Crysmal Question

[Brinebeast]

In Rage of Elements I noticed that the Crysmal is included. While Rage of Elements was published under the OGL, the book is set up to be almost entirely compatible with the ORC. However, the inclusion of the Crysmal, and by extension the Crysmal Shardling, this book includes the OGL Crysmal.

Was the Crysmal's inclusion intended? And if so, should we expect it's removal if Rage of Elements is someday Remastered?

Or is the Crysmal from mythology and safe to use?

If I am overlooking something and this creature is from mythology, can someone point to the source inspiration?

[Ravingdork]

This is what ChatGPT said, regarding the origin of the crysmal:

The "crysmal" is a creature from the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). It originated in the D&D universe, specifically in the "Dark Sun" campaign setting, which is known for its harsh, desert-like environment and unique creatures.

Crysmals are psionic crystalline creatures that are born deep underground. They are often described as having a six-legged, scorpion-like appearance with bodies made entirely of crystal. In the lore of Dark Sun, crysmals are known for their ability to sense vibrations and their affinity for psionic powers, making them both intriguing and formidable creatures within the game's world.

The concept of the crysmal, like many creatures in Dungeons & Dragons, was created to add depth and variety to the game's extensive bestiary, offering players and Dungeon Masters unique challenges and encounters.

[Perpdepog]

Brinebeast wrote:

In Rage of Elements I noticed that the Crysmal is included. While Rage of Elements was published under the OGL, the book is set up to be almost entirely compatible with the ORC. However, the inclusion of the Crysmal, and by extension the Crysmal Shardling, this book includes the OGL Crysmal.

Was the Crysmal's inclusion intended? And if so, should we expect it's removal if Rage of Elements is someday Remastered?

Or is the Crysmal from mythology and safe to use?

If I am overlooking something and this creature is from mythology, can someone point to the source inspiration?

As of now, my best guess, coming from EverybodyWiki, states that crysmals come from the 1983 Monster Manual 2 in 1983. Source.

Other shallow digging hasn't found any mythological origins for the crysmal yet, and I'm honestly not expecting any; its name being a blending of crystal and animal, or at least looking that way, suggests it's more contemporary.

As for why it's in Paizo's book, even post-ORC, I can't guess. It could be that the Pathfinder crysmal and D&D's crysmal are different enough it's not a big deal. D&D's crysmal seems to be just a lump of crystal that doesn't do much other than attack people and bury shards of itself, while Pathfinder's is more akin to an animal of the Plane of Earth that's got a bit of a lifecycle; that might be enough to differentiate the two.

[Brinebeast]

Thank you both for the additional searching and insights.

[James Jacobs]

The crysmal is 100% a D&D OGL creature.

Note that Rage of Elements is still an OGL product, even though we were scrambling to adjust as much of it as possible to be Remaster-compatible. The word "crysmal" slipped through the cracks.

I believe the plan is to have it's name change and perhaps adjust art, but in the short term I don't expect us to use this monster going forward in our Remastered books. Certainly the word "crysmal" won't appear in ORC licensed products.

The concept of an arthropod monster made of crystal isn't copyrightable, but a creature named a crysmal that looks sorta like a scorpion and comes from the Plane of Earth is pretty OGL heavy.

Again, Rage of Elements is NOT an ORC licensed book; it's still an OGL book, but it does feature a lot of initial design adjustments to be remaster compatible.

[Brinebeast]

Thanks James, always appreciate your insights!