Monstrous Workshop: Nature

If Order of Might is important for determining how players can deal with a monster, Nature is doubly so because it dictates how difficult that's going to be. This score sets the strengths, weaknesses, and the overall amount of dice the monster will be able to roll for all of its actions. As with Might, the examples in the book should be followed closely for guidance.

One thing that may not be clear looking at those examples right away is how close Nature often is to the Order of Might score. With few exceptions, every example is equal to or within 1-2 steps of Might. The creatures that deviate from this formula are few and tend to be iconic and notoriously difficult: dragons, trolls, etc. A last observation: no creature has a Nature below their Order of Might. I recommend following these guidelines when determining Nature.

Finally, one thing to be cautious of is slapping a high Nature score on a creature that will be in a large group. While I won't say it should never be done, it will drastically increase the difficulty of a fight and should be considered carefully. More often than not, Nature for a creature that players encounter in groups should equal their Order of Might. It makes sense narratively, too--their strength is in their number, not their Nature.