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| {{Short description|Fictional creature in Dungeons & Dragons}} | |||
| {{Infobox fictional race | |||
| | name = Displacer beast | |||
| | caption = | |||
| | first = '']'' (1975) | |||
| | based_on = the ] | |||
| | type = ] | |||
| | alignment = ] | |||
| }} | |||
| A '''displacer beast''' is a fictional evil feline creature created for the '']'' role-playing game in 1975; it has subsequently been included in every edition of the game to the present day. | |||
| ==Description== | |||
| A '''displacer beast''' is a ] from the '']'' ]. This ] resembles a ] with a pair of powerful black ]s sprouting from its shoulders, and two to four additional forelimbs. Displacer beasts are coloured blue-black, like a dark panther. The tentacles are tipped with horny edges which can inflict terrible wounds and resemble the club-shaped catching tentacles of a squid. | |||
| A displacer beast is a magical six-legged ]-like feline with a pair of tentacles growing from its shoulders; the beast has an innate "displacement" ability, causing it appear to be several feet away from its actual location.<ref name=KA>{{cite book |first=Keith |last=Ammann |date=2019 |title=] |publisher=] |page=137 |isbn=978-1982122669}}</ref><ref name=MR>{{cite web |url=https://www.wargamer.com/dnd/displacer-beast-5e |title=DnD Displacer Beast 5e monster guide |last=Russell |first=Mollie |date=2022 |website=] |access-date=16 May 2023 |quote=The DnD Displacer Beast 5e is one of Wizards of the Coast's most enduring TTRPG monsters}}</ref> "These mighty predators are typically found in the ]",<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbr.com/strongest-dnd-monsters-honor-among-thieves/#displacer-beast |title=10 Strongest D&D Monsters In Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves |first=Louis |last=Kemner |website=] |date=12 April 2023 |access-date=22 May 2023}}</ref> "an ]" home to ''D&D'''s version of ].<ref name=JG19>{{cite web |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/dungeons-and-dragons-book-wild-beyond-the-witchlight |title=Dungeons & Dragons' next book is a wicked, whimsical exploration into the Feywild |first=James |last=Grebey |website=] |date=7 June 2021 |access-date=22 May 2023}}</ref> | |||
| ==Publication history== | |||
| Displacer beasts are fierce and vicious, and hate all other creatures. These sentient, magical cats often kill purely for pleasure, though they never fight among themselves. This beast uses a magical ''displacement'' ability, a form of illusion which causes it to appear to be a few feet away from where it actually is. This makes the creature hard to hit, while it attacks with its long tentacles. | |||
| ===''Dungeons & Dragons'' (1974–1976)=== | |||
| The displacer beast was created for ''Dungeons & Dragons'', first introduced in the game's supplement, '']'' (1975), as "a puma-like creature with six legs and a pair of tentacles which grow from its shoulders."<ref>] and ]. '']'' (TSR, 1975)</ref> The concept of the creature was borrowed from ]'s 1939 science fiction story "Black Destroyer", which described a feline-like creature called a ].<ref name=Ash>{{cite book|author-first=Richard W.|author-last=Forest|editor1-first=Jeffrey|editor1-last=Weinstock|date=2014|title=The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters|publisher=]|chapter=Dungeons & Dragons, Monsters in}}</ref><ref name="aa">{{cite book | last1 =Witwer | first1 =Michael| last2 =Newman | first2 =Kyle| last3 =Witwer | first3 =Sam| title =Dungeons & Dragons Art & Arcana: A Visual History | publisher =Ten Speed Press| date =2018| isbn =9780399580949}}</ref>{{rp|71}} Van Vogt later incorporated the coeurl into the novel '']'' (1950).<ref>{{cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |title=] Monster Ecologies |year=2007 |publisher=] |location= |isbn= }}</ref> | |||
| ===''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 1st edition (1977–1988)=== | |||
| The hide of a displacer beast has many useful magical properties, making it highly sought after by ] and ]. Many ] use the eyes of a displacer beast as good luck charms, believing that they will protect the bearer from detection. | |||
