Questions tagged [creature-design]
For questions regarding the viability of a life-form design. These questions should focus on biologically plausible creatures.
11
votes
6answers
2k views
What type of feet should semiarboreal humanoids have?
My semiarboreal humanoids have a build quite similar to humans, apart from some more specialized arboreal adaptations. They live in rainforests quite similar to the Amazon Rainforest. Though trees are ...
10
votes
5answers
943 views
Dragon shapeshifting and memory mechanism
Dragons are biologically immortal creatures that have evolved the most versatile sexual reproduction in existence, they can morph through a cocoon into any other species from the animal kingdom that ...
0
votes
0answers
60 views
I need help writing an alien as the central hero [closed]
I'm writing a story where the main character is an alien and his race is the central focus of the story. The alien works with a team comprised of other races to stop a terrorist orginzation from ...
6
votes
5answers
181 views
How can my dragons use their tongues to control their fire breathing?
Some background you may or may not skip
I was daydreaming the other day about how tamed dragons whose magic was somehow harnessed as an energy source by humans could be used as a metaphor for nuclear ...
8
votes
2answers
308 views
Could an alien evolve to speak through its anus?
Humans can speak making precise movements of our tongues, teeth and vocal chords.
I want a sentient creature whose carnivorous mouth-parts are completely unsuitable for speech to be able to ...
25
votes
7answers
5k views
Is intraspecies genetic incompatibility possible?
I'm creating a humanoid species, roughly based on humans. The difference is that not every opposite sex couple of fertile age could produce offspring.
The premise of my story is based of some men ...
4
votes
5answers
207 views
Rock crushing hands, how to make it possible?
A species of humanoid creatures with a strange skull structure and huge horns has somehow immense strength in their hands. The rest of their body seems to be strong in proportion to their weight and ...
3
votes
3answers
152 views
Best natural armor possible for a fantasy humanoid
In my fantasy world a scholar magician creates a sub-specie of warriors with an optimal natural armor against medieval technology weapons. What would it be like? How can I make it as flexible as a ...
-1
votes
1answer
90 views
What are the side effects to an ability that let's you experience the senses from a memory? [closed]
The ability gives you a photographic memory and let's you perfectly recall any event in his life, and experience all the senses (touch, vision, smell, etc.) from a memory by firing the nerves or ...
12
votes
2answers
611 views
Anatomically Correct: Space Plankton
This creature was void-born in the farthest depths of time in this Universe. Drawing its energy from electromagnetic radiation, and sealed against the vacuum of space, this drifting creature ...
-1
votes
5answers
224 views
Is it possible that a species be intelligent and keep their animalistic trait?
As we all know, the brain consumes a lot of energy, so much that we, who has a bigger body and brain only have the same amount of strength as a chimpanzee.
So, could a species evolve to develop ...
7
votes
3answers
126 views
Is it possible for an organic species to generate a steady magnetic field?
There are some organisms that can generate electricity (eels, for example). And some others can detect magnetic fields and use it for navigation (birds, for example):
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/...
7
votes
4answers
259 views
Anatomically correct Panotti
Panotti so called from the Greek words πᾶν and οὖς for "all ears", were a mythical race of people, described as possessing large ears that covered their entire bodies.
In the Natural History, Pliny ...
6
votes
3answers
516 views
Why would unicorns only let virgins ride them, and bicorns refuse to let virgins ride them? [closed]
How to explain the fact that unicorns only let virgins ride them?
Why does the unicorn even care if the rider is a virgin or not?
And why do bicorns do exactly the opposite? Bicorns won't let ...
1
vote
1answer
103 views
How could monopods evolve? [closed]
In Wayne Barlowe's book Expedition he has some creatures who have become monopods, or only having one foot. They use it to hop through the dense air. Since the author never really got into the details ...
5
votes
3answers
153 views
Digestive System Within Limbs
This one might be a bit weird, but here it goes...
In designing the evolutionary history of my world, I've devised an evolutionary branch of animals adapting to terrestrial environments. Lacking rear ...
6
votes
3answers
415 views
Why would a creature be immune to heavy metals?
