Flintstones Technology in D&D

[mhensley]

You know how in the Flintstones they have different animals used in place of modern machines? There was the pig - garbage disposal, mastodon - crane, bird - record player, etc. D&D seems ripe for this sort of idea and it has been done before in a limited fashion- Otyughs or Black Puddings in garbage pits are pretty common. What else could there be?

How about a Rust Monster as a metal detector at the doorway of the palace or fancy inn where no weapons were allowed?

Will-O’-Wisps used as lamps.

Roc airliner.

Shrieker alarm clock.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Cool ideas, the rust monster especially. Better get one of the old school critters, though

 

[Hussar]

I remember using brown mold for refrigeration. Not my idea, but I forget where I stole it from. Use a double box, with the space between both boxes filled with brown mold. Nice little freezer.

 

[WayneLigon]

Green Slime or Gelatinous Cube - Execution device, waste removal.
Medusa - quality stone without paying quarry prices
Giants - heavy lifters and builders
Bulette - field aeration
Dopplegangers - dress dummies
Pixies - commonly hired by The Mob to erase the memory of inconvenient witnesses

 

[Ghendar]

How about a Rust Monster as a metal detector at the doorway of the palace or fancy inn where no weapons were allowed?

How would the Rust Monster distinguish between metal weapons and any other metal in the palace or inn? I guess that makes my next question, can you train a Rust Monster?

The Roc Airliner is an interesting idea. I can just see Fred and Barney walking out onto the wing right now.

 

[mhensley]

How would the Rust Monster distinguish between metal weapons and any other metal in the palace or inn? I guess that makes my next question, can you train a Rust Monster?

Well, I would think that you could train it to respond only when it smelled pieces of metal that are dagger sized or bigger. And pretty much anything is trainable through the just application of rewards and severe beatings.

 

[mhensley]

Dopplegangers - dress dummies

Dopplegangers would also make great prostitutes. They can be male or female and look like anyone you desire.

 

[mhensley]

I remember using brown mold for refrigeration. Not my idea, but I forget where I stole it from. Use a double box, with the space between both boxes filled with brown mold. Nice little freezer.

Yep, I'm pretty sure I've seen this in a module before. In what book is Brown Mold listed these days?

 

[Corsair]

Dopplegangers would also make great prostitutes. They can be male or female and look like anyone you desire.

Sharn in Eberron has a redlight district where many changelings do this.

 

[Dragonbait]

Pixies - commonly hired by The Mob to erase the memory of inconvenient witnesses

Compared to other ways of making witnesses dissapear, this tactic would be surprisingly benign.