(One addition whch is pure flavor and likely would not effect the page count as it could likely slide in right beside the creature name would be the phonetic pronounciation - so things like those cool South American beasties and the like would have with them how to say the name out loud.
I think they don't know that themselves in many cases.
Kori can transmute ground into water which is a D&D-based power found in real mythology, really strange.
I'm not sure what to think of the new ABookOfCreatures critter though, not a fan of anteater monsters, while in the real world they are among my favorite animals. They just feel like jokes (worse to me than Drop Bears) in mythology versions.
Have you ever seen the claws on an anteater?
Other then Drop Bears are there any monsters based on koalas?
Well the kori's tongue could cause paralysis, ability damage, or some other nasty effect. Also anteaters do have nasty claws.
Have you ever seen the claws on an anteater?
Yes, they are my favorite mammals.
The thing I don't like about anteaters in monster forms is that they are called ANTEATERS, they should feed on vermin/ants. Everything about them screams insectivore not eater of brains or eater of flesh.
Those claws are also found on sloths, and spare for the prehistoric versions, I can't see the common sloths act as monsters.
Abuhuku is diffent, mostly because I see it as half mosquito-man, not as anteater.
Other then Drop Bears are there any monsters based on koalas?
I'm unfamiliar with any others.
A magic eating anteater based creature, maybe a cousin to the disenchanter would be interesting. Maybe one that feeds on life force, psychic or mental energy, blood, etc.
Meet the Zorbo, one of the most original creations of D&D that SWORDS AND SORCERY didn't want in their TOME OF HORRORS, WTF.
Why? They even used the Babbler and brown pudding in that book... And THOSE are boring monsters.
It will be forever a mystery to me why TOME OF HORRORS didn't want Zorbo in their pages, they almost used ALL other 1st edition un-used monsters in their TOME.
James Jacob was that you? I know you hate Koala monsters lol
I remember the Zorbo but I don't remember if it available for use in Pathfinder.
Daemons:
- death related to love/heart-break (similar to a succubus)
- death related to immolation
- death related to be eaten alive
Demons:
- actual ice demon (counterpart for the Ice Devil)
- actual fire demon (counterpart for the Immolation Devil)
- Colossal-sized demon (doesn't have to be OP, just big)
Devils:
- Incubus/Succubus counterpart
- 1 or 2 more aquatic species
Angels/Archons:
- Musket/Blunderbuss sharpshooter, jolly creature from a skilled marksman
- Monk celestial, from the very enlightened masters
- Cherubin, give us a child-like winged Cupid-like archer celestial already :P
Agathions:
- Elephant
- Snake
- Sheep/Ram
- Monkey/Ape
- Turtle
- Pig/Boar
Giants:
- Grave, variant stone or hill giants that live near graveyards
- Spectral, attuned to ghosts and spirits
- Jotunbred, half-giant Medium humanoid (giant), offspring from giants and humans
Undead:
- Bone swarm, from various bones in graveyards
- Zombie troop, they said troops would be in, that would be perfect
- Ghost troop, nightmarish and OP, but still :P
- Reprint of the Combusted (Occult Bestiary), with elemental variants
Animals:
- Reprints for Fiend-Bred Animals
* Hell-Bred Dog (Hellhound)
* Quillcat (Howler)
* Hot-Blooded Horse (Nightmare)
- New variants
* Crimson-furred cat (Hellcat)
* Smoke vulture (Achaierai)
* Flayed guardian (Cerberus)
* Stygian fish (shark, pirhanna, pike)
One thing I never understood is why in D&D every devil/demon must have a counterpart in the other team. The biggest reason I cut the demon/devil crap from my world, making them all fiends is much better.
Quasit? Really... At least Erinyes and Succubus grew appart.
ever demon is based on fire already.
