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Ever wonder where D&D Fungi, Slime and Ooze monsters come from?
Giant Fungi: Fungi is a taxanomical* group of heterotrophic organisms,
including rusts, smuts, yeasts, powdery mildews, lichen, molds, and
mushrooms. Fungi lack the vascular tissues that form true roots, stems,
and leaves of plants, instead composed of filaments, called hyphae,
grouped together into a discrete organism called a mycelium. The 100,000
identified species of organisms commonly classed together as fungi are
customarily divided into four phyla: Zygomycota (black bread mold),
Ascomycota (yeast, truffle), Basidiomycota (mushrooms, puffballs, smut,
rust), and Deuteromycota (fungi imperfecti). Fungi are more closely
related to animals than plants, sharing a common protist ancestor with
animals, which currently places them in the Eukarya* domain.
Green Slime: Slime is a heterotrophic organism once regarded as a fungus,
but now classified as a Protist* in the Eukarya* domain (includes plants
and animals). Slimes have complex life cycles that may be divided into an
animal-like mobile phase, and a plantlike, immobile reproductive phase.
In its mobile phase it is a mass of protoplasm called a plasmodium, which
creeps about like an amoeba. These plasmodia often grow to a diameter of
several inches and are frequently brightly colored. They feed on living
microorganisms, such as bacteria and yeasts, as well as decaying
vegetation. Cells then aggregate and flow together, forming a
multicellular mass called a pseudoplasmodium that resembles a slug,
crawling about before settling in a location with acceptable warmth and
brightness for mating. It is easy to see how something so bizarre and
unknown to the general populace could be made into a monster.
Gelatinous Cube: An ooze is made entirely of protoplasm, the jellylike
substance and organelles inside the membrane of a living cell. Protoplasm
consists of living bioplasm and non-living ergastic substances. The
ergastics are usually substances that are products of metabolism, and
include crystals, oil drops, gums, tannins, resins and other compounds
that can aid the organism in defense, maintenance of cellular structure,
or just substance storage. This means oozes are likely giant unicellular
creatures, a point made more obvious by the existence of the amoeba-like
ochre jelly. Puddings may be more closely related to fungi or slime than
ooze.
*Classification is an effort to clarify biological diversity, just as
monsters are classified as Aberrations, Fey, Giants, Undead and so forth,
so too are normal creatures classified in a number of different
taxanomical groups. A two-kingdom system, Plant and Animal kingdoms, was
instituted in the mid-18th century. The newest system consists of three
domains, Eubacteria, Archaea (extreme environment bacteria, etc.), and
Eukarya (animals, plants, fungi, protists), with Acellula (viruses) still
controversial. Thus, the hierarchy of living creature classification is
currently domain > kingdom > phylum > class > order > family > genus >
species. For example, domain Eukarya > kingdom Animalia > phylum Chordata
> class Amphibia > order Anura > family Ranidae > genus Nasikabatrachus >
species Sahyadrensis > common name Purple Frog.
Ever wonder where D&D Fungi, Slime and Ooze monsters come from?
Giant Fungi: Fungi is a taxanomical* group of heterotrophic organisms,
including rusts, smuts, yeasts, powdery mildews, lichen, molds, and
mushrooms. Fungi lack the vascular tissues that form true roots, stems,
and leaves of plants, instead composed of filaments, called hyphae,
grouped together into a discrete organism called a mycelium. The 100,000
identified species of organisms commonly classed together as fungi are
customarily divided into four phyla: Zygomycota (black bread mold),
Ascomycota (yeast, truffle), Basidiomycota (mushrooms, puffballs, smut,
rust), and Deuteromycota (fungi imperfecti). Fungi are more closely
related to animals than plants, sharing a common protist ancestor with
animals, which currently places them in the Eukarya* domain.
Green Slime: Slime is a heterotrophic organism once regarded as a fungus,
but now classified as a Protist* in the Eukarya* domain (includes plants
and animals). Slimes have complex life cycles that may be divided into an
animal-like mobile phase, and a plantlike, immobile reproductive phase.
In its mobile phase it is a mass of protoplasm called a plasmodium, which
creeps about like an amoeba. These plasmodia often grow to a diameter of
several inches and are frequently brightly colored. They feed on living
microorganisms, such as bacteria and yeasts, as well as decaying
vegetation. Cells then aggregate and flow together, forming a
multicellular mass called a pseudoplasmodium that resembles a slug,
crawling about before settling in a location with acceptable warmth and
brightness for mating. It is easy to see how something so bizarre and
unknown to the general populace could be made into a monster.
Gelatinous Cube: An ooze is made entirely of protoplasm, the jellylike
substance and organelles inside the membrane of a living cell. Protoplasm
consists of living bioplasm and non-living ergastic substances. The
ergastics are usually substances that are products of metabolism, and
include crystals, oil drops, gums, tannins, resins and other compounds
that can aid the organism in defense, maintenance of cellular structure,
or just substance storage. This means oozes are likely giant unicellular
creatures, a point made more obvious by the existence of the amoeba-like
ochre jelly. Puddings may be more closely related to fungi or slime than
ooze.
*Classification is an effort to clarify biological diversity, just as
monsters are classified as Aberrations, Fey, Giants, Undead and so forth,
so too are normal creatures classified in a number of different
taxanomical groups. A two-kingdom system, Plant and Animal kingdoms, was
instituted in the mid-18th century. The newest system consists of three
domains, Eubacteria, Archaea (extreme environment bacteria, etc.), and
Eukarya (animals, plants, fungi, protists), with Acellula (viruses) still
controversial. Thus, the hierarchy of living creature classification is
currently domain > kingdom > phylum > class > order > family > genus >
species. For example, domain Eukarya > kingdom Animalia > phylum Chordata
> class Amphibia > order Anura > family Ranidae > genus Nasikabatrachus >
species Sahyadrensis > common name Purple Frog.
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