Sources of Bestiary 4 Monsters


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OK, so the Ectoplasmic Creature undead template is straight Ghostbusters Slimer/Onionhead-style ghosts, and the Immortal Ichor is flat-out exactly the sealed Evil glowing goo in the basement of the old church (guarded by the Order of Sleep) from John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness, both references which are just BEYOND awesome. I don't know the source of the Vouivre, but it seriously reminds me of the Diplocephalus from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

This Bestiary is easily the coolest monster book for any version of this game I have ever read. With the combination of Ghostbusters, Prince of Darkness, and Lovecraft as sources, this book almost overwhelmed me.

Anyone else identify possibly obscure sources of monsters from B4? (Not that Ghostbusters is obscure, but you know what I mean...)


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Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Actually, if you're REALLY looking for slimer, you should check out page 98-the festering spirit- just read the description, man!


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The Diplocephalus is based on the Vouivre, which comes from French mythology.

Yaoguai is equal parts bear monster from a 70s movie whose name I forget, and the Yao Guai mutant bear from Fallout games, and the name is that of some Chinese monster.

Al-mi'raj is from Middle Eastern tales.

Ankou is from Breton/Cornish/Norman folklore.

Aoandon is based on a ghost that would allegedly appear after a night of trading ghost stories in Japan.

Apocalypse locusts are straight-up Book of Revelations.

Argus is Greek.

Bake-kujira is another Japanese myth, exactly as described.

Barometz is another name for the Vegetable Lamb of Tartary.

Beheaded of course are from Castlevania.

Bhole = Lovecraft.

Bodythief = Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Bugganes are ogres from the Isle of Man.

Cephalophore is the actual term for statues of beheaded saints.

Chaneque = Aztec, incorporated into Central American Catholicism.

Flesh Colossus might be Legion/Grafalloon from Symphony of the Night.

Comozant is a colloquial term for St. Elmo's fire, from "corpo santo."

The Dossenus comes from ancient Roman plays.

Gaki are Buddhist by way of Japan.

Gashadokuro are again genuine Japanese.

The Graeae are from the myth of Perseus and Andromeda.

Haniver gremlins are living Jenny Hanivers.

Monaciello is a benevolent fairy from Naples.

Harionago = Japanese.

Huldra = Scandinavian.

Hyakume = Japanese.

Hypnalis is the asp that Cleopatra used to kill herself.

Ijiraq = Inuit.

Irminsul is an obscure figure from Germanic/Saxon mythology.

Isitoq = Inuit.

Jinmenju = Japanese, and I think might have appeared in one or another Castlevanias.

Juggernaut = classic British misinterpretation of the Hindu god Jagganath.

Julunggali appears to be a name for the Australian Rainbow Serpent.

Kapre = Phillipine.

Karkinoi, while the name references crabs, are an alternate name for a group of obscure Greek earth deities.

Lampads are Hecate's torch-bearing companions.

Living Wall, as described, most closely resembles the recurring boss from Final Fantasy.

Lunarmas resemble Metroids, or possibly Space Invaders.

Myrmecoleon = Greek ant-lion monster.

Ningyo's name comes from the Japanese mermaid, but bears no resemblance at all to that version, instead being the "Feejee Mermaid" taxidermied hoax.

The Pard is from classic Medieval bestiaries.

The Peluda is a French folkloric dragon.

Phantom Armor is probably the Axe Armor and relatives from Castlevania.

Pickled Punks are preserved deformed fetuses found in freak shows and the like.

Pipefox is Japanese, although in folklore it's a small kitsune smoking a pipe and not a tube-shaped fox.

Catrina started as a satirical image of the Dia de los Muertos celebrations, but was rapidly adopted into the holiday.

Morrigna is one of the many names of the Irish mythological figure aka Morrigu, The Morrigan, and Morgan le Fey. Normally a goddess of battle, not really resembling this psychopomp much.

Nosoi were Greek spirits of illness, found among the prisoners of Pandora's Box.

Vanth is an Etruscan psychopomp figure.

Yamaraj are, I'd guess, the Yama Kings.

Qallupilluk = Inuit Qalupalik.

Ratling = Brown Jenkin from Lovecraft's The Dreams in the Witch-House.

Rokurokubi = Japanese.

Samsara is a widespread term in Eastern religion for the cycle of reincarnation.

Sayona is Venezuelan "La Sayona."

Seps are from Medieval bestiaries.

Snallygaster is an American folkloric beast from around Maryland, name descended from German "Schneller Geist."

Taniniver is from an obscure Kaballistic text.

Tikbalang = Phillipine.

Udaeus is another name for the Greek Spartoi.

Wayang = Javanese shadow puppets.

I suspect the Weedwhip of being a triffid.

Xenopterid is the Judas Breed from Guillermo del Toro's "Mimic."

The ypotryll is an invention of European heraldry.

...I am seriously impressed. o.O;


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Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Oh, and I think one of the Paizo crew said that they based their design of the tooth fairy on one of the Hellboy movies.


Holy Nyarlathotep, Evil Midnight Lurker! WOW! I didn't expect THAT much information! I am a bit awed... did you just recognize all of those? I am seriously impressed. Thank you. Knowing all of that, on top of the Lovecraft creatures and the Ghostbusters and the Prince of Darkness stuff, as well as the truly excellent Exorcist treatment of Pazuzu, just makes me even more impressed by the book.

