[Polyhedron] Iron Lords of Jupiter

[tsadkiel]

What're those white ape-men from Unapproachable East called?

Because albino ape-men from Jupiter = quality.

Taers, iirc. And don't forget girallons. Because four arms can make even albino ape-men from Jupiter better.

 

[JPL]

Girallons. Of course.

Seems like some of those Savage Species templates would be interesting, too.

In case you want winged four-armed albino apes.

 

[Gospog]

JPL,

Using Thri-Kreen is as brilliant as it is simple!

Keep the ideas coming people, Jupiter is vast, and we're unlikely to overpopulate it!

What about some sort of sea monster to inhabit the Vast Ocean?
Based on a giant squid is the obvious route, I would imagine. It's skin is sticky, like tar, to aid in capturing prey.
But the ink it squirts also acts as a solvent for this "tar". So the best defense if grappled by this behemoth is to startle or frighten it, so that it "squirts" it's ink. A sword in the eye ought to di it!

A good start, but not exotic enough, any ideas?

And thanks for the ideas already posted!

 

[JPL]

JPL,

Using Thri-Kreen is as brilliant as it is simple!

Keep the ideas coming people, Jupiter is vast, and we're unlikely to overpopulate it!

What about some sort of sea monster to inhabit the Vast Ocean?
Based on a giant squid is the obvious route, I would imagine. It's skin is sticky, like tar, to aid in capturing prey.
But the ink it squirts also acts as a solvent for this "tar". So the best defense if grappled by this behemoth is to startle or frighten it, so that it "squirts" it's ink. A sword in the eye ought to di it!

A good start, but not exotic enough, any ideas?

And thanks for the ideas already posted!

As far as sea monsters...I think aboliths might be a good fit. Super-intelligent mind-controlling stingrays. They're just totally alien.

I believe any sort of animal-man would be appropriate to the genre [although gnolls might be a little too D&D].

Venus is crawling with lizardfolk. That's been scientifically proven. Mars had the scorpion-folk. Don't know about Jupiter, though.

In Philip Jose Famer's World of Tiers [inspired largely by John Carter], there was a zebrilla. Apparently, his momma was a zebra and his daddy was a gorilla and they fell in love...the details escape me. Anyway, he's probably just a taer with a different coat of paint...

Man, I can't think of names today. Those crazy four-winged arrow birds. That weird-looking thing with the sonic attack.

 

[Lizard]

JPL,

What about some sort of sea monster to inhabit the Vast Ocean?
Based on a giant squid is the obvious route, I would imagine. It's skin is sticky, like tar, to aid in capturing prey.
But the ink it squirts also acts as a solvent for this "tar". So the best defense if grappled by this behemoth is to startle or frighten it, so that it "squirts" it's ink. A sword in the eye ought to di it!

That would be the Greater Deepwater Nalthis. The few specimens whose corpses have washed up on the shores of the Vastness are terrifying enough; that scholars have pronounced these monstrosities as 'clearly juvenile' is just one of many reasons no one sailing on the Vastness gets out of easy sight of shore.

The regions of the Grey Empire and other relatively densely populated areas have few of the true nightmare creatures, as such beasts reproduce slowly and need a large area in which to feed; concerted effort by sentients, even those limited to telgir-wood spears and hurled jirathite grenades can remove them from an area. Nonetheless, some things inevitably wander by, or fly over -- there are creatures like giant aerial jellyish large enough to engulf, and digest, a building; there are ponderous, immense, hard-shelled creatures like tortoises which can bear a small fortress on their backs; there are things something like termites but close to a man's size, though still mindless, who build skyscraper like complexes where millions dwell...

None of these, however, are in issue 102. (What, you think I'd give away the 'Coming soon!' contents?) There you will (probably) find the zorl, the vort, and the bathar, among others.

As Gospog notes, it's a big place. I like large, sprawling, settings. There's room for a LOT.

 

[Imhotepthewise]

I've written down some of my ideas in Plots and Places

Follow this link (I hope it works):

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=54711

I invite you all to read and contribute if you'd like.

Have fun!

 

[Katowice]

I like the cover art because it's a twist on the old "muscular man in loincloth with woman grapping his leg" theme. Well done. I found that the inside art was good, too, and really helped me visualize. I like to make use of drawings and paintings in game. Christopher Trevas did a lot of art on the West End Games Star Wars RPG and I know I've seen Tom Fowler's artwork in other issues of Polyhedron (kudos for the "Princess Leia" bikini pic).

For additional art, Frank Cho ("Liberty Meadows") has a lot of Tarzan- and Barsoom-inspired black & white art on his official site that also would fit right in with Iron Lords. (Be warned, there is nudity.)

Yeah, this game looks awesome!

And I think the cover art is some of the funniest I've ever seen! (and well done to boot!)

 

[Voneth]

As far as sea monsters...I think aboliths might be a good fit. Super-intelligent mind-controlling stingrays. They're just totally alien.

If you use the search feature on this very fourm, you'll find my "mondernized" Aboleth -- complete with space flight and an "contagious" minion. You will also find my two versions of Stirges (Electrticy Vampire and Puppet Master) and my "Underwater Miners" version of Skraggs (marine varient of Trolls). All of which my players will rediscover in Iron Lords.

If someone can use the search feature they are welcome to post a link from that old thread to this one.

 

[JPL]

Thumbed through MM and MMII for likely alien monsters.

Quite a few good candidates, actually.

I was just trying to imagine each monster as the cover to some obscure 70s sci-fi paperback...with the hero in his He-Man outfit and the lovely alien princess looking frightened...

I tell you, I love each minigame more that the last.

 

[bwgwl]

i think templates would be a good way of introducing standard D&Dish races to Jupiter...

reptilian elves, insectile dwarves, winged goblins, multi-headed ogres, tauric orc-scorpions, various anthropomorphic beast-men races, feral bugbears, gelatinous mind flayers...