Questions tagged [creature-design]
For questions regarding the viability of a life-form design. These questions should focus on biologically plausible creatures.
2
votes
1answer
105 views
Is this humanoid dragon realistic the way I’ve imagined it?
In this world I’m dabbling with, the dominant species is a race of six limbed humanoid with two wings on its back slightly below the shoulder blades. They are very slender (“BMI” is between 17 & ...
7
votes
2answers
189 views
Brain Tick, how could it take over a host's brain?
There was once 12 kingdoms in the ancient days until the kingdom of Eo was devoured by the very forests it called home. The people of Eo have been turned into beasts wandering the woods and preying ...
4
votes
3answers
172 views
What weapons would nanomachines use?
So, the strongest of my current characters is a happy little cloud, that's composed of nanomachines (well, not exactly nano, it's well in the micro prefix, but individual parts obviously require ...
8
votes
3answers
177 views
Symbiotic Assassin Vines
I have an idea for an encounter in my world that goes like this...
A weary group of adventurers are trekking through a great ancient forest. This forest is avoided by most due to strange tales of ...
5
votes
1answer
131 views
How do humans with electric organs prevent self-electrocution?
In my world, a small population on an isolated island were bitten by radioactive electric eels while fishing. I read that the eels can send out carefully timed signals through their nervous systems ...
9
votes
4answers
1k views
Ways other than sleep to restore cells/neurons
So I have a planet with multiple species on it. My planet is tidally locked. I know it is generally thought a tidally locked planet couldn't harbor life because of the extreme temperatures, but my ...
10
votes
3answers
153 views
Could an organism have several oxygen transport proteins?
Can an organism have several types of oxygen carriers in its blood?
Note that I am not asking how the creature could have evolved, that is too much sci-fy, genetically engineering or Deus Ex Machina ...
5
votes
3answers
304 views
Can a troll hide withstand bullets?
The trolls in my story have a very thick and nigh impenetrable skin. In the time before guns, you would need a very sharp high-grade steel blade to breach the skin and, even then, after a few hits, ...
5
votes
1answer
113 views
Determining factor(s) for making creatures robust to square cubed law
Premise and research
I am simply trying to find a reproducible framework for use with creature-design. In my research I have found the larger an animal is, the more likely that animal is to break its ...
7
votes
4answers
425 views
What does my dragon sound like?
My dragon
So to give a quick description, this is a 2 mile long, nuclear powered dragon of doom. I think I’ll going with a fission/fusion hybrid creature for this beast. Another piece of relevant ...
6
votes
4answers
736 views
Literal light infantry, are these advantages and disadvantages feasible? [closed]
I'm trying to determine the feasibility of some advantages and disadvantages of literal light infantry. This type of infantry is basically the same as the rest but weighs much less.
To truly ...
1
vote
1answer
137 views
Why would a male marsiupial agree to accept responsibility for carrying half of his mate's joeys?
I'm looking to create a species of marsupial that is heavily K select, which is to say they put significant effort into raising their young after birth (both of them :P ) in which both the male and ...
11
votes
3answers
2k views
Superheated wing blast!
So, we know that big creatures will generate lots of heat if they’re active. We also know that wings are very good at venting excess heat. Now for most animals, this heat isn’t exactly spectacular, a ...
8
votes
5answers
1k views
Absorbing heat from unlikely places
Living in polar climates can be quite difficult, and staying warm can often be such an issue. But not anymore with the heat sponge! This nifty little organ draws heat from even the coldest water to ...
17
votes
8answers
6k views
The Nuclear Dragon
Alright so let’s say that we have a massive dragon about 2 miles long. This big guy needs a lot of fuel to power himself and since there is only so much food he can eat at one time, he decides to run ...
9
votes
7answers
2k views
What would be the purpose of three spinal sails on a creature?
So I am finishing up a functional concept of an alien I have been working on (a large semi-aquatic amphibian) and I am at the final piece of the puzzle. Their sails.
I wanted these creatures to ...
10
votes
5answers
2k views
Is there a reason for a humanoid species to be 'biologically' matriarchal with females being slightly more dominant than the males?
Following my last question asked regarding oviparous humanoids, is there a way for evolution to 'regard' females as the more dominant gender without going down that road, forming a heavily matriarchal ...
