Complete Guide to Cockroaches

Post by **goodmangames** » Mon Dec 16, 2002 8:06 pm

We're thinking of doing a series of Complete Guides focusing on vermin and insects. CG to Cockroaches, Camel Crickets, Wharf Rats...

No, just kidding. That's my way of bringing up the question, "What do you want to see?" What monsters would you like covered in future Complete Guides? We try to focus on those that have a lot of potential for more than just combat -- politics, diplomacy, cunning, subterfuge, ambush, maneuvering, and other chicanery -- or else those that are old and worn and can be revived with an interesting new approach, like we're doing with treants and... uh... some others that are still secret.

So what monsters are in your campaigns that you'd like to see more fully developed?

OneSmallKeith · Post by **OneSmallKeith** » Tue Dec 17, 2002 10:37 am

Actually, I think cockroaches are highly underrated. Just think of the immunities they possess! Rules for cockroach prestige classes and cockroaches as a player race could be quite valuable. Ever played the computer game "Bad Mojo"?

Mr. Author · Post by **Mr. Author** » Tue Dec 17, 2002 10:54 am

Yeah! Bad Mojo!

Actually, It's be really cool to see Complete Guides for new monsters, though those won't sell as well. They'd still be neat to see, though.

How about something on Locathah? I don't think I've ever seen that done before.

Post by **goodmangames** » Tue Dec 17, 2002 11:12 am

Actually, in all seriousness, someone just proposed a game to me that's Lord of the Rings but on an insect scale. It sounds pretty cool -- you play bugs in a "fantasy world" where pigeons are like dragons and humans are gods. There's magic, feudal ant cities, and mantis mages... it's pretty far out.

OneSmallKeith · Post by **OneSmallKeith** » Tue Dec 17, 2002 11:19 am

When I made the post, I was thinking about insect roleplaying myself. I always liked the hymenoptera from The Fantasy Trip and Chitin I. Although the thought of a literal backyard game hadn't occured to me -- I was thinking more alien/fantasy, like the hymenoptera.

When I was in the computer biz, the company I was at was thinking of an insect-based game -- you could either play a predator like a preying mantis in a sort of first-person shooter mode, or go for the social insects as an RTS. Nothing ever came of it, though.

-Keith

OneSmallKeith · Post by **OneSmallKeith** » Tue Dec 17, 2002 11:22 am

I've never really liked locathah myself -- I've always felt that there's too many races, between sahuagan, merfolk, tritons, locathah, ixitichitl, sea elves, merrow, etc. Of course, I suppose when you consider all the intelligent races on the surface, it's not that big a deal, but I've always focused more on sahuagan and merfolk and kept the others in the background...

-Keith

Mr. Author · Post by **Mr. Author** » Tue Dec 17, 2002 11:24 am

Actually, it's spelled "Ixitxachitl." It's pronounced "ish-it-sha-chit-l."

They're all evil fishmen to me.

RSKennan · Post by **RSKennan** » Tue Dec 17, 2002 11:26 am

That's pretty quirky, but it could be like Redwall on the insect scale.

Maybe a Complete Guide to Beholders, Rust Monsters, Oozes, or Griffons?

I think that certain topics (like oozes above) probably couldn't support an entire book for each specific monster, but might be worthwhile to pusue as a group. Insects would be another example of this. Imagine; Insect characters, a culture that uses mutated insects as specially designed mounts, even weaponry or as magical items. Shades of "Lexx" if it hadn't been so goofy. I may just use some of that...

Post by **goodmangames** » Tue Dec 17, 2002 11:30 am

[quote][i]Originally posted by RSKennan[/i]
I think that certain topics (like oozes above) probably couldn't support an entire book for each specific monster, but might be worthwhile to pusue as a group. [/quote]

AEG has a book on oozes and slimes coming out early next year, believe it or not. Andy Hopp wanted to do a monster manual of oozes, where every picture was yet another image of a pile of goo. It would have been pretty funny, I think.

