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Unofficial Errata Thread for Parazoology

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Chaemera

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« on: <03-11-11/1851:15> »
Recognizing that it'll get subsumed by the official thread, but wanting to get it down before I forgot, I am creating this thread to "brain dump" what I found reading through Parazoology. It's not much, and overall I'm impressed. On to the Errata:

Rules Errata

Page 13, Ghazu Horses
The Ghazu horse is listed as having the Magical Guard power, but has no Counterspelling skill.

Why is this a Problem? The Magical Guard power allows a critter to use the Counterspelling skill to provide spell defense and dispell spells. Without the Counterspelling skill, the Magical Guard power has no effect (Running Wild, pg 213).

Suggested Fix: Give the Ghazu Horse the Counterspelling skill at Rating 3 (set equal to its Magic Attribute).

Page 26, Oligoi-Khorkhol - Mongolian Death Worm
The Mongolian Death Worm (MDW) is described as being a "mutation" (9th line of the first column, not including header). However, no base creature is defined, nor have any of its powers been paid for via Essence reduction. Additionally, it has a Magic rating.

Why is this a Problem?
* All mutations are created by first selecting a mundane critter (Running Wild, pg. 162), okay, small issue on the face of it, but it makes calculating what the Essence loss should be.
* Powers from mutation reduce Essence (Running Wild, pg. 162), therefore the MDW should not have an Essence of 6, if it is indeed a mutant.
* Mutants are created from mundane (not awakened) critters, nor is a magical quality granted via mutation (Running Wild, pg. 162); therefore, no mutant should ever have a Magic attribute.

Suggested Fix:
It seems that the MDW was developed as a Toxic critter (Running Wild, pg. 165), vice a mutant. The easy fix would be to delete the description calling it a mutant and re-write as a Toxic. Something about spirits enacting vengeance via earthworms due to the prevalence of pollutants. I don't know.

A better solution might be to make some assumptions about what features this guy has as a result of being a mutant, and reduce the Essence accordingly (per the rules in Running Wild) & apply handwavium to the question of what the original mundane critter is. Trust me, for something this cool, I don't care, just drop it's essence a few points, ditch the Magic score & re-assign powers that rely on Magic to something similar that doesn't.

Replace Regeneration with Hardened Armor (yes, that's a "paranormal" trait, but it shouldn't be, I can see armadillos and similar having it), for example. Taint could similarly become corrosive secretions.
SR20A Limited Edition # 124
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Chaemera

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« Reply #1 on: <03-12-11/2007:15> »
Rules Errata

Moon Dolphin - page 16

The fluff text talks about them creating illusions which cause problems for fishermen and being hunted for their hide... Then you read the rules and notice that the Moon Dolphin has the Astral Form power...

Why is this a problem?

It's simple, a critter with Astral Form only exists on the Astral Plane. Okay, it could theoretically manifest (it doesn't have "Materialize", so it's never actually present in the material) to use Fey Glamour in the physical, but it sure doesn't have a hide to gather, as written.

Recommended Fix:

Replace the Astral Form power with Dual Natured, or re-write the fluff.
SR20A Limited Edition # 124
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Carmody

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« Reply #2 on: <05-23-11/0842:24> »
Hi Chaemera and all,
I work in coordination with the french translation team to translate Parazoology in french. Therefore I spotted some more issues I would like to share (and eventually have other opinions.

Moon Dolphin, p16
I fully agree with you :)

Rock Lizard, p17
The rock lizard has a special Tongue attack with +1 reach, which means it is a melee weapon. However it has the Exotic ranged weapon (Tongue) skill. I guess it should be changed by Exotic melee weapon (Tongue) skill

Scintillant Albatross, p19
The Scintillant Albatross has the Elemental Projection (Fire) power, I guess it should be Elemental Attack (Fire)

Oligoi-Khorkhol - Mongolian Death Worm, p26
Please note that this creature is in the Toxic critters chapter (not obvious though ... see page footer)

Squiddoth, p29
The Squiddoth has the Deformed quality. I am not able to find any reference to this quality... does someone have an idea?


« Last Edit: <05-23-11/0844:41> by Carmody »
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Giabralter

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« Reply #3 on: <05-24-11/0008:14> »
Do you work with Tony Bruno?

