Loch Ness Monster

[Henry]

Does your campaign world have a Loch Ness Monster?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/05/31/britain.lochness.ap/index.html

Yes; he came to the door of my PCs' castle and asked to borrow some gold, about three-fitty in all. They said "Get outta here, Loch Ness Monster!" because, you know, he was the Loch Ness monster. But he came back.


........


I've never used legends of mythical monsters that turned out real, only mythical places; but you're right, that's a good idea to use as a change of pace.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

Does your campaign world have a Loch Ness Monster?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/05/31/britain.lochness.ap/index.html

No but it does have shrubberies.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/sussex/6637265.stm

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

In my campaign world there is a lake where some say that absolutely no nasty creatures of any kind reside. Folk with common sense know this is not possible, stating there is a large beast that has eaten all other predators within the lake and that when it grows hungry it consumes complacent swimmers. Despite the proof offered by adventurers and even Academy sages showing the terrible wounds on remains pulled from the lake, many folk refuse to believe that anything monstrous resides there, instead happily clinging to the fantasy of a safe place. The Baron of the region enjoys the fact that each year many come to see this unusual occurence and spend their coin at the numerous inns and taverns that have popped up around the shores of the lake. The Baron attributes incidents of people disappearing in the lake to mundane things like going swimming less than an hour after eating or after imbibing too much ale.

 

[The Green Adam]

Cryptozoology happens to be a fascination of mine and while I love the idea of implanting creatures of similar mystery into a campaign world, it certainly doesn't work if hundreds of different monsters exist like in D&D.

It reminds me of an episode of Justice League Unlimited when they think an archeologist is crazy for thinking he is the reincarnated form of an ancient alien king (a retelling of the origin of Hawkman). Green Lantern tells Hawkgirl it's impossible for this guy to be the reborn Thanagarian hero of ancient Egypt. Her response is, "Of course, because well all know there are no ghosts or life on other planets." I've read numerous comic books when the innocent masses point and say, "OMG! Look! It's a creature from space". Meanwhile Superman and Martian Manhunter have been around forever.

In my Ars Magica, this worked much better, especially early on. Faeries, giants and lake monsters were known to exist, after all, people had see them. What people? Well, the miller heard tell of a monk near Glastonbury who saw something in the lake one night after he'd tied one or two on at the local tavern.