MitD - What We Know

[Kittenwolf]

Hi all. I'm sure there must have been a thread similar to this before, but the search feature failed me somehow.

What I'm looking for is a list of, mechanics-wise, what we actually know about the MitD. It's been stated that it's a legit monster that we should be able to pin down from clues in the comic (may be a DnD monster, or may be one from other Mythology. Unconfirmed)
So. Lets see if we can list all the clues (I'll try and keep this post updated as new info comes in from people).
Note - Anything in Italics with a bolded number is Very Likely, but not Certain

*Warning. Mild spoilers for SoD*

0) Rightly, as many have pointed out, the MitD is a species rather than a unique creature due to the number of people who have recognised "one of these!". This also makes it very unlike that it is a half-breed or templated creature unless it's a template that doesn't change the appearance of the creature.
1) Creature type not normally found in a Rain forest (From SoD)
2) Creature cannot normally talk *or* cannot normally speak Common (From SoD)
3) Has DR that is not overcome by Slashing damage (From the 'game' with Miko)
4) Has either incredibly high strength or some other similar means of hurling someone a large distance by "An Attack" (From the 'game' with Miko)
5) Likely has a quite high CR (Redcloak has commented that it could easily escape) - note. Of course this is a given considering what else it can do
6) Is not immune to Mind Affecting spells (SoD - Xykon enchanted it to eat Redcloak if he betrays him)
7) Has some kind of undefined ability to make others disappear (Comic 661). Possible Effects are:
- Teleport Other
- Time-Hop (Psionic ability)
- Plane-shift others
- Ability to make others Ethereal
- Wish, Limited Wish or Miracle (duplicate any of the above abilities)
- Salient Divine Ability capable of duplicating the above
8) Has two eyes in the usual one-beside-the-other configuration. It may only have two, or it may have more in other locations (eyes in the back of your head?)
9) At Medium or Large size, it may well be either a Runt for its species, or it's a monster that increases in size as it increases in HD
10) Has the ability to cause an Earthquake (apparently accidentally)
11) Has thus far shown no tendency towards (or away from) good/evil/law/chaos. This may indicate Neutrality, or may be a function of its personality/immaturity.
12) Shocking or unusual appearance. Has been described as "Horrible, and yet so Beautiful". If we leave out opinion of what is horrible/beautiful to those speaking, it still must have an uncommon, unusual or shocking appearance.

Anyone else have any other tidbits to add?

[shadzar]

-doesn't eat babies
-father was "huge" and eats much more than he does

[Jural]

I posit that we don't know 7) yet. The characters could have disappeared due to an off panel action. Is it likely? No. We are obviously meant to believe the MitD did it. But it's possible.

For example, the fiends could have grabbed them both because V is somehow of great value to them.

[Kittenwolf]

I posit that we don't know 7) yet. The characters could have disappeared due to an off panel action. Is it likely? No. We are obviously meant to believe the MitD did it. But it's possible.

For example, the fiends could have grabbed them both because V is somehow of great value to them.

Actually, I agree with this possibility. I initially thought that when I read the comic, but for some reason didn't note that in my page. Stupid brain oversight. Shall update the page.

[Morquard]

- while not eating babies it apperently has no problem eating other people. Alright we never saw him actually do it, but it more than once said it would (117 for example, or 476)

[HamsterOfTheGod]

- Has an Earthquake or Stomp like ability
- Has a very loud yell or sonic weapon
- Other than babies, will eat anything including moldy cheesburgers and Scrabble tiles

[Sanguine]

I posit that we don't know 7) yet. The characters could have disappeared due to an off panel action. Is it likely? No. We are obviously meant to believe the MitD did it. But it's possible.

For example, the fiends could have grabbed them both because V is somehow of great value to them.

The problem with that theory is why would they also grab O-Chul? After all we have no reason to believe he is of interest to him, and he is a Paladin so I doubt they would save him if it wasn't in there best interest.

[B9anders]

The fiends can't interfere except to make pacts with mortals according to themselves.

Anyway, we also know it attracts demon roaches.

[The Wanderer]

The problem with that theory is why would they also grab O-Chul?

The other problem is that they said they couldn't affect anything in the mortal plane unless either someone was making a deal with them or they had someone working for them to do it. So it's probably not the IFCC unless they have someone working for them who was capable of piercing Cloister to get V and O'Chul out of there. If they have someone capable of that, it lessens the odds that they'd be trying to deal with V.

Between that fact and the MITD's glowing eyes when it says escape, it is most likely the MITD.

[Kittenwolf]

Hamster - I'm leaving out the Sonic Shout option since nobody suffered obvious damage, or fascinate/dominate/enthralled or the other things that a voice-based ability would normally cause, so it may well have just been an unexpected loud shout.

To those who have mentioned what it eats, I'm also leaving those off the list simply because Diet is so likely to be a matter of personal choice rather than species (though the moment I find a monster in a splat book with Dietary Requirement - Stew I'll be changing that! :D )

[Kittenwolf]

Also, those talking about was it the MitD or not that caused the disappearing, please use another thread. I'd rather not have off-topic discussions going off, we know how quickly those derail threads :)

[Milskidasith]

Pretty much everything listed makes the monster seem like it is a

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pit fiend

That particular creature happens to be huge later, has extremely high strength, wish as a spell-like ability, can see in darkness, and could plausibly attract demon roaches.

