Art By Optimus

[artbyoptimus]

A portrait I did a couple of weeks ago for a Warhammer 40K character. She started as an NPC in a Rogue Trader game I have been running, but I had the opportunity to have her included as a character in the actual play podcast series Agents of the Inquisition from Dumb-Dumbs & Dice, beginning in the recently released Season 2 Episode 1.

[artbyoptimus]

Warhammer 40K fanart. An Exodite Aeldari Dragon Knight, because I really wanted to draw a space elf riding a dinosaur.

[artbyoptimus]

First drawing of 2023. I've been working out some ideas for a horror-themed mermaid monster. This is just the initial attempt at the top half and not intended to be the final design. I'll probably also end up creating some stat blocks so I can incorporate it into some of the TTRPGs I play.

[artbyoptimus]

An older piece of fanart from a few months ago I never got around to finishing. The character is Krass, aka Ram Ma'am, from the Netflix He-Man reboot.

[artbyoptimus]

Two D&D characters. The first is a celestial pact warlock/way of mercy monk multiclass I'm playing in a Call of the Netherdeep campaign.

The second is an idea for a halfling necromancer named Cranberry. She originally started as a one-off gag ("Wouldn't Cranberry be a fun name for a necromancer?") but as I was building her I began to formulate a backstory that I enjoyed and became quite attached to her.

[artbyoptimus]

Metroidvania: Samus Belmont

While waiting for Metroid Dread to come out I ended up downloading Castlevania Advance Collection. This is where my mind went as a result.

The GBA era of Castlevania titles has a lot of nostalgic value to me, especially Circle of the Moon which was my introduction to the series.

[artbyoptimus]

Redesign of one of my original monsters, Jolene, inspired by the trend a few years ago of Dolly Parton covers with Lovecraft-inspired lyrics.

[optimusomega]

Oath of Pride (Homebrew Paladin Subclass)

Author's Note: The following is a homebrew, unofficial subclass for use in Dungeons and Dragons 5e. I received some feedback and advice from friends and others, but it has not been playtested yet. Anyone who wishes to use it is welcome to do so, and I welcome constructive critism.

I'd also like to make a few things clear. I am aware that this subclass functions somewhat differently from other paladin options. This is largely by design. This is a subclass that is meant to play a support role and requires cooperation and communication with the rest of the group to be utilized to its maximum effect.

For those who decide to try Oath of Pride for themselves, I hope you enjoy it. Happy gaming to you all.

Paladins who take the Oath of Pride believe in the power of love and the strength of community. They are formidable warriors but they truly shine when coordinating with and supporting their allies, calling upon their divine magic to enhance the abilities of their friends and unifying them to defeat foes and forces too great for a single champion to vanquish alone. On and off the battlefield they stand against those who would oppress others, strive to dismantle corrupt systems, and teach all who would listen to accept and love others and to embrace their own identities.

Oath of Pride Paladins gain access to the following spells. They count as Paladin spells for you. They are always prepared but do not count against your total.

Oath of Pride Spells

Paladin Level

3rd Bless, Heroism

5th Aid, Calm Emotions

9th Beacon of Hope, Remove Curse

13th Stoneskin, Faithful Hound

17th Skill Empowerment, Telepathic Bond

Divine Inspiration

3rd level Oath of Pride feature

Your Channel Divinity options grant creatures of your choosing a Divine Inspiration die. A creature with Divine Inspiration can spend it to roll and add the total to an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw. They can choose to spend their Divine Inspiration die after they make the roll but before they know the results. Additionally, when a creature spends a Divine Inspiration die they gain temporary hit points equal to the value rolled plus your paladin level. The Divine Inspiration lasts for 10 minute or until it is spent. A creature cannot have more than one Divine Inspiration die at a time.

This die starts at 1d6 and increases in size at 7th (1d8), 15th (1d10), and 20th (1d12) levels

Channel Divinity

3rd level Oath of Pride feature

When you take the Oath of Pride at 3rd level you gain the following Channel Divinity options.

