Creating a Monster in VHS - Part 1: The Birth
Written by: Simone Morini
“The world is full of evil. So it doesn’t surprise me that giving birth to a nightmare is much easier than giving life.”
[Estshsar, wanderer of the unknown]
Ever wondered how to bring a monster to life, be it a vicious killer, a rampaging alien, or a demonic entity? VHS gives you the tools to do just that: to breathe a soul (albeit a dark one) into your creation and unleash it on the table.
But not just any monster. In VHS, you can shape one that feels alive, something that goes beyond weapons and abilities to evoke pure terror.
This article (the first in a series on monster creation for VHS) will walk you through the process using Marlon Haskett as an example: the creature born in tribute to Friday the 13th, featured in [The Lake Curse].
The Monster as the True Protagonist
What do Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Pinhead all have in common? A corrupted past: sometimes tragic, sometimes brutal, sometimes just unknown, but always steeped in evil.
It’s this origin that makes them more compelling than their victims. That’s why, in horror, the monster is often the true protagonist.
The Origin of the Nightmare
The first step? Build your monster’s backstory.
If you’ve checked out the editable character sheet (available [here]), you’ve probably noticed the space for lore is limited.
Don’t let that hold you back. Write the full story elsewhere, and just use the sheet to summarize it. Many of the elements you’ll develop here (background and mechanics alike) will unfold more fully in other parts of the character.
A monster’s backstory often unfolds in three key phases:
- The Beginning: Who or what was the monster before becoming what it is? Marlon Haskett was a child, deeply attached to his mother. Innocence and maternal love, two pillars soon to collapse.
- The Turning Point: What was the trauma that shattered their world? In Marlon’s case, it was witnessing his mother’s murder at the hands of his father, followed by his father’s suicide. Innocence is destroyed. Purity, erased.
- The Awakening: This is where it truly begins. The turning point alone doesn’t make the monster; this final trigger does. It’s like preparing all the ingredients for a roast; you still need to turn on the oven.
These three phases are crystal clear in Marlon’s story, but they don’t always need to be. The beginning can be subtle, or even absent.
After all, the Xenomorph has always been the Xenomorph. It never “became” a killer. Same goes for demons, right?
Yes… but not quite. Even they follow these phases, just on a deeper level. The Xenomorph, for instance, is part of a species, so its origin must be understood scientifically: where did it come from? Why is it aggressive? What makes its hunt so relentless?
Same for demons. Take the most famous one: the Devil. Once an angel, closest to Heaven, cast down to become the ruler of Hell.
Beginning. Turning point. Awakening.
What to avoid
As with any good story, what you leave out is just as important as what you put in. So what should you avoid when creating a monster?
Cliché: Avoiding cliché doesn’t mean inventing something no one’s ever done; it means giving every element a reason to exist.
A bloodthirsty killer on the run from an asylum sounds like something we’ve seen a hundred times. But is it still “banal” if we explore why?
Why was he institutionalized? How did he escape (alone, or aided by some dark force?) Why does he kill? Is he bound by a demonic pact? Does his illness make him see his children’s murderer in every face?
A “generic” concept can become compelling when it’s anchored in meaning. Even if it’s not original, it can still have a strong identity: something that makes it stick.
Mindless Violence: When we think “monster,” we picture blood, rage, cruelty, brutality. And sure, more of that makes the monster scarier, right?
Wrong. Just like fear and suspense, cruelty needs to be measured.
A monster’s actions should serve a purpose, not necessarily a deep or symbolic one, but a reason nonetheless.
Its pattern of torment should feel deliberate. Does it kill to feed? To inflict pain? Is it driven by possession?
Even its weapons should follow logic. Does it prefer blades? Have a signature tool (like Leatherface’s chainsaw or Freddy’s claw)? Is its body itself the weapon?
All of this doesn’t restrict the monster: it defines it. The clearer its motives and methods, the more believable it becomes… and the more terrifying.
The Nightmare Continues
In the next article on monster creation for VHS, we’ll dive into how to build the mechanical side, shaped around the story you’ve just told.
Hope you found this guide helpful. And more importantly, I hope it sparked the urge to unleash your own nightmares, whether they wield machetes or bleed acid.
– Simone