#it's a staple Fantasy Creature

[markrosewater]

just kinda thought about it, is there any reason why cat is a creature type that sees more use compared to dog?

like new capenna have cat people and dominaria does as well but dog people are a rare sight it feels

You made the Ainok cry.

I think cat people are just more a fantasy staple than dog people.

[fruitsofbeingafraid]

rating forgetmenauts couples on ren faire cosplay ability

bigfoot and mothman- 4/10

now they may be ICONIC, but god this would be a pain. either you do it low effort and just look like a regular wedding or do it high effort and then melt bc summer is ren faire season and it will be hot. the slay value is off the charts though. maybe if they're on their honeymoon?

thomas the rhymer & his faerie queen- 9/10

Average Fairytale Man and beautiful ethereal faeire queen is such a dynamic and you wouldn't be too hard-pressed to do either of them! you could even spice it up and do hawker thomas! wouldn't stand out too much at all. 

helena and gerard-8/10

great and wonderful and beautiful. 1872 is SUCH a time period to be replicating the fashions of. absolutely gorgeous. vampires are inherently pretty too. however they have exactly Zero defining features other than vampire so have fun with that.

the rusalka and the shepherd girl- 10/10

this would go SO hard. shepherd girl-esque outfits and humanoid fantasy creatures are both ren fest staples and i am just reiterating how UNNECESSARILY HARD THIS WOULD GO. no complaints. perfect.

persephone and hades- 7/10

i mean. iconic. beautiful for sure. however as we have discussed, summer is ren fest season, and not being together during summer is kinda their whole thing. also they're maybe the least forgetmenauts-y couple on this list bc its a retelling.

the summer king and his husband- 9/10

breathtaking. the summer king music video is so gorgeously beautiful. -1 point because in said music video the summer king does not have legs. if you're a wheelchair user disregard that last segment its an 11/10 for you. 

gay werewolfs- 2/10

if you want to either wear fursuits or do the most low effort unrecognizable cosplay ever these are the fellows for you! they have even less defining features than helena and gerard, i don't even know how you would successfully cosplay them. 

charlatan in red & foxbride- 3/10

i would LOVE to see people's interpretations of the foxbride. however a ren fest is probably not the place for that. i also feel like perhaps drawings would be better than a human for portraying that. the phrase "charlatan in red" evokes a lot of ren fest vibes though so idk! 

zombie promgoers- 5/10

now this may not fully fit the theme of ren fest but i personally would love to do this. get that sunday best into rags and tatters and dirty yourself up. the outfits would be great and it definitely wouldn't be the weirdest things there.

tam lin & lover- 4/10

i may be unsure how you would successfully do this but that won't stop me from thinking its a good idea. another song that has a set time it takes place in that is not summer, not sure how i feel about that. if you went solo as tam lin's captor though????? 10/10gorgeous perfect etc.

james & lover from cottonwood- 1/10

have fun cosplaying High School Boy.

skeletons from interlace of bones- 0/10

theyre skeletons.?

[flightyquinn]

Years back, I had a player express to me that they found dire animals boring. For some reason, that's stuck with me. On the one hand, I get it. In a world full of fantastical creatures like dragons and chimeras, "a wolf but bigger" doesn't seem very exciting. On the other, they're a fantasy staple too, and they have decent stat blocks.

So, here's a thought...

What if they weren't just an animal, but bigger and meaner?

According to Webster's dictionary, "dire" means "exciting horror", "warning of disaster", or "desperately urgent"...so what if we took "dire animal" and really meant it?

I'm imagining a version of dire animals that only vaguely resemble the creatures that they're compared to. Things truly terrible to look upon, with an alien appearance and twisted features, or in other words, creatures that are truly monstrous.

Suppose, for example, that your "dire wolf" looked like this, and communicated with its packmates through high pitched whining and chittering. Or perhaps something even more bizarre, with too many limbs, a face too long and narrow, that's too much mouth, with clustered eyes and warped proportions. I think you could even go really nuts, and turn dire animals into aberrations, though there is something to having them be animals, just very strange and dangerous ones.

[ffmtg]

Cecil, Dark Knight//Cecil, Redeemed Paladin

(Scryfall Link)

Cecil is the protagonist of Final Fantasy IV. He is a transforming double-faced card, meaning that instead of having the usual Magic back, there are cards on both sides. In most cases, the card will be treated as its front side, Cecil, Dark Knight.

Cecil, Dark Knight is a 1 mana 2/3 with deathtouch, meaning any amount of damage he deals to another creature is enough to kill him. This makes him an absurdly efficient creature, but he comes with a downside: Whenever he deals damage, you take that much damage. This reflects his Darkness ability from Final Fantasy IV, which allows him to deal a lot of damage at the cost of his own health.

After you have lost enough health, Cecil transforms into the Redeemed Paladin. This represents a moment in the game in which Cecil decides he no longer wants to use the power of darkness, climbs Mount Ordeals, and becomes a Paladin. I'm a bit disappointed this change isn't reflected in creature types since it was the first time the class system was used to tell a story but I guess Knight fits for both Dark Knight and Paladin, and the change is still reflected by the card's color changing from black to white.

As a Paladin, he has Lifelink, meaning he heals you for the amount of damage you deal, representing his new healing powers. Additionally, he has the Protect ability, representing the spell of the same name in FFIV. Protect is a series staple, and typically creates a barrier that reduces physical damage by half, but in FFIV it just increases defense by a few points. Interestingly, Cecil doesn't actually learn Protect in the classic version of the game, only in the 3D remake for the DS and the Steam and Mobile ports based on it.

I think it's a bit strange that Cecil's Paladin card actually has more power than his Dark Knight side because he actually becomes weaker offensively, instead gaining defensive and support tools, but I guess the higher offensive power is still represented through the Deathtouch of the Dark Knight's side.

[the-roseville-enquirer]

What the Hell Is Horror?

Tokyo Ghoul is coming.

That’s been the news of the week for March 2025 - Ken Kaneki of the popular manga/anime series will be the next Killer to roam the Fog. And, for some reason, this has kicked off another community-wide discussion about horror, what falls under the umbrella, and what belongs in the world of Dead By Daylight.

The answer to this question is both complex and exceedingly simple. To get to that answer, we have to define genre.

Merriam-Webster refers to genre as:

a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content

In plain terms, it is a group of artistic works loosely defined by similar traits. Genre comes into play in many situations, be it book stores and streamers categorizing their collection, award shows, or simple recommendations between friends. When I say the definition is loose, I mean that not all works in a genre have to have the exact same approach – there are infinite networks of subgenres and subsubgenres and cross-genre blends surging through the creative oceans of the human consciousness every day.

So then what, specifically, is horror?