I especially liked the treatment of Hastur, the way it was presented as The King in Yellow, with the King being the Great Old One which is possibly merely the avatar of an Outer God who is properly Hastur. It's much more in-tune with the ambiguous nature of Hastur (rather than just being a giant lizard from Carcosa the way it was treated in the 1st Edition Deities & Demigods.) It was done in such a way a that it could fit very well with John Tynes wonderful Hastur material, which treats the being/concept as an entropic force much closer to an Outer God than a Great Old One.


Knew about half or so already, but I have Wikipedia open in the next Firefox tab over. :)

Personally, I'd prefer it if "Hastur" was the name of the planet or kingdom where Carcosa resides, and the entity's proper name was "the King in Yellow."

Dark Archive

Evil Midnight Lurker wrote:
Yaoguai is equal parts bear monster from a 70s movie whose name I forget, and the Yao Guai mutant bear from Fallout games, and the name is that of some Chinese monster.

The movie is Prophecy

And yes, I think this is maybe the most easter-egg laden Bestiary they have put out to date. Not the monsters from myth (which is a given), but all the ones taken from cinema, books and games and urban myths (carny creatures: pickled punk and ningyo).

Good work on the list Lurker.


Pooka; in reference to the invisible friend of Jimmy Stewart character in the film "Harvey"

The Kytons are starting to look like Hellraiser characters.


Xenopterid: Jeeper creeper reference I believe.

Beheaded: originated from China (later spread to Japan). It could be inspired by Chonchon as well, or Kanontsistóntie (didn't know these two till I google it. edited:)

Yaoguai: originated from China (later spread to Japan)


Mirage Wolf wrote:

Xenopterid: Jeeper creeper reference I believe.

Beheaded: originated from China (later spread to Japan). It could be inspired by Chonchon as well, or Kanontsistóntie (didn't know these two till I google it. edited:)

Yaoguai: originated from China (later spread to Japan)

Xenopterids are definetly from the movie Mimic.

Beheaded I think owe more inspiration from Castlevania than myth. Yaoguai is a creature in Chinese folklore, but at least in appearance they seem to be inspired from the bear in Prophecy and from the ?Fallout? games.


Evil Midnight Lurker wrote:
Useful stuff

Thanks, Evil Midnight Lurker.


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Midnight forgot about one of the more awesome monsters in the book.

The Abaia comes from Melanesian mythology and if you watch all those monster fish programms, you heard the name probably when they fished for monster eels.

The Leanan Sidhe comes from Celtic mythology and is these days becoming pretty famous in the Lost Girl series as the main villain of the show.

I think the Vouivre looks a bit like the Greek Campe, also half female/dragon.

The Drakainai is based on the greek Echidna, mother of all monsters which in fact is a drakainia = female greek dragon species such as Echidna, Campe, Lamia and Python/Delphyne.

Pickled Punk = Very much like the Tiyanak demon from the Philippines.

Also the Body Thief reminds me on the Little Shop of Horrors and the piranha plant enemies of the mario games.

While Karkinos was a giant crab monster helping the Hydra in a battle against Hercules by Hera's command, the Karkinoi were mixed with the D&D crabmen.

Also if you love the Killer/Vorpal Bunny from Monty Python, you can use the Al-mi'raj of course.

Alpluachra (aka Joint Eater) is from Irish Mythology, some people from this time believe the Alpluachra can help in losing fat.


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Pickled Punks...are based on pickled punks

Pickled Punks

Body thief is a mix of little shop of horrors but more so Invasion of the Body Snatchers.


Well somebody already mentioned Body Snatchers, but the creature reminds me of the other two too.

Well mark my words, now we have Pickled Punks we will never see Tiyanak, too familiar.


Tiyanaks are completely different though....They are closer to Drekavaks (Undead or demonic child creature) than they are to pickled punks.


I think Drekavacs are more like small children, Tiyanak is more like a baby.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Gancanagh wrote:

Well somebody already mentioned Body Snatchers, but the creature reminds me of the other two too.

Well mark my words, now we have Pickled Punks we will never see Tiyanak, too familiar.

I wouldn't say never. The game has a LONG tradition of taking different monsters out of the same thing. See gorgon/medusa as an example.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

And really? No one called out the kaiju yet? Come on! :-P


James Jacobs wrote:
And really? No one called out the kaiju yet? Come on! :-P

But the origins of the kaiju is glaringly obvious. Does it really need to be said? :P

Wizarddog wrote:
The Kytons are starting to look like Hellraiser characters.

I approve of this trend. I'd like to see more not-a-cenobite Kytons.


James Jacobs wrote:
Gancanagh wrote:

Well somebody already mentioned Body Snatchers, but the creature reminds me of the other two too.

Well mark my words, now we have Pickled Punks we will never see Tiyanak, too familiar.

I wouldn't say never. The game has a LONG tradition of taking different monsters out of the same thing. See gorgon/medusa as an example.

Well saying you never get to see something, often stimulates people to make it happen even more so! That was my trick ;-)


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Ok a list of most creatures from the Bestiaries 1 to 4 collected in where they come from.