Mr. Author · Post by **Mr. Author** » Tue Dec 17, 2002 11:44 am

Well, I've got some pretty campaign-specific monsters, like the Dasho and the Maka, and I'm stuck writing the books for them myself (not that I'm complaining, mind you).

I dunno what other kinds you could have...perahps some undead stuff. I come up with way too much undead stuff on my own for my Talaka campaign....there's just not enough undead in D&D.

gregdetwiler · Post by **gregdetwiler** » Tue Dec 17, 2002 12:18 pm

Actually, social insects such as ants, bees, wasps, and termites would be better subjects for a sourcebook, as they are already organized in a manner superficially similar to an intelligent race's civilization.

The fact that somebody's putting out a book on the ooze-type monsters isn't surprising, given the vast interest they generate. I've always thought they were the most "absorbing" monsters of all (hahahahaha!).

Since DRAGON Magazine recently put out an article which comes close to being X-rated (if you read the mag regularly, you'll know which one I mean), dare I suggest an "Adults Only" sourcebook covering sirens, satyrs, lamiae (the plural of "lamia"), and other creatures that attack adventurers through their libidos? If we dared to put it out, I suspect it would be one of the best-selling supplements of all time. No, no, down boy! (Sound of slapping hand in background.)

Getting back on subject, try cracking the zoology and paleontology books. There are lots of animals out there, both modern and prehistoric, that deserve heavy coverage in their own sourcebooks. How about sabre-tooths, for example? Ever since the Age of Mammals began, sabre-toothed predators have evolved independently about ten times, including at least one marsupial. Not only that, but the beginnings of sabre teeth could be seen in the ancestral reptile Dimetrodon, and virtually all of the carnivorous mammallike reptiles had at least one pair of sabre teeth (some had two or three). In addition, sabre teeth were used as defensive weapons by herbivores as diverse as herbivorous mammallike reptiles---the jonkerids, for starters---and the uintatheres that appeared early in the age of mammals. In addition, the elephant Dinotherium had tusks shaped like sabre teeth, and even today, the Indian rhinoceros prefers using teeth instead of its horn against an enemy. Oh, and today's clouded leopard has the disproportionately largest canines of any carnivore today, making its descendants prime candidates for a futuristic sabre-tooth. Sabre teeth seem to be part of the basic mammalian heritage, and we ought to be able to do something with that in a book.

Artmann100 · Post by **Artmann100** » Tue Dec 17, 2002 12:23 pm

that gets my vote for a good complete guide!

RSKennan · Post by **RSKennan** » Tue Dec 17, 2002 12:25 pm

I seem to recall watching something about the biological arms race that went on until the time of man... Wasn't there an age where all sorts of mammals were growing horns for awhile?

gregdetwiler · Post by **gregdetwiler** » Tue Dec 17, 2002 12:27 pm

Horn-wearing came to a crescendo in the Miocene/Pliocene Epochs. At that time, there was even a horned gopher named Ceratogaulus, with a pair of spiked horns on its snout like the horns on the rhinolike herbivore Arsinotherium, though much smaller, of course.

RSKennan · Post by **RSKennan** » Tue Dec 17, 2002 12:38 pm

That era would make great game material. I've seen pictures of the gopher-beast. Whoever said gophers weren't bad ass? I like the idea of taking a particular adaptation and running with it. Sabre teeth, Horns, etc. That give me an idea for a thread...

RSKennan · Post by **RSKennan** » Tue Dec 17, 2002 12:54 pm

I see my post was edited. I'm cracking up right now! Bad Bottom, eh?

Here's the thread I started on the concept of "biological arms races"
http://www.goodman-games.com/forums/vie ... php?tid=21

Post by **goodmangames** » Tue Dec 17, 2002 2:08 pm

[quote][i]Originally posted by gregdetwiler[/i]
Since DRAGON Magazine recently put out an article which comes close to being X-rated (if you read the mag regularly, you'll know which one I mean), dare I suggest an "Adults Only" sourcebook covering sirens, satyrs, lamiae (the plural of "lamia"), and other creatures that attack adventurers through their libidos? If we dared to put it out, I suspect it would be one of the best-selling supplements of all time. No, no, down boy! (Sound of slapping hand in background.)
[/quote]

I've heard Mongoose state publicly that their Slayers Guide to Amazons is their best selling Slayers Guide, ever. But I don't know if I want to go in that direction... Goodman Games is a family company, you know.

