Monday, July 6, 2015

Hobgoblins

In traditional D&D/d20, Hobgoblins are criminally underused. Mainly because, I think, they are average for the goblinoid creatures - they're humans, basically. Not as sneaky as goblins, nor as brutish as orcs. Not as savage as bugbears, and not as pack minded as kobolds.


I particularly like this one, shown above and below. While dual wielding with a sword and an axe, his pose is particulary dynamic. Of course, the pose came at the price of separate pieces for the arms. Fortunately, they fit well and stayed secure with my mix of superglue and epoxy glue.


As with almost all of Reaper's metals, the production quality is excellent. Flash lines are minimal, and the white metal is substantial. The heft of the metal may be a psychological bonus more than anything, but to me it helps justify the prices I pay today compared to twenty years ago.


If I had to put in one complaint, it is the facial sculpture. A little too simian/Planet of the Apes. OTOH, somebody might use these for just such a product. 





On the eve of the Reaper Bones III launch, a couple of wishes for the project:

1) These guys in plastic. I'll want at least two more as extras.
2) Other hobgoblins - archers, rogues and shamans
3) Female goblinoids - orcs, ogres, hobgoblins and goblins
4) Kings or tribal chieftains.  Whatever is appropriate.

Friday, July 3, 2015

Tom Bombadil

We Tolkien fans can be an inconsistent bunch. In the Ring trilogy, we complained about what was left out (Tom Bombadil), and then in the Hobbit trilogy we complained about what was put in (anything  apparently).

Given the darker tone of LOTR, and Peter Jackson's later treatment of Radagast, it is probably for the best that Tom was omitted.

I am a Tolkien fan and not a scholar, so I won't even attempt to go into his contextual meaning and
literary significance. For me, his appearance in Fellowship of the Ring is an interesting detour that in no way distracts or diminishes the large work. It gives the reader a hint that Middle Earth is an even larger and more complex world than what is just presented in the main trilogy.




Above, the Hobbits and Tom are all from Mithril Miniatures, the finest producer of Tolkein licensed figures, in my opinion. Unfortunately, they have prices that could make even GW blush.

Casting Game 

If Peter Jackson had included Tom Bombadil in Fellowship of the Ring film in 2001, who would or should have been cast at that time?

My top five picks are: 

5. Robin Williams -  Hollywood's probable choice, but would have been a likely disaster
4. Rowan Atkinson - imagine the facial expressions 
3. Terry Jones - putting a Monty Python actor into the movie could be jarring, but no more so than Billy Connolly's Scottish caricature dwarf in Five Armies. 
2. Robbie Coltrane - ex post facto typecasting since Bombadil is not far removed from Hagrid

and my top pick...

1. Barry Humphries - he was one of the best parts of The Unexpected Journey, and his performance was the right mix of menace and humor that was missing from the series. 

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Into the Woods

One of the many things I like about Reaper's variety is its focus on a variety of "worlds" within typical RPG fantasy, such as aquatic, subterranean and of course, the forest.

From the first Reaper Bones is this Not-Ent, officially titled Spirit of the Forest. It is a large figure, but it could stand to be a bit bigger; another 2 cm and I could picture a couple of halflings riding on its shoulders. Maybe in Bones III we can get some proper giant tree men.


From Reaper II, are these centaurs.  The sculpts are very nice, but the female centaur's spear shows one of the primary weakensses of the Bones line: thin weapons or extensions. Despite several treatments in boiling water and cold water, the spear returned a warped form. Oh well, maybe it is a spear made from a naturally crooked branch. 


The sylph and dryad below are also from Reaper II.



 My daughter so liked the Sylph mini that she wanted to play one in our D&D 5E game. She's 10, and not likely to abuse or exploit the flying rules, so we went with it.  Using the DM Guide, I created this race using the Aaracokra as template.  Their flying has been reduced to fluttering basically, but that is to justify their numerous other abilities from Fey ancestry.



SYLPH


The Sylph are spirits of the air from the fae world. They are happiest soaring on the wind above mountains and hills.


APPEARANCE


As winged beings, slyphs resemble fairies and pixies, however they approach the size of small humans. Both males and females average about five feet tall, without much extreme variation. They are much more slender than humans or even elves, weighing about 80 to 110 pounds. Their gossamer wings are thin and graceful, and are capable of carrying the sylphs aloft over short distances. Slyphs skin coloration spans the same range as humans, but also includes tones with a copperish or silverish sheen. Hair coloration is also similar to humans in addition to bright reds, greens and blues.


