7 Tips to Ruling a City of Monsters

Posted on July 4, 2018 by Charles Yallowitz

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Ruling over a city full of monsters isn’t easy.  It does help to be one yourself, but not everyone has that luxury.  There’s always a problem that has to be taken care of and at least half of your citizens are nocturnal and food for the other half.  Let’s not even get into the constant soliciting from adventurers who are out to make a name for themselves.  So, what is a dark warlord of evil to do?

  1. Make strict rules about what people can eat.  If you allow the monsters to feast on each other then you won’t have much of an army.  Sure, the strongest will be on your side, but how long before they start fighting each other.  Eventually, you’ll be left with a single, overweight monster that is eyeing you like a free rib-eye.  Just set up a farm and maintain enough livestock to avoid the disaster.
  2. While many monsters love darkness, it isn’t something that is needed across the board.  You can keep some places in utter darkness and others in light or make sure you have functional days.  This way, you don’t play favorites between the nocturnal and diurnal species.  It also means you have agents who can function at all hours of the day.
  3. Be very careful with the undead.  They have a habit of eating whatever has a heartbeat, possessing random targets, and smelling like death.  Anything with a sensitive sense of smell won’t want to be around them during the summer.
  4. Don’t ignore the fun parts of cities just because your citizens are monsters.  They might be used to living in the wilderness, but creating houses for their specific lifestyle can go a long way towards earning their trust.  You can add all the things they might want like hot springs, cold springs, waterfalls, ponds full of fish, insect gardens, and all the amenities a monster desires.
  5. Killing a monster to keep the others in line can only work for so long.  Much like humans, they can be turn on you out of fear.
  6. Money might be a problem since monsters aren’t known for paying rent.  This can be remedied by commandeering a gold mine or training a group of raiders.  Of course, the latter means you can be attacked for revenge or considered a threat that needs to be eliminated.  So, your money-making ventures should be paired with maintaining a powerful defense.  This will require more money and you’ll have to . . . Let’s just say it could be a vicious cycle, so raiding might not be a good idea.
  7. Don’t go overboard with giants and dragons.  These monsters take up a lot of space and can be territorial.  You’ll not have much of a city left if you let any combination of these groups tangle.

About Charles Yallowitz

Charles E. Yallowitz was born, raised, and educated in New York. Then he spent a few years in Florida, realized his fear of alligators, and moved back to the Empire State. When he isn't working hard on his epic fantasy stories, Charles can be found cooking or going on whatever adventure his son has planned for the day. 'Legends of Windemere' is his first series, but it certainly won't be his last.
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34 Responses to 7 Tips to Ruling a City of Monsters

  1. The Story Reading Ape says:
    July 4, 2018 at 11:54 am

    A well thought out monster masterplan, Charles – now, if only you could adapt it for Mr. T (the one in the big White House on The Hill) 😂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. The Story Reading Ape says:
    July 4, 2018 at 2:26 pm

    Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog and commented:
    Here’s a useful and informative post by Charles – in case you, or anyone you know, might need some guidelines 😎

    Like

    Reply
  3. coldhandboyack says:
    July 4, 2018 at 7:05 pm

    Spoken as if you’ve ruled a city of monsters yourself. Good stuff.

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  4. Colin Noel-Johnson says:
    July 4, 2018 at 8:46 pm

    Do monsters patronize brothals? That might be a good way to keep the peace… or to destroy it, depending.

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  5. robbiesinspiration says:
    July 5, 2018 at 12:01 am

    These are great tips and your presentation is so amusing, Charles. I can just picture those monsters all snacking on each other.

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  6. debyfredericks says:
    July 5, 2018 at 11:46 am

    >6. Money might be a problem since monsters aren’t known for paying rent.
    Maybe the overlord could demand a percentage from whatever loot the monsters capture? Or get some of the creatures who have magic to create money… as long as it isn’t something like fairy gold that would fade away or change back to leaves.

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  7. Don Massenzio says:
    July 5, 2018 at 1:15 pm

    Reblogged this on DSM Publications and commented:
    Check out this post from the Legends of Windemere blog with 7 tips to ruling a city of monsters

    Like

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  8. Nicholas C. Rossis says:
    July 6, 2018 at 1:33 pm

    Reblogged this on Nicholas C. Rossis and commented:
    Who said that raising an army of monsters is an easy task? A fun post by Charles.

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  10. wellcolourmeyellow says:
    July 6, 2018 at 2:17 pm

    found your post through a reblog on nicholasrossis.wordpress.com and I can’t even with how thrilling of a read this was. Followed you and can’t wait to read more from you!

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  11. harmonykent says:
    July 9, 2018 at 5:08 am

    This is a great post, Charles! Really enjoyed this, and it’s one to come back to time and again. I will link to this on my Friday Week in Review this week (harmonykent.co.uk). What fantastic tips 🙂

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