tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.comments2022-02-18T19:27:04.593+00:00Not a Dead CommunistJK Revellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00358838350092883422noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-28486368526213098642022-02-18T19:27:04.593+00:002022-02-18T19:27:04.593+00:00The good news is that this is currently available ...The good news is that this is currently available online here: https://annarchive.com/files/Strv101.pdf. This series of posts, unfortunately, is just biological speculation that uses 1,2,3 and 5E descriptions as a baseline to work from rather than being a detailed publication history, so it doesn't fit here. You'll note 4E is missing, too - but other sources do have the information you're looking for. JK Revellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00358838350092883422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-78045375449774009502022-02-17T00:28:40.366+00:002022-02-17T00:28:40.366+00:00What about the very first Mind Flayer? The one in ...What about the very first Mind Flayer? The one in The Strategic Review?Robinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17508154980121260307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-17185275863073426882021-03-01T04:27:50.201+00:002021-03-01T04:27:50.201+00:00I didn't know that Gygax pronounced its name t...I didn't know that Gygax pronounced its name that way. As I've written before, it's a good day when I learn something new. However, it wouldn't have mattered to my friends. We called them "landsharks" because of the crest and subterranean habit and habitat of the animal. Also, we watched a lot of "Saturday Night Live" at the time, where landsharks were a recurring bit on the show.Pinku-Senseihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16247618351725715844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-73363102280338170792021-01-15T19:01:25.635+00:002021-01-15T19:01:25.635+00:00Dryads show up in at least one science fiction wor...Dryads show up in at least one science fiction work in addition to the fantasy appearances you mentioned. "Hiero's Journey," a post-apocalyptic adventure, includes them as a mutated human people that consists solely of women. They need to mate with normal human males to produce children. I'm trying to remember if they had a charm ability as well. It's been 40 years since I read the story. Still, other than their origin, they fit the description you have of them. That may not be coincidental. <a href="https://appendixnbookclub.com/2017/11/13/episode-14-sterling-e-laniers-hieros-journey/" rel="nofollow">Episode 14 – Sterling E. Lanier’s “Hiero’s Journey”</a> cites the book as one of the influences on D&D and "Gamma World."Pinku-Senseihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16247618351725715844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-86972218454407016132021-01-04T01:33:05.722+00:002021-01-04T01:33:05.722+00:00Outside of the Monster Manual, another source of i...Outside of the <i>Monster Manual</i>, another source of interesting arachnids is the adventure module "Queen of the Demonweb Pits," which depicts the level of the Abyss that is home to Lolth, Demon Queen of Spiders and goddess of the Drow, who also appears in the <i>Fiend Folio</i>. It has stats for giant arachnids other than spiders and scorpions, such as sun spiders, whip spiders, and whip scorpions/vinageroons. Also, at least one issue of Dragon Magazine during the 1980s had an article with giant versions of spiders other than orb weavers and widows, such as wolf spiders and jumping spiders. Giant jumping spiders are terrifying! I don't expect you to cover those sources, but seeing a treatment of how giant scorpions have evolved as the game has would be interesting and I'm looking forward to reading it, eventually.Pinku-Senseihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16247618351725715844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-38033188662624788432020-12-30T22:06:40.506+00:002020-12-30T22:06:40.506+00:00I don't currently plan to include creatures fr...I don't currently plan to include creatures from the Fiend Folio, although never say never.JK Revellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00358838350092883422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-70061936195549799362020-12-29T23:43:09.251+00:002020-12-29T23:43:09.251+00:00I came over here from your other blog and I'm ...I came over here from your other blog and I'm glad I did. I see your expertise there applies here to fantastic beasts as much to real ones. That adds an extra dimension to your discussion of the subject. I don't know of anyone else who would bring in azhdarchid pterosaurs when describing the flight of griffons and hippogriffs, although I could imagine someone comparing them to actual horses, eagles, and lions.<br /><br />Off to work my way backwards through this blog. Would you ever consider monsters from the Fiend Folio, which have a U.K. origin?Pinku-Senseihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16247618351725715844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-19147632375404718482019-07-20T19:26:17.887+01:002019-07-20T19:26:17.887+01:00Hello non-dead comrade!
