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| | alignment = Lawful Evil | | alignment = Lawful Evil | ||
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| A '''displacer beast''' is a fictional creature |
A '''displacer beast''' is a fictional evil feline creature created for the 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 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. | |||
| ==Publication history== | ==Publication history== | ||
| The displacer beast was inspired by the ], a feline-like creature from the 1939 science fiction story "Black Destroyer" by ],<ref>{{cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=] Monster Ecologies |year=2007 |publisher=] |location= |isbn= }}</ref> later incorporated into the novel '']'' (1950). | |||
| The displacer beast has been included in every edition of the '']'', from the very first one in 1977 to the latest in 2014. | |||
| ===''Dungeons & Dragons'' (1974–1976)=== | ===''Dungeons & Dragons'' (1974–1976)=== | ||
| The displacer beast was |
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="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= |coauthors= |title=] Monster Ecologies |year=2007 |publisher=] |location= |isbn= }}</ref> | ||
| ===''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 1st edition (1977–1988)=== | ===''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 1st edition (1977–1988)=== | ||
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| ===''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 2nd edition (1989–1999)=== | ===''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 2nd edition (1989–1999)=== | ||
| The displacer beast appears |
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> | ||
| ===''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3.0 |
===''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3.0 & 3.5 editions (2000–2007)=== | ||
| The displacer beast appears in the ''Monster Manual'' |
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'' 3.5 edition (2003–2007)=== | |||
| The displacer beast appears in the revised ''Monster Manual'' for this edition (2003), which also described the '''displacer beast pack lord'''. | |||
| ===''Dungeons & Dragons'' 4th edition (2008–2013)=== | ===''Dungeons & Dragons'' 4th edition (2008–2013)=== | ||
| The displacer beast appears in the ''Monster Manual'' |
The displacer beast appears in the 4th edition ''Monster Manual'' (2008), and again a description is included for the '''displacer beast packlord'''.<ref>Mearls, Mike, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt. '']'' (], 2008)</ref> | ||
| ===''Dungeons & Dragons'' 5th edition (2014)=== | ===''Dungeons & Dragons'' 5th edition (2014)=== | ||
| The displacer beast appears in the ''Monster Manual'' |
The displacer beast appears in the 5th edition ''Monster Manual''(2014). | ||
| ==Licensing== | |||
| The displacer beast is considered a "Product Identity" by ] and as such is 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> | |||
| ==Ecology== | |||
| In the '']'' game, 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. The displacer beast is the natural enemy of the blink dog. 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. | |||
| ===Environment=== | |||
| In the game, displacer beasts primarily live in temperate hills or mountains.<ref>{{cite book | |||
| | last = | |||
| | first = | |||
| | authorlink = | |||
| | coauthors = | |||
| | title = ''Monster Manual: Core Rulebook III'' v.3.5 | |||
| | publisher = Wizards of the Coast | |||
| |date=July 2003 | |||
| | location = | |||
| | url = | |||
| | doi = | |||
| | id = | |||
| | isbn = 0-7869-2893-X | |||
| | page = 66}}</ref> | |||
| ===Typical physical characteristics=== | |||
| A displacer beast is considered to be a "]". In the game, it resembles a black ] with a pair of powerful black ]s sprouting from its shoulders, and two to four additional forelimbs. It is colored 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. | |||
| ===Alignment=== | |||
| In the first edition ''AD&D'' ''Monster Manual'', the displacer beast is listed as "neutral" in alignment.<ref name="1eMM"/> Displacer beasts are described as "]" in most editions{{Citation needed|date=April 2012}} of '']''. In 4th Edition, which lacks that alignment, they're described as "Unaligned." | |||
| ==In ''Eberron''== | |||
| In the ] ], the displacer beast is the heraldic beast of the dragonmarked ]. | |||
| ==Reception== | ==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|work=io9|last=Bricken|first=Rob|date=September 16, 2013|accessdate=January 20, 2016}}</ref> | 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|work=io9|last=Bricken|first=Rob|date=September 16, 2013|accessdate=January 20, 2016}}</ref> | ||
| ==''D&D Miniatures''== | ==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== | ==References== | ||
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| Displacer beast | |
|---|---|
| File:Displacer Beast.JPG | |
| 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 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 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.
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 packlord.
Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition (2014)
The displacer beast appears in the 5th edition Monster Manual(2014).
Reception
Rob Bricken from io9 named the displacer beast as the 2nd most memorable D&D monster.
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
- Gygax, Gary and Robert J. Kuntz. Supplement I: Greyhawk (TSR, 1975)
- 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.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - 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)
- Bricken, Rob (September 16, 2013). "The 10 Most Memorable Dungeons & Dragons Monsters". io9. Retrieved January 20, 2016.