Suggestions for Bestiary Outline?

[Absyinthe_Artica]

I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions for the bestiary outline that I'm making. It's going to have every made up species in it, and maybe even actual ones too. I haven't decided yet.
Bestiary Outline
Part I: Beasts & Critters

Mammals


Birds


Arthropods


Fish


Reptiles


Amphibians




Part II: Elemental

Fire


Water


Earth


Air


Light


Dark


Lightning


Weather


Energy


Ice



Part III: Mechanical

Steam Powered


Wood/Fire Powered


Stone Powered


Magic/Energy Powered


Chemical Powered




Part IV: Undead

Fossil


Decomposing


Living Dead

Part V: Humanoid

Mundane


Fae


Elem


Hybrid







Part VI: Fel

1st​ Rank


2nd​ Rank


3rd​ Rank


4th​ Rank


5th​ Rank


6th​ Rank


7th​ Rank

Part VII: Ethereal

Natural


Celestial


Elemental


Benelovent


Here's what I have so far.

 

[Minibit]

it's a bold enterprise, but you can already find lots of indexes like these online if you just need to have the resource O.O

Personally I'd skip the categories and sort them alphabetically by most common name (some species go by multiple names or different spellings; for example pixies, fairies, fey, wee folk) . Lots of species fall into multiple categories (ie: Angels would fit under Humanoid, Elemental Light, Living Dead, Benevolent, Ethereal, etc.) which makes them hard to sort like that, and thus hard to look up effectively.

 

[Nemaisare]

I think I'd suggest keeping the first categories, for beasts and critters, and just adding magic as one of them.

It depends how easy you want to make the job for yourself as well as for people to use the index. Because alphabetically works if they know the name of what they're looking for, but not otherwise. However, if you have fewer categories, you can sort by them and alphabetically with less confusion. And the person who doesn't know the name of what they're looking for has a smaller section to search through.

You can later go through and classify each entry with further subcategories, to make the index a good source of page numbers if the people looking know what type of critter they're looking for, but keep to alphabetical and as few categories as you can in the body of your work. Just use the index for subcategories and classifications.

 

[Minibit]

I think I'd suggest keeping the first categories, for beasts and critters, and just adding magic as one of them.

It depends how easy you want to make the job for yourself as well as for people to use the index. Because alphabetically works if they know the name of what they're looking for, but not otherwise. However, if you have fewer categories, you can sort by them and alphabetically with less confusion. And the person who doesn't know the name of what they're looking for has a smaller section to search through.

You can later go through and classify each entry with further subcategories, to make the index a good source of page numbers if the people looking know what type of critter they're looking for, but keep to alphabetical and as few categories as you can in the body of your work. Just use the index for subcategories and classifications.

Yeah, categories are probably helpful if you're more looking for ideas than details on a specific creature

I'd try to limit it to five or less groups though; maybe just friendly, neutral (things like elementals and creatures that are not typically described as either friendly or unfriendly to humans), and unfriendly, subsequently divided into humanoid and non-humanoid?

 

[Kestrel]

To list everything I'd just google for a comprehensive list. They're out there en masse. Even as wiki's.

If you're creating a bestiary for your own RP, I'd start out by listing creatures by environment before splitting it up like you have now. I mean this is in worldbuilding, and just throwing stuff together doesn't make for a coherent eco-system ;p

 

[Absyinthe_Artica]

it's a bold enterprise, but you can already find lots of indexes like these online if you just need to have the resource O.O

Personally I'd skip the categories and sort them alphabetically by most common name (some species go by multiple names or different spellings; for example pixies, fairies, fey, wee folk) . Lots of species fall into multiple categories (ie: Angels would fit under Humanoid, Elemental Light, Living Dead, Benevolent, Ethereal, etc.) which makes them hard to sort like that, and thus hard to look up effectively.

Well, it's not only for a resource, though. It's also going to be the possible outline for the bestiary I'm making for my world guide books. ^.^ I was also thinking about putting in some original species as well, not just ones that have already been created. Hmm, you're right about the multiple categories thing. But, I do really want to keep the categories.. :P

I think I'd suggest keeping the first categories, for beasts and critters, and just adding magic as one of them.

It depends how easy you want to make the job for yourself as well as for people to use the index. Because alphabetically works if they know the name of what they're looking for, but not otherwise. However, if you have fewer categories, you can sort by them and alphabetically with less confusion. And the person who doesn't know the name of what they're looking for has a smaller section to search through.

You can later go through and classify each entry with further subcategories, to make the index a good source of page numbers if the people looking know what type of critter they're looking for, but keep to alphabetical and as few categories as you can in the body of your work. Just use the index for subcategories and classifications.

How would I go about using the index for the sub categories and classifications? Just list them there, but in the actual bulk of the bestiary have them in alphabetical order?

To list everything I'd just google for a comprehensive list. They're out there en masse. Even as wiki's.

If you're creating a bestiary for your own RP, I'd start out by listing creatures by environment before splitting it up like you have now. I mean this is in worldbuilding, and just throwing stuff together doesn't make for a coherent eco-system ;p

I really like that. So, environment would be first and then from there I can split them up?

 

[Kestrel]

That's how I'd go about it. For practical use, users don't wanna scroll through 8 subspecies of centaur when they find their selves in a cold and treacherous mountain pass and wonder what could have left that hoofprint.

And likewise, when you're building a world it is a good idea to know what lives where. For example, introducing a rapidly breeding type of wyvern in an area where they have no predators, you'll have an overpopulation in no time. So you might wanna think twice if you want to encounter anything else... Or use that wyvern pest as a story element.

 

[Absyinthe_Artica]

Thank you for the advice, dear! ^.^