I’m not entirely sure what the impetus for this picture was, other than “let’s doodle some cool D&Dish monsters and see what happens”. I believe this had started out as some kind of colossal war beast, but the expression on the beast’s face was far more solemn than furious, and the sketch morphed into more of a peaceful yet-equally unstoppable stone giant. I imagine it starting out it’s life high up in the