I need a creature that can survive in environments with elements like lead and mercury in many nutrition sources, and in some places making up part of the atmosphere.
I was thinking maybe it could ...
4
votes
3answers
105 views
Anatomically correct metalhead, part 2 - physiology
In the Land of Metal, there exists a tribe that has upheld the gospel of Manowar with such zeal that it modified their bodies.
Metalheads descend from humans, and may look human at a glance. A more ...
9
votes
4answers
322 views
Anatomically correct Sea Boar
Wild boars are well known for their large, bulky body, their aggressivity and their tusks.
They are animals from which a predator would gladly stay away if some easier prey is available. And, last ...
57
votes
4answers
6k views
Anatomically correct metalhead, part 1 - headbanging
In the Land of Metal, there exists a tribe that has upheld the gospel of Manowar with such zeal that it modified their bodies.
Metalheads descend from humans, and may look human at a glance. A more ...
6
votes
3answers
279 views
Potential adaptions / features for life adapted to the level of atmospheric pressure given?
Atmospheric composition:
| 2% Trace gases | 58% Nitrogen | 26% Oxygen | 11% Argon | 3% Carbon dioxide |
Average surface temperature:
36 degrees Celsius
Surface gravity:
1.36x Earth gravity
...
0
votes
3answers
86 views
A proper latin name for an alien creature [closed]
I am designing an alien creature, an oxygen breather on an Earth-like planet. These creatures have a crest on their back that changes color according to the mood in which they are. That crest is a ...
13
votes
8answers
2k views
Would it be possible for mammals to evolve blue blood?
Ever since I found out about the green blooded skink, I have wondered if it's possible for other blood colours to evolve among vertebrates, specifically blue in mammals.
2
votes
2answers
161 views
Can my mermaids work?
Looking to how I can make Nagas and Mermaids able to exist and evolve in my story, I came across this post which explains how Nagas could evolve from humans: Anatomically Correct Naga
In the top ...
2
votes
2answers
87 views
How could vertebrates evolve to only have two legs? [closed]
I know how humans and flightless birds evolved bipedalism, but could life on land and so on evolve with bipedalism form the start? Try to think of something more than just two finned fish equivalents.
0
votes
1answer
108 views
Hive Minds - Part 1: Genesis
EDIT: As suggested by L.Dutch, I turned the original post into a series of its own.
Some Context
A "Hive Mind" is an aggressive type of shared consciousness (for more information on shared ...
2
votes
3answers
133 views
Shared Consciousnesses - Part 1: Genesis
EDIT: As suggested by L.Dutch, I turned the original post into a series of its own.
Some Context
Though the name "Shared Consciousness" is pretty self explanatory to me, the best I can do to ...
13
votes
14answers
4k views
Best strategy against anti-material monsters [closed]
For my story the inhabitants of the setting find themselves fighting against endless hordes of monsters. But these monsters have several traits that will require unique strategies against them which I ...
8
votes
8answers
979 views
Could a horse-sized wolf-like animal out run a horse?
I an making a medieval society that uses a wolf-like animal as steeds instead of horses (in case it helps to have a description, think of a wolf built like a deer) and I wanted to know if it could out-...
6
votes
3answers
304 views
Why would dragons who predates humans hoard gold? [closed]
EDIT: I have been asked to create a more concise and specific question.
The question I would ask is what would be a (good) reason for my dragons as a species, having no inherent reason to share human ...
1
vote
0answers
45 views
How can 4 limbed animals evolve from 6 limbed animals? [duplicate]
An idea that I've been having to logically explain the evolution of 6-limbed animals is that they naturally have a common ancestor. This is illustrated in this picture I found:
Source: Birvan from ...
6
votes
1answer
699 views
Anatomically Correct Triskelion
Triskeles are popular Celtic decorative motifs. Everyone from modern day retro-Pagans to jewelry makers to Celtic bands uses them for the cool factor.
But there is a little known creature, possibly ...
31
votes
17answers
11k views
How to defend when attacked by an avian species?