Agathions:
Agathion, Caprinal (Sheep/Rams)
Agathion, Loxonal (Elephants)
Agathion, Ophidial (Serpents)
Archons:
Archon, Sword (Blade-like warrior Archons)
Archon, Warden (Leaders of Heaven's Prisons)
Archon, Throne (Greater than even the Star Archons)
Magical Beasts:
Alicorn
Cackle Bird
Daemons:
Daemon, Mahaha [NE mortals who froze to death]
Daemon, Makhai [NE mortals who died in duels to the death]
Demons:
Demon, Asag [Rock Demons]
Demon, Empusa [Lava Demons]
Devils:
Devil, Addiction [Atropocustra] (Uses drugs to spread Hell's influence)
Devil, Crusader [Ascensoriel] (Hell's elite calvary)
Devil, Desert [Ghalshoaton] (Inhabits Hell's deserts)
Devil, Hellforge [Savnogon] (Infernal blacksmiths who reforge damned souls)
Devil, Hunter [Edavagor] (Hunters of escaped souls and risen devils)
Devil, Physician [Paigeon] (Tempts with promises of healing)
Devil, Rumor [Dababum] (Slanders the name of good foes)
Devil, Seduction [Lilim] (Devilish counterpart to the Succubus)
Div:
Div, Arszhenk (Often used as living siege engines by the Div)
Div, Bushyasta (Obese Div who radiate sloth)
Div, Druj Nasu (Fly-like Div who radiate an aura of despoilment)
Div, Fulad-Zereh (Rune-covered sets of fiendish living armor second in rank only to the Akvans)
Dragons (True):
Dragon [Planar], Axis
Dragon [Planar], Boneyard
Dragon [Planar], Heaven
Dragon [Planar], Elysium
Dragon [Planar], Nirvana
Dragons (Other):
Dragon (Other), Meteor (also called Gaasyendietha)
Dragon (Other), Song (also called Cirein Croin)
Empyreal Lords:
Empyreal Lord, Arshea
Empyreal Lord, Ashava
Empyreal Lord, Ragathiel
Templates:
Lycanthrope, Wereraven (Template)
Lycanthrope, Wereape (Template)
Lycanthrope, Wereserpent (Template)
Lycanthrope, Werespider (Template)
Vampire, Strigoi (Template)
When are they going to do any were herbivores?
They never do any were squirrels, were ponys, were rabbits, ect.
There are were transformation artwork all over the internet of all kinds of were creatures.
They can eat all the crops, try to kill hunters or other carnivores, ect.
From what I'm aware Goth Lycanthropes are limited to carnivores and omnivores (even bats eat insects and small rodents).
I'm happy they limit to carnivores, more lycanthropes feels very amateur, like they run out of ideas and just turn every animal alive into a humanoid.
HOw would non-carnivores spread the disease in the first place, werecows would never bite anyone and would never spread the disease.
When are they going to do any were herbivores?
They never do any were squirrels, were ponys, were rabbits, ect.
There are were transformation artwork all over the internet of all kinds of were creatures.
They can eat all the crops, try to kill hunters or other carnivores, ect.
I'd say odds are remote to every get anything like this, because in general the bestiary folks like to avoid things which come off as...uh...joke creatures. Which is what werebunnies or weresquirrels would come off as.
If we were to get a were(herbivore), it would probably have to be something pretty fearsome and scary. Were(water)buffalo for instance can be pretty scary and are a part of SE Asian myth, so some sort of Were-bull like creature seems doable, more than a werepony.
Rabbits and squirrels have been known to bite defensively. Anybody bitten by a horse or pony will tell you it wasn't because they were hungry.
Were squirrels, being chaotic good defenders of nature will intentionally infect people who are a threat to nature.
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I still think the idea of more lycanthropes is boring and uninspired
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I would still like a wererabbit or maybe a fey curse that turns people into rabbit monsters.
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Were squirrels, being chaotic good defenders of nature will intentionally infect people who are a threat to nature.
You've clearly never had a squirrel in your insulation.
Rabbits and squirrels have been known to bite defensively. Anybody bitten by a horse or pony will tell you it wasn't because they were hungry.
Were squirrels, being chaotic good defenders of nature will intentionally infect people who are a threat to nature.
Not really a good thing to infect people I think. Sounds more neutral to me. Especially with the vague description of what is a threat to nature.
And at least for lycanthropes, it's hard for me to imagine a creature that we essentially hunt for food and pelts to really be scary. It doesn't help much that in Western culture, rabbits and squirrels are seen more as jokes and comedy than as a danger. And this is coming from a bunny bite victim. Even the name is pretty silly. Weresquirrel doesn't strike fear into the hears of men.
