> Let's pose a different question. Why did WotC release the > Mind Flayer OGC at all?
So 3rd party publishers could write adventures that include them, thus making the Monster Manual more valuable to those who bought it. > The player must know what a mind flayer is in order > to use it. I actually don't really agree with this. Given the SRD description of the mind-flayer, I could happily invent hundreds of configurations for the beast, all of which are derivativative of the SRD content, and all of which would work just fine as adversaries for a group of adventurers. It would not matter if my "mind-flayer" looked like an Illithid, or a Phaerimm. Likewise, if I purchased a product that included an encounter with a mind-flayer, it would not be necessary for the publisher to provide me with an illustration or physical description of the creature. Either I own the Monster Manual (or have knowledge of what an Illithid is) or I don't. In the former case, I probably use the creature from the MM. In the latter, I have to use some imagination to mentally visualize the creature for the characters; but I don't lose the ability to use the stat block in the encounter. > I realize that the Mind Flayer's stats are all there, but a > mind flayer is a > very complex creature. Presenting them in this way > encourages its use as a > 'cardboard' encounter with very limited depth and creativity. Conversely, one might suggest that it adds value to the depth of the experience of players who participate in a game run by someone with access to the Monster Manual as opposed to just the SRD. Ryan _______________________________________________ Ogf-l mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l