JoeCrow · Post by **JoeCrow** » Thu Dec 19, 2002 1:28 am

A critterbook for Bugs. (Bugs just sounds better than vermin, to me.) Kind of a "Build your own Bugs" kit, with a variety of basic types (beetle, segmented crawler, bee, ant, etc) and a bunch of templates to apply (parasitic, hive, solitary hunter, intelligent, giant, etc). That way you could make tiny intelligent hive beetles, or solitary hunter giant wasps, or whatever. Set it up with a bunch of premade versions as examples, and then get into add-ons like insect magic, alien bug gods, and stuff like that.

It'd probably end up being more of a DMs tool, for campaign creation, than a player book. Lots of crossover for scifi/horror type campaigns, though. Need a lot of research. Hmm.

snakewing · Post by **snakewing** » Sat Dec 21, 2002 9:18 am

There's one idea no one has mentioned yet.

Complete Guide to the Gelatinous Cube

What is the deal with them exactly? How do they wind up in certain areas for no apparent reason? How were they created? What are their motivations? Prestige Classes like "Crawling Cube" and "Gel Warrior" are a must.

OneSmallKeith · Post by **OneSmallKeith** » Sat Dec 21, 2002 12:26 pm

[quote
Complete Guide to the Gelatinous Cube
What is the deal with them exactly? [/quote]

Actually, I'll point out that the Dungeon Doppelgangers segment of the Complete Guide to Doppelgangers offers an explanation for gelatinous cubes and other oozes, as being the offspring of giant brain-damaged doppelgangers. With that said, I can totally see a Gelatinous Cube guide as being "Flatland: The Roleplaying Game." As you advance in levels, you gain sides. Now adventures must face the Deadly Dodecahedron, not to mention the Devastating D20! It also has the advantage of making dice and miniatures interchangable...

Keith

snakewing · Post by **snakewing** » Sat Dec 21, 2002 8:12 pm

Haven't read the Doppelgangers guide so I don't know what it says about the Gelatinous Cube. Still, you can't question not wanting the opportunity to play a Gelatinous Cube.

gregdetwiler · Post by **gregdetwiler** » Mon Dec 23, 2002 12:53 pm

The Gelatinous Cube is just a shaped version of the oozes, puddings, jellies, molds, and slimes. I understand your interest; as I said before, they're among the most "absorbing" of creatures (hahahahaha!).

snakewing · Post by **snakewing** » Tue Dec 24, 2002 11:04 am

Complete Guide to Mindflayers

I know the Drow guide had rules for half-drow/half-mindflayer, but it would be great to play a full-blooded mindflayer. I'm surprised that Mongoose Publishing hasn't released a Slayer's Guide to Mindflayers yet.

snakewing · Post by **snakewing** » Tue Dec 24, 2002 11:07 am

Completer Guide to Mindflayers. now that would be something that would be really good.

Post by **goodmangames** » Tue Dec 24, 2002 12:04 pm

[quote][i]Originally posted by snakewing[/i]
Complete Guide to Mindflayers

I know the Drow guide had rules for half-drow/half-mindflayer, but it would be great to play a full-blooded mindflayer. I'm surprised that Mongoose Publishing hasn't released a Slayer's Guide to Mindflayers yet. [/quote]

We'd considered doing a mindflayer book, but Paradigm beat us to the punch -- their "Unveiled Masters: The Essential Guide to Mind Flayers" is scheduled for... well, actually I think it's overdue; I believe they had it scheduled for November or December release. I can't find an update on their web site (www.paradigmconcepts.com). If theirs doesn't come out soon, we might just have to do our own after all...

Goodman Games

Complete Guide to Cockroaches

Complete Guide to Cockroaches

Dire Cockroaches

Locathah

Sabretooth Tigers

I was just thinking about that...