DnD Ecology

[Andor]

More interesting still is the idea of actually thinking through different ecological principles that underlie these environments. I'm a big fan, as some here know, of looking to more ancient ideas of how ecology works because, of course, Darwin can't explain the D&D world very well.

I tend to agree. I suspect DnD worlds would work on a mix of Darwinian, Lamarckian and goal-oriented evolution as well as intelligent design.

 

[mythusmage]

{I}nstead of squirrels, bears and wolves you might shift to India with tigers, monkeys, cobras and elephants.

India has squirrels, bears, and wolves. Also deer.

 

[jgbrowning]

India has squirrels, bears, and wolves. Also deer.

Of particular note is the rather agressive sloth bear.

joe b.

 

[tensen]

Australia is all about snakes, spiders, crocodiles, sharks and flies - all of which come in the MM (well except flies maybe)

wombat = badger, koala = um, possum - dire squirrel and Tasmanian devil = dire wolverine (Tasmanian Tiger = Wolf)

the only thing you need to create yourself is the Kangaroo and the Platypus

the Mega-fauna can be anything you like (so Giant Wombat = Rhinoceros), Killer Kangaroo = Grey Render and Australian Fly = Stirge

My australian staff got to them in Dweomercraft: Familiars.
Wombat - page 96
Possum - page 79
Tasmanian Devil - Page 93
Koala - page 91
Also have other strange things like the Quoll (which I hadn't heard of before they made one.) I imagine there was a few more that I can't remember right now.

 

[Altalazar]

I've had desert ecologies at times, but mostly it has been northern europe type ecology. My homebrew worldmap has probably just about every ecology on it somewhere, but it has never been fully explored, even combining all of my campaigns together. (Not by a long shot).

 

[I'm A Banana]

As an anthropologist, I've sometimes wondered what the D&D races would look like if they HAD been subject to Darwinian evolution.

Elves with huge eyes, long arms, maybe tails....

Pale, blind dwarves with shovel-like claws and great, powerful lungs...

Seafaring island halfllings with webbed feet, blubber, and slick skin...

Orcs that grow spines, have venom, and can process moisture by eating bugs...

I haven't written any of these up, but they have given me some cool ideas.

 

[Agback]

dire quolls

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

 

[Snapdragyn]

dire quolls

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Huh. You think that's something, wait until the giant ningaui stampede -- a piranha-esque mob of foot-long ravenous FURRY DEATH!!!!!