This template is editable by everyone, but changes and reversions will be made by FourSevensRueful if the edits must be changed.Pet and monster characters cover a diverse group of under 200 canon species and a countless amount of fanon species, but the general formula to making a decent character of this type is generally the same for all of them. With some exceptions for fanon monster species, this guide is expected to be a list of suggestions for making beasts of the Prodigy universe.
Dictionary[]
Know the differences!
- Monster - Any of the magically-influencable creatures of the world whose healthy, usual versions use combat magic. They are less sophisticated in nature than the most intelligent NPCs in the Prodigy universe, meaning that even slimes and merlings fall short of being considered monsters. See the Species and FourSevensRueful's Species roster to determine which species qualify and which do not qualify as monsters.
- Buddy - A creature or entity that can be magically influenced yet is incapable of using combat magic under normal means with the exception of Epic monsters. Some are able to levitate and summon particle effects, and some are even able to best a monster in physical combat, but this does not mean that they are monsters. The only buddies that overlap with the monster category are Epics and geneticall modified monsters that lack combat magic capabilities (GMOMs).
- Pet - A usually magic-possessing monster or buddy that is currently in a pet relationship or in the custody of a non-monster or non-buddy entity. Wizards and fairies tend to raise the most pets out of all these entities.
Basic Approach[]
The most easy way to build a pet, monster, or buddy character is to get the most simple information about their identity down first.
What is Their Species?[]
There are plenty of canon and fanon species to choose from. Here's some tips:
- Make sure to create most of your pets with species (if canon species) easily obtainable in Prodigy Math; making too many pet characters that are hard to catch or are canonically very rare, like Ivory Truckles, defies canon. If you do not wish to keep close to the canon, it is highly suggested to set your characters in an Alternate Universe.
- If making a feral or free monster, make sure that most of them do not have difficulties using magic. In the wilds of canon Prodigy, monsters with magic-related disabilities tend to die very easily. If this is what you are going for and would like to make a story about their triumph, it might be beneficial to have a disabled monster. Otherwise, do not make it seem like their life is a breeze.
- If making a non-monster buddy, they should tend to either be owned by someone or have previously been owned by someone. According to Prodigy canon, many buddies are either benevolent extraterrestrials, use magical defense systems, are robots or cyborgs of organic creatures, or are domesticated animals. Make sure to have domesticated animals struggle in the world if they are not under the protection of an owner.
- Important: If you are making a character a fanon monster, buddy, or pet, make sure to adhere to the fanon species' owner's rules regarding the use of that species. If the species owner specifies that the monster lacks magic, do not make them able to cast spells.
What is Their Name?[]
What's in a name? Everything for a pet, monster, or buddy! They can be assigned a name based on what their owners, ex-owners, or parents provided them. Some of them have enough brains to create their own name. Nike the Luminex, for example, chose her name while a Brown Hamster of typical linguistic abilities cannot.
Naming conventions differ between owners and monsters. In the universal monster language, they are given names that most sound like those of Anglo-Norman and Germanic people from before the Middle Ages. Others give their offspring names of what they see in their child. A mother Gloricious may look at their newborn Snoots chick and call them Little Feather. Pets that are owned tend to be assigned new names if they do not already have them. Solarases and their kin do not have the brain capacity to make names for themselves, so Aria Stormchaser named her Soral "Seraph" and kept it through her evolutions.
What is Their Sex and Gender?[]
Many canon and fanon species are either split by the two biological sexes, are both sexes, or are without sex. Based on the biological rules for the decided species, give them one of the following sexes: female, male, hermaphoditic (possessing both the female and male sex), or sexless. All robots need not be given a sex.
That said, there is a slightly wider range for gender options. Since most buddies do not know the concept of gender that us humans have, most of them have the gender that matches their sex. Sentient and sapient monsters, pets, and buddies tend to identify themselves with some gender, so they may be cisgender, transgender-binary, or transgender-nonbinary.
