teratology skill

[muduri]

I'd like to figure out what skill lets you identify beholder's diets, malathropes' mating habits or the geographic distribution of lamp-efts. This skill might default to Naturalist or Occultism but it seems like something distinct (fair enough, depending on the provenance of magical monsters in your world). My thought is that it would be an expert skill, Teratology (IQ/Hard). But I have this sense that I might just be overlooking something very obvious in Dungeon Fantasy or Monster Hunters. Any thoughts? Thanks as always!

[Dalillama]

Depending on the provenance and distribution of the monsters in question, it might be, Naturalist, Occultism, a relevant Hidden Lore specialty, or indeed a separate skill as you suggest.

[joncarryer]

DF uses Psychology (Monster Type)

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by muduri

I'd like to figure out what skill lets you identify beholder's diets, malathropes' mating habits or the geographic distribution of lamp-efts.

In worlds where monsters are enough part of the natural world for those to make much sense, I tend to regard it as an optional specialty of Naturalist or Anthropology, depending on whether the monsters are sentient. Not any different that somebody taking an optional specialty in "things that make nice big game trophies" or "animals with valuable furs".

But sure, in a Dungeon Fantasy type world that Naturalist specialty in "things that will probably attack you" might very well have a formal name and be taught with a standard curriculum, or an Expert skill might exist to cover both the animals and the sentient things.

[patchwork]

If the monster situation (and the political situation) have been stable enough long enough for it to become a real body of knowledge that you can study academically, I'd use Hidden Lore. If there's a lot of experimentation and inductive reasoning going on and it's a pretty new field (with many monsters being unique or apparently so), I would indeed make a new skill, perhaps allowing a default to Occultism, Naturalism or Thaumatology at -6, depending on what sort of monsters we're talking about.

[Flyndaran]

Monster isn't really a very biologically valid term. I imagine any "realistic" body of knowledge focused on such a topic would include dangerous beasts common to our world.
Tigers, stealthy jaguars and leopards, sharks, and drunk elephants in musth are all pretty darn monstrous to us let alone sword wielding dungeon delvers.

[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by patchwork

If the monster situation (and the political situation) have been stable enough long enough for it to become a real body of knowledge that you can study academically, I'd use Hidden Lore.

I would use Hidden Lore for the opposite scenario, where it is so scarce and poorly understood (in general) that you CAN'T study it academically! If you can minor in Monster Studies, that Lore isn't really Hidden!

I would use Hidden Lore if the information was in some way limited to certain groups and access was difficult. I would second using Naturalist (non-sentient) and Anthropology (sentient) if the knowledge was generally available. That having been said, there is a lot of overlap in the various skills in GURPS, and it is likely that some parts of this knowledge could be rolled into numerous skills already existing as well as supporting a new dedicated skill - probably Expert Skill (Teratology).

[Dalillama]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Monster isn't really a very biologically valid term. I imagine any "realistic" body of knowledge focused on such a topic would include dangerous beasts common to our world.
Tigers, stealthy jaguars and leopards, sharks, and drunk elephants in musth are all pretty darn monstrous to us let alone sword wielding dungeon delvers.

Hence my comment that it depends on where the monsters come from; if we're talking one-off creations of evil wizards, mad gods, or bizarre curses, then Naturalism isn't going to be much help, because they don't really have a place in the natural order (IIRC there's someone around here who's fond of pointing out that that's pretty much what 'monster' means, something that hasn't got a place in the natural order), but Occultism might, because you know about famous evil wizards, mad gods, and bizarre curses.

[Phantasm]

If this knowledge is available for anyone who seeks for it in a library (public or a patron's), then I'd go with a required Occultism specialty (distinct from the "optional Specialty" clause; normally a GM's ruling on a very broad Average skill - like Occultism - that lacks specialties), possibly by monster type (beholders and illithids under Occultism (Aberrations), etc.). If it's stuff that's guarded under lock and key by Powers That Exist Behind Closed Doors, then I'd go with a Hidden Lore specialty.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Dalillama

Hence my comment that it depends on where the monsters come from; if we're talking one-off creations of evil wizards, mad gods, or bizarre curses, then Naturalism isn't going to be much help, because they don't really have a place in the natural order (IIRC there's someone around here who's fond of pointing out that that's pretty much what 'monster' means, something that hasn't got a place in the natural order), but Occultism might, because you know about famous evil wizards, mad gods, and bizarre curses.

Natural order is just as subjective as monster. Most cultures consider mankind to be outside it. Just because we're the ones making up the words.

Demigods, or just messed up babies of a super prolific begetter like Zeus could be an entire skill itself. Even with amazing slaying heroes, you'll never run out of monsters.