Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Jul 04, 2004 20:28:18	are there any dinosaurs in dark sun? if so, what kinds? thanks again Cyric
#2 dracochapel Jul 04, 2004 21:21:34	Sure there are, any types you want. :D But make sure you give em extra limbs, (camouflage) scales, poison attacks, psionics and anything else you can think of to make em more Athas. Remember if they exist in athas they need a reason why things like nightmare beasts, megapedes, drakes and the Dragon havent eaten em all. Replace the Brontosaurus head with a dozen fang mouthed tentacles, give the stegasaurus hooked claws and a burrowing attack. Think the bear hybrid from the 2nd Dark sun monster book. Kalled a Klar i think. Its lower face is tentacles, it has a shell on its back, but otherwise its a bear.
#3 Kamelion Jul 05, 2004 2:25:38	There were no dinosaurs in the 2e materal but I'd agree with DracoChapel and say go ahead and add whatever takes your fancy. I've always thought that dinos fitted perfectly into the wasteland/lost world aspects of Athas - you really can't have enough oversized lizards running about the plae imho As for locations, the Lonely Butte in the Last Sea is a great place for "lost world" adventures. Some of the islands in the Sea of Silt might also have dino-like lifeforms still living on them. I can imagine plenty of pterrax-type species around the Jagged Cliffs and more amphibious dinos down in the Great Swamp (might be a good way to represent the odd lifeforms found in the Swamp). There's almost no information on the ecosystem of the Crimson Savannah - you could have herds of herbivores with attendant predators wandering the grasslands. Just some idle thoughts from a fellow dinofreak
#4 zombiegleemax Jul 05, 2004 6:33:30	When the first man stepped foot on austrialia, there was a giant lizard, It mustve been easily 20 feet long. Anyway It reaked havoc on the poor aborigines untill it was burned out... Its extinct now. Anyway saw that on discovery or one of those channels. So think iguana but huge. I could see it on athas.
#5 zombiegleemax Jul 05, 2004 13:24:09	To create a new beast for dark sun, simply take a creature that exists or existed on Earth and find a new role for it, like the Athasian Tree Sloths. They took it from its role as a herbivore and made it into a predator. Here are a few ideas I have seen or have come up with. Tree Octopus; Lives in swamps and swings from tree to tree hunting small animals. Bird-Whales; Basically, birds evolved to fill the role whales and giant marine reptiles filled. Permian Creatures; Nothing says Dark Sun like a mammal-like reptile. They had fur, warm blood, but looked and moved like a reptile. Feathered Dinosaurs; With our modern idea that dinosaurs had scales, seeing the new evidence that the later dinosaurs had fur and feathers, makes them appear more exotic and Dark Sun. You should do a search for Paleo Art. You might like a sketch you find.
#6 zombiegleemax Jul 05, 2004 19:11:54	YOu know the tree octopus isnt that far fetched, evolutionist beleive that the squid will be the next intelligent life form on earth. It will happen in about two hundred million years. But yea they were portrayed as living in trees
#7 zombiegleemax Jul 05, 2004 22:07:38	I have seen the TFIW too. I rather liked it and would say any creature from their would have a good home in Dark Sun.
#8 zombiegleemax Jul 05, 2004 23:20:26	YOu know the tree octopus isnt that far fetched, evolutionist beleive that the squid will be the next intelligent life form on earth. It will happen in about two hundred million years Oooo, where did you hear that from? It may just be what I'm looking for to add some depth levels to a homebrew that I'm working on.
#9 zombiegleemax Jul 05, 2004 23:58:11	They were from The Future is Wild, a show about future evolution on Earth done similar to Walking with Dinosaurs. Do a search and check out their website.
#10 zombiegleemax Jul 06, 2004 9:13:47	Wow that actually interested people.... My nerdism, comes out when those typa shows are on.... I whant to know how they came up with it... YOu think if Athas, had another ocean somewere else they would be sharkopaths... Hey Mach2.5optamized Its a good show, I hope you can find it... It will show you how weak humans are, considering they think the last mamals, die out in 100 million years, and I think primates are gone in what 20, or 50 MY's?
