#it's a staple Fantasy Creature

[timewarpsolo]

wait. is there not a pterippus pokemon yet? what tha hell .

[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.?

[ohnoitstbskyen]

What's the deal with Renata Glasc?

League of Legends is a game absolutely marinated in fantasy tropes - swordsmen, sorcerors, rogues, wizards, clerics and every fantasy creature under the sun populate the world of Runeterra.

But with now over a hundred and sixty champions and with a full fourteen years in operation, somehow, one archetype has been missing: the old witch. And it is an odd ommission! The old witch with her cauldron, brewing potions and being mysterious - whether in the form of European fairy tale figures or hags like Baba Yaga - is an absolute fantasy staple, it is I would argue a foundational archetype of fantasy. And it is conspicuous in its absence here.

To Riot's credit, though, when they finally did pull the trigger on creating their version of the archetype, they came up with a hell of an interesting spin on it.

So let's talk about one of my favourite champions in recent memory, a champion who is compelling from her story to her design to her animation (especially the animation!). Let's talk about Renata Glasc.

[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.

[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.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Slime - Day 59

Race: Foul

Arcana: Chariot

Alignment: Dark-Chaos

June 20th, 2024

...What is there even to talk about here? It's- it's just a slime, man!

Vee-ho, come on! There's gotta be something there! Just look beneath the surface!

I'd rather not?! Look at this thing! It's disgusting!

cOme OooN mAn.. yoU doN'T gotTA Do mE liKe thaT...

Don't you dare insult my friend, ho! Look, even with all generic monsters, there's stuff to dig into, right? Besides, this skit is get-hee-ng annoying! Vee-ho, just go ah-hee-d and start!

...Jesus Christ, okay. How do I even begin with this? SMT has plenty of classical monster tropes that it has its own spins on- whether it be werewolves, vampires, or, well... slimes. Especially in the earlier games in the series, when the concepts of demons were far less well refined, fantasy monsters that some would call generic were dime-a-dozen, and slimes were no exception. In fact, they were everywhere! Sludge Slimes! Green Slimes! Blobs! However, as the series went on and the identity of a demon was given far more thought, most of these extra slime variants began to fade, leaving us only with the classic Slime and his big brother, Blob.

The thing is, nobody is really sure where the concept of Slimes came from, as there has been no single mythological mention that can definitively trace to the idea of a slime itself. This leaves us with a big issue, though! What the hell is this things deal?! I think I have an idea, but it's a bit strained. Slimes as we know them today originally appear all the way back in the first edition of D&D, back in 1974, but it's believed that the idea can be traced back even further, into the 1930's.

In fact, I think I have an idea that has been attested to by... Reddit. Yeah. Slimes may be based originally off of a type of monster described in the Lovecraft book 'At the Mountains of Madness' called a Shoggoth, combined with ideas of slime mold, and a general need for a generic enemy type. Shoggoth are described as massive amoeba-like creatures that glow gently and have eyes blinking all over them, able to form any organs and limbs they need at will. To quote,

It was a terrible, indescribable thing vaster than any subway train—a shapeless congeries of protoplasmic bubbles, faintly self-luminous, and with myriads of temporary eyes forming and un-forming as pustules of greenish light all over the tunnel-filling front that bore down upon us, crushing the frantic penguins and slithering over the glistening floor that it and its kind had swept so evilly free of all litter.

This idea can be further traced back to the idea of the Demiurge in the Hyperborean cycle, a series of short stories written by Clark Ashton Smith, but... that's when the trail runs cold. Clark was good friends with Lovecraft at the age, and they took many cues from each other, and I couldn't even find a good date for the original story that Ubbo-Sathla, the deity I'm referring to, originates from. What makes this even more frustrating is that I can't find a good hook to go into with this! What do I focus on? What do I circle around?!

Just think! C'mon!

You're not helping... but okay.

Slimes could also be based on the classic movie 'The Blob,' and combining that idea with Shoggoths could have given rise to this classical idea, but the thing is, linking an actual origin is difficult. It's incredibly possible that slimes are just the brainchild of a bunch of nerds who wanted to come up with an enemy for their very first TTRPG, and it stuck around ever since, becoming a staple of the fantasy genre for years upon years to come. Shit, slimes are insanely popular everywhere you look! There are entire manga revolving around them, the Dragon Quest series's main mascot and icon is a slime, the first boss in Terraria is a slime, and it's the most popular enemy type- shit, Gelatinous Cubes are some of the first things most people think of when they think of D&D! I gotta respect the fact that, in spite of the frustrations in researching these things, they're both cute and incredibly popular.

OoOoooO, dO I haVe faAns?

I'm getting a headache... I'm gonna go lay down.

She-hee left her computer on... I guess I'll wrap this up.

Overall, in the see-hee-ries, Slimes actual-hee have a rather unique disposition, especially in the Devil Summoner games! I really do enjoy the fact that they don't look too fri-hee-ndly in a lot of the games- as opposed to the marketable mascots of several other series, slimes in Megaten can be downright gross looking. Sorr-hee for the BTS drama in this one, I promise we'll get right back to it soon! Slimes are just a bit hard to look into, y'know.

