Evolve these bugs from wrecking characters' things to giving your story wings.
It's always tempting to use monsters like the rust monster because they seem iconic. Classics. Gotta try 'em at least once. The problem comes when we mix the original punishing design principles of D&D with the modern character and story first playstyle that we love so much. Now they just feel like an annoying trap that steals from me. In this episode, we adapt the Rust monster to the way we like to play games. In Kinship Camp, we break down three categories of improvement for the rust monster: as a tool, an environment, and a dynamic threat. As a tool, the rust monster as a pet works on both sides of the table. You've got a lockpick, hinge destroyer, hidden weapon detector, and more in your trusty companion. They can also be used as a narrative tool as written to heighten a moment of defeat. Our caveat here is to allow for a moment of great victory afterward, perhaps with new, or better equipment. As an environment, we can theorize about how a habitat could be made much more interactive and thematically "rusted", and as a dynamic threat, there are plenty of simple additions we can make to this beast that makes them much more interesting to tangle with.
Thank you to the patrons that joined us on our monthly episode writing hangout that helped with the content in this episode:
Leprecan and Lucas D.
And as always, huge thanks to the support of all of our patrons for making this episode a reality.
FirstLaw, Blackthorne, Victoria O., PeacockDreams, DM Thunderbum, Marley R., Garr the Pirate, Timewarp, DangerousMarmalade, Zach G., NoMaam, Michelle T., Alan E., Felix R., Chris F., The Senate, Lucas D., Lyla G., The GM Tim, Nevermour, Thomas W., Ty N., Heavyarms, Erik R., Aldrost, Leprecan, Will H-P.