Mermaids

[Uatu]

...Oh, okay, mermen, too.

Vertical tails (as in fish), or horizontal tails (as in mammals/cetaceans)? What is your preference?

[manikus]

I do not go in for the whole cutesy 'My Little Mermaid' crap. I like the fish-tailed mermen and merwomen who take up weapons and fight the sahaugin. There are a couple of Magic: the Gathering cards with this kind of depiction that I am rather fond of.

[Uatu]

Ha ha, well, I like mermaids any way they come, as long as they are comely

Actually, I saw a bit of one of the Harry Potters a few days ago, where there were some (homely) mermaids with vertically aligned fish-tails... so, I thought that maybe it was possible (to draw), after all... (I have until now always been fond of the horizontal type.)

[Dinonykos]

If the fin was vertical, a human upper body would not make sense. With a vertical fin, you would also need a horizontally slender body with a great vertical dimension. Without such a body, flapping with the fin would not result in effective propulsion. As an alternative, mermaids with a vertical caudal fin would need a very high dorsal fin and additional anal/pelvic fins. A horizontal caudal fin would work much better with a human upper body...

Here some ideas concerning evolution of mermaids:
Possible are a mammal-back-into-water scenario or an intelligent-fish/shark-develops-hands-and-breasts scenario. The first one could happen due to sea-level rise (as in the Jurassic/Cretaceous), when almost a dozend of terrestrial vertebrates developed marine forms), while the second could happen due to low sea-levels or e.g. periodic lake drying...

[manikus]

I prefer the third option - created by the gods.

I don't worry a lot about evolution or scientific advancements playing/running an AD&D game. Now that is not to say that I don't like rule systems to explain the physical world - I just don't think those systems need reflect this world's systems.

Not so much about mermaids or minotaurs, etc, but I'm concenerned that gnomes and Gond (in the Forgotten Realms) support technology and advancement, and yet conveniently the only time it appears is when it will help the story along. Why isn't there indoor plumbing? Why is steel only used for swords?

Just my two cents on why I like what I like.

NTW, hi Dinonykos! (And Uatu of course. )

[Dinonykos]

Created by gods or not, a mermaid should be able to swim in a stylish manner.
Of course, in a fantasy scenario, you don't need evolutional mechanisms to explain things like mermaids or chimeras.

I don't know much about the magic abilities gnomes. If they are good in magic stuff, then thinking: "Shall I solve this problem with magic or technology?" may leed to a mental blockage.

[Uatu]

Actually, I saw some footage of swimming iguanas lately - and they interestingly flap themselves sideways (as per fish), even though they are basically finless vertebrates, looking quite graceful when they do it.

Perhaps we can invent a new swimming stroke called "iguana style" and add it to the Olympics

As for the Realms, well - the Realms is sort of the ultimate hodge-podge campaign setting... They have all sorts of arquebuses and muskets, as well as the fabled technological island of Lantan, which isn't detailed anywhere . The gun powder needed for guns is considered magical, though, which is sort of their explanation for how things work...

[manikus]

Well, to resolve this, I've begun work on a new magical spell. After I've created a mermaid, I will report back.

For the gnomes, that is a good point, at least for 2e and later, in 1e, gnomes couldn't be magic users. Bugt, Gond rewards those who come up with new technology, you would think that there would be all kinds of new inventions. As a DM, I've dealt with this in a couple of ways, including ignoring the matter, but also including there being other powers at work that stifle the new inventions, or hide them away (kind of like the arc of the covenant at the end of the first Indiana Jones movie.)

When it comes down to it, as a player I would accept either kind of mermaid and do it with a smile if the DM had an answer for why they were that way. I just prefer the vertical aesthetically. (Maybe I like it b/c it's the opposite of 'My Little Mermaid' and 'Splash' [the movie with Daryl Hannah].)

[Uatu]

Gnomes always had illusionists, though (unfortunately that class was not included in the Gold Box games, making them rather useless). Illusionists got rather nice spells, like the prismatic spells, etc....

Ha ha... I saw Splash as a kid, but I don't remember much of it...

[manikus]

The acting was not the best in Splash. I guess I would have liked it better if I had found Daryl Hannah more attractive. Oh well.

I don't see illusionists being competition for the tinkers. I barely see illusionists being competition for hedge wizards.