Request: Better Monster Signal:Noise or Information Design

[Armin]

Originally Posted by beaushinkle

As for the variations of "briefly described monster descriptions means the monster is too simple or two-dimensional"; ie, a DFRPG mummy is this complex being that with motivations, variable emotions, and complex behaviors while the OSE mummy is a bag of hitpoints that attacks on sight, fights to the death, and has some disease/fear effects.

I don't think this is fair! The OSE mummy doesn't specifically say that it fights to the death, has simple emotions, and is a bag of hitpoints, so why is that the default assumption? When left unspecified, the GM decides the characterization of the mummy, either making it up or pulling from other sources (fiction, random tables, other game mechanics like reaction rolls, etc). If the GM in a OSE game decides that the mummy is bland, that's on them!

There is a huge difference between decide and make up. If the details are there, I can see what the intent was, and that intent can be very informative. I can then decide to use that information or not.

If the details are not there, I can't decide to use them at all. I just have to make something up. And on the spot, my ability to make it up may be limited, especially without some seeds to help get me started.

Many people can't just decide to be creative and make something up. Not everyone is good at improvisational creativity.

But I agree that the way the traits are organized is often not particularly helpful, and sometimes seems to actively hinder usability. I do quite like your organization, with Senses, Offense, Defense, etc; that seems like a very useful breakdown.