Mythology / Literature and Movies / D&D / Original Pathfinder Monster

MYTHOLOGY / CRYPTIDS / FOLKLORE
Bestiary 1: Barghest / Basilisk / Boggard(t) / Bugbear / Centaur / Chimera / Cockatrice / Couatl (Quetzalcouatl) / Cyclops / Succubus / Erinyes / Imp / Lemure / Doppelganger / Dragon Turtle / Dryad / Duergar (Dvergr) / Ettin / Gargoyle (Gargouille) / Djinn / Efreet / Marid / Shaitan (Devil) / Ghost / Fire Giant (Cacus) / Frost Giant (Jotunn) / Hill Giant (Common Giant) / Stone Giant (Chenoo) / Goblin / Flesh Golem (Monster of Frankenstein) / Iron Golem (Automaton) / Stone Golem (Normal Golem) / Gorgon (Medusa) / Green Hag (Common Hag) / Griffon / Harpy / Hell Hound (group of creatures such as Garm/Cerberus and others) / Hobgoblin (gentle creature) / Homunculus / Hydra / Kobold (very different, more like Pech) / Kraken / Lamia (=Urmahlullu, True Lamia = more like Lamia Matriarch) / Linnorm (=Lindworm) / Lizardfolk (=Reptilian) / Lycanthrope / Manticore / Medusa / Mermaid / Minotaur / Mummy / Naga (as group) / Nightmare (Mara) / Nymph / Ogre / Oni / Orc (?? only LOTR??) / Pegasus / Phoenix / Pixie / Rakshasa / Roc / Salamander (very different from myth) / Satyr / Sea Hag / Sea Serpent / Skeleton / Spectre / Sphinx (Gyno = greek sphinx) / Tarrasque (Tarasque) / Tengu / Troll / Unicorn / Vampire / Vargouille (= ChonChon) / Will o Wisp / Worg (= Warg) / Wraith / Wyvern / Yeth Hound / Yeti / Zombie

Bestiary 2: Amphisbaena / Athach / Banshee / Bodak (= Bodach??) / Brownie / Bunyip / Catoblepas / Charybdis / Chupacabra / Cacodaemon / Thanadaemon (= Charon based) / Death Worm (Mongolian) / Dhampir / Draugr / Dullahan / Gremlin (probably Jinkin) / Grig / Grindylow / Hippocampus / Hippogriff / Ifrit (=Efreet) / Kelpie / Korred (= Korrigan) / Lamia Matriarch (= True Lamia from legend) / Leprechaun / Leucrotta (= Crocotta) / Mandragora / Merrow (but very different) / Mothman / Nereid / Oread / Pech / Peryton / Poltergeist / Qlipoth / Redcap / Revenant / Scylla / Siren / Spriggan / Sylph / Thunderbird / Triton / Rock Troll / Undine / Water Orm (Strange lake monsters like Nessie) / Wendigo

Bestiary 3: Adaro / Adlet / Ahuizotl / Akhlut / Alraune (but more like Mandragora) / Annis Hag (= Black Annis) / Asurendra / Tripurasura / Atomie (= Atomy) / Baku / Baykok / Behemoth / Berbalang / Bhuta / Bogeyman / Carbuncle / Cecaelia / Cerberus / Great Cyclops / Incubus / Akvan / Doru / Ghawwas / Sepid / Faerie Dragon (= kinda like Pyrausta) / Imperial Dragon / Dybbuk / Eidolon / Faun / Foo Lion / Garuda / Ghul (Ghoul is from D&D or Lovecraft) / Girtablilu / Globster / Gorynych (Zmiy) / Fuath / Grodair (= based on Tiddalik) / Grootslang / Guecubu / Hodag / Huecuva / Humbaba / Iku-Turso (octopus in real legend) / Jorogumo / Kami (I don't known and don't care which ones are real) / Kappa / Kirin / Kongamato / Lammasu / Leshy (but very different) / Linnorms / Lukwata (but different) / Maftet (??) / Mananaggal / Water Naga / Nephilim / Nixie (Nix) / Norn / Nuckelavee / Nue / Oni (I don't know and don't care which ones) / Penanggalen / Peri / Popobala (= PopobaWa) / Pukwudgie / Rakshasa (I don't know and don't care which ones) / Rusalka / Sabosan (Asanbosan) / Sagari / Sargassum Fiend (??) / Sasquatch / Sea Bonze (=Umibozu) / Shadow Mastiff (Maybe based on Black Dog or Hound of Ill Omen) / Shedu / Shinigami / Simurgh / Siyokoy (but very different) / Sleipnir / Criosphinx / Hieracosphinx / Sprite / Stymphalidies (Stymphalian Bird) / Suli (??) / Tanuki / Taotieh (= Taotie) / Tatzlwyrm / Terra-Cotta Soldier / Thriae / Hekantonkheires / Tophet / Jotund Troll / Tupilaq / Tzitzimitl / Valkyrie / Jiang-Shi / Vanara / Vishkanya (Vish Kanya) / Vodyanoi / Yuki-Onna