#11 dawnstealer Jul 06, 2004 11:54:14	YOu know the tree octopus isnt that far fetched, evolutionist beleive that the squid will be the next intelligent life form on earth. It will happen in about two hundred million years. But yea they were portrayed as living in trees Indeed, there's a sci-fi story out there (I think it's in Best of SF 6 or so) where a squid is used to pilot a space probe because of it's natural abilities in a 3-d environment. Interesting. Personally, I think cuttlefish are brighter. I've SCUBA-dived with a lot of marine critters, even dolphins (they don't like the bubbles, by the way), but cuttlefish were the only ones that I really felt were trying to figure me out. Of course, Athas has it's squid/octos in the Silt Horrors. Of course, a treeopus swish-plopping its way through the forests of Athas is pretty good. My thought process is this: evolve water-based lifeforms to living on land. Athas was abruptly changed from water to land, so the animals that survived that transition would be something in between. Oh, except for the big, mutie critters living in the vast deserts.
#12 Pennarin Jul 06, 2004 15:08:48	Originally posted by Dawnstealer Indeed, there's a sci-fi story out there (I think it's in Best of SF 6 or so) where a squid is used to pilot a space probe because of it's natural abilities in a 3-d environment. Interesting. That's Sheena 5, in Year's Best SF 6, which he built upon and integrated into the story of the novel Manifold:Time.
#13 dawnstealer Jul 06, 2004 15:23:20	Might have to check that one out; Sheena was pretty entertaining.
#14 Kamelion Jul 06, 2004 15:37:36	Creature Collection III contains the Jungle Squid, a highly intelligent spellcasting monstrosity with 18 HD that lives in the trees. The image alone is enough to send you running in the opposite direction.
#15 dawnstealer Jul 06, 2004 15:46:58	There are fishermen in Baja who say they'd rather fall in a feeding frenzy of sharks than in waters with a Humboldt squid: they are ferocious predators. Frankly, any land-squid of near-human proportions would be terrifying.
#16 Kamelion Jul 06, 2004 16:13:03	Humboldt squid and architeuthis squid are pansies. Mesonychoteuthis is a real man's squid. And check out the pictures here. I mean, swivelling barbed hooks, dude! What more could you want?
#17 dawnstealer Jul 06, 2004 17:13:46	Yeah, they're nastier, all right, but how often do you go swimming in the artic? Loads of people swim and surf down in the baja region and a few have even become fish-food. My squid can beat up your squid.
#18 dawnstealer Jul 06, 2004 17:38:19	And then, there's always squid boy.
#19 zombiegleemax Jul 06, 2004 18:32:29	Originally posted by Dawnstealer There are fishermen in Baja who say they'd rather fall in a feeding frenzy of sharks than in waters with a Humboldt squid: they are ferocious predators. Frankly, any land-squid of near-human proportions would be terrifying. I am thinking they would have problems supporting themselves out of water. That's why I think they would prefer trees over a marsh. If they were stuck on land, they'd move like a slug. However, with marsh below, they could either swing from tree to tree to avoid predators or drop into the water and swim away. On land, they'd be giant lizard food. They'd probably be small, about the size of a large monkey. For branch support.
#20 zombiegleemax Jul 06, 2004 20:55:18	On TFIW they were portrayed as small, But they swung threw the trees, like they were on monkey bars, but unlike us being stuck with hands, they went arms, feet, arms feet. thast how they moved, and quite effectively. There was also one that was the size of an elephant, With no bones for support it relied on thick layers of muscles. "The Future is wild" Check it out.
#21 zombiegleemax Jul 06, 2004 22:05:24	Oooo, I have seen it. I even have the one with the edited out scenes with they birds that shoot acid and the giant flys that hunt them. The one thing I did not like about that walking, giant squid is that iff it fell over, it was doomed.
