The Name "The Fantasy Trip"

[Jim Kane]

Originally Posted by David L Pulver

...Though I think a few ITL monsters went un-countered...

Correct you are Sir; quite a great many as a matter of fact. Hopefully, with the the right amount of "traction" under the re-launch, those "days of wanting" will become a fading memory in the face of a new dawn of abundance.

JK

[JLV]

I also hope for a positive cornucopia of assorted monsters, heroes, villains, beasts, and props (everything from pillars and pits to small buildings, wall sections (reprinting the fortress from Orcslayer would be cool too) and whole ships...

So? I can dream, can't I?

[Steve Jackson]

I am leaving the Hymenopterans out of the new edition, probably due to an excess of caution. But the fact is, I didn't originate them; Howard did. I will not be offended if anyone house-rules them back in, nor will I mind if anyone creates a new hive race, whether insectoid, lizardy a la "The Dragon Masters," or naked mole rats.

I am a big fan of "Sandkings," and if GRRM had several parallel minds I would favor his working on a story about how fully mature sandkings interact with each other and the world.

As far as I know, the Big Bug Game was never tested.

[Jim Kane]

Originally Posted by Steve Jackson

I am leaving the Hymenopterans out of the new edition, probably due to an excess of caution. But the fact is, I didn't originate them; Howard did.

Or, probably due to an excessive of wisdom? Hard life-lessons are those learnt best... or something like that, as the saying goes.

JK

[JLV]

Originally Posted by Steve Jackson

I am leaving the Hymenopterans out of the new edition, probably due to an excess of caution. But the fact is, I didn't originate them; Howard did. I will not be offended if anyone house-rules them back in, nor will I mind if anyone creates a new hive race, whether insectoid, lizardy a la "The Dragon Masters," or naked mole rats.

I am a big fan of "Sandkings," and if GRRM had several parallel minds I would favor his working on a story about how fully mature sandkings interact with each other and the world.

As far as I know, the Big Bug Game was never tested.

I certainly don't blame you for that, given the historical track record here. I'm guessing that if you do one or more TFT issues of The Pyramid, we will find a submission for something like them coming along sooner, rather than later... (I will certainly add them back in -- after all, I had already created a Hive of the Valley of Singing Gold (golden tinted carapaces) perpetually at war with the Hive of the Valley of Shimmering Silver (guess what color their carapaces were?), and it would be a shame to waste them -- especially since those two words ("Gold" and "Silver") ALWAYS convince the Players to go "explore" and loot the two valleys, only to find themselves on the menu for one or both hives...)

[ak_aramis]

So what will the Myrmiddon spell now summon? (That it was a Hymenopteran was a nifty bit of Cidri lore in rules.)

The idea of intelligent hive bugs is not unique to Metagaming, either. The use in both the Ender Cycle (buggers) and in Starship Troopers (bugs), Babylon 5, and Star Wars, for fiction sources, and the XOROA of AFF, the (barely) intelligent wasps in Torg's Living Land, as well as some lesser known games besides, argues for the concept being sound (and clear).

The Name is almost unprotectable - it's the scientific name for the order including wasps, ants, and bees.

Just label them Ant Men... or Bee Men... or Wasp Men. Perhaps, all three, with minor differences each, making the concept your own... after all, it's establishable that it's not unique to Mr. Howard.

[Jim Kane]

Originally Posted by ak_aramis

So what will the Myrmiddon spell now summon? (That it was a Hymenopteran was a nifty bit of Cidri lore in rules.)...Just label them Ant Men... or Bee Men... or Wasp Men. Perhaps, all three, with minor differences each, making the concept your own... after all, it's establishable that it's not unique to Mr. Howard.

Much of the older, and I mean *older* classic Sci-Fi that I read and watch, features these sorts of the Whatever/Human hybrids. Sounds like a simple and great "Work-Around" to the problem, Ak_Aramis. Nice thinking on that one!

JK

[JLV]

Originally Posted by ak_aramis

So what will the Myrmiddon spell now summon? (That it was a Hymenopteran was a nifty bit of Cidri lore in rules.)

The idea of intelligent hive bugs is not unique to Metagaming, either. The use in both the Ender Cycle (buggers) and in Starship Troopers (bugs), Babylon 5, and Star Wars, for fiction sources, and the XOROA of AFF, the (barely) intelligent wasps in Torg's Living Land, as well as some lesser known games besides, argues for the concept being sound (and clear).

The Name is almost unprotectable - it's the scientific name for the order including wasps, ants, and bees.

Just label them Ant Men... or Bee Men... or Wasp Men. Perhaps, all three, with minor differences each, making the concept your own... after all, it's establishable that it's not unique to Mr. Howard.

Summon Myrmidon appeared in the original Wizard rules (before Hymenopterans were added to TFT). What did it summon for you in that game?

Myrmidon is simply another word for "warrior" or "fighter." In our games it NEVER summoned anything other than a basic human warrior.

Why not just label them "bugmen?" Seems like it covers all the bases, and HT could hardly sue over that...

[Infornific]

Originally Posted by JLV

Summon Myrmidon appeared in the original Wizard rules (before Hymenopterans were added to TFT). What did it summon for you in that game?

Myrmidon is simply another word for "warrior" or "fighter." In our games it NEVER summoned anything other than a basic human warrior.

Why not just label them "bugmen?" Seems like it covers all the bases, and HT could hardly sue over that...

Myrmidons in Greek mythology were warriors derived from ants Zeus turned into people. Thus the bug connection. I've thought it would be a good name for Amazon infantry but that's probably getting excessively cute with language.

[JLV]

Originally Posted by Infornific

Myrmidons in Greek mythology were warriors derived from ants Zeus turned into people. Thus the bug connection. I've thought it would be a good name for Amazon infantry but that's probably getting excessively cute with language.

That would actually be quite clever! Besides, excessive cuteness with language is more of a "feature" in roleplaying games than it is *ahem* a "bug" (if you'll pardon the excessively cute pun). ;-)