But I'm intrigued. How would you make a squirrel therianthrope more dangerous, or taken a bit more seriously?
Could still use stats for giant versions of rabbits and squirrels.
Rabbits and squirrels have been known to bite defensively. Anybody bitten by a horse or pony will tell you it wasn't because they were hungry.
Were squirrels, being chaotic good defenders of nature will intentionally infect people who are a threat to nature.
Manhandling anything will result in an animal getting annoyed and biting. Still doesn't mean it's threatening.
When I went hiking in Wyoming by myself, it was cougars and bears I was worried about. chipmunks, rabbits, and ground squirrels...not so much.
Were Squirrels also hunt and destroy vampires, who obviously think Were Squirrels are evil. Since Were Squirrels are halfling sized, they cannot live in your home insulation, but could infest you attic, filling it with nuts.
They could infest your attic!!!! Filling it...with NUTS!!!!
Thank the gods they can't get into your insulation, though.
I was pretty much pro-weresquirrel, thinking they might make cool tricksters, but I'm starting to understand the problem.
(Sorry if that was unnecessarily snarky, but I found the phrasing there funny.)
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I would prefer 0HD squirrel race(like the D&D kercpa) over weresquirrels. Same with rabbits as well though I would still like rabbit and squirrel based monsters especially giant animal versions, magical beast types, and fey types.
Well were bears basically have to destroy evil they encounter no matter how many hostages suffer. Particularly infected rather than born. Were squirrels are almost the same way. Basically "Give me access to something more evil than you or I'll feed you to the trees".
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Why wishing so hard for something so uninspired? They won't ever do weresquirrels, if they don't do Drop Bears, they surely don't do wereponies, werebunnies and weresquirrels.
People are obsessed by lycanthropes it seems.
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Truthfully, I don't make werebears good. I keep them savage and scary like werewolves. But for the most part, lycanthropy is a fear of nature and of man descending into savagery. Only the wererat is a creature that isn't a carnivore that preys on man, but rats represent the fear of pestilence and plague in cities. The fear of rabid animals scurrying and swarming over you, suffocating you under their sheer numbers. I don't really get that same fear from the idea of being swarmed by squirrels. It'd be like being attacked by a swarm of corgis. Squirrels just aren't dangerous to us. Not like rats are.
Besides, there aren't going to be many people that are going to take a human transforming into a squirrel seriously. No matter how dangerous you make them, there is an element of humor because of how we view squirrels culturally. They are cute at best, and prey or pests at worse. The monster would be laughed at by PCs and the novelty of cute but deadly would lose its charm eventually.
I think going at it through the venue of fear is the wrong way to go about a squirrel creature, especially given how cute they look. Still, there are other avenues and perspectives we can come from with a squirrel monster. One of annoyance and trickery, rather than fear and viciousness. I think it would be best to look towards the Norse and their Ratatoskr folklore for inspiration. Or the Meeko. Both seem to be spiteful little tricksters and gossips, very fey like. I think that's a better direction to go.
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I've been loving Paizo's output in their bestiaries. Paraphrasing a bit from my Bestiary 5 review, my wishes for the sixth iteration are straightforward and twofold:
- Leave the SF to Starfinder or Players' Guide to Numeria. Pretty please with a Corentynian cherry on top?
- Avoid at all costs snake-bodied weasels with boar tusks, serpentine bulls, shark-headed sea serpents, wolf-headed sea serpents, chinchillas with bat wings on the tip of their tails and octopuses with three shark heads. Unless you have an absolutely amazing hook or a compelling campaign seed, please don't bother bother putting out such uninspired examples of match-a-monster.
I've been loving Paizo's output in their bestiaries. Paraphrasing a bit from my Bestiary 5 review, my wishes for the sixth iteration are straightforward and twofold:
- Leave the SF to Starfinder or Players' Guide to Numeria. Pretty please with a Corentynian cherry on top?
- Avoid at all costs snake-bodied weasels with boar tusks, serpentine bulls, shark-headed sea serpents, wolf-headed sea serpents, chinchillas with bat wings on the tip of their tails and octopuses with three shark heads. Unless you have an absolutely amazing hook or a compelling campaign seed, please don't bother bother putting out such uninspired examples of match-a-monster.