#22 zombiegleemax Jul 07, 2004 0:22:47	Ack! I'm not 'optimized'!! That implies that I have more errors than my previous version (originally just Mach, but somehow my account got deleted back on the old boards). Anyhow, I do recall having seen the show some time ago, great show. I was thinking of getting the book version, which I'm told fills in a lot of gaps and gives a much better explanation of what the show portrays. I've also heard the 'theory' that common octopus are of a level of intelligence that is equivalent to a very smart dog, but they just don't do a good job of fetching one's slippers or chasing off your wife's boyfriend when he sneaks through the window. Of course, I find it a little debateable since rating if intelligence in animals is a bit of an arbitrary science. And then, there's always squid boy
#23 Kamelion Jul 07, 2004 3:27:47	Originally posted by Dawnstealer Yeah, they're nastier, all right, but how often do you go swimming in the artic? Loads of people swim and surf down in the baja region and a few have even become fish-food. My squid can beat up your squid. It soooo cannot. Anyway, mesonychoteuthis lives in the antarctic so actually I think I'll go swimming in the arctic all I like thankyou very much :P
#24 zombiegleemax Jul 07, 2004 7:41:38	yEA i HAVE THE ONE WITH THE GIANT BLOATED SPITTING BIRDS, (sorry bout the caps) That is in 5 million years. Does anyone know what the book is called, because really a squid... How is it to become the next "intelligent" creature, and why are mammals so weak that they go extinct? And why do spiders start farming my last (whats the opposite of ancester)... I wana know, then Ill make a time machine and save the monkeys... Umm Yea who saw the one with the evolution of man, that was cool too.
#25 dawnstealer Jul 07, 2004 10:42:41	It soooo cannot. Can so: my squid knows karate. And is six...ty feet tall. And is a ninja - a ninja that knows karate. And you know that supersquid really lives in the artic. NOBODY lives in the antarctic: it was on vacation.
#26 Kamelion Jul 07, 2004 14:48:56	Penguins live in the antarctic, just one of of which could whup your podgy Californian Ralph Macchio-squid into deep-fried rings in seconds. And besides, my mesonychoteuthis knows shaolin kungfu baby. Yeah!
#27 dawnstealer Jul 07, 2004 15:34:47	My squid knows anti-shaolin kung-fu which, as everyone knows, is much more powerful. And it's a ninja. And it's sixty feet tall. And it competed in the olympics under the pseudonym of "Blanch." Yeah, that's right: Blanch. Wanna make something of it? With my squid? Eh? Eh?!
#28 Kamelion Jul 07, 2004 16:21:14	Pffft!! If only your squid had anti-seagull kungfu too it wouldn't be such a wussy and get nailed by them the whole time... The Bahia de los Angeles,Gulf of California Squid photos illustrate that the squids swim to shallow water to die. The sea gulls however think of a meal and sever the dorsal nerve cord between the head and top of the mantle. Then the sea gulls take the eyes and then the rest of the squid. (Link). Blanch is birdfood, buddy, and me and the penguins are having deep-fried rings with dinner... Edit: Insert sharg/squark reference here to ensure OT-compliancy.
#29 nytcrawlr Jul 07, 2004 16:39:53	Just got to comment on the penguin and squid love and give a little love of my own. I now return you to Fight Night: Ralph Machio squid vs. OMG WTH is that thing! squid...
#30 nytcrawlr Jul 07, 2004 16:41:56	Originally posted by Kamelion Pffft!! If only your squid had anti-seagull kungfu too it wouldn't be such a wussy and get nailed by them the whole time... (Link). Blanch is birdfood, buddy, and me and the penguins are having deep-fried rings with dinner... Edit: Insert sharg/squark reference here to ensure OT-compliancy. Well, guess that settles that, blanch is toast in the 1st round, damn interference from a sea gull!
#31 dawnstealer Jul 07, 2004 23:08:07	Can't argue with that. Let's hear it for penguin power.
#32 dracochapel Jul 08, 2004 1:52:27	You could have Rajaat's 16th Champion: Bob, Destroyer of Dinosaurs. :D And for all its worth penguins have firepower, it was proven in Futurama. ;)
#33 dawnstealer Jul 08, 2004 11:23:43	Penguins - hidden killers of the deep. I've seen them take down a sperm whale, not because they were hungry: just because they could. Vile, mean creatures, these penguins. Zargoth - Penguin Prosecutor.