How do you make fantasy animals

[Hananas59]

My question is: How do you create fantasy animals, fantasy creatures that are not humanoid.

I especially ask which method you use to come up with your own species.

 

[Terry Greer]

I can't create fantasy creatures without thinking of them in an evolutionary context. Within that frame work I have enormous pleasure in creating creatures that have evolved for specific niches or with specific powers. (It can still be created artificially- but it needs to still feel credible in its original parentage).

If a creature has a power I need to know the basis for how that power operates, it's magnitude and scope, otherwise I have no framewok for building a believable creature.
Believable is different from realistic. To me it's important the creature feel credible or it simply turns me off.

 

[Gryphos]

I myself haven't created really any non-sentient species. The closest I've come is creating a species of hawk, but that was really just so I wouldn't have to worry about accuracy as to predatory birds' actions and behaviours.

What I like to do is look to prehistory for ideas. For example, the world of my current WIP contains ground sloths and terror birds, even though it's a steampunk-esque setting.

 

[Svrtnsse]

I recently created a creature because I needed it in a story (but in the end I didn't actually use it).

The creature had to fulfill a certain number of criteria. It had to be a large, flying, predatory, mammal. The story took place on an airship, there were shapeshifters (theriantropes/werewolves) present and one of them needed to fly off to get help. Theriantropes only exist as predatory mammals and I couldn't come up with something large and cool enough to really fit the bill.

So I invented the Wind Bear (mythicscribes.com/forums/world-building/10674-introducing-wind-bear.html). It's basically a flying bear with furry wings.

I think this may be as good a starting point as any:
- What do you need?
- What are the restrictions?
- What do you like?

At another time I needed a small rodent-type creator to scare my protagonist. The only real requirements were that it would be pretty small and that it would be nocturnal. I could have gone with a regular real-world creature, but I felt that the story needed something out of the ordinary at that spot so I made up the night-squirrel.
It's the same size as a regular squirrel except it's blue, and it's tail can flash a bright, blinding, white when it's scared/threatened.

 

[Ryan_Crown]

I think this may be as good a starting point as any:
- What do you need?
- What are the restrictions?
- What do you like?

Have to agree with this idea. I basically did the same with my WIP. It's set in an arid plains environment, and I wanted the steed that people rode to be something other than a horse, and something that fit the environment. I also didn't want it to be too fantastical because it's meant to be a common, domesticated animal. So I started looking at antelope and gazelle and other African plains animals. All of these are much too small to ever be ridden by a human, but if I could find something I liked, it was then a simple matter of making it bigger. Eventually I came across the Oryx, which not only looked like it would make a good steed, but it has two long, sharp horns which makes for a great variation for mounted combat that I could work into my story. I just have to make it large enough to bear a rider, and domesticated, and suddenly I have a brand new species.

Obviously this is far from the most fantastical of fantasy beasts, but I think the same basic concept applies. I'd say once you have an idea how the creature fits into the story, look at real animals, or prehistoric animals as Gryphos said, or existing mythological/fantastical creatures, that could fit that function, and then play with them from there to get something that's new and different and works best in your story -- and fits your style as a writer.

 

[Svrtnsse]

Obviously this is far from the most fantastical of fantasy beasts...

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. There's a place in fantasy for mundane, nonfantastic, things that don't exist in the real world as well. It can serve as a way of anchoring the setting more firmly into believability.

 

[Ryan_Crown]

That was about what my thoughts were. I didn't want anything too crazy, but at the same time, I often feel like too many fantasy stories focus strictly on the intelligent races when it comes to creating fantasy species. Sure, you've got elves and dwarves and orcs and trolls, but beyond that everything is standard real world -- horses, cows, sheep, dogs, cats, etc. Whenever the characters encounter a non-real creature, it's always a major monster like a dragon or a griffin or something. So when I first started developing the setting for my story, one of my early decisions was that I didn't want people riding horses - it had to be something different.