| The displacer beast appears in the first edition ''Monster Manual'' (1977), where it is described as a vaguely puma-like beast that always appears to be three feet away from its actual position.<ref name="1eMM">]. '']'' (], 1977)</ref> ], in his book ''Of Dice and Men'', discussed several monsters appearing in the original ''Monster Manual'', describing displacer beasts as looking like "pumas with thorn-covered tentacles growing out of their shoulders".<ref name=ODaM>{{cite book | first=David M. | last=Ewalt | authorlink= David M. Ewalt | year=2013 | title= Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It | publisher=Scribner | page=138 | isbn=978-1-4516-4052-6 }}</ref> | |||
| The displacer beast |
The displacer beast was detailed in '']'' #109 (May 1986), in the "Ecology of the Displacer Beast".<ref>Mickelson, Bill. "Ecology of the Displacer Beast." '']'' #109 (TSR, 1986)</ref> | ||
| ===''Dungeons & Dragons'' (1977–1999)=== | |||
| In the ] campaign setting, the displacer beast is the heraldic beast of the dragonmarked ]. | |||
| This edition of the ''D&D'' game included its own version of the displacer beast, in the '']'' (1977),<ref>], and ] , edited by ]. ''Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set'' (TSR, 1977)</ref> and '']'' (1981 & 1983),<ref>], and ] , edited by ]. ''Dungeons & Dragons Expert Set'' (TSR, 1981)</ref><ref>], and ] , edited by ]. ''Dungeons & Dragons Set 2: Expert Rules'' (TSR, 1983)</ref> and was also later featured in the '']'' set (1991), the '']'' (1991),<ref>], ], ], and Dori Watry. '']'' (TSR, 1991)</ref> the ''Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game'' set (1994), and the '']'' set (1999).<ref>]. '']'' (TSR, 1999)</ref> | |||
| ===''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 2nd edition (1989–1999)=== | |||
| ==Further reading== | |||
| The displacer beast appears in the ''Monstrous Compendium Volume One'' (1989),<ref>], et al. ''Monstrous Compendium Volume One'' (], 1989)</ref> and is reprinted in the '']'' (1993).<ref>Stewart, Doug, ed. ''Monstrous Manual'' (TSR, 1994)</ref> | |||
| * ]. ''Ecology of the Displacer Beast'', ''] #109'' (], 1986). | |||
| ===''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3.0 & 3.5 editions (2000–2007)=== | |||
| The displacer beast appears in the 3rd edition ''Monster Manual'' (2000)<ref>], ], and ]. '']'' (], 2000)</ref> and then in the 3.5 edition ''Monster Manual'' (2003). This edition also described the '''displacer beast pack lord'''. For this edition, ] considered the displacer beast to be an original product of ''D&D'' and was therefore categorized as a "Product Identity"; as such it was not released under its ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.d20srd.org/faq.htm |title=Frequently Asked Questions |accessdate=2007-02-23 |publisher=D20srd.org}}</ref> | |||
| ===''Dungeons & Dragons'' 4th edition (2008–2013)=== | |||
| The displacer beast appears in the 4th edition ''Monster Manual'' (2008), and again a description is included for the '''displacer beast pack lord'''.<ref>Mearls, Mike, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt. '']'' (], 2008)</ref> | |||
| ===''Dungeons & Dragons'' 5th edition (2014)=== | |||
| The displacer beast appears in the 5th edition ''Monster Manual'' (2014). It is considered a copyrighted original creation for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thegamer.com/dungeons-dragons-monsters-copyright/ |title=These Monsters Are Legally Owned By Dungeons & Dragons (So You Can't Steal Them) |last=Bair |first=Scott |date=24 May 2020 |website=The Gamer |access-date=19 May 2023 |quote=there are some monsters that are considered to be copyrighted parts of Dungeons & Dragons and cannot be used in other games}}</ref> | |||
| ==Other media== | |||
