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Just curious what the Origin of Species was in Golarion. I mean, in this world there clearly are deities who had a hand in the creation of the world. Did they create all life as it is? Did they create the first life, and the diversity evolved from there? Did they create several different species, that differentiated more as time went on? Or did they look down one day and say, "Huh, how did that get there?"
Also, what do the scholars believe about it, in world? Is there even a controversy - The Chelaxian hierarchy mandating the Intelligent Asmodean Design in school, while in Andor some bookish types insists that the gods had nothing to do with the rise of life, Osirians insisting on a theistic evolution viewpoint, and some nutter in Nidal claiming that life was seeded on the world from deep, deep space?
Creative Director
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Just curious what the Origin of Species was in Golarion. I mean, in this world there clearly are deities who had a hand in the creation of the world. Did they create all life as it is? Did they create the first life, and the diversity evolved from there? Did they create several different species, that differentiated more as time went on? Or did they look down one day and say, "Huh, how did that get there?"
Also, what do the scholars believe about it, in world? Is there even a controversy - The Chelaxian hierarchy mandating the Intelligent Asmodean Design in school, while in Andor some bookish types insists that the gods had nothing to do with the rise of life, Osirians insisting on a theistic evolution viewpoint, and some nutter in Nidal claiming that life was seeded on the world from deep, deep space?
We've listed several possible and deliberately contradictory stories in various products.
Which one is correct? We'll probably never say, since that's a question we'd rather let individual GMs answer for their own games.
I think if Lamashtu found a copy of The Origin of Species, she'd be going, "You mean if I leave a bunch of finches alone on an island long enough, they evolve into monsters? Kewl!"
In fact, if I were her I'd make some magical isle that's a cross between the Galapagos and the Island of Dr. Moreau where this evolution is sped up, not even taking a generation, so regular humanoids stranded there will quickly turn into monstrous humanoids....
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I think if Lamashtu found a copy of The Origin of Species, she'd be going, "You mean if I leave a bunch of finches alone on an island long enough, they evolve into monsters? Kewl!"
In fact, if I were her I'd make some magical isle that's a cross between the Galapagos and the Island of Dr. Moreau where this evolution is sped up, not even taking a generation, so regular humanoids stranded there will quickly turn into monstrous humanoids....
That's gonna have to go into an AP, at some point. An island run by Lamashtan cultists (hey, let's go all the way, non-human Lamashtan cultists! A mix of minotaurs, gnolls and goblins! And when I say 'mix,' I mean 'goblins with hyena heads, mino-horns, and, occasionally, tentacles.') who take advantage of an unusual property of the island to mutate the heck out of each other and the various dino-critters they are breeding and crossbreeding.
I kind of refuse to believe that Golarion operates according to the laws of natural selection.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to many predators.
+1
This.
I note it explicitly says in the Bestiary that sages believe gelatinous cubes evolved from gray oozes.
Ropers originated from Rovagug, after they evolved on their own.
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We've listed several possible and deliberately contradictory stories in various products.
Which one is correct? We'll probably never say, since that's a question we'd rather let individual GMs answer for their own games.
I loved how you guys did that in the Inner Sea World guide, by the way. It basically says "Year zero - nobody knows."
Thats only because very few people add herbivores to descriptions of areas. It would be different if more adventures added more flavor like goblins gathered around a fire eating deer, or descriptions of animal tracks on trails that are only there for fluff.I kind of refuse to believe that Golarion operates according to the laws of natural selection.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to many predators.
An excellent point. Presumably, there would be bizarre and strange herbivores, and even magical beasts, but nobody pays attention to them. Certainly, they would never be statted up, for the same reason there is no "deer" or "rabbit" entry in the Bestiary.
"Okay, your party enters the clearing and sees... some cute brown deer. They are quietly munching on the grass here. One sees you, and they begin to run!"
"Uh, okay... we stand there. Encounter defeated, we get xp!"
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An excellent point. Presumably, there would be bizarre and strange herbivores, and even magical beasts, but nobody pays attention to them. Certainly, they would never be statted up, for the same reason there is no "deer" or "rabbit" entry in the Bestiary."Okay, your party enters the clearing and sees... some cute brown deer. They are quietly munching on the grass here. One sees you, and they begin to run!"
"Uh, okay... we stand there. Encounter defeated, we get xp!"
Either that, or:
"It's a deer! In an encounter. It cannot be a normal deer. IT'S A MONSTER IN DISGUISE! KILL IT! KILL IT WITH FIRE! AND WEAPONS! AND VIOLENCE! AND DEATH! AND FIRE! KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT TO DEATH AND DON'T EVEN STOP THEN!"
I kind of refuse to believe that Golarion operates according to the laws of natural selection.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to many predators.
The way I've always rationalized it, the energy transfer between trophic levels in a D&D world is far more efficient than it is on Earth. Instead of 90% or so of the energy being lost to heat, maybe only 40% is. That way, it's more efficient to eat higher and higher on the food chain, and predators are free to get bigger.
The way I've always rationalized it, the energy transfer between trophic levels in a D&D world is far more efficient than it is on Earth. Instead of 90% or so of the energy being lost to heat, maybe only 40% is. That way, it's more efficient to eat higher and higher on the food chain, and predators are free to get bigger.I kind of refuse to believe that Golarion operates according to the laws of natural selection.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to many predators.
Also many creatures seems to have much more efficient, magically augmented metabolism - e.g. dragons. Since reading of The Malazan Book Of The Fallen I am prone to explaing draconic elmental breaths as minute rifts to pocket elemental planes - which could also be source of additional energy provided for the dragons, thus reducing their need for raw calories. They would hunt and eat mainly to provide their bodies with proteins and minerals need for growth and repair of tissues, their need for energy being mostly sustained by their magic. Which also explains draconic longevity, ability to resist starvation and ability to grow so large.
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Also many creatures seems to have much more efficient, magically augmented metabolism - e.g. dragons.
Magical beasts, fey and some monstrous humanoids, to me, seem sort of like equal parts outsider and normal critter, and probably require less sustenance than most.
Trolls and giants and ogres, on the other hand, eat ridiculous amounts of food, and, while the game doesn't give statistics for many, it would make sense that for every dire lion or dire wolf, there should be herds of dire aurochs and dire elk for them to prey upon...
Giants, in particular, would make sense to herd mega-fauna the way humans herd normal-sized critters.