Worldbuilding Power:

BEASTS

Dancing Lights Press

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Copyright 2018 Berin Kinsman. All Rights Reserved. Lighthouse System™, Worldbuilding
Power™ and respective trade dress are © and ™ 2018 Berin Kinsman. This is a work of fiction.
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except for any people and events presented in historical context. This is version 1.0 of this
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CONTENTS
Worldbuilding Power: Beasts........................................................................3
Beasts Themes and Motifs............................................................................................. 3
About the Worldbuilding Power Series....................................................................5
About Black Box Editions............................................................................................... 5
Using This Book................................................................................................................. 5
Beasts and Characters......................................................................................7
Beasts and Common Knowledge.................................................................................8
Beasts and Names............................................................................................................. 9
Beasts and Appearance................................................................................................... 9
Beasts and Specialties................................................................................................... 10
Beasts and Character Needs....................................................................................... 11
Beasts and Possessions................................................................................................ 11
Beasts and Hangouts..................................................................................................... 12
Beasts and Relationships............................................................................................. 13
Beasts and Worldbuilding............................................................................14
Beasts and Genre............................................................................................................ 14
Beasts and Location....................................................................................................... 15
Beasts and Mood............................................................................................................. 15
Beasts and Conflict......................................................................................................... 16
Beasts and History......................................................................................................... 16
Beasts and Technology and Magic...........................................................................17
Beasts and Organizations............................................................................................ 17
Beasts and Daily Life..................................................................................................... 18
Beasts and Adventures..................................................................................19
Beasts and Story Goals................................................................................................. 19
Beasts and Protagonists............................................................................................... 19
Beasts and Antagonists................................................................................................ 20
Beasts and Obstacles..................................................................................................... 20
Beasts and the Call to Adventure..............................................................................21
Beasts and the Pursuit of Adventure.......................................................................21
Beasts and the End of the Adventure......................................................................22
Beasts and Character Growth....................................................................................22

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WORLDBUILDING POWER: BEASTS
Let’s be honest and admit that ordinary animals don’t get the love they
deserve in fantasy roleplaying games. In fiction, as in real life, we love a
cute cat or a precocious dog. They’ve got personality. Other beasts, like
horses, rabbits, and monkeys, get a lot of affection. At the table, though,
they don’t fight at well as monsters and magical creatures. They’re neither
worthy opponents in combat, or useful allies. Since many roleplaying
games lean heavily toward a battle dynamic, our feathered, finned, and
furry friends get overlooked.

One way to fix that is to incorporate beasts into the worldbuilding.

People ride animals, raise livestock, and keep pets. Throughout history,
beasts have been used for labor, for sport, and for meat. There are any
number of items, from leather to spell components, that rely on animal by-
products.

Then there are the inevitable ethical concerns about how these beasts
are treated. Fantasy is filled with hunters and farmers, but it also has many
characters that are friends to the animals. Some can even talk to beasts,
and have them as boon companions. This should set up all sorts of political,
religious, and cultural conflicts that go far beyond combat.

In this book, we’ll show you how to utilize regular, mundane animals in
your worldbuilding endeavors. You’ll see how they can influence character,
setting, and story elements. By the end, you’ll understand how to make
beasts into an essential, useful, and entertaining part of your campaign.

Beasts Themes and Motis

Throughout this book we’ll make frequent references to the concepts
of theme and motif. A theme is a unifying idea behind a character, setting,
or story. It is what that element is about, and often serves as a commentary
on a particular subject. There are often two sides to a theme, with the story
and its characters presenting arguments from both sides.

An obvious theme incorporating beasts might be mankind (or

elvenkind, or dwarvenkind, or whatever) versus nature, with one or more
animals standing in for the wild, untamed elements of the world. Beasts

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can stand in for humans in other literary themes, like the power of love and
loyalty, or the struggle between individuals and society.

A motif is recurring element that has symbolic significance. It can be a

word or phrase, an image, or a storytelling device. We often use animals to
represent the qualities we want to have in ourselves. Bears, for example,
stand for strength. Wolves present an idea of independence. We refer to
people who are easily manipulated as sheep. Those are all motifs.