Deformed should be Deformity (pg 117. Runners Companion).
« Last Edit: <05-24-11/0015:21> by Giabralter »

Carmody

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« Reply #4 on: <05-24-11/0710:43> »
Hi Giabralter,

I work with Tony Bruno, but only as a fan, I am not an official member of the team  :)

About the Squiddoth, Deformity makes sense in term of naming and the fact that the creature is actually deformed, however nothing in the description indicates that it is impaired, except if we consider that its 1 to 4 tusks are impairing its vision. Furthermore there are 2 kinds of deformity (face or body) and it is not specified which one it should be  :-[
« Last Edit: <05-24-11/0752:32> by Carmody »
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Giabralter

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« Reply #5 on: <05-24-11/0955:20> »
ok.

Understood. Deformity quality was not clearly stated in the description that there are varying deformities. I think in the identification it had a misshapened skull (implying deformity (face)). Probably should have been stated better in the notes.

Carmody

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« Reply #6 on: <05-24-11/1105:31> »
It was not obvious for me, but this explanation is by far the more convincing I have (well in fact it is the only one, but it looks good  :))
I think I will go this way.

Thank you
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Giabralter

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« Reply #7 on: <05-25-11/0022:03> »
I reread it, and you're right the wording did change. The errata should be Deformity (Piccaso Face).

Carmody

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« Reply #8 on: <05-25-11/0419:14> »
Hi Giabralter,

you seem to have participated in writing this ebook (sorry not to know everybody  :) )
I have therefore one more question regarding the Oligoi-Khorkhol.

If I do a google search on it it redirects me to olgoi-khorkhoi and to this article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolian_Death_Worm
which seems to be your source of inspiration.
Did you do the spelling changes (olgoi-khorkhoi -> oligoi-khorkhol) on purpose to differentiate both, or is it a typo error?

Anyway, many thanks for your support.
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Giabralter

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« Reply #9 on: <05-25-11/0956:20> »
The book referenced, spells it "Olgoi-Khorkhol", so I still mispelled it with an extra i and it's a different spelling from the wiki. And spellchecker can't fix it either way. ;)

Carmody

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« Reply #10 on: <05-25-11/1054:09> »
Ok I will go with Olgoi-Khorkhol :)
For sure I could not guess this one ;)
by the way, which book are you referring to?

Thanks again
« Last Edit: <05-25-11/1058:12> by Carmody »
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Giabralter

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« Reply #11 on: <05-25-11/2311:34> »
I get inspiration from The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures by John and Caitlin Matthews.
Its a collection of creatures from various mythologies.

Nebular

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« Reply #12 on: <05-27-11/1129:06> »
Page 3, Abrams Lobster
Natural Weapon should list AP as -1
Immunity should be listed as Immunity (Poisons) for consistency with all other Immmunity listitings from this and other source books.

Page 7, Bulldog Stoat
Immunity should be listed as Immunity (Pathogens, Poisons).

Page 9, Burrowing Beaver
Enhanced Sense should be Enhanced Senses.

Page 15, Gyre
Immunity should be listed as Immunity (Pathogens, Poisons)

Page 17, Rock Lizard
Immunity should be listed as Immunity (Poisons)

Page 19, Scintillant Albatross
There is no Critter Power called Elemental Projection - should be replaced with Elemental Attack (Fire)?

Page 23, Amikuk
Weaknesses should be listed as: Allergy (Sunlight, Mild) for consistency with all other Allergy listiting from this and other source books.

Page 26, Mongolian Death Worm
Weakness should be listed as Allergy (Sunlight, Mild).

Page 28, Cactus Cat
There is no Quality called Quills. Should be Animal Pelage (Quills).

Page 29, Squiddoth
There is no Quality called Deformed. Qualities should be listed as: Deformity (Picasso).

Page 31, Vorpal Beaver
There is no specificiation given for which type of Dermal Alteration the Critter has. As it's a beaver, it would presumably have Dermal Alteration (Blubber)
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Carmody

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« Reply #13 on: <06-06-11/1100:24> »
The Sagbarifya has the power Gills, but the power state that critters with this power are unable to breath on land, which is not the case of the sagbarifya...
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Giabralter

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« Reply #14 on: <06-06-11/1524:36> »
The Sagbarifya has the power Gills, but the power state that critters with this power are unable to breath on land, which is not the case of the sagbarifya...

Thats true. The intent is that it can breath like that of the mud skipper. So if the power Gills were removed, i'd think we'd have the opposite problem of people reading of a critter that can breath underwater without gills. Several of these beasts need some technical leeway.

Vorbal beaver, I'd change  to:
Dermal Alteration (Sharkskin)
Notes: Use shark skin (pg 69 AR) for this dermal alteration