What are the unique monsters of D&D?

[Feathercircle]

Bulettes & Rust Monsters were inspired by plastic "prehistoric animals" from a bag of childrens' toys!

QUOTE]

I HAVE that plastic toy bulette! I found it at the supermarked about a week ago...


Edit: What in the Nine Hells happened to the quote coding on that message? Yikes...

 

[AFGNCAAP]

Thanks for the responses! Keep `em coming!

Hmm... I wasn't too sure if the beholder was a D&D invention--I thought that there was some Chinese monster that it was based off of. May (easily) be wrong, though.

IIRC, one "original" created by fusing together 2 existing monsters was the thoul--a troll/ghoul combo, IIRC. I thought the gnoll was originally intended along those lines, as well (gnome/troll). Were there any other creatures like this?

Finally, what about the specific types of demons/devils/angels? Does the barbed devil & bone devil have some mythic precedent?

 

[ColonelHardisson]

As was said, the gnoll wasn't created for D&D, and does predate the game. Xvarts are from folklore; they come from the same kind of tales from which the inspiration for drow is derived. Gygax has spoken of the creation of the beholder for the game, so you might want to check out the Gygax Q&A thread and ask him about it. As I recall, he also has said that the kuo-toa were inspired by Lovecraft's Deep Ones (sahuagin are far too agressive).

 

[Bauglir]

Hmm... I wasn't too sure if the beholder was a D&D invention--I thought that there was some Chinese monster that it was based off of. May (easily) be wrong, though.

You can tell it's a D&D original by the fact it's not in the SRD. Wizards claim copyright on the Beholder as well as a few others..

 

[Henry]

Blink Dogs?

Flumphs?

Gambados?

Piercers?

 

[daTim]

You might be thinking Beholders are from Chineese myth because there is a little beholder sort of creature in the movie "Big Trouble in Little China". It was very different in that it doesnt fight, is basketball sized, and only allows its master too see through its many eyes. Given how much Big Trouble ripped off other sources, I wouldnt be supprised if they got the idea from D&D. Still a fun movie though.

 

[Bob5th]

How about the Tarrasque? Is it a unique D&D creation or inspired by something else.

 

[Kichwas]

Gambados?

What's that?

It sounds like cross between Spanish and Japanese.

You might be thinking Beholders are from Chineese myth because there is a little beholder sort of creature in the movie "Big Trouble in Little China".
...
Given how much Big Trouble ripped off other sources, I wouldnt be supprised if they got the idea from D&D.

Isn't that an American movie anyway? I've never seen a western film that got anything right about Asian mythos anyway, nor even came within a ballpark of it - and this one was an action comedy anyway if I recall correctly.

So I'd also go for your theory at the end if anything.

When I think of DnD Iconic creatures I think of the Rust Monster, the Gelatenous Cube, and the Beholder. In about that order. All of them are also in a way utterly silly creations.

 

[Rozman]

Bulettes & Rust Monsters were inspired by plastic "prehistoric animals" from a bag of childrens' toys!

I actually had a plastic bullette back in the day.

I was rather surprised to find D&D stuff in a craft/hobby store at the time!

(something like 1980-82 timeframe)

 

[Tonguez]

How about the Tarrasque? Is it a unique D&D creation or inspired by something else.

Tarasque was a French Dragon from the town of Tarascon. It didn't look much like the DnD version however (which btw always reminds me of an Ankylosaur)

The name Gnoll comes from Lord Dusney the look relates back to any number of anthropomorphic 'dog-men' in myth. Making them Hyaena may have been DnD though