I have noticed that many books in the LitRPG and dungeon core books have a horned rabbit. Bunnicorn, thumper, basher to name a few. Is this a reference or nod to something I’m missing? The Divine Dungeon series is the first time I can remember seeing this specific mob. Since then I have noticed it in many more. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Posted Jan 27, 2020, 7:06 PM UTC
from the page:
The creature first appeared on Dragon Quest III in 1988 (Japanese NES release).
Considering that Dragon Quest is really popular in Japan, I think this is the most possible reason for using it as a beginner's monster, as an alternative to Slime.
Ragnarok Online also had an (unhorned) rabbit for newbies, so between these two franchises, its not hard to see why the creature has saturated japanese and korean light novels which directly spawned western litRPG.
Exactly, Dragon Quest is *very* popular in Japan and most isekai stories based themselves on DQ or something similar to it.
That's why for example slimes, that are at least mid level dangerous ambush monsters in the original D&D, are now beginner monsters in so many stories (you can also probably thank Akira Toryama for his cute design of slimes in the first DQ games)
The Al-mi'raj is a mythical being that has been adapted to DnD 1st edition as a horned rabbit.
This explains the slime joke in the beginning of the Divine Dungeon books.
I lobbeth the holiest of hand grenades!
That one didn't have a horn. But it had a vicious streak a mile wide. And huge, sharp... err somethings?
The Jackalope was also in the old TV show America's Funniest People (late 80s, early 90s).
Fast as fast can be! you'll never catch me! (cartoon sound of feet running away)
That’s exactly what I think about every time I hear about a horned rabbit, I always looked forward to those skits.
It's in Dungeons & Dragons, Dragon Quest video games and 'is it wrong to try to pick up girls in a dungeon? anime.
I don’t remember seeing it in my monster manual which is why I was wondering about it’s origins. I’ll have to take another look.
Al-Mi'raj is the name in there, originally from Persian mythology.
I believe it originated in persian mythology. A crature called Al-mi'raj was gifted to Alexander the Great by some island people for killing a dragon.
A depiction of it (Rabbit with one or more horns) can be found in Al-Qazwini's "Wonders of Creation".
Got adapted from there first into DnD's first edition Fiend Folio and then into the Dragon Quest games.
The classic AD&D adventure, Expedition to the Barrier Peaks (S3), published in 1980, features a "cute little bunnyoid" with a pair of little velvety horns on its adorable little noggin.
!It's part of a larger creature, much like the glowing worm on an angler fish. Incautious PCs will get attacked and eaten by the "tree stump" its sitting on.!<
It may seem like a stretch, but the first module in this series, The Tomb of Horrors (S1), actually had a shout out in Ready, Player One.
Like many creatures found in fantasy it has ancient roots :
An Al-Mir'aj from Marvels of Things Created and Miraculous Aspects of Things Existing by Zakariya Ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini 1203-1283 AD :
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US folklore has a creature called a "Jackalope", an antlered rabbit.
It also exists in a number of fantasy anime.
I think the point is that a bunny by itself is not very intimidating, but add a spiky horn, and now they are a (minor) threat.
Lol I get this reference because it reminds me of the America’s funniest skits from the early 90’s
I remember the jackalope from those, haha.