About
Keith Ammann is the ENnie Award–winning author of the blog The Monsters Know What They’re Doing and the eponymous book series, including the recent Making Enemies: Monster Design Inspiration for Tabletop Roleplaying Games and How
to Defend Your Lair. His newest book, Remonstered! The Monsters Know What They’re Doing, is a revision of the title that launched the series, which has sold more than 120,000 copies. He’s been a roleplaying gamer and game master for more than thirty-five years. He likes to play outwardly abrasive helpers, out-of-their-element helpers, and genuinely nice, helpful helpers. Mostly, though, he plays non-player characters. And monsters.
Featured Work
Remonstered! The Monsters Know What They're Doing: Updated Combat Tactics for Up-to-Date Dungeon Masters
From the creator of the award-winning book The Monsters Know What They’re Doing comes a new and improved compilation of villainous battle plans for Dungeon Masters.
In the course of a Dungeons & Dragons game, a Dungeon Master has to make one decision after another in response to player behavior—and the better the players, the more unpredictable their behavior! It’s easy for even an experienced DM to get bogged down in on-the-spot decision-making or to let combat devolve into a boring slugfest, with enemies running directly at the player characters and biting, bashing, and slashing away.
In Remonstered! The Monsters Know What They’re Doing, Keith Ammann lightens the DM’s burden by helping you understand your monster’s approach to combat and develop battle plans before your game session begins. In this revised edition of the widely praised fifth edition D&D reference, every monster’s tactics are updated to reflect the recent changes to their stat blocks and accompanied by brand-new tips to help you prepare the battlefield, choose allies and minions, and take your combat scenes in exciting, unexpected directions.
Easy to read and apply, Remonstered! The Monsters Know What They’re Doing is essential reading for every DM using the revised fifth edition rules.
Other Works
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Making Enemies: Monster Design Inspiration for Tabletop Roleplaying Games
2025
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MOAR! Monsters Know What They're Doing
2022
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How to Defend Your Lair
2022
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Live to Tell the Tale: Combat Tactics for Players
2020
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The Monsters Know What They're Doing: Combat Tactics for Dungeon Masters
2019
Awards and Recognition
- 2026 Gold ENnie, Best Writing, Making Enemies: Monster Design Inspiration for Tabletop Roleplaying Games
- 2020 Silver ENnie, Best Writing, The Monsters Know What They're Doing: Combat Tactics for Dungeon Masters
- 2020 Gold ENnie, Best Online Content, The Monsters Know What They're Doing, themonstersknow.com
Press and Media Mentions
- "The Monsters Know What They're Doing: An RPG sourcebook for DMs who want to imbue monsters with deep, smart tactics"
- "Read an Excerpt From The Monsters Know What They’re Doing, a Guide to Battle Tactics in D&D"
- "The Essentials You Need to Start Playing Dungeons & Dragons" (New York magazine, Strategist newsletter)