...dO I gEt My caNdY noW?

Yeah, gimme a sec.

[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 ?

[skycowboys]

Hi! My daughter REALLY likes your drawings (she LOVES pegs) and would like to learn how to draw them better, and was wondering if you might offer classes, or, maybe do step by steps. Thank you!

Hi there!

Aw, that's super sweet :)

I don't currently have any official media that counts as "instructional" other than my tips on drawing wings post. However, I do sometimes do art "drawover" notes for people in my Discord community -

As far as learning how to draw fantasy creatures, I can say what helped get me started -

Practice drawing the anatomy of real animals

Drawing animals from life at the zoo is a fantastic way to practice. Your daughter can also find areas like petting zoos at the fair, or ask a local riding stable if she can observe a lesson to draw horses in motion. I remember hanging out at the riding stables where I kept my horse and drawing for hours after riding. Once she feels comfortable with anatomy basics, she can start combining parts. That's essentially what my pegasi are - horses with bird parts and attributes patched on top like some sort of wild Garry's Mod creature.

And, most importantly...

Draw so so so much. Draw all of the time.

The best way to get comfortable with drawing animals to draw them for hours and hours and hours. Fill up hundreds of sketchbooks with loose, fast, messy, unpolished sketches of animals. Animals - specifically horses - are very hard to draw. They'll look wonky and not quite right at first but the more a person draws, the more solid the drawings will become.

Some of my favorite animal books and artists -

The Art of Animal Drawing by Ken Hultgren. This book has been my staple go-to book since highschool. I've worn through 3 copies.

Principles of Creature Design by Terryl Whitlatch

Science of Creature Design by Terryl Whitlatch. Whitlatch's work is very grounded in hard science, great for ultra-realistic species that could really physically function.

Dracopedia by William O'Connor. A very fun book on O'Connor's process of drawing and painting different dragons.

Animal Essence by Joe Weatherly. This is a great book about how to capture live animals in all sorts of mediums.

James Gurney - creator of Dinotopia. His work is realistic, yet still contains an element of "rule of cool".

Cory Loftis has lovely animal sketches in Art of Zootopia. His work is heavily stylized, but I love how he simplifies animal anatomy into easily recognizable shapes.

I hope this helps in lieu of step-by-steps!

~ Larn

--

Discord | Patreon | Art Prints

[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!

[bardic-tales]

good day and happy WBW!

What are common foods in your world? Do they vary? How so?

have an awesome day ✨✨

Happy WBW, Seastar! I hope you are having a wonderful day. Thanks so much for the question. I just want to say that I tend to focus my world building questions on the original world (content) part of Fantasy Worlds Collide.

In Fantasy Worlds Collide, the mortal realm mirrors an alternate version of Earth, so the food varieties and staples are much like those found on Earth, including fruits, veggies, meats, and regional cuisines. Cultures across this realm embrace unique culinary traditions that reflect the landscape and histories, such as coastal areas relying on seafood. Such a boring answer for the mortal realm. 😂

Here is where this part of the world building shines: the Abyssal and Celestial Realms. Souls that call these places their home after death are typically found in energy form shaped like people. They do not need physical nourishment.

Angels, fallen angels (my primordial demons who were part of Lucifer's rebelling army), and the other various ethereal creatures are sustained through spiritual energy -- similar to chi -- which they absorb from their surroundings. This energy, which has yet to be given a name 👀, is in everything. This spiritual substance keeps them strong and balanced without the need of actual food. Some even go to the mortal realm and eat human food, but it is because they like the taste but not because it is necessary. Archangel Michael, who masquerades as a human named Alexander and leader of the Military Order of Divvik on Earth, is famous for his love of pumpkin spice milkshakes and lattes.

[dailyadventureprompts]

So I got my hands on the Grim Hollow Monster Grimoire and while I'm ALWAYS excited to read about a new batch of critters ( 430 PAGES of em this time) it's fascinating how many times I've seen some of these notes played before:

The gods are dead, the main religion has turned into a zealous and hateful inquisition focused on persecuting spellcasters. In many ways however the spellcasters are worthy of persecution because they're trowing around curses and creating monsters from the bodies of innocents, and have performed several magical warcrimes.

The classic staples of fantasy are here, but they're gross: The dragons are full of a rotting sickness, the angels have all fallen to sin (yes, the gluttony one is body horror levels of fat), and I haven't gotten to the end of the book yet but before I do I bet you there's going to be a unicorn but EVIL in some way.

As someone who collects a LOT of 3rd party d&d material I've seen too many of these edgy reimaginings to count. They almost always fall into the same dynamic of "things you know but fucked up in one of three ways" and I can't help but feel like they take up space from some of the way more inventive creatures presented in the book: Evil fancy clothes that possess you and compel you to sew more of them! Untrustworthy deer that seek to collect magic items! Napalm dinosaur! These are genuinely clever critters that spark ideas for adventures instantly, and that to me is the whole point of a monsterbook.

I think I might need to do a full writeup regarding my thoughts on grimdark fantasy because I have too many to include in this simple first impression. Think you folks would be down for that?