Filling up on Flora & Fauna (CSC)

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The next stage in step-by-step world creation is to populate the newly-made world with plants, animals, and fantastic creatures. Rather than place things at random, the DM may wish to consider how these living beings would be found in the ecological structure of a real world. If the area being developed is coastal, or contains large lakes or rivers, remember to place appropriate animals, fish, and birds in and around the water.
==Ecology Overview==
As is the case with our own world, the ecology of the DM's world exists in delicate balance. The plants and animals are dependent upon one another for life and sustenance. A food chain exists with links that connect the smallest protozoan with the largest predators. Yet the DM doesn't need to concern himself with the operation of the world at this level. It's only when he brings sentient beings and huge carnivorous monsters into the picture that he needs to consider how his ecology works and how to keep it working in a realistic manner.
Assume that each climatic and geographic region of the world is populated with animals similar to those that fill the usual ecological niches in our own world. A variety of small scavengers, predators, omnivores, and herbivores will eat, live, reproduce, and die in much the same manner as their counterparts do in our own world.
The next steps then, are to place some of these plants and animals. Review your notes and take a look through your copy of the Monstrous Compendium for new ideas. Jot down your notes for later when you can go back and fill out a monster form and define the specific attributes for each of your new creatures. Continue to work at a regional scale and keep notes of any vegetation or creatures that might be useful in the areas of the world that are not currently being developed.
==Common Creatures==
The AD&D game rules presume that these creatures may be animals from our own world, like rabbits, squirrels, groundhogs, frogs, weasels, badgers, serpents, field mice, lizards, monkeys, and so forth. This assumption allows for the drama of imagining a rabbit the size of a horse or wasps as large as condors. The players know the animal and can imagine the humorous or terrifYing consequences of its enlargement.
Furthermore, recognizable animals make places more real to the players. A craggy mountain environment takes on more substance when creatures recognizable as mountain goats skip along its slopes. Forests with startled deer in sun-dappled clearings bring forth imagery of the early American pioneers.
Yet, this is a fantasy world, and not all creatures will have developed along mundane lines. In selected regions of the world, make up a few exotic animals to fill the same slots as rabbits, squirrels, groundhogs, frogs, and so on. At this point, a name and a one sentence description such as "Slikkem: weasel-sized, furry, snakelike rodent" is sufficient. Though this is not a big deal, having a ranger trap a trio of snakelike slikkems for dinner instantly creates a different atmosphere than snaring three bunnies.
Remember that a creature must be suited to its environment, otherwise it will not survive long. Moist, slimy creatures would be unreasonable in the parched air of a desert in the same way that coldblooded reptilian animals would have difficulty surviving in an arctic clime.
One way to work out the creation of fantastic animals is to decide what kind of monsters may dwell in the region (the Monstrous Compendiums list the type of creatures that can be found in the selected terrain), then make up a few animals which have developed similar environmental adaptations and defences (but are not themselves monstrous). An example might be the chameleon-like rock lizard. In the area in which it lives, several other smaller lizards or insects may also have developed a rocky appearance to avoid predators or fool their own prey.
==Big Animals==
Next, assign one or more large, non-predator creatures to several major terrain areas of the world (don't try to do it all right now). In our world they would be moose, deer, bears, buffalo, elephants, rhinoceroses, hippopotami, kangaroo, and so forth. Avoid placing major predators and intelligent beings now, but feel free to add in fantastic or highly unusual creatures like unicorns, behemoths, and dinosaurs. Keep such unusual creatures restricted to limited areas of the world.
==Major Predators==
Next, decide what major predators keep the numbers of these large animals in check. At this point, feel free to pull fantastic predators out of the Monstrous Compendiums. Do dragons from the mountains feed on the bison in the plains, stealing them from beneath the claws of the sabre tooth tigers? Do roving packs of hideous yeti prey upon slow-witted mountain goat herds? Do cheetahs and lions run down unicorn-homed herbivores on the sun-washed savannah? Keep in mind that the successful predator type must be able to overcome its prey's defenses. Finally, a common failing in a fantasy campaign is to make the predators too numerous. In our own world, the large predators (the great cats, wolves and wild dogs, birds of prey, sharks and toothed whales) are few in number-the ecosystem's food chain cannot support such large numbers, even if they prey upon each other.
==Placing Plants==
Plants are possibly the most overlooked aspect of world design. DMs and players alike often asSUlne that plants just exist and that the only ones they need concern themselves are the sentient or monstrous variety described in the monster manuals. Yet by assigning a few conunon types of plants to a region of the world, creating a few unique or even magical plants, and restricting the distribution of monstrous flora, the DM can enhance the realistic aspects of his world and make it more believable to the players.
Including oaks, elms, maples, and pines in the description of an area says to the player: IIThis is a temperate forest." A little research into plants native to other climates can do the same for those regions. The flora is now established as "realistic." From here, the DM places his own unusual plants, which like DM-created animals, need just a name and a description. At least a few of these should have a magical or inherently valuable nature. A forest of sinister dire oaks, or a densely columned grove of bamboo-like tabintha trees adds a unique flavor to a mostly lTIUndane environment, while a stand of hover elms with the tips of their dangling and dangerous roots floating a few feet above the forest floor creates a weirdly magical touch.
Locate any plants with magical, healing, or poisonous properties. Like oases and mountain passes, it's nice to know where they are (at least in general tenns) when players want to go looking for them.
Lastly, place the monster plants, the deadly denizens who lurk in dark glades, waiting to prey on the unsuspecting. Limit the monster plants to the wildest regions. Like the major predators, there should only be one or two monstrous plants in any specific place. Again, remember climate considerations when placing monster vegetation. Tropical plants will not be found in arctic, subarctic or even temperate climates (unless the DM first modifies them). By restricting these horrors to particular places in the world, the monstrous plants remain unusual, mysterious, and even mythical as they form a part of the legends and folklore of those regions.