Ecology Of...

[BOZ]

OK, i've wanted to do an article for this feature for awhile now. I'd like to send out a query for this one, but first I want to generate some ideas on which critters make the best candidates.

First of all, the only real pre-requisites are that the creature must not have had an "Ecology Of" article in the last 100 issues of Dragon, and that the creature must have appeared somewhere in 3E (one of the 5 main monster books is best, but we could try for something that's appeared elsewhere).

Then, I have three preferences I thought of beyond that. Anything I would want to submit should have at least one of these going for it, but more than one of them would make it even better. I may think of more beyond these three, but so far I think they're good ones.

These preferences are:

1. There should have been some information, especially ecology or society-related, in a previous edition that hasn't yet been in 3E. The Monstrous Manual, for example, is full of such information.

2. The creature would be more interesting if it has its own racial god (such as those in Monster Mythology), or at least some interesting form of worship (demons, ancestor worship, etc).

3. It would be awesome if there are unconverted variants or closely associated creatures that we could put in the article.


I think a perfect example would be the Dryad. Her Ecology was printed way back in Dragon #87, which could be made use of, they have their very own deity named Verenestra, they do appear to have at least some good info in the Monstrous Manual, and they have at least one variant in the Hamadryad. In fact, maybe I will use that one.

What others are there that fit the criterion I laid out above?

 

[Qwillion]

A monster no one is allowed to write about like a displacer beast.

 

[Shade]

• Rilmani (argenach, plumach, and abiorach await update).
• Demodands (no unupdated forms, but I'd love to bring back Apomps and their racial name "gehreleth").
• Lammasu (celestial lammasu variant)
• Illithidae (cessirid awaits update)
• Gargoyle (margoyle and others await update)
• Roper (storoper awaits update)
• Bulette (gohlbron awaits update...sorta)
• Ki-rin (t'uen-rin awaits update)

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

• Rilmani (argenach, plumach, and abiorach await update).
• Illithidae (cessirid awaits update)

i was actually thinking of the illithidae for that very reason, plus there is a wealth of ecological info from their first appearance (a whole article's worth!)

as for the rilmani, you can query on that one... i'm not going to waste my time based on the icy reception we got before.

 

[Shade]

as for the rilmani, you can query on that one... i'm not going to waste my time based on the icy reception we got before.

You know I will...I'm neutrality's beeyotch.

 

[DMH]

I found the ecology of the clockwork horror meh- it never explained how such relatively weak, little creatures could overwhelm a standard D&D world which includes ubermonsters like dragons.

So how about the witchlight marauder? Show people a real planet eating beast. It even has several variation.

 

[Alzrius]

I found the ecology of the clockwork horror meh- it never explained how such relatively weak, little creatures could overwhelm a standard D&D world which includes ubermonsters like dragons.

So how about the witchlight marauder? Show people a real planet eating beast. It even has several variation.

I think an Ecology wouldn't be warmly received there. It'd have to focus too heavily on backstory that doesn't work in many campaigns, to say nothing of the current Ecology format supporting existing monsters, instead of introducing them in the article; since the witchlight marauder hasn't gotten a 3.5E update yet, I doubt they'd accept an Ecology on it.

 

[DMH]

to say nothing of the current Ecology format supporting existing monsters, instead of introducing them in the article; since the witchlight marauder hasn't gotten a 3.5E update yet, I doubt they'd accept an Ecology on it.

These I can accept.

I think an Ecology wouldn't be warmly received there. It'd have to focus too heavily on backstory that doesn't work in many campaigns

But I don't understand why alien spider robots created by some unknown race are any more fluff intensive than orcish superweapons meant to exterminate elves. Heck, drop the space marauders and remotes and make them terrestrial.

 

[Aspect of BOZ]

see, i know what you mean about the not introducing monsters in an ecology article part, though there is a long-standing tradition of occasionally introducing variant and related creatures in Ecology articles (see the recent Clockwork Horrors and Elemental Weirds, and for past examples, see the Chimera, Aboleth, Spectator, Behir (in 156), Lamia, Owlbear, Chitine, Stirge, Mongrelman, and more ecology articles).

so, if you look above and see my idea of what i intend, think of a critter you'd like to see reintroduced, and if there is a more well-known creature that we could put the unconverted one into, maybe we can query for such an Ecology article.

 

[Shade]

So maybe I can squeeze my beloved avari in an "Ecology of the Bat-Heads" article?