| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 09 Aug 2019 : 13:48:45
So
an eagle/lion is a griffon (presumably on from lion)
an eagle/horse is a hippogriff (hippo meaning horse)
We also already have owlbears, but none are winged. What if someone SUCCESSFULLY combined the owlbear and the giant owl? Picturing a snowy owl with a polar bear body. Granted, it doesn't make much difference if its a bear or lion body except for size (i.e. both are large clawed paws)….
Anyway, what would it be called?
Ursigriff
Winged Owlbear (I actually see this in MTG apparently)
Dire Winged Owlbear (such that only large creatures can mount them, created through magical breeding of dire bear, owlbear, and giant owl)
Also, yes, I thought about this because I was picturing a bearfolk mounted on a winged owlbear and thought to myself "hey, let's see where we can take this bear idea". Aearee experiment? Maybe a bearfolk experiment using uncovered Aearee lore uncovering the creation of the owlbear?
Picturing snowy winged owlbear instead of traditional with polar bear humanoid mounted atop, black, red, and blue "runes" painted into the polar bear fur and wearing a headdress of black, white, and grey feathers that dangle around the face from a leather circlet with a pair of caribou antlers attached. His chest, a leather hide armor reinforced with parallel femurs of various creatures and his shoulder guards a pair of moose skulls with drizzled copper atop them. In his hand a carved piece of whale rib cage with a sharpened stone spearhead topping it but being used to cast magic in the manner of a staff. |
| 5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 24 Aug 2019 : 15:53:55
about to read this article from dragon 214, but interested if anyone knows if this has been specified anywhere. Do owlbears have a good sense of smell prior to 5e? I say this because bears I believe do, but owls are noted in particular to NOT have a good sense of smell. Thus owls are known as one of the primary creatures which hunt skunks. Since Seethyr decided to put they Kaaya'yeeda region in Anchorome's (a "land out of time" area with larger beasts that are mammalian, like smilodons, giant beavers, etc... that fit north America), I thought hmmm, what if there are some dire versions of some classic north American creatures that people don't think about. Thus, the dire skunk (which is maybe size medium, use stats for a giant weasel, but include a spray attack) might be something that owlbears might hunt (Or perhaps winged owlbears have great sight, but as they gained wings, they lost their sense of smell to be more owl like). He also has a large creature called an aniwye that's like a huge version of a skunk/badger/weasel mix, but that's a tough creature. The scent glands of a dire skunk might have some alchemical uses as well.
BTW, what's some other really stinky creatures besides ghouls and troglodytes and otyughs (none of which I think would occupy the same territory as an owlbear)?
Hmmm, and just to note, the dragon 214 article in particular talks about owlbears ability to see well in the dark and hear well, but nothing about enhanced smell. I'm thinking this is a 5e inclusion, and perhaps the Anchorome versions have the auditory and not the olfactory senses.
Like the owl, an owlbear has double normal infravision, and quadruple normal hearing. In fact, the owlbear’s hearing is so finely developed that it can attack normally in total darkness, and similarly can attack invisible creatures without penalty. Of course, this can be nullified with a silence spell. |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 12 Aug 2019 : 16:28:41
quote:
Originally posted by TBeholder
There was "Winged Owlbear" in AD&D2 era. And "Arctic Owlbear", for that matter. "The Ecology of the Owlbear" by Jonathan M. Richards, Dragon #214.
Ohh, thanks T, I'm gonna go look up that article. |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 12 Aug 2019 : 16:27:44
quote:
Originally posted by ericlboyd
Don't forget that quaggoths are technically "deepbears", although not all the artwork is very suggestive of that fact.
If you are over playing in Anchorome (which I think you are based on other posts), you could posit a branch of quaggoths still on the surface riding your buffed pegasi. :-)
Yep, one of my premises is that the Quaggoth are descendants of surface bearfolk who at some point were forced to descend into the underdark by surface races. However, not everywhere did they descend. I'm also thinking to have those Quaggoth as being from roughly the unapproachable east long before the area became mainly inhabited by humans (at a time when I call the area "the spiritlands" and it was inhabited with a lot of bestial races like gnolls, centaurs, hybsil, lythari, plant folk, etc...). These bear folk worshipped a being known as "Magnar the bear". Ironically, the Yuir barbarians also seem have worshipped a "Magnar the Bear"..... and it seems the Metahel of Anchorome also have a somewhat "Norse like" pantheon which features an all-father god named Thoros (a sky god) who has a son named Magnaer with some bear "qualities. This pantheon is kind of "post-Ragnarok" with "Odin" dead, and either they had their fates wrong OR some gods returned from the dead.... something their worshippers don't know the truth of.
more on Magnaer
Magnaer, Lord of Strength, one of the Thunder Twins – Magnaer is noted as being extremely strong and hairy, with great fists and an expertise in wrestling. Magnaer is often portrayed wielding a great club, Guldrasil, made of a limb of the world ash which he acquired while defending his father from demons as Thoros hung helpless. Magnaer tore the limb free in order to remove Thoros as his brother and sister held off the demon hordes. This limb is said to have absorbed the blood of his father Thoros and his grandfather Asagrimmr when both of them hung from the tree to learn of rune magics. This god is noted as having a female bear companion, Balanis, who periodically changes shape into that of a woman. It is rumored that her ability to change shape was a gift bestowed by Magnaer, and he did thereby accept the curse that he himself must periodically wander the world as a bear himself. Other stories say that Magnaer received Balanis as a bride-price for a service performed for another deity known as Father Bear or Balador, having come to Balador's aid when he was attacked by a great werewolf named Daragor. It is said in that story that Magnaer was bitten by Daragor and that Balador changed Magnaer's curse by mixing his blood with that of Balanis during their marriage ceremony. There are stories that these two did birth a race of intelligent bear folk, and nearly anytime the two of them are seen they are followed by three young, inquisitive bear cubs. Unlike his aggressive brother, Moedae, Magnaer is known for simply wanting to relax and eat, but he is always called out by foolish giants and other creatures who seek to best him in combat. He is the son of Yaernsacsa and Thoros.
Oh, and just to add a little more to this mix... Bhalla.... goddess of agriculture in Rashemen. Faerunians think she's Chauntea. Maybe they have it wrong. It seems there was a giant cow primordial at the beginning of time who licked the ice away from a "being" in the ice (Ulutiu = Buri?). She was a very nurturing primordial cow. What was her name? Audumbla... Audum-Bhalla... Bhalla?
Just throwing out options that possibly link Anchorome and Rashemen, Raumathar, the Northmen, Rus, etc... in possibly intriguing ways... and trying to at the same time make them "unclear".
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| TBeholder |
Posted - 09 Aug 2019 : 16:28:15
There was "Winged Owlbear" in AD&D2 era. And "Arctic Owlbear", for that matter. "The Ecology of the Owlbear" by Jonathan M. Richards, Dragon #214. |
| ericlboyd |
Posted - 09 Aug 2019 : 15:26:42
Don't forget that quaggoths are technically "deepbears", although not all the artwork is very suggestive of that fact.
If you are over playing in Anchorome (which I think you are based on other posts), you could posit a branch of quaggoths still on the surface riding your buffed pegasi. :-) |
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