Humanoid and Monsterous Humanoid: what makes a man, a man?

[lukelightning]

At last I learn the sick and twisted reasoning behind making a roper a magical beast!

 

[BiggusGeekus]

what makes a man, a man?

... too ... many ... jokes ...

Anyway, I think it's simple inconsitency. A game designer had to come up with an idea for a "monsterous humanoid" and he didn't stop to think too carefully. It happens.

It'd be nice to have some stronger guidelines though, I agree.

 

[babomb]

What makes a man, a man?

I think he has to walk down a certain number of roads, possibly 42.

Seriously, the distinction is apparently arbitrary. When you have a number of designers making monsters, they draw the line in different places, and you get a big mess.

 

[jgbrowning]

What a piece of work is man
How noble in reason
How infinite in faculties
In form and moving
How express and admirable
In action how like an angel
In apprehension how like a god
The beauty of the world
The paragon of animals

joe b.

 

[nameless]

I would just say that things like Blackscale Lizardfolk and Sauhagin are monstrous humanoids because they are just plain dangerous. More dangerous than a normal humanoid, anyway. Normal humanoids are usually a threat because of levels they gained during life. Monstrous humanoids are a threat just because their parents were monstrous humanoids.

Mechanically, monstrous humanoids have better saves, better attacks, and better hp than humanoids, so basically they ARE more dangerous. I think it fits.

 

[SidusLupus]

I dont have a problem with that, infact I agree that they should be.

I find it funny though that other lizardfolk arent though. Giants are mean and scary, and if other lizardfolk are humanoids, blackscales should be giants..

However I'd just as soon make them all monsterous.. because that's what they are. They have claw and bite attacks.. that's not (humanoid) territorry anymore from where I'm sitting.

 

[shilsen]

What a piece of work is man
How noble in reason
How infinite in faculties
In form and moving
How express and admirable
In action how like an angel
In apprehension how like a god
The beauty of the world
The paragon of animals

And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?

I love that speech, but it's one of the two most misquoted pieces from Shakespeare (tied with Shylock's "Hath not a Jew eyes"). Most people omit the above sentence, and that completely changes the intent of the speech.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?

And, frankly, when you get down to it, why can't a woman be more like a man?

Why can't a woman be more like a man?
Men are so honest, so thoroughly square;
Eternally noble, historic'ly fair;
Who, when you win, will always give your back a pat.
Well, why can't a woman be like that?
Why does ev'ryone do what the others do?
Can't a woman learn to use her head?
Why do they do ev'rything their mothers do?
Why don't they grow up- well, like their father instead?
Why can't a woman take after a man?
Men are so pleasant, so easy to please;
Whenever you are with them, you're always at ease.

but it's one of the two most misquoted pieces from Shakespeare (tied with Shylock's "Hath not a Jew eyes").

I'd've guessed they were both beaten by "Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him well [sic]."

 

[Reynard]

I think I'm going to have to go through and reclassify creatures to make sense according to their decription. Without changing the monster the secondary classification would be an additional way to identify the creature, so that someone with ranks in knowledge nature could actually identify gnolls and merfolk incharacter.

Just beware the mechanical effects of doing so. Charm spells, transformation spells, ranger favored enemies, PC race combat modifiers, bane weapons... All of these things (and more) have to be taken into account.

 

[glass]

On a slightly ralated note, does it bother anyone else that because the smallest Giants are large, things like ogres get listed as Large Giant, when in fact they are slightly puny as Giants go?


glass.