 

[Jabrosky]

Have to agree with this idea. I basically did the same with my WIP. It's set in an arid plains environment, and I wanted the steed that people rode to be something other than a horse, and something that fit the environment. I also didn't want it to be too fantastical because it's meant to be a common, domesticated animal. So I started looking at antelope and gazelle and other African plains animals. All of these are much too small to ever be ridden by a human, but if I could find something I liked, it was then a simple matter of making it bigger. Eventually I came across the Oryx, which not only looked like it would make a good steed, but it has two long, sharp horns which makes for a great variation for mounted combat that I could work into my story. I just have to make it large enough to bear a rider, and domesticated, and suddenly I have a brand new species.

I once created zebra chariots for an Egyptian-style culture in one of my stories. Technically that's not exactly creating a new species so much as a domesticated subspecies of a real-world species, but I'm still fond of the core idea of Egyptian zebra chariots.

Like Gryphos I also like to throw prehistoric creatures into my worlds. Dinosaurs were my first love.

 

[ThinkerX]

Now that I think about it, I created a number of (mostly six legged) animals for my fantasy world:

Vree: Six legged dog sized pests, black, brown, or grey furred, with stinger tentacles coming out their faces. Not good eating, not normally considered trainable. An athletic twelve year old could best a singe Vree with a club; but a pack is a different story.

Bearack: Six legged beastie the size of a bear or horse, also featuring tentacles coming out of its head. Very dangerous, very aggressive. Killing a bearack singlehandedly takes somebody with serious skill. Bearacks are considered to be a enlarged form of Vree.

Droath: Another six legged critter, elephant sized, with two tentacle like trunks growing from its face. Hairless, smells like an open sewer. Docile, except when in rut or watching over young. Used as draft animals. One droath has the pulling power of five or six horses. The nomads of the southern plains use them to tow wagons with cottages built upon them. Elsewhere, they are used for freight hauling.

Thunder Lizard: Six legged reptilian beastie with a mouth full of sharp teeth, armored hide, and a long tail strong enough to knock over small trees. Elephant or droath sized when full grown, no tentacles. Some can spit poison, though. Basically only arrogant fools and madmen go hunting Thunder Lizards.

I got others as well: a sort of floating puffball thing full of seeds (actually the end stage of a plant); winged snakes of various sizes, among others.

 

[Svrtnsse]

Droath: Another six legged critter, elephant sized, with two tentacle like trunks growing from its face. Hairless, smells like an open sewer. Docile, except when in rut or watching over young. Used as draft animals. One droath has the pulling power of five or six horses. The nomads of the southern plains use them to tow wagons with cottages built upon them. Elsewhere, they are used for freight hauling.

This reminded me of the land whales I created for my setting. Enormous, long-haired, multi-legged creatures that live on the great flat grassland plains in the middle regions of the world. They're easily large enough to carry a small house or cottage on their back, providing a home for one lone hermit (popular among elves as a way to get away from civilisation for a while).
The land whale and the hermit living atop it can develop and benefit from a symbiotic relationship where the hermit harvests and feeds on the fungi that grows in the hair of the land whale. It's not a requirement for survival of either, but will be beneficial to both.

This creature has yet to feature in a story (other than as a drug induced vision in one scene).

 

[skip.knox]

In this thread you have the two basic approaches: storytelling and biology.

One sort simply hones an existing type to fit the specific needs of a specific story. That sort might pay close attention to environment and biology or might ignore it completely.

The other prefers to start with science. This tends to happen with authors who invent entirely new worlds, with unique ecologies.

Both approaches have worked. Both approaches have failed, or at least worked less well.

 

[Hananas59]

I must thank you all sincerely for your help, you really helped me

 

[SM-Dreamer]

Like others have said, I ask myself why I want the creature, and start working from there. I try to find real-world creatures, then I start altering as needed. I also like to browse mythological creatures and existing fantasy creations to get ideas.

One resource I like working with is Elfwood Fantasy and Sci fi art which, while having other general world-building tips, that particular page discusses flora and fauna and even comes with a worksheet There was another page on that site that went into a lot of detail on creating a creature (Purpose - to attack? to guard? to feature the environment? to be a pet? etc, etc; Mood - personality, such as savage, terrifying, spritely, healing, cute...; Environment - where does it exist and what effects would that have), and while I saved it as a document for my own use, I cannot seem to find the page again.

