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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 4775885" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Issue 116: December 1986part 2/4Children of the deep: At last. A PC writeup for aquatic elves. It's about time. Like most demihumans of this era, they don't get that great class abilities. But they do have fairly good innate powers, and some restrictions on their ability to function on land, so it balances out. Crossbreeds between normal and aquatic elves, on the other hand, are a bit twinked, (plus what is my place in the world angst, yay <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f644.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":rolleyes:" title="Roll eyes    :rolleyes:"  data-smilie="11"data-shortname=":rolleyes:" /> ) with most of the advantages of both parents. Aquatic half-elves are also pretty good. If you have any seafaring or water adventures in your game, they will really leave everyone else in the dust unless they have some serious magic to compensate with. Another thing that can cause problems in a mixed party, and would be nerfed to bits in 4E. Consider carefully before allowing. It could be fun, but could also be an almighty pain in the ass to design adventures for. The ecology of the minotaur: Hmm. Another new writer applies a different approach to the ecology series this month. We see the in game writer of the article captured by the creature he is studying, and having to survive by their wits and curry favour with the creature, instead of seeing them as just some scientific specimen to be hunted, examined and possibly dissected. This is an approach that would be used quite a few times during my reading, sometimes with the writer escaping, and sometimes with them being presumed dead, but somehow having managed to hide or send their writings for future discovery. This is a development I approve of. The actual ecological bit, I find rather less enthralling, for it takes a monster that has rather interesting mythological origins, and turns them into just another generic primitive humanoid race, fighting, raiding and mating with harems of female minotaurs. Damn you, family friendly policy! (Although they still have no trouble with the idea of hags being all female and producing offspring by mating with human males by force and trickery, but I guess the great rape double standard strikes again.) The ecological footnotes are rather halfhearted this month as well, not really adding much to them mechanically. Still an interesting entry, but overall subpar, given the series' general high standards. The dragon's bestiary is back! Bumped off for Gary's featured creatures in issue 62, and then replaced by the Creature Catalogs, they've resurrected it due to public demand. Because the public hunger for new monsters is insatiable, but you don't want to give them too many at once, and then none for ages. This collection of monsters are all following the aquatic theme. So lets take a look at them. Brain coral is exactly what is sounds like. Psychic Coral that physically resembles an load of lobes spread across the sea floor. Not that much they can do with that intelligence on their own, so they are likely to probe your mind and take over your body. I can see the entertainment possibilities in this. Sea centaurs are to tritons and hippocampi what regular centaurs are to humans and horses. Which means they're rather smarter and more powerful, but still not as smart as their related species. (why are tritons and sahuguin so damn clever? What do they actually do with all that supposed intelligence? ) No great surprises here. Giant carnivorous clams may not sound dangerous, but if you get stuck inside them, you're in big trouble. And they have a surprising number of tricks to help them do this. Tentacles, paralyzing neurotoxin clouds, maneuvering jets. They're not just some sessile particle filterer you can ignore when not pearl diving. Giant groupers will lurk in an underwater alcove, suck you in if you get too close, and swallow you whole. Better have something sharp to cut your way out with, and make Wormy proud. Morana are really vicious eel/pirahna hybrids. Be thankful they don't come in large groups, because then the party would be in trouble. Giant porcupine fish inflate themselves to look extra threatening. Considering they have save or die poison all over, you'd think they could be a little more secure in their masculinity. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" /> Electric rays do exactly what they say on the tin, unleashing an electric charge to stun prey. And you, if you threaten them. Not a good idea to rub these guy's belly. Sawfishes and sharks, like hammerheads, are an example of nature imitating tools. Or maybe vice versa. In any case, they look funny, but don't laugh when they chop you up and eat you. Giant sea anemone will grapple you with their tentacles, and grip you with thousands of spines. That's really going to be a bugger to escape from. Another example of just how weird real undersea creatures look. Sea titans are another aquatic relation of a well known land thing. Relations of poseidon, (if you're using a pseudoearth mythology) they are bigger and stronger than regular titans, but nowhere near as smart or magically powerful. They're still no pushovers, especially as they usually have various sea monstery friends. Even if you beat them, that may be just the beginning of your troubles, given how vindictive gods can be. Approach with caution, for even if they're friendly, their moods can turn on a dime. Undines already appeared in the D&D companion set, you idiot. Someone needs to maintain better editorial control. Unless this is another case of them doing it deliberately to differentiate the two IP's. Anyway, these are sneaky little faeish bastards who enjoy drowning sailors. As if we didn't have enough of those. Weed giants are larger, less subtle relations of Kelpies. They'll tangle you up, and use your corpse as fertilizer. You'll have to do a lot of hacking to get to their vulnerable areas. Beware dark water. You never know what lurks just beneath the surface. (cue jaws theme)</blockquote>

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