Bestiary 4: Abaia / Almiraj / Alpluachra / Ankou / Aoandon / Apocalypse Locust (biblical?) / Argus / Bakekujira / Barometz / Blood Hag (Soucouyant) / Buggane / Cephalophore / Chaneque / Changeling / Colossus (Iron or Stone) / Comozant Wyrd (St.Elmo's Fire) / Pazuzu / Dossenus / Drakainia (Echidna) / Einherji (Einherjar) / Cernunnos / Korada (??) / Erlking / Fachen / Formian (??) / Fossegrim / Gaki / Gashadokuro / Geist (??) / Ocean Giant / Graeae / Haniver / Monaciello / Grendel / Hamadryad / Harionago / Huldra / Hyakume / Hypnalis / Ijiraq / Irminsul / Isitoq / Jack-O-Lantern / Jinmenju / Juggernout / Julunggali (Rainbow Serpent) / Kapre / Karkinoi (Karkinos) / Kitsune / Lampad (Lampade) / Leanan Sidhe / Lorelei (but more like a mermaid) / Werecrocodile / Maenad / Manitou / Myrmecoleon (but more like a half lion and half ant) / Nependis / Ningyo / Oceanid / Pard / Peluda / Pickled Punk / Pipefox / Pooka (Puck / Phooka / Puca) / Catrina / Morrigna (Morrigan?) / Nosoi / Vanth / Qallupilluk (Qalupiluk) / Rat King / Rokurokubi / Rukh (??) / Samsaran / Sayona (La Sayona) / Selkie / Seps / Snallygaster / Spring-Heeled Jack / Svartalfar (Drow = also this) / Swan Maiden / Taniniver / Tikbalang / Fomorian / Tooth Fairy / Tunche / Udaeus (Spartoi Warrior) / Nosferatu / Vouivre (Campe) / Wayang / Wickerman / Winter Hag (With other names) / Xanthos (very different) / Yaoguai / Ypotryll / Zomok (very different, no plant dragon)

MOVIES / BOOKS / OTHER
Bestiary 1: Balor (Balrog) / Shadow Demon (all possession demons) / Derro (Grays) / Giant Eagle / Ettercap / Ghoul / Cloud Giant / Kyton (hellraiser) / Morlock / Orc / Shoggoth / Skum (Deep One) / Treant (Ent)

Bestiary 2: Carnivorous Blob / Crawling Hand / Denizen of Leng / Dust Digger (Sarlacc) / Gug / Hound of Tindalos / Jabberwock / Leng Spider / Mu Spore / Ogrekin (mutants) / Scarecrow / Shantak / Soulbound Doll / Great White Whale (Moby Dick) / Worm That Walks

Bestiary 3: Azruverda (castlevania) / Bandersnatch / Catfolk / Coloxus (the Fly) / Hungry Fog (The Mist) / Jubjub Bird / Kamadan (little bit like Coeurl) / Eremite (= Jeepers Creepers) / Moon-Beast / Pale Stranger / Voonith / Yithian / Zoog / Zuvembie

Bestiary 4: Beheaded (Castlevania) / Bhole / Bodythief (Body Snatchers ) / Colour out of Space / Dagon / Ectoplasmic Creature / Elder Thing / Flying Polyp / Bokrug / Cthulhu / Hastur / Hungry Flesh (Blob) / Immortal Ichor / Kaiju / Kytons / Living Wall / Lunarma / Mi-Go / Necrocraft (resident evil) / Nightgaunt / Phantom Armor (castlevania) / Ratling / Seaweed Siren (Ducktales) / Spawn of Yog-Sothoth / Star-Spawn / Immense Tortoise (Neverending Story) / Trox (i've seen a horror movie with them once) / Warsworn (Legion Castlevania) / Xenopterid (mimic)

D&D Monsters taken directly from D&D
Bestiary 1: Aasimar / Aboleth / Astral Deva / Planetar / Solar / Animated Object / Ankheg / Hound Archon / Lantern Archon / Trumpet Archon / Assassin Vine / Bralani / Ghaele / Lillend / Basidirond / Dire Bat / Bebilith / Fire Beetle / Behir / Black Pudding / Bulette / Cave Fisher / Choker / Chuul / Cloaker / Dark Creeper / Dark Stalker / Darkmantle / Babau / Dretch / Glabrezu / Hezrou / Marilith / Nabasu / Nalfenshee / Quasit / Vrock / Hamatula / Barbazu / Osyluth / Cornugon / Gelugon / Pit Fiend / Devourer / All those horrid Rainbow Dragons and Metallic Dragons / Drider / Drow / All Elementals / Ettercap (??) / Froghemoth / Gelatinous Cube / Jann / Storm Giant / Gibbering Mouther / Girallon / Gnoll / Clay Golem / Gorgon (the D&D version) / Gray Ooze / Intellect Devourer / Invisible Stalker / Iron Cobra / Kyton / Lich / Wererat / Mephit / Mimic / Mite / Mohrg / Dark Naga / Guardian Naga / Spirit Naga / Neothelid / Night Hag / Cauchemar / Ochre Jelly / Otyugh / Owlbear / Phase Spider / Pseudodragon / Purple Worm / Dire Rat / Remorhaz / Retriever / Roper / Rust Monster / Sahuagin / Shadow / Shambling Mound / Shocker Lizard / Stirge / Svirfneblin / Tiefling / Troglodyte / Vegepygmy / Violet Fungus / Wight / Dire Wolverine / Winter Wolf / Xill / Xorn / Yellow Musk Creeper