While I somewhat agree with the mythology monsters you mentioned (I also dislike the bull serpent and the cetus) do you dislike everything coming from myths or just the bizarre chimera-type creatures you mentioned?
Im curious, what is your thought on the Tiyanak, Karkadann, Scitalis, Pyrausta, Water Leaper, Buggane, Mngwa, Abaia, Peryton, Leucrotta and the Ahuizotl for example? Do you also dislike those?
I object to Lycanthropes being only combat monsters. While the adventure paths all have some elements of research and exploring, some GMs, players, and devs act as if nothing has changed from when it was a battle simulation. What if a noble has secretly contracted the characters to seek out an artifact that can cure their son who was a paladin but has come down with were squirreliness. Maybe he did change during delicate negotiations. I'm sure the dwarf or Hobgoblin ambassador would not think it's funny.
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It's not about them being combat monsters. Werewolves are more than just combat monsters. They are a descent of a person into madness and savagery. There's a good chance that you can have a werewolf encounter without combat. A good example of this rears its head in The Witcher 3.
The thing is that squirrels are culturally cute and a joke. Weresquirrels just can't really be taken seriously as a threat. Squirrels are harmless and believe me, they will be the butt of your PCs jokes, no matter how vicious you try and make them. Even in your example, the noble would be ashamed of the curse, not really out of fear of them being a danger, but of sheer embarrassment because he's a man squirrel now. It's the baggage squirrels have. I'm not really trying to stomp all over your idea, but it just is going to fall flat when you run it. Unless you are playing a more gonzo, absurd game. Then go right ahead. If I were running Into the Odd or Yoon Suin or Gamma World, I'd use them. They could even shoot acorns at people.
That's why for squirrel monsters, I think it's better to play to their strengths. Squirrels stand and chitter. Their chitter almost sounds like whispering, or chatting on about gossip. That's probably where the Ratatoskr and Meeko get their folklore from. Rodents that also chitter and chatter. And while squirrels aren't scary, you can definitely make them creepy. Since they are rodents, that's not too hard. They also twitch a lot. That's great to make them come off unsettling. Constantly moving in jerky motions. And keep the pitch black eyes.
We're not going for 'horror' here. Just 'unsettling'. That works.
I like the Ratatoskr from Norse mythology. It's a squirrel that lives on the World Tree and collects gossip and information. How can that be interesting? Well you can basically make it the information broker of the fey world. Most creatures don't mess with it because it knows things. It can get the dirt on anyone for the right price. You can even make it creepy. Imagine a man-sized, emaciated squirrel-like creature with a distended stomach that is cruel but craven. Smells horrid (have you smelled a sugar glider?) and is littered with ticks. Keeps to itself and just blends in and listens to the rougher creatures of the forest. He's nature's snitch. And knows that it is untouchable. Why? Because other, stronger creatures value its information. Do you want to know the king's dark secret about his bastard son? The Ratatoskr knows. How about the hidden entrance to the king's castle. You bet the Ratatoskr knows. True name for a high ranking devil? Damn straight it knows. And it can help... for a price. Information for information. Secret for secret. You have to give it a secret to get one. That's how the Ratatoskr stays in business. And if you try combat, it'll run away. Live to fight another day. Only instead of fighting, it gets guys to do that for it. A snitch like that is valuable to other fey and kings alike.
To me, that's more interesting than weresquirrels. No battle simulation or combat. No absurdity or silliness. Just pure roleplay. And the idea that a player could pay the ultimate price for information. That, I feel would be a great monster.
Ok, for your squirrel needs, there's the Sciurian in Tome of Horrors 4, which is a race of squirrel-folks.
Daemons:
- death related to love/heart-break (similar to a succubus)Like the erodaemon from Book of the Damned - Volume 3: Horsemen of the Apocalypse?
Demons:
- actual fire demon (counterpart for the Immolation Devil)Like the brimorak from Book of the Damned - Volume 2: Lords of Chaos?
If those actually exist, I wouldn't mind a reprint :P
Reprints with new art is always welcome, in small doses.