[guartz]

You should add that it seemingly behaves like a child and is generally ignorant of it's strength/abilities.

[Kittenwolf]

You should add that it seemingly behaves like a child and is generally ignorant of it's strength/abilities.

True, but I think this is more a function of it's personality than a function of it's species.

[HamsterOfTheGod]

Pretty much everything listed makes the monster seem like it is a

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pit fiend

That particular creature happens to be huge later, has extremely high strength, wish as a spell-like ability, can see in darkness, and could plausibly attract demon roaches.

Alignment would be a problem.

Neo_Leviathan, don't know if you want to put that it seems to be neutral in alignment.

[guartz]

pit fiend that likes tea parties?

[Corwin Weber]

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A pre-adolescent Titan?

[guartz]

It could be a construct...
from flesh...
of demons...

[factotum]

I think there is one crucial thing suggesting it is NOT a pit fiend: alignment. The MitD is clearly not evil, despite its association with Xykon and Redcloak--that's more of an accident of circumstance. In addition, O-Chul (a character who has the innate ability to detect evil, don't forget) considered the MitD to be a "good man".

[Morquard]

mild SOD spoiler

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don't forget that MitD does not seem to be a "one of a kind" deal.
- the hunters that captured it in the jungle said "I'd never expect to find one of its kind in this region", which clearly indicate they know what it is, and would expect to find it elsewhere.
- they're surprised MitD can either speak at all or at least speak common. Which indicates they're familar with its species and don't expect them to talk
- Redcloak said something along the lines "But you could escape, I saw what you are, they can't stop you" in the circus. Which also indicates he knows what it is and what its capable of.

[Alair]

The audience's "It's hideous" "Yet so beautiful" type reactions in SoD might also be worth noting.

[SPoD]

I think there is one crucial thing suggesting it is NOT a pit fiend: alignment. The MitD is clearly not evil, despite its association with Xykon and Redcloak--that's more of an accident of circumstance. In addition, O-Chul (a character who has the innate ability to detect evil, don't forget) considered the MitD to be a "good man".

Yeah, but it could be a rare Good fiend...that would explain why Xykon and Redcloak both assume it is on their side and would eat adventurers. The rules allow for such creatures, even if it's the only one ever.

I don't think that's what it is, for other reasons, but I think the creature's alignment should not be taken as an indicator of what it is.

[guartz]

If it wasn't for the fact that we know it only has 2 eyes, I'd say it's an awakened gray render... the whole bonding thing, plus how the rangers recognized it. etc.

[Yendor]

It may well have darkvision, unless the crystal ball has it built-in.

[daggaz]

Well I was all for the baby dungeonbred terrasque, until it used SLA:wish (to me this is obvious, the earlier panel with tsukiko and ochuuls torture, his eyes glow while he wishes out loud for him to escape, the roaches who usually know more about him than he does are ALL staring at him).

Now it lends credence to the pit-fiend theory, except one major problem. And no, Im not talking about alignment issues.

Pit-fiends can speak common, along with a host of other languages. As well, why in god's name would a couple of probably mid-level anachronistic english colonial explorers be familiar with pit fiends? They arent exactly fascinatingly beautiful, either. Ok that is three problems. And big ones, if you ask me. Pit fiend should be dropped from the list, find something else.

[Nerdanel]

Plane Shift as a spell-like ability is actually what would be expected in my MitD conception.

I've for a long time held the view that the MitD is a result of template-stacking, namely:

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Half-Earth Elemental Half-Dragon (Crystal) Tarrasque (possibly with more templates than that).

[daggaz]

From another thread, I am now leaning towards the fact that it is Yoshi.

[Lemarc]

Pretty much everything listed makes the monster seem like it is a

Spoiler

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pit fiend

That particular creature happens to be huge later, has extremely high strength, wish as a spell-like ability, can see in darkness, and could plausibly attract demon roaches.

Pit fiends are highly intelligent and extremely evil, neither of which match. They can speak any language (or use telepathy depending on the source material), which also doesn't match. And most importantly, they don't have parents.

[Borris]

But Plane Shift has a range of touch. And while a reach Plane Shift might do the trick, that'd be the equivalent of a 7th-level cleric spell, or 9th-level sorcerer/wizard spell. Wish or the like seems like the best hypothesis.


Regarding what the MitD may be, we've also seen that it eats, a lot. Therfore, it's certainly a living creature, so we may exclude any type of Construct, and likely Undead as well. Oozes and Vermins are always mindless, and Animals cannot have an Intelligence score above 2, so we can rule them out as well. Also, consider the following lines (quoted from the SRD)
Elementals do not eat, sleep, or breathe.
Constructs do not eat, sleep, or breathe.
Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep.

That leaves Aberration, Dragon, Fey, Humanoid (unlikely), Magical Beast, Monstrous Humanoid, Outsider (who don't have to eat but can if they want to), and Plant as possible types. I really don't think we're dealing with a Fey, Humanoid, or Plant, but we'd better not reject any possibility yet.

[daggaz]

Plane shift is totally out, and I am surprised that playgrounders even mention it (are they reading the same comic??). EVERY time we have seen it used, it opens up a gate like portal to another plane. Sabine and Quarr have both shown this. See any gate like portal in that panel?? Nope, just two *pops*.

Teleport-like pops. Wish can teleport people from any plane to any place on any plane (same or another) without touching them.

Gate is also out. It opens a ..gate. We have seen this as well.