RBF: Bestiary

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For campaigns that feature combat, this list is handy for looking up monster and enemy TNs. Use [CTRL-F] to search the entries on this page.

Important notes about enemy power level:

Enemies of TN 10-14 are dangerous for non-combat-focused groups, 14+ for combat-focused groups. Enemies above 16 TN are going to be very difficult especially if they have extra HP and actions.

Every enemy is unique. No two goblins, assault robots, or alien gods are the same. They have different names and motivations. This is very important for keeping battles interesting and dynamic. Every time there is a battle, change up the stats, items, size, attitude of each enemy to make things interesting. If you have more time, give each one a name and personality. Include frequent dialogue in combat to establish motivations, stakes, relationships, and add spice.

Combats in RBF do not need to be "balanced". If the players find a certain enemy such as a dragon near-impossible to beat, then that's what happens! They should either negotiate, run away, sneak by, prepare traps and poisons, or try a less direct approach.

This list is NOT exhaustive. It is only examples of commonly seen RPG enemy types. Your campaign will feature its own unique enemies, taking ideas from this list.

Enemy Table Details

TN: The target number for players to either attack or defend from this enemy. Higher means the enemy is much more difficult.
Examples: A few examples of types of enemy at this power level in this game.
HP: Health points. Damage reduction is already factored in to these. Because of the way the system is designed, high hp enemies can be nightmarish for players.
Special Abilities: Generally, enemies of TN 14+ can apply special attacks on hit. Use what is most appropriate: Zombies infect, giant squids choke, ogres stun, elite soldiers can cripple you.
- Bosses: Highly ranked villains and powerful set-piece enemies are particularly tough to make defeating them even more of a challenge and a big scene. The GM can add boss abilities as follows:
  - Multiple turns per round: The boss monster may act in multiple full turns per round--two, three, or more sets of action pairs.
  - Shake it Off: If it is suffering from any negative conditions, then at any time, the boss monster may choose to 'shake off' one negative condition at the cost of 5 of its HP. If it does, then the GM must verbally explain this with narration as well.

TN	Examples	Damage per hit	HP	Usage	Specials
10	Citizens, Rabid dogs, minor alien vermin	10	10	TN 10 enemies are easy targets for any new basic or advanced fighter character. They only serve as a "chip damage", delaying or obstructing players' progress. In games with 3+ players you may skip them entirely.	Nonviolent, nonmagical citizens might be CEOs or high priests and still powerful due to money and social influence. Such characters could be stabbed easily but very difficult to persuade or magically influence.
12	Guards, Soldiers, Thugs and Pirates, Large Animals, Small Robots, Alien Minions	20	15-30	TN 12 is good for ordinary-type enemies that are daunting early on then arrive in swarms lategame. They usually don't inflict conditions on hit.	Zombies may infect or rise again. Wolves may tackle players on hit. Insectoid Aliens often have rapid claw attacks or acidic death-bursts. Basic soldiers carry powerful grenades.
14	Bears, Psychics, Stormtroopers, War-GELFs, Industrial Bots, Banshees, Cannibal Mutants	30	45-90	TN 14 is a reliable number for a large-sized, threatening enemy: Scary in early game and draining in lategame. TN 14+ enemies can always inflict at least one condition on hit.	GELF bio-weapons can nail players to walls with acid coated bone-spikes. Ogres stun on hit. Banshee's screams can challenge players to roll meditation or faint outright. Construction bots can zap multiple clustered players with an arc welder.
16	Commandos, Psychic Warriors, Security Bots, Demons, Vampires, Alien Infestors	40	100-200	TN 16 enemies are formidable especially at range. With a 2d8+6, players have 44% chance to hit or defend. TN 16 with extra turns is good for final bosses of mid length games.	Security bots often carry nonlethal poison gas grenade launchers. Alien infestors can splatter a whole party with parasitic worms, burning acid or sticky glue. Enemy commandos have excellent sniping, stealth and brawling skills.
18	Cyborg Ninja, Military Assault Bots, Psionic Masters, Alien Queens, Archdemons	50	200-400	TN 18 enemies are right at the edge of the scope of this game. They represent either things that should not be confronted or lategame bosses for advanced players that carefully plan their approach.	Any Tn 18+ enemies will be well-stocked with attacks that deal area damage and cause conditions, extra turns per round and supernatural powers. Military assualt bots can spray a city block with flamethrowers or missile swarms while projecting a headache-inducing sonic aura and posessing significant hacking countermeasures.
20+	Extradimensional Horrors, Psionic Deities, Things that hatch from moon-sized eggs	100+	1000+	TN20 enemies are powers that are suicide to fight in this game system. They represent Cosmic Peril itself. Players can observe them at the cost of damage and disability, but cannot defeat them in direct combat - if they can, it's time for a different game.	The Searing Horror is a huge plasmatic being that causes severe burns merely by its reflected light around corners. The Seething horror is only found in deep sea caves and cannot be perceived except for a mass of burning-hot bubbles. The Saw Horror is an invisible, incorporeal master of gravity and can fill a huge area with spinning blades and waves of gravitic force.