Monster format

Almanac entries in The Wider World include many monster write-ups like this—use them when you can, either as-is or slightly modified.

0 Icon: A quick visual identifier for different monster types (see Monster types). You don't need to include these in monsters you write up.
1 Name: What the monster is called (by itself, by the people who deal with it most, or by you, the GM, for your own reference).
2 Tags: Terms that help describe the monster. All monsters have an organization tag (solitary, group, or horde) that indicates how they hunt and fight; many have a size tag (tiny, small, large, or huge) that describe how big they are. Other tags describe a monster's basic nature (e.g. construct, spirit, undead), its traits (e.g. stealthy, terrifying), or its behaviors (e.g. organized, cautious). See What is it notable for? for context.
3 Hit points (HP) and Armor: How much damage the monster can take, and how well protected it is. When a monster is reduced to 0 HP, it's out of the action (unconscious, disabled, dying, or dead your call). When a monster suffers damage, reduce that damage by its armor. The description after the armor rating describes its source, and any exceptions.

Box

Crinwin 1

Horde, small, hoarder, cautious, stealthy HP 3; Armor 1 (reflexes)

Damage claws, rocks, choking d6 (hand) Special quality climbs/jumps like a squirrel Instinct to covet

▸ Mimic noises, words, cries for help

▸ Hide or vanish into the trees

▸ Snatch something and dart away

They've always been there, in the Wood, lurking in the trees. For generations, the Forest Folk hunted them and kept their numbers in check. No longer.
Out-of-place noises: partial bird calls, off-season insect buzz, a bear's growl from the treetops, snippets of nonsense speech
Figures scurrying, leaping, swinging through the branches
Sinewy strong fingers around your throat
Clammy, blackish blood; too cold and putrid to be natural
Something interesting: there's something that everyone agrees will keep crinwin at bay (a smell, a charm, a sound, a little ritual, etc.). What is it, and why are you sure that it's next to worthless?

Something useful: there really is something that keeps crinwin at bay, but it involves something uncommon, impractical, or both. What is it, and why isn't it common knowledge (or at least commonly accepted)?

4 Damage: how the monster typically attacks, the damage it does, and the tags associated with that damage (see What is the nature of for descriptions).
5 Special qualities: (optional) innate traits that impact play but aren't otherwise obvious or described by tags. Special qualities can be advantageous ("echolocation" or "immune to heat/fire"), disadvantageous ("blind" or "vulnerable to water/cold"), or neutral ("made of crystalline rock"). These aren't GM moves, per se, but they can and should inform the fiction that you establish and the GM moves that you make.
6 Instinct: what the monster typically does that brings it into conflict with others. Use its instinct as a guide to its behavior. When you're unsure what a monster would do, go with what its instinct suggests.
7 Moves: GM moves that you can make with this monster. You're not limited to these moves—you can and will use all your standard GM moves like announce trouble or use up their resources—but monster moves describe specific ways that the monster fights or causes trouble.
8 Description: the monster's appearance, habitat, behaviors, etc. Might include impressions or tips for portraying it.
9 Optional elements: including lore (something interesting and something useful, for when someone Knows Things), or custom player moves (e.g., "When you lock eyes with the swyn, roll…").