Archive
What’s Your System?
I’ve posted an important poll about a possible expansion of the Monster of the Month Club’s Patreon offering. Please take a moment to read and vote.
Free members and potential members: Do you think this would make you more likely to consider a paid membership?
https://www.patreon.com/posts/poll-chose-your-154272758
Want to support my work?
If you’ve enjoyed the content on this blog, please consider supporting me by making a small donation. Here are a couple of ways to do so.
Thanks!
Help A Writer Out!
It’s now been seven months since I was laid off, and I could use your help. Here are six things you could do that would make a difference.
I hate having to beg, and I know everyone has their own problems in these crazy times, but anything you could do would be very gratefully received.
Job Referrals
If you work in game development or publishing, refer me for any senior-level narrative design, writing, editing, or worldbuilding vacancies in your organization.
Spread my Resume Around
A resume and samples are attached to my LinkedIn profile (under “Featured”).
The more people who see them, the better my chances of finding work.
Support My Patreon
Back my Monster of the Month Club on Patreon at $1/month or higher.
Buy Me a Coffee
Throw a coin to your Witcher at https://buymeacoffee.com/graemedavis
Use My Affiliate Links
Check out my bibliography and buy from DriveThruRPG (not just my work) or Amazon using the affiliate links there.
Help Me Find Speaking and Teaching Opportunities
Introduce me to any academic contacts who book paid guest speakers on game design, narrative design, the history of the Warhammer IP, or anything similar.
Thank you in advance! I know a lot of people have enjoyed my work over the years, but although it has made a lot of money for a lot of people, I was never one of them. That’s the lot of the salaried or work-for-hire writer.
February’s Monster of the Month: The Abbey Lubber
A perfect nuisance to enliven a stay at a monastery – and if you prefer inns or private houses, the buttery spirit and the clurichaun are quite similar!
As usual, you get 3d6/d20 and d100 stats, stat guidelines for other systems, plus three adventure seeds (fantasy, historical, and modern). There are also case studies from medieval Germany and 17th-century England.
The members’ vote for February was tied between this little beauty and the lamia, so March’s Monster of the Month is decided! Look forward to her mythological origins and some intriguing differences from the versions you’ll find in many games.
Join the club at https://www.patreon.com/MonsteroftheMonthClub. Paid memberships start at just $1 per month!
Want to support my work?
If you’ve enjoyed the content on this blog, please consider supporting me by making a small donation. Here are a couple of ways to do so.
Thanks!
Normal Service will be Resumed Shortly
I’m going through a rough patch, both personally and professionally. I had intended to post on the never-released GW Frankenstein game, but time got away from me. Soon, I promise.
For now, here’s an update on my Monster of the Month Club Patreon campaign. Please back it if you can – even $1 a month makes a difference – or buy me a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/graemedavis.
Anything is greatly appreciated.
Here’s the most recent post:
The Pooka is now posted for paying members, and voting is open for November’s Monster of the Month! Choose from:
1. Banshee
3. Hag
4. Basilisk
5. Redcap (Borders ogre type)
Vote in the community channel that corresponds to your membership level!
August’s Monster of the Month: The Dullahan
Just posted for paid members of the Monster of the Month Club: August’s Monster of the Month just might be the ancestor of all headless riders, from Sleepy Hollow to Ghost Rider. Usable with all – and I do mean all – tabletop RPG systems. Paid memberships start at just US$1.00 per month, so don’t miss out!
Want to support my work?
If you’ve enjoyed the content on this blog, please consider supporting me by making a small donation. Here are a couple of ways to do so.
Thanks!
Monster of the Month Club reaches 100 Members!
Welcome to our hundredth member!
It’s exciting to watch the Monster of the Month Club grow.
I’m currently lining up monsters and Wednesday free posts for the next three months. Once they are done and scheduled, I’ll have some breathing space to plan and implement some of the improvements that I’ve been wanting to make. I’ll keep you posted.
Keep in touch via the Patreon Community lounges at https://www.patreon.com/c/MonsteroftheMonthClub or on the Club’s Discord server at https://discord.gg/J3dbnav5YJ and let me know how I’m doing!
Want to support my work?
If you’ve enjoyed the content on this blog, please consider supporting me by making a small donation. Here are a couple of ways to do so.
Thanks!
Monster of the Month Club: April 2025
April was a good month for the Monster of the Month Club, with another monthly monster treatment for paid members and a free post every Wednesday for all members.
April’s monster, the Fachan from Scots and Irish folklore, overpowered Patreon’s scheduling system and broke out a little early, complete with all the usual features: the club’s unique system-agnostic stat block; a fearsome range of basic and optional traits and abilities; a case study from Glen Eiti in Scotland; variant types from Africa, India, Arabia, and South America; and adventure seeds for fantasy, historical, and modern settings.
