About & FAQ
About the Creator
MonsterFactory is built by Ryan, a software engineer and designer with an unhealthy love for procedural generation, worldbuilding, and tools that spark creativity. If something can be randomised, reshaped, or re-imagined, Ryan will probably try it at least once.
Like many questionable ideas, this one began while reading a book that featured a magical slot machine capable of generating strange creatures with bizarre abilities. Naturally, the first thought was, “I could use this to torment my D&D players.” And so the seed was planted.
Several sleepless nights later-coding into the early hours, fuelled by mead and fortified wines (that part, unfortunately, is not a joke) , Version 0.0.1 of The MonsterFactory was born. And guess what? It didn't work. Not even a little. Who's surprised? Anyone? Gobby?
Gobby shakes his head.
Of course not. But after many more long nights, a few breakthroughs, and only one small fire in the workshop, we arrived at what you see here: the early access version of The MonsterFactory. Does it work? Yes. Will there be bugs? Absolutely, I can practically guarantee it. But the important thing is that it's alive, it's growing, and it's ready for people to use, explore, and help shape with their feedback.
Image Assets & AI-Generated Content
All creature images used in the generator and randomiser come from the official artwork provided by Wizards of the Coast. None of these images are generated by AI.
The stained-glass icons used throughout the generator come from a legacy fantasy icon pack obtained many years ago. The original authorship is unclear due to the age and widespread redistribution of the set. If you are the original creator, please contact me so I can provide proper credit or arrange replacements.
The creature-type icons used in the generator are sourced from [DETAILS TO BE CONFIRMED]. This section will be updated once full attribution information is finalised.
The curated creatures page does include AI-generated artwork. This artwork is used solely to provide visual representation for creatures that do not have existing illustrations. Neither Ryan nor Gobby are artists, so this serves as a temporary solution. If you would like to contribute original artwork for credit, please reach out via the contact form, community submissions are very welcome.
Aside from the curated creatures artwork noted above, no other AI-generated images are used anywhere on the site, and no AI image generation occurs during normal use of the application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use these creatures in my campaign or stream?
Yes-absolutely. MonsterFactory creatures are yours to use in your
games, streams, or homebrew content. Gobby and I forged the tool, but
you
brought the monsters to life, so you're responsible for whatever chaos
they unleash. Some of them bite… you've been warned.
Is there a cap on creatures?
Absolutely! and for good reason. Creature ratings are capped at
6. Without that limit, you can accidentally create
something truly unhinged… like the time I ended up with an
ancient gold dragon that rose from the ocean and was
also necrotic/undead. Entertaining, yes. Balanced? Not even
slightly. The stat stacking turned it into the biggest, baddest boss
the multiverse had ever seen. To keep things fun (and vaguely sane),
that upper limit is intentionally built in.
Why does the export open in a new tab?
Because, like all great artificers, I wrestled with the problem for
far too long before admitting defeat and improvising a solution that
actually works. Opening the export in a new tab ensures predictable
behaviour across every device-desktop, tablet, iOS, Android, even the
ones that like to make my life difficult. This approach keeps
everything stable… mostly.
Where does the rules data come from?
MonsterFactory runs on openly available 5e reference data, the same
SRD-compatible foundation used across the community. The raw data is
sourced from the excellent 5etools project, and everything else, the
UI, the curation, the logic, the chaos, and of course Gobby, is forged
here in the workshop. If you're curious, you can explore their GitHub
for the underlying data structure.
“Gobby says thank you to the data goblins who came before.”
Can I request new features?
Absolutely, feedback is always welcome. The workshop is always
evolving, and Gobby loves new excuses to “test” things. You can send
ideas through our
anonymous feedback form
without sharing your email address.
How can I support you?
Thank you for asking, truly. MonsterFactory will stay free for as long
as I can keep the workshop humming. If you'd like to support the
project, the main costs are servers and power. Buying us a coffee
helps more than you'd think.
Why does Gobby look like that?
Gobby was born in the scrap pile behind the workshop furnace. He is
perfect the way he is-or so he insists.
“Gobby… okai, I'll admit I quite like that one. You may keep it.” - Ryan