Bird people are humanoid creatures with a wingspan of 4 meters, they are as tall as humans and the fittest of them weight 72 kilograms or slightly less, so they are quite lighter than the average ...
1
vote
2answers
286 views
How to remove the limit? [closed]
Most role playing games have an upper limit to how strong a character can become usually by means of a level limit or item power limit, players simply reach a point where no matter what they do they ...
6
votes
5answers
3k views
Arms without wrists
The human hand can be flexed at the wrist, extended and even abducted or adducted while the forearm can also be twisted in supination or pronation giving the illusion of the wrist twisting.
All of ...
-5
votes
1answer
139 views
I want to make a super OP dragon that breathes fire underwater [duplicate]
I want to create a super Over-Powered dragon that can:
Breathe fire
Breathe fire under water
Not harm itself while breathing fire (either above water or under water)
I would like answers that are as ...
44
votes
15answers
12k views
How could elves survive without any fat cell in their body?
Have you ever seen a fat Elf?
I haven't, and I think there's an unexpected reason.
You see, Elves aren't really the best workers or at least working the land and cultivating food is not something ...
4
votes
2answers
857 views
Turning into a puddle of blood [closed]
Vampires have that weird innate skill of being able to turn into a blood puddle and then morph back into a vampire.
This is an evolved characteristic all vampires share.
The Arcanists and scholars ...
4
votes
2answers
274 views
Why everyone hates the undead? [closed]
After death some might turn into undead by different means of magic. when brough back to life as an undead gaining new sheer strength and magic powers is to be expected while things like sense of ...
1
vote
2answers
113 views
Gnolls and their cooperative abilities [closed]
Gnolls are aggressive hyena like humanoids, they aren't very fun to have around for the fact that they fight for really anything and have almost no attentions span. Actually Gnolls are really ...
6
votes
2answers
223 views
Giant shoulders
Many fictional characters,specially in the anime art have shoulders bigger than any other upper body muscle. Normally the obliques,chest and latissimus dorsi are the biggest muscles in the upper body ...
3
votes
2answers
117 views
How can I make summoning a familiar worth the effort? [closed]
This mageocracy is controlled by mages, who exist in all walks of society. Magic is practiced on the open, and there is an entire education system built around its study (elementary schools, colleges, ...
9
votes
13answers
6k views
How to prevent regenerators from becoming slaves?
When some humans, humanoids and mythical creatures have an incredibly powerful magical regeneration it seems quite obvious that in times of need and growth some countries would try to capture them and ...
3
votes
1answer
199 views
How do I explain the compound eyes of my creatures?
Previous to this question, I made a post regarding many questions about the biology of the creature I had been designing. Looking back on it, I realized that I asked a LOT of questions for just one ...
6
votes
3answers
1k views
biologic liquid weapon
Imagine human like creatures with glands inside their forearms that can quickly produce a liquid that when exposed to air turns to a solid has hard as bone.
The liquid can be used to create and throw ...
2
votes
2answers
161 views
Is there a name for being able to switch between bipedal and quadrupedal? [closed]
I've got a species that can switch between orthograde/bipedal and pronograde/quadrupedal, much like the werewolves in Skyrim, but I don't know what to call that. Does it have a name?
-2
votes
1answer
107 views
How much pneumatization is possible? [closed]
So, one of the most common theories about how dragons could maybe still fly, the living gasbag theory.
Basically, most of the dragon is a cavity filled with lifting gas or air, in order to reduce its ...
6
votes
1answer
78 views
How could my humanoids metabolize smoke?
I have a species of humanoids that spends a lot of time around fire. They are able to spark their own fires, and they have a reasonable fire resistance. One problem presenting itself is smoke ...
1
vote
1answer
172 views
How big of a taur do you get out of a human?
The title sort of explains what I'm asking, but here is some context;
Bill shouldn't have taken that help wanted ad for the mad scientist
up the street. Now his legs were gone, and replaces with ...
6
votes
2answers
161 views
Is this radio communicating creature viable? (Volutus sapiens)
I have already reviewed a few questions about the feasibility of a radio communicating creature. Like these:
How would organic EM transmitters/recievers be different than our mechanical ones
...