| A displacer beast appears in the film '']''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://nerdist.com/article/all-the-monsters-in-dungeons-and-dragons-honor-among-thieves-movie-original-monster-manual-homage/ | title=Here Are All the Menacing Monsters in DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://collider.com/dungeons-dragons-honor-among-thieves-races-explained/ | title='Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves': Every Humanoid Race Explained | website=] | date=April 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-monsters-of-dungeons-dragons-honor-among-thieves-gelatinous-cube-owlbear-mimic-and-more/ | title=The Monsters of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves - Gelatinous Cube, Owlbear, Mimic, and More! | date=31 March 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/dungeons-dragons-honor-among-thieves-displacer-beast-cinemacon-footage/ | title=Dungeons & Dragons Movie Reportedly Includes Classic D&D Monster }}</ref><ref name=wired>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2023/04/geeks-guide-dungeons-dragons-movie/ |title=The Dungeons & Dragons Movie Is a First-Rate Comedy |last= |first= |magazine=Wired |date= 7 April 2023|website= |publisher= |access-date= |quote=}}</ref> A displacer beast kitten is a '']'' card created as part of the '']'' crossover.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/dungeons-and-dragons-best-monsters-and-villains-ever/ |title=Dungeons and Dragons' Best Monsters and Villains Ever |last= |first= |date= 18 March 2023|website=] |access-date= |quote=}}</ref> | |||
| ==Reception== | |||
| Rob Bricken from ] named the displacer beast as the 2nd most memorable ''D&D'' monster.<ref>{{cite journal|url= http://io9.gizmodo.com/the-10-most-memorable-dungeons-dragons-monsters-1326074030/|title=The 10 Most Memorable Dungeons & Dragons Monsters|journal=Io9|last=Bricken|first=Rob|date=September 16, 2013|accessdate=January 20, 2016}}</ref> Reviewers also counted it among the "most iconic"<ref name=MR/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/dungeons-dragons-movie-poster-displacer-beast-owlbear-intellect-devourer-mimic/ |title=Dungeons & Dragons Movie Poster Shows Off Iconic Monsters |last=Hoffer |first=Christian |date=21 July 2022 |website=] |access-date=7 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/dungeons-dragons-movie-recreated-classic-monsters-as-statues/ |title=Dungeons & Dragons Movie Recreated Classic Monsters As Gorgeous Statues |last=Woinski |first=Bart |date=1 December 2022 |website=] |access-date=7 June 2023 |quote=features detailed statues depicting two iconic franchise monsters the displacer beast and mimic}}</ref> and "fan-favorite" monsters of the game.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gizmodo.com/dungeons-and-dragons-honor-among-thieves-owlbear-movie-1849348690 |title=The New ''Dungeons & Dragons'' Movie Had Me at Owlbear |last= |first= |date= 29 July 2022|website= |publisher= |access-date= |quote=}}</ref> It was considered an "old-school"<ref name=KA/> and "most enduring" monster,<ref name=MR/> having been part of the game from its earliest stages.<ref name=KA/><ref name=ODaM/><ref name=MR/> Author Ben Riggs remarked on the movie version of the displacer beast: "The design of the creature is just so fantastic. It's creepy. Even though it's a panther with a couple tentacles, at first you're creeped out".<ref name=wired/> David M. Marshall remarked that the displacer beast is one of the elements "which disrupts the roughly period atmosphere of the game".<ref>{{cite book |last=Marshall |first=David W. |date=2007 |title=Mass Market Medieval: Essays on the Middle Ages in Popular Culture |publisher=] |chapter=A World unto Itself: Autopoietic Systems and Secondary Worlds in ''Dungeons & Dragons'' |page=171 |isbn=978-0-7864-2922-6}}</ref> | |||
| ==Other marketing: ''D&D Miniatures''== | |||
| * Harbinger set #41 (2003) | |||
| * War of the Dragon Queen set #29 (2006) (Displacer Beast Pack Lord) | |||
| * Unhallowed set #37 (2007) (Displacer Beast Manhunter) | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{reflist|2}} | |||
| {{D&D topics}} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Displacer Beast}} | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
Latest revision as of 15:23, 25 December 2024
Fictional creature in Dungeons & Dragons| Displacer beast | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Supplement I - Greyhawk (1975) |
| Based on | the Coeurl |
| In-universe information | |
| Type | Magical beast |
| Alignment | Lawful Evil |
A displacer beast is a fictional evil feline creature created for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game in 1975; it has subsequently been included in every edition of the game to the present day.
