Creature of the Night, rawr. [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

omnitricks

2016-07-21, 06:01 AM

So GM has just given my PC an artifact which will allow him to transform into one creature of the night (e.g. bat, wolf or any other nocturnaly active animal, in her own words) but the choice is mine to get back to her with. So guys what would be a useful or unusual "creature of the night" I can play about with? Any ideas?

Fizban

2016-07-21, 06:33 AM

Dire Tiger is the biggest that comes to mind immediately, big cats are nocturnal. Nocturnally active doesn't actually mean fully nocturnal though, so you can grab Dire Bear, or go for broke with Dire Polar Bear (the baddest ass animal in the game that's not a sauropod). Sharks are active at night (sharks never stop being active) so Dire Shark.

BWR

2016-07-21, 07:05 AM

Two-toed sloth?

MrStabby

2016-07-21, 07:14 AM

Giant owl

Would that be available?

Ninja_Prawn

2016-07-21, 07:33 AM

Fluffy kitten. If you need to charm anyone.

Moth. Because moths are cool.

Velociraptor. For intimidating webcomic artists.

White-faced storm petrel. Mostly because it has a cool name.

Honey badger. A creature noted for its strength, persistence and toughness.

Khedrac

2016-07-21, 10:10 AM

1st question: what is the setting (e.g. modern day, medieval fantasy etc.)?
2nd question: what is the system (e.g. D&D 3.5, D&D5th, GURPS Discworld etc.)?
3rd question: what is the climate type equivalent (as in the creatures of the night are very different for India, Siberia and Tunisia)?

Without this information it's hard to make cogent suggestions.

omnitricks

2016-07-21, 03:42 PM

Ooooo some of those suggestions sound good. I could go either on one end or the other end of utility. Or just to mess around. I bet one one expected shark if I was going to pick either lol.

1st question: what is the setting (e.g. modern day, medieval fantasy etc.)?
2nd question: what is the system (e.g. D&D 3.5, D&D5th, GURPS Discworld etc.)?
3rd question: what is the climate type equivalent (as in the creatures of the night are very different for India, Siberia and Tunisia)?

Without this information it's hard to make cogent suggestions.

Medieval fantasy using a freeform skill based system. I suppose that my skills stay usable if physically possible and I'll also gain the physical aspects of whatever form I get so having one which humanoids can't normally do e.g. fly/dive seems like the more prudent choice. Or something small and sneaky since I am an urban based pc.

Climate...I don't know really. So whatever fits the bill I guess.

Togath

2016-07-21, 03:53 PM

Rabbits? They tend to be most activate at dawn and dusk, if my memory is right(as are a lot of rodents).
Coyotes(might not fit European fantasy though) and to a lesser extent foxes.
Raccoons? Possums too.

Khedrac

2016-07-21, 04:08 PM

Medieval fantasy using a freeform skill based system.
Good - we can work with that

I suppose that my skills stay usable if physically possible and I'll also gain the physical aspects of whatever form I get so having one which humanoids can't normally do e.g. fly/dive seems like the more prudent choice. Or something small and sneaky since I am an urban based pc.

Climate...I don't know really. So whatever fits the bill I guess.
Umm, probably wise to assume northern temperate then, but we can always suggest some of the fun stuff you get elsewhere to see if your DM will bite...

OK starting with bite - bats, a classic, but sonar navigation is fun and they are really stealthy. Owls are also good for flight
Most nocturnal mammals have good nightvision (one of the reasons most don't have colour vision) - fox, badger and deer are mainly nocturnal in Europe (not sure what deer would give you).

Moving further afield: snakes and scorpions. You would need to find out which snakes are mainly nocturnal (I think some are, if not many) but scorpions are mainly nocturnal and have good climbing abilities etc.
If an aquatic campaign coelocanth are nocturnal*, and some of the sqid that saurface (nor nearly) at night probably count as such.

Good luck and have fun.

*Seriously coelocanth are nocturnal, they spend the daytime in caves near the bottom of the undersea volcanoes only coming out at night (when they still remain at the bottom of the sea).

LibraryOgre

2016-07-21, 04:39 PM

Flesh Golem.

http://thefw.com/files/2012/10/rocky-horror.jpg

RyumaruMG

2016-07-21, 05:57 PM

Flesh Golem.

Well... how 'bout that?

MrStabby

2016-07-21, 06:53 PM

If an aquatic campaign coelocanth are nocturnal*, and some of the sqid that saurface (nor nearly) at night probably count as such.