If you frequent Dead By Daylight community spaces, there’s a few sentiments you’ve likely encountered, probably more than once:

“This game doesn’t scare me, it’s not horror anymore!”

“The Trickster and The Skull Merchant are too sexy to be horror characters!”

“Kaneki is some anime boy, he doesn’t fit!”

You’ve also probably seen the mirrored sentiments of those who believe the game’s definition of “horror” is too restrictive, and should be expanded to include their faves such as… Star Wars, Final Fantasy, Lord of the Rings, and every superhero franchise you can think of.

Both categories of people are wrong. Why? because horror is not about what personally scares you. "Horror", like every other genre, is an indicator of what the story is about.

There is a peculiar misconception with horror that people do not apply to other genres: that if individual works do not provoke a specific reaction in specific audience members (in this case, fear), then the work is no longer a part of that genre. When you zoom out to take in the rest of our artistic landscape, that mindset begins to make less and less sense: 50 First Dates is still a romance despite being creepy as hell, Marriage Story (2019) is a drama despite the fact that I don’t care about these people, and Epic Movie (2007) is still a comedy despite being as funny as stepping on a railroad spike. They retain their status in their respective genres because their genre reflects what they are about: 50 First Dates is about a developing romance, Marriage Story is about a romance coming to an end, and Epic Movie is attempting to make jokes. It does not matter whether I personally liked or had the intended emotional reaction to any of them – they’re going on those respective shelves at the video store.

In the year 2025, you’d probably be hard-pressed to find a grown adult kept up all night by a first-time viewing of the original A Nightmare on Elm Street. The film is still, objectively, about a dream demon torturing a gaggle of teens with their own worst fears. Freddy’s famous extendo-arms might not be scary to you, but they were scary for Nancy Thompson, and she’s who the story is about. Likewise, Tokyo Ghoul is about, well, ghouls. Cannibalistic creatures torn between their humanity and their darkest urges have been a staple of the horror genre before “genre” was even a term. It doesn’t matter whether you think a white-haired anime boy is scary – horror is Kaneki’s life, and the way he is forced to live it.

So, horror isn’t necessarily about what scares you – it’s about the way that fear, the unknown, and the macabre motivate the story being told. Sometimes those stories are also funny, romantic, rich with character drama, surreal, fantastical – but they have a core of something frightening, both conceptually and to the characters.

But! Volcanoes, war, Darth Vader, and being stuck under a giant rock are also scary. Why aren’t Star Wars, Volcano (1997), Saving Private Ryan (1998) and 127 Hours (2010) considered horror? This is where it gets harder. There are frameworks where these stories, or aspects of these stories, could very well work as horror, but taking these films as they are, their most predominant stylistic and storytelling elements simply overpower any traces of horror that may be present. When you think of the original Star Wars trilogy, you’re not thinking of scare actors in haunted houses, you’re thinking of Luke Skywalker flying cool ships and swinging around a lightsaber and rockin’ and rollin’ with Yoda. Vader’s presence is just one aspect of an epic space fairytale.

When people say that Dead By Daylight has had non-horror chapters, I question their understanding of what they’re looking at. The aforementioned Trickster and Skull Merchant are both serial killers, and sexy killers are nothing new. Real-life actor Nicolas Cage was a fourth wall-breaking wildcard of a Survivor add, but he has an extensive horror filmography, from Vampire’s Kiss (1988) to Longlegs (2024) and everything in-between. His memetic screaming about bees in The Wicker Man (2006) was the jumping-off point for plenty of 00s kids foraying into horror for the first time!

Lastly, we get to Dungeons & Dragons, a bit of a left-field chapter for the game, but given that D&D is a game in of itself (and filled to the brim with the macabre), it’s naturally genrefluid and gives enough space for developers and dungeon masters to work with alternate presentations.

Lara Croft of Tomb Raider fame is the only real exception to the rule. Being that she came in a Survivor-only chapter, her presence was slightly less disruptive than it could have been, but what was the purpose? Given her place in a chapter streak that included D&D and Castlevania, I can only guess that she was meant to round out the year’s retro gaming theme – but she does stand out as an oddity, and one that makes me skeptical.

Dead By Daylight has been continually billed as the Hall of Fame of Horror, not just a generic Hall of Fame – and for good reason. Aside from its hefty roster of licensed legends, each individual chapter takes libraries of inspiration from its genre forebears, ranging from the obvious to the obscure. This interaction is a kind of preservation, a celebration, and a continuation of the conversation started by the writers and filmmakers who paved the way for the horror community of today. Despite the bugs and the missteps, Dead By Daylight’s strong identification with and love of the genre are what make it tick. When you begin to stray from that, you stray from the reasons it was what it was to begin with. The conversation is drowned out by cash.

Some believe that the game will run out of horror licenses to pull from eventually, and this just isn’t true. There is always more horror. It just might be something you’ve never read, or played, or watched before, but not recognizing a license doesn’t mean it has no value. Star Wars might bring in the dough, sure, but a cynical capitalistic approach has never done a live service game any artistic favours. The world does not need more reminders that Disney and DC properties are powerful money-makers – art exists beyond the top five blockbuster franchises forced onto our plates every day.

Horror is both specific and expansive, and there are so many works out there worth the attention that the mainstream media landscape doesn’t provide. Live a little, learn a little, dive into the deepest depths of Tubi and experience something you’ve never experienced before. Dead By Daylight owes its existence to that – and its future will rely on it.

[prismartist]

modern who discourse honestly becomes sillier once you start watching classic who because the issues people complain about in the current series... have always existed? like aside from the usual "doctor who has always been 'woke' and queer".

"none of that episode made sense" i promise you they have just been saying anything since 1963. "they can't do that, they've never done that before" again, one of the pillars of doctor who is just making shit up. the doctor didn't [insert thing here] before? well he can now. don't question it.

"they never dealt with emotions, it's all sappy now" there have been quite a few emotional throughlines in the series! there's adric's death, which deeply affected the doctor and other companions for several serials. and like, all of ace's character.

"it's fantasy now, not sci-fi" i mean aside from sutekh there are several gods that show up that sort of extend past "spooky powerful creature". i remember one about a white bird and a goddess of time ?? she was literally a big head that could banish people. i feel like that's at least A Bit of Fantasy.

"the UNIT episodes suck" ok i will admit i wasn't too fond of UNIT either but there have been UNIT episodes since the second doctor so. Secret Cool Sci-Fi Avengers is also a staple of doctor who.

like i'm not saying you can't dislike the new series for these reasons, it's just a lil silly to me when people complain about things that have more or less always existed, especially when they say it's been "ruined" or "disney-fied." i don't think it is. it's just been exponentially doctor-fied.