Other animal motifs represent more abstract forces. Ravens could

appear, foreshadowing death. Doves might symbolize a budding romance
between two characters. The whole category of animals by itself can be a
motif, symbolic of a specific topic. They might represent purity, innocence,
or nature.

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About the Worldbuilding Power Series
The Worldbuilding Power series books are toolkits for gamemasters,
game designers, and authors. Our hope is to inspire you to develop unique,
wondrous, and engaging fantasy worlds. These books are system-, edition-
and setting-agnostic, allowing you to interpret what beasts means in your
game.

About Black Box Editons

Black Box Editions embrace a minimalist aesthetic in design and
presentation. We believe the spotlight belongs on the creativity of the
players as they converse and collaborate on their stories. Roleplaying is an
activity, not a book. Our titles are merely tools.

Using This Book

You should read this entire book through at least once so you’re
familiar with its contents. Later on, when you’re engaged in character
creation, setting design, and adventure prep, you can refer back to various
sections as needed.

The book is broken into three sections for easy reference:

Beasts and Characters

The many ways in which beasts can have an impact on character
elements, from their back story to their abilities, are covered in this
chapter. These include:

• How beasts can influence character names.

• Ways that beast motifs might impact a character’s appearance.
• How professions and classes can be shaped by beasts.
• The effect of beasts on character needs.
• Adapting possessions to reflect the role of beasts.
• How a character’s hangouts are influenced by beasts.
• Ways that beasts can affect relationships.

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Beasts and Worldbuilding
How to utilize beasts in your worldbuilding, both directly and
indirectly, are discussed in this chapter. This covers:

• How beasts can help to reinforce the fantasy genre.

• Ways your locations are affected by beasts.
• Establishing the mood of the setting with beasts.
• Creating and utilizing beasts with conflicts.
• Meaningfully incorporating beasts into the world’s history.
• How beasts has helped shape technology and magic.
• Organizations that have been influenced by beasts.
• The role of beasts in daily life.

Beasts and Adventures

Ways that beasts can serve as a key element of an adventures are
covered in this chapter. This includes:

• Incorporating beasts into story goals.

• Using beasts to connect protagonists to the setting.
• How antagonists might be shaped by beasts.
• Creating relevant obstacles using beasts.
• Leveraging beasts in the call to adventure.
• Where beasts can fit into the pursuit of adventure.
• Ways the beasts can impact the end of the adventure.
• Methods beasts might influence character growth.

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BEASTS AND CHARACTERS
Ordinary animals are taken for granted as an element of fantasy
worlds. The presence of domesticated beasts is inferred by the existence of
horses to ride. It’s confirmed by the mutton being served at the rowdy
tavern. We see it in the familiars and animal companions found in the
company of player characters. There are clearly established relationships
between people and certain beasts.

Wild animals are established within a setting by the reality of hunters,

rangers, and druids. When an adventuring party sets up camp, it’s common
for someone to go in search of a deer, game fowl, or even fish so the group
can be fed. Occasionally predators will appear as a threat for less
experienced characters to fight. It is implied that these beast have a role to
play in the world’s ecology.

More exotic setting will replace real-world animals with invented

equivalents. Those beasts, while interesting, serve the same functions. The
giant lizard the protagonist rides might be a re-skinned horse, camel, or
elephant. That dangerous-looking beast on a silver platter at the feast is a
boar with a strange name and altered description. Part of the fun of fantasy
is dressing up the ordinary to make it into something extraordinary.

Player characters will have grown up around animals. Even if they

weren’t farmers. Whether or not they had pets. They could be sworn
vegetarians. There were likely some ordinary animals around them, part of
their personal experiences, serving some purposing within their
community.

Determining the relationships between people and animals is

worldbuilding. The uses of beasts can reflect significant elements within
the setting’s cultures. The choices and attitudes that you present should
acknowledge the impact that beasts have had on the world. Establish the
relationship that humans and humanoids have developed with both wild
and domestic creatures, what their attitudes toward it are, and how they
utilize them.

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Beasts and Common Knowledge
How much the people in your fantasy world know about beasts – and
how much of that information is accurate – is one way to gauge the
importance of ordinary animals within the setting. The more common an
animal is, the more correct and plentiful knowledge about them will be.
The rarer a creature is, the greater the likelihood that common knowledge
will be steeped in superstition, rumor, and disinformation.