Bestiary 2: Achaierai / Avoral / Leonal / Vulpinal / Monadic Deva / Movanic Deva / Aranea / Aurumvorax / Azer / Dire Badger / Mobat / Slicer Beetle / Belker / Blindheim / Blink Dog / Chaos Beast / Crypt Thing / Crysmal / Ceustodaemon / Derghodaemon / Hydrodaemon / Piscodaemon / Decapus / Destrachan / Cloud Dragon / Crystal Dragon / Dragon Horse / Dust Digger / All Elementals / Fetchling (?? to boring to find out) / Forlarren / Frost Worm / Gloomwing / Adamantine Golem / Mithral Golem / Gray Render / Grick / Grippli / Gryph / Hangman Tree / Hellcat / Howler / Kolyarut / Marut / Zelekhut / Krenshar / Locathah / Werebear / Wereboar / Weretiger / Mercane / Mihstu / Mongrel / Necrophidius / Brain Collector / Nightcrawler / Nightwalker / Nightwing / Phycomid / Quickling / Quickwood / Rast / Sandman / Skulk / Slime Mold / Slithering Tracker / Soul Eater / Tendriculos / Tenebrous Worm / Tentamort / Thoqqua / Vampiric Mist / Winterwight / Yrthak / Juju Zombie

Bestiary 3: Adherer / Allip / Cat Lord / Giant Ant Lion / Ascomoid / Axe Beak / Caryatid Column / Demilich / Demodand (all) / Dire Corby / Disenchanter / Faerie Dragon / Dragonne / Flail Snail / Flumph / Hellwasp Swarm / Jackalwere / Kamadan / Kech / Magmin / Giant Owl / Rot Grubs / Phantom Fungus / Androsphinx / Spider Eater / Tojanida / Wolf-in-Sheep's-Clothing

Bestiary 4: Death Dog / Kostchtchie / Host Devil / Formian (all species) / Lurking Ray / Werebat / Wereshark / Sea Cat / Dire Weasel

Unique in Pathfinder, so no myth background and not taken from D&D, original Pathfinder/Paizo breeds. Templates and Animals i'm not interested in so I leave them out of this lists. Dinosaurs and Megafauna are cool but they fit in no list. I also leave the giant vermin/animals and plants (Giant Flytrap) out of it.

Bestiary 1: Goblin Dog / Ice Golem / Wood Golem

Bestiary 2: All Aeons / Cetacael / Draconal / Silvanshee / Akata / Cassisian / Animate Dream / Shield Archon / Star Archon / Attic Whisperer / Axiomite / Brijidine / Lyrakien / Skaveling Bat / Charda / Astradaemon / Leukodaemon / Meladaemon / Purrodaemon / Olethrodaemon / Dark Slayer / Kalavakus / Omox / Shemhazian / Vrolikai / Zebub / Bdellevritra / Puragaus / Gylou / Devilfish / Brine Dragon / Magma Dragon / Umbral Dragon / All Drakes / D'ziriak / Faceless Stalker / Fungal Crawler / Marsh Giant / Rune Giant / Taiga Giant / Wood Giant / Alchemical Golem / Carrion Golem / Clockwork Golem / Glass Golem / Nuglub / Pugwampi / Vexgit / Arbiter / Lhaksharut / Jyoti / Lurker in Light / Magma Ooze / Moonflower / Nightwave / All Protean / All Qlippoth / Ravener / Reefclaw / Sard / Sceaduinar / Black Scorpion / Serpentfolk / Seugathi / Shining Child / Sinspawn / Slurk / Thrasfyr / Elysian Titan / Thanatotic Titan / Glacier Toad / Totenmaske / Ice Troll / Twigjack / Urdefhan / Vemerak / Viper Vine / Witchfire / Witchwyrd / Xacarba / Xtabay

Bestiary 3: Harbinger Archon / Legion Archon / Adhukait / Aghasura / Upasunda / Azruverda / Baregara / All Behemoths / Brain Ooze / Carnivorous Crystal / Caulborn / Ceratioidi / Cerebric Fungus / All Clockworks (I guess) / Cold Rider / Shark Eater Crab / Shipwrecker Crab / Crucidaemon / Vulnudaemon / Deathtrap Ooze / Deathweb / Coloxus / Schir / Derhii / Contract Devil / Aghash / Pairaka / Shira / All Drakes / Ecorche / Festrog / Garden Ooze / Gore Weaver / Ash Giant / Cave Giant / Desert Giant / Jungle Giant / Goblin Snake / All Golems / Graveknight / Grodair (half) / Hollow Serpent / Hungry Fog (?) / Death's Head Jellyfish / Sapphire Jellyfish / Kami (maybe some? Don't care) / Augur / Eremite / Interlocutor / All Leshy Variants / All Linnorm Variants / Maftet (??) / Mobogo / Myceloid / Lunar Naga / Royal Naga / Oni (Some? Don't care) / Plasma Ooze / Rakshasa Variants (maybe, don't care) / Raktavarna / Ratfolk / Sargassum Fiend (??) / Deadfall Scorpion / Ghost Scorpion / Deep Sea Serpent / Shae / Ogre Spider / Suli (??) / Moss Troll / TrollHound

