MitD VI: The Undiscovered Creature (Please Read the First Post)

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Rich has been more than willing to alter the size of species to suit his needs - see 'inexplicably Medium-sized fairies'.

Evidence so far is only in the opposite direction of what Rich would use Dungeonbred on - i.e. he has made smaller creatures larger, but dragons are still huge.

He also would, presumably, bend the rules less with MitD than with not-in-a-guessing-game characters.

Both of those said, "dungeonbred having been created because Rich needed a way to make MitD fit under the umbrella" seems unlikely, since when he decided on MitD, he was behind the throne, where he had massive amount of space.

Grey Wolf

[AgentPaper]

Both of those said, "dungeonbred having been created because Rich needed a way to make MitD fit under the umbrella" seems unlikely, since when he decided on MitD, he was behind the throne, where he had massive amount of space.

Actually, that probably makes it more likely. He could have decided that MitD was this huge creature, and then later when it came time for them to go aboveground, he realized that having him be massive was really inconvenient, since panels including him would then need to be zoomed out a bunch or only show part of him.

However, using a template that he made, even if it later ended up being published, seems to go against his "it's not a therblewurkersaurus" statement, which does make it fairly unlikely.

[Necromancy]

I thought we already figured mitd out?

[Kish]

Some elaboration is required.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

I thought we already figured mitd out?

It is quite literally impossible to figure MitD out, since even the best fit will have to be checked against reality to see if it actually matches, and we will not have a reality to check against until the MitD reveal.

This thread is meant to compile the clues, generate interpretations of said clues ("can he be psionic?" "Under what circumstances can a monster be mind-controlled?"), and keep track of suggestions.

To organise the latter, I do divide them up into a number of groups, one of which happens to be a kind of "showcase" of monsters that fit what experience has told me is the hardest evidence to explain (all at once); but this thread makes no claim that MitD must be one of those (or, in fact, any of the monsters listed). They are there for ease of use: if you want to suggest a monster, it is very hard to know what the thread considers a strong participant by looking through 100 different suggestions - but you can see how it measures against a much more manageable half-dozen.

Hope that helps,

Grey Wolf

[Necromancy]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=234528

*grin*

[Grey_Wolf_c]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=234528

*grin*

Yeah, I didn't find that funny when it was first brought up, and I still don't.

Grey Wolf

[Necromancy]

You don't think it's funny? When did this become serious business?

Granted that monster could fit almost anywhere, I think it's entirely plausible. The reason I would like to think it is a giant space hamster is not how well it fits but because Burlew likes to reference his own previously published works as already shown.

[Throknor]

You don't think it's funny? When did this become serious business?

Granted that monster could fit almost anywhere, I think it's entirely plausible. The reason I would like to think it is a giant space hamster is not how well it fits but because Burlew likes to reference his own previously published works as already shown.

You keep using this word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

But, to refute it (probably done before, but I'm letting my brain think about work in the background):
1) It depends on a person having read and recalling the creature. A low subset of readers to base the 'can be figured out' comment on.
2) It contains a number of trademarked terms. Forgivable for a joke submission to the trademark owner, but not likely to be used now.
3) The acid sharks were a jab at crazy source-books using his own as an example. The MITD is a major (at least not-minor) character that probably has at least one more significant plot point, and had at least three previous ones.

And I've run out of energy to continue. But for bringing up dead ideas you win the 'accurate nickname' award.

[Crusher]

Can't be it. That monster is specifically listed as being sub-tropical, yet the BGH's were surprised to see one in a rainforest and sub-tropical can indeed include rainforest terrain.

[SavageWombat]

Can't be it. That monster is specifically listed as being sub-tropical, yet the BGH's were surprised to see one in a rainforest and sub-tropical can indeed include rainforest terrain.

Darn it, you're right. Good thing someone looked at the suggestion critically.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

You don't think it's funny? When did this become serious business?

Me not finding it funny ≠ MitD being serious business. There is a section for light-hearted ideas. This just happens to be an idea that doesn't tickle my fancy unlike, say, the much cleverer "fanboy" suggestion.

GW

[SavageWombat]

Me not finding it funny ≠ MitD being serious business. There is a section for light-hearted ideas. This just happens to be an idea that doesn't tickle my fancy unlike, say, the much cleverer "fanboy" suggestion.

GW

Which perfectly demonstrates our disagreement with your sense of humor. Oh well.

[Olinser]

Which perfectly demonstrates our disagreement with your sense of humor. Oh well.

I didn't think it was particularly funny either.

The Amorph is up there not just because it was funny, but because somebody made a pretty reasonable case that it COULD fulfill a good deal of the MiTD scenes. (Though I think it would be awesome if it did turn out to be Schlock).

Anyway, this is the MiTD thread. Jokes are fine, but if you just want to propose ridiculous outlandish ideas that have no basis in reality, feel free to create your own thread and call it the 'Zany Ridiculous Random MiTD Guess Thread'.

[ti'esar]

I don't think the amorph was even meant as a "funny" suggestion in the first place. I don't think it's all that plausible (mainly for real-world reasons, though I also think "he used a teraport" for the escape is kind of cheap), but it does meet the criteria well enough to be listed.

A giant space hamster, though? Please.

[SavageWombat]

Oh, a picture of a box with eyes, or a gazebo, or a dig at fans, is a much better joke than a joke that Rich Burlew himself made years ago. I see.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Oh, a picture of a box with eyes, or a gazebo, or a dig at fans, is a much better joke than a joke that Rich Burlew himself made years ago. I see.

Like it or not, we voted on this, and the consensus was to not include it.

