D&D 5E Simic Hybrids Outside of Ravnica

[Kobold Avenger]

There's 5 races in Guildmasters Guide to Ravnica: Centaurs, Minotaurs, Loxodon, Vedalken and Simic Hybrids. Centaurs and Minotaurs are in the Monster Manual and assumed to be in most worlds. Loxodon might be in Forgotten Realms as the Loxo, and the Loxodon like the Vedalken are in a few other MtG worlds too. I'd argue that Vedalken could be related to the Mercane/Arcane of Spelljammer at least superficially.

So the Simic Hybrid having the "Simic" Combine in their name are more specific to Ravnica. But the fact that being magical science experiments is the main thing about the Simic Hybrids, I feel they could have all sorts of places in other published worlds and homebrew worlds just fine. I remember Ravenloft had "Broken Ones" for it's Island of Doctor Moreau analogy, so I think a Broken One could be a Simic Hybrid. I don't think they'd be out of place in Eberron, as they either be experiments or mutations brought one by Khyber or Xoriat.

In some cases they might be people created by Aboleths or Krakens. Any other ideas where a Simic Hybrid might come in, or other names they might have in other worlds?

 

[Fenris-77]

They'd be aces in any kind of planar adventure (Spelljammer or Plansescape). They'd also fit well into any kind of setting that adds some weird science to it's fantasy. If you changed the weird science to something more like weird alchemy they'd fit anywhere IMO.

 

[Stormonu]

They could be lifemorphs (i.e., psionics life experiments) in Dark sun.

 

[Bitbrain]

If I ever get to run a Mystara campaign, I’ll be including Simic Hybrids and the in-campaign lore will be that they are a product of glantrian experimentation.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I think it's a given that any race could appear in Spelljammer or Planescape based on the nature of those settings.

Though I do seem to with their weird science theme, is that their hybrid properties tend to lean closer towards sea creatures over types (probably the Blue mana MtG association with Blue-Green Simic of the original concept), though it of course doesn't have to be sea creatures in other worlds.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

There's 5 races in Guildmasters Guide to Ravnica: Centaurs, Minotaurs, Loxodon, Vedalken and Simic Hybrids. Centaurs and Minotaurs are in the Monster Manual and assumed to be in most worlds. Loxodon might be in Forgotten Realms as the Loxo, and the Loxodon like the Vedalken are in a few other MtG worlds too. I'd argue that Vedalken could be related to the Mercane/Arcane of Spelljammer at least superficially.

So the Simic Hybrid having the "Simic" Combine in their name are more specific to Ravnica. But the fact that being magical science experiments is the main thing about the Simic Hybrids, I feel they could have all sorts of places in other published worlds and homebrew worlds just fine. I remember Ravenloft had "Broken Ones" for it's Island of Doctor Moreau analogy, so I think a Broken One could be a Simic Hybrid. I don't think they'd be out of place in Eberron, as they either be experiments or mutations brought one by Khyber or Xoriat.

In some cases they might be people created by Aboleths or Krakens. Any other ideas where a Simic Hybrid might come in, or other names they might have in other worlds?

Simic Hybrids could be the result of the Zulkir of Transmutation in Thay experimenting on prisoners. But drop Simic for Magic Hybrid.

 

[Iry]

I wish Simics could be any animal. I mean, I can always fluff them that way, but all the good Simic art is sea-creature based.

 

[Mind of tempest]

people modified by the meat mages, members of sarkic cults?

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

As someone who use A LOT of 4e lore in my FRs, I use them as experiment by the Aboleth Sovereignty in the deeps chasm under the ruined Neverwinter and the abyss under the Asylum of Helm's Hold.

They are the aboleth version of the yuan-ti pureblood, used to infiltrate the surface people.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

As someone who use A LOT of 4e lore in my FRs, I use them as experiment by the Aboleth Sovereignty in the deeps chasm under the ruined Neverwinter and the abyss under the Asylum of Helm's Hold.

My first thought of what might be behind some possible versions would be the Aboleths, mainly because of something like that and Pathfinder using the Aboleths a lot since it was something they were allowed to use under OGL.

 

[Salthorae]

Simic Hybrids could fit very well in FR in Thay given all the magical experimentation they have a history with from creating darkenbeasts and stuff.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I wish Simics could be any animal. I mean, I can always fluff them that way, but all the good Simic art is sea-creature based.

That's because of their association with Blue magic in MtG. But you don't need to be bound by art that is labelled that way, it's clear they could look like pretty much anything, from a normal member of the base species, to an anthropomorphic flying squirrel.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

For animal types other than sea creatures, I feel that insects might fit closely to some of the flavour for the Simic Hybrids depicted. Wings of a fly, spider arms, mantis claws, and those sorts of things.

 

[jgsugden]

If you do not have a specific idea that uses them, don't introduce them.

If a player wants to play one, ask them what lore they like. This gives the players the most opportunity to make an impact on your world and get invested in the lore.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I don't have the new Ravenloft book yet, but going by the TOC it looks like it's "Island of Doctor Moreau" domain Markovia, is still around.

I suspect Doctor Markov is still up to his old tricks, and probably would be the one behind creating such Hybrids in Ravenloft.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I don't have the new Ravenloft book yet, but going by the TOC it looks like it's "Island of Doctor Moreau" domain Markovia, is still around.

I suspect Doctor Markov is still up to his old tricks, and probably would be the one behind creating such Hybrids in Ravenloft.

Yep, it only gets a short entry, but it is there, and simic hybrids would work fine for a PC who was an escaped experiment of Doctor Markov.

I'm thinking of turning it into a "hybrid lineage" for my Ravenloft campaign. Just giving if floating ASIs and the option to be small.