The Düngeonmeister Random Monster Generator: A Mix-and-Match RPG Flipbook by Jef Aldrich & Jon Taylor

I love getting all the Dungeonmeister game aids: they’re always a super fun and creative way to throw my Dungeons & Dragons players a curveball to help keep things fresh!

This random monster generator was no different. It’s based on a very cool flipbook concept, where the bulk of the book after the first 25 pages or so is monsters divided into three sections per page: head, torso and legs. As with other identikits, you can mix and match to create the monster of your dreams, tho it’s also helpful that each page on its own has a perfectly cromulent monster that makes sense cohesively both in theme/biology and in artistic depiction. Honestly, mad props to artist Sara Richard for creating fifty monsters that flow so seamlessly together in form, even when some of the mixed-up concepts are weird as heck.

Before testing this book out on my playgroup, I had to give it a good read, ofc. The pre-introduction is laced with Jef Aldrich & Jon Taylor’s trademark humor, with a tongue-in-cheek series of business statements from Chimera Labs. The authors then explain the different ways you can use the book to whip up some real monstrosities (or not: more on this specific topic shortly,) with each segment providing two of the main stats in D&D, as well as all the other details you need to fill out your monster’s stat block. You can either build randomly as the title suggests, or make conscious choices to fit together a killing machine. Whichever path you choose, this book not only provides inspiration but also excellent advice on how to polish your monster for game time and drop it into the goings on.

The only thing I wish this book had included was a bit on determining creature type for the benefit of those Player Characters who have attacks/spells/abilities that rely on knowing what kind of monster they’re up against. This was pretty much the only thing my players had questions about when we were testing out this book while on a break from our regular Ghosts Of Saltmarsh campaign. As half of our players couldn’t make it to our last session, the rest of us decided to give this book a whirl before playing boardgames. My cleric was, as usual, bummed that he couldn’t use one of his badass targeted spells as we collectively tried to puzzle out what kind of creature it was that we’d built. We settled on aberration at the table, tho as I’m writing this review, I think perhaps that monstrosity would have been a better call. I get why the authors would want to leave this up to DMs, but a little guidance on determining the category of monster would have really made this the perfect DM’s aide.

As for my playgroup, we decided on random monster generation using percentile dice, and came up with the Gravecarotus pictured on the left. While all the monsters in this book allegedly fall between CR2 and CR4, I was a little worried that this creature would murder my three level 2 PCs, even if they are all minmaxed to the hilt. Fortunately, my attack rolls were all garbage, so my PCs never actually got to see their friends disappear, popped away to another dimension via the creature’s Banishment ability — tho they were all suitably impressed that that was a potential hazard. Personally, I loved the fact that that ability was titled Weeping Angel, and 100% planned on doing a peekaboo action should it have ever actually gone off (assuming ofc that that is what Weeping Angels do: I haven’t watched a single episode of Dr Who since being bored stiff by it as an 8 year-old, but have definitely absorbed information since by pop cultural osmosis.)

Overall, this is another great Dungeonmeister game aid for DMs looking to add an original twist to their campaigns. While it won’t live in my Game Master’s bag the way these same authors’ Deck Of Many Drinks does, it’ll definitely see more use than the other GM aides and supplements I currently have on my shelf. Recommended for any DM who wants a little help making up cool and creepy original opponents to test their PCs with.

The Düngeonmeister Random Monster Generator: A Mix-and-Match RPG Flipbook by Jef Aldrich & Jon Taylor was published July 16 2024 by Adams Media and is available from all good booksellers, including