D&D 5E The Minds of Monsters

[Minigiant]

It's much easier, and frankly more fun, to consider that most of the things we run into in D&D think essentially like us. It facilitates play and allows for recognizable stories. But "it's CE" is not an alien mindset; it is a flavor of human mindset.

the part i was focusing on is the demonhood not the CE alignment. That fiends can barely understand good and selflessness as a concept.

 

[Reynard]

the part i was focusing on is the demonhood not the CE alignment. That fiends can barely understand good and selflessness as a concept.

That's interesting, especially compared with the "doesn't discern morality" trope commonly associated with artificial intelligence (or Dr. Manhattan, etc). Demons in particular are often portrayed as reveling in causing pain, horror and trauma and may not have a concept for "good" or "compassion". Devils seem like they would, though, since they have to formulate deals mortals would be willing to take. Given that, Devils should be the most human of the fiends.

 

[Minigiant]

That's interesting, especially compared with the "doesn't discern morality" trope commonly associated with artificial intelligence (or Dr. Manhattan, etc). Demons in particular are often portrayed as reveling in causing pain, horror and trauma and may not have a concept for "good" or "compassion". Devils seem like they would, though, since they have to formulate deals mortals would be willing to take. Given that, Devils should be the most human of the fiends.

One could speculate that devils don't understand good anymore either and are contextualizing "good acts" as a service traded for in a lawful contract or alliance.

 

[Reynard]

One could speculate that devils don't understand good anymore either and are contextualizing "good acts" as a service traded for in a lawful contract or alliance.

I'd argue that you can't craft a desirable deal without understanding what your mark wants. You don't have to empathize with them but you do have to be able to comprehend their world view.

 

[Minigiant]

I'd argue that you can't craft a desirable deal without understanding what your mark wants. You don't have to empathize with them but you do have to be able to comprehend their world view.

Do you really?
Do you really need to understand why the person in a contract wants something to know what they might want?
A devil promising a warrior the hand of a beautiful royal doesn't need to understand beauty nor love. They just need to know the race of the warrior and what members of that race and sexuality desire in mates.

I could even see a pit fiend having in his library a book named "Stuff Dwarves Like" in order to aid in dealmaking and the fiend being very confused.

 

[Bitbrain]

Not to derail another thread, I wish to have a discussion of monster type and their minds. Very often we discuss the physical and spirtual differences of different types of monsters. Rarely do we discuss the mental differences of the types of monsters. Do humaniods,and giants think the same? If you take away their alignment, lifespan, and history with other races, would an elf and a pixie process information the same?

Do the various types of monsters think differently?
If so, how do their minds differ?

HUMANOIDS
In my games, humanoids might think and prioritize things differently, but it’s really no different from comparing a neurotypical person to someone who isn’t. Generally speaking, humanoids can experience the full range and extent of what we might call human emotion.

The exception to this (in my games) are Lizardfolk and Athasian Halflings. Both can experience the full range of human emotion, but never to the same extent as the other humanoids.
A Lizardfolk at their angriest will therefore never be as truly angry as a “normal” elf or human can be.

I’ll do more later.