Monster Origins

[LibraryLass]

Thanks for the feedback.

I call out homunculus because the names and descriptions match between the games. The non-game meaning of homunculus isn't about a miniature servant created by a wizard.

For whatever it's worth the D&D homunculus definitely has prior art. It's patterned after the one utilized by Tom Baker as an evil sorcerer in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad.

Crimson Bones is another case where name and description match. Maybe TSR ripped off the concept from Red Skeletons from Castlevania, but the name is different. Nintendo also guards their IP aggressively.

There's a monster called "Crimson Bones" in D&D 2e, but its abilities do not resemble ours or Castlevania's red skeletons-- they spew poison blood when attacked rather than regenerating. And Castlevania belongs to Konami, not Nintendo.

[Dimirag]

Crimson Bones is another case where name and description match. Maybe TSR ripped off the concept from Red Skeletons from Castlevania, but the name is different. Nintendo also guards their IP aggressively.

I think that besides the name they are pretty different, FG are just red skeletons that rise again and again. TSR ones are blood dripping skeletons with eyes that splash with poisonous blood.

Changing its name (maybe Scarlet Bones) moves us away from TSR, changing the color or making it a different monster moves us away from Konami...

[Solomoriah]

Scarlet Bones sounds good to me. I think just renaming them is good enough given the other differences.

[Seven]

Regarding grimlocks specifically, how about calling them dreadlocks?

Um... no. That wouldn't be bad, that would be very bad.

Morlock is quite good enough actually. Copyright expired long ago.

Morlock is excellent here.

[Seven]

Scarlet Bones sounds good to me. I think just renaming them is good enough given the other differences.

Skeletons with alternate colours are everywhere.
Btw, Castlevania belongs to Konami, not Nintendo.
I think the various Dead Souls games have red, gold and black skeletons.
It's been years...

Red skeleton is more a description than a name.

Final Fantasy has had Coeurls since FF II.
Black Destroyer was published in 39.

[leon]

I have more more unreleased research that I will share this weekend. With today's news, maybe it seems less pressing, but I have noticed there are a few monsters that seem to come from published games and they aren't in the stuff released under CC BY. I'm going to keep pressing on because the searching is interesting by itself. Also, it's fun to make a mistake and be corrected three times.

[Boggo]

Also, it's fun to make a mistake and be corrected three times.

I believe there is a word to describe that mindset...

[Solomoriah]

I don't think I'm done with the fruits of your research.

[leon]

Also, it's fun to make a mistake and be corrected three times.

I believe there is a word to describe that mindset...

Sarcastic? Passive-Aggressive?

I don't think I'm done with the fruits of your research.

Release 11 covers FG2 through Pipe Beast. Here are a few monsters of note.

Amarok name is from Inuit mythology. There's a similar monster here: https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/50966-amarok

There are Quill Bears in Diablo II.

The Cthaeh is featured in The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfus published 2007-2014.

Lagoon Creature is admittedly modeled on The Creature from the Black Lagoon, though I doubt use here treads on any copyright that movie holds. I found a short story called "From Cabinet 34, Drawer 6" by Caitlin R. Kiernan from 2005 that explicitly combines CftBL with Lovecraft deep ones.

BECMI immortals rules has a diabolus monster, but it's mechanically different.

Dufflepuds are from Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952).

The following monsters share names with monsters from various video games: Gold Slime, Crystal Golem, Gold Golem, Grawl, Dread Horseman, Shadow Fiend, Moonlight Butterfly. In all cases, the description of the monster is only vaguely similar.

Pathfinder has lead golems. I don't have the relevant text, but would assume it uses OGL.

Necromancer Games has a rope golem.

A tin golem appeared in Dragon Magazine 341.

There's a hellsteed (no space) in Warhammer.

Hezrou appears to be an 1e original. It is in the 5.1 SRD.

Al-Qadim uses the name janni for a type of genie that's not an exact match.

Orog is a 2e original and not in the 5.1 SRD. It's a rename of Uruk-Hai.

[Boggo]

Also, it's fun to make a mistake and be corrected three times.

I believe there is a word to describe that mindset...

Sarcastic? Passive-Aggressive?

Well I was taking your statement at face value and thinking Masochistic, but, whatever floats your goat!