Bestiary 4: Apocalypse Locust (??) / Astral Leviathan / Boilborn / Brethedan / All Clockworks / Flesh Colossus / Contemplative / Dark Caller / Dark Dancer / Drowning Devil / Nemesis Devil / Dorvae / Outer Dragons / All Drakes / Elohim / Vildeis (??) / Festering Spirit / Fleshdreg / All Fleshwarps / Freezing Flow / Gallowdead / Galvo / Gathlain / Gearghost / Geist (??) / Gholdako / Cliff Giant / River Giant / Slag Giant / All Golems / Grimple / Guardian Dragon / Hungry Flesh (??) / Incutilis / Kasatha / Both Kytons / Leaf Ray / Living Topiary / Living Wall (??) / Lunarma (??) / Mindslaver Mold / Mudlord / Nagaji / Necrocraft (??) / Nycar / Oma / Owb / Yamaraj / Rukh (??) / Saguaroi / Killer Seahorse / Seaweed Siren (??) / Shard Slag / Shobhad / Shredskin / Shriezyx / Shulsaga / Skinstitch / Soulbound Manequin / Soulbound Shell / Soulsliver / Tiberolith / Trox (??) / Tyrant Jelly / Emperor Walrus / Warsworn (??) / Weedwhip / Wikkawak / Wyrwood / Wyvaran

Correct me if i'm wrong.

Dark Archive

Quote:

MOVIES / BOOKS / OTHER

Bestiary 1: Balor (Balrog) / Shadow Demon (all possession demons) / Derro (Grays) / Giant Eagle / Ettercap / Ghoul / Cloud Giant / Kyton (hellraiser) / Morlock / Orc / Shoggoth / Skum (Deep One) / Treant (Ent)

Bestiary 1 & 2 - Black Scorpion (listed in B1 statted in B2), after the 50's B-movie "The Black Scorpion" (confirmed by J. Jacobs).

Bestiary 1 - Mantis Giant, in the end of the creature description there is a listing for a Deadly Mantis variant - also a 50's B-movie "the Deadly Mantis" (also confirmed by Jacobs).


Well the Giant Mantis who's in this is just a giant vermin, the Deadly Mantis is from the Innersea Bestiary :-p

Black Scorpion from a movie? didn't know that thought it was a little bit related to the Sandwalker.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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Gancanagh wrote:

Well the Giant Mantis who's in this is just a giant vermin, the Deadly Mantis is from the Innersea Bestiary :-p

Black Scorpion from a movie? didn't know that thought it was a little bit related to the Sandwalker.

Yup; The Black Scorpion is indeed a movie, and quite a fun one! Some great stop motion work in there by Willis O'Brien.


James Jacobs wrote:
And really? No one called out the kaiju yet? Come on! :-P

Aside from Mogaru being inspired by Godzilla, the other two are rather new and original.

I don't recall seeing a two-headed pteranodon (although it does look like Rodan) or a three-tailed scorpion, but I do remember seeing a three-headed armless dragon, a huge moth, a spike-shelled ankylosaurus, a drill-handed horn beetle or a dimetrodon with hook claws and a buzzsaw on its chest in the Godzilla movie ;)


Just some quick corrections...hope you don't mind Sincubus:

Xtabay: Central American folklore (although heavily retooled)

Shining Child: Could be novel, but thought it was actually an adaptation of Radiant Boys from paranormal folklore

Maftet: Egyptian mythology

Apocalypse Locust: Biblical

Elohim: Also Biblical

Nycar: Scandinavian/Beowulf

Paizo Employee Creative Director

MMCJawa wrote:

Just some quick corrections...hope you don't mind Sincubus:

Xtabay: Central American folklore (although heavily retooled)

Shining Child: Could be novel, but thought it was actually an adaptation of Radiant Boys from paranormal folklore

Maftet: Egyptian mythology

Apocalypse Locust: Biblical

Elohim: Also Biblical

Nycar: Scandinavian/Beowulf

The Shining Child was invented by Wolfgang Baur for Pathfinder #4. He MAY have drawn inspiration from folklore, but I don't think he particularly did.


Well I mentioned both Maftet and Apoclypse Locust in there, I forgot about the Elohim, the Shining Child is a bit far off in my opinion and not 100% sure.

Suprised about the Xtabay and Nycar tho, couldn't find anything about the Nycar on google at all, and to be honest its one of my least favorite creature in bestiary 4...


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Nycars are apparently referenced in Beowulf. I think I found a few references online, but they are rather obscure.


Okay Edit, after I searched Nycar from Beowulf on google I grew a bit more toward them!
They are now my weakest dragon, the first dragon species the heroes encounter in my RPG game, even weaker than the Pyrausta.

I can see a slimy pool where many of these horrid wyrms craw in much like in the newest Riddick movie.

So thanks for that info MMC!


