Rather than going through an listing every creature from the original MM, FF, and MM2 that is represented in the upcoming Adventures Dark and Deep™ Bestiary, I thought it might be illustrative to list the beasties that aren’t to be found in it:
Adherer, Aleax, Astral Searcher, Berbalang, Carbuncle, Cifal, Clubneck (but there are three other kinds of giant walking birds to make up for it), Crypt Thing, Denzelian, Disenchanter, Oriental Dragons (to be included in a forthcoming supplement on Wuxia-type adventures), Enveloper, Eye of Fear and Flame, Frost Man, Gambado, Garbug, Giant Strider, Gorbel, Hook Horror, Hound of Ill Omen, Imorph, Kamdan, Killmoulis, Lava Children, Magnesium Spirit, Meenlock, Needleman, Pĕnanggalan, Protein Polymorph, Sandman, Sheet Ghoul, Sheet Phantom, Shocker, Skulk, Terithran, Tiger Fly, Tirapheg, Trilloch, Ice Troll, Spirit Troll, Tween, Umpleby, Vision, Vortex, Witherstench, and Xill.
Aside from possibly an odd dinosaur or two, everything else from the original three monster books is going to be found in the Bestiary (or at least something that can be used in lieu of those creatures which cannot be included due to their not having been declared Open Game Content). We’re talking over 900 creatures, including nearly a hundred new ones.
Most of the omissions were made simply because I find the particular creature either useless, goofy, unnecessarily complicated, or a combination thereof. I’m sure some people are going to be unhappy at some of my specific choices (I await the torrent of comments from fans of the Protein Polymorph with both dread and anticipation), but without specific guidance from Gygax as to which creatures, exactly, he was planning on excising from his 2nd edition, I had to go with my own judgement.
However, I didn’t have the heart to take out the flumph. That’s in there.
The Kickstarter to fund the artwork for the Bestiary will be starting up sometime in May. Keep an eye out!
AARGH! Protein Polymorph! said no one.
No Skulk? There go UK2 and UK3.
I didn't see Flumph in that list. This brings great joys to my heart, I have and may never use the creature in any of my games, but that little strange creature holds a special place in we grognardian's hearts.
The noble flumph is indeed there. I added a little… flavor to it. It's now one of the grossest servants of lawful good you'll ever see.
The only creature on that list that I will miss (much less have ever used) is the Hook Horror. Ah well.
The Hook Horror was actually one that was on the cusp. As you say, it's one of those things that I have never, ever, used in 36 years of playing, and I just couldn't bring myself to include it.
So does that mean you are going to keep the masher?
good "to forget list" 🙂
Good list. I can agree with most of the cuts. Hook Horror is still a minor fave of mine. I even had the toy long ago.
Do you plan to include the Goristro (Major Demon) that Gary detailed in issue 91 of Dragon? If I remember correctly, it was only left out of the MMII due to an oversight.
Unfortunately neither the masher nor the goristro are designated as Open Game Content under the OGL.
That said, there are going to be new creatures in the Bestiary that could be used in lieu of those monsters with little problem.
Aw, no penanggalan? I liked that one both because it broke the undead mold of Yet Another Ghost or Rotting Corpse, and because I first ran into it in a Hellboy story.
Long live the Flumph!
Long live the flumph! Flumph fans may enjoy this article or this adventure!