List of absent monsters - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

List of absent monsters

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
excalainen
Aug 24, 2010 12:53:01 It is written that many traditional monsters are absent in Athas like Orcs, Ogres and Aboleths. Is there a complete list somewhere of the missing monsters? I am especially interested of dragons. There wasn't any mention of them except for THE dragon.
#2
sinless
Aug 24, 2010 13:14:53 There are no dragons other than The Dragon. There are quite a few people who aspire to become a dragon, but they are not a race. I don't think they have ever addressed whether there ever existed a race of dragons, but thet may have.
#3
xlorep_darkhelm
Aug 24, 2010 14:00:08
It is written that many traditional monsters are absent in Athas like Orcs, Ogres and Aboleths. Is there a complete list somewhere of the missing monsters? I am especially interested of dragons. There wasn't any mention of them except for THE dragon.

Bear in mind, that (at least in the classical view of Dark Sun, pre-4E), each of the Sorcerer-Kings are technically "dragons", in the sense that they are slowly transforming into the same thing that The Dragon is. They just haven't finished the process, while he has. They aren't full dragons, but are in bizarre mid-metamorphosis shapes -- partly human, partly draconic, twisted and freakish. However several of them conceal their true forms into idealized versions of what they think of themselves as (Nibenay, Dregoth, etc... doesn't bother with this, but Hamanu, Lalai-Puy, Abalach-Re, Tectuktitlay, etc... do).

If you include Kurn and Eldaarich in your Dark Sun, there also is one Sorcerer-King that is an Avangion (Oronis of Kurn), but they are very distant locations far to the North and typically unheardof.
#4
big_goon
Aug 24, 2010 14:28:38
It is written that many traditional monsters are absent in Athas like Orcs, Ogres and Aboleths. Is there a complete list somewhere of the missing monsters? I am especially interested of dragons. There wasn't any mention of them except for THE dragon.

I'd recommend using your own judgement, just remember "Familiar Monsters Aren't What You'd Expect".

If you decide to use Ogres or Aboleths, for example, make sure to put your own Athasian spin on it - make use of the options in the Creature Catalog. For example, while Aboleths might be rare, there might be Silt Aboleths living below the Sea of Silt, luring travelers below the depths and psionically controlling them when they succumb to the Gray Death. While there is only one Dragon* (depending on whether you include the SKs or not), your Dark Sun could include more - check the side bar in the Creature Catalog on ways to convert Dragons to your Dark Sun world.
#5
FlashbackJon
Aug 24, 2010 14:35:42 The aforementioned sidebar suggests the use of bestial chromatics: brown, gray, and red, as well as catastrophic dragons (which fit without any alteration).

But these are not the cunning, ruthless dragons of other settings, but truly monstrous predators.
#6
rian_king
Aug 25, 2010 7:58:50 I am also intersted what races don't exist in DS to.
#7
FlashbackJon
Aug 25, 2010 10:42:46 "Devas, gnomes, kobolds, ogres, orcs, and trolls are among the races that no longer exist on Athas."

However, the very same sidebar extrapolates on options for including the missing races.
#8
Ahglock
Aug 25, 2010 13:02:11 Does the creature catalog have a few pages with a list of appropriate monsters and where they are found?
#9
FlashbackJon
Aug 25, 2010 13:12:20 No specific lists of appropriate monsters (other than the aforementioned dragons sidebar) but two solid pages of guidelines for transplanting standard monsters into Athas, and another half-dozen+ on "Monster Themes" (a la DMG2).
#10
rian_king
Aug 25, 2010 13:28:00
"Devas, gnomes, kobolds, ogres, orcs, and trolls are among the races that no longer exist on Athas."

However, the very same sidebar extrapolates on options for including the missing races.

I have seen that, but I was wondering what races ar missing. They list some among others but don't mention anymore then that
#11
FlashbackJon
Aug 25, 2010 13:46:42 Oh!

Full Write-Ups: (obviously) Mul, Thri-kreen
Full Athasian Backgrounds: Dragonborn, Dwarf, Eladrin, Elf, Goliath, Half-Elf, Halfling, Human, Tiefling
Little Blurbs: Genasi, Kalashtar, Minotaur
And then a sidebar with three generic origins for including unspecified races in Dark Sun.

Also, gnolls and yuan-ti get mentioned quite a bit, but never in the context of a player. Ssurrans are described literally as the lizardfolk of Athas (one of the example monster conversions is Greenscale Marsh Mystic to Ssurran Dune Mystic).