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GREEK MYTHOLOGY: Centaur / Chimera / Cyclops / Erinyes (Fury) / Lemure / Dryad / Fire Giant (Cacus) / Iron Golem (Automaton) / Gorgon (Medusa) / Griffon / Harpy / Hydra / Lamia (=Urmahlullu, True Lamia = more like Lamia Matriarch) / Lycanthrope / Medusa / Minotaur / Nymph / Pegasus / Satyr / Sphinx (Gyno = greek sphinx) / Amphisbaena / Charybdis / Cacodaemon / Thanadaemon (= Charon based) / Hippocampus / Lamia Matriarch (= True Lamia from legend) / Nereid / Oread / Scylla / Siren / Triton / Cerberus / Great Cyclops / Faun / Stymphalidies (Stymphalian Bird) / Thriae / Hekantonkheires / Argus / Colossus (Iron or Stone) / Dossenus / Drakainia (Echidna) / Ocean Giant / Graeae / Hamadryad / Karkinoi (Karkinos) / Lampad (Lampade) / Maenad / Oceanid / Nosoi / Udaeus (Spartoi Warrior) / Xanthos (very different)

JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY: Oni (all) / Tengu / Baku / Jorogumo / Kami (I don't known and don't care which ones are real) / Kappa / Kirin / Nue / Sagari / Sea Bonze (=Umibozu) / Shinigami / Tanuki / Yuki-Onna / Aoandon / Bakekujira / Gaki / Gashadokuro / Harionago / Hyakume / Jinmenju / Kitsune / Ningyo / Pipefox / Rokurokubi / Yaoguai

ENGLISH/SCOTTISH/IRISH/CELTIC MYTHOLOGY: Barghest / Boggard(t) / Bugbear / Hobgoblin (gentle creature) / Pixie / Will o Wisp / Worg (= Warg) / Yeth Hound / Banshee / Bodak (= Bodach??) / Brownie / Dullahan / Grig / Grindylow / Kelpie / Leprechaun / Merrow (but very different) / Pech / Redcap / Spriggan / Annis Hag (= Black Annis) / Atomie (= Atomy) / Fuath / Nixie (Nix) / Nuckelavee / Shadow Mastiff (Maybe based on Black Dog or Hound of Ill Omen) / Sprite / Alpluachra / Buggane / Changeling / Fachen / Leanan Sidhe / Pooka (Puck / Phooka / Puca) / Morrigna (Morrigan?) / Selkie / Spring-Heeled Jack / Fomorian

SLAVIC MYTHOLOGY: Vampire / Wraith / Leshy / Rusalka / Vodyanoi

NORSE MYTHOLOGY: Duergar (Dvergr) / Ettin / Frost Giant (Jotunn) / Hell Hound (group of creatures such as Garm/Cerberus and others) / Kraken / Troll / Draugr / Rock Troll / Norn / Sleipnir / Jotund Troll / Valkyrie / Einherji (Einherjar) / Svartalfar (Drow = also this)

SCANDINAVIAN MYTHOLOGY: Linnorm (=Lindworm) / Nightmare (Mara) / Iku-Turso (octopus in real legend) / Fossegrim / Grendel / Huldra / Nycar

INUIT MYTHOLOGY: Adlet / Akhlut / Tupilaq / Ijiraq / Isitoq / Qallupilluk (Qalupiluk)

AFRICAN CRYPTIDS AND MYTHOLOGY: Zombie / Grootslang / Kongamato / Lukwata / Popobala (= PopobaWa) / Sabosan (Asanbosan)

Shadow Lodge

Gancanagh wrote:
Ok a list of most creatures from the Bestiaries 1 to 4 collected in where they come from.

You really get off on making lists, don't you?

:P

Shadow Lodge

By the way, Dagon would belong in the D&D list, not the movies/books/etc list. He's more based on the demon lord than the overgrown Deep One. The name, if nothing else, comes directly from the Bible.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Kthulhu wrote:
By the way, Dagon would belong in the D&D list, not the movies/books/etc list. He's more based on the demon lord than the overgrown Deep One. The name, if nothing else, comes directly from the Bible.

Actually, it's a bit of all 3. The idea of Dagon being a sea monster at all is pretty much all Lovecraft. Him being a demon lord is 100% D&D. And of course the name itself is from mythology.


Association of Dagon with water and fish is quite old with occasional images representing him as a merman. John Milton supposedly explicitly calls him sea-monster.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Drejk wrote:
Association of Dagon with water and fish is quite old with occasional images representing him as a merman. John Milton supposedly explicitly calls him sea-monster.

That's true.

I should have clarified that Lovecraft's treatment of him is the one that's more widespread, perhaps the MOST widespread, treatment of Dagon in popular culture at this time. Lovecraft himself got his inspiration from Milton and real-world merman imagery of course.


James Jacobs wrote:
Drejk wrote:
Association of Dagon with water and fish is quite old with occasional images representing him as a merman. John Milton supposedly explicitly calls him sea-monster.

That's true.

I should have clarified that Lovecraft's treatment of him is the one that's more widespread, perhaps the MOST widespread, treatment of Dagon in popular culture at this time. Lovecraft himself got his inspiration from Milton and real-world merman imagery of course.

Also it was Lovercraft who removed vestiges of humanity from Dagon and turned it into inhuman entity.


Kthulhu wrote:
Gancanagh wrote:
Ok a list of most creatures from the Bestiaries 1 to 4 collected in where they come from.

You really get off on making lists, don't you?

:P

Not as much as you get off on yourself, but close enough.

