Why isn't the capricorn a monster in more games? Everything else is.

Shipyard Locked · February 01, 2016, 06:17:05 AM

Well I've personally seen the fish-goat more, and a google image search turns up a majority of fish-goats, but this is all anecdotal so I'll concede this point.

arminius · February 01, 2016, 10:24:29 AM

Note that the "signs" are also constellations in the sky. And in the case of Capricorn, the constellation has been known and defined back to Babylonian times, when (according to Wikipedia) it did have a name that translates as "goat fish". https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_star_catalogues

Not to beat a dead horse but I can't find anything about the goat-fish being supposed to be a real creature even at the time. I found some speculation that it represented the combination of two symbolic attributes.

rawma · February 01, 2016, 10:48:05 PM

The most likely reason it doesn't appear in more games is that "You meet ... [rolls dice and looks at the wandering monster table] a Capricorn!" sounds kind of dumb and will get all the players demanding to know the astrological signs of every other monster they meet.

Even if you meet that objection by calling it a Capricornus or whatever, an aquatic goat creature still isn't a terribly useful monster; most aquatic monsters just don't appear as much, and it has no obvious special powers to set it off from other aquatic monsters.

Bren · February 01, 2016, 10:59:19 PM

While a narwhal gets a horn attack and tail slap, it doesn't get a hoof attack.

And while a kelpie gets a hoof attack, it doesn't get a horn attack or a tail slap.

Of course a great white shark gets a bite and the Capricorn doesn't really have an effective bite attack. But then the shark doesn't have either a hoof or horn attack now does it?

Also if you break off the Capricorn's horn, you get a horn of plenty. That's pretty cool.

rawma · February 02, 2016, 12:38:29 AM

Quote from: Bren;876536Also if you break off the Capricorn's horn, you get a horn of plenty. That's pretty cool.

Different attack forms or number of attacks don't really distinguish it. But that last is something.

If you defeat the Aquarius, can you get a decanter of endless water? If you defeat the Sagittarius, can you get a magic bow or arrows? If you get a good reaction roll from the Gemini, can you get a threesome?

People are keenest on defeating the Cancer, even though it doesn't seem it would give any magical treasure.

Shipyard Locked · February 02, 2016, 06:55:19 AM

Quote from: rawma;876547People are keenest on defeating the Cancer, even though it doesn't seem it would give any magical treasure.

I dunno, more reward money than I could ever spend sounds pretty magical.

rawma · February 02, 2016, 08:42:04 PM

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;876586I dunno, more reward money than I could ever spend sounds pretty magical.

A good point, although I would argue that's not the Cancer giving a magical treasure.

My experience is more personal battles by those who are attacked by a Cancer, and I wasn't thinking about people who enchant Arrows of Cancer Slaying, Scrolls of Protection from Cancer, and Wands of Detect Cancer, or research spells specific to combat with Cancers. All much more socially beneficial than the American Capricorn Society would be, to revisit the original topic.

RPGPundit · February 05, 2016, 09:08:04 PM

Is a Ford Taurus a kind of Dire Taurus?