The unicorn has been represented in a variety of ways in folklore and fiction, so it doesn't have a consistent or orthodox ecology. Unicorns generally fall into one of four archetypes, paralleling the development of the unicorn myth in popular culture. These correspond to the monster types beast, celestial, fey, and fiend.
- As a [beast], the unicorn may be identical to a common rhinocerous or possess at least minor supernatural traits. At the very least, its horn ("alicorn") is a universal antidote to poison. It may or may not be pacified by the presence of a virgin.
- As a [celestial], the unicorn is a messenger of God and a potential paladin's steed. Its powers would focus on fighting evil, as with other angels. It may overlap with the pegasus, having flight in the form of wings or levitation.
- As a [fey], the unicorn is a woodland deity that defends its forest from interlopers.
- As a [fiend]... well, just look at the nightmare.
The standard D&D unicorn straddles between the first three archetypes. It is classified as a [celestial] as of 5e, essentially a forest version of the sphinx, but in the lore is associated with the [fey]. I feel this is bad world building because the line between clerics' and druids' spheres of influence should be fairly clear. Earlier editions of the game devised over a dozen more variants, so this conflation is doubly strange.
A number of unicorn variants have been published in third-party products: Monster Encyclopaedia Volume I introduces the platinum unicorn, Monster Geographica: Forest introduces the savage unicorn, Exotic Encounters: Unicorns introduces the sylvan guardian unicorn, storm unicorn and purifier unicorn, Tome of Beasts introduces the shadhavar, Monsters of Feyland introduces the black unicorn and red unicorn, etc.
A number of unicorn variants have been published in third-party products: Monster Encyclopaedia Volume I introduces the platinum unicorn, Monster Geographica: Forest introduces the savage unicorn, Exotic Encounters: Unicorns introduces the sylvan guardian unicorn, storm unicorn and purifier unicorn, Tome of Beasts introduces the shadhavar, Monsters of Feyland introduces the black unicorn and red unicorn, etc.
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| 100% anatomically accurate unicorn |
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| ©1998 Jonathan Hunt |
In popular culture
Fantasy fiction ascribes the unicorn with all manner of miraculous traits that they notably lack in combat-focused Dungeons & Dragons. What follows is a small and not remotely exhaustive list:
Early accounts of the unicorn or “monocerous” in medieval bestiaries described it as a vicious beast, since it was based on misunderstood accounts of the rhinocerous. Some accounts added the myth that it could be pacified by a virgin, which hunters exploited to trap it. Inspired by these tales of unicorn entrapment, medieval bestiaries came to associate the unicorn with Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. The unicorn acquired connotations of purity, and its horn ("alicorn") was reputed to purify poison. In medieval bestiaries, the alicorn neutralizes poison even after being severed.
Harry Potter depicts the unicorn as essentially an animal with magical properties. Their blood can extend life indefinitely, but such a life is “cursed.”
In Peter S. Beagle's 1968 novel The Last Unicorn, the unicorns are depicted more like the Fair Folk. They are immortal and amoral, with mysterious powers that are largely unexplained. In Holly Black's The Spiderwick Chronicles, unicorns are explicitly listed as a type of fairy.
In Peter S. Beagle's 1968 novel The Last Unicorn, the unicorns are depicted more like the Fair Folk. They are immortal and amoral, with mysterious powers that are largely unexplained. In Holly Black's The Spiderwick Chronicles, unicorns are explicitly listed as a type of fairy.
In Ridley Scott’s Legend, the unicorns guard the light of the universe. Their horns have unexplained magical powers, even after being severed. In the Beastmaster television series, a severed alicorn is used to gut a man then immediately heal him.
Fantasy fiction and games have introduced an evil counterpart to the unicorn, typically styled as a "black unicorn" or a "bicorn." This appears primarily in Japanese media, such as Megami Tensei and Overlord. It is the moral opposite of the unicorn: for example, it rejects virgins.
Other monsters have been referred to as unicorns in popular culture, such as the Arabic mi’raj, Persian karkadann, and Chinese qilin.
Research links
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicorn
- https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Unicorn
- https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/UnicornsAreSacred
- http://hackslashmaster.blogspot.com/2013/11/on-ecology-of-unicorn.html
- https://web.archive.org/web/20081220010733/http://www.eaudrey.com/myth/unicorns.htm
Gaming links
- https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Unicorn
- https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/38y55z/unicorns/
- http://dailybestiary.tumblr.com/post/72834375415/unicorn
- http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2013/10/28/my-unicorns-are-different/
- https://nerdarchy.com/dd-unicorn-expanding-the-legendary-creature-through-variety/
- http://themonstersknow.com/unicorn-tactics/
- https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Unicorn
- https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Unicorn
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicorn_(Dungeons_%26_Dragons)
Bicorn links
- https://mythology.wikia.com/wiki/Bicorn
- http://www.occultopedia.com/b/bicorn.htm
- https://megamitensei.fandom.com/wiki/Bicorn
- https://abookofcreatures.com/2017/05/01/bigorne/
- https://hollowtreetales.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/thursday-myths-legends-the-bicorn-and-the-chichevache/
- http://megamitensei.wikia.com/wiki/Bicorn
- http://fategrandorder.wikia.com/wiki/Chichevache
- http://www.occultopedia.com/b/bicorn.htm
- http://overlordmaruyama.wikia.com/wiki/Bicorn
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