How Would Monsters Adapt to Respawning Adventurers? [closed]

Question

Monsters are creatures mutated by Chaos Energy, which is the driving force behind "magic" in my setting. However, humans were also changed by Chaos Energy; mysterious beings called Kanyeri saved them from insanity and deformation by harmonizing the Chaos Energy inside them with their very souls, resulting in Classes and Adventurers.

Like attracts like, so monsters prey almost exclusively on other monsters, as well as humans, especially Adventurers. Why? They encounter Adventurers more often, they're more chaotic (which makes them more attractive to monsters)...oh, there is one more thing.

Due to their ties to Alendyias (my Chaos-infused setting) and the Abyss (a realm connected to Alendyias), adventurers respawn. When they die, magic pulls their spirit into the Abyss, where Void energy enables them to form a new body. Once this is accomplished (which takes at most half a day), the Adventurer is brought back to Alendyias, to a safe spot close to or on top of where they already died. Their magical bond weakens with each Respawning, so most adventurers can only do it twice, but some can do it five or (supposedly) even ten times.

The thing is, "safe spot for respawning" means "if you land there you won't die because of it." So you won't respawn onto or into lava, pit traps, or pools of toxic sludge, but adventurers can and do find themselves respawning near the monster that killed them, as if a nearby monster doesn't count toward how safe a spawning point is!

To sum up: Monsters sense and prey almost exclusively on other monsters because 'like attracts like,' or because Chaos Energy attracts Chaos Energy. Being infused with the same, Adventurers attract monsters, which can be convenient or annoying and dangerous.

Because of this, while also taking into account Chaos Sense and the fact adventurers can 'respawn' 2-5 times (usually two times), forming a new body after death and reappearing in a safe spot close to where they died, it seems monsters will adapt to Adventurers respawning, so my question is: How Would Monsters Adapt to Respawning Adventurers?

Specifically, I'm asking:

1. Whether monsters would end up staying to fight or flee from adventurers when they respawn (because if an adventurer dies, chances are they're winning and/or have the advantage thanks to the respawn)

2. Whether predatory monsters would evolve to take advantage of respawning for extra food (adventurers respawn with their gear, including their Bag, but Adventurers can't Equip items if restrained so...)

3. How this would affect a monster's chances of preying or attempting to prey on adventurers (as in the typical DnD-style adventurer, with magic weapons and unusually high power levels). Monsters range from oddities like Chompers (which I came up with myself) to typical staples like dragons, giant spiders, and goblins.

Answer 1

A Few thoughts:

I can think of a few implications that can still work for basic hunters with chaos-powered instincts.

• Well, it's golden for spiders , who drag the nearly dead adventurers into their web. Pretty good for monsters able to paralyze, as they can drag prey to a vulnerable spot (giant pit/cenote/dense forest to stop ranged attacks, etc.), kill them, then camp. If the monsters instinctively create "prisons" where multiple small cells are available for adventurers to spawn in, even the weakest monsters may be able to engage in adventurer harvesting.
• So imagine the equivalent of naked mole rats building tiny subterranean cells in an area where adventurers frequently are killed. Monsters have a symbiotic relationship, so they render the surface uninhabitable (preventing the spawning at ground level) with fire, ice, or whatever magic they have. The mole-rats eat the adventurers who respawn unable to effectively move, and drop the loot on the surface for the big monsters to enjoy.
• Do adventurers spawn as a party, or one at a time? If they respawn one at a time, monsters will camp their kill spot and try to overwhelm the adventurers as they spawn. If the monster feels it has better chances than the whole party, they may be even bolder.
• Try to have monsters concentrating on killing ONE member of a party, so the rest must stick around in a vulnerable spot waiting for their comrades to respawn. Monsters then have plenty of time to wear down the party with constant harassment and to bring in abundant reinforcements. Naturally, this could be turned around by adventurers who bring "disposable" members along to lure monsters into providing a constant stream of new victims for the party to kill.

P.S.

• If I follow your previous questions, adventurers can "pick up" abilities from killing monsters. Adventurers rarely need to deal with monsters that have previously killed them. Perhaps monsters can take abilities from killing & eating adventurers! If these stolen abilities have become so intrinsic that adventurers respawn with them, they are intrinsic enough for monsters to steal those themselves. If that ISN'T the case, then perhaps monsters may acquire the adventurer's intrinsic ability to respawn. Turnabout is fair play, so you may find monsters who regularly kill adventurers respawning themselves.

Answer 2

The adaptions should be very simple. If an adventurer is respawning, then the monster is winning. This can go one of two ways: Either the monster repeatedly kills and eats the adventurer, until it eventually gets bored and wanders off, or the adventurer gradually wears the monster down through attrition.

If the latter case occurs often enough, monsters might adapt to flee after killing an adventurer (if they don’t feel well enough to take another fight.) otherwise, the monsters might sit around and wait for the respawn.

Answer 3

Opening: "How Would Monsters Adapt to Respawning Adventurers?"

Minotaurus - dwell in a cave or a labyrinth

When magic declines with death, the ideal situation for the monster is to hunt adventurers inside a cave or labyrinth that is unfamiliar to adventurers. To get them inside, the monster can capture the adventurer during battle and drag it in.. then kill off the prey and eat it. With enough adventurers respawning inside the cave, the monster could cease to hunt outside for a while. There will be food inside for a considerable period of time.

Of course, the monster will need some intelligence to do that. If it doesn't have the brains to be conditioned to capture adventurers, it will need the adventurer to enter the cave voluntarily. If that does not happen, I don't expect the monster can do this trick. It will kill and eat adventurers at random, anywhere in the open.. and because adventurers return safe (after half a day.. out of sight) a monster will probably not meet the same prey twice.

Answer 4

Monsters would learn to live in larger dwellings, large enough that most of "near where the adventurer died" is inside of their fortifiable walls. One the adventurer is dead, the monster would go to every window and portal in their lair and lock them all securely.

Then, depending on the threat level of the soon to be reincarnated adventurer, the monster might invite some friends (other monsters) over to share the feast.

Adventurers in your world are like a 2 for 1 pizza deal with free staggered delivery. The first meal arrives without warning but after you're done eating it, you have plenty of time to organize a party to share the free second course.