[tawked]

Bone, Jeff Smith.

It's amazing how easy it is to avoid the "always evil species" trope and the problems that come with it by just exploring the evil species' culture for a second.

The rat creatures are violent weirdos who do not at all operate on a human scale of morality, but Smith doesn't make them automatically evil by birth, he provides a window into how their culture raises its children as well as the forces that define that culture such that the reader can see, hm! If these issues were addressed and if they were removed from that context, the rat men would likely not be evil! Likewise, through the brief little arc where Phoney Bone rallies all the humans of the valley up into a racist mob and attempts to lynch the Red Dragon, as well as the various Bones' fish out of water reactions to cultural staples of the valley like belief in the Dreaming, we see that no one is racially impervious to evil and that worldview is rooted in something other than simply being a "Man of the East" or an Uruk Hai or whatever.

It's like a much smarter version of Game of Thrones' cultural relativist approach to worldbuilding, and I say that purely because Smith often places empathy and concern for others in one's community at the forefront of how he writes his characters (even the early antagonists, the Two Stupid Rat Things, are easy to empathize with in their abuse under their leader, Kingdok). Other fantasy works that similarly reject biological or a priori by race morality in the fantasy genre kind of trend toward cynicism and cruelty as the norm, especially when portraying medieval European adjacent cultures, due to the weird belief that empathy was invented in 1894 by Lord Hudson Feelsforothers and before that everybody was just a witch-burning hater 24/7.

[tegu-the-tegu]

Flavoured Artificer Concepts

Artificer is by FAR my favourite class in Dungeons and Dragons, primarily for how customisable they can be with regards to their flavour; because of the ability to cast through any tools you are proficient in, it gives a LOT of range to how your magic works. As such, I will put some ideas I have had to build unique Artificers.

An Artillerist that uses woodworking to carve totems; they are flavoured as a tribal shaman that summons the spirits of magical creatures to aid in battle. Their flamethrower turret conjures a dragon spirit to burn their foes, their protector turret calls the spirit of a unicorn to protect the virtuous, and their ballista invokes a manticore spirit to pepper distant foes with spikes. Their other spells can also be flavoured this way, such as Thunderwave being flavoured as an Aerosaur spirit emerging from a totem and flapping its wings to blow enemies away!

A Battlesmith that uses leatherworking to create a horrific stitched Frankenstein's monster for their steel defender. Every time they kill things, they skin the corpses to repair their hideous flesh monster. Or, if you prefer, you could stick with the shamanistic theme from the Artillerist entry, and use leatherworking to maintain the pelt of the first wolf you killed; its spirit inhabits that pelt, and defends you to this day!

An Alchemist that uses chef's tools to create supernaturally delicious food that cures illnesses and grants supernatural abilities. I have actually played this, he used brewers supplies to create caustic acidic drinks, had peppers so hot that it made your breath ignite to cast fire spells, and he would spray sticky toffee over the area for web. He would make food puns, and was named Guido Fiero.

An Armorer that uses jeweller's tools to create bling that imbues them with magical powers. A circlet that grants a force field, a ring that shoots lightning, a pair of bracelets that create thunderous shockwaves when brought together. Then, when you hit level 9, you can have distinct infusion tied to each one! A circlet or diadem or whatever for head armour, necklace for chest armour, anklets for boots, and bracelets or rings for the weapon! Perfect for a wealthy nobleman artificer who wants to broadcast their glamorous lifestyle.

There are loads of other things you can do with each tool proficiency, and it's a shame that the class is so easily pigeonholed into "The Tech Class". Not to say I don't like the gnomish tinker that creates fantastical and crazy gizmos to mimic magical effects. Hell, my character in the campaign I'm not DMing is exactly that, an autognome (Flavoured to look like a normal gnome in the face, so they appear normal when wearing their clothes) that woke up one day in a tinker's lab next to his deceased creator, and then left to try and find a purpose in the world. He has an insect motif, so all of his spells and things are flavoured as small clockwork insects he makes.

But the point is, while that's a staple of the Artificer class fantasy, there are loads of other ideas to flavour it! A calligrapher that writes arcane runes in the air, a potter with a terracotta soldier for a steel defender, a weaver that knits arcane circles, a painter whose drawings become magical effects, a glassblower whose glass figurines come to life, I can't think of one for cartographer's tools, but I bet there is a dope idea in there somewhere!

Even as I mentioned before with leatherworking, you can have the exact same class, the exact same subclass, and the exact same tool, and STILL have wildly different flavour! One is Doctor Frankenstein, the other is a mystical shaman with a spirit guide!

Anyway, that's today's rambling. I would also do a thing on subclasses the Artificer could have, given they only have four, but that's a whole other rant. Besides, this is already a thesis.

[s-soulwriter]

As Halloween approaches, it’s the perfect time to celebrate one of the most intriguing supernatural beings in literature and media: vampires. These creatures have captivated our imaginations for centuries, and it's easy to see why. Here’s an personal list of reasons why vampires truly reign supreme among supernatural beings.

Timeless Appeal: Vampires have remained popular for centuries, from classic tales like Bram Stoker's Dracula to contemporary series like Twilight and The Vampire Diaries. Their ability to adapt to changing societal norms and interests makes them a staple in storytelling, proving that they know how to stay relevant!

Mysterious Nature: There is an inherent intrigue surrounding vampires. With origins steeped in folklore and myth, each culture presents a unique interpretation, adding depth and richness to their narratives.

Immortality: The concept of immortality is a powerful fantasy. Vampires live through the ages, witnessing historical events and cultural shifts firsthand.

Seductive Charm: The allure of the vampire is often characterized by their seductive charm. This duality of being both enchanting and dangerous creates a compelling dynamic, drawing readers and characters alike into their orbit. Who can resist a character who’s both alluring and potentially lethal?

Complex Morality: Many vampires struggle with their darker instincts, offering a rich exploration of morality. Their internal conflicts regarding feeding on humans or the ethics of their actions provide depth to their character.

Supernatural Powers: Vampires possess an array of supernatural abilities that enhance their narratives. From enhanced strength and speed to mind control and shapeshifting, these powers create dynamic storylines filled with conflict and excitement. Plus, it must be nice to skip leg day!

Fashion Icons: Vampires are often portrayed as impeccably dressed, exuding elegance and sophistication. Their distinctive fashion sense, whether it’s Victorian capes or modern couture, adds a visual allure that enhances their mystique. Honestly, they make a turtleneck look threatening—who else can do that?

Cultural Significance: Vampires often reflect societal fears and desires, serving as metaphors for various themes such as death, sexuality, and the unknown. Their presence in literature allows for deep allegorical storytelling that resonates with readers on multiple levels. And they remind us that sometimes, our biggest fears come with fangs.

