#the giant rat of sumatra

For several years D&D’s giant rat also was known as the Sumatran rat, despite the name of the Indonesian island seeming incongruous in places like Greyhawk.  While there are several large rodents native to Indonesia, including the large bamboo rat with a 20 inch long body and 8 inch tail, the name probably references Sherlock Holmes’ brief mention of a past case in the 1924 story The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire by Arthur Conan Doyle:

‘Matilda Briggs was not the name of a young woman, Watson,’ said Holmes, in a reminiscent voice. ‘It was a ship which is associated with the giant rat of Sumatra, a story for which the world is not yet prepared.’

This hint of a mysterious untold story has been a gift to pro and fan fiction writers ever since, inspiring many different tales in print and online.

(Images: 2 columns from Gary Gygax’s AD&D Monster Manual, text originally from 1977 with Jean Wells’ illustrations from the 1979 4th printing and later; Eric Holmes’ D&D Basic Set from November 1978 “2nd edition” printings and later; selection from monster attack/damage table in OD&D Supplement I: Greyhawk by Gygax & Kuntz, 1976)