And I knew Dagon from Lovecraft only, because i'm not really interested in Demon Lords or Lords in general I didn't searched him on Google.

I know Dagon is from D&D also, but Tome of Horrors didn't use him, so Pathfinder had to get him from real mythology/lovecraft.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Gancanagh wrote:
Kthulhu wrote:
Gancanagh wrote:
Ok a list of most creatures from the Bestiaries 1 to 4 collected in where they come from.

You really get off on making lists, don't you?

:P

Not as much as you get off on yourself, but close enough.

And I knew Dagon from Lovecraft only, because i'm not really interested in Demon Lords or Lords in general I didn't searched him on Google.

I know Dagon is from D&D also, but Tome of Horrors didn't use him, so Pathfinder had to get him from real mythology/lovecraft.

Tome of Horrors does have Dagon in there as a demon lord. A very DIFFERENT one than what we went with, though; he's a lot more like the Phonecian deity in that book than Lovecraft's version.


So for D20 material there are at least 4 versions of Dagon at this point?

The old D20 3.0 Call of Cthulhu by WOTC (A Demigod)
The Dagon in D&D 3.5 Fiendish Codex 1: Hordes of the Abyss (An Obyrinth Demon Lord)
The Dagon in Pathfinder Bestiary 4 (A Qlippoth Demon Lord)
The Dagon in 3.5 & Pathfinder Versions of Tome of Horrors (A Demon Lord )

Are there any more? :P

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Araxiss wrote:

So for D20 material there are at least 4 versions of Dagon at this point?

The old D20 3.0 Call of Cthulhu by WOTC (A Demigod)
The Dagon in D&D 3.5 Fiendish Codex 1: Hordes of the Abyss (An Obyrinth Demon Lord)
The Dagon in Pathfinder Bestiary 4 (A Qlippoth Demon Lord)
The Dagon in 3.5 & Pathfinder Versions of Tome of Horrors (A Demon Lord )

Are there any more? :P

There's a less powerful version of the 3.5 D&D one in Fiendish Codex.


Was that Aspect Of Dagon?


James Jacobs wrote:
Araxiss wrote:

So for D20 material there are at least 4 versions of Dagon at this point?

The old D20 3.0 Call of Cthulhu by WOTC (A Demigod)
The Dagon in D&D 3.5 Fiendish Codex 1: Hordes of the Abyss (An Obyrinth Demon Lord)
The Dagon in Pathfinder Bestiary 4 (A Qlippoth Demon Lord)
The Dagon in 3.5 & Pathfinder Versions of Tome of Horrors (A Demon Lord )

Are there any more? :P

There's a less powerful version of the 3.5 D&D one in Fiendish Codex.

That one got mentioned James >_>

Dark Archive

Well, James may have mentioned it since he and Mona were both on that book.

Too bad we can't see a breakdown of creative content.


It makes me want to take the four different versions of Dagon and have a Dagon throw down. Four Dagon's enter. One Dagon leaves. (maybe)

Wonder if the guys in my group would be up for trying that.

Silver Crusade

Apocalypse Locust (??)= Biblical

Brethedan- a cryptid (flying rods/sky creatures) / speculative extratrestrial lifeform


Orthos wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Araxiss wrote:

So for D20 material there are at least 4 versions of Dagon at this point?

The old D20 3.0 Call of Cthulhu by WOTC (A Demigod)
The Dagon in D&D 3.5 Fiendish Codex 1: Hordes of the Abyss (An Obyrinth Demon Lord)
The Dagon in Pathfinder Bestiary 4 (A Qlippoth Demon Lord)
The Dagon in 3.5 & Pathfinder Versions of Tome of Horrors (A Demon Lord )

Are there any more? :P

There's a less powerful version of the 3.5 D&D one in Fiendish Codex.
That one got mentioned James >_>

I think he meant there's a more powerful one in one of the Dragon Magazine Demonomicon articles.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber
Evil Midnight Lurker wrote:

The Diplocephalus is based on the Vouivre, which comes from French mythology.

I hadn't realized that Vouivre was just the French word for Wyvern. Interesting.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Jonathon Vining wrote:
Orthos wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Araxiss wrote:

So for D20 material there are at least 4 versions of Dagon at this point?

The old D20 3.0 Call of Cthulhu by WOTC (A Demigod)
The Dagon in D&D 3.5 Fiendish Codex 1: Hordes of the Abyss (An Obyrinth Demon Lord)
The Dagon in Pathfinder Bestiary 4 (A Qlippoth Demon Lord)
The Dagon in 3.5 & Pathfinder Versions of Tome of Horrors (A Demon Lord )

Are there any more? :P

There's a less powerful version of the 3.5 D&D one in Fiendish Codex.
That one got mentioned James >_>
I think he meant there's a more powerful one in one of the Dragon Magazine Demonomicon articles.

Ah; yeah; I meant the more powerful version of Dagon that appeared in Dragon. I designed both that one and the less powerful one in the Fiendish Codex; my preference is for the one in Dragon, as WotC was hesitant to do something that powerful in their hardcover book... I had to push to get them in there at CR 20-24 as it was, and not just go with the CR 10 ones they'd started statting up in the Minis Handbook.


Rukh is a Harryhausen Roc, like the great Cyclops is a Harryhausen Cyclops.

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