I am anonymous fan who li...Hello non-dead comrade!<br /><br />I am anonymous fan who liked these when they came out and am thrilled to see your recent Monster Manual material. A question: the 2007 exchange where Greg decided "Loskalm is not a Malkioni nation" just rose back to the surface and got me thinking about the tremendous amount of work you did with him to pin down Western religious history. You might not want to even look at it now but as I rethink the West in all phases of its evolution (in-game and out here) I would love to see anything you guys talked about that you would care to share. Maybe some day your West and the Guide can build something even stronger and more awesome together. I think my email shows up here but if not I am following comments. <br /><br />Thank you very much for all your work over the years. I haven't been here since Anaxial's Annex (when I was young and selfish) so owe you the gratitude, paid late and with compound interest.bombasticushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09570356997079883076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-51086365086664451602018-10-14T11:22:53.167+01:002018-10-14T11:22:53.167+01:00Good points. I was actually forgetting how far bac...Good points. I was actually forgetting how far back Warhammer FB goes, and you're likely right about the direction of the influence there. Thanks.JK Revellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00358838350092883422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-41885572708295598882018-08-21T13:21:02.874+01:002018-08-21T13:21:02.874+01:00Sorry - one other thought that's just occurred...Sorry - one other thought that's just occurred to me: Citadel held the license to produce official AD&D and D&D miniatures in the mid-80s (from 1985; not sure when it finished). The 'official' orc miniatures produced by the Perry Brothers for that range were long-limbed, relatively scrawny and hunched (much like the Perrys' FTO and C15 ranges for Citadel, and unlike the orcs of the original Monster Manual):<br /><br />http://www.solegends.com/rsadd/add53/index.htm<br /><br />These miniatures may well have provided some inspiration for the 2E description and illustration, as the "approved" look for an AD&D orc while 2E was in development. That might explain the sharp twist towards Warhammer that the 2E orc took, as the Perrys' AD&D orcs were compatible with the existing Warhammer ranges rather than the 1E look.JChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17964744140140515737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-56043128196468227672018-08-21T12:44:34.940+01:002018-08-21T12:44:34.940+01:00Great post!
One minor nitpick: I think this bit i...Great post!<br /><br />One minor nitpick: I think this bit is slightly the wrong way around:<br /><br />"Their skin is now a sallow grey-green, instead of brown, the start of a trend that will see them become bright green in many non-D&D properties."<br /><br />I don't think that's the start of the trend, but its continuation. In 1984, five years before 2E, Warhammer Fantasy Battle had bright green orcs on its box illustration (http://wiki.oldhammer.org.uk/v/File:Warhammer-second-edition-cover.jpg). And Warhammer orcs were already described as "olive green" in first-edition Warhammer.<br /><br />What I think we're seeing in 2E is the Warhammerisation of the D&D orc. It's a bit ironic, because the earliest Citadel orcs were designed to be used in D&D. But given the success of Warhammer FB, which was well into its third edition by the time 2E came out and had spawned 40K and WHFRP, D&D orcs seem to have taken on most of the characteristics of their Warhammer counterparts.<br /><br />The 2E illustration is very similar to the crouching, hunched, gangling orcs that Kev Adams was producing for GW at the time. They got a lot bulkier and beefier later - and so, as you point out, did D&D orcs.JChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17964744140140515737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-74947749564191035372018-04-27T20:38:44.506+01:002018-04-27T20:38:44.506+01:00Thanks for the comment. Forgotten Realms is, hones...Thanks for the comment. Forgotten Realms is, honestly, something I've only looked at rather peripherally, so a more detailed perspective (and the implication that it makes about as much sense as I thought it did) is certainly interesting.JK Revellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00358838350092883422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-60263998621694677482018-04-26T06:59:00.537+01:002018-04-26T06:59:00.537+01:00I'm gonna be an insane person, pop in and comm...I'm gonna be an insane person, pop in and comment here. As a madwoman who spent too long reading about gnolls. You're missing a bit of history, but are getting the general gist. Mostly from a Forgotten Realms perspective.<br /><br />Gnolls strangely became more intelligent (or at least more positive overall mental statwise) than orcs in 3rd edition, 4th edition began the weird transformation into demonic monsters...<br /><br />And honestly I'm not sure why. It seems to have been a pet project of somebody, and there's generally been fan outcry from what I've seen since. Forgotten Realms especially absolutely makes no sense to turn Gnolls into a daemonic-non breeding entity. A significant portion of their known culture from the setting is based on reproduction, and a fall from a (possibly) lawful evil species. (The inability to breed flinds has caused social degradation due to 'the curse')<br /><br />Since they're also notably detailed heavily in the book Soldiers of Ice, as well as important for general Forgotten Realms histories. (Gnolls are foundational in the establishment of Thay as a country, they cause two of the extinction-events that end ancient creator-species rules. (and also due to this get often prodded at in dark mumblings as a creator race themselves) and are responsible for fully ending the elven empires...)