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Message: <blockquote data-quote="SidusLupus" data-source="post: 2711090" data-attributes="member: 10278">Recently while reading in detail about the alter self spell, and what you can and can't do I came upon a strange discontinuity.There seems to be a very blurry distinction as to what is a humanoid, and what isn't a humanoid. The extreemes are easy to spot. A human is a (humanoid), a minotaur is a (monsterous humanoid). Somewhere along the line though, the middle gets grey.I should first point out what it takes to be a humanoid or a monsterous humanoid(<a href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm" target="_blank">http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm</a>)So now, the differences are established.Why then are gnolls classified as humanoid? Or merfolk? Lizardfolk? kobold? locathah?All of these are classified as humanoid, but clearly have monsterous or animalistic features and seemingly might fit better in the (monsterous humanoid) category. It gets more blurry because Blackscale Lizardfolk from the MM3 are classified Monsterous humanoid, but are most definately lizardfolk. They happen to be large so they violate the size req for humanoid. Why then aren't they in the giant category? Accordlingly a large lizardfolk (which is humanoid as a medium or small creature), should be considered lizardfolk (giant). Blackscale lizardfolk are large humanoids.. but somehow fall into the monsterous humanoid category. Then though, why are derro (monsterous humanoid)? Though their entry lacks a picture, from their description they have no animalistic or monsterous features and are just mutant human dwarves. Why isn't a kuo-toa classified as humanoid? They dont seem to be any more animalistic than lizardfolk.I guess my question is, what exactly makes a monsterous humanoid monsterous and not humanoid, since by their very description and examples I can't readly tell the difference. Seems like the lines are very blurred and there are violations are on both sides of the spectrum. Am I missing something?As a side note, why are lamias magical beasts, and not monsterous humanoids like centaurs?</blockquote>

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