The "squirrel creature" niche IMHO is best served by fey tricksters or maybe a 0HD race type of creature. or a familiar/companion type creature. There are certainly niches for squirrel-based bestiary monsters, but I think they are poorly suited for werebeast forms (or really anything with a sinister bent).
I forget, does Pathfinder have an answer to the Yikaria? The Syrinx kinda/sorta took their job, but sinister mountain-dwelling Yak-Men are not without their appeal... Even if it were just a lawful/monastic minotaur variant it'd be something.
Some more templates would be nice- a multi-headed template(for dragons, giants, dire animals, etc.), a "changeling-becomes-Hag" template (no, that 12th level Cleric of Mestama does not just turn into a regular Green hag), something for crude cyborg adaptations performed by inexpert robots, a quick and easy "fleshwarped" template, atemplate version of ghouls or Leng Ghouls...
I want three squirrel type monsters. Ratatoskr a fey, Muscaliet a squirrel from the abyss and one that combines the d&d skiurid and cranium rats.
If I must choose one I choose Muscaliet. A burning hot horror responsible for burning Forests, they can be like Baregara and Bebiliths, beasts from the abyss/hell that behave like demons and which prey on them. They have boar like fangs and are more intelligent and cruel than merebeasts.
I would love rabbit/bunny and squirrel 0HD races but we did have to wait several years just to get a dog based one so who knows. Fey based ones would be interesting along with giant aninmal and magical beast versions. I would still like a dangerous version of the Almiraj.
Last time I checked the almiraj was hostile... Youwant a cudly version probably.
While I somewhat agree with the mythology monsters you mentioned (I also dislike the bull serpent and the cetus) do you dislike everything coming from myths or just the bizarre chimera-type creatures you mentioned?
Im curious, what is your thought on the Tiyanak, Karkadann, Scitalis, Pyrausta, Water Leaper, Buggane, Mngwa, Abaia, Peryton, Leucrotta and the Ahuizotl for example? Do you also dislike those?
Note my 'unless you have an absolutely amazing hook or a compelling campaign seed' caveat, the 'absolutely amazing' part of which can be downgraded to 'interesting'. A gargantuan octopus with three shark heads that is good at wrecking ships and has some random spell-like abilities just doesn't cut it - especially when there already exist plenty of big critters that can wreck ships just by virtue of being big.
But yeah, chimera-like critters whose parts you can easily tell apart and whose abilities seem to have been built via a random generator are a pet peeve of mine. Especially when they're conceived with nothing to set them apart other than their sheer randomness.
It's not about them being combat monsters. Werewolves are more than just combat monsters. They are a descent of a person into madness and savagery. There's a good chance that you can have a werewolf encounter without combat. A good example of this rears its head in The Witcher 3.
The thing is that squirrels are culturally cute and a joke. Weresquirrels just can't really be taken seriously as a threat. Squirrels are harmless and believe me, they will be the butt of your PCs jokes, no matter how vicious you try and make them. Even in your example, the noble would be ashamed of the curse, not really out of fear of them being a danger, but of sheer embarrassment because he's a man squirrel now. It's the baggage squirrels have. I'm not really trying to stomp all over your idea, but it just is going to fall flat when you run it. Unless you are playing a more gonzo, absurd game. Then go right ahead. If I were running Into the Odd or Yoon Suin or Gamma World, I'd use them. They could even shoot acorns at people.
That's why for squirrel monsters, I think it's better to play to their strengths. Squirrels stand and chitter. Their chitter almost sounds like whispering, or chatting on about gossip. That's probably where the Ratatoskr and Meeko get their folklore from. Rodents that also chitter and chatter. And while squirrels aren't scary, you can definitely make them creepy. Since they are rodents, that's not too hard. They also twitch a lot. That's great to make them come off unsettling. Constantly moving in jerky motions. And keep the pitch black eyes.
We're not going for 'horror' here. Just 'unsettling'. That works.
I like the Ratatoskr from Norse mythology. It's a squirrel that lives on the World Tree and collects gossip and information. How can that be interesting? Well you can basically make it the information broker of the fey world. Most creatures don't mess with it because it knows things. It can get the dirt on anyone for the right price. You can even make it creepy. Imagine a man-sized, emaciated...
This. That Ratatoskr concept sounds awesome.