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- I Cast...Brainstorm issue 28!
I Cast...Brainstorm issue 28!
A weekly newsletter of ideas and advice for D&D Dungeon Masters, players, and fans
Dave Palmer
October 17th, 2025
In partnership with
This week — 20 Names of Humanoid Monster Leaders, and 20 Unique Treasures
Thanks for reading I Cast…Brainstorm!, a weekly newsletter with ideas and advice to help make DM-ing and playing D&D (and other TTRPGs) easier and more fun.
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Let’s brainstorm some fun!
In this issue...
I ran two really fun sessions this week, and I’m so grateful for the players. There’s just nothing better than watching them interact with the game world from inside their characters’ heads! Even better when they really surprise you with their decisions in a way that makes the story so much better. And they constantly surprise me.
This week I’ve been thinking a lot about how to add more specificity to my games. Sometimes a few small details can really help the fictional places we visit and the made-up characters we interact with feel more authentic, and really come alive. I’m going to try adding a detail or two, like a short NPC scene, to my description of the next town or village the players visit — a couple arguing, a child crying, an elderly person collapsing and other townsfolk rushing over to help. Details could be adventure hooks, or part of a bigger story, but they really don’t need to be. They just need to be interesting enough to mention to help give the players the feeling that they’re experiencing a living world that doesn’t just pause when they’re not looking.
Adding a distinctive NPC to a group of monsters is another great way to add specificity. Characters often run into humanoid monsters on their travels — goblins, bugbears, gnolls and the like — and all of these groups, whether a small scouting party, or the tip of the spear of some larger force, probably have a leader. The leader can be official, with an appropriate title, or just a creature who leads by proxy. Either way, why do the other creatures obey the leader? Or if they don’t, why not? Is the leader the loudest, the angriest, the strongest, the best warrior, or the son of a former chief? What makes them unique and specific? There are some ideas below to get the brainstorming ball rolling.
Have a surprising and fun week, and thanks for reading!
20 Names of…Humanoid Monster Leaders
The next time your players encounter a group of humanoid monsters, you can give the authorized or unofficial leader of the group one of the names and/or personalities below. And if the NPC plays great at the table, (and they survive the encounter!), consider having them return throughout your adventure as an ally or nemesis.
Goblin
Pleks, known as “Pigsticker”
Pigsticker is large for a goblin, and always hungry. He fights with a farmer’s pitchfork that he’s sharpened to razor-like points.
Larwip, known as “Bee Sting”
Bee Sting is small for a goblin, but tenacious, sneaky and fast. His favorite tactic is skirting the battlefield while other goblins draw the enemy’s attention, then sneaking up and stabbing the enemy in the back.
Bugbear
Hazraj the Silent
Hazraj is cruel and fearsome even to other Bugbears. He seldom speaks — just a glance and gesture is enough to make his fellow Bugbears obey without hesitation.
Kharrast the Blooded
Kharrast is incredibly strong, and lives for battle. After he takes damage, he can use his Bonus Action to make an additional attack.
Orc
Arkug Stonebreaker
Arkug is a sullen leader, obsessed with gems. He carries a pickaxe with him at all times, and demands his crew does, too, in case they stumble on a place suitable for mining.
Ghor Elfbane
Ghor’s hatred of elves surpasses that of her orcish brethren. She doesn’t quite have the full confidence of her crew, due to her lack of strategy when she sees an elf, (if given the chance she’ll always attack an elf before any other enemy, regardless of whether its the best tactic).
Kobold
Nilgrim Snurl
Nilgrim carries a barbed whip, and happily wields it against his enemies or any kobold who doesn’t leap fast enough to his orders.
Prenrif Knobscale
Prenrif is a genius by kobold standards, (Intelligence 12), and an excellent battlefield tactician.
Bullywug
Merflex Eyedrip
Merflex wields an ancient +1 spear she found buried in the muck in the darkest, wildest corner of the swamp.
Bundlurp Swamploins
Bundlurp is the foulest smelling Bullywug — a legend amongst his kind.
Lizardfolk
Gahthess Slag
Gahthess is exceptionally wise for a lizardfolk, (Wisdom 15), but his tendency to look for non-violent solutions often puts him at cross-purposes with his kind.
Athsessa Ashha
Athsessa is as greedy as they come, and has such good instincts finding hidden loot that her crew will follow her anywhere.
Gnoll
Bik’ara
Bik’ara is a devout worshipper of Yeenoghu, and does not tolerate disrespect for her deity from gnolls, or anyone else. More than once an offending gnoll has found her spear jutting from their chest before a profane comment has finished.