Your choice of sex for the character may affect their appearance. Even though no monsters or buddies are canonically sexually dimorphic, if you are using a sexually-dimorphic species for the character, have them only able to change their appearance through gender-affirming surgery, makeup, body modification, magical illusions, or through manipulation of color. Sex can also determine a character's role in their group. If a character is biologically female and in a harem-style species, for example, chances are that they may be consistently pregnant.
Your choice of gender for the character may affect their role in their group as well. Some monsters that have the idea of gender are transphobic, and this can be used to create an interesting dynamic in a story where the trans monster protagonist struggles with society.
Important: If there canonically is a skewed ratio between sexes in a binary-sex species, you should highly consider making your character have the more common sex.
Designing their Traits[]
A character needs to be created in more depth than their name, species, sex, and gender to be allowed on the wiki--they must have an appearance, personality, weapons and gear (if they are lucky enough to have the intelligence to make and use them), a set of abilities, strengths and weaknesses, and a set of spells.
Appearance[]
Generally, a pet, monster, or buddy has a corporal form or inhabits something that can be seen by the naked eye and is at least the size of a Brown Hamster. Give them a size, shape, and colors appropriate for their species under normal circumstances, and make sure not to have a shapeshifting pet, monster, or buddy able to remain in their illusion permanently unless if corrupted by Shadow magic.
Personality[]
Even the most mindless buddies can have a personality. While Lumas and Lumanights frolick day in and day out in tulip fields and make flower crowns for themselves, Browls form parliaments and have strong familial connections. Every pet, buddy, and monster has some unique traits, too--unlike most Pucks, Paul is docile after attempting a failed rebellion.
Weapons and Gear[]
Important: Do not give a pet, monster, or buddy character weapons or gear unless they have magical capabilities or are domesticated by armor-making owners.
There are a variety of weapons and gear that an animal creature can use, and this can be even more diverse than what a wizard may utilize safely. Armor, specialized relics, thought translators, and saddles are top choices.
Abilities, Strengths and Weaknesses, and Spells[]
Abilities for pets, monsters, and buddies should mostly be inherited since the vast majority cannot train themselves to do something new to their species. A dog buddy should be good at digging, guarding a post, and paying attention to their owners while an Epic should be made with great elemental powers.
Strengths and weaknesses should largely be decided by the species they inherited. A monster, for example, is most likely prone to illusions and magic from the Shadow element. They may also inherit an element and its innate strengths and weaknesses, too.
Spells for monsters are learned through age and experience in battle. A monster that has never fought another is most likely subject to the whims of others, while a wartorn battle pet would have access to at least two elements of magic.
Master Making a Pet, Monster, or Buddy Character[]
There is always room to improve on creating one of these characters for the Prodigy universe or any of its numerous fanon Alternate Universes. Here's how you can make your character healthy, meaning that they are neither boring nor without flaws.
Rule 1: Make them Common, but Not Too Common[]
As stated previously, make sure that you do not abuse the character creator to make a pet, monster, or buddy fit completely within the canon or completely outside of the rules of Prodigy. If there is an option to make them fit with the 99.5% of their species, choose that option. If you give them a small set of quirks, such as having a royal owner, have them born with some unusual birthmark, or have them a little bit more self-aware than the average character of their species, that is invited and often highly appropriate.
Rule 2: Give them Character Growth[]
If included within a story, such as a fanfiction, roleplay, or game, allow them to be a dynamic character. Wizards, fairies, and spirits tend to dominate the population of central characters, so allowing them to be a main character with an arc to themselves can be a refreshing break from stories where a regular person is the lead.
Rule 3: Make them Fit with Worldbuilding[]
If you did not make your character as a joke, they should definitely seem to fit in with the rest of their universe. A talking armored werewolf makes sense for Prodigy, while a pasty white, pink-haired, timehopping, master-of-all-the-elements Aquaster would not. If the character has some backstory, use it. If the character's world has something to do with them, that is advantageous!
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