D&D General D&D monsters that have been changed the most over time

[Echohawk]

the one that really stands out is the lamia, which has already been mentioned.

Apologies for the poor form replying to myself here, but I've finished fixing the lamia article now, including restoring the missing images. That poor creature has been (at least):

• 1/3 human, 1/3 lion, 1/3 hoofed thing
• 1/2 human, 1/2 serpent
• 1/2 human, 1/2 horse
• 1/2 human, 1/2 beast (goat or deer or lion)
• 1/2 bones, 1/2 beetle swarm
• 1/2 bones, 1/2 spider swarm
• 1/2 human, 1/2 lion

Plus on at least one occasion it was missing front legs.

 

[embee]

There seems to be some conflation between between Orcs and the Isles of Orkney.

Etymologists usually interpret the element orc- as a Pictish tribal name meaning "young pig" or "young boar".[Notes 3][1] Speakers of Old Irish referred to the islands as Insi Orc "islands of the young pigs".[15][16] The archipelago is known as Ynysoedd Erch in modern Welsh and Arcaibh in modern Scottish Gaelic, the -aibh representing a fossilized prepositional case ending.

In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Orknies are counted among the army of the White Witch.

Cruels and Hags and Incubuses, Wraiths, Horrors, Efreets, Sprites, Orknies, Wooses, and Ettins. In fact here were all those who were on the witch's side and whom the Wolf had summoned at her command.

Etymologically speaking, orcs have nothing to do with pigs. At all.

The word is not of Celtic origin. It's derived from Latin - orcus - a demon lord of the underworld not unlike Pluto, as well as a term for Hell itself. It also led to the Italian word orco which means "ogre" or a man-eating giant.

In Old English, it led to the word orcneas which means "monsters", as listed alongside ogres and elves in Beowulf.

In Anglo-Saxon, it is a synonym for goblin. In Old Dutch, it may have led to the word nork meaning "evil person."

Any connection to pigs are a product of D&D. Not Tolkien. Not the Celts. Just fantasy RPGs.

 

[Yora]

Etymologically speaking, orcs have nothing to do with pigs. At all.

Though Orcinus orca is.

 

[the Jester]

Another good one that has changed a lot in ways that are almost invisible to the player is the trilloch. From weird energy being to weird plant thing.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Etymologically speaking, orcs have nothing to do with pigs. At all.

That's why I said conflation, not derivation. Like wise, the old Irish Insi Orc has jack squat to do with Orcus. It's a playful use of lingustic false friends, as seen in the passage by Lewis, which predates any frpg.

 

[Yora]

What even is a triloch? I remember the name, but associate nothing with it.

 

[the Jester]

What even is a triloch? I remember the name, but associate nothing with it.

It's basically an invisible, almost undetectable creature that feeds on death and tries to encourage creatures to kill one another.

 

[Faolyn]

It's basically an invisible, almost undetectable creature that feeds on death and tries to encourage creatures to kill one another.

So, that creature from the ToS episode "Day of the Dove"?

 

[the Jester]

So, that creature from the ToS episode "Day of the Dove"?

I wouldn't be surprised if that was the direct inspiration, actually.

 

[Hussar]

Apologies for the poor form replying to myself here, but I've finished fixing the lamia article now, including restoring the missing images. That poor creature has been (at least):

• 1/3 human, 1/3 lion, 1/3 hoofed thing
• 1/2 human, 1/2 serpent
• 1/2 human, 1/2 horse
• 1/2 human, 1/2 beast (goat or deer or lion)
• 1/2 bones, 1/2 beetle swarm
• 1/2 bones, 1/2 spider swarm
• 1/2 human, 1/2 lion

Plus on at least one occasion it was missing front legs.

Holy crap. That's one critter that's gotten a LOT of reworking.