General RPG DiscussionDiscussion of all RPGs and non-system-specific topics. DM/GM/player issues, settings, etc. Rules discussion belongs in one the forums below.
I just noticed this (which makes me feel a little embarrassed), but the AV has animals/monsters!
This is good for those DMs who want regular animal stats in their game.
The list of animals:
Camel
Elephant
Giant Ant
Giant Lizard, Draft
Giant Lizard, Riding
Horse, Sea
Horse, Skeletal
Rhino
Shark, Dire
Shark, Riding
Trihorn Behemoth (aka Triceratops)
Although the one thing that really displeases me is the amount of cash one has to spend for one of these guys. Playing a mounted character is a huge investment (you have to buy barding, and keep the sucker alive (a chore in and of itself), etc.
Would it have killed WOTC to include some text with the stat blocks?
I imagine some folks are scratching their heads "What the heck is a trihorn behemoth?"
Wait a minute, Giant Ant as a mount? I can't really see a hive insect making a good mount.
Adventurer's Vault is a sourcebook for 4.0 that came out in August I think. It contains rules for vehicles, some extra mounts and a lot of magical items. However this was only for fourth edition and there aren't that many normal animal stats.
Would it have killed WOTC to include some text with the stat blocks?
I imagine some folks are scratching their heads "What the heck is a trihorn behemoth?".
Pretty much all of the animal names are "obvious" and even trihorn behemoth wasn't that hard to figure out given the naming scheme from the MM.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blair Goatsblood
Wait a minute, Giant Ant as a mount? I can't really see a hive insect making a good mount.
I'm almost positive giant Ants have been mounts since 1E.
You know, I didn't really have a problem with the idea of giant ants being suitable as mounts, but the sharks did initially throw me for a loop (btw, I think they should have includes dolphins too).
__________________ Veronica: Where's your brother?
Dick: I think he took Ghost World up to his room. They're probably up there making love. Or playing Dungeons and Dragons. Or both, at the same time. They're both, like, 12th-level dorks. I'm just sayin'
Wait a minute, Giant Ant as a mount? I can't really see a hive insect making a good mount.
Did you know that ant behaviors are stimulated by pheromones? If you wanted to get scientific about it, someone with an ant mount could use a device that releases different scents for different desired behaviors to control the ant very well.
Adventurer's Vault = cool, must-have book, but irritating that it wasn't "core."
In general, what they threw in the "core" books perplexed me a bit.
I had to buy separate book to get sharks, but they gave me quicklings and galeb duhr in the MM? Meh.
FR-specific information and designer anecdotes taking up room that could have been for repeating crossbows or double-weapons? Again, "meh."
AV adds a lot to the game that should have been there at launch. Even if you disagree with the last half of the statement, there's no debating the first half.
I figured that they were put in their for sahuagin, but I don't remember them every using them for mounts. It's a cool idea though.
__________________ Veronica: Where's your brother?
Dick: I think he took Ghost World up to his room. They're probably up there making love. Or playing Dungeons and Dragons. Or both, at the same time. They're both, like, 12th-level dorks. I'm just sayin'
I'm almost positive giant Ants have been mounts since 1E.
Unlikely. 1e giant ants were about 2 feet long.
__________________ [A]ny good dungeon will have undiscovered treasures in areas that have been explored by the players, simply because it is impossible to expect that they will find every one of them.
RCFG - My free mostly-OGC OGL game! RCFG is intended to be a fusion between OS & NS playstyles, giving the advantages of SRD-based gaming coupled with quick character and adventure generation and an Old School feel.
Adventurer's Vault = cool, must-have book, but irritating that it wasn't "core."
In general, what they threw in the "core" books perplexed me a bit.
I had to buy separate book to get sharks, but they gave me quicklings and galeb duhr in the MM? Meh.
FR-specific information and designer anecdotes taking up room that could have been for repeating crossbows or double-weapons? Again, "meh."
AV adds a lot to the game that should have been there at launch. Even if you disagree with the last half of the statement, there's no debating the first half.
Except...isn't the design standpoint that everything is Core?
No, the standpoint is that every PHB/DMG/MM is core.
So, the DI is no longer considered Core? I thought it was inteded to be so, on the basis of the initial announcements.
RC
__________________ [A]ny good dungeon will have undiscovered treasures in areas that have been explored by the players, simply because it is impossible to expect that they will find every one of them.
RCFG - My free mostly-OGC OGL game! RCFG is intended to be a fusion between OS & NS playstyles, giving the advantages of SRD-based gaming coupled with quick character and adventure generation and an Old School feel.
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