At the bottom tier are those who don’t know anything about ordinary
animals. These are people who aren’t farmers, hunters, or even pet owners,
obviously. They have no first-hand experience with beasts, and have to go
with the tales told by their culture, their religion, and their government.
Their reactions to beasts will be based on whatever wildly biased and
inaccurate lore they believe to be true.

There are always those who think they know, based mostly on
folklore and gossip that they’ve chosen to believe. They may have some
first-hand knowledge of beasts, based on something they saw once or a
visit to traveling circus. They’re not in an animal-related profession, or at
least not any dealing with live creatures, so at least some of their
information may be incorrect. The rest, of course, if fabrication,
speculation, and rhetoric.

Those who actually know have what amounts to “player knowledge”.

These are likely characters in professions that require experience with
beasts, or those who have lived and worked closely with ordinary animals.
They know what these creatures are, how they behave, and what they are
capable of. If they don’t know, the probably don’t pretend that they do, and
have sources they can ask.

These categories are relative, of course. Every culture, and every

region, will have its own experiences with different types of animals. They
may actually know about the local fauna, but only think they know about
the beasts of distant lands. They might think they know what lives in the
wilderness outside of town, but not know anything about the beasts
beyond the mountains. There’s a lot of room to play around with what
constitutes common knowledge in a given area.

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Beasts and Names
Names offer the opportunity to establish a character, even before they
enter play. A carefully-chosen name can also say things about the player.
Joke names might mean the character is lighthearted, or that the player
doesn’t take things seriously. Grim names could set the character up as a
badass. What the name can definitely do is establish the relationship that
the character has with beasts. It will show that it is significant to who they
are as a person.

When beasts is incorporated into family names, it might indicate a

family history with that type of animal. Their profession might be
connected with raising, training, or handling a certain creature. They might
make products for, or created from, the beast. A family name might be
derived from a trait or motif.

The given names for characters might reflect their parents’

experiences with beasts. There could have been some portent or prophecy.
About the child before they were born. It might be a desire for the child to
have certain physical or personality traits. This could be a reflection of who
the character is, but it could also be humorous or tragic if they don’t live up
to it.

Beasts can influence nicknames in a few ways. A character who

exhibits physical or personality traits of an animal might gain a moniker
based on that creature. Their clothing, behavior, or method of doing things
might remind people of a specific beast. The character might even lean into
an animal motif, as a means of gaining confidence, intimidating enemies, or
inspiring their allies.

Beasts and Appearance

It’s possible for a character’s appearance to be influenced by an animal
motif. This can broadcast things about their personality. People will react
to them based on the cultural perceptions those creatures, embedded in
the way they present themselves to the world. It can be intentional or
unintentional on the character’s part. It may or may not be desired.

For example, a specialized caster who chooses to lean into it might use
symbols of beasts on their clothing and equipment. Their jewelry might
include teeth, claws, or skins from an actual creature. They may have

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tattoos of animals they want to be associated with, or keep that type of
creature as a pet or familiar.

A character playing against type might avoid that sort of imagery. They
could go the other way, and uses symbols of items used to tame, capture, or
kill ordinary animals. Weapons could have motifs that evoke the beasts
they were designed to battle. Armor might be emblazoned with symbols of
the creatures it was crafted to defend against. This outward stance against
a particular beast can say a lot about the character.

Beasts and Specialtes

A character’s specialty is their profession. You can interpret it as their
in-game occupation, their character class within the game system you’re
using, or the template they’re based on. It represents how they relate to the
setting, and what they are capable of doing within the story.

Because there are so many variables within the fantasy genre when it
comes to character specialties, we’ve narrowed it down to three broad
categories: combat-focused, spellcasting-focused, or skill-focused. What
specialty falls where may seem obvious, but technically any archetype
could fall into any category.

Many combat-focused specialties will evoke beasts to represent their

battle skills. A character might mimic the tactics and methods of a
ferocious animal. They may be quick, or hard-hitting, or able to withstand a
great deal of damage. An animal motif could show that they are cunning or
treacherous. It’s usually a wild animal that’s used in these cases,
associating the character with freedom, or brutality, or a force of nature.