ATTITUDE


Sylphs make their homes at high altitudes where they can be close to the wind. Nonetheless, they are also curious about the world below them and will periodically travel far from their home. They are most wary of humans, for it is greedy humans who often try to capture and rip them their wings from them. Though they do not understand why Dwarves so prefer the subterranean world, they recognize the natural goodness of their society. Orcs and other goblinoids are even more distrusted but rarely sought out by the sylphs.  But as individualists themselves, the sylphs know that all people are unique and not bound by their racial tendencies.

CREATURES OF THE WIND


Sylphs live atop mountains and remote highlands where they can soar on the winds. Contact with settled races is rare, but they will find companions among woodland creatures and air elementals especially elves, eladrin and aarakocra.


SYLPH TRAITS


The sylph has a number of natural abilities as a fey born creature.


Ability Score Increases. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma increases by 1.
Age. While not quite as long lived as elves, sylvans can live for several centuries.
Alignment.  As an isolated nature loving race, sylphs favor neutral alignments, and evil slyphs are rare but not unheard of.
Size. Sylphs are usually about 4 ½ to a little over five feet tall, and weigh around 80 to 100 pounds.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Flight. You have a flying speed of 30 feet, and can fly for a maximum of 3 rounds before alighting. They can glide at a rate of 20 feet horizontal and 5 feet on the vertical as long as distance and air currents can provide. Sylph cannot fly is wearing Medium or Heavy armor.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and Sylvan.
Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Fey born. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Jungle Rats from Splintered Light

A recent trip to Nashcon introduced me to Splintered Light Miniatures. The bulk of their range is 15mm fantasy, which, unfortunately, is not something I collect. Great stuff, though.

However, their range of Woodland Warriors includes a number of rats, mice, and other small creatures in 20mm.  They are a great looking range, and useful for anyone wanting to game Narnia, Redwall or Mice and Mystics custom scenarios.

I picked up the Jungle Rat warband for no particular reason, other than it might make sense as foes for another warband I am putting together,

The entire warband:



Two rats with blowguns: 


The chief and a shaman: 


For reference to 28mm heroic figures, here are two rats with a Reaper Elf archer: 






Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Collection of Reaper Bones II Bad Guys

This past week's work on Bones II was a few of the common enemies low level players generally encounter. Reaper's Bugbears are especially fun to paint. On many smaller character figures, the Bones plastic is indistinct on detail.  On the very large creatures, there is a tendency to distort under its own weight. However, there is a definite sweet spot on the large to giant-ish size creatures for the Bones line.  The cost saving over metal is significant and the loss of detail is minimal.



Two Gnolls with morning stars. This again plays well to Bones' strengths. On a metal figure, a long metal extension would bend and eventually break off.  In Bones material, the morning star is flexible and if it bends in shipping (as swords and spears often do), that matters not. 






Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Dark Sun

I am always on the lookout for minis that I can fit into a Dark Sun campaign.  As I have said before, the world of Athas is one of my favorite fantasy settings, for it is a rich blend of John Carter's Mars, Frank Herbert's Dune, Robert E. Howard's Conan along with some pre-WOTC TSR weirdness.

The barbarian below is from the first Reaper Bones.  While the over the top sword and armor would be out of place in a traditional Forgotten Realms style fantasy, it is perfect for Dark sun.  The weapons and armor have a bit of the bone and chitin look for the metal-impoverished Athas.  



The barbarian below is from the first Reaper Bones.  While the over the top sword and armor would be out of place in a traditional Forgotten Realms style fantasy, it is perfect for Dark sun.  The weapons and armor have a bit of the bone and chitin look for the metal-impoverished Athas.  

The recent Elemental Evil Player's Companion inspired this levitating Genasi. While the four new races (Aaracokra, Deep Gnomes, Genasi and Goliath) are intended for the Forgotten Realms, a text box refers to Genasi in Dark Sun.  Hopefully, this is a sign of something in the works for new campaign settings.

The source is Reaper Bones II, a Pathfinder figure, but painted as a desert dwelling Air Genasi Wizard, using his Levitate cantrip.


Sunday, March 29, 2015

Bugbears

I need some Bugbears as I run some kids through the Lost Mine of Phandelver D&D 5E adventure. Luckily, I got a small horde of them from Reaper Bones II.