Versatility in Genre: Vampires can seamlessly transition across genres, thriving in horror, romance, fantasy, and even comedy. This versatility ensures that they can reach a broad audience and remain relevant in contemporary storytelling.

The Ultimate Anti-Hero: Many modern vampire stories present them as anti-heroes, allowing for complex character arcs that challenge traditional notions of heroism. This complexity invites empathy, as readers witness their struggles and growth. Plus, who doesn’t love a bad boy (or girl) with a heart of gold?

Connections with Humanity: Despite their monstrous nature, vampires often exhibit human emotions and relationships. Their struggles with loneliness, love, and loss resonate with audiences, allowing for a more profound connection to their characters.

Exploration of Power Dynamics: Vampire narratives frequently delve into themes of power and control, whether through the relationships they form or the dominance they exert over others. This exploration can prompt discussions about authority, consent, and the nature of power itself.

Enduring Legacy: The enduring legacy of vampires in popular culture speaks to their universal appeal. They have inspired countless adaptations, spin-offs, and retellings, proving that their stories can continually evolve while maintaining their core essence.

The Twilight of Their Power: As much as we love the dark side of them, let’s not forget the fun side of vampires: their struggle with the modern world. With the advent of garlic bread and sunscreen, these once-mighty creatures have had to navigate a world that can ruin their day in seconds.

As Halloween approaches, let us celebrate these fascinating beings and the myriad stories they inspire, reminding us of the complexities of life, death, and everything in between—all while being fabulously stylish.

DO YOU HAVR A FAVOURITE TYPE OF VAMPIRE ?

[rollercoasterwords]

I haven't seen many horror films and would like some recommendations. What are some must-watch horror movies for someone new to the genre?

oooh this is such a fun question but so hard 2 answer bc horror is like. such a versatile genre & where u should start depends a lot on like what type of movies u enjoy/what ur looking for….

like if u want sci-fi/alien horror then the obvious place 2 start is w alien (1979) and aliens (1986) (there are other sequels as well but the first 2 are the best) & then also the thing (1982) and its prequel film that came out in 2011 (also titled the thing). AND of course the fly (1986) is a must-see...and if u want something more recent nope (2022) or no one will save you (2023)...both a little more artsy and slow-moving than the 80s recs on this list but very very good <3

if ur interested in slashers then again start w the classics scream (1996) is SO fun it deserves its spot in the horror hall of fame...i know what you did last summer (1997) is also a fun & slightly older slasher; cabin in the woods (2011) is great if u want some meta-slasher-horror; ready or not (2019) isn't necessarily a conventional slasher but i'd still include it in this category & it's one of my faves

if found footage is ur jam PLEASE start w creep (2014) probably my fave found footage horror film ever...but also i'm not a huge found footage fan generally speaking lol. that being said the blair witch project (1999) is of course the classic here but it's not my personal fave; other good options if u want something genuinely freaky/scary are the bay (2012) hell house llc (2015) and gonjiam: haunted asylum (2018)

if u want like possessions & demons etc then. start with jennifer's body (2009) if u want horror-comedy it is SO fun & a staple of the genre atp but if u want something scarier then it follows (2014) is a popular one. there have also been a lot of good possesion movies coming out recently i thought smile (2022) talk to me (2022) and when evil lurks (2023) (<- literally JUST watched this one today lol) were all quite spooky

& sort of possession-adjacent but if ur more into hauntings, ghosts, etc then start w the babadook (2014) or his house (2020) both SO good. also the shining (1980) is a classic & la llorona (2019) is a personal fave of mine (NOT. the u.s. 'curse of la llorona' movie. the guatemalan one.)

if u want witches then start w the craft (1996) another sort of fun one <3 or if u want a classic then hungry wives (1972). the love witch (2016) if u want a visually beautiful & less scary one; the witch (2015) if u want a scarier one.

if u want eerie fantasy-horror then the company of wolves (1984) or tale of tales (2015). if u want a creature feature then blood red sky (2021) for vampires, ginger snaps (2000) for werewolves, and a quiet place (2018) for like post-apocalyptic creature invasion horror.

& SPEAKING of post-apocalyptic. if u want zombies i could make a whole separate post but. START w train to busan (2016) & seoul station (2016) the dynamic duo <3 & then if u want some classics from the genre of course night of the living dead (1968), dawn of the dead (2004...i haven't seen the original one u could watch that one too tho...), and 28 days later (2002). raw (2016) if u want an artsier one, the girl with all the gifts (2016) if u want a fun spin on zombie apocalypse, cargo (2017) if u want 2 cry. & if u want something funny then PLEASE watch zombie for sale (2019) or anna and the apocalypse (2017) or one cut of the dead (2017)

if u want kind of a slower-build psychological thriller then the invitation (2015) is one of my faves, but mother! (2017) is also good if u want an artsy pick & gerald's game (2017) and lyle (2014) are good as well

and then just a grab-bag of horror movies that didn't fit perfectly into any of these categories: barbarian (2022) if u want something really scary, piggy (2022) if u want slow-building horror, midsommar (2019) if u want sunshiney culty a24 aesthetic, us (2019) if u want something that'll freak u out & is slasher-adjacent, get out (2017) if u want slow-build thriller vibes, and teeth (2007) if u want teen-girl horror classic.

bear in mind that many of these films overlap between the categories i've divided them into 4 this answer, as is the nature of horror...if u were asking me 2 just like. force myself 2 choose a top 10 horror movies 2 introduce someone 2 horror w no preference 4 genre or vibe...i think my list would probably be (in no particular order):

alien (1979)

2. the fly (1986)

3. jennifer's body (2009)

4. ginger snaps (2000)

5. train to busan (2016) (<- pains me 2 say bc seoul station is my fave zombie movie of all time but if i had 2 choose just one zombie movie 2 introduce someone 2 the genre it would be this one...beginner zombie movie...)

6. scream (1996)

7. his house (2020)

8. barbarian (2022)

9. creep (2014)

10. us (2019)

[bowman-42]

So I just started watching Dungeon Meshi and umm... what is it like about? Is it about the characters, the food, the anatomy of common fantasy staple creatures? The comedy or the world? There was something about rescuing a sister, but that feels kinda secondary. Also, will the whole subject of casual death and resurrection ever be explained beyond "magic probably"? Is death even a consequence to the everyday man, or is the whole "coming back to life" thing exclusive to adventurers?

Bottom line: I have questions. Will there be answers?

[blackfinchart]

Character/Reference I handed to my dungeon master back when I played TTRPGs often. I fully stole the name from some Slavic folk fusion band

I wanted to play a Bugbear but was determined not to get any salacious remarks or attention, and I’m not a huge fan of your average anthropomorphic animal man-thing, so I tried to come up with a slightly original concept as to what a Bugbear could look like.