It’s likely that spellcasting-focused specialties will be casters able to

utilize beast-related spells. They bestow the caster with the qualities of
that animal, like strength, speed, or even special attacks. It’s possible they
can communicate with animals, or have a familiar or companion. Animals
are somehow integral to their practice of magic.

Even skill-focused specialties can connect with beasts. A character

can be a trainer, a hunter, or a rider. They could be a butcher or a cook.
Perhaps they craft items, mundane or magical, from the by-products of an
ordinary animal. It will connect closely to the role of the beast in the
ecology and economy of the setting.

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Beasts and Character Needs
Player characters should have individual needs beyond achieving the
adventure’s objective. Gaining experience in order to acquire new abilities
is a goal built into many game systems, but there should be more than that.
Why do they want more power? Is there something that they’re training to
accomplish, so larger endgame that these adventures are building toward
for them?

There are a number of ways that a character’s needs can be connected

to beasts. They might be looking for the creature that’s been devouring the
crops or eating the livestock. An ordinary animal might have harmed a
family member. It might be that they know beast is wounded, and want to
help it. There may be a creature with special significance, tied to a cultural
motif, that they wish to capture, train, or slay in order to prove some point.

A character’s motivations could arise from a past experience with a

certain beast. They may want be filled with fear based on a childhood
incident, and seek to overcome it. Perhaps they want so see some rare and
exotic (to them, at least) animal. The beast could be the key to some
prophecy, the guardian of a great treasure, or have a special role in the
community’s traditions and ceremonies.

The personal goals the character has might also be a reflection of the
animal’s cultural significance. They understand their own potential, based
on what society values, or the beast represents, and for better or worse,
work to develop it. A character might use a captured or tamed animal for
the purposes of helping others, or themselves.

What the character fears can easily arise from past encounters with
beasts. This can tie back into what they don’t know, what they think they
know, and what they actually know. Sometimes the unknown is terrifying.
In other cases, it’s knowing exactly what an animal is capable of, because of
what it’s done to you.

Beasts and Possessions

The things that a character owns and uses will not just reflect their
connection to beasts magic. They can show the importance of beasts within
the setting. Think of the animal-related products commonplace in the real
world. Consider the types of things only available to certain people, or only

11
acquired at great expense. Where do items imbued with the qualities that
beasts represent fit in the context of your worldbuilding?

For example, armor might be made of a beast’s hide. Even ordinary

animals have abilities that could be reflected in the protection that is
afforded. It might be warm, or lightweight, or waterproof. These properties
might not even require enchantment. Magical armor, or course, could
protect against specific beasts, or the forms of attack those creatures use.

In a similar fashion, weapons can guide their wielder’s hand in

anticipation of a particular beast’s moves. They can strike and defend in
emulation of special forms of attack the animal utilizes. Including motifs
based on beasts could be a form of intimidation, or an element of a magical
weapon’s enchantment.

A variety of well-known magic items draw upon the abilities of beasts.

These tend to lean into motif and metaphor rather than the actual
capabilities of ordinary animals. The strength of an ox, the wisdom of an
owl, the courage of a lion, all create resonance with the relationship
between cultures and beasts.

Beasts and Hangouts

Consider the impact of ordinary animals on the places the protagonist
frequents. Are certain beasts welcome, as pets or a source of labor? Does
the building guard against pests and vermin? Is there a motif in use, based
on its connection to animals, or a resemblance to a beast’s lair?

The best place to start is at home. Do the people who live there keep
pets? Are these common creatures, like cats and dogs, or something local
and relatively unusual in the world? Do they have an exotic pet, from a
faraway land? Is there a problem with pests like rats, mice, or roaches? Was
the building constructed to keep specific types of beasts out? Do different
cultures keep different types of animals as pets? Are the pests they have to
deal with different? Or are animals a common factor between communities
and societies?

A workplace might have a pet, trained to keep vermin under control.

Horses, mules, or similar creatures might be used as labor, to pull carts or
turn mill wheels. It could be a slaughterhouse, a tannery, or a restaurant, all
making use of animal by-products. Someone has to supply the animals,

12
then, implying a whole economy and ecology around the relevant beasts.
An absence of animals could be a standout feature, in a culture that’s
vegetarian, or lacking domesticated animals.