Bold Inspiration As an action choose a number of creatures equal to or less than your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) within 30 feet that you can see. They receive Divine Inspiration from you. When you use this ability choose either ability checks, attack rolls, or saving throws. When they spend this Inspiration they gain advantage on rolls of the chosen type for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).

Swift Inspiration As an action choose a number of creatures equal to or less than your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) within 30 feet that you can see. They receive Divine Inspiration from you. When they spend this Inspiration they gain an additional 10 feet of movement and do not provoke attacks of opportunity for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).

Inspirational Rejuvenation

3rd level Oath of Pride feature

Your healing magic enhances the abilities of your allies. When you use your Lay on Hands on a creature you can grant them Divine Inspiration if they do not already have it. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum once), regaining all expended uses after completing a long rest.

Aura of Unity

7th level Oath of Pride feature

You and creatures of your choosing within 10 feet of you gain a bonus to attack rolls equal to the number of allied creatures that currently have Divine Inspiration they received from you, to a maximum of +5.

At 18th level the range of this aura increases to 30 feet, and the maximum bonus increases to +10.

Coordinated Assault

15th level Oath of Pride feature

When you hit with a melee weapon attack, creatures with Divine Inspiration they received from you may use their reaction to attack the same target provided they are within range. If they hit they deal additional radiant damage to the target equal to the value of their Divine Inspiration die.

Community Defender

20th level Oath of Pride feature

You embody the values of your community and draw power from the love you share with them. As an action you gain the following benefits, which last for 1 minute.

Attacks made against creatures who have Divine Inspiration they received from you are made with Disadvantage.

You gain a bonus to your Armor Class equal to the number of creatures within 60 feet of you that currently have Divine Inspiration they received from you.

Once per round when you hit with a melee weapon attack you may choose to deal additional radiant damage to the target. This extra damage is equal to 1d12 plus an additional 1d12 for each creature with Divine Inspiration they received from you.

Once you have used this feature you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest unless you expend a 5th level spell slot to use it again.

[artbyoptimus]

Madame Safa Unegan

The coloured version of my previous upload. Once more she is the owner/operator of a brothel called the Menagerie House which hires and houses workers who have undergone alchemical beast modifications.

[artbyoptimus]

Madame Safa Unegan (WIP)

Another NPC from the Victorian fantasy game I'm running. Will hopefully get around to colouring this.

Safa Unegan is the owner and operator of the Menagerie House, a brothel that takes in people with Alchemical modifications (alchimera) who have been cast out by the aristocrats who originally hired and pressured them into the mods and then cast them aside when their alterations fell out of fashion, because it would be more cost effective to hire new staff and pay for new mods than to undo and alter mods that were already completed.

Safa is very protective of her establishment and those she takes under her care. She has also spent her years collecting blackmail and other sensitive information on as many nobles and politicians as she can; if the need ever arises, she won't hesitate to use her aresenal of secrets to defend her home and those she cares for.

[artbyoptimus]

Another NPC from my Victorian fantasy game. 

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An angler fish girl I introduced as an NPC in one of my recent games. 

[artbyoptimus]

Getting back into digital art with this piece featuring my drow bard, Azadane Maelor. He remains my favourite D&D character that I’ve made and played, even though the campaign I played him in was cancelled while we were still very early on in its development. 

[artbyoptimus]

Careless Whisper

A concept for a JoJo Stand. This Stand lacks physical power, but has the ability to erase its user from the perception of others, making it ideally suited for stealth and sneak attacks. It’s weakness is that its power does not work on electronic devices or signals. 

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I revisisted the Scott Pilgrim series a while back. Kim was always my favourite character so I did some fan art. This is a cropped version of the full piece. 

[artbyoptimus]

Floracinogen

A creature/horror design I did near the beginning of the year. The concept is a paracitic plant that causes rapid bone and muscle growth in its hosts, which deforms and eventually kills them. The plant then takes control of the hosts body. 

[artbyoptimus]

A bit of Shantae fan art in celebration of the release of Shantae and the Seven Sirens. It was originally intended to be something a bit different, but ended up being a fairly straight-forward drawing in an attempt to mesh the official character design with my own style.