Real life beasts that need more attention

Peni Griffin · Jun 27, 2007

DarkKestral said:
And it wasn't reasearch.. it was me looking it up after I saw a link to it on BoingBoing, since I like Victorian era stuff.

And this differs from research how?

DarkKestral · Jun 28, 2007

I wasn't really looking for information that might be used in game. It was fun-time reading about Victorian oddities. VASTLY different.

DrStalker · Jun 28, 2007

Monotremes are under-represented in every fantasy world I know of. But then, it's probably hard to convince your players that a eye-laying mammal that looks like a cross between an otter and a duck with poison spurs and the ability to detect invisible things is a real creature, and not an abberation.

We have an entire country full of odd and dangerous critters here in Australia.

Plane Sailing · Jun 28, 2007

DrStalker said:
Monotremes are under-represented in every fantasy world I know of. But then, it's probably hard to convince your players that a eye-laying mammal

Australia: Even wierder than you think

DMH · Jun 28, 2007

Parasites (host usually survives)/parasitoids (host dies) need more development.

Marine segmented worms have potential. Unlike earthworms, many have eyes, jaws and tentacles. There was an article in Dragon 133 that needs updating.

Lesser know insect orders, such as the webspinners and earwigs, and arachnids such as harvestmen and pseudoscorpions would be a great source of vermin.

JiffyPopTart · Jun 29, 2007

Slife said:
The infec(s?)ted moth, I think, was the creepiest...

Undead Pseudonatural Dire Moth anyone?

DS

Mr.Black · Jun 29, 2007

Deep sea fish, like scaled up versions of the angler fish, gulper, and viper fish.

Antlions I believe haven't been done yet.

Catfish have been done in dungeon but not yet put in a book.

Electric eels would be interesting.

A possum would be neat. As an immediate action it can feign death.

Trilobites should be done. They've never been in any edition, I think.

ColonelHardisson · Jul 1, 2007

While this isn't precisely in keeping with the subject of the thread, I thought it came close enough to discuss here. I'd like to see a collection of classic monsters that cleave much more closely to the real world legends and myths that inspired them than many of the versions that ended up statted for D&D. While many of these creatures have become iconic D&D critters, a lot of them are not very much like their legendary versions, since D&D has created something of its own mythology. Examples of what I'm talking about: the medusa/gorgon, vampires, basilisks, pegasi, and dragons. Each would be carefully researched and given the characteristics and stats that seem closest to what is said of them in myth and legend. Obviously many tales conflict, so discussing variants of each creature would be necessary. Dragons are a good example - there are dragon-like creatures appearing in legends around the world, all of them different. These range from relatively small "St. George"-type dragons that seem more like large lizards than anything else, to the great creatures of Asian legends that are both powerful and intelligent, to the truly epic Midgard serpent of Norse mythology.