Œuvre

This is my art and design blog. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I'll answer as soon as possible. Thanks!

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Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Project: #23 Vrock

Piece 23: Demon, type Vrock

Not the sharpest stick on the ground but very angry and numerous enough to make a difference (no political jokes here), the Vrock are pretty scary critters.

Standing about eight feet tall and about 800lbs* vrock are representations of the anger and pain and evil of the Abyss from which they dwell. According to the Pathfinder wiki, “Vrocks generally form from the evil souls of hateful and wrathful mortals, particularly those who were career criminals, mercenaries, or assassins.” As for attacks, they can screech so loudly and suddenly as to shock those who hear it. Also they emit clouds of spores which can turn into tangling vines in a few short rounds.

Original artwork by David C Sutherland III.

*For those of you interested, New York Bariatrics calculates this ratio of height to weight to have a BMI of 61, which would be considered greater than “super obese;” their highest classification, which is greater than “morbidly obese.” Which, since they do not appear to be heavy-set, leads me to believe that they are in fact not constructed of the same material we humans are. 

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Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Project: #22 Succubus

Piece 22: Succubus

Ah yes. The most vile way to a man’s heart and mind- through sex. Not at all afraid of nudity in illustrations, AD&D manuals had their fair share of nude and near-nude humanoid critters. Succubi and their male counterpart the Incubi, are dangerous demons to with which to share company. Any affectionate contact starting at a kiss on the cheek is all kinds of bad news.

Later editions of the succubi and incubi introduced specific individuals in their ranks.

I’m really not fond of the illustrations in the manuals that have borders on them, in so far as this project goes. I either have to incorporate the borders into the recoloring or hide them. 

Original artwork by David C Sutherland III.

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Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Project: #21 Orcus

Piece 21: Demon Prince Orcus

Actually a demon lord, Orcus is an enormous undead monster. On par in power with Demogorgon, c.f, Orcus is powerful enough to be described in the 4th Edition Monster Manual as being “powerful enough to threaten gods.”

He is described as standing at 15′ tall, having a goat’s head with a ram’s horns, human arms, bat wings and a poisoned-tipped snake-like tail.

Original artwork by David C Sutherland.

And a detail of his wand:

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Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Project: #20 Jubilex

Piece 20: Demon Lord Jubilex

Jubilex, the Faceless Lord, a lesser demon lord, is an amorphous monster of slime and ooze. He rules the layer of Shedaklah with the Lady of Fungi Zuggtmoy and fully controls his own plane Molor. His “body” holds no real shape of its own; his mass is a slimy, faceless animated blob dotted with red eyes, capable of spitting acid and swallowing enemies whole. He is often found with other slime-based monsters, such as slimes, molds, and so forth.

Original art by David Trampier/DAT

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Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Project: #19 Demogorgon

Piece 19: Demon Lord Demogorgon

Demogorgon is the platypus of the AD&D world: part serpent, part mandril, part lizard-chicken. With octopus- like arms and two heads. Because of course. 

A self- proclaimed Prince of Demons, though not official since there is no system of ranking among demons, he enjoys the benefits of royalty by was of his power. Depending on who in the AD&D omniverse, he may or may not be the son to Abraxus. He is listed as the ruler of the 88th layer of the Abyss, known as Abysm, the Brine Flats, or the Gaping Maw, a plane of great expanse of seas.

Original artwork by David C Sutherland

adfa

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Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Project: #18 Crocodile

Piece 18: The crocodile.

Sometimes real-world animals make terrific monsters to fight. Especially if your party is a group of halflings who have irrational fears of reptiles, but who carry no edged weapons, say, clerics. That’s right- holy herpetophobic halflings. It could happen. Encountering a 12′ to 30′ giant crocodile may even make then rethink their reliance on spells and wands.

Monster Manual 1 describes these animals as “stupid and voracious eaters.” Crocs are very good at concealment and are known to ambush prey.

No artist has their chop on the illustration. I’m betting it’s Donald Sutherland but I’m not sure.

[classicdndartwork]

[agable513-blog]

Awesome.

[catsbeaversandducks]

By Sad Animal Facts

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Cute.

[classicdndartwork]

[coolundulate-deactivated2018112]

I wish Tumblr were a real place.

A real country, or something.

I mean, it’s so ideal. Unrealistic, but so ideal. Everyone’s unafraid to show people the things they like, the way they are, And everybody’s a little bit of everything.

The thing with Tumblr that the world doesn’t have is people’s nonchalant behaviour towards it all, I mean,

You like asses and dick? Great. You like funny memes? Rad. You like countering political issues? Amazing. You’re gay? Cool. You’re religious? Awesome.

Like seriously, and I mean this in the coolest way possible:

Nobody cares.

Nobody takes one thing about you and uses it against you or defines your entire being around it.

