Why does D&D have bears?

[jdrakeh]

I'm not certain why I never noticed this before (it could be a sign of forthcoming suspension of disbelief issues on my part). Why are imaginary worlds millions of miles removed from Earth populated with creatures native to our planet? It seems to me that, rather than North American Black Bears, straight-up Owlbears (or other creatures of pure fantasy) should fill the niches that mundane animals do in our own mundane world.

There simply isn't (so far as I can tell) any good reason for why mundane animals in Faerun or Eberron should be mirror images of those that my neighbor keeps cooped up in his apartment all day. Should Carrion Crawlers not usurp Rattus Rattus in the foodchain of Waterdeep's many sewers? Should the skies over Sharn not be populated by something a bit more fantastic than pigeons?

For some reason, this has really bothered me for the space of an afternoon. Why isn't there a guide (or multiple guides) to fantastic beasts of burden or commonplace creatures of fantasy for D&D. I think that when I run my next D&D game, I will make an effort to avoid using any creatures native to Earth -- instead replacing them with dire versions of the same or, better yet, fantastic alternatives.

For example, rather than Equus Caballus, the common horse, I will populate my setting with those cool wild horses from Krull that can run hundreds of miles in an hour and whose hooves produce flames when they strike the ground. That kind of thing. That just seems far more appropriate for fantasy.

 

[Dragon-Slayer]

This point was argued upon by S&S writers decades ago, as cited in Lin Carter's excellent book, Imaginary Worlds. Fritz Leiber cited that horses, pine trees and other aspects of our world make a fantasy world appear more natural to us and easier for our immersion into the fictional realms, and I believe this can apply to rpgs as well.

Aspects of the familiar help players submerge themselves into an rpg realm and help define the parameters of that world.

 

[Gentlegamer]

I believe it is because the subject matter is that of fantasy worlds, not alien worlds.

 

[jdrakeh]

Aspects of the familiar help players submerge themselves into an rpg realm and help define the parameters of that world.

I do understand that, though the horses of Krull (to use my earlier example) manage to be familiar enough to aid immersion while fantastic enough to constitute something other than the common horse of Earth. I think that the "must be identical to those in real life" argument when applied to creatures in the context of aiding immersion is, well, crap. Similar, sure, but identical? I don't buy that at all.

 

[frankthedm]

For some reason, this has really bothered me for the space of an afternoon. Why isn't there a guide (or multiple guides) to fantastic beasts of burden or commonplace creatures of fantasy for D&D. I think that when I run my next D&D game, I will make an effort to avoid using any creatures native to Earth -- instead replacing them with dire versions of the same or, better yet, fantastic alternatives.

Only Dark*Sun had that divergent of an ecosystem. A typicle D&D setting is still closely tied to a fantastic version of humanity's history.

And why normal animals on the rest of the D&D worlds? Because the druids keep it that way? A whole character class dedicated to the status quo of the natural world might be able to keep things mostly in line.

 

[Scott_Rouse]

Seems obvious to me.

Who else is gonna poop in the woods? Druids and Rangers?

 

[jdrakeh]

Seems obvious to me.

Who else is gonna poop in the woods? Druids and Rangers?

Hah!

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

I'm not certain why I never noticed this before (it could be a sign of forthcoming suspension of disbelief issues on my part). Why are imaginary worlds millions of miles removed from Earth populated with creatures native to our planet? It seems to me that, rather than North American Black Bears, straight-up Owlbears (or other creatures of pure fantasy) should fill the niches that mundane animals do in our own mundane world.

There simply isn't (so far as I can tell) any good reason for why mundane animals in Faerun or Eberron should be mirror images of those that my neighbor keeps cooped up in his apartment all day. Should Carrion Crawlers not usurp Rattus Rattus in the foodchain of Waterdeep's many sewers? Should the skies over Sharn not be populated by something a bit more fantastic than pigeons?

For some reason, this has really bothered me for the space of an afternoon. Why isn't there a guide (or multiple guides) to fantastic beasts of burden or commonplace creatures of fantasy for D&D. I think that when I run my next D&D game, I will make an effort to avoid using any creatures native to Earth -- instead replacing them with dire versions of the same or, better yet, fantastic alternatives.

For example, rather than Equus Caballus, the common horse, I will populate my setting with those cool wild horses from Krull that can run hundreds of miles in an hour and whose hooves produce flames when they strike the ground. That kind of thing. That just seems far more appropriate for fantasy.

I know how you feel. I don't completely eliminate normal Earthly creatures, I'm not sure you can really get away with that in most groups. But I do decrease their frequency and play up the commonality and incidence of dinosaurs, aberrations, and other wierd creatures. If you need ideas search for worldbuilding sites, you can swipe entire ecosystems and apply a fantasy lens to cover the sci-fi aspects.

 

[shilsen]

It's essentially for the same reason that you have fantasy worlds which approximate to some degree to historical periods from Earth history, where people eat or dress or speak like us. Heck, these fantasy worlds actually have humans in them, rather than consisting purely or even mainly of fantasy species. Why? Because most gamers need some sort of a baseline that they can recognize. And the baseline often makes the deviations from it even more noticeable and noticeable.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

For what it's worth, Goodman Games has a very good adventure with bears as the terrifying monsters in their level 1 collection, the Adventure Begins.

I view the Monster Manual as a toolbox, rather than as a field guide. Many worlds, as you say, have no real place for ordinary animals. Others have no place for dinosaurs or demons or what have you.