The Implications of Biology in D&D

[Garthanos]

A Bearded Dwarf Hippogriff...

Instead of an eagle's call, would it instead go "Oiy!, Oiy!".

Hmmm...could make an interesting D&D creature.

arggghhhh of course does that mean it could... or couldnt be female.

 

[catsclaw227]

There were only something like 70 listed magic items, and of course the spell lists were not very copious, so it was pretty natural to introduce things players could not just look up in a handbook.

I am trying to get a count of how many 4e items there are that are level 1+ (i.e. magical or alchemical).

• The web-based compendium has locked up on a search of items with a filter of 1 - 50 level.
• I don't know how I can get a count of items in the Character Builder.
• Is there a massive item spreadsheet somewhere? [argh] I should write a script to extract one from the DDI. Lather, Rinse, Repeat (each month)[/argh]

I imagine there are well over 1000 items. But I'd like to see a filtered list of unique items and get a real count. (i.e. combine all levels of Vicious Weapon into a single item of many strengths.)

But, the DDI is hanging. And I've tried it 3 times. 5 minutes and then a timeout.

ugh.

 

[Moon_Goddess]

I can generally ignore biology in my worlds but theres 2 things that always bother me

I can't stand hexapod dragons. 2 wings and 2 legs, or 4 legs 0 wings. hexapod creatures do not evolve from tetrapod creatures.

and I can't stand having 30+intellienge hominids existing in the same world, I like to limit down to 5 or so.

 

[DMH]

I wonder how many people who say biology has no place in D&D and yet has humans (and dwarves and whatnot) with internal organs, a need to eat and sleep and other biology related functions. What is the point of a liver in a world where gods created humans?

 

[Aeolius]

What is the point of a liver in a world where gods created humans?

Monsters gotta eat.

 

[Umbran]

I wonder how many people who say biology has no place in D&D and yet has humans (and dwarves and whatnot) with internal organs, a need to eat and sleep and other biology related functions. What is the point of a liver in a world where gods created humans?

There is a truism in magic - while it isn't science, that doesn't mean that it has no systems required for function. Magic has symbols and forms, too. That the gods made humanoid life (which is not actually necessarily a truism in all fantasy settings) that does not mean that life should then be homogeneous mass without function within.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I wonder how many people who say biology has no place in D&D and yet has humans (and dwarves and whatnot) with internal organs, a need to eat and sleep and other biology related functions. What is the point of a liver in a world where gods created humans?

It generates blood and is the source of courage, love and hope at least according to some sources.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

What is the point of a liver in a world where gods created humans?

But where else would you get the human flavored pate de fois gras?


(D'oh! Ninja'ed by Aeolius )

 

[billd91]

True, you could hand wave it with DMium, but, that's precisely my initial point. If you're going to handwave it with Dmium, why not do it in such a way that the creatures are no longer mundane? Make them fantastic. Hippogriffs are servants of the Air Titan and he doesn't take well to domesticating them. Fine.

But, stock D&D doesn't do that. Stock D&D tells us that you can sell hippogriff eggs for x gold and train them for y gold.

I just wish the trend of making fantastic creatures mundane was one that would go away in D&D.

There's plenty of room for balance in all of this. Let the relatively normal(ish) creatures be less fantastic and the less normal be less mundane and I'd be happy with it.

I like a certain amount of mundane-ness in my D&D. It helps the really fantastic stand out. And it helps me to figure out what sort of effect some of these creatures would have on the world around them. Would a flight of hippogriffs living in the area be acting as a top predators? What sorts of signs would they leave? Would they be territorial? How would one act if suddenly encountered and would it be different if it were a male in mating season compared to a female?

If it's pushed to just being all fantastic, whatever I want it to be in an arbitrary way, then my players can't really predict what they'll be like unless I pretty much explicitly tell them. But describe a creature acting in a pattern familiar to them from many years of absorbing National Geographic, Animal Planet, or shows featuring Marlin Perkins and you get to see them making connections wonderful to see.

 

[Hussar]

I wonder how many people who say biology has no place in D&D and yet has humans (and dwarves and whatnot) with internal organs, a need to eat and sleep and other biology related functions. What is the point of a liver in a world where gods created humans?

Heh, maybe THAT's where the 3e rules for sleeping (don't need to) and eating (once a week I think) and drinking come from.

But your point is made I suppose. Where do you draw the line? And that's going to be different for everyone. I would like monsters to be less National Geographic and more Pliney. I've always wanted elves to be more magical and less "Humans that can see in the dark" which is often how I've seen them played.

((On a side note, I loathe elves. One thing Talislanta got 100% right))

As RC says, different strokes.