One factor about them in the rules is they can reach extra far because their arms are weirdly long so I decided to lean in to the “long” part. To avoid making him look like a furry and add creepy factor I decided stapling a fully human face onto the end of his weird furry snake neck would be neat- two sets of ears for extra not a creature that evolution put together (since this is fantasy after all.)

Bugbear are made, not born, depending on which culture you ask its either a marvelous divine blessing or a hideous curse. I think in this guy’s case he has a family who loves and misses him but he’s incapable of being a father and spouse because his god (which he believes is a Skunkbear totemic entity if I remember correctly) turned him into a Bugbear

Aaaanyway, I think he was a Gloom Stalker but we RP’d that out as more of a woodland hunter/skirmished/ambush predator. He was very popular with the party, the DM and I really hyped up how wicked and Grizzly he seemed, but it turned out when you get to know him he’s a sweetheart (carnivorous and brutal but avoids unnecessary conflict and is very polite)

[nitrosodiumrapidproto]

Making Enemies

I did most of this on Friday, but I'm posting it now because I couldn't send the image of my notebook to myself at college. These are eight enemy designs I have come up with.

The Hell Bat is a fairly simple creature - two wings, a tail, and a big cyclopean eye in the centre of the skull. Gameplay-wise it would be a 'horde' enemy, low health but high speed, and rushing you in packs. I was inspired by the Cacodemon from Doom, but I wanted to make it clearer that it was flying, so I added the bat inspirations.

The Scorpion is the same school of thought as the Hell Bat, but in insect form. It would fill the same gameplay position as the Bat, but just be a ground variant. It is somewhat redundant, however. I was a little inspired by the Brains from Hero Factory Brain Attack, a staple game of my childhood.

The "Orcoid", or what I would eventually just call an Orc internally, is meant to be the stock enemy type which would be encountered the most frequently. Orcs are a classically evil race in fantasy, so I figured it would make sense - but I also wanted to explore why they are evil. I also gave them a helmet resembling the Roman style, with the mohawk-like crest on top; and a javelin for a weapon to continue the theme. In fantasy settings you often get races being "coded", meaning they are based on real-world cultures, and something I don't see much of is Roman-coded orcs. Consider that the ancient Romans were expansionist, militaristic, and fairly brutal when you get down to it; all traditionally orcish qualities.

The Bone Giant is what I had planned to either be a very large enemy or the boss of the game. The reanimated skeleton of a giant, clad in the rusted remains of centuries-old armour, and holding a blade the size of a tree trunk. Lore-wise I had the idea that the Giants were employed by heaven to construct the Crucible, somewhat like the giants building Valhalla in Norse and Germanic myth. The forces of evil are then bringing their corpses back to life, to serve them. The actual design of a skeleton in rags is akin to the enemies in Sinister, which I didn't actually mean to invoke, but apparently did so anyway.

The "Glutton Orc" was another idea for a heavy yet slow enemy, but this one was decidedly less threatening. A morbidly obese creature dressed in nothing but a loincloth, brandishing a comically oversized femur bone. I was averse to this design for a few reasons, but one was that I already had an Orc enemy in the game, and I was going for variety above all else. The general shape was inspired by the boss Prince Chan from Serious Sam 2, but more orcish.

The Lizardman was going to be what I had called in my notes a "shock trooper" enemy; fast, tanky and damaging all in one. They'd show up infrequently as a sort of mini-boss, forcing the player to prioritise or die. Lore-wise I wanted them to be the captains of the evil army, commanding small squadrons of orcs. To explain their high defence and also hint to their higher rank, I gave them visibly better armour and a shield. Their look was inspired by the Lizardmen from Fear and Hunger, who can notably block attacks with their shields, and will skin you alive upon a game over.

The Rock Elemental was another tank enemy, but I also wanted this one to be a bit of a surprise for the player. Their idle sprite would be a big pile of rocks, the same as would appear inert in other parts of the map. But as soon as you got close, it would rise up as a golem and begin chasing you. My inspiration for this was a very old game called Bionicle: Quest for the Toa. As a kid, I remember going into the Onu-Koro section (caverns) and facing boulder monsters that formed out of rubble mounds.

Finally I designed Dark Dwarves. These would be identical to the dwarf sprite, but dark. The original Norse dwarves, mostly called dvergr (which interestingly also means dark elves) were black like coal, and were associated with maggots and other rotting things. In the Norse creation myth, the gods used various body parts of the titan Ymir to create Earth, and the dwarves were made from the maggots festering in his corpse. My thought is that they'd be either a rival dwarven faction, or the corrupted remains of the original craftsmen.

Because I didn't want to make loads of sprites, and also have redundant enemies in the game, I asked people what designs they thought were best, and what they thought were worst. I wanted them to form opinions very quickly, as that is how players would respond - they would swiftly end the encounter, by killing or being killed, and then they would judge on what they thought of it. Immediately people disliked the Scorpion as it was uninteresting, but very much liked the Lizardman. The other enemies were given middling opinions. Notably, the Bone Giant was derided as a generic enemy, but I think when sized up to a giant stature, it will be more unique. It's just harder to judge from a 2d image. In the end I chose five enemies: the Hell Bat as a rusher (high speed, low health, low damage), the Orc as stock (medium speed, health, damage), the Lizardman as a shock troop (high speed, medium health, high damage), the Rock Elemental as a tank (low speed, high health, high damage), and the Bone Giant as a boss (low speed, super high health, super high damage).

I did not manage to make the Lizardman or Elemental sprites on Friday, and as I do not have PhotoShop at home, I cannot make any more until Wednesday.

[wuxiaphoenix]

Worldbuilding: Dragon Fall

So... what if, instead of either “a blight upon the land” or an ordinary (if huge) creature’s death, what if the demise of a dragon was more like a whale fall in the ocean deeps? A massive bonanza of nutrients (and magic) that attracts whole communities of odd organisms, persisting for decades, sometimes most of a century, until the last shred of bone and marrow is gone?

The critters that show up and flourish on whale falls generally also exist in other deepwater communities. You may be familiar with the deep-sea vent communities around black smokers, where water is under such tremendous pressure that it’s still boiling liquid at over 400 F, and life keeps a toehold by a food chain based on archaea that synthesize food out of sulfur compounds. You may be less familiar with cold seeps, where hydrocarbon-rich liquid seeps out of the earth’s crust and archaea set up a similar food chain, with just less heat. Or places where a deep freshwater-saltwater interface provide a handy chemical gradient for chemolithoautotrophs to grow and feed food chains.

