Game Development

What are the best sources for creature lore?

3
Options 
Considered
0
User 
Recs.
Last 
Updated

Dungeons & Dragons source books vs On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears vs Wikipedia

Pros + Cons

Pro
 Details

All the juicy bits about trolls, undead, orc etc that you never knew, and were afraid to ask.
Comment

Pro
 Tailored for games

Not only do you get lots of monsters and creatures but they are also tailored and fit for gaming and easily adaptable to video games. All the details have been figured out such as hit points, damage, ability scores, and more!
Comment

Con
 Common

Dwarves, elves, skeletons, trolls. All are very common in most fantasy games, so they won't excite most players.
Comment

Pro
 Explains the purpose of each monster

Instead of simply offering examples, the book explores the reasons why certain types of monsters came into existence throughout history.
Comment

Con
 Is not tailored for this purpose

You will have much better luck in looking at bestiaries or specialized fantasy, folklore or mythology dictionaries.
Comment

Con
 You'll end up finding D&D lore in the end

Generally you'll find the Dungeons & dragons creature lore when browsing wikipedia. Undead, fey, demons etc. And you won't get as many details as from the actual D&D lore books.
Comment

Con
 Have to know what you are looking for

It's hard to find something new, when you don't know what it is called.
Comment

Pro
 Great for "generic" lore

If common fantasy creatures are what you are looking for, you won't need 2 pages full of lore for each creature.
Comment
undefinedurl nextprice drop