8
votes
5answers
288 views
Is there a way for human-sized oviparous humanoid mammals to produce young in eggs without going the full marsupial route?
As per my last two questions asked, I still have a niggling query left regarding a humanoid species in production. To further support their matriarchal theme through evolution, I have decided to make ...
5
votes
2answers
445 views
What alterations without drastically altering their humanoid shape nor horns, can I make to my species that lower the risk of neck snapping?
continuing from the question I had asked yesterday, I have had another query come to mind. For my humanoid alien species to possess horns, it would surely put forward the risk of being the shortcut to ...
6
votes
4answers
218 views
Is it plausible for a being to possess a singular halo-shaped 'horn', while other members of the species possess two 'regular horns'?
I am currently working a humanoid roughly deer-like species in a sci-fi roleplay setting, and one of the developments I have had with such species has me stuck trying to explain it in a way that makes ...
19
votes
10answers
4k views
Where to employ domesticated goblins in a fantasy world?
Goblins are small, diminutive humanoid creatures. They are approximately the size of a small child, they are short-lived, and they have very low intelligence.
In my fantasy world, goblins have been ...
13
votes
4answers
1k views
Full-body bioluminescence
A creature I am imagining is a small mammal about the size of a domestic cat which - through symbiotic bacteria which live in its fur - is covered its whole body over in blue-white bioluminescence, 24-...
4
votes
3answers
82 views
Electrolysis Assisted Aerobic Organisms [closed]
Hi this is my 2nd question on the site and I hope it is intriguing to you all. My question is: How feasible is it for an organism to sustain an Aerobic lifestyle (ie. the standard oxygen cycle found ...
7
votes
2answers
224 views
What exactly would a talking dragon's voice sound like?
I'm developing an independent cartoon web series with talking dragons. The designs of the dragons in Spyro (especially the Legend of Spyro) is one of the main influences in how I want my dragons to ...
1
vote
6answers
156 views
Gaining energy from draining your Happiness
In my world there is a villain who rules over the unhappy. In fact, we recently determined that he actually absorbs their happiness and uses it as energy to make himself stronger. This world does, in ...
1
vote
3answers
193 views
Need help with details concerning non-conventional sci fi vampires
I would like to create a sci fi human faction that resemble vampires without many of the past tropes while reimagining some for a sci fi feel. I would like to avoid any magic and fantastical abilities....
2
votes
3answers
818 views
Possible biological adaptations to make current humans more suited to surviving on Earth-like primitive planets? [closed]
Premise
My alternate version of the human race has progressed just to the brink of the ability to explore and possibly colonize other earth like exo-planets. the story follows an expedition crew has ...
18
votes
5answers
4k views
Could crystals grow on living things?
A friend and I are creating a magical bird that eats gemstones then uses them to form a thin coat of crystal armor over its body. Is there any way for this bird (or any living thing) to actually have ...
4
votes
5answers
202 views
Best place on an humanoid body to develop biological radio?
As seen on others questions biological radio could be a thing.
How to evolve biological radios?
What would a species require to be able to inherently transmit and receive radio waves?
I was ...
5
votes
8answers
1k views
How to make variable super-soldier size the norm versus a single size
Imagine you can build your soldiers in a lab somewhere. You can control everything, and you've found a the ideal humanoid form (ignoring potentially better forms here). You could build them in all ...
5
votes
3answers
132 views
What practical forms can a “branch-tailed” organism have?
So, I made the slight mistake of worldbuilding by starting off with just a planet's local sentient species and working from there.
This species, the Trillek, have a more or less theropod appearance ...
0
votes
2answers
134 views
What could be a physiological downside of a permanently bonded symbiotic life-form that alters the host in profound physical ways? [closed]
PREMISE:
A symbiotic lifeform permanently bonds with its host and radically transforms the host organism.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Imagine a symbiotic life form like the [Klyntar](http://marvel
....
2
votes
3answers
258 views
Explosive joints that allow people to jump really long lengths
How does a joint need to operate and be structured in order to allow a person to do leaps of 10 meters in length with ease and without taking a long run first? Here's an example of what I'm talking ...
15
votes
4answers
3k views
How long can a preserved human body last before turning to dust?
Some Context
The setting is a fantasy world with lots of magic where Liches exist.
