Do we really need Monkeys?

[Gez]

Dear All,

Hope this isn't viewed as terribly rude of me, but I really don't see what a campaign would need monkeys (MM p. 276.) They don't really seem to fit with my view of fantasy (my view being based in the books of Tolkien, etc.). I'm quite happy for them to occur in an African setting, but for a typical fantasy setting I am sorely tempted to get rid of them as an option.

What do others think? Am I missing something? Has anybody run a campaign (3e) without monkeys as a permitted option (for familiars or animal companions)?

 

[the Jester]

But if you got rid of monkeys, you could no longer summon celestial monkeys.

Personally, I think that's why monkey's in the books at all- for the celestial version.

 

[ThoughtfulOwl]

Well, do we really need D&D at all? God forbid we let those pesky D&D-isms ruin our Tolkienian fantasy!!!

 

[Turanil]

I really don't see what a campaign would need monkeys (MM p. 276.) What do others think?

You are right but you overreact it, in my opinion. Just let replace monkeys with apes, and everything's back to normal again.

 

[Romnipotent]

that screws over character concepts!
I have a baleful polymorphed sorcerer cotton top tamirin! YOU JUST KILLED HIM!

 

[arwink]

Monkeys are there for folks who want to run pirate games, obviously.

And for 3.0 druids that just want to be really freaky when they walk down the street with their gibbon horde.

And for those sad folks who want to write magic items like the Barrel of Monkeys (and then convince people to publish them...)

 

[DragonSword]

Ouch. Emotions running high in this thread.

Here's my two cents: the monkey's there if you want it, and if you don't, don't use it. Simple as that. I wouldn't dream of using all the MM monsters in my games, there are just too many. I pick and choose.

 

[Dr Simon]

Indeed. There are plenty of other critters in the MM that don't fit in with a Tolkien-esque world. I don't recall the point where the Fellowship met centuars and fought a manticore, for example.

D&D is a hotch-potch of all manner of things. With just the core rules and some careful trimming you could go Classic Greek, Tropical Jungle, Middle Earth, Nehwon and a host of others.

That's kind of the point, really....

 

[shilsen]

Dear All,

Hope this isn't viewed as terribly rude of me, but I really don't see what a campaign would need monkeys (MM p. 276.) They don't really seem to fit with my view of fantasy (my view being based in the books of Tolkien, etc.). I'm quite happy for them to occur in an African setting, but for a typical fantasy setting I am sorely tempted to get rid of them as an option.

What do others think? Am I missing something? Has anybody run a campaign (3e) without monkeys as a permitted option (for familiars or animal companions)?

The sarcasm runneth over

 

[Umbran]

Need? No. Want? Probably not. But really, whether we need them or not is a moot point, because we are monkeys.