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So I was reading through some older issues of Dragon and Dungeon (Thank you great Paizo magazine sale!) and I read some editorials by Erik and James about how much the loved monsters, and how working for WotC had let them introduce these creatures as official D&D creatures.
I'm curious which creatures were created by the Paizo writers... I noticed both the MMII and the Fiend Folio for 3rd ed had James and Erik on the credits page, so they've clearly been involved there, and of course the creatures introduced in the AP issues of Dungeon... But which critters were done by what person?
Just something I've been wondering about.
You know what the saddest thing about those are? That none of those monsters are now Open Content. They can't even put them in their own Bestiary.
That's hardly a shock, is it? When Gary Gygax left TSR, was he allowed to publish material for his own Greyhawk setting? When Eric Mona, et al, were hired to write gaming materials, that writing was still owned by the company that hired them. It was no secret. If you want to own your published works, you start your own company.
You know what the saddest thing about those are? That none of those monsters are now Open Content. They can't even put them in their own Bestiary.That's hardly a shock, is it? When Gary Gygax left TSR, was he allowed to publish material for his own Greyhawk setting? When Eric Mona, et al, were hired to write gaming materials, that writing was still owned by the company that hired them. It was no secret. If you want to own your published works, you start your own company.
I agree on the gaming system not being a shock. That doesn't make it less sad, just understandable.
Gygax didn't do more Greyhawk gaming products. However, he was allowed to finish his novel series of Gord the Rogue using Greyhawk. I think only two of the books are official Greyhawk, but the rest still uses the world and all its parts and major npcs (4 more books I think).
I agree on the gaming system not being a shock. That doesn't make it less sad, just understandable.You know what the saddest thing about those are? That none of those monsters are now Open Content. They can't even put them in their own Bestiary.That's hardly a shock, is it? When Gary Gygax left TSR, was he allowed to publish material for his own Greyhawk setting? When Eric Mona, et al, were hired to write gaming materials, that writing was still owned by the company that hired them. It was no secret. If you want to own your published works, you start your own company.
I agree.
But also there is a difference with 3.5 and when Gygax left TSR, that being the OGL. If they had created those critters for say Green Ronin or Goodman or Necromancer or whatever, they would still be able to access their own work. Sadly by being official D&D content (which certainly was an advantage), those critters are now off limits.
It's a good question, Rakhamon, and I'm sure it will get answered...eventually. Those most able to easily answer it are, as you may know, unusually busy right now. If it makes you feel any better, I'd interpret
...my first real topic sure got derailed fast...
as, "You have been accepted into the fold." Welcome!
You know what the saddest thing about those are? That none of those monsters are now Open Content. They can't even put them in their own Bestiary.Unless they made the Razer Boar or the Scorpionfolk. And I hope not, because those monsters were kinda lame.
I think these were originally in the Creature Collection I for the Scarred Lands, KC, so we're safe.
Monsters!
Let's see... Working from memory on the books I had a hand in, I created (or at least built the stats for):
Monster Manual 2: avolakia, breathdrinker, julajimus, rogue eidolon, rukarazyll, teratomorph
Fiend Folio: abrian (an update), ahuizotl, aquatic oozes, bhut, canomorphs, crawling head, several of the demons (including the skulvryn and the myrmyxicus), dire rhinoceros, iron cobra (an updated stat block), kaorti, kuldurath, maelephant (another update), octopus tree, rukanyr, skybleeder, slasrath (another update), sunwyrm, ulgurstasta, wendigo.
Monster Manual 3: stonesinger and splinterwaif
I also created some of the monsters in Frostburn (notably therimefire eidolon, the shivhad, and the tlalusk—also built the uldra, the spirit animal, and the zeuglodon, but I hardly invented the concepts for them), some of the monsters in Lords of Madness (the elder eidolon, the silthilar, and the zeugalak; I also updated the old classics like the beholderkin, the gas spore, and the shaboath; although I didn't stat up the ulitharid for this book, I did invent them back in Dungeon #24 back in the day), and all of the stat blocks in Fiendish Codex I (although the only monsters I really invented there were the broodswarm, the dybbuk*, the ekolid, the guecubu*, the lilitu, the sibriex, Dagon*, Malcanthet, Obox-ob, and Pale-Night*, with the asterisks indicating monsters I drew from mythology or popular culture or previous editions where they never had stats done up). And although I think WotC went way too far with them, I was the first to stat up some of the Tiamat dragonspawn things back in Red Hand of Doom.
I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot. I do know I invented a LOT of monsters for Dragon and Dungeon, many of which (like the willora and the trap haunt) snuck into other WotC books now and then.
As for not being able to use any of those creations in Golarion... yeah, that's kinda sad and disappointing. For me, the biggest losses from my own homebrew in that regard are probably the ulgustasta, the kaorti, and Obox-ob. But at least as far as Obox-ob is concerned, Rovagug i pretty much doing everything now that he did in my home brew...
(In my homebrew campaign, Rovagug was the god of the underdark and nightmares and fear, while Obox-ob was the god of demons and destruction and chaos and scorpions; they more or less all condensed into Rovagug how he appears today.)
BUT! There's always room for more monsters, and some of them, like the wendigo and the ahuizotl are based on real-world myth. Some of them have already been redone in Pathfinder, and others will come along eventually...
Unless they made the Razer Boar or the Scorpionfolk. And I hope not, because those monsters were kinda lame.
The really annoying thing? The Creature Collections had some *really* cool monsters in them.
