Why is the bulette underground and why not choose umberhulk!?

[Fast]

Umberhulks live underground, bulettes (AKA landsharks) live on the overworld, with a territory radius of about 30 miles and attack adventurers on overworld using their ability to tunnel. They dont actually live underground.
Umberhulks however are the same CR and live underground proper.

The Umberhulk even has its environment listed as Underdark, Bulette is listed as grassland because it uses its tunnelling ability to move below the surface. It doesnt live in the underdark...

[Hub]

Because most of the people who will play the game don't know anything about d&d bestiary, and don't care.

[Fast]

Originally posted by Hub:

Because most of the people who will play the game don't know anything about d&d bestiary, and don't care.

Yeah sadly , some monsters arent even in D&D, and those that are have butchered stat blocks, and lore.

[mayrc]

What do you expect.... its larians dos3 with a DND mod.

[Hobocop]

I don't see why it would matter as long as there's enough food around, which the descriptive text cites as the sole criteria for hunting territory. Could've very well be drawn there by all the nearby activity, and by extension, prey.

[seandeven]

Point of geographic fact,
The underdark is a biome beneath the grasslands of the overworld, if a burrowing creature cannot make it below ground.... call my belief suspension blown

I expect a Larians version of a vancian casting DnD game which I'm getting.
Thank goodness there are zero spell cooldown timers.

[mayrc]

Originally posted by Hobocop:

I don't see why it would matter as long as there's enough food around, which the descriptive text cites as the sole criteria for hunting territory. Could've very well be drawn there by all the nearby activity, and by extension, prey.

yeah this is the same great explanantion why Astarion can walk in daylight. Welcome to larian story telling

[Fast]

Originally posted by mayrc:

Originally posted by Hobocop:

I don't see why it would matter as long as there's enough food around, which the descriptive text cites as the sole criteria for hunting territory. Could've very well be drawn there by all the nearby activity, and by extension, prey.

yeah this is the same great explanantion why Astarion can walk in daylight. Welcome to larian story telling

I love how vampires have very specific player character rules and vampires as monster have very specific rules in how they function, like not being able to enter ANY RESIDENCE without being invited. Like Sunlight doing radiant damage, like wooden piecing weapons able to destroy a vampire if used a steak, etc etc.

IN DOS3...nope astarion can just ignore everything about vampires...cause reasons.

Also bulettes do not live in the underdark they live on grasslands, and burrow to hunt. they physically do not live down there. period.
Having the underdark underneath the wilds doesnt exclude the monsters lore.
Also the Umberhulk is the specific monster in that CR that does live in the underdark...lol i think larian didnt read.

[Runic Tunic]

Originally posted by mayrc:

Originally posted by Hobocop:

I don't see why it would matter as long as there's enough food around, which the descriptive text cites as the sole criteria for hunting territory. Could've very well be drawn there by all the nearby activity, and by extension, prey.

yeah this is the same great explanantion why Astarion can walk in daylight. Welcome to larian story telling

Pretty sure seandeven gave a pretty good explanation as to why as well. Plus, just because a Bulette appears in the Underdark doesn't mean they "live" there like the OP seems to assume. Seeing one there doesn't mean it lives there.

Bulettes burrow and tunnel underground, which is where the UnderDark is located. I don't feel like it's such an absurd stretch to imagine how seeing one may be possible if the two locations overlap. Especially if food lured it there.

[Fast]

Originally posted by Runic Tunic:

Originally posted by mayrc:

yeah this is the same great explanantion why Astarion can walk in daylight. Welcome to larian story telling

Pretty sure seandeven gave a pretty good explanation as to why. Plus, just because a Bulette appears in the Underdark doesn't mean they "live" there like the OP seems to assume. Seeing one there doesn't mean it lives there.

Bulettes burrow and tunnel underground, which is where the UnderDark is located. I don't feel like it's such an absurd stretch to imagine how seeing one may be possible if the two locations overlap.

they use tunnels to move around, similar to worms, or moles or something similar, the monster section is specifically written to explain how they get around and where they live. the tunnels are not the underdark.
Tunnels are ...spaces underneath the surface, like several feet beneath the overworld, to hunt, they do not burrow down like umberhulks and live or reside down there.
They live and hunt on the grasslands and plains.

I mean the section is pretty clear how they work, they do not enter or use the underdark. Because they are over world creatures.
I mean the book makes a point of specific lore, and reasoning and contextualising every creatures existance whether thats on the overworld biomes or in the underdark, or in the astral planes, or in space.
But they all have their functional lore and its extremely specific. Its weird to then have some rando make what is very specific details into vague ones to suit.

