Why in the Playground?

[Kobold-Bard]

*Disclaimer: I know post count titles are generally off limits but I create this thread in the spirit of innocent curiosity and fun, as they are intended to be. Please don't murder me in my sleep mods.

How come the particular critters were chosen? Things like Halfling & Troll I can understand because they're classics, but Pixie and Barbarian seem a bit weird, especially when things like the almighty (:smallwink:) Kobold and Owlbear were left out. Anyone know if there was any pattern behind the decisions, or was it just names out of a hat/dice roll?

K-B

[Eloel]

Hint: You get bigger in time.
Though how Barbarian fits in midst of all the creatures, I'm stumped.

[Dr.Epic]

Things like Halfling & Troll I can understand because they're classics, but Pixie and Barbarian seem a bit weird, especially when things like the almighty (:smallwink:) Kobold and Owlbear were left out.

Owlbear, really? That's one of the most obscure creatures in D&D.

[Kobold-Bard]

Owlbear, really? That's one of the most obscure creatures in D&D.

Srsly? I thought everyone knew the Owlbear; bizarre rather than obscure.

[Dr.Epic]

Srsly? I thought everyone knew the Owlbear; bizarre rather than obscure.

It's one of the less popular iconic D&D monsters.

[Mystic Muse]

I would have liked there to be a dragon personally.

[Thufir]

Steadily increasing size, and they mostly look human-ish (Granted, less so in the case of Trolls).
Whereas kobolds, owlbears, and indeed dragons are distinctly non-human (Two of them aren't even mammals).

[valadil]

I would have liked there to be a dragon personally.

It may still happen. As far as I know, Firbolg is relatively new. When someone exceeds that they'll come up with something else.

[Thufir]

It may still happen. As far as I know, Firbolg is relatively new. When someone exceeds that they'll come up with something else.

Really? Because I've never heard of the ranks changing. Firbolg has been around at least as long as I've been here (and it's not the highest rank - Titan is).

[Mr_Saturn]

I feel bad for thinking that firbolg was firebolg. Which my brain would consider to be a type of flaming beast akin to the balrog from LotR.

My brain automatically inserted the "e" into it. Hhahaha.

[TSGames]

Really? Because I've never heard of the ranks changing. Firbolg has been around at least as long as I've been here (and it's not the highest rank - Titan is).
*pulls up chair and puffs on pipe*
Back in the day, we didn't have non of yer fancy 'Firbolgs' and we had to walk 15 miles between each forum, uphill both ways, against the wind, and with only one shoe.

Seriously, IIRC, there used to only be 5 ranks(Titan at the top), and then just before(?) the Great Forum Migration, they added more. Now I don't even know how many ranks the Playground has.

[Kobold-Bard]

Really? Because I've never heard of the ranks changing. Firbolg has been around at least as long as I've been here (and it's not the highest rank - Titan is).

In the beginning there were only 5 or so (I got bored and tralled the early threads in the archive one day).

Obviously valadil was around before Firbolg was added.

I recognised the size thing, and now you mention it I suppose the humanoid-ness makes sense. Barbarian still bugs me though.

Edit: SWORDSAGES! Swordsages everywhere!! :smallannoyed:

[TSGames]

In the beginning there were only 5 or so (I got bored and tralled the early threads in the archive one day).

Obviously valadil was around before Firbolg was added.

I recognised the size thing, and now you mention it I suppose the humanoid-ness makes sense. Barbarian still bugs me though.

Edit: SWORDSAGES! Swordsages everywhere!! :smallannoyed:

Yeah, I think Barbarian was one of the originals. IIRC it went
1. halfling(????)
2. Dwarf
3. Barbarian
4. Ogre(?????)
5. Titan

[Dr.Epic]

Hint: You get bigger in time.
Though how Barbarian fits in midst of all the creatures, I'm stumped.

Barbarian was originally what Greeks and Romans called foreigners due to their long, unclean hair (I guess by that logic, they'd be a race like elves and dwarves).

[Innis Cabal]

It's one of the less popular iconic D&D monsters.

No it's not...like at all. It is easily one of the most iconic monsters, even before the Beholder or Mind Flayer.

[CrimsonAngel]

It's one of the less popular iconic D&D monsters.

The first time I saw an Owlbear was when I played that old game Fate.... it was so fun, my dad found a way to make my cat an Owlbear forever and give me infinite amounts of money.

[Eloel]

Barbarian was originally what Greeks and Romans called foreigners due to their long, unclean hair
Afaik, Barbarian meant 'of the wild' or something of that kind. (Like 'Citizen' literally meant 'of the city', used to describe non-barbarians. Or the other way around)

(I guess by that logic, they'd be a race like elves and dwarves).

I missed the part where you connected long hair with different races, care to elaborate?

[Kobold-Bard]

Barbarian was originally what Greeks and Romans called foreigners due to their long, unclean hair (I guess by that logic, they'd be a race like elves and dwarves).

See, Elf in the Playground would make sense.

[Kastanok]

From the thread title I thought this was going to a be 'why are you here/still here?' kind of thread.

There really should be a Sand Elemental in the Playground. You know, for the playground's sand pit.

[Kastanok]

Afaik, Barbarian meant 'of the wild' or something of that kind. (Like 'Citizen' literally meant 'of the city', used to describe non-barbarians. Or the other way around)

I missed the part where you connected long hair with different races, care to elaborate?

I was always told it has the same source as 'barbed' and 'barber'. So barbarian means 'bearded one'.

[drakir_nosslin]

Afaik, Barbarian meant 'of the wild' or something of that kind. (Like 'Citizen' literally meant 'of the city', used to describe non-barbarians. Or the other way around)

According to the other wiki it was originally a term for anyone who wasn't greek.


The word "barbarian" comes into English from Medieval Latin barbarinus, from Latin barbaria, from Latin barbarus, from the ancient Greek word βάρβαρος (bárbaros). The word is onomatopoeic, the bar-bar representing the impression of random hubbub produced by hearing a spoken language that one cannot understand, similar to blah blah and babble in modern English. Related imitative forms are found in other Indo-European languages, such as Sanskrit बर्बर barbara-, "stammering" or "curly-haired". The earliest attested form of the word is the Mycenaean Greek pa-pa-ro, written in Linear B syllabic script. Depending on its use, the term "barbarian" either described a foreign individual or tribe whose first language was not Greek or a Greek individual or tribe speaking Greek crudely.

[Cahokia]

Afaik, Barbarian meant 'of the wild' or something of that kind. (Like 'Citizen' literally meant 'of the city', used to describe non-barbarians. Or the other way around)

"Barbarian" is how the Romans derisively described foreigners. According to the Roman uppercrust, any non-Latin language just sounded like the yammering of nonsense to them. "Barbar" was essentially the Classical Roman equivalent of "blah blah."

[Zeb The Troll]

Troll Patrol: This isn't a valid topic of conversation, guys. You know this.