Description
A displacer beast is a magical six-legged black panther-like feline with a pair of tentacles growing from its shoulders; the beast has an innate "displacement" ability, causing it appear to be several feet away from its actual location. "These mighty predators are typically found in the Feywild", "an alternate plane of existence" home to D&D's version of fairies.
Publication history
Dungeons & Dragons (1974–1976)
The displacer beast was created for Dungeons & Dragons, first introduced in the game's supplement, Greyhawk (1975), as "a puma-like creature with six legs and a pair of tentacles which grow from its shoulders." The concept of the creature was borrowed from A. E. van Vogt's 1939 science fiction story "Black Destroyer", which described a feline-like creature called a coeurl. Van Vogt later incorporated the coeurl into the novel The Voyage of the Space Beagle (1950).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977–1988)
The displacer beast appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), where it is described as a vaguely puma-like beast that always appears to be three feet away from its actual position. David M. Ewalt, in his book Of Dice and Men, discussed several monsters appearing in the original Monster Manual, describing displacer beasts as looking like "pumas with thorn-covered tentacles growing out of their shoulders".
The displacer beast was detailed in Dragon #109 (May 1986), in the "Ecology of the Displacer Beast".
Dungeons & Dragons (1977–1999)
This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the displacer beast, in the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (1977), and Expert Set (1981 & 1983), and was also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1991), the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), the Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1994), and the Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game set (1999).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989–1999)
The displacer beast appears in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), and is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 & 3.5 editions (2000–2007)
The displacer beast appears in the 3rd edition Monster Manual (2000) and then in the 3.5 edition Monster Manual (2003). This edition also described the displacer beast pack lord. For this edition, Wizards of the Coast considered the displacer beast to be an original product of D&D and was therefore categorized as a "Product Identity"; as such it was not released under its Open Game License.
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008–2013)
The displacer beast appears in the 4th edition Monster Manual (2008), and again a description is included for the displacer beast pack lord.
Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition (2014)
The displacer beast appears in the 5th edition Monster Manual (2014). It is considered a copyrighted original creation for the Dungeons & Dragons game.
Other media
A displacer beast appears in the film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. A displacer beast kitten is a Magic: The Gathering card created as part of the Baldur's Gate crossover.
Reception
Rob Bricken from io9 named the displacer beast as the 2nd most memorable D&D monster. Reviewers also counted it among the "most iconic" and "fan-favorite" monsters of the game. It was considered an "old-school" and "most enduring" monster, having been part of the game from its earliest stages. Author Ben Riggs remarked on the movie version of the displacer beast: "The design of the creature is just so fantastic. It's creepy. Even though it's a panther with a couple tentacles, at first you're creeped out". David M. Marshall remarked that the displacer beast is one of the elements "which disrupts the roughly period atmosphere of the game".
Other marketing: D&D Miniatures
- Harbinger set #41 (2003)
- War of the Dragon Queen set #29 (2006) (Displacer Beast Pack Lord)
- Unhallowed set #37 (2007) (Displacer Beast Manhunter)
References
- ^ Ammann, Keith (2019). The Monsters Know What They're Doing. Saga Press. p. 137. ISBN 978-1982122669.
