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5E: Monstrous Arthropods for Fifth Edition
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<blockquote data-quote="Cleon" data-source="post: 9252091" data-attributes="member: 57383"><p>I wanted to include a Small flying insect in the list of common prey, but had a ridiculous time finding any.</p><p></p><p>Most of the Small insects I checked were flightless, and many that I thought would be Small or perhaps even Tiny, like Giant Bluebottles or Giant Mosquitos, were Medium or Large in size.</p><p></p><p>I gave up after finding one definite and a couple of unsatisfactory maybes:</p><p></p><p><strong>Firstly:</strong> The "Unusually Large Cockroaches" in the Third Edition D&D adventure <em>DD2 Sinister Spire</em> (2007) are sized Small and have a 40 ft. (average) flight speed. What's unusual about them is regular Giant Cockroaches are Medium! <em>DD2</em> includes Giant Cockroaches and a Cockroach Swarm in the same encounter, so I can't help wondering whether the the "Unusually Large" ones are juveniles and the Giants are their big siblings?</p><p></p><p>Giant Cockroaches also appear in the 3E <em>Underdark</em> (2003) and in the 4E <em>Dungeon #164</em> (2009) as part of the Infested Tower encounter in the adventure "Worse than Death" by Robert J. Schwalb.</p><p></p><p><strong>Secondly:</strong> While the 1E AD&D Giant Praying Mantis from <em>Monster Manual II</em> (1983) is Large like the 3E version, the 2E in the <em>Monstrous Manual</em> (1993), the Gargantuan Praying Mantis, is based on the one in <em>SJR2 - Realmspace</em> (1991). While the Monstrous Manual version is just a single-line entry in its "Insect" section, the SJR2 version has a full Monstrous Compendium style writeup which gives them a size of Small to Medium.</p><p></p><p>Unfortunately, the 2E version is flightless, unlike the 1E and 3E versions. Also, it's literally an Alien Space Insect because SJR2 is a Spelljammer sourcebook!</p><p></p><p><strong>Third and Finally:</strong> Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons has not one, but two varieties of Small maggots, the Dire Maggot from <em>Libris Mortis</em> (2004) and the Giant Maggot from <em>Underdark</em> (2003).</p><p></p><p>Now maggots are fly larvae, and if the maggot is Small than the fly it pupates into is most likely Small too.</p><p></p><p>Unfortunately, neither monster specifies what adults these maggots pupate into, and make clear that are Maggots In Name Only that may hatch into other sorts of insect. The dire version describes them as "the worm-shaped larva of a fly, but a dire maggot is the larva of similarly monstrous flying vermin" while the giant one has "larval forms of various giant insects" and "resembles a white or gray worm. Occasionally one has tiny legs that make it look like a pale caterpillar. Some types of maggots are aquatic or amphibious."</p><p></p><p>So they could be moth or mosquito larva as easily as flies going by that.</p><p></p><p>Incidentally, the <em>Libris Mortis</em> Dire Maggot is ridiculously nasty: AC 16, Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.; HD 6 with advancement to HD 12 <em>while remaining Small</em>, plus a 1d8+2 damage bite with paralyzing venom.</p><p></p><p>It's the speed I find the most egregious. It's a maggot!</p><p></p><p>Long story short, now I fancy writing up a Small giant flying insect to have something to list as the Giant Dragonfly's favourite flying meal.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Cleon, post: 9252091, member: 57383"] I wanted to include a Small flying insect in the list of common prey, but had a ridiculous time finding any. Most of the Small insects I checked were flightless, and many that I thought would be Small or perhaps even Tiny, like Giant Bluebottles or Giant Mosquitos, were Medium or Large in size. I gave up after finding one definite and a couple of unsatisfactory maybes: [b]Firstly:[/b] The "Unusually Large Cockroaches" in the Third Edition D&D adventure [i]DD2 Sinister Spire[/i] (2007) are sized Small and have a 40 ft. (average) flight speed. What's unusual about them is regular Giant Cockroaches are Medium! [i]DD2[/i] includes Giant Cockroaches and a Cockroach Swarm in the same encounter, so I can't help wondering whether the the "Unusually Large" ones are juveniles and the Giants are their big siblings? Giant Cockroaches also appear in the 3E [I]Underdark[/I] (2003) and in the 4E [I]Dungeon #164[/I] (2009) as part of the Infested Tower encounter in the adventure "Worse than Death" by Robert J. Schwalb. [b]Secondly:[/b] While the 1E AD&D Giant Praying Mantis from [i]Monster Manual II[/i] (1983) is Large like the 3E version, the 2E in the [i]Monstrous Manual[/i] (1993), the Gargantuan Praying Mantis, is based on the one in [i]SJR2 - Realmspace[/i] (1991). While the Monstrous Manual version is just a single-line entry in its "Insect" section, the SJR2 version has a full Monstrous Compendium style writeup which gives them a size of Small to Medium. Unfortunately, the 2E version is flightless, unlike the 1E and 3E versions. Also, it's literally an Alien Space Insect because SJR2 is a Spelljammer sourcebook! [b]Third and Finally:[/b] Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons has not one, but two varieties of Small maggots, the Dire Maggot from [i]Libris Mortis[/i] (2004) and the Giant Maggot from [i]Underdark[/i] (2003). Now maggots are fly larvae, and if the maggot is Small than the fly it pupates into is most likely Small too. Unfortunately, neither monster specifies what adults these maggots pupate into, and make clear that are Maggots In Name Only that may hatch into other sorts of insect. The dire version describes them as "the worm-shaped larva of a fly, but a dire maggot is the larva of similarly monstrous flying vermin" while the giant one has "larval forms of various giant insects" and "resembles a white or gray worm. Occasionally one has tiny legs that make it look like a pale caterpillar. Some types of maggots are aquatic or amphibious." So they could be moth or mosquito larva as easily as flies going by that. Incidentally, the [i]Libris Mortis[/i] Dire Maggot is ridiculously nasty: AC 16, Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.; HD 6 with advancement to HD 12 [i]while remaining Small[/i], plus a 1d8+2 damage bite with paralyzing venom. It's the speed I find the most egregious. It's a maggot! Long story short, now I fancy writing up a Small giant flying insect to have something to list as the Giant Dragonfly's favourite flying meal. [/QUOTE]
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