What are the prefered lab animals for fantasy?

[DMH]

With all the spell creation and new alchemical formulas being developed all the time, there has to be some animal testing. What critters would make the best specimens?

 

[WayneLigon]

I don't think for the most part they'd bother with animal testing. There are always more peasents.

There's a great anecdote in The Lies of Locke Lamora, where Locke has to get a fresh corpse for one of the Black Alchemists to experiment with (these are the alchemists that are unlicensed and beyond the law).

 

[Reynard]

Trolls. They regernate.

They are also good for fast food joints.

 

[demiurge1138]

Mice and rats are still a popular choice. Where do you think all those dire rats that get stuck in NPC's basements come from? Not to mention the wererats, ash rats, moonrats, alchemice, ROUSes...

And judging by the evidence, owls were at one time in vogue. It is my hypothesis that Thesselar invented the owlbear after running out of things to do with his poor lab-owls.

Trolls and other regenerating beasties are perfect for anatomical studies - but they only teach about their own anatomy, obviously.

Demiurge out.

 

[Grymar]

PCs, in my campaign.

 

[tensen]

With all the spell creation and new alchemical formulas being developed all the time, there has to be some animal testing. What critters would make the best specimens?

Kobolds and Goblins.
You see the whole problem with normal animal testing is that the animals can't tell you what all is happening.

 

[Felnar]

wizards used to do their testing on owls and bears

 

[Slife]

duckrabbits are a monster from an older edition which were typically the first monster created by evil wizards, since screwing up wouldn't cause too many problems. It was in one of the Monster Manuals, I think.

 

[DMH]

They are in Dragon 243 and are not for just evil wizards.

Kobolds and Goblins.

And how do good wizards and alchemists get around the ethics questions?

 

[haakon1]

In my experience, rats, captured kobolds, summoned creatures, and PC's.