(Yes, I swear it’s a word. Organisms that can synthesize their own cellular energy - autotroph = “self-feeding” - just as a plant does from sunlight. Only they’re using a breakdown of chemicals like sulfur and minerals; hence litho, from stone.)

Critters from all of these communities show up and thrive at whale falls. Something similar should happen with dragon falls. Though the critters, and possibly plants if the dragon falls on land or shallow water, should be... unusual.

Elementals are some of the first creatures that come to mind. D&D dragons are all aligned with one of the four classical Greek elements; Air, Earth, Water, or Fire. Elementals tend to turn up in places strong in their element. An undine in a waterfall, an earth elemental in a landslide, a salamander in a volcano, an air elemental in a storm or on a gusting mountaintop. The death-site or body of a great wyrm might be equally attractive to beings that need elemental energy.

Some of those beings might well be intelligent. Wizards and sorcerers going out of their way to acquire exotic components by any means necessary is pretty much a fantasy staple by now. And quite a few of them wouldn’t care if the parts rightfully belonged to someone else. Or if they were hazardous. That’s a problem for untrained mages; they’re far too learned to make such mistakes!

(This is why D&D partitions Intelligence and Wisdom as different stats. Intelligence says ��what a shiny idea!” Wisdom is what checks whether or not the Shiny will swat you flatter than a poisoned pancake.)

It would be interesting if killing the dragon was only the first step. Then you’d have to figure out what to do with the body, what kind of scavengers are likely to show up, what plants will be affected, whether or not it’s better to disperse the remains over a large area or leave them in one concentrated lump to quarantine....

All that, and dealing with the inevitable intelligent scavengers, out to make a killing (ahem) selling Genuine Dragon Bits at the local shady auction. Or the darkweb, if it’s urban fantasy. I wouldn’t envy the FBI that headache!

[dabantam]

World Building: Stone Age Fantasy

So a while back, I created an entire fantasy setting called “Kalandero”. I also saw a video from the YouTube channel, Cleric Corner, discussing ideas for how to incorporate stone punk (a genre that features a prehistoric setting with a mix of cavemen, dinosaurs, and a variety of stone and pulley based analogs for modern technology, like the Flintstones) into dnd campaigns. This actually sparked a thought in my head about a Stone Age fantasy setting (“Stone Fantasy” for short), which lead to this post on my tumblr page: 

You know something, we’ve had high fantasy, space fantasy, urban fantasy, and all that kind of crap. What about “stone fantasy”, a fantasy setting set in the Stone Age? Elves riding on the backs of pterodactyls, weresabertooths, dwarves who are master stone smiths, that kind of stuff. 

(This was before I found out about the existence of the DND 5E supplement, Planegea, so… live and learn I guess.) 

Anyway, this one thought sparked a whole sea of ideas for other fantasy settings, though for now, we’ll start off with the Stone Fantasy setting, a setting we’ll call The Vast Land. The Vast Land is a large island surrounded by an equally enormous sea (as far as the inhabitants of the island are concerned, this island is all there is in the world). The island is made up of mostly jungles and grasslands, with a long chain of mountains running through it like a scar (creating areas of snow and frost), with a volcano sprouting from the center of the island. Throughout the Vast Land, dinosaurs and prehistoric mammals coexist alongside the various races, hadrosaurs, ankylosaurus, and field striders (gallimimus) grazing alongside woolly mammoths and wooly rhinos in the grasslands, packs of sabertooth tigers and raptors fighting for territory along the mountain sides, pterodactyls and archaeopteryxes flitting through jungles only to be snatched by plesiosaurs passing through jungle rivers. Alongside these usual animals, the inhabitants must also face more harrowing threats, from poisonous plants, tar pits, and creatures of a more supernatural nature. 

Species 

Humans: Interestingly enough, this setting has the potential for the most variety of humans compared to most fantasy settings (seeing as prehistoric times were the closest Earth ever came to seeing multiple sapient creatures before they either homogenized into modern humans or were wiped out by our ancestors). Among these are the Lean Men (cro-magnon, which I thought were the direct ancestors of Homo Sapiens, but it turns out that they’re just the earliest examples of true Homo Sapiens, humanity beta if you will), who are the closest things to normal humans in a fantasy setting but caveman, Broad Backs (neanderthals) who are more brutish and muscular than other humans but are generally affable (like a friendlier version of fantasy orcs), and Pygmies (Flores Men) who are much shorter, more aggressive, living mostly in jungles, and capable of being incredibly stealthy (obviously, there were more species of ancient humans than this, but I’m just narrowing these down for simplicity sake). These different groups live in tribes all over the Vast Land, though they tend to stay away from coastal regions (such places are considered taboo), and have a fairly steady alliance with each other (though that doesn’t mean there isn’t distrust between them). 

Sickle Feet: A major staple in most prehistoric settings (or dinosaur settings in general) are packs of velociraptors that rip people apart with swarm tactics. Now imagine that… but as a race. Creating intricate villages in the jungles, the sickle feet are a particularly aggressive race, being the main reason why the Pygmies are as aggressive as they are. Armed with both claws, teeth, and spears, as well as having tamed a variety of dangerous dinosaurs to act as guard beasts, they often go on raiding parties, attacking other villages with extreme ferocity. They aren’t mindless beasts, however, as they can be negotiated with, especially when there are greater threats at play such as a tyrant beast. There are also legends that the sickle feet once had a vast empire that dominated across the land, though if it existed, there’s no trace of it now.

Wilder Men: The elves of the setting, the wilder men are found throughout the Vast Land. Being people of nature, they don’t really have settlements or even villages, preferring to live in trees or caves (harkening back to elves being presented as one with nature). Willowy and covered in fine brown fur, they also fit the role of ape men seen in most Stone Age settings (especially in pulp fiction novels). They possess a deep knowledge of the various plants and animals of the Vast Land, and are skilled at creating various medicines and potions, as well as having a deeper connection with the Spirits of the Vast Land, being among the few beings who’s shamans don’t go mad from prolonged exposure to them. 

Sky Hunters: The harpies of the Vast Land, Sky Hunters are actually one of the more terrifying inhabitants. Half man and half pterodactyl, they’re masters of aerial combat, holding a distinct advantage over other species. Building their villages in mountainous regions, they also tame a variety of pterosaurs to aid them in hunting and combat. This also includes the quetzalcoatlus (or as its known in the Vast Land, “the Soaring Terror”), which is a special kind of nightmare fuel in its own right (imagine having to deal with a giraffe-sized flying carnivore that can also gallop after you when it’s on the ground… and then, while in the sky, a small squadron of flying creatures jumps off its back and starts attacking you with goddamn spears). Unsurprisingly, any village that manages to form an alliance with the Sky Hunters is given a wide berth by raiders. 