The free posts included a reprint of an old article on designing monster-based adventures; a review of Solemn Vale, the roleplaying game of British 1970s folk horror from indie publisher Dirty Vortex; and an Ask Me Anything where I wrote about WFRP, Vaesen, Vampire: The Masquerade, unpublished work, and the best magic system in the history of rpgs. There were also two book reviews: The Undead by Vaesen creator Johan Egerkrans and A Field Guide to the Little People, which has been in my collection for more than 40 years. Plus, I posted some thoughts about the current goings-on at Hasbro/WotC.
The club is continuing to grow, with both free and paid members coming on board during April. Although it’s still my hope that free members will eventually be convinced to switch to paid, I set up a poll to gauge opinion on selling monster treatments individually for those who don’t want to subscribe to the lot. I’m still mulling that.
May promises to be another good month. May’s monster will post this Sunday for paid members, with a surprise bonus for Cinco de Mayo on Monday. As for free Wednesday posts, I’m preparing a book review, a game review, a reprinted article, and an Ask Me Anything as usual – and because May has five Wednesdays, I’m planning an extra post on an interesting piece of monster trivia.
If you haven’t heard of the Monster of the Month Club before, check it out at https://www.patreon.com/c/MonsteroftheMonthClub. There are some free samples under the Collections tab, so you can try before you buy. Both free and paid memberships are available. If you like mythology, folklore, and tabletop roleplaying games, I think you’ll like it!
Want to support my work?
If you’ve enjoyed the content on this blog, please consider supporting me by making a small donation. Here are a couple of ways to do so.
Thanks!
Monster of the Month Club: A New Post
In addition to a system-agnostic rpg monster treatment of 4-8 pages each and every month (plus bonus monsters from time to time), members of the Monster of the Month Club get weekly posts on monsters and related topics.
Yesterday, I posted March’s book review. This time, it’s the art book that inspired the game (which I reviewed in an earlier post) – and it’s gorgeous.
Join at patreon.com/MonsteroftheMonthClub and don’t miss a thing! Free and paid memberships are available.
Here are some free samples, so you can try before you buy!
These are some of the creatures already available. Each treatment features the Club’s unique and exhaustively tested system-agnostic stat block, plus descriptions of basic and optional abilities for maximum customization options, and adventure seeds for fantasy, historical, and modern settings. Where available, these are backed up with case studies from myth, folklore and literature, plus notes on similar creatures from around the world.
Each Monster of the Month is a comprehensive toolkit that you can use to create unique and memorable monsters and encounters for any tabletop roleplaying game.
If you’ve enjoyed the content on this blog, please consider supporting me by making a small donation. Here are a couple of ways to do so.
Thanks!
The Monster of the Month Club: Try Before You Buy
Back in December, I launched a Patreon project called The Monster of the Month Club. It’s still a little wobbly on its legs, and I’m planning a lot of improvements, but the first three products are available for paying members. Plus, there are various other posts for paying members, free members, and the general public.
There are also several freebies, including an FAQ, a sample creature, and the Conversion Guide to help you derive stats and rules for your tabletop rpg of choice from the club’s unique system-agnostic description format.
The Monster of the Month Club is slowly building momentum, but of course new members are always welcome. You’ll find links below, but here are some free downloads so you can take a look, try the system out (and send feedback – please!), and hopefully like it enough to join!
If you’d like to know more about the project, here’s the backgrounder that I’ve been sending out to the gaming press. Hopefully you’ll start seeing reviews and announcements soon.
Links
Here are all the ways to reach the Monster of the Month Club online. I hope to see you there!
Discord: https://discord.gg/J3dbnav5YJ
Email: [email protected]
Bluesky: @motmclub.bsky.social
Instagram, Threads: @motmclub
As someone once said, “the journey of ten thousand miles begins with a single step.” I hope you’ll enjoy the monsters as much as I do, and join me!
January’s Monster of the Month
Happy New Year to Monster of the Month Club members! January’s Monster of the Month just posted.
In Danish folklore, a helhest (‘hell horse’) is a churchyard revenant, active at night and attacking any living person it finds within its territory. When a helhest appears, disease is sure to follow.
This 5-page product includes:
- Stat guidelines for 3d6/d20-based, d100-based, and other tabletop roleplaying systems.
- A full monster description with lists of basic and optional skills and traits.
- Two case studies from Danish folklore.
- Three adventure seeds, covering fantasy, historical, and modern settings.
The Monster of the Month Club
As a member of the Monster of the Month Club, you can expect regular, in-depth treatments of creatures from worldwide myth and folklore—some familiar, some not—in a system-agnostic format that is easy for an experienced GM to use with the tabletop rpg system of their choice.
Back us on Patreon at patreon.com/MonsteroftheMonthClub, join us on Discord, follow us on socials @MotMClub, or email [email protected].
Graeme Davis 