[mayrc]

Originally posted by Runic Tunic:

Originally posted by mayrc:

yeah this is the same great explanantion why Astarion can walk in daylight. Welcome to larian story telling

Pretty sure seandeven gave a pretty good explanation as to why. Plus, just because a Bulette appears in the Underdark doesn't mean they "live" there like the OP seems to assume. Seeing one there doesn't mean it lives there.

Bulettes burrow and tunnel underground, which is where the UnderDark is located. I don't feel like it's such an absurd stretch to imagine how seeing one may be possible if the two locations overlap.

A Bullette burrows tunnels like mole to traverse. You wont find a single mole a 50 yards deep in the earth.

But i can help explain it.... bullette has been infected by a tadpole and now lost its orientation and burrowed far deeper! Isnt it awesome to have larians story skills?

[Fast]

Originally posted by mayrc:

Originally posted by Runic Tunic:

Pretty sure seandeven gave a pretty good explanation as to why. Plus, just because a Bulette appears in the Underdark doesn't mean they "live" there like the OP seems to assume. Seeing one there doesn't mean it lives there.

Bulettes burrow and tunnel underground, which is where the UnderDark is located. I don't feel like it's such an absurd stretch to imagine how seeing one may be possible if the two locations overlap.

A Bullette burrows tunnels like mole to traverse. You wont find a single mole a 50 yards deep in the earth.

But i can help explain it.... bullette has been infected by a tadpole and now lost its orientation and burrowed far deeper! Isnt it awesome to have larians story skills?

Tadpoles got their own lore which is not even whats in game....

[Runic Tunic]

Originally posted by Fast:

Originally posted by Runic Tunic:

Pretty sure seandeven gave a pretty good explanation as to why. Plus, just because a Bulette appears in the Underdark doesn't mean they "live" there like the OP seems to assume. Seeing one there doesn't mean it lives there.

Bulettes burrow and tunnel underground, which is where the UnderDark is located. I don't feel like it's such an absurd stretch to imagine how seeing one may be possible if the two locations overlap.

they use tunnels to move around, the monster section is specifically written to explain how they get around and where they live. the tunnels are not the underdark.
Tunnels are ...spaces underneath the surface, like several feet beneath the overworld, to hunt, they do not burrow down like umberhulks and live or reside down there.
They live and hunt on the grasslands and plains.

I mean the section is pretty clear how they work, they do not enter or use the underdark. Because they are over world creatures.
I mean the book makes a point of specific lore, and reasoning and contextualising every creatures existance whether thats on the overworld biomes or in the underdark, or in the astral planes, or in space.
But they all have their functional lore and its extremely specific. Its weird to then have some rando make what is very specific details into vague ones to suit.

Oh boy here we go again. Yes...tunnels are how they move around... Guess what you can do to get to the UnderDark? Tunnel there. It's literally underground. I read the section as well. However, I've seen far more convoluted and weird explanations as to why a monster or species is present in an area they normally wouldn't be.

Fast lets be real here. There is nothing wrong with Hobocop's and seandeven's explanation as to why one might be there. It's pretty rational and easy to see. A burrowing creature showing up in an UNDERGROUND series of caverns, where there are tons of mushrooms, meat, and whatever else it may eat is located? It's not a massive stretch of the imagination here.

Likely this was Larian's thinking in the end as well. Hardly a big deal. Now if we just saw a few Modron wondering around in a lake with no explanation, then I'd see the issue. This? Feels more like a rule lawyer losing their ♥♥♥♥ at the table because the DM bent a rule slightly than an actual big deal.

[Harukage]

i guess you all failed to actually read stuff in the game, to learn that local Bulette was Mystras cleric pet brought there by her. The cleric that had built a whole mechanical arcane tower.

[Fast]

Originally posted by Runic Tunic:

Originally posted by Fast:

they use tunnels to move around, the monster section is specifically written to explain how they get around and where they live. the tunnels are not the underdark.
Tunnels are ...spaces underneath the surface, like several feet beneath the overworld, to hunt, they do not burrow down like umberhulks and live or reside down there.
They live and hunt on the grasslands and plains.

I mean the section is pretty clear how they work, they do not enter or use the underdark. Because they are over world creatures.
I mean the book makes a point of specific lore, and reasoning and contextualising every creatures existance whether thats on the overworld biomes or in the underdark, or in the astral planes, or in space.
But they all have their functional lore and its extremely specific. Its weird to then have some rando make what is very specific details into vague ones to suit.

Oh boy here we go again. Yes...tunnels are how they move around... Guess what you can do to get to the UnderDark? Tunnel there. It's literally underground. I read the section as well. However, I've seen far more convoluted and weird explanations as to why a monster or species is present in an area they normally wouldn't be.

