Humanoid interconnection in B/X Dungeons and Dragons.

I was thinking about the relationships between the humanoid monsters – and certain animals in the monster listings of B/X Dungeons and Dragons. I'm all for changing it up, but if taken serious by the letter of the word, you are forced to have not just many of the different humanoids in your world – if you take one of them, but also to have them interacted at least in the past.

I was ones – before I had this sleepy blog, going to make a relationship chart of the monster list but found it a bit overwhelming as I started. Now let's try it a bit different.

We start with the first humanoid we encounter if we don't count the actual human entries, the Bugbear! In it's description it says “Bugbears are giant hairy goblins” which sends us to the Goblin! Apparently Goblins are “incredibly ugly human-like” so we now might have to include Humans, though we could get away with leaving them, as it's only to tell us how the Goblin looks. But then, we would include us, wouldn't we? Let's move on. Goblins “hate Dwarves and will attack them on sight” and they sometimes “will be riding a Dire Wolf”. Going to Dire Wolfs (under the Wolf entry) tells us only that they are “larger and more ferocious than normal wolves” relating them to Wolfs (shocking, I know) and that they are “sometimes trained by goblins to be used as mounts” so that snake bite it’s own tail. When going to the Dwarf entry then it tells us they “hate goblins, and will usually attack them on sight” which again lead back. There's no place like home, there's no place like home… This however does not conclude our little study, as we shall discover other ties to this little family. The next humanoid is the Doppleganger, but it mentions no relations to any humanoid in particular, so we can move on without it.

Next up is the Elf entry which doesn't mention relationships either, but we will return here in a bit.

Now we got the ghastly Ghoul! It have the ability to paralyze “any creature of ogre-size or smaller that they hit successfully (except elves)” mentioning both Ogres and Elves! The Elf no relationships mentioned – as we read, so we'll proceed to the Ogre! We here learn that “Ogres hate Neanderthals and will attack them on sight” and are sent running to the Neanderthal entry. And what an Entry! We learn that they “choose their leaders from a similar race that is much larger than the average Neanderthal” however with only a description of these, and no entry in the monster list. But there are more! They “often hunt cave bears and keep white apes as pets” which sent us to the entry for the White Ape which only refer back to the Neanderthal as they “sometimes are kept as pets” by them. The Cave Bear entry tells us that they live in “caves and "lost world" areas” which gives us no further relationships, but does force the existence of a “lost world” area on our world. As creatures that might live in such, doesn't absolutely have to, it's irrelevant for this investigation – no need to go write 488 Pearl Lane in to our world. Bach at the Neanderthal we read that they are “friendly toward dwarves and gnomes” and so we get to go to the Gnome for a visit. Now Gnomes are a “human-like race related to dwarves” but we already explored the dwarf. Related they are, though. They “like most dwarves, but war with goblins and kobolds” and they “will usually attack kobolds on sight”. Let's go see the Kobold shall we? Well, I guess they share feelings for etch other, as Koblods “hate gnomes and will attack them on sight” which is sort of common ground then. Cute. Let's return to our German friends for a spell, which also have less then fussy feelings for the wee Kobold. We now read that they will “attack ogres on sight” so we just get out of the way then, which if nice for them anyway as they also are “shy and will avoid humans” so it'll give them room. Humans are specifically mentioned, however, so we're definitely in!

Next is the Gnoll which is “rumored to be the result of a magical combination of a gnome and a troll” and the Troll will be touched upon later (if you'll imagine...) so we move on to the Halfling which again is silent on the rest of the Humanoids, and we then come to the Hobgoblin! Not much in the way of relationships, but it does tie them to our Goblin friends as they are “bigger and meaner relatives” and we move on.

The Lizard Man is coming up, and the data have it that it “will try to capture humans and demihumans” which does tie them to Humans specifically. So in it goes, though that brings no more.

Then we'll go to Lycanthropes which are a sickness or curse that I don't think we need to include simply because humans are the victims of it, and past the Medusa that are also just described in the human form, but not in a tie in way, and right to the Orc entry.

Of the Orc we are told that “there may be an ogre with them” which leads us back to them, and also that there is a “chance of a troll living in the lair as well” leading us strait away to the Ekspert Set's Troll description which tells us absolutely nothing but does tie in to a later entry as we shall see, as well as to the Gnoll mentioned earlier.

Pixies are next, and they are “distantly related to elves” so there.
Then comes Sprites that are “related to pixies and elves” but nothing else is added.

Now comes the Thoul! Now the Thoul is a “magical combination of a ghoul, a hobgoblin, and a troll” which is the tie in mentioned when I wrote of the Orcs! Everyone have however been explored, so no need to linger here.

The last Humanoid of the Basic set is the Troglodyte, but it has no ties to anyone else, so we'll leave it by the side.

The Expert set have many Human entries, but not many humanoids, and no with tie ins, though I would personally expect the Nixies to be in the extended Elf family – but it doesn't say.

As we see, we are locked in to a world of many, many humanoids, unless ignoring the text in part.



A more interesting exercise might be to actually chart which humanoid entries force what others, instead of the chaos above. Adding the Elf force you to nothing else, the Sprite force upon your world the Elf and the Pixie, where the Pixie only demand the Elf. Let's see for that chart, shall we – and I only list those who demand others added.

Bugbear: Goblin, Dwarf, Dire Wolf, Wolf.

Dwarf: Goblin, Dire Wolf, Wolf.

Ghoul: Elf.

Gnoll: Gnome, Troll, Dwarf, Goblin, Dwarf, Kobold, Dire Wolf, Wolf.

Gnome: Dwarf, Goblin, Kobold, Dire Wolf, Wolf. Goblin: Dwarf, Dire Wolf, Wolf.

Hobgoblin: Goblin, Dire Wolf, Wolf, Dwarf. Kobold: Gnome, Dwarf, Goblin, Dire Wolf, Wolf.

Lizard Man: Human.

Neanderthal (Caveman): “Similar race that is much larger”, Cave Bears, White Ape, Dwarf, Goblin, Dire Wolf, Wolf, Ogre.

Ogre: Neanderthal, “Similar race that is much larger”, Cave Bears, White Ape, Dwarf, Goblin, Dire Wolf, Wolf.

Orc; Ogre, Neanderthal, “Similar race that is much larger”, Cave Bears, White Ape, Dwarf, Goblin, Dire Wolf, Wolf, Troll.

Pixie: Elf.

Sprite: Pixie, Elf.

Thoul: Hobgoblin, Goblin, Dire Wolf, Wolf, Dwarf, Ghoul, Elf, Troll.



And there you go. If you add one from the list, to your world then you will see whom tag along. Good times ^_^

Let's post this!
~J