Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Designing your beasties

This is topic Designing your beasties in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by tommose (Member # 8058) on :

If you're designing a world that has strange beasties, I'd suggest using the new Spore Creature Creator. The software costs only $10. It allows you to try different body plans (0, 1, or many arms, legs, eyes, and natural weapons) and to mess with colorization. It basically is a toolbox for designing critters.

The software then animates the creatures, which might give you an idea of how the creature will walk, run, or fight.

You can then save them and, if you like, share them with your friends or with the world.

In any event, I just find it useful, and thought I'd share.

Tom

Posted by Bent Tree (Member # 7777) on :

http://www.spore.com/what/screensmovies#creator

cool!

Posted by Elan (Member # 2442) on :

I have an area in my fantasy world where the creatures have been affected by wild (abnormal) magic. In designing my beasties, I put some thought into what makes a beast frightening, and it's not just size, teeth, or appearance. I thought in terms of what radiation mutation might do to a creature... not only birth defects and abnormalities, but aggrevating dangerous traits. Venom is one example of a trait that can make even small creatures dangerous. It's even more frightning if the creature appears harmless at first, and it isn't until the character realizes it's bite contains venom that the danger is revealed.

Posted by aspirit (Member # 7974) on :

Thank you! I wanted help drawing out a creature for one of my stories. Spore may work much better than hand drawing.

Posted by Bent Tree (Member # 7777) on :

quote:
I have an area in my fantasy world where the creatures have been affected by wild (abnormal) magic. In designing my beasties, I put some thought into what makes a beast frightening, and it's not just size, teeth, or appearance. I thought in terms of what radiation mutation might do to a creature... not only birth defects and abnormalities, but aggrevating dangerous traits. Venom is one example of a trait that can make even small creatures dangerous. It's even more frightning if the creature appears harmless at first, and it isn't until the character realizes it's bite contains venom that the danger is revealed

Perhaps transpiration of toxicities through its pores. What goes in must come out, even if it is barely noticable. Makes it interesting for predation, but then it seems the predators might be immune to such things as they are exposed to them also, but wouldn't it be dangerous for an outsider!