It isn’t black and white, it’s never been black and white. We’re all nuances, and we’re all a little bit of everything; complicated, but in the best way possible.

And Tumblr gets that.

[agable513-blog]

Hear hear.

[vintagegeekculture]

DAW Cover for A.E. van Vogt’s the Winged Men.

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Looks like the cover for and old Atari game.

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Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Project: #17 Couatl

Piece 17: The couatl

The couatl comes from Aztec mythos, named after the god Quetzalcoatl. Described as a plumed serpent, its wingspan is about 15′ wide and weighing in at just under a ton.

Subsequent releases of AD&D materials state that couatls are a religious creature, and the 4th edition describes complex societies for them as well.

Original art by David A Trampier/DAT.

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Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Project: #16 Cockatrice

Piece 16: The cockatrice

Surprisingly little information was provided for the cockatrice. I wonder if Gary Gygax (co- creator of the D&D universe) just assumed the players would do their own research. Historically, the myth of the cockatrice is that a cockatrice is based on medieval alchemical folklore, which believed they came from a snake or a toad hatching a rooster's egg. And some versions of the monster call it a basilisk. Interesting to note that both the basilisk and cockatrice have the ability to petrify (as in turn to stone) other animals. So there’s that helpful bit of information.

In the AD&D universe, it is somehow related to the pyrolisk too. Part chicken (head), part bat (wings) and part lizard (tail).

Original art by Donald C Sutherland III.

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Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Project: #15 Chimera

Piece 15: The Chimera

Nasty things, the chimarae. Unfortunate for them seeing as how they look so cool. Mixed parts of a lion, a goat and a dragon, these chaotic evil critters stand about four foot at the shoulder though it is inadvisable to get that close without some means of protection or plans on dispatching. Fire breathing, lion-pawing and something about its tail which was not described in Monster Manual 1 all send fairly clear messages that they have no desire for big hugs or sitting on your lap while watching television.

No artist signature appears on the image, but I’m guessing it is a piece by David C Sutherland III. As usual, if you have better information on the artist, let me know.

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Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Project: #14 Centaur

Piece 14: The Centaur

The centaurs in AD&D are not fond of humans, though they have a much better relationship with the smaller humanoids like gnomes and halflings and such. 

Random thought: I’ve never seen a female centaur. Since the males never wear undergarments, and hence their horse- bits just flail around when they run, do the lady centaur (dames?) wear any kind of under garments? With all the running and galloping they do, I’d imagine they’d need a sports bra of sorts or they’d be sore after just a few dozen yards.  But I digress.

Centaurs are usually found in quiet pastures far from human settlements, and are usually in groups (herds?) of 5 to 30.

Original artwork by David A Trampier.

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Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Project: #13Catoblepas

Piece 13: the Catoblepas Living in dirty swamps and bogs, the dangerous catoblepas resembles some sort of hybrid dinosaur-ungulate. The boy of a hippopotamus, the head of a warthog, the long tail and neck of a brontosaurus (they’re back, you know). The face reminds me a bit of Sid the Sloth from the Ice Age movies too. 

This is, as yet, the most I have added to an image for the collection yet.

Original Art David A Trampier/DAT

[infravisions]

Reasons to travel by snail caravan:

Mutual antipathy with horses.

Transporting young wine, unbloomed century flowers, or collectibles expected to increase in value at some future date.

Cursed with Blackstrap’s Lagging Step; found the pace to your liking.

Pledged to make the sesquicentennial pilgrimage of the Monopodotarians.

Too slow to catch a ride on the Tortuga Express*.

Beats walking.

* Any and all excuses to make this joke: Q. What did the snail say when it went for a turtle ride? A. Wheeeeeeeeee!! Ya-HOOOOO!!!**

Snail caravan E.L. Perry Field Guide to Encounters, Vol. 1

** Speaking of corny jokes: A snail, a slug, and a centipede, old friends all, were spending a day together at the snail’s house. As the afternoon stretched into evening, they got a thirst for a jug of wine.

The snail said, “There’s an inn just round the bend, but if I’m to go it’ll take me all night.” The slug said, “I could go, but I smell rain in the air and I haven’t got any shell to protect me.”

With this, they both looked at the centipede.

The centipede said, “Say nothing more me loves! I’m delighted to go, and I’ll be back in a shake of the legs!”

An hour passed, and their thirst grew, and with the sunset came a steady rain. The centipede was nowhere seen. Another hour passed with still no sign of centipede nor wine. When yet another hour had gone, the snail and the slug began to worry about the centipede and decided to go look for their friend.

When they opened the front door, there on the porch in the cool damp of the evening was the centipede. “What are you doing? Where have you been?” they asked.

“A minute more and I’m off!” said the centipede. “I’m still putting me galoshes on.”

[agable513-blog]

That’s great nerdy humor. Love it. Full- Color AD&D Book project going on here!