Fast lets be real here. There is nothing wrong with Hobocop's and seandeven's explanation as to why one might be there. It's pretty rational and easy to see. A burrowing creature showing up in an UNDERGROUND series of caverns, where there are tons of mushrooms, meat, and whatever else it may eat is located? It's not a massive stretch of the imagination here.

Likely this was Larian's thinking in the end as well. Hardly a big deal. Now if we just saw Modron wondering around in a lake for no reason, then I'd see the issue.

Ecology
Environment
The bulette prefers temperate lands. A single bulette may claim a territory as wide as thirty miles, moving on only when the area has been exhausted of all animal and humanoid life.

Bulettes rarely take a lair, and will spend their time roaming the land for food or resting beneath the ground.[3]

Life cycle
Bulettes are solitary creatures and are almost always encountered alone. They meet others of their kind only to mate, and do not stay together long. The female usually slaughters and consumes the male after mating.[1]

The bulette is warm-blooded and is thought to bear live young like a mammal, although it is also conjectured that they lay eggs. Nests of their young have never been seen, and it as presumed that they are buried deep in the earth for safety.[6]

All creatures shun the landshark. It has no friends.
It is exceptionally difficult to tame or control the bulette. Psionically powerful creatures like mind flayers have been able to control them with mental domination, while humanoids including hobgoblins and yuan-ti have been able to control them by years of torture and the cost of many trainers' lives.[7]

Diet
A bulette is carnivorous, and will eat anything and everything that moves, including weaker bulettes. It is always hungry.[4]

A bulette's favorite foods are halfling and horse.[2] They dislike the taste of dwarf and especially elf.[4] A rumor says that a bulette will actively refuse to eat an elf,[3] but this is thought to be an old wives' tale.[7] They have even been known to digest wood and metal, and will gleefully consume a humanoid victim along with all of their clothing, equipment, and even sacks of coins.[3]

The gohlbrorn is smaller, more intelligent cousin of the bulette native to the Underdark.

^^^ this guy is native to the underdark, i even forgot about this one myself.
But its different CR so umberhulk is better.

They have multiple creatures that reside in the underdark, similar CRs. This creature. Does not.
The bulette is known as a landshark...

[Runic Tunic]

Originally posted by Fast:

Originally posted by Runic Tunic:

Oh boy here we go again. Yes...tunnels are how they move around... Guess what you can do to get to the UnderDark? Tunnel there. It's literally underground. I read the section as well. However, I've seen far more convoluted and weird explanations as to why a monster or species is present in an area they normally wouldn't be.

Fast lets be real here. There is nothing wrong with Hobocop's and seandeven's explanation as to why one might be there. It's pretty rational and easy to see. A burrowing creature showing up in an UNDERGROUND series of caverns, where there are tons of mushrooms, meat, and whatever else it may eat is located? It's not a massive stretch of the imagination here.

Likely this was Larian's thinking in the end as well. Hardly a big deal. Now if we just saw Modron wondering around in a lake for no reason, then I'd see the issue.

Ecology
Environment
The bulette prefers temperate lands. A single bulette may claim a territory as wide as thirty miles, moving on only when the area has been exhausted of all animal and humanoid life.

Bulettes rarely take a lair, and will spend their time roaming the land for food or resting beneath the ground.[3]

Life cycle
Bulettes are solitary creatures and are almost always encountered alone. They meet others of their kind only to mate, and do not stay together long. The female usually slaughters and consumes the male after mating.[1]

The bulette is warm-blooded and is thought to bear live young like a mammal, although it is also conjectured that they lay eggs. Nests of their young have never been seen, and it as presumed that they are buried deep in the earth for safety.[6]

Diet
A bulette is carnivorous, and will eat anything and everything that moves, including weaker bulettes. It is always hungry.[4]

A bulette's favorite foods are halfling and horse.[2] They dislike the taste of dwarf and especially elf.[4] A rumor says that a bulette will actively refuse to eat an elf,[3] but this is thought to be an old wives' tale.[7] They have even been known to digest wood and metal, and will gleefully consume a humanoid victim along with all of their clothing, equipment, and even sacks of coins.[3]

The gohlbrorn is smaller, more intelligent cousin of the bulette native to the Underdark.

^^^ this guy is native to the underdark, i even forgot about this one myself.
But its different CR so umberhulk is better.

They have multiple creatures that reside in the underdark, similar CRs. This creature. Does not.

Yes, yes. Read Harukage's response. Apparently there's an actual in-game explanation for it's presence. Rule lawyer all you want. Apparently someone else brought it there. Which still makes it looking for food in the Underdark as valid anyway.