Intelligence and Behavior (Monsters)

Hey game fans, we’re going to briefly discuss something that cropped up on the twitters today (again, i blame TerminallyNerdy.com) We’ve got a DM Tip that Intelligent monsters should be played intelligently, and if they are, then they are way more dangerous than the sum of their stats and abilities. This is very true, but Intelligence is a spectrum, and creatures at the other end of the spectrum are equally interesting tactical challenges for players and DMs alike. Let’s take a look at one of the key things to remember when deciding how a less than intelligent monster is going to potentially behave.

Predator vs. Prey

Animals (and this extends to beasts and other critters with intelligence the game classifies as animalistic) are typically either Predators or Prey, and this shapes a lot of how they interact with their world. The creature’s place in the food chain is going to shape how it reacts to threats and environmental changes, as does its social grouping. Now i’m sure there are Zoologists, Animal Behaviorists and Ecologists that can give you a very detailed rundown on how this works, but i’m going to give you a couple of broad categories to help you identify what your critters could do.

Pack Hunters

These are animals that work together to bring down prey animals. Wolves, the raptors from Jurassic Park, and the Saber tooth Tigers from Ice Age are examples of this type of critter. Typically they aren’t big enough or strong enough to take down a larger herd animal by themselves, and use a combined approach to bring home the

Apex Predators

Unlike Pack Hunters, Apex Predators don’t need the assistance of another creature to bring down their prey. Often Territorial, these creatures roam their chosen space looking for food and are usually quite capable of killing anything that gets in their way. Great White Sharks are excellent examples of these creatures.

Herd Animals

One of the most prolific animal groups on the prey side is the Herd. Wild Bison, Sauropods, and fish are all examples of these. Herds draw their strength from their collective power, and a Herd of animals is usually safe from predation (they typically avoid the nesting grounds of Apex predators, and Pack Hunters might pick off one or two, but the herd survives).

Extrapolation? 

Now this a sweeping generality that may not be factually correct, but for the sake of helping you figure out what the critter is going to do, here are three things to keep in mind.

• Apex Predators will typically attack in a situation they feel threatened. They are the top of the food chain for a reason.
• Pack Hunters will typically attack in a situation that’s favorable to them. If they outnumber the creature threatening them, or they catch them in a bad tactical situation, they will strike. Otherwise they will bide their time until the circumstances change. 
• Herd Animals will typically avoid dangerous areas and creatures. If they have to stop and fight, the stronger members of the herd will protect the young, the sick and the old. 

Now, there are always exceptions to the rule, and every animal (or monster, or beast, or critter with animal like intelligence) reacts to their environment differently. The other thing to keep in mind is that behavior is performed for a specific purpose that makes sense to the animal. At some point, the critter did that action and it resulted in a favorable outcome, and the animal continues to do so.


Also keep in mind that most animals are capable of some feats of intelligence that would surprise you, (Cats figuring out puzzles, primates using tools to acquire food from out of the way places are two examples that have been studied). They may not be able to carry a conversation, but they can figure out things that they can observe, given enough time.


That’s our brief intersection of psychology and Gameology, we hope it’s an easy read. Game on, Game Fans