I feel sorry for the Salmon of Wisdom...

[JellyPooga]

...he knows so much but can't do anything with the knowledge :smallfrown:.

I recently picked up a compendium of mythical creatures. It doesn't go into huge detail about any of them, but it covers quite a lot of ground. Some of the critters described therein really are a sorry lot. For example, the Salmon of Wisdom knows everything, but because he's just a salmon, he can't actually do anything with the knowledge. Another one is the Ant-Lion; his father is a lion and his mother is an ant (how? I don't know), but because his father is a carnivore and his mother is a vegetarian, he is neither and dies shortly after birth from starvation!

So, what creatures, great or small, real or fictional, do you have pity for?

[Inyssius Tor]

For example, the Salmon of Wisdom knows everything, but because he's just a salmon, he can't actually do anything with the knowledge.

Isn't there someone on these forums named something like Salmon of Wisdom?

I'll vote for the mayfly, as a race. They play on the human fear of impermanence very well, even if the immature stage lives hundreds of times longer.

So I guess that's not so bad. Never mind, then.

[Serpentine]

I know that ant-lion. Poor bugger.
The other one's the lamb-plant thing. It's actually been coming up rather a lot lately... Anyway, it's a living lamb that grows on a stalk. It eats all the grass within reach, then starves to death (though just recently I read something that said it was actually just a lamb-shaped fruit thing).

[Fredthefighter]

I feel sorry for the chicken, it has no other use than to feed the human race. We could have rats hunted by mice on the back of chickens to give the chicken a purpose that does not involve death.
I also feel sorry for the Frog, its only abilities are a really long tongue and a good jump. Other than eating insects it has no place in this world. It's not like the French couldn't survive without frogs legs.

[Serpentine]

If you wanna see just how much an impact a frog (or toad...) can have on its ecosystem, have a look at the cane toad.

I also feel sorry for the D&D donkey. I looked at its comparative challenge rating. A lizard could beat it. A lizard!

[Fredthefighter]

I feel sorry for the Bat, it has the lowest CR ever, 1/10. That means that if a group of four level 1 adventurers kill a single bat, they get 8 Exp each, is it really worth it?
And all opponents have 100% concealment against them, how are they supposed to hit you even when they are in groups of 10?
I also feel sorry for the normal dog, he must be so jealous of the Riding Dog and it's complete superiority over the normal dog.

[Serpentine]

Dude, the donkey is CR 1/6. 1/6! I looked into it a while ago. Here's where the donkey stands in the animal kingdom:

Elephant
Giant constrictor snake
Brown bear|Polar bear|Rhinoceros|Tiger
Lion|Huge viper snake
Ape|Black bear|Bison|Boar|Cheetah|Constrictor snake|Leopard|Monitor lizard|Heavy warhorse|Wolverine
Camel|Riding dog|Heavy & light horse|Hyena|Mule|Light warhorse|Wolf
Baboon|Badger|Eagle|War pony|Small viper
Dog|Hawk|Tiny viper
Cat|Owl|Pony|Weasel
Donkey|Lizard|Monkey
Rat
Bat|Toad

A donkey could be beaten by a freaking weasel, and like I said, a lizard could beat it up. Even a rat could give it a run for its money!
Also, why do all opponents have 100% concealment? They're not completely blind, and their echolocation is awesome - they can tell which side of a web a spider is on just by sound. At the very least they'd have blindfight, surely.

[Fredthefighter]

It's just what the SRD said, I may mis-interpreted it
Link (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/monstersAnimal.html#bat)

[Kaelaroth]

Isn't there someone on these forums named something like Salmon of Wisdom?

There's Almighty Salmon.
Otherwise, no, there isn't - the only person who's name starts with salmon is a salmonkingsomethingorother.

[Serpentine]

It's just what the SRD said, I may mis-interpreted it
Link (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/monstersAnimal.html#bat)Hrm. Doesn't make any sense to me...

[Fredthefighter]

Yup, it says they have blindsense (They can see through sound, much like Blindfight) but everyone still has full concealment against them (Which means they shouldn't be able to see).
Maybe it means that the bat can sense things providing that they don't have full concealment.

[Serpentine]

If a bat can pick off a spider from the right side of its web without touching a single strand, I don't think it really has concealment against it. Good thing I'm the DM in my game :smallwink: Not that I really intend to set my 12th level party against a poor little bat anytime soon...

[Fredthefighter]

I managed to put a 1st/2nd level party against a Ghoul, but I told them there was another corpse in the room. Although they dispatched the first ghoul before it could react, the corpse became a second Ghoul for them to fight. Maybe I'll sick some skeletons on them afterwards.
I find it wierd however that they can take down a white dragon wyrmling (CR2) fairy quickly but 6 Dire Rats (Same Exp reward as CR2) take them longer, despite being of the same challenge rating to the dragon.

[Almighty Salmon]

Aww, man. For a second there, I thought somebody was actually acknowledging my existence.

[Serpentine]

It's a whole different encounter. One dragon wyrmling can only attack one character at a time, while all the characters focus their efforts on it. 6 dire rats can attack several characters, whose efforts are more widely dispersed.