<br /><br />Not to mention that we've a vague history that demonic influence is a relatively recent thing to gnolls. (Few thousand years or so) timeline wise, its just... an odd, odd decision. I think born of that strange want to make a species have a unique niche, and probably to try and stab at the furry-fan culture of gnolls that sprouted up since the 00s. (They're a mascot of TG after all)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13552845253338462804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-47370258515662437072018-04-12T19:49:52.162+01:002018-04-12T19:49:52.162+01:00Makes perfect sense to me!Makes perfect sense to me!JK Revellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00358838350092883422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-79535531851595307012018-04-10T06:49:35.407+01:002018-04-10T06:49:35.407+01:00I've always thought the Bullette was a natural...I've always thought the Bullette was a natural competitor for the Ankheg, and would explain the need for an acid attack.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13973781297639056844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-3745569749503575402017-11-26T16:24:54.793+00:002017-11-26T16:24:54.793+00:00•Saint Neuteboom - patron of generosity
'boom...•Saint Neuteboom - patron of generosity<br /><br />'boom' means 'tree'. 'Neut' mean 'a glass of gin' 'Neuteboom' would mean a tree that has glasses full of gin hanging on it. <br /><br />The surname Neuteboom exists and is a regional variant of Notenboom, 'walnut tree', I suppose.Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10384316385523253372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-55052098212978636802017-02-28T13:30:29.229+00:002017-02-28T13:30:29.229+00:00Arguably more than one edition, but, yeah, I only ...Arguably more than one edition, but, yeah, I only included the ones I have access to, and 4E ain't among them :)JK Revellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00358838350092883422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-6208028469351815042017-02-28T12:52:58.500+00:002017-02-28T12:52:58.500+00:00You've missed an edition out... It had a diffe...You've missed an edition out... It had a different take on the critters.Ashleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02214903272420561825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-10301539122553085922015-12-06T13:34:27.781+00:002015-12-06T13:34:27.781+00:00Character Gen last night went well. As did the int...Character Gen last night went well. As did the introduction to each other and the first couple hours of play that we managed before calling it a night. The floor plans for Torchwood London are nice.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12633445117790508894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-86013841264713113272015-07-10T23:05:25.206+01:002015-07-10T23:05:25.206+01:00Good read. Definitely some things to think about w...Good read. Definitely some things to think about when your creating campaigns. This is perfect for RPGs like <a href="https://fyxtrpg.com/" rel="nofollow">the Fyxt RPG</a> that don't have predefined stories. This way you can keep everything within what you want it to be.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14218684446397371521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-74235454480355012772015-04-10T23:47:59.847+01:002015-04-10T23:47:59.847+01:00This book was my first purchase for DWAITAS--more ...This book was my first purchase for DWAITAS--more specifically, as a gift for my wife. She is no RPG'er, but said she might give DWAITAS a shot if she could play the 6th or 12th Doctor. She has always been a fan of the 6th Doctor (while acknowledging the MANY flaws of the actual shows that were aired). <br /><br />First and foremost, I agree that having an RPG supplement makes it possible to enjoy the character while eliminating many of the problems of the actual show. In a tabletop RPG, you can't spot laughably bad BBC special effects!<br /><br />One thing that I liked about this supplement was that there were so many areas where the authors laid out *possibilities* or *interpretations* of how to explain characters, events, etc. in the shows rather than give final, definitive explanations. I guess this is another advantage of writing this as an RPG supplement.<br /><br />I await the new edition of DWAITAS, so that my wife can choose between the 6th and 12 Doctors.Garwalfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374576511117016876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-52991236882808799562015-01-21T02:26:10.167+00:002015-01-21T02:26:10.167+00:00I'm definitely in the "worst companion&qu...I'm definitely in the "worst companion" camp. That scream absolutely pains me! Brandonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12499127155591828226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-44189738070348402852015-01-18T18:00:46.496+00:002015-01-18T18:00:46.496+00:00Also my least favorite Doctor, but the Time War st...Also my least favorite Doctor, but the Time War stuff in this book is fascinating. Still not sure if I'll ever revisit the sixth Doctor via this RPG, but it's a good sourcebook! Brandonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12499127155591828226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-53459092974285622492015-01-18T17:58:51.609+00:002015-01-18T17:58:51.609+00:00Thanks for all of these reviews. I'm new to th...Thanks for all of these reviews. I'm new to the game, but have appreciated reading your reviews the last three or four months.Brandonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12499127155591828226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687926439133527460.post-11196878586069846852014-10-07T13:37:12.879+01:002014-10-07T13:37:12.879+01:00What a shame they put a load of info on that you c...What a shame they put a load of info on that you can just Google anyway.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12633445117790508894noreply@blogger.com