Were I conspiracy-minded, I would speculate that WotC surgically picked two of the least interesting, to 'prove' that official stuff was better than third-party stuff.
But I don't really give them credit to be that Machiavellian. :)
Big ol' list.
Wow. A lot of these I should have suspected to begin with. ;)
I can see how a lot of these would have fit naturally into Golarion(and probably do in a lot of folks' games!).
I have to ask though, just for peace of mind: The splinterwaif. Creepy creature. Would fit in just fine with some of the nastier fey in Golarion. But, were you inspired in any way whatsoever by Troll 2? That question has haunted me more than it really should.
(even if you didn't create her in whole, I do have to say Pale Night is still my favorite of the demon lord bunch)
((I just remembered which obyrith the sibriex was. *shudder*))
Monster Manual 2: avolakia, breathdrinker, julajimus, rogue eidolon, rukarazyll, teratomorph
Ah, well. I was hoping to hear mention of the Abeil, that beelike elfoid. That entry gave me warm, fuzzy memories of a certain science fiction story from decades ago. I based an adventure on that story, once. I still hope to create an Abeil character, when I get around to it. I'll name him Vrestin...
Fiend Folio: abrian (an update), ahuizotl, aquatic oozes, bhut, canomorphs, crawling head, several of the demons (including the skulvryn and the myrmyxicus), dire rhinoceros, iron cobra (an updated stat block), kaorti, kuldurath, maelephant (another update), octopus tree, rukanyr, skybleeder, slasrath (another update), sunwyrm, ulgurstasta, wendigo.
Persoally I was hoping to see Shadar-Kai on the list. I'm currently working on creating a Pathfinder version of them that are planetouched worshippers of Zon-Kuthon.
Lots of cool monsters
Ah, the ulgurstasta. I have a soft spot for that monster as it was one of the BBGs in a "Dawn of the Dead" style adventure in a ruined city. My players loved that whole thing from start to finish.
Theoretically, just as people wish Paizo would make a Mind Flayer or Beholder by changing the name/stat, couldn't the same be done with any of the editor's personal favorites?
Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner?
certain science fiction story from decades ago.
Never heard of it. Does it have any beelike humanoids?
No, I was referring to a classic episode of Doctor Who, "The Web Planet." Incredible story! And running it in a campaign taught me a lesson in GMing: Give the party some NPC allies (in this case, the beelike humanoids), and if the party is doing badly, let the allies "think up" an idea to turn the battle around. It's a last resort, of course, because you have to give the players a chance to think up the ideas themselves... but it sure beats fudging die rolls!
James,
Here are a few great 3.x ones from Dragon and Dungeon that didn't make into the books (as well as some great ones you created pre-3e).
Draknor (Dungeon #24)
Blackroot Marauder, Murdakus, and Dirtwraith (Dragon #270)
Kurge, Rotripper (Dragon Annual #5)
N'gatispawn (Dragon #305)
Firetounge Frog, Orthlys, Demon-Infused Elemental (Dragon #285)
Grimorian, Raknakle, Skerath, Skittermaw (Dragon #274)
Bonetree, Ragewing, Razortail, Treeleg Strangler (Dragon #280)
...and of course, Kaiju! (Dragon #289)
And didn't you create the ulitharid, which I believe first appeared in Dungeon #24 as well?
I have to ask though, just for peace of mind: The splinterwaif. Creepy creature. Would fit in just fine with some of the nastier fey in Golarion. But, were you inspired in any way whatsoever by Troll 2? That question has haunted me more than it really should.
I never saw Troll 2 until relatively recently, when I saw it cut with a Riff Trax at Wes Schneider's place, so that didn't really have much to do with the genesis for the splinterwaif. But the concept of evil fey who turn people or kids into plants is as old as the hills, so it's likely that myself and the creators of Troll 2 were both inspired by the same stories.
Persoally I was hoping to see Shadar-Kai on the list. I'm currently working on creating a Pathfinder version of them that are planetouched worshippers of Zon-Kuthon.The Shadar-kai were created by Jesse Decker.
Yeah I'm just replacing them with the fetchling but otherwise they're very similar...
--Vrock Market Crash!
And didn't you create the ulitharid, which I believe first appeared in Dungeon #24 as well?
Yup; I did indeed create that guy. Which made encountering them in Baldur's Gate 2 particularly entertaining!
I didn't do the update of them for the book though. Originally, I wrote them up as a prestige class variant for mind flayers that was going to go in to the Fiend Folio, but that got cut. I think that the new monster route that they took in Lords of Madness is a much better idea, anyway.
I never saw Troll 2 until relatively recently, when I saw it cut with a Riff Trax at Wes Schneider's place, so that didn't really have much to do with the genesis for the splinterwaif. But the concept of evil fey who turn people or kids into plants is as old as the hills, so it's likely that myself and the creators of Troll 2 were both inspired by the same stories.
I daresay you might be giving the makers of Troll 2 too much credit. ;) At least I can put that dangling question to rest! Thanks!
(The avolakia totally fooled me. I really thought it was a pre-3rd edition creature, It fit a weird niche(eaters of the undead) that you'd expect from 1st edition.)
Persoally I was hoping to see Shadar-Kai on the list. I'm currently working on creating a Pathfinder version of them that are planetouched worshippers of Zon-Kuthon.The Shadar-kai were created by Jesse Decker.Yeah I'm just replacing them with the fetchling but otherwise they're very similar...
--Vrock Market Crash!
That's one I'm not familiar with them.