Any location that’s focused on recreation – think inns, taverns, and

places of ill repute – may use beasts in a number of ways. The bouncers
might have a guard dog, or something more exotic like a trained bear, to
help deal with unruly patrons. Dishes might be made with common
ingredients like chicken, pork, or mutton, but the menu could include more
unusual beasts. Do different cultures eat different types of animals, in
unique preparations?

Beasts and Relatonships

In there real world there are people who believe you can tell a lot
about a person based on how they treat animals. Attitudes about animal
rights, what makes a good pet, and the eating of domesticated beasts can
be common ground, or a cause for conflict. Even the types of animals a
person likes or dislikes, and why, can affect relationships with other
people.

For friends, a beast could represent a mutual interest, Two or more

characters could bond over their love of cats. They might like riding horses
or hunting deer. This helps to establish the culture, if they’re from the same
community. Attitudes toward ordinary animals can also highlight the
differences between cultures, and create possibilities to explore and
expand upon.

Attitudes toward animals are often taught by relatives. A protagonist

might inherit an affection for some creature. They could also be taught a
real or irrational fear of particular beasts. The character might be a
contrarian, learning to appreciate some creature a relative loathed, or hate
some animal they adored. This can reveal a lot about the two characters.

An adventuring party ought to be on the same page about animals.

What creatures are friends, and which are considered prey? What do we
eat, and what do we leave alone? Attitudes toward wild and domestic
animals, how they are treated, and what constitutes ethical use of their
labor and by-products can generate bonding moments, conflicts, or both.

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BEASTS AND WORLDBUILDING
In creating a fantasy setting, it’s important to understand that
mundane beasts can be an important element. Having familiar creatures,
similar if not identical to those found in the real world, can create
resonance with the players. If nothing else, they can provide some
juxtaposition between natural and supernatural. Clearly defining the
limitations of a normal animal helps to establish what constitutes a
monster.

Beasts and Genre

Genre is a classification of stories, broadly grouped together by
common elements. Ordinary animals aren’t enough to establish the
cornerstone requirements of the fantasy genre, the existence of magic and
the presence of the supernatural. Unless, of course, they don’t resemble
real-world creatures, and have been re-skinned to show that this is an
alternate reality. How beasts behave in the presence of fantasy elements,
however, can help to establish the genre.

Beasts can also be a supporting element of other fantasy tropes. If

people have a relationship with magic and the supernatural, why wouldn’t
ordinary animals? Familiars are connected to spellcasting. What other
ways might mundane creatures react and adapt to the fantastic elements in
your world, setting them apart from their real-world counterparts?

The way that beasts are presented in fantasy subgenres can help to
establish the elements of those genres. Heroic fantasy is going to offer the
most beautiful, intelligent, and useful presentations of ordinary animals.
Dark fantasy will offer beasts that are far more cunning, predatory, and
violent than the real thing. Historical fantasy can leverage existing motifs to
increase resonance with the players.

It might be fun to explore how beasts factors into other genres. For
some reason we rarely see many ordinary animals in science fiction. Why is
that? What happened to the cows, cats, and reindeer in the future? Horror
tends to only allow for dangerous creatures, or friendly pets that have
turned on their humans.

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Beasts and Locaton
Location is not just the place of your setting, but the time period it uses
or emulates. This is defined in the broadest sense, like Victorian England or
the Third Age of Middle Earth. It implies a lot about cultural values, political
systems, and technology. Using beasts can help to establish context about
climate, population, and cultural values of your setting’s location.

A time period relative to real-world history is an easy bit of

shorthand. What animals are kept as pets, and which are used for labor can
establish the level of technology, and the amount of leisure time available
to characters. What people eat, who gets to eat what, and the way that
meat dishes are prepared can speak to levels of wealth and the
development of trade.

Similar things can be said about place. Whether it’s actual nations
from history, or generic places like “mountains” or “along the ocean”, there
will be flavor there that influences what people will want to know. Beasts
associated with a particular climate or terrain will help to establish a
where the events in your setting are occurring.

Beasts and Mood

Mood is the atmosphere of the setting and the story. This can be
dramatic or comedic, somber or lighthearted, and anything in between.
The way beasts are presented and treated can help to reinforce the overall
mood of your fantasy world.