I love the idea that the OP activates the artefact for the first time and turns into a Humboldt Squid just flapping around on the ground in surprise.

Red Fel

2016-07-22, 12:00 PM

Flesh Golem.

http://thefw.com/files/2012/10/rocky-horror.jpg

Well... how 'bout that?

Came in here to post something like this. Was preempted, not disappointed. Will post anyway.

http://67.media.tumblr.com/0ddc81b228fdc98567437e17b8d5d87a/tumblr_n4o1n3DHOT1s1v3r1o2_400.gif
Alternatively:

http://i.imgur.com/mCfCV3t.gif

Bulhakov

2016-07-22, 03:00 PM

I'd just go with the classic bat - you've got flying (even long distance, many bats are migratory), stealth, echolocation, super senses: hearing, smell, taste, even vision (some bats can see UV light, most see as well as rats at night).

Cealocanth

2016-07-22, 09:30 PM

Clearly, the answer is vampire. A more classic creature of the night, there has never been. Depending on how powerful vampires are in your system.

omnitricks

2016-07-24, 07:12 PM

Well a flesh golem is an interesting option.

Yeah probably the vampirey things would be the obvious options; bats, wolves, rats, etc...

Vknight

2016-07-26, 10:35 AM

Rattlesnakes, some other animals all give you a nice selection of things to work from.
But the best is probably Jackals.

SethoMarkus

2016-07-26, 02:17 PM

I believe House Elves are mostly nocturnal...

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/f/f6/DH_Kreacher_concept_artwork01.jpg/revision/latest/thumbnail-down/width/284/height/233?cb=20110217084104

Inevitability

2016-07-26, 02:34 PM

It says 'creature', not 'animal'. That opens up possibilities.

Dragon fruit plants, for one, bloom at night. Turn into one for:

1. Camouflage. No one expects the tree they made camp next to to turn into a human and attack! Nor does anyone expect the potted plant they received as a gift to be dangerous.

2. Food. Dragon fruit is edible and should be pickable without permanent damage to you. Your DM may rule you can't turn into a fruit-bearing plant, though, for the same reason you don't get to turn into a pregnant animal. Even the flowers can be brewed into tea, though.

3. Defense. A monster may be able to kill you, but can it kill a ten feet tall cactus? Against a creature that isn't smart enough to figure out you turned in a plant, the ability can completely end fights.

ClintACK

2016-07-26, 05:08 PM

Fireflies are nocturnal.

Maybe a giant firefly that sheds light as a torch -- useful for lighting the party's way, with the added utility of flight and wall-climbing and stealthiness when not glowing.

omnitricks

2016-07-26, 07:34 PM

Lord Torath

2016-07-26, 09:55 PM

I'd pick a Tiger, the biggest and meanest of the natural cats. If Dire Tigers are a thing, I'd go for that. Of course, if there's a dragon that has the Nocturnal activity cycle.... I'd still probably go with the Tiger. But then, I'm a cat person. Who is unfortunately very allergic to cats! :(

Cealocanth

2016-07-26, 11:48 PM

Why is jackals the best? I don't really know how different they are from other similar stuff e.g. wolves/foxes.

I'd personally pick wolves over jackals. Don't get me wrong, they're vicious little things, but wolves are smarter and dire wolves are more vicious. It's the classics, man.

Oh, by the way. Velociraptors were nocturnal. Just sayin'.

LooseCannoneer

2016-07-27, 12:28 AM

Before your GM clarified that it had to be nocturnal, I would have put in warhorse and blamed homophones.

GAAD

2016-07-27, 02:35 AM

No you're a homophone!

And I'd have it be a moth. Super sneaky and flighty, with no suspicion from foes.

5a Violista

2016-07-27, 02:53 AM

You could also do a college student. Those are nocturnal in the wild, right?

Other mythological creatures: Banshees, certain Unseelie, Amarok (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarok_(wolf)) (a gigantic wolf that hunts alone at night), the Ennedi tiger (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ennedi_tiger) which is a certain kind of saber-toothed tiger, and ghouls (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghoul) (did you know our oldest literature that includes ghouls is One thousand and One Nights? I did not know that).
Because I imagine "medieval fantasy" includes North America, Africa, the Middle East and the British Isles. I mean, sometimes it does, right? Not always, but sometimes.

Vknight

2016-07-27, 11:08 PM

Oh ok so the GM has clarified it to be nocturnal and not wholly limited to vampirey type things so it isn't that restricted now.

