Re: OOC Discussion 9
Dealing with magic, tech, & other monsters:
Disable Device, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device, Know: Arcana, Dungeoneering, Engineering, Nature, Planes, Religion
Dealing with dragons & humanoids:
Bluff, Disguise, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Sense Motive, STEALTH, Knowledge: Arcana, Engineering, Geography, History, Local, Nobility, Religion
Dealing with travel:
Acrobatics, Escape Artist, Climb, Fly, Swim, Stealth, Handle Animal, Ride, Perception, SURVIVAL, Knowledge: Dungeoneering, Geography, History, Nature, Planes
All of these skills will come in handy.
Some perspective for you all to work with...
MONSTER PERSPECTIVE
Monster common knowledge is that humanoids are weak individually but strong in numbers (fear them the way people fear zombies) except for the "adventurers" who have learned to wield magic either through spells or magic items.
Magic items are forged from dead magical creatures and substances (which is how all magic items are made). A "decent" person is supposed to forge magic items with their own blood/horns/hair/flesh etc. enhancing their EXISTING magic. Killing a monster and forging magic items from its innate magic is considered uncouth, if not necessarily evil. (Who knows, maybe that other monster picked the fight and you were just defending yourself?) But magic items in general are a grim reminder to most monsters of their place in a world slowly being dominated by humanoids. (But you do what you gotta do to survive, amirite?)
ABERRATION PERSPECTIVE
All aberrations are from various planets in the Aberrant Realm, a galaxy far from here possibly in another plane. They traversed the multiverse to this world ages ago and have made it like a second home. The details of this journey would require extensive knowledge in dungeoneering AND history. But all aberrations seem to like moist dark environments and they feed on magic and power either by eating lesser creatures, mind controlling them to be servants, or whatever. Aberrations see the world as a treasure trove of resources for them to exploit. They see dragons as dangerous monsters and humanoids as lesser creatures either as beasts of burden, pests, or food. They see no difference between aberrations eating humans and humans eating pigs and cows. Of course ever since humanoids started making magic items and learning magic those tables have turned and now they're extremely dangerous. Most aberrations are forced to eat lowly beasts now. It's humiliating. Most aberrations are omnivores, but prefer meat. Those that focus on eating more vegetable matter are much healthier though and often less aggressive than their flesh-eating counterparts. Some aberrations theorize among themselves that they were not always so aggressive, but eating flesh of this planet has made them so.
BEASTFOLK PERSPECTIVE
Ages ago the gods created many humanoids by gifting the seed of thought into beasts. Some beastfolk are among the first created (serpentfolk, dragonfolk, lizardfolk, vanara, etc.) Others are fairly new brought about by divine events or wizards experimenting and playing god. However beastfolk come about, their dual nature makes it easy for them to find a place to survive. What's troubling is that humanoids who do not share a beastfolk's features tend to show extreme prejudice, sometimes even blatant hostilities. It's just easier to survive in the wilderness than trying to get along in the city where you might get jumped and murdered and no one would defend you because of the racism. So you often find kinship in monsters or wild beasts and find peace out in nature. That is until humanoids invade your territory and throw you in a steel cage the same way they do to monsters. At least you can pass for humanoids like lizardfolk or catfolk when you need to but that doesn't always give you what you need.
DRAGON PERSPECTIVE
Dragons and humanoids are known for not really caring since all dragons and humanoids see themselves as THE or AMONG THE 'most civilized' of creatures on the planet (be it true or not). Although as adventurers get stronger and deadlier with the passing of time there have been some rumors of dragons being slain by some of them (which is also why some dragons have laid waste to villages in anger merely of hearing such news, be it true or not). So the relationship between dragons and humanoids has become...tenuous, as of the past thousand years or so. Humanoids used to be cute little ape-like things running around clanging rocks together. Now they're...vicious little monsters with their boomsticks and magical swords. But they make a lot of cool shiny stuff. (from an old dragon's perspective)
