Why'd they change the Lamia?

[XCorvis]

Note that lamias can be male too. I noticed a definite trend away from "female only" type monsters. Harpys, medusas, succubi and lamias are all mixed gender now. As far as I can tell, only the Hag is still a female-only monster, but there might be a couple fey. I think that's part of a general trend of making the game appeal more to women in general.

This new lamia feels like it fits the mythology at least as well as the old one.

 

[Awakened]

Whenever something like this comes up ask yourself "Would the anime generation consider it more cool than before?". If yes then you have your answer.

I don't think Anime has that much of an impact on D&D. Fantasy is fantasy- the creators change things to keep things fresh, drawing inspiration from a thousand sources. For all we know, they took the imagery from the swarm-of--flies portrayal of Beelzebub from Milton. Clouds of flies are just creepy and cool. This might be a response to the feeling that there's no such thing as an anime generation and there never will be.

 

[Regicide]

They changed the lamia for the same reason they changed orcus. And dryads. And stuff.

Translation: To sell more models.

 

[Eldritch_Lord]

This new lamia feels like it fits the mythology at least as well as the old one.

I don't know about that. The 3e lamia wasn't half-serpent, but it was at least half-human/half-something; the 4e lamia has the whole "eats people" thing going on. Both have some aspects of the myth, but the 4e one also has the beetle swarm and the impersonation thing, and it loses the half-human part. So while I don't ask that any monster be completely accurate to mythology (as none of them really could be, and the 3e lamia wasn't completely accurate either), I'd prefer if subsequent versions moved towards improved accuracy, rather than changing them just to sell things.

Like I said, the monster itself is a great idea, I just would rather have a different name attached to it. WotC could sell the same number of miniatures--since people will buy an eladrin-eating beetle swarm regardless of the name--but the lamia would be closer to its origins for those of us who like those things.

 

[starwed]

Given that the lamia is an actual mythological entity, it's weird to give that name to a creature which has little in common with it.

Admittedly, the Greek lamia had a serpents body rather than a lion's[1], but it's a heck of a lot closer than a swarm of bugs. If they thought the lamia concept was uninspired, why not name the swarm something else?


[1]I think 1e FF had a "lamia noble" with a snake body.

 

[lukelightning]

Note that lamias can be male too. I noticed a definite trend away from "female only" type monsters.

I find it interesting that some people freak out about male medusas and male harpies, but have no problem with female minotaurs.

Given that the lamia is an actual mythological entity, it's weird to give that name to a creature which has little in common with it.

Retcon explanation: The mythological lamia had consumed the form of a feytouched yuan-ti woman.

 

[ExploderWizard]

This is the internet so some where there is some one who likes just about anything. Which is good.

She was supposed to be hawt but I think very few people find lion butt attractive.

Speak for yourself

 

[firesnakearies]

I think the more important question is: where are the nymphs? And erinyes, those were cool too.

I love the new lamia idea. There's going to be a very special encounter for the "ladies' man" among the PCs who always feels compelled to hit on every female he meets...

Poor guy.

 

[Tale]

And erinyes, those were cool too.

Erinyes are right where they belong. Under their proper name of "Succubus."

 

[Fredrik Svanberg]

Perhaps it would be easier to just call them something else if you think that Lamia isn't a good name for them. They obviously have nothing to do with the mythological creature so it won't be confusing for anyone if you call them "death beetles" or "hollow ones" or whatever.