Also as in animals so I guess that is the restriction to work within now...

Why is jackals the best? I don't really know how different they are from other similar stuff e.g. wolves/foxes.

Because I have a biased opinion also your big enough to be a threat to someone but still small size unlike say a Fox.
You can be common place enough/look different enough from a Fox to blend into a location where one would have questions about a Wolf/Fox. Your fast, agile, and able to scavenge a carcass that is inedible to your fellow party members.

Pex

2016-07-27, 11:52 PM

Flesh Golem.

http://thefw.com/files/2012/10/rocky-horror.jpg

Thank you! I wasn't the first to think of this!

Honest Tiefling

2016-07-29, 07:31 PM

I'd personally pick wolves over jackals. Don't get me wrong, they're vicious little things, but wolves are smarter and dire wolves are more vicious. It's the classics, man.

Oh, by the way. Velociraptors were nocturnal. Just sayin'.

Nah. Hyenas. Since Hyenas drive off lions from their kills, I'd bet they'd do pretty well against a wolf. Their bite has to count for something as well, as the wiki says they can put out 80 kilograms per square centimer. Surely you can find a good use for that ability.

For stealth, nothing beats a moth/cockroach combo. Ask your DM how clean people's houses are, because you might be able to blend in with your insect buddies.

Tanuki Tales

2016-07-29, 09:40 PM

Flesh Golem.

http://thefw.com/files/2012/10/rocky-horror.jpg

And posts like this is why Mark is my second favorite mod.

Vknight

2016-08-01, 12:05 AM

Nah. Hyenas. Since Hyenas drive off lions from their kills, I'd bet they'd do pretty well against a wolf. Their bite has to count for something as well, as the wiki says they can put out 80 kilograms per square centimer. Surely you can find a good use for that ability.

For stealth, nothing beats a moth/cockroach combo. Ask your DM how clean people's houses are, because you might be able to blend in with your insect buddies.

You mixed that up Hyenas are driven off from there kills from Lions more often then not.
That 80 kilograms is very impressive, but to keep in mind we as humans can generate up to 120... yeah

Honest Tiefling

2016-08-01, 12:30 AM

You mixed that up Hyenas are driven off from there kills from Lions more often then not.

Huh. Further reading proves you're right. But still, as for the bone thing, I don't know how much pressure a human can exert, but it might be a leverage issue. Hyenas will crush large ungulate bones with their jaws, something...I've never seen a human do, nor would I advise one to try unless I didn't like them very much.

I wonder if you could use their ability to digest skin and bone as a way to dispose of victims that would foil most pre-industrialized regions.

Ninja_Prawn

2016-08-01, 04:07 AM

I don't know how much pressure a human can exert, but it might be a leverage issue. Hyenas will crush large ungulate bones with their jaws, something...I've never seen a human do, nor would I advise one to try unless I didn't like them very much.

Well, I know for a fact that if I closed my jaw with all the force I could muster, my teeth would break. And I have all of my original teeth, with no serious flaws. Perhaps hyenas have stronger bones, allowing them to use more of their jaw strength safely?

But... if you want a powerful, nocturnal quadruped, why look beyond the tiger?

Inevitability

2016-08-01, 10:13 AM

But... if you want a powerful, nocturnal quadruped, why look beyond the tiger?

Because this is GitP, and we must over-analyze and over-optimize anything remotely interesting. :smalltongue:

Red Fel

2016-08-01, 10:55 AM

But... if you want a powerful, nocturnal quadruped, why look beyond the tiger?

Because bears exist.

omnitricks

2016-08-01, 09:22 PM

Well I was looking for more unusual/useful forms more than optimized for killing lol and I am very bad with biology or whatever it is you need to know what animals are badass at night. But then again all this has been helpful and entertaining :D

Honest Tiefling

2016-08-01, 09:24 PM

Hey guys, what time of day are Japanese Death Hornets active? There has got to be a use for spraying flesh eating venom, perhaps questioning prisoners/victims?

...That's technically not killing outright, right? Totally different usage.

Also, got any skills to deal with animals? Being able to lead a charge or cause a stampede from within would be quite useful. You just need some skill to get them to go in the right direction.

Lord Torath

2016-08-01, 09:53 PM

Well, I know for a fact that if I closed my jaw with all the force I could muster, my teeth would break. And I have all of my original teeth, with no serious flaws. Perhaps hyenas have stronger bones, allowing them to use more of their jaw strength safely?

