Where is the cyclops?

[Ripzerai]

What are they like? I'm planning on a cyclops race for my Greek-tinged homebrew, and am wondering if it's worth tracking down the issue.

As I recall, they were relatively intelligent and civilized. It went in some detail about their culture. Unfortunately, I've misplaced my own copy of that issue.

On the athach/fachan controversy, I suspect Frank Mentzer made them three-armed because he thought that one-legged monsters who only got one attack and had poor depth perception would be disappointing to fight, and decided that "deformed giant" was the most important thing about them. Other designers thought the authentic fachan was worth statting.

 

[Nyaricus]

On the athach/fachan controversy, I suspect Frank Mentzer made them three-armed because he thought that one-legged monsters who only got one attack and had poor depth perception would be disappointing to fight, and decided that "deformed giant" was the most important thing about them. Other designers thought the authentic fachan was worth statting.

Oh, likely. Personally, I just don't really care how D&D has essentually bastardized so many classical monsters.

The Gorgon/Medusa/Catobleapas controversy is one of the main WTF? examples out there.

cheers,
--N

 

[Huw]

Info taken from the Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology.

Sorry to get a bit tangential, but how is that? I've been hunting for a decent Celtic mythology resource. My test has been the definitions of "ankou" and "water leaper" - both pretty obscure.

Maybe the D&D athach was influenced by the Manx triskelion? The triskelion is also the symbol of Sicily, and that's where the cyclopes were meant to dwell.

 

[Ferret]

Here be cyclopes!

 

[Nyaricus]

Sorry to get a bit tangential, but how is that? I've been hunting for a decent Celtic mythology resource. My test has been the definitions of "ankou" and "water leaper" - both pretty obscure.

Actually, the Ankou was my favourite in this 456 page book; such a cool monster. I wish WotC would do a bit on RL monsters, that one included However, the water leaper is not featured in this book; were there any other names for it that you know of??

Personally, I really dig this book; for my campaign setting it gave me tons of great ideas for critters inhabiting my psuedo-cletic area

In the first campaign I ever ran, we started in that area (Kysmere is a largish country that is the British Isles, excpt they are on the land); the elven druid had a Cu Sith companion after coming across one, the party was assailed by a Sianach on numerous occasions (same one hee-hee! ), and I was planning for a nice fight with a Boobrie and it's mate when the party would come across it's nest, not to mention the meeting of a Bean Nighe at a ford, which would lead into a sub plot and eventually back again into the main story. Also, the Fomorians (abeit with a slightly different flavour) were the first civilised race IMC, along with the elves (Tolkienesque, of course).

cheers,
--N

 

[tsadkiel]

As I recall, they were relatively intelligent and civilized. It went in some detail about their culture. Unfortunately, I've misplaced my own copy of that issue.

Sounds like I must find the issue. To the internet!

 

[Cthulhudrew]

That would be the cyclopeans, from Dragon #323.

That's right- thanks for reminding me the issue #.

Yeah- it has two types of Cyclopeans in it, Menta and Fera- the Fera are more like the traditional brutish Cyclopes, the Menta more enlightened and civilized.

Neither appears to be a "real" Cyclops, though. They're both medium sized creatures.

 

[Huw]

Actually, the Ankou was my favourite in this 456 page book; such a cool monster. I wish WotC would do a bit on RL monsters, that one included However, the water leaper is not featured in this book; were there any other names for it that you know of??

Thanks.

Water leaper is "Llamhigyn y dwr" in Welsh (which means, well, "leaper of the water"). There are plenty of references on the Internet, and it's been done as a monster several times, I just can't find any original legends about it, and I don't know if it's known outside Wales (or indeed, outside RPGs).

 

[Gez]

Sorry to get a bit tangential, but how is that? I've been hunting for a decent Celtic mythology resource. My test has been the definitions of "ankou" and "water leaper" - both pretty obscure.

Ankou's not necessarily obscure everywhere. In France, he's very much well know, as the Breton version of Death, the Reaperman. He's been featured in comic-books such as Spirou & Fantasio (a classic of children's comics), was the name of a short-lived RPG magazine, and so on.