====== Monster Creation ======

Every character in //Ultimate Monster Battle Arena// has a Monster (unless they have taken the [[quirks_and_flaws#No Monster|No Monster]] Flaw, in which case you can ignore this section).  You may only have one Monster at the point of Character Creation, but there's nothing stopping you from acquiring more in play.

In //Ultimate Monster Battle Arena//, Monster Creation follows the following 3 steps:
  - Assign Monster Attributes.
  - Choose Strengths and Weaknesses.
  - Fill out the details.

==== Got it from a guy in a bar ====

Not every Monster Owner knows the ins and outs of their monster.  If you like, you can skip Monster Creation by giving a rough description of your Monster to the GMs and letting them fill out the details.  We'll let you know what you know your Monster to be capable of, but won't tell you the exact stats - you'll have to find these out in game!

If you choose this option, then you can skip this page.

===== Step 1: Assign Monster Attributes =====

Every Monster is defined by 5 Attributes - the 5 S's of Monsterology:
  * **SIZE** - how large the Monster is, and what weight category it is eligible for (see [[Championships]]).
  * **SMARTS** - how intelligent a Monster is.
  * **SPEED** - how fast a Monster moves.
  * **STAMINA** - how long a Monster can go before tiring themselves out.
  * **STRENGTH** - how hard a Monster can land a blow in a fight.

These will define how your Monster will fight, how various tactics will fare against them, and influence their behaviour outside of the Arena.  Each attribute has a cost from (-2 to +2), and overall Monsters must have a balance of 0 cost (so to increase one attribute, you must decrease another).

^ Attribute ^ -2 ^ -1 ^ 0 ^ +1 ^ +2 ^
^ Size | Tiny | Small | Big | Giant | Enormous |
^ Smarts | Mindless | Stupid | Dull | Sharp | Clever |
^ Speed | Inert | Slow | Lumbering | Swift | Fast |
^ Stamina | Lethargic | Lazy | Tenacious | Tireless | Relentless |
^ Strength | Pathetic | Weedy | Strong | Mighty | Unstoppable |

Importantly, without any other factors in a fight, 2 Monsters would draw - it is the tactics and how you apply your Strengths and exploit an opponent's Weaknesses that will turn the tide.

For example: //Jeff is creating his Monster, Custardzaur, and decides that he wants Custardzaur to be as big as possible.  He spends +2 points on Size making Custardzaur Enormous, and balances this out by making it slower and stupider, taking -1 on both Speed and Smarts.  Overall, Custardzaur is Enormous (+2), Stupid (-1), Slow (-1), Tenacious (0) and Strong (0).//
===== Step 2: Strengths and Weaknesses =====

Every Monster has its Strengths and every Monster has its Weaknesses - you should pick these for your Monster from the list [[monster_strengths_and_weaknesses|Strengths and Weaknesses]].  No Strength is without its Weakness, so every Monster must have the same number of Strengths as Weaknesses - at least 1, and no more than 4.

For some Strengths and Weaknesses you need to provide a short description of how this appears on your Monster - these are marked with an asterisk and some suggestions for descriptions are provided.  You may also briefly describe other Strengths and Weaknesses that aren't marked like this, but it is not //required//.
===== Step 3: Fill out the Details =====

Now that you've created your Monster, fill out the rest of the details including Name, a Description, and a Public Bio for the Monster, giving an idea of the obvious aspects of your Monster and pick a weight class (Heavy or Light).

Once you're happy, submit the Monster together with your [[Character Creation|Character Submission]], using the following template

  Monster Name:
  
  Size:
  Smarts:
  Speed:
  Stamina:
  Strength:
  
  Strengths:
  
  Weaknesses:
  
  Description:
  
  Weight Class: Heavy / Light
  
  Public Bio: