Needleman
| Needleman | |
|---|---|
 A needleman illustrated by William O'Conner, MC Annual, vol 3 (1996). | |
| General information | |
| Size: | Medium |
| Alignment: | Neutral |
| Type: | Plant |
| Patron deity: | None |
| First appearance: | White Dwarf #6 (April 1978) |
The Needleman (also known as needlefolk or needle blight) is a type of genderless, barely intelligent plant creature found in the Flanaess.
Description
Typical physical appearance
A Needleman is a humanoid plant creature which is sometimes confused with a human(oid) undead such as a zombie.[1]
A covering of a needleman's "skin" is a layer of miniscule leaves which change with the seasons. They "appear ruddy green, mottled with browns and reds in autumn" and "green in spring and summer, red and yellow in autumn, and brown in winter"[2][3][4] Because of their gauntness and shuffling gait, some assume they are undead, though they are not.[3]
From a human perspective, the Needleman plant has a general body-shape which is more similar to the male human form than anything (thus the moniker "man"). Though it appears distinctly emaciated,[5] it is not suffering from starvation or a similar condition, they simply have gauntly built arms, legs, etc., much like plants have branches and stems.
Abilities
"A needle blight lashes out with these needles or launches them as an aerial assault that can punch through armor and flesh."[6]
Possessions
For entirely unknown reasons, some needlemen have been seen wearing "perhaps ceremonial" white robes[2][3] Others have been seen wearing "tight-fitting yellow breechcloth"[2][3] This is entirely strange that a plant creature without society which has no external reproductive organs, would try to cover itself with human-style garments.[note 1]
Society
A true "society" is not something needlemen are capable of, due to being little more intelligent than wild animals.
"[Needlemen] have no appreciable society or culture. They live in the forest with no more social organization than trees or shrubs would have."[4]
Relationships
Though needlemen do not have "parental" relationships, their seedling pods typically fall nearby, and it is therefore not uncommon to find groves of needlemen.[4]
Enemies
While needlemen haven't a particular culture which would generate "hatred", they are known to favor the "flavor" of elves.[2][3] They can "smell" elves at a great distance.[2][3][note 2] It has been proposed this is a clue to the origin of needlemen.
History
Publication history
The Needleman first appeared in White Dwarf #6 (April 1978). The needleman appeared in the original first edition Fiend Folio (1981).[1] In White Dwarf #15 readers were asked to vote for their top ten "Fiend Factory" monsters. The top ten, including the needleman, were later reprinted in Best of White Dwarf Articles (1980).
The needleman appeared in second edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons for the Greyhawk setting in the Monstrous Compendium Greyhawk Appendix (1990),[2] and was reprinted in Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three (1996).[3]
The Needleman appeared in third edition in Dragon #292 (February 2002), and then in the third edition Monster Manual II.[4]
In fifth edition, the Needleman reappear as the needle blight and are amongst a class of similar plant creatures which include Tree, Twig, and Vine blights.[6]
Gallery
-
Original needleman, by Polly Wilson (1978). -
By Russ Taylor (1981). -
By Tony Diterlizzi (2002). -
By Conceptopolis (2014).
External links
References
Notes
Citations
- ↑ a b Fiend Folio (1981), p.67, s.v. Needleman.
- ↑ a b c d e f MC5 Monstrous Compendium Greyhawk Adventures Appendix (1990), s.v. Needleman.
- ↑ a b c d e f g Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three. (1996), p.82, s.v. Needleman.
- ↑ a b c d Monster Manual II (Sep 2002), p.158.
- ↑ Dragon #292 (Feb 2002), p.80.
- ↑ a b Monster Manual (2014), p.32.
Bibliography
- Bonny, Ed, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman and Skip Williams. Monster Manual II. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2002. Item code 88268.
- Boucher, Grant, , William W. Connors, Skip Williams, et al. MC5 Monstrous Compendium Greyhawk Adventures Appendix. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1990. Item code TSR2107.
- Pickens, John, ed. Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1996. Item code TSR2166.
- Turnbull, Don. Fiend Folio. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1981. Item code TSR2012.
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Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
| Topic | Type | Description | Product | Page/Card/Image
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Needleman | Monster | Fiend Folio, AD&D 1e | 67 | |
| Needleman | Monster | I7 Baltron's Beacon | 13 | |
| Needleman | Monster | Monstrous Compendium - 1996 Annual, Volume 3 | 82 | |
| Needleman | Monster | MC5 Monstrous Compendium Greyhawk Adventures Appendix | Insert (Needleman), Encounter Tables | |
| Needleman | Monster | 1993 TSR Trading Cards - Gold Set | 400 | |
| Needleman | Monster | White Dwarf #006 | 6, 7 | |
| Needleman | Monster | White Dwarf #BOV1 | 42 |