Is that what you meant?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 excalainen Aug 24, 2010 12:53:01	It is written that many traditional monsters are absent in Athas like Orcs, Ogres and Aboleths. Is there a complete list somewhere of the missing monsters? I am especially interested of dragons. There wasn't any mention of them except for THE dragon.
#2 sinless Aug 24, 2010 13:14:53	There are no dragons other than The Dragon. There are quite a few people who aspire to become a dragon, but they are not a race. I don't think they have ever addressed whether there ever existed a race of dragons, but thet may have.
#3 xlorep_darkhelm Aug 24, 2010 14:00:08	It is written that many traditional monsters are absent in Athas like Orcs, Ogres and Aboleths. Is there a complete list somewhere of the missing monsters? I am especially interested of dragons. There wasn't any mention of them except for THE dragon. Bear in mind, that (at least in the classical view of Dark Sun, pre-4E), each of the Sorcerer-Kings are technically "dragons", in the sense that they are slowly transforming into the same thing that The Dragon is. They just haven't finished the process, while he has. They aren't full dragons, but are in bizarre mid-metamorphosis shapes -- partly human, partly draconic, twisted and freakish. However several of them conceal their true forms into idealized versions of what they think of themselves as (Nibenay, Dregoth, etc... doesn't bother with this, but Hamanu, Lalai-Puy, Abalach-Re, Tectuktitlay, etc... do). If you include Kurn and Eldaarich in your Dark Sun, there also is one Sorcerer-King that is an Avangion (Oronis of Kurn), but they are very distant locations far to the North and typically unheardof.
#4 big_goon Aug 24, 2010 14:28:38	It is written that many traditional monsters are absent in Athas like Orcs, Ogres and Aboleths. Is there a complete list somewhere of the missing monsters? I am especially interested of dragons. There wasn't any mention of them except for THE dragon. I'd recommend using your own judgement, just remember "Familiar Monsters Aren't What You'd Expect". If you decide to use Ogres or Aboleths, for example, make sure to put your own Athasian spin on it - make use of the options in the Creature Catalog. For example, while Aboleths might be rare, there might be Silt Aboleths living below the Sea of Silt, luring travelers below the depths and psionically controlling them when they succumb to the Gray Death. While there is only one Dragon* (depending on whether you include the SKs or not), your Dark Sun could include more - check the side bar in the Creature Catalog on ways to convert Dragons to your Dark Sun world.
#5 FlashbackJon Aug 24, 2010 14:35:42	The aforementioned sidebar suggests the use of bestial chromatics: brown, gray, and red, as well as catastrophic dragons (which fit without any alteration). But these are not the cunning, ruthless dragons of other settings, but truly monstrous predators.
#6 rian_king Aug 25, 2010 7:58:50	I am also intersted what races don't exist in DS to.
#7 FlashbackJon Aug 25, 2010 10:42:46	"Devas, gnomes, kobolds, ogres, orcs, and trolls are among the races that no longer exist on Athas." However, the very same sidebar extrapolates on options for including the missing races.
#8 Ahglock Aug 25, 2010 13:02:11	Does the creature catalog have a few pages with a list of appropriate monsters and where they are found?
#9 FlashbackJon Aug 25, 2010 13:12:20	No specific lists of appropriate monsters (other than the aforementioned dragons sidebar) but two solid pages of guidelines for transplanting standard monsters into Athas, and another half-dozen+ on "Monster Themes" (a la DMG2).
#10 rian_king Aug 25, 2010 13:28:00	"Devas, gnomes, kobolds, ogres, orcs, and trolls are among the races that no longer exist on Athas." However, the very same sidebar extrapolates on options for including the missing races. I have seen that, but I was wondering what races ar missing. They list some among others but don't mention anymore then that
#11 FlashbackJon Aug 25, 2010 13:46:42	Oh! Full Write-Ups: (obviously) Mul, Thri-kreen Full Athasian Backgrounds: Dragonborn, Dwarf, Eladrin, Elf, Goliath, Half-Elf, Halfling, Human, Tiefling Little Blurbs: Genasi, Kalashtar, Minotaur And then a sidebar with three generic origins for including unspecified races in Dark Sun. Also, gnolls and yuan-ti get mentioned quite a bit, but never in the context of a player. Ssurrans are described literally as the lizardfolk of Athas (one of the example monster conversions is Greenscale Marsh Mystic to Ssurran Dune Mystic). Is that what you meant?