Va’hak
Va’hak lost an eye as a youngster, and delights in filling the cavity in his skull with an eye plucked from a living victim, so they can see their own eye staring back at them as the insane gnoll delivers the killing blow.
Duergar
Jol Darkeyes
Jol seems to have the luck of Asmodeus in battle, and is widely known as a duergar who can stumble on a way to win in the worst situations.
Orpiona Spitzhacken
Orpiona is always encountered in enlarged form, and wields a huge spiked maul. (If she has to return to her normal size, the maul will be too large for her to use.)
Centaur
Helos
A noble creature of the utmost integrity, Helos is respectful to friend and foe alike, (and demands respect in return).
Agatherion the Swift
Agatherion is the fastest centaur in generations, (with a speed of 60’).
Hobgoblin
Vekra Zo Headstomp
“Vekra” is a hobgoblin word meaning “sergeant”, and Zo is a fierce, disciplined leader who expects her commands to be followed to the letter.
Vekra Dera Gutpuller
Dera is well-respected by other hobgoblins. He always takes point and is first into the breach against enemies large and small, (courage no doubt bolstered by the +1 plate mail he scavenged from a deceased paladin).
Unusual Random Treasure for Humanoid Monster Leaders
Leaders of organized groups of humanoid monsters may have one or more of the following items on them when they encounter the characters. Roll a d20 to determine the item, or choose one.
Why the leader has it, (is it an item of personal significance, or maybe part of some larger pile of loot that caught the leader’s eye?), is up to you.
A clear glass bottle with a black, viscous substance inside that moves around on its own, (a minuscule black pudding)
A pair of bright purple pantaloons, sized for a halfling
A silver ring carved to resemble an orc skull, with a secret compartment that can be found with a successful DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check
A gold letter opener, covered in knicks and spots of dried blood (worth 8 gp)
A wax seal kit in a pearl-inlaid wooden box. The stamp is an ornate letter “A”
A wooden clothes pin that emits faint magic — it can hold up to 400 lbs
A brass, expandable spyglass (worth 150 gp)
A tiny horse and carriage, with wheels that turn, carved from soapstone
A glass jar of ink in a very unusual color — bright magenta
A powerful magnet shaped like the giant rune for “Iron”
A large diamond with a visible crack in it, (worth 20 gp)
A tiny, strangely shaped piece of wood painted bright green on one side
A bent, finely made flute — if repaired, it has a lovely sound, and is worth 10 gp
A waxed paper bag that contains 7 pieces of delicious hard lemon candy
A silver tiara with empty sockets where gems used to be — etched inside the tiara is the inscription ’for Naella, forever’
A deck of tarot (or tarokka) cards
A magically locked book (a wizard’s spellbook)
A sack of freshly harvested potatoes
A silken pouch with three copper pieces inside — it emits faint transmutation magic, and if two of the exact same coin are placed inside, at dawn the next day a third coin will be in the pouch
A map leading to a grand adventure or treasure of the DM’s creation
Brainstorming Links
You probably already know about the folks below, who are real inspirations to me, but if not, do yourself a favor and check them out.
The Arcane Library — masterpiece adventures, and Shadowdark, too!
https://www.thearcanelibrary.com
The Angry DM — so angry….so many great ideas….
https://theangrygm.com/
DMDave — on point analysis of D&D rules, and a ton of fun ideas
https://bsky.app/profile/dmdave.bsky.social
RPGBot — whip smart critique and explanations of 5e rules
https://rpgbot.net/
Sly Flourish — a DM’s best friend who is also a better DM
https://www.slyflourish.com/
Treantmonk — years of helpful advice and clever ideas
https://www.youtube.com/@TreantmonksTemple
If you like I Cast…Brainstorm!, you might also like these amazing newsletters with more great ideas, advice and news about RPGs.
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What I’m DM-ing
A high level campaign via Roll20 using 2014 5th edition rules.
A weekly Rime of the Frostmaiden campaign, in-person, with 2024 5th edition rules
A series of one-shots in a bi-weekly game at a bar in LA. If you’re interested in joining in, the next event is October 22. Invites are sent via the Partiful app, and you can sign up at Ye Rustic Inn — 1831 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, California.
Two different campaigns with my kids, (Rime and Storm Kings Thunder) when schedules align
What I’m Playing
Vecna: Eve of Ruin as Clybb Thistlebridge, a 9th level Halfling great-weapon Fighter
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The original ideas in this issue of I Cast….Brainstorm! are covered under the Creative Commons BY-SA license — all content is free to use (including commercially) and change, with proper attribution.
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