<.<
>.>
I know there's some animal I should be able to think of! Oh, I know: male dasydirus or something like. Or was it antichinus? Might be antichinus. The one where all the males drop dead as soon as they've gotten it on.
Oh, along those lines: Cuttlefish. Really, really intelligent, and can live for a very long time, but only if they don't breed. Once they've bred, they die. Such a waste... :smallsigh:

What this thread reminded me of was The Salmon of Doubt, Douglass Adams' unfinished work. Suppose it was a pun on the actual subject of the heading...

[Fredthefighter]

It makes me feel quite sad really, they get a lot of treasure for easily defeating a dragon (Triple Standard of Treasure Level 2) yet they get a measly amount of treasure from having a hard time defeating some rats.
I think the only time I've challenged them is when they were fighting Goblins and a Bugbear burst through the door after hearing the commotion, or those Gnoll Fighters.
I feel sorry for the Gnome, I mean, now that they're monsters, they can't even walk into a shop without being killed and then respawning back at their house.
And Salmon, we do acknowledge your existence, we know who you are and what you are. Would you mind not hunting Dallas-Dakota down like he thinks you will.

[TRM]

I seem to remember some mythical hero eating the Salmon and gaining all of its wisdom. Of course, that isn't much better than being a salmon and knowing everything.


I also feel sorry for the D&D donkey. I looked at its comparative challenge rating. A lizard could beat it. A lizard!
That made me giggle. I'm picturing lizards beating up donkeys.

[Fostire]

Oh, along those lines: Cuttlefish. Really, really intelligent, and can live for a very long time, but only if they don't breed. Once they've bred, they die. Such a waste... :smallsigh:

That's why we need to train them

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/cuttlefish.png

[Fredthefighter]

That's why we need to train them

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/cuttlefish.png

Yes, they must be trained into unstoppable forces of destruction.
All will know the might of the cuttlefish!

[Lerky]

but because his father is a carnivore and his mother is a vegetarian, he is neither and dies shortly after birth from starvation!
why doesn't he just become an omnivore?:smallconfused:

[JellyPooga]

why doesn't he just become an omnivore?:smallconfused:

I have no idea...but then if you actually see a picture of this creature, it's kind of pathetic...it's literally an ant with a lions head (not sure of it's actual size though)...perhaps it's a mercy that it dies swiftly...

[Recaiden]

Poor thing. About the bat, it can see in the dark, but even if it can't see, it can find people within 20 ft. They still have concealment if there is no light for the bat to see them by.

[ArlEammon]

The dragon. Worshiped in the East, murdered in the West. haven't you seen the Discovery Channel?

Cats, also have had centuries of genocidal meanness towards them. They have never forgotten this.

[Fredthefighter]

The dragon. Worshiped in the East, murdered in the West. haven't you seen the Discovery Channel?

Cats, also have had centuries of genocidal meanness towards them. They have never forgotten this.

What are you talking about? In Egypt, cats are still worshipped like gods.
I feel sorry for the gnoll, I mean, who wants that annoying laugh that they have, that laugh must drive away all the friends they have.

[eidreff]

I think that in part of the legends of Finn McCool (correct me if my spelling is off) he eat a salmon of wisdom.

Edit: after a quick look I think that almost anyone who was meant to be wise in anglo-celtic mythology, including various variants of the king arthur myth and the mabinogion (welsh legends), has eaten a salmon of wisdom.

I think that there were some associated with the norse gods as well.

[Fredthefighter]

Finn McCool rules.
I'm a poet and I didn't know it.
I can rhyme because I've got the time.
Let me know when you want me to stop,
Because rhymes in the night make brains go pop.

[kpenguin]

Aww, man. For a second there, I thought somebody was actually acknowledging my existence.

Good to know I'm not the only one who thought that.

[Llama231]

The dragon. Worshiped in the East, murdered in the West. haven't you seen the Discovery Channel?

Cats, also have had centuries of genocidal meanness towards them. They have never forgotten this.

Cats>Donkeys

[Berserk Monk]

...he knows so much but can't do anything with the knowledge :smallfrown:.

I recently picked up a compendium of mythical creatures. It doesn't go into huge detail about any of them, but it covers quite a lot of ground. Some of the critters described therein really are a sorry lot. For example, the Salmon of Wisdom knows everything, but because he's just a salmon, he can't actually do anything with the knowledge. Another one is the Ant-Lion; his father is a lion and his mother is an ant (how? I don't know), but because his father is a carnivore and his mother is a vegetarian, he is neither and dies shortly after birth from starvation!

So, what creatures, great or small, real or fictional, do you have pity for?

Right? A salmon of infinite wisdom? What are you smoking, and can I have some?

[Sereg]

I know there's some animal I should be able to think of! Oh, I know: male dasydirus or something like. Or was it antichinus? Might be antichinus. The one where all the males drop dead as soon as they've gotten it on.
Oh, along those lines: Cuttlefish. Really, really intelligent, and can live for a very long time, but only if they don't breed. Once they've bred, they die. Such a waste... :smallsigh:


There are plenty of animals like this. For example if a male be mates or a worker bee stings, they rip out their internal organs and die.