For a lighter mood, beasts should be presented with a sense of

wonder. They’re mostly friendly, pretty to look at, and fun to play with.
Some will be menacing, but for the most part ordinary animals are boon
companions, useful helpers, and beloved pets.

When the setting has a darker mood, beasts are things to be feared.
Not only do they bite and scratch, they destroy crops, prey on livestock, and
spread disease. There doesn’t have to be a fight for these creatures to cause
harm to a family or community. Ordinary animals present a clear threat to
everyday existence.

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Beasts and Confict
There is more to the concept of conflict than combat. It can be the clash
of ideologies or goals that create obstacles. Those obstacles, which can
include battle, in turn prevent the protagonists from achieving the story
goal. An ordinary creature is a plot point, rather than an adversary.

A direct conflict is something that involves the beast itself. The shiny
magic ring has been stolen by a clever magpie. A wolf menaces a young girl
as she walks through the woods to her grandmother’s house. Foxes keeps
getting into the hen house and eating all of the eggs. All of these require
dealing with the beast itself.

Beasts can result in an indirect conflict when there is an issue

peripheral to the creature’s role in the setting. A wandering clan of goblins
keep stealing cattle. The issue is the raiders, not the cows. Rats are
spreading a deadly disease throughout the city. It’s the plague that’s the
real problem, not the rats.

Beasts and History

History includes all events that have occurred prior to the beginning of
the story. These provide necessary context and interesting color for
characters, the overall setting, and essential story elements. Beasts are an
avenue for exploring this sort of background without having to resort to
lengthy exposition.

The personal history contained in a character background can

contain anecdotes about ordinary animals. They were chasing an animal,
and discovered something as a result. The character’s love, or loathing, of a
certain creature stems from a childhood incident. Even their decisions on
where to live, and what profession to pursue, could be shaped by
experiences with beasts.

Anything to do with the setting background can be delivered through

lore about beasts. The king built his castle where he did because game was
plentiful. A city thrived because fishing was good along the coast. An order
of rangers or druids was founded because local wildlife was threatened by
a gluttonous dragon.

16
 What needs to be established as the story background will reinforce
the importance of the story goal. It can explain the motivations of the
antagonist, and help tie in disparate elements. Having hunted the wild
board to virtual extinction, the nomadic orcs are on the move in search of
food. The king, needing more horses for his army, begins confiscating them
from farmers.

Beasts and Technology and Magic

While magic is often the most prominent form of technology in a
fantasy world, it’s not the only one. The use of beast for labor, to provide
transportation, and even for communication can’t be overlooked. Animal
by-products might be essential to the working of the world.

Raising, training, and even slaughtering animals can be a special

ability that only certain characters or factions have. Those who possess it
hold a clear advantage over those who don’t. Whalers once controlled the
lamp oil and soap trade. Talented chefs turn poisonous creatures into
delicacies.

Any sort of technology might be altered to include ordinary animals.

Birds can be trained to deliver messages. Dogs retrieve game felled by
arrows. Oxen plow fields. Animal labor creates a more efficient and
productive result than if people had to perform those same tasks. Clothing,
instrument strings, inks and dyes, and perfumes and potions are all made
using animal by-products.

Of course, magic should be impacted by the importance of beasts as

well. In addition to familiars, some animals might be able to see or sense
the presence of supernatural creatures. Animal by-products appear on lists
of spell components. Spells can be used to train domesticated animals, or
defend against wild ones.

Beasts and Organizatons

An organization is any institution or association, comprised of several
people with a collective goal. This covers everything from an adventuring
party to a merchants’ guild to a political faction. Clearly beasts could be of
interest to some organizations, whether they are directly or indirectly
connected to ordinary animals.

17
 The protagonist organizations that sponsor, employ, or otherwise
support player characters might rely on beasts for various reasons. They
could have an animal motif that connects to their purpose. Animals might
be used for basic security, transportation, or communication. Some specific
item the group makes or uses heavily could be based on an animal product.

Beasts can be used by antagonist organizations for similar purposes.

The types of creatures they employ will reflect their ethical stance and
intentions. Motifs will feature more ruthless and deadly creatures. The
group will be far less kind in utilization of animal labor. The process of
gathering the animal products they use will likely be deeply disturbing.