- ^ Russell, Mollie (2022). "DnD Displacer Beast 5e monster guide". Wargamer.com. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
The DnD Displacer Beast 5e is one of Wizards of the Coast's most enduring TTRPG monsters
- Kemner, Louis (12 April 2023). "10 Strongest D&D Monsters In Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- Grebey, James (7 June 2021). "Dungeons & Dragons' next book is a wicked, whimsical exploration into the Feywild". SyfyWire. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- Gygax, Gary and Robert J. Kuntz. Supplement I: Greyhawk (TSR, 1975)
- Forest, Richard W. (2014). "Dungeons & Dragons, Monsters in". In Weinstock, Jeffrey (ed.). The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters. Ashgate Publishing.
- Witwer, Michael; Newman, Kyle; Witwer, Sam (2018). Dungeons & Dragons Art & Arcana: A Visual History. Ten Speed Press. ISBN 9780399580949.
- Dragon Monster Ecologies. Paizo Publishing. 2007.
- Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual (TSR, 1977)
- ^ Ewalt, David M. (2013). Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It. Scribner. p. 138. ISBN 978-1-4516-4052-6.
- Mickelson, Bill. "Ecology of the Displacer Beast." Dragon Magazine #109 (TSR, 1986)
- Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson , edited by J. Eric Holmes. Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (TSR, 1977)
- Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson , edited by Dave Cook. Dungeons & Dragons Expert Set (TSR, 1981)
- Gygax, Gary, and Dave Arneson , edited by Frank Mentzer. Dungeons & Dragons Set 2: Expert Rules (TSR, 1983)
- Allston, Aaron, Steven E. Schend, Jon Pickens, and Dori Watry. Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (TSR, 1991)
- Slavicsek, Bill. Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game (TSR, 1999)
- Cook, David, et al. Monstrous Compendium Volume One (TSR, 1989)
- Stewart, Doug, ed. Monstrous Manual (TSR, 1994)
- Cook, Monte, Jonathan Tweet, and Skip Williams. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)
- "Frequently Asked Questions". D20srd.org. Retrieved 2007-02-23.
- Mearls, Mike, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2008)
- Bair, Scott (24 May 2020). "These Monsters Are Legally Owned By Dungeons & Dragons (So You Can't Steal Them)". The Gamer. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
there are some monsters that are considered to be copyrighted parts of Dungeons & Dragons and cannot be used in other games
- "Here Are All the Menacing Monsters in DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES".
- "'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves': Every Humanoid Race Explained". Collider. April 2023.
- "The Monsters of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves - Gelatinous Cube, Owlbear, Mimic, and More!". 31 March 2023.
- "Dungeons & Dragons Movie Reportedly Includes Classic D&D Monster".
- ^ "The Dungeons & Dragons Movie Is a First-Rate Comedy". Wired. 7 April 2023.
- "Dungeons and Dragons' Best Monsters and Villains Ever". Den of Geek. 18 March 2023.
- Bricken, Rob (September 16, 2013). "The 10 Most Memorable Dungeons & Dragons Monsters". Io9. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- Hoffer, Christian (21 July 2022). "Dungeons & Dragons Movie Poster Shows Off Iconic Monsters". ComicBook.com. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
- Woinski, Bart (1 December 2022). "Dungeons & Dragons Movie Recreated Classic Monsters As Gorgeous Statues". Screen Rant. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
features detailed statues depicting two iconic franchise monsters the displacer beast and mimic
- "The New Dungeons & Dragons Movie Had Me at Owlbear". 29 July 2022.
- Marshall, David W. (2007). "A World unto Itself: Autopoietic Systems and Secondary Worlds in Dungeons & Dragons". Mass Market Medieval: Essays on the Middle Ages in Popular Culture. McFarland & Company. p. 171. ISBN 978-0-7864-2922-6.