Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Werebat 03-30-07, 07:05 AM	Why would the Gatekeepers create Horrid Animals with acid-based special attacks to help them fight off the Daelkyr and their minions when pseudonatural creatures have resistance to acid? - Ron ^*^
snakebliskan 03-30-07, 10:10 AM	most of the standard monsters that you see ie. mind flyers dolgaunt, dolgrims dont and acid wont start a forest fire.
The Dreaming Duck 03-30-07, 01:10 PM	I agree; we haven't seen evidence that pseudonatural creatures made up a vast chunk of the forces of Xoriat, and aberrations as a whole don't. Beyond this, the common explanation I've seen is that horrid animals are actually animals infused with certain aspects of a black dragon (remember that Vvaraak was black). They aren't actually half-dragons - something Argonnessen wouldn't approve of - but they have scaly armor, nastier natural weapons, and secrete acid. I've definitely heard the acid being attributed to Vvaraak - they couldn't have created firebreathing wolves even if they'd wanted to.
Werebat 03-30-07, 07:24 PM	I agree; we haven't seen evidence that pseudonatural creatures made up a vast chunk of the forces of Xoriat, and aberrations as a whole don't. Beyond this, the common explanation I've seen is that horrid animals are actually animals infused with certain aspects of a black dragon (remember that Vvaraak was black). They aren't actually half-dragons - something Argonnessen wouldn't approve of - but they have scaly armor, nastier natural weapons, and secrete acid. I've definitely heard the acid being attributed to Vvaraak - they couldn't have created firebreathing wolves even if they'd wanted to. Dolgaunt, Dolgrims, and arguably Mind Flayers are actually corruptions of beings native to Eberron; the creatures of Xoriat itself would be pseudonatural as much as the creatures of the Abyss in another campaign would would be fiendish. Don't get me wrong, I see your point, it just seems weird. At least a significant portion of the invaders would be expected to be pseudonatural, I mean that's what things from Xoriat *are*. And mind flayers, dolgrim, etc. aren't resistant to cold either, so why not go with cold? As for Vvaraak, I hadn't made the connection between him and the horrid animals, but it seems possible. Maybe not draconic per se, but somehow infused with some of the dragon's power (although black dragons themselves don't get acidic claw or bite attacks). - Ron ^*^
Ricohard_Draconis 03-31-07, 02:51 AM	perhaps its not that the horrid animals are ineffective against the pseudonatural creatures with acid resistance. Perhaps the pseudonatural creatures were developed by the dealkyr to have acid resistance to trump the Horrid animals.
Werebat 03-31-07, 11:54 AM	perhaps its not that the horrid animals are ineffective against the pseudonatural creatures with acid resistance. Perhaps the pseudonatural creatures were developed by the dealkyr to have acid resistance to trump the Horrid animals. I had thought of this, actually. The reason I discarded the thought is that it seems to me that pseudonatural is just the "basic" template for most creatures from the plane, just like "fiendish" or "celestial" is for the relevant places those creatures come from. Although in Lamannia you have BOTH fiendish and celestial animals roaming around, apparently. - Ron ^*^
goldomark 03-31-07, 12:38 PM	In the description of the Horrid Animal template, it is said that it can only be applied to Dire Animals. But when you look at the Animal Compagnions of the Druid, in ECS, they list Horrid Bear, and by the level they get the Horrid Bear, it seems the base creature is a normal bear. Otherwise, the Horrid Dire Bear woud be obtain at a much higher level. Am I wrong?
Captain_Kobold 04-01-07, 07:42 PM	Another thought is that aside from poison, acid is the easiest special attack form for a creature to produce, ahem, "naturally". As in, it would be harder to create a creature with a natural fire, cold etc. attack without bonding in a magical component. Whilst an animal type could concievably secrete acid naturally, most other attack forms would involve transforming them into magical beasts. The druids who created the Horrid animals may not have wanted that.
Werebat 04-01-07, 08:46 PM	Another thought is that aside from poison, acid is the easiest special attack form for a creature to produce, ahem, "naturally". As in, it would be harder to create a creature with a natural fire, cold etc. attack without bonding in a magical component. Whilst an animal type could concievably secrete acid naturally, most other attack forms would involve transforming them into magical beasts. The druids who created the Horrid animals may not have wanted that. That also makes sense. Although "animals" with acid attacks breeds Fleshrakers, and... ugh. Druid cheese. - Ron ^*^