Because neutral organizations rarely get directly involved in

conflicts, their use of beasts will be more benign. More animal labor,
transportation, and group mascots. Fewer security animals and definitely
no controversial animal products in use. Motifs will be less evocative of
confrontations, and more a reflection of cultural values.

Beasts and Daily Liie

To really get to know a place, look closely at how people live. They way
that families and communities form can tell you a lot. What they do for a
living will be a reflection of local resources, the briskness of trade with
neighboring areas, and what traditional crafts are. There may be customs
that have developed around beasts, whether they are wild or domesticated.

A character’s professional life could be impacted by the way

domesticated beasts are used. This could be because those creatures or
common and a plentiful resource. It might be that they’re rare and
valuable. Peoples’ attitudes toward animals might affect how the
profession is viewed within a culture, glorified or vilified.

Their personal life might make use of beasts in a number of ways.

Food, clothing, and tools come from animal products. Pets and riding
animals are obvious. Motifs in home decor and religious items are common.

When it comes to their social life, a character may lean into beast
motifs. Their qualities might be compared to animals, as could the traits
they seek in a mate. Romantic dinners, carriage rides, and other interludes
will reflect the presence of ordinary animals within the culture.

18
BEASTS AND ADVENTURES
Because these are fantasy stories, there will inevitably be magic. Beasts
might be an important element of the plot. Even if they aren’t, they can
affect how the protagonist makes decisions, and what course of action the
antagonist chooses to take. There’s a place for ordinary animals in just
about every type of fantasy adventure.

Beasts and Story Goals

Every story has a goal. It’s the thing that the protagonist needs to do to
complete the story. Once they’ve done that, you know that the story is more
or less over. When considering the impact of beasts, it might have a direct
or indirect influence over what the goal is, and how it might be
accomplished.

Beasts could have a direct influence over the story goal if the plot is
driven by a creature, its behaviors, or the value it has to a group or
individual. There is no story without the animal. It needs to be stopped,
captured, or turned into some desired by-product.

There might be an indirect influence of beasts when the story

involves a side effect or unintended consequence of an animal’s presence.
The animal is a plot convenience. It might play a symbolic role, to help
express the theme or motifs of the story. Without the beasts, the story
would still work.

Beasts and Protagonists

Consider what qualities make the player character the ideal person to
undertake this adventure. Stating that they are the Chosen One because
they fit a specific motif is pretty common in fantasy. The motif signifies that
they have the qualities required to complete a story goal. A connection to
the plot because of their relationship to animals, personally or
professionally, is an equally common hook.

A direct connection between beasts and the protagonist might mean

that their profession involves animals. Rangers and druids come to mind,
protecting wild creatures from evil and supernatural threats. The plot will

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center on saving beasts, or leveraging their abilities to solve some larger
problem.

There are many ways to draw indirect connections as well. The

beasts might be specific, individual creatures that the protagonist cares
about. They wish to protect and defend the object of their affection. The
threat will still exist, and the plot will unfold regardless, but the stakes and
motivations will be personal to the characters.

Beasts and Antagonists

Where protagonists often get to be the Chosen One due to their
connection to beasts, antagonists are portrayed as aligning with darker
motifs. The word “animal” is used in negative, primal, and violent
connotations. They attempt to justify their behavior using metaphors
about the harsh reality of nature.

Beasts will have an effect on antagonist goals then. Their desires, and
the methods they employ to attain them, are compared to predatory
creatures. They see themselves as being at the top of the food chain, and
will lean in to metaphors that sell that idea. The way they treat animals will
reflect how they see their role in the world.

Even if the qualities of wild beasts aren’t part of the antagonist

abilities, the motifs can be applied to their powers and skills. Using
imagery of predators, venomous snakes, and other frightening creatures
can help to establish they villain’s character. Having dangerous animals
around as pets and companions creates a mood around the antagonist.

Beasts and Obstacles

It’s common in fantasy to use beasts as obstacles. In order to reach
their goal, the protagonist has to get past some dangerous creature. This
involves stealth, combat, or the ability to make friends with the animal.
Remember to leverage the power of motif. Use beasts as part of the
thematic conversation by having them represent a force or idea contained
within the story’s theme.