Touched Wolves: Wolves are a common sight in the Vast Land, from regular wolves (which are commonly tamed as hunting companions by humans) to dire wolves (which are treated as frightening monsters). However, if there’s one variety of wolf that the inhabitants of the Vast Land need to be concerned about, it’s the touched wolves. Having been granted intelligence by the Spirits of the Vast Land, they have all the strength of regular wolves and the intelligence of Stone Age humans. While they tend to be noble yet primal creatures, they also have a tendency to mob travelers, passing themselves off as regular wolves to get in close, only to reveal their true nature, revealing the hands they have in place of front paws as they grasp onto their prey and tear into them with claws and fangs. 

Carved Ones: Finally, we have the Carved Ones, a race of creatures formed from carved hunks of wood and stone (basically, they’re Stone Age golems). No one is really sure where exactly they came from, though there are legends that the first carved ones were created by an ancient group of shamans to act as slaves for them, until they rebelled against their masters. Forming their own tribes, they are seen as an eerie and unsettling group by the other locals, as they neither sleep nor eat, raiding other villages for tools and weapons, and using what they’ve gathered to craft new Carved Ones. However, they can be won over with offers of tools and wood. 

Monsters 

Fur Beasts: Lurking in the undergrowth of the jungles and the tall grass of the plains, the fur beasts are the goblins of the Vast Land. So named for being shrouded in thick coats of fur that conceal their true figures save for a scrawny pair of arms and legs, they often scurry up towards unaware travelers and attack in packs. Anything they find on their victims, from food and tools, they take to a communal nest, mostly using the tools to reinforce the nest, having no real understanding of weapons and tools beyond “I can use rock to smash other things or chuck them at other things”. Indeed, these nests often become surprisingly large and intricate, suggesting that there might be some higher thought inside those hairy heads of theirs. 

Walking Bush: When walking through the jungle, there’s always the risk of running into a walking bush. A variety of carnivorous plant, they have the ability to walk around on root-like legs, moving about to different locations in search of better hunting grounds. Whenever they find a suitable spot, they’ll crouch down to disguise themselves as regular bushes, after which, they’ll wait for prey to come close enough for them to whip out a stalk topped with a flytrap-like mouth to snatch it up. They also possess a powerful toxin that can be harvested to create poisoned arrows.

Pelt Walkers: It is an unspoken rule in the Vast Land that shamans and other magic users should be treated with caution, as they tend to be given to madness (for reasons I’ll get to soon enough). The most dangerous of these are the ones referred to as Pelt Walkers. Skilled with a knife, they are capable of expertly skinning freshly killed animals and converting the pelts into cloaks. With these cloaks, they’re capable of transforming into animals, gaining all of their abilities and strength (paired with their own intelligence), as well as becoming an animal hybrid. While most simply use their powers to steal prey from hunters, more malicious pelt walkers will use their abilities to spy on opponents, gathering information to use to their advantage. 

Plains Whispers: When walking out on the plains on calm, starless nights, there’s a chance of encountering a plains whisper. Resembling floating orbs of light that occasionally manifest eyes or mouths, they often float just outside of the vision of travelers, often whispering, chattering, and giggling just for their own amusement. Whenever large numbers of plains whispers are seen floating about, that’s usually a sign that a dreaming folk is nearby. 

River Brutes: The typical brutish monster of the setting, river brutes are a major threat to anyone traversing the waterways of the Vast Land. Large primordial amphibians, they often lurk just beneath the surface, waiting for prey to approach the water’s edge before bursting out from beneath, grabbing them in their stubby hands, and shoving them down their throats whole. However, river brutes prefer to target lone travelers, as the inside of their wide mouths are actually their weak spots, especially vulnerable to arrows and projectiles, making it easy for a fellow traveler to free their captured companion. 

Dreaming Folk: Strange beings with an unusual air about them, the dreaming folk are the fair folk of the setting. Partially inspired by the mimih spirits of Aboriginal folklore, they’re a surprisingly intimidating sight, easily towering over most beings with their tall, lanky, unnervingly thin bodies and bright orange eyes and teal skin. Originating from a realm known as “The Dreaming”, the dreaming folk often appear in the Vast Land, usually visiting for their own amusement. However, unlike most depictions of the fair folk, the dreaming folk are actually quite friendly, joining in on hunting parties they stumble upon and even refusing to take any piece of the prey when it finally falls (apparently more interested in the thrill of the hunt than the prize itself). 

Tyrant Beasts: An interesting thing about the Vast Land is that while dinosaurs do exist here, many of the larger predatory dinosaurs are long extinct, with only smaller predators like raptors and piscivores like baryonyx still kicking around. There is one exception though, and that is the tyrant beasts, the dragons of this setting. Originally just normal tyrannosaurs, they have since been transformed by magic into terrifying monsters, becoming the terror of all races. Much more monstrous than their past forms, they sport several rows of long spines running down their backs, multiple pairs of eyes running along the sides of their snouts, and the ability to unleash different breath weapons (some can breathe fire, others can breathe freezing air, and some can breathe poisonous clouds). Even the comically tiny arms t-rexes are famous for have long since vanished, having been replaced by a long, prehensile tongue tipped with a grasping appendage to grab and manipulate things, making for a terrifying image for anyone unfortunate enough to be caught by the tyrant beast and slowly dragged into its fangs filled maw. They’re also disturbingly intelligent, as well as being far stealthier than anything that size should be, often setting up elaborate ambushes to capture prey. While tyrant beasts are universally feared, many people of different species will team up to take one down when it attacks, sometimes even tracking down fire breathing beasts to steal some fire to take back to their villages. 

Magic and the Spirits of Land, Sky, Sea, and Death 

Magic in the Vast Land is a bit unusual to say the least. Unlike most settings, magic isn’t fully understood by the inhabitants, if anything, it’s something that’s both feared and respected. You see, in the Vast Land, magic originates from groups of spirits, each one representing an aspect of life for the people of the setting: land, sky, sea, and death. Overall, these spirits serve as elementals, fair folk, and gods of the setting, both worshipped and feared by the people of the Vast Land. Those who spend extended periods of time near places where these spirits frequent (like shamans) will learn their secrets and gain a bit of their powers… at the cost of their sanity. While they’re treated with a bit of apprehension, many understand that the spirits and their shamans are a bit of a necessity, especially during lean times. These spirits include: 

Spirits of Land: Spirits that resemble a variety of spectral animals from mammoths to triceratopses. They have control over the land and the growth of plants, making them the spirits that most people will encounter.

Spirits of Sky: Spirits that resemble spectral pterosaurs. They have control over the sky and the weather. 