I currently have a few distinct creations (all with made up names liable to change as I go along, lol) for my WIP:

A len-chai, a mount-sized ferret-shaped flying omnivore, common in the arid mountains and meant more for gliding than true flight. Common mount among the Chirode.

A qei'atal, another mount from a different mountain range, feline, long-legged, long-eared with bony wings, sand-colored short fur and saber fangs. A rarer mount, usually only used by the Feresian, when they can be tamed. Somewhat inspired by, I believe, a caracal (if I'm remembering the correct animal)

A draybak, a small squirrel/bat like creature common in the Chirode caves, with a role similar to messenger birds and ratters. Common pets, allowed to freely inhabit many Chirode temples, causing much aggravation for the servants that have to clean the floors.

Finally, a worsh'ka, which is currently undefined except as a curseword comparing someone to this beast; usually indicating the person is disgusting, obnoxious, or aggravating. I haven't determined yet what the worsh'ka is, just the curse word

 

[Pat Harris]

Oh wow, what a fun thread! Thanks to everyone for your comments. I created a couple of wacky creatures for my WIP, a GIANT polka-dotted creature and a big flying rat-like beast. At first they seemed too "out there," but with some creative massaging, I think I've managed to mold them into something workable and, hopefully, believable. Next I created a wonderful, magical bird, which is one of the most fun and exciting things I've crafted for the books.

Making the mythic creatures I create seem believable is one of the more challenging aspects of crafting fantasy for me. I collect all kinds of fantasy creature and fantasy people images on my Pinterest pages as inspiration. I find it helps to see how visual artists have portrayed their imaginary critters.

SM-Dreamer, I love your "worsh'ka" beast. Totally cool! If you discover what it looks like, let us know.

 

[SeverinR]

I have not created a fantasy animal from scratch.
But I look at the mythogical animals and reconstruct them to fit my world.

I read about them, find out what makes them special, then figure out how what makes them special would work in a real world setting. Then I write out the information about them, lore and any needed information.
Sample:
Unicorn; Why can only the purest touch them? Being around unpure nauseates the unicorn, even with a short distance of unpure and the effect is cumulative, so a town of unpure would drive a unicorn away. So they live well away from human(oid) settlements.
Evil that touches a unicorn(not just unpure) will make them sick, pure evil will poison them.
Unicorns are a thinking being, so they can fall to evil. A fallen unicorn is a horse of a different color.

The horn of the unicorn is magical. Its touch can heal (but if the one being healed is not pure the unicorn will get sick).

 

[K.S. Crooks]

The species I have created for my novels have been humanoid and non-humanoid. For me the key elements are what do a want them to be like (friendly, hostile, human intelligent, etc.), where do they live or come from. Animals have to adapt to their environment (e.g. creatures that live in dark areas usually have large eyes.), finally is how I want them to be a challenge for my characters. Give then strengths that play against those of my characters. You can also take characteristics from creatures that have been made already and meld them together. check out these two websites Mythical Archive Mythical Creatures, read about and see your favorite mystic creature. to have a look at creatures you may have never heard of to use for ideas. Hope this helps.

 

[Scalvi]

I tend to retrofit my cool monsters. I toss some animal bits in a blender and then pull out the slurry of cool animal. Then I put it in the mold after.

For example, I just came up with the idea of a vot. It's quad/bipedal gorilla-bear.

After the fact, I put it in the mountains so long arms would help it with climbing in the mountain face. And an incredibly long tail with two types of sensory hairs on it so it could hear different forms of sound echoing in valleys and through the snows. And sort of opaque nictitating membrane that close around the pupil because snow blindness is horrible.

 

[Warrioress]

I for my writing tend to mix a certain real world animal with different animals parts from mythological and real animals and like the others have said relate it to its natural habitat.
One example of mine is a jaguar with wings, the species is called Panthara, so the habitat is a massive jungle where panthers are normally found but this jungle if so huge with such tall tress wings may be needed to get around. Not very far out but still effective.

I find this process a lot of fun so enjoy.