The direct obstacles created by beasts require the protagonist to face

the creature itself. They have to fight it, capture it, or avoid it. The create
could be guarding an entrance, or in possession of an item they need. Don’t

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discount the idea that the animal might be needed to create some by-
product that is required to fulfill the story goal.

In exploring indirect obstacles, consider that beasts are something

common folk might fear, or hold in reverence. The idea of having to face
such a creature, and what they represent in terms of theme or motif, can
create a psychological obstacle for characters. What they’re facing isn’t the
animal itself, but their own issues via metaphor and symbolism.

Beasts and the Call to Adventure

In Act I of the story, the protagonists will receive the call to
adventure. They will learn what the story goal is, and what is at stake. An
encounter with a beast might be the reason they learn of the issue at hand.
The creature could represent the theme of the story, or introduce a
recurring motif. Use those elements to establish important ideas early in
the adventure.

One purpose of the call to adventure lies in establishing tension. You

can use beasts to show that things have changed. Animals are behaving
strangely, due to the introduction of some new force or element. They
might resonate with some past historical event, to show that this has
happened before, and providing a clue as to what it coming.

By the end of the first act, the protagonist should be answering the
call. They understand the stakes, and are aware of the part they much play.
Whether the symbolic use of ordinary animals has shown them the future,
proven that the threat is real, or pointed out why they are the best person
to meet the challenge ahead, they accept the story goal and are willing to
pursue it.

Beasts and the Pursuit oi Adventure

During Act II, the protagonists will go off in pursuit of adventure. The
role of beasts here might be to assist them. Horses might take them where
they need to go. A raven might be dispatched to alert an ally that they’re
coming. Various companion animals can be used to track and scout.
Encounters with hostile creatures will assure that this is, in fact, an
adventure.

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 The middle of the adventure is about increasing tension. Beasts can
help with that by periodically reminding the protagonists of the stakes.
While the protagonist will likely face monsters and humanoids that are
progressively more powerful, ordinary animals can appear to reinforce
motifs. Creatures that remind the protagonist of home, of what might be
lost, or of what they might gain can be powerful motivators.

The object, of course, is achieving the story goal. By the end of the
second act, the protagonist should be prepared to do that. They’ve avoided
the obstacles, gained the information they need, and gathered the
necessary resources. Beasts pointed the way and got them there. This
launches them into the finale.

Beasts and the End oi the Adventure

When we reach Act III, we’ve come to the end of the adventure. This
ought to align with anything the protagonist has learned via the themes
and motifs represented by beasts. Weird and mysterious bits of
information should make sense. Context will be provided so that most of
the loose ends from the story get tied up.

In the finale, the protagonist will confront the antagonist and achieve
the story goal. It’s likely that they’re not gaining any new insights here, but
will be using information they acquired during the second act. Animal
allies acquired throughout the adventure should play a role. Motifs
surrounding creatures should be hit hard. The thematic stance, the point
that the story was trying to make, needs to be tied up neatly here.

After everything has settled, the epilogue will help to tie up loose
ends. What happened to any animal friends? Has the protagonist’s attitude
toward beasts changed, or been strengthened? Will the meaning of the
animal motifs shift or evolve as a result of how the story concluded?

Beasts and Character Growth

The final part of the story is always about character growth. The
protagonist has gone through trials and tribulations, overcome adversity,
and saved the day. They have learned new things, gained new skills, and
honed their existing abilities. They have learned something about
themselves, and are a better person for having gone through what they did.

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When working with beasts as a concept, a shift in motif can signal
character growth. They might embody some other aspect that a creature is
associated with. Less of a ferocious lion, for example, and more of a noble
monarch.

From a game stand point, this is about the protagonist earning

rewards for their achievements. They’re provided with experience, in
whatever form that takes in your system of choice, and can improve
mechanical abilities. New animal companions, or new abilities for existing
ones, is obvious. A better mount, a well-trained hunting dog, a cage full of
carrier pigeons may be small things, but within the context of the setting
and the character’s background they can be meaningful.

Depending upon what else happened during the adventure, the

protagonist could also be facing complications going forward. That
animal could have had a mate. Someone might be upset about the creatures
the protagonist killed. The character might feel guilt about harming
ordinary animals in pursuit of the story goal. Explore the possibilities, and
use both the loose ends and the emotional notes as fodder for future
adventures.

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