Creature Catalog now in Dragon Magazine

[Shade]

From the newest submission guidelines for Dungeon Magazine:

Creature Catalog: These 2,000–8,000-word articles present 3–6 new monsters for the D&D game. Follow the monster creation guidelines in the appendices of the 3.5 Monster Manual. Try to fill niches that have not already been filled. Always make sure that your monsters are visually compelling. Often, if a monster doesn’t “look” cool, it’ll never get used by our readers. In your query, list each monster, its type and CR, and a couple of sentences about what it does, what it looks like, and what cool powers and abilities it has. In your final manuscript, include a brief introduction that puts the monsters into context, but keep most of the words dedicated to the monster descriptions themselves. We favor themed “packages” of monsters (“Monsters of the Deep,” “Psionic Threats,” etc.) over random assortments of critters.

Edit: Renamed the thread, as the editors have decided to move the monster articles back into Dragon Magazine, not Dungeon as originally reported.

 

[BOZ]

Woohoo! Is this not awesome?

It seems like the added this feature just for us.

I’m going to inquire about whether or not conversions are a-OK (I’m sure they are), and then we can get started on some ideas.

 

[BOZ]

too sweet!

OK, check that out… the stuff we do here would be perfect for this feature!

And you have it here, from the horse’s mouth, “converted creatures from older editions are as welcome as new creatures” – it’s almost like he wrote that whole response just for me.

OK, anyway… back to business. The first step spelled out by James Jacobs, which is what I was going to anyway, is to come up with a theme. The theme should be pretty specific, but not so specific that it will be out of reach for most DMs. What I mean is, “Undead” is too general, and “Undead that serve this particular wizard in his artic tower base” is too specific. “Arctic Undead” and “Undead servants for wizards” would be OK.

All of the monsters should tie in to each other somehow. Some ideas… “Friends of Elves,” “Carnivorous Plant Creatures,” “Humanoids of the Forest,” “Silly Monsters,” etc. note that James Jacobs did mention “Denizens of the Nyr Dyv” or “Dragon Minions of Chult” as example themes – so, at the very least, we can assume that Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms are useable, and chances are we could probably get Mystara and some other settings as themes.

So, here is our first step. Come up with one, two, five, ten, or however many viable themes as you can think of that you’d be interested in. Have at least one creature in mind when you come up with your theme, so that we have something to work with. For example, the cooshee would work with “Friends of Elves”, and the black willow and mantrap for “Carnivorous Plants”.

When it comes down to choosing which monsters go with which theme (our second step, we’ll do that later) I’d say it would be excellent if we have a good CR spread – maybe CR 1-7, or 5-12, or 8-17 or something like that, rather than have them all at the same level. Also, from hints supplied by Mr. Jacobs, we should look for critters that are not too similar to a creature in the Monster Manual (oh, I got this tentacled humanoid that lives underground and eats brains! Oh, wait…), and creatures that are visually interesting (it, uh, looks like a rock. With eyes.).

So, what monsters can we use? Well, for one thing, besides conversions, our own original creations. As for conversions, what is available? Anything that is owned by TSR/WotC, and has not yet had an official conversion in 3E. So yes, we can use a conversion in the Tome of Horrors or any other d20 book – as long as we reconvert it. We can use anything that is in the Creature Catalog, but I am waiting for a response from Scott as to whether we would need to reconvert it or just rewrite the flavor text. And, of course, we can use anything that has not yet been converted, any setting, any edition, any book. And we CAN USE DRAGONS – WotC publishing does not have the same format problems that the CC has. We can also use illithid-related, beholder-related, and anything else not in the SRD, and probably also creatures that relate to monsters in books besides the MM. You like the sound of that?

Do you need to cooperate with us? No. You can submit your own article queries, and write articles of your own independently. You don’t even have to communicate with us about it, but it would be nice if you told us what you were working on so that we can make sure to work on something else.

Do all the queries and articles have to be submitted by me? Hell no! We can set up a sort of “ghost writer” system. Say, if we come up with 20 or so good themes. I can submit 5 to Dungeon, Shade can submit 5, Knight Otu can submit 5, and someone else can submit the other 5. Then, we come back here, work on them together, and that person submits the article and credits the rest of us with helping.

 

[BOZ]

“Since Dungeon is an "official" WotC source, I dont see why you couldnt use the flavor text as written. Or rewrite it...either one. Who knows. ”

heh, looks like scott doesn’t much care one way or the other as far as using the CC monsters. we may have to rewrite some of it anyway, for formatting issues, but at least this is one thing we won’t have to worry about.

 

[Shade]

I signed the "love letter".

Here are a few themes long overdue:

Beholderkin! Elder Orb, Examiner, Eye of the Deep, Hive mother, Lensman, Orbus, Overseer, Searechter, Watcher. (Astereater and Kasharin from Spelljammer could also be crammed in, if space allowed).

Remaining Rilmani: Abiorach, argenach, plumach, and maybe a few of our own.

Demons, Baby! Bulezau, Molydeus, Spider-Demons.

Yugolothsome: Baernaloth, Dergholoth, Gacholoth, Guardian, Hydroloth, Yagdoo.

 

[Shade]

Some other themes:

The Ba'atun: These guys are a ready-made article.

Creatures of the Upper Planes: Agathion, light aasimon, Eladrins (noviere, shiere), noctral, zoveri.

Things Aren't What They Appear To Be: House hunters, spanner, piercer, trapper, and I'm sure we can find many more.

 

[Knight Otu]

Odd Oozes - what it says on the tin.

Creatures of Chaos - Slaadi!

Companions Arcane - Creatures suitable as familiars

Animals that weren't - Think "The Future is Wild"

 

[demiurge1138]

Actually, I think I'm going to send in some excerpts from my Slaadi Project, but, since it's been posted online, what should I do with it? Delete it from this site, or let it be?

Anyways, more ideas:

The Modron March: A multi-part modron conversion. Why? Just because.

Horrors of the Daelkyr: More nasty Far-Realmsian aberrations with a hint of Eberron for flavor.

Masters of the Mind: The noble illithid (can't spell it), along with creatures from the Ilithiad and the old Dragon magazine Planet of Twilight article.

Positive Thinking/ Negative Attitude: A two-part article detailing the quasi-elementals.

Demiurge out.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Monsters of Mystara: Actaeon, Chevall, Guardian Warrior, Hutaakan, Magen, Nagpa, Nuckalavee, Pegataur, Phanton, Rakasta, Sacrol, Sollux, Thoul and Tortle.

Denizens of the Deep Blue: Children of the Sea, Giant Clam, Golden Ammonite, Giant Sea Anemone, Kna, Kopru, Sea Hermit, sea Srpent (Sea Glutton), Shark-kin, Skyfish, Squark, Velya (Aquatic Vampire), Vurgens (Giant Gulper Eel)

 

[Connorsrpg]

Nice idea for us all to share

I like the idea of Denizens of the Deep Blue.

My suggestion (well one I am working on) is simply vermin. Have already posted my scrolar on another thread - and Blackdirge these are rocks with eyes , but they also have teeth and some have tails There are also many older beetles to convert.

I was thinking of accompanying article on spells. Druids have plenty for animals, but what about vermin? Work in well with the verminlord from BoVD.

I do recall an earlier one of the these themed monster packs from a Dragon mag detailing a set from the Pomarj. That was a very good article. So I guess a set from a particular area is cool.

Connors