A Lich is "born" through a series of complex, dangerous and horrific rituals that a mage casts upon himself over ...
9
votes
1answer
76 views
Designing a somewhat realistic “Astomi”: Filter-Feeding Humanoids?
I've been thinking of reviving an old Fantasy idea of mine, and I recently came across a description of a group of mythological beings that piqued my interest, and which would actually fill a niche I ...
8
votes
6answers
315 views
Biological healer, how does it work?
How can a species force an external body to heal itself and speed up the process without the use of magic and technology but by biological means?
Sanators are creatures who can force the body of a ...
4
votes
6answers
165 views
Interplanetary/Interstellar World Blight
I have a bacterial organism called the "World Blight" this creature's life cycle revolves around being introduced to a new planet, spreading across the planet and terraforming it to its liking, and ...
6
votes
1answer
112 views
Effects of a ferret-like spine/ribcage on bipedal posture, possible leg lengths/proportions?
I was recently redesigning some mostly hominid Aliens I designed a long time back in high school and felt were a little lackluster, and since they were already Tall, Wiry, and vaguely Shambolic-...
6
votes
5answers
269 views
How would shapeshifters be affected by their abilities?
So I have a race of shapeshifters in my world, and in order to change shape or make adjustments to their body (grow wings, arms, tails etc.) They rearrange the atoms in their body, probably through ...
5
votes
2answers
143 views
Would it possible for a creature to melt down rocks in its stomach and spit out lava?
Worldbuilding and biology have always been two huge passions of mine, especially when it comes to dragons. So well, at the moment I'm working on a little project in which I'm attempting to make ...
8
votes
2answers
144 views
Could a Nautilus Shell, Squid Gladius, or similar structure eventually form the basis of a Spinal column/Skeletal system?
Ok, so, some quick background... I'm not an evolutionary biologist or anything, but I'm helping a friend with some alien design ideas, and at least one of them she designed and wanted help to somehow ...
5
votes
6answers
186 views
Is it possible to “Smell” in Space? Viable Equivalents?
I am currently creating a Spacefaring Race that regularly travels between planetary systems in order to harvest resources, but due to the fact that the conditions required for them to Breed are fairly ...
8
votes
2answers
251 views
What would humans need to sacrifice for a better sense of smell?
Humans have some genes that allow for a precise sense of smell, but they were turned off millions of years back, just like in many other primates. To name an exeption, lemurs are primates with a ...
10
votes
2answers
245 views
How can a bird survive self ignition?
This may seem similar to this question but my goal is for one:
The bird does not die and secondly to get more exact solutions.
The ultimate goal would be to create a bird which can ignite itself at ...
7
votes
2answers
402 views
Saving intelligent animals from abuse/large scale breeding
I have created semi-intelligent griffins in my fantasy world.
Semi-intelligent meaning that adult griffins have the intelligence of an average 4 year old human.
Now, I realized that once the ...
6
votes
5answers
323 views
How to Train Your Mimic (or, why would a Mimic be capable of domestication)
I'm making a world where I want domesticated Mimics to be a thing.
These Mimics are pretty similar to the original concept of D&D Mimics: shapeshifters that imitate objects, and hunt by imitating ...
6
votes
2answers
156 views
How would a literal eye on the back of the head work?
So I've got a fantasy race of people with four arms. Their second pair is able to reach behind them like how our arms are able to reach in front of us, and so could work with things behind their backs ...
1
vote
3answers
84 views
A large bovine able to digest almost anything [duplicate]
I had an idea few years back for a species of "cow" living in arctic/tundra climate which could forage on "anything"- in their habitat it would be mostly vegetation, wood and remains of dead animals ...
25
votes
11answers
6k views
How do I scientifically explain a specific type of wood piercing through armor when not even bullets can?
I've created a monster with three weaknesses:
A soft spot in his belly that can be pierced through normally with objects, but the monster is so big and fast that hitting it is extremely hard and ...
1
vote
0answers
47 views
Dangers of meganeura sized dragonflie for child sized humanoids [closed]
Would a dragonfly around the size of a Meganeura be a concrete danger for a humanoid about a meter (3'3") tall, weighing around 15kg (33lb)?
This dragonfly wouldn't have particular evolutionary ...
