Monday 25 April 2011

Hello, little beastie... - Living table (1) - Entries 51-70

A few more entries for the Small Creatures table here at the Expanse and over at DM Muse. They're ideas for small creatures in gaming and writing, non-system-specific.

There are 20 more, making 70 in total. Again, rolling a D70 isn't practical, but DM Muse can do the random bit. Remember, this is a living table, meaning you can add to it.

  1. As a defence, this creature expands to immense size; if an attempt is made at capture or harm, it will deflate, releasing a cloud of noxious gas.
  2. This elongated creature is slow-moving and muscular, and will attempt to constrict a nearby organism if ignored.
  3. This creature is magnetic and exerts a strong pull on metal items.
  4. As a defence, this creature produces a flash of light through its outer tissues.
  5. This creature is able to focus any light falling on its body, and will defend itself by unleashing a blast of as much heat as it can muster by this means.
  6. This creature has a terrifying appearance likely to cause shock upon discovery.
  7. This ornately-horned or tusked creature attempts to gore any perceived threats.
  8. This creature has a fungal biology and will release spores upon discovery; these will produce rapidly-maturing offspring in clothing and among possessions at a later date, at which point roll again on this table for the nature they exhibit.
  9. This creature secretes a lubrication making it extremely difficult to grip.
  10. This multipedal creature will respond to danger by fixing itself to the ground with its sharp claws.
  11. This telepathic creature will attempt to plant suggestions in the minds of nearby organisms, encouraging its support and protection.
  12. This insubstantial creature will attempt to possess the body of a nearby organism, and will be difficult to evict once in.
  13. This creature is covered in a great mass of silken hair, which it will shed and attempt to abandon unnoticed; if pursued, roll again on this table, treating the same result as no additional effect.
  14. This creature has the ability to pass through solid materials; if approached, it will do so, leaving an opening icy to the touch.
  15. This flying creature catapults away when discovered to circle or hover far overhead, remaining there for some time, a sign for all able to read it.
  16. This creature is in fact mechanical, a collection of highly advanced technologies; if approached, roll twice more on this table to determine its immediately notable systems.
  17. This shapeshifting creature is able to mimic the appearance of other organisms, even those of greatly differing size, and defends itself by duplicating a threat.
  18. As a defence, this creature will break itself down into increasingly small component organisms which scatter in every direction.
  19. This creature is in fact a vehicle for another; if approached, roll again on this table, treating the same result as immediate emergence; upon emergence, also brought about through the death of the vehicle or attempts at friendly communication, roll once again to determine the nature of the pilot.
  20. This highly-intelligent creature controls a network of other creatures spanning a vast area; if threatened, it will call upon them, at which point roll again on this table for each new arrival to determine its nature.

I've fed them in at DM Muse, but it may take a little while for them to appear. If you want to add your own ideas, or even a completely new table, go right ahead.
_

4 comments:

doreen said...

Very interesting. As I want to write in this genre one day (when the tragedies finally stop) I suppose I should pay attention and learn.

C'nor (Outermost_Toe) said...

71 is now submitted:

"This creature emits gases which cause hallucinations."

Porky said...

@ doreen - I hope those are tragedies in the literary sense. I'm not sure you can learn much from me here. C'nor though - we all learn from him...

@ C'nor (Outermost_Toe) - A worthy entry. And the D71 is an even rarer beast.

Inspired as ever I am by your contributions, I've just submitted no. 72:

"This creature is apparently a perfect polyhedron, but of a number of sides demonstrably impossible."

Also, someone has marked the 'Say again?' box. Not unreasonably. This is simply a list of possible features for strange small creatures. It's been added to the website DM Muse, which allows the features to be selected randomly. It's most likely to be used as a tool for roleplaying, to help the person running the game determine the nature of a creature or creatures the players encounter, but it could also be used by gamers of other kinds, and by writers for inspiration.

C'nor (Outermost_Toe) said...

Thanks! 72. is cool too!