Further derailing of the thread to discuss my sense of humour or lack thereof will be reported to the mods.

Grey Wolf

[Irish Musician]

Like it or not, we voted on this, and the consensus was to not include it.

Further derailing of the thread to discuss my sense of humour or lack thereof will be reported to the mods.

Grey Wolf

Moving along from the Giant Wombat.....

I have a question about Templates. Are we completely against templates as a whole? Or could we concede to, say, one template to drape over the monster that MitD might be?

I ask, because I do forget what we decided there, if anything. Thanks.

[Crusher]

Templates are a crutch and to be avoided because they make it progressively more difficult to figure out what MitD would actually be. However, they are not completely forbidden, particularly if you can come up with a compelling reason for it to have the template based on what we've seen in-strip and afaik no one has really come up with one yet.

As GW noted above, if for some reason we get information suggesting MitDs parents are different species, then "half-dragon" or whatever will suddenly become a lot more defensible. IMO, the closest thing we've come across to a justifiable template was the Pseudonatural Barghast Servitor of the Dark One (based on the idea that Pseudonatural means spooky extra-planar and a Servitor of the Dark One would probably be extra planar) and frankly even that's not nearly close enough to being defensible.

[AgentPaper]

Moving along from the Giant Wombat.....

I have a question about Templates. Are we completely against templates as a whole? Or could we concede to, say, one template to drape over the monster that MitD might be?

I ask, because I do forget what we decided there, if anything. Thanks.

We actually just brought this up a bit ago. In general, templates are a no-no, but due mostly to how slowly progress has been going due to a lack of new clues, I've proposed adding a new section with promising templates that could help turn an unlikely candidate into a more likely candidate. Mostly, something that adds an ability that helps explain one of the big scenes, so super strength, ugliness, or teleportation magic.

[Silver Swift]

Out of curiosity, has anyone actually tried to find a stack of templates that would turn a potted plant into a proper MitD candidate? Might be interesting to see how convoluted that would really have to be.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Out of curiosity, has anyone actually tried to find a stack of templates that would turn a potted plant into a proper MitD candidate? Might be interesting to see how convoluted that would really have to be.

No, no-one actually has. The potted plant MitD was my example, and I don't know enough about templates to pull off the real thing.

GW

[KillItWithFire]

I think it really depends on the type of template, for instance, half-dragon is a template but in the case of most half-dragon characters I've seen, the half-dragon part of them formed their identity rather than whatever base race they had. The problem with templates I think is the ease at which you can slap them on willy-nilly to cover all of your MitD bases without giving a care to what the base race is, like a brand new cook who just discovered the spice rack.

[AgentPaper]

I think it really depends on the type of template, for instance, half-dragon is a template but in the case of most half-dragon characters I've seen, the half-dragon part of them formed their identity rather than whatever base race they had. The problem with templates I think is the ease at which you can slap them on willy-nilly to cover all of your MitD bases without giving a care to what the base race is, like a brand new cook who just discovered the spice rack.

That's why we've avoided them until now, but with the lack of good new candidates it seems worthwhile to look at candidates + ONE template. As long as we stick to one template, we avoid much of the "potted plant" problems.

[ReaderAt2046]

We actually just brought this up a bit ago. In general, templates are a no-no, but due mostly to how slowly progress has been going due to a lack of new clues, I've proposed adding a new section with promising templates that could help turn an unlikely candidate into a more likely candidate. Mostly, something that adds an ability that helps explain one of the big scenes, so super strength, ugliness, or teleportation magic.

Well, my first thought was the Half-Fiend template. It can be stuck on any nongood (so neutral is allowed) living corporeal creature. The description states that "No matter its form, a half-fiend is always hideous to behold". Among the template's effects are +4 Str, +2 Con, a free bite attack (so anything that doesn't have a mouth would get one), +1 to any natural armor it may posess, DR 5/magic (or DR 10/magic if more than 11 HD), and a bunch of SLAs, including 3/day Darkness with a caster level equal to HD (so a 18-20 HD creature would have 9-10 hours of Darkness), and Unholy Aura (which wreathes the subjects in malevolent Darkness and grants +4 AC for one rnd/lvl).

I realize this isn't a great match, but I wanted to get the ball rolling.

[Steven]

Technically there has never been anything stopping someone from suggesting a template creature. It's just that, because it essentially makes anything a viable option, we have to have a far higher standard for putting a creature with templates in the first post.
Even if you create a creature with a single template that can do everything perfectly until I see some kind of in comic hit that there might be a template on the MitD I'd vote against any suggestions that use them.

Well unless someone can come up with a reason I haven't already thought of which is well within the bounds of possibility.

[Sniffnoy]

Yes, there are a few templated suggestions in the first post already, in a separate section. There just aren't that many, because, as you said, the bar is higher.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Yes, there are a few templated suggestions in the first post already, in a separate section. There just aren't that many, because, as you said, the bar is higher.

There have been a few more than what is listed in 2d, but they tend to run afoul of the "only the name" suggestions, and sometimes the "Thor, not another tarrasque template" cry for mercy "rule" (I included many of those, but judge for yourself).

GW

[Sniffnoy]

There have been a few more than what is listed in 2d, but they tend to run afoul of the "only the name" suggestions

Sorry, could you explain what you mean by this?

[DaggerPen]

So bump it up to epic levels. I'm sure some optimizers on these boards can make it work :)

I haven't yet finished catching up on the thread, but I'd just like to note for the record that, though implausible, the mental image of V and O-Chul being sent flying literally hundreds of miles so quickly that it looked like they just disappeared made my sides hurt from laughing so hard. Totally implausible, but very, very funny.