

How Antigoni creates a safe table

Before the campaign begins, we’ll discuss boundaries, Lines and Veils, and anything players would prefer not to have included in the game. Since this campaign can involve monsters, violence, horror elements and morally complicated situations, everyone should be comfortable communicating their limits. During play, anyone can pause or step away from a scene if something becomes uncomfortable, without needing to explain why. You can tell me directly, message me privately on Discord, or use the safety tools available at the table. I want the game to feel dangerous for the characters, not uncomfortable for the players. Player boundaries always take priority over keeping a scene or story exactly as written. After particularly intense sessions or scenes, I’m also available for a quick check-in, and players are always welcome to message me privately if something needs to change going forward.