What are Vermin?

When I began looking through the Bestiaries, I thought that vermin were anthropods. But then I saw the jellyfish, the earthworm, the clam, and the slug, and expanded the category to invertebrates.

Then I noticed that the octopus is an animal, not a vermin.

What, exactly, is a vermin?

There's no logic behind what gets categorised as Vermin.

Well, the beastiary says:
"This type includes insects, arachnids, other arthropods, worms, and similar invertebrates."

The key word here is similar. Similar to arthropods and worms. "Similar in what way?" you may ask. Well, it says that later on too:
"A vermin-like creature with an intelligence score is usually either an animal or a magical beast, depending on its other abilities."

So it's not that an octopus has an intelligence score because it's an animal, rather, it's an animal because it has an intelligence score. The wikipedia page on octopuses says, "Octopuses are highly intelligent, possibly more so than any other order of invertebrates."

Mindlessness is their defining characteristic, with an invertebrate, but not amorphous form.

Invertebrates that are not mindless become aberrations (often) or animals as you mention.

How is it mentioned in a rule? Generally speaking in real life they are animals that are harmful to wildlife and vegetation needed by humans.

Vermin is being used in the archaic sense of meaning an insect or worm, rather than its modern meaning of a pest animal.

Well let's see, non-bug vermin include gastropods (close enough), arthropods (also close enough), and Jellyfish.

Jellyfish are a bit of an odd one, but seeing as how they're really freakin' weird critters already and can't be called "aberrations" because they exist in the real world (even though they totally are aberrations) and they have a tendency to swarm, vermin seems to fit best.

Basically, vermin are bugs and a few other odd critters that don't have minds.

Politicians?

anthropods

Anthro = human

Pod = foot

So, an Anthropod would be a creature with humanlike feet.

The more you know!!

Politicians?

That's an insult to vermin.

Anthro: animal with human-like characteristics.

Example of Anthropod: Politicians
They are pests that look like humans and have human-like feet that are harmful to wildlife and vegetation needed by humans.

:)

Bwang wrote:

Politicians?

That's an insult to vermin.

Sorry, I apologize to all the Vermin.