regarding the Serpopard


Mummy's Mask


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Although I understand and appreciate that it comes straight from real-world Egyptian mythology, and that it is a perfectly serviceable CR 7 encounter...

There is no way on God's gray earth that my players would be able to keep a straight face if I told them they were attacked by a "serpopard".

No, showing them the picture will not help.


You could always add the leo back in - serpoleopard. Its a mouthful but no worse than hippopotamus or catoblepas.


so, it looks like a leopard-serpent hybrid then?


I'm guessing its the creature from Egyptian art on wikipedia called the "serpopard" ... which is basically a leopard with a long and twisty serpent-like neck.
Similarly, a giraffe is a camelopard = camel-leopard.

RPG Superstar 2013 Top 8

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I am super happy with the serpopard. I was trying to figure out how to make them innovative mechanically for a while... and someone else has done it for me!

Yes, it is a bit goofy. But real historical monsters are goofy all of the time. Heard of the bonnacon?

Paizo Employee Developer

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I'm tickled that the serpopard got its own thread. Ben Bruck did a great job designing the creature!

When this book was in approvals, Wes summoned me to his office where he had that page up on his monitor. He pointed at the screen and said, "Explain yourself." To which I replied, "Google it." I knew that playing the folklore card, especially with Wes, would justify me including such a bizarre monster.


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Demiurge 1138 wrote:
Yes, it is a bit goofy. But real historical monsters are goofy all of the time. Heard of the bonnacon?

You have no idea how badly I want a Pathfinder'd bonnacon. When I play Starcraft, my Zerg are Bonnacon Brood. If I had the cash for WH40K, I'd be fielding Hive Fleet Bonnacon.


Michael Gentry wrote:

....

No, showing them the picture will not help.

Check THIS:

ancient Serpopard sources.

Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 4

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The right decision was made.

The AP Bestiary should have culturally inspired monsters based on folklore. Egyptian mythology has some unusual creatures, but that was THEIR CULTURE.

Snakes and big cats were two creatures they feared mightily. What could be worse than having them combined?

If we lose sense of cultural authenticity, the game suffers. Hooray for Wes for asking questions and doing some research before he acted. Hooray for Adam for standing his ground.

Shadow Lodge Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 8

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Windspirit wrote:
Michael Gentry wrote:

....

No, showing them the picture will not help.

Check THIS:

ancient Serpopard sources.

That was actually one of the sources I looked at when writing the serpopard. :)

To the OP, if the name is tripping you up, tell your PCs they're fighting a "Sedja". I included the native name for the creature in the write up for this specific purpose. Nobody laughs about fighting a sphinx, but they might if we start calling them Womfalcolions.

Shadow Lodge Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 8

Adam Daigle wrote:

I'm tickled that the serpopard got its own thread. Ben Bruck did a great job designing the creature!

Aw, thanks!


Oh, don't get me wrong, the serpopard is great. I love the serpopard. I love that Paizo plunders real-world culture and mythology for their bestiaries. I wouldn't have it any other way. Even if I never end up using it, it makes me happy that the game has one now, all statted up.

But, yeah. "Serpopard". Say it out loud.


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Your players will take it more seriously than being attacked by a Georgepeppard any day. A Georgepeppard fires a machine gun at you that only does property damage and the bullets avoid you entirely.


What were the other monsters in this AP?

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