Making Enemies: Monster Design Inspiration for Tabletop Roleplaying Games

by Keith Ammann

From the acclaimed author of the “must-have” (R.A. Salvatore, #1 New York Times bestselling author) The Monsters Know What They’re Doing series, an indispensable and easy-to-follow new handbook for creating original enemies in tabletop role-playing games.

In The Monsters Know What They’re Doing, the essential tactics guide for Dungeon Masters, and its sequel, MOAR! Monsters Know What They’re Doing, Keith Ammann reverse-engineered hundreds of fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons monsters to help DMs prepare battle plans for combat encounters before their game sessions.

Now, in Making Enemies, he explores everything that goes into creating monsters from the ground size, number, and level of challenge; monster habitats; monster motivations; monsters as metaphors; monsters and magic; the monstrous anatomy possessed by real-world organisms; and how to customize monsters for your own tabletop roleplaying game adventuring party to confront. No longer limited to one game system, Making Enemies shows you how to build out your creations not just for D&D 5E but also for Pathfinder 2E, Shadowdark, the Cypher System, and Call of Cthulhu 7E. Including interviews with some of the most brilliant names in RPG and creature design, Making Enemies gives you the tools to surprise and delight your players—and terrify their characters—again and again.

592 pages, Hardcover

Published October 7, 2025

About the author

Keith Ammann is the ENNIE-winning author of The Monsters Know What They’re Doing: Combat Tactics for Dungeon Masters, MOAR! Monsters Know What They’re Doing, How to Defend Your Lair, and most recently Making Enemies: Monster Design Inspiration for Tabletop Roleplaying Games, as well as the blog The Monsters Know What They’re Doing (themonstersknow.com). He’s been a role-playing gamer and game master for more than thirty years. He likes to play outwardly abrasive helpers, out-of-their-element helpers, and genuinely nice, helpful helpers. Mostly, though, he plays non-player characters. And monsters.

Reviews

[Richard Pulfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a DM and the monster manual just isn't cutting it - this is the next step.

Keith provides an extensive process detailing how to make monsters over various games - from D&D to Call of Cthulu - and how to make them work in any setting.

There's also a lot of great interviews with tabletop writers and developers to give further context on what makes a good monster or enemy in a tabletop game.

I read it mostly for inspiration for some stories, but I think any DM will get a ton of use out of this regardless.

[Luther Siler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Find my full review here:

https://infinitefreetime.com/2025/10/...