Spirits of Sea: Spirits that resemble spectral prehistoric sea creatures from ammonites to plesiosaurs (and in some cases, even weirder creatures like anomalocaris). Having control over the sea, these spirits are seen as the most mysterious of their kind, as very few people live near the sea (considering it a no man’s land home to unknowable monsters). 

Spirits of Death: Spirits that resemble a spiraling cloud of bones, they have power over death and disease, as well as the grim reapers of the setting. Ironically, these spirits are the ones that people fully understand, knowing that they only come when it’s time for them to come and only take with them what they came for.

Undead 

Tar Things: Like many prehistoric settings, tar pits are a big danger in the Vast Land. While the risk of slowly drowning in tar is a major concern with tar pits, there’s another danger that lurks in these sticky black pools: tar things. Born from the souls of those that drowned in the tar pits, these undead creatures rise from their gooey graves and cobble together bodies from globs of tar and tar stained bones, ranging from humanoid and animalistic forms to shambling mounds of bones and tar. Lurching across the plains, tar things will hunt down prey with a dogged persistence, stripping their catches down to the bone, adding the remains to their mass.

Mad Spirits: The restless spirits of shamans, mad spirits are the worst possible fate of magic users. Those who completely devote themselves to the spirits (to the point of separating themselves from their own humanity) will end up transforming into mad spirits when they die. Completely divorced from their old lives, they will wander the world, terrorizing and harassing anyone they come across with an assortment of terrible powers. However, they can be reasoned with if the right rituals are performed, either appeasing them or, in some cases, being elevated to the status of a true spirit. 

[drowsylock]

DUNGEONS

Hellooooooooo everyone it's Drowsy and I have not post nearly as much as I wanted to on here (or anywhere TBH) and I wanted to start off today by reinstating a favorite of mine-- what's that? You have no clue what I'm talking about. Oh, how sorry I am, let me backup, because today is--

Every(ish) Wednesday I like to try and do a thingy thing-- a worldbuilding thingy thing. And I haven't been doing that, which is so very sad. Which is also why I'm bringing it back!

Now for today I'm gonna be talking about something who is, I'd say, very past the cultural zeitgeist now (by a couple months) which is Dungeon Meshi, why? Because I only recently finished the series and it pertains to today's topic-- DUNGEONS.

Why Dungeons? Well 1.) because I feel like they can still serve a purpose in modern D&D/other TTRPGs, 2.) they don't get enough love (in my opinion), and 3.) I plan to use Dungeons (or rather one honkin' huge one) in my own project. Sound good? Awesome.

First what is a Dungeon? Merriam-Webster describes them as "a dark usually underground prison or vault." Which I like but we can do better.

For simplicity sake we are going to describe a dungeon as "an obscured, usually maze-like, structure which gives host to a particular adventure or set of adventures." Vague, but pointedly vague.

Now the thing about my style of game, whether or not it's D&D, is it's always always roleplay based, I've never been a big "Dungeon-Crawler" GM, but I used to be a big "Dungeon-Crawler" player, which comes with I think just the crowds I was playing with when I was first introduced to the game and the community (y'know, way back when). But there isn't anything wrong with playing dungeon crawls, I just like my game a bit more grounded in reality. That was until I discovered a world, or rather series that tackles that dungeon crawling in such a unique and interesting way, I am of course referring to--

Delicious in Dungeons otherwise known by it's far more popular name, Dungeon Meshi. This series has a real nostalgic vibe for me, like an old school game but played by a serious GM and party who want to push the boundaries of their game. That is of course thanks to the creator Ryoko Kui and her deep love of all things fantasy.

Well what makes it so fresh and new in the staple of an already heavy and preexisting genre of fantasy, well for starters, and the most obvious, is the cooking element. Each monster has its own unique worldbuilding, flavor, and unique ways to be vital to a single episode of the series. There is also the subtle worldbuilding and lore of the dungeon itself which defines the dungeon and gives it its own personality. There is also the use of fantasy staples (Halfling rogue, Human fighter, Elf who's good at magic, big strong Dwarf) and turning those tropes on their head (Halfling who's in his 40s, Human leader who isn't charismatic, Elf who isn't always good at magic, Dwarf who likes cooking). All of this combines to make a setting which feels uniquely its own.

Now, of course Dungeon Meshi is just one fine example of this worldbuilding but there are many more, each with their own unique styles, lore, creatures, treasures, etc. But how can we make *YOUR* dungeons more interesting?

The Flavor: well for any good Dungeon it should take on a sort of character of its own, you can make your dungeons unique by giving them their own character traits.

Think of unique descriptors or traits that would flavor your dungeon to have a specific pizzazz. For one of my settings "Carved from Ruin" dungeon delving is a key role in the story, so to distinguish them they each have their own flavors: one of them is buried deep in the dessert, washed away under a mountain of sand and acts more like a pyramid lost beneath the sands. Another one could be a necromancer's laboratory with a keen sense for undeath. Yet another could be trapped between dimensions and splits between the different realms of existence between layers.

Either way you go about it, each dungeon should feel uniquely its own. Think of different places, reasons, and types of dungeons that would be built.

The Monsters: now I don't suggest spending time developing what each and every monster tastes like (unless you're into that kind of thing) but give the dungeon unique monsters, not just your run of the mill goblins, ghouls, and other g-starting-words. Make them feel varied and like a orchestra of different beings.

I for one don't subscribe to the idea of "evil races" in any TTRPG, there are evil people who do evil things, but not every one of a group is evil. Goblins might rob you because they need money for their desolate villages to trade with their Dwarven neighbors, and skeletons might be able to reconnect to their souls from when they were alive. However, some animals or creatures may act on instinct, such as slimes may detect you as a food source and they need more nutrients than rat dung and bones. A pack of roaming basilisks may have set up nests in the depths of a dungeon for protection.

Each monster/animal/creature should have purpose, and purpose more than just "I'm evil!" Good storytelling comes when stories cross and blend into one or many different stories.

And finally, we have play with the status quo. The norm of the dungeon should not be the norm of the surface world, things get weird down here. I almost use Dungeons as the Wild Wests of my settings, where nearly everything is legal and laws go out the window.

Perhaps the nearby dungeon serves as the home of the town's Black Market, or rather its been taken over by turncoat Adventurers who have become more like poachers. Either way these Dungeons don't work well with the "status quo" of the above world.

Aaaaand yeah! I hope all those were helpful, and let me know if this is something you're interested in seeing in the future! I worked hard on this one and maybe later I'll talk about my own project. Any ways I hope to see you all again very very soon. And with that... *yawn* I'm... uh... Zzzz... Zzz... Drowsy... Zzzz...