But... if you want a powerful, nocturnal quadruped, why look beyond the tiger?Hear, hear!

Because this is GitP, and we must over-analyze and over-optimize anything remotely interesting. :smalltongue:True enough.

Because bears exist.I'd take a Siberian Tiger over a Kodiac Bear any day! And that position may or may not be influenced by the fact that I am a definite Cat Person. :smallwink: (Who is, unfortunately, very allergic to cats! :smallfrown:)

Honest Tiefling

2016-08-01, 10:04 PM

I'd take a Siberian Tiger over a Kodiac Bear any day! And that position may or may not be influenced by the fact that I am a definite Cat Person. :smallwink: (Who is, unfortunately, very allergic to cats! :smallfrown:)

So you'd rather take the thing that actively hunts people over the thing that avoids them? You have reproductive organs of brass.

Vknight

2016-08-01, 11:00 PM

Huh. Further reading proves you're right. But still, as for the bone thing, I don't know how much pressure a human can exert, but it might be a leverage issue. Hyenas will crush large ungulate bones with their jaws, something...I've never seen a human do, nor would I advise one to try unless I didn't like them very much.

I wonder if you could use their ability to digest skin and bone as a way to dispose of victims that would foil most pre-industrialized regions.

Its a combination of the differences in our bone structure, leverage produced by our jaws, and size of our mouths as a species.
Think of it on the fact we exert our bit force in a more concentrated area well the Hyena is applying over a larger one.

I still say Jackal simply to blend in though I'd follow that with Hyena for many the same reasons, then wolves.
With a item like this I want stealth abilities not combat abilities.

Cernor

2016-08-05, 05:45 PM

Honest Tiefling

2016-08-05, 05:52 PM

After a quick Google search, I've discovered that platypuses are nocturnal. It might not be the best at fighting, and it might be too unusual for stealth, but come ON! Who wouldn't want to be a platypus?

Males are venomous, by the way. I assume you get to choose your gender when selecting these forms, because many of the large mammalian predators are sexually dimorphic.

Lord Haart

2016-08-05, 06:31 PM

I'm surprised nobody said werewolf yet. Especially since wolves and vampires were both mentioned. Sure, a werewolf ain't inconspicious (that's what you've got your human form, dude), but they're archetypically enduring badasses and at the very least as good as a supernatural wolf. A modern, hybrid-shaped werewolf gets to read and use weapons, too, so you just ditch your old form and go furry all night! A nerd by class, a warrior by flesh! And several advantages over a vampire, too: first, a vampire can be screwed into being as fragile as a human via an aristocratic archetype, and second, a werewolf doesn't have nearly so many weaknessess the DM may dump at you all at once (just imagine being vulnerable to garlic, silver, sun, holy imagery AND unable to enter buildings uninvited).

If an aquatic campaign coelocanth are nocturnal*

*Seriously coelocanth are nocturnal, they spend the daytime in caves near the bottom of the undersea volcanoes only coming out at night (when they still remain at the bottom of the sea).
Even in an aquatic campaign, it's probably a bad idea to turn into something that goes dead in surface waters due to a lack of pressure.

The Glyphstone

2016-08-05, 07:33 PM

Nightcrawlers are creatures and have 'Night' in their name...

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/nightshade.htm#nightcrawler

Ninja_Prawn

2016-08-06, 03:23 AM

I'm surprised nobody said werewolf yet.

But werewolves are just so... uncouth. And the morning breath they get after a transformation... :smallyuk:

ATHATH

2016-08-06, 01:21 PM

I'm surprised nobody said werewolf yet. Especially since wolves and vampires were both mentioned. Sure, a werewolf ain't inconspicious (that's what you've got your human form, dude), but they're archetypically enduring badasses and at the very least as good as a supernatural wolf. A modern, hybrid-shaped werewolf gets to read and use weapons, too, so you just ditch your old form and go furry all night! A nerd by class, a warrior by flesh! And several advantages over a vampire, too: first, a vampire can be screwed into being as fragile as a human via an aristocratic archetype, and second, a werewolf doesn't have nearly so many weaknessess the DM may dump at you all at once (just imagine being vulnerable to garlic, silver, sun, holy imagery AND unable to enter buildings uninvited).

Even in an aquatic campaign, it's probably a bad idea to turn into something that goes dead in surface waters due to a lack of pressure.
Some of those weaknesses can be negated by dealing with them in human form. i.e. Transforming into a human to walk into a house, then transforming back into a vampire.