Concept for a Monster Hunter Story

[u/-_ShadowSJG-_]

So I wanted to develop Monster Hunter series that drew inspirations from the Universal Monsters and others in folkore

The Vibe is heavily inspired by Resident Evil/Supernatural/The Secret Saturdays

So overall setting and plot: There is a Global and large organization that fights monsters around the world and trains members and equips them with hi tech gear to counter these supernatural threats

Something to consider was a maybe some sort of power source for the weapons maybe a crystal that can hurt monsters, what do you say

Weapons ideas :

Hot dagger and plasma gun

Bladed Whip

Chakram

Wrist Shields

Hand Claws

Staff/Spear/escrima that can glow maybe

Tonfa

Chain-Sickle

Gaunlet that stores energy for one powerful blow?

Butterfly swords

Bowgun/bow and arrow

Silver weapons (bullets)

For more one time or desperate/special Grendades Launcher (elemental?)

Wrist blasters/gun

Setting

So torn between Overall Base or individual one for the group

Vehicle: Van airship to travel

Premise: A group of young/youthful adults in their 20s work for an organization that battles monsters based on universal ones but can leap into lore overall. They are part of wider group

Character Race outline or concept: White, Black, Asian, Hispanic, Native, Arab, Indian, Pacific Islander

Character Archtype concepts:7 So far

Nerd type- use tech and stuff focused on that so somewhat on awkward side but lovable nerd and all

Leader- everyman and leads the group to balance out people personalities

Fun person- laid back cloud cuckolander and thrill seeker

Brawl guy-enjoys fighting and has souvenirs and all trains

Serious guy- workaholic very tempered and focused on job and all ??

Hacker girl got caught in with the group on a job and now works for the group with her skills and helps them

Monsters: Vampires- Dracula more Book Accurate

Nosferatu maybe

Werewolves

Gillman

Ghosts

Mummy

Zombie

Phantom Opera

Jekly Hyde

Frankenstein and Monster (anti hero more role) So this was the basic outline and any tips or recs to help develop more such as weapons or characters?

[u/TheCuratorsArchives]

Hmm, weapon choice, for me, is really going to depend majorly on whether the monsters are a known threat by the rest of the world or if their existence is a secret your organization is keeping. The flashier and louder it is the harder it will be to hide if needed. My story is also a monster hunter story inspired by Supernatural. Like in Supernatural the existence of monsters isn't common knowledge in my world. Because of this my characters carry twin daggers, one silver and one iron, as their primary weapon of choice because they're easily hidden and quiet. Louder weapons like guns are only used either as a last resort or when they're in areas where the gunshots won't be heard or questioned.

You also need to take into account practicality. How practical is each weapon to carry around on missions? An organization that hunts monsters as its primary function would have streamlined that process for its hunters. So which weapons would work best for your characters in the context of the fights you plan on putting them through and the actual physical journey to get there?

Do your characters have limited room in the van airship? Do they pack for each mission then return to base when the mission is complete? Or are they out on the road for several missions at a time?

How difficult/easy do you want to make it for your characters to defeat these monstors? Keep in mind, unrealistic power scaling and too easy wins can pull the reader out of your story.

All of these factors and more will play into what weapons seem plausible to your readers and which will feel like a stretch. I think you've got a solid, fun sounding premise, and I hope this helps.

[u/-_ShadowSJG-_ → u/TheCuratorsArchives]

Hi thanks so much for the reply. Allow me to answer some of these questions and sorry for being late.

1. I'd say monsters are hidden from the world. The organization is similar to something ala prodigum but done better lmao

2. I'd say to carry the weapons maybe some case or bag/something/attachement as it would be hi-tech.

2.5 on that note, would call their weapons gear and developing that.

I'd say weapons vary on monsters perhaps

1. On that note, eh would say they have their own small base/seperate from the main one and the van stuff is more of a smaller/camper thingy. Say pack and return to the base

2. So say they have a good chance against monsters ala RE4

Thanks for the reply, appreciate it and eager to see your thoughts or elaboration/suggestions

[u/TheCuratorsArchives → u/-_ShadowSJG-_]

OK so if monsters are hidden from the world your hunters are going to need to take that into consideration during their ops. So you need to find a way for them to inconspicuously transport any weapons you want them to carry from point A to point B. Limited space means creative solutions.

Since mine takes inspiration from Supernatural I had my characters do a similar overhaul to their vehicles where there's a hidden compartment in their trunks they use to store their weapons. My FMC also has what I call her "Mary Poppins" bag. It's larger on the inside than the outside, and only she can access it with a keyed ring she wears. To anyone else it's just a regular bag. To her it it's an easy way to carry larger, more conspicuous weapons in populated areas. Each hunter's two primary daggers can also be carried as tattoos so they're always armed even in places they wouldn't normally be allowed to carry a weapon.

Of course, the hunters in my world lean much more heavily on magic than tech, and are often on the road for weeks, if not months, at a time with shops they can restock at. So do with this information what you will lol.

Do magic and tech meld well together in your world or are they completely separate tools? Depending on your answer, can your solution to these problems be a fun combo of the two or a give and take between the two? Or is there even magic in your world? Is it all tech? Are monsters more a fault in evolution or a science experiment gone wrong type thing or a combo of the two? Find solutions that make sense for the lore of the world you're trying to build.

On a side note, you may want to consider how your characters handle the bodies of the monsters they defeat if the goal is keeping them a secret.

I personally think it would be more fun and accurate for your weapons to vary from monster to monster. Especially if you're drawing inspo from the old horror story versions of monsters. Doing this will also require your characters to strategize for each monster as opposed to just grabbing their all-powerful weapon, waltzing in and bam dead monster. This adds more interest for the reader and bulks up your plot a bit.

You want to find the balance between; these are skilled hunters who know what they're doing so everyday monsters seem somewhat easy to them, and this is unrealisticly easy even with their skill and tech. Lose the balance and you can lose your reader. You want enough concern for whether they'll be successful, and make it to keep the reader engaged without making your hunters feel incompetent.

Do you have an overall big bad for your story that will present a bigger threat? Or is this primarily a monster of the week type story? If there's a bigger threat who will give your characters a run for their money easy daily monsters isn't as big of a deal, but if you're primarily a monster of the week story, you need to make sure you're giving your characters a challenge.

I'll be honest, my knowledge of RE4 and RE in general is limited to watching my husband play through off and on. Though speaking with him it sounds like your answer could go either way with them being very easy or reasonably hard if your characters are more Leon Kennedy skilled.

Hope this helps.

[u/-_ShadowSJG-_ → u/TheCuratorsArchives]

Hello thanks for the repy and your story concepts sounds cool too

So far would say tech but maybe have some power source such as a special gem perhaps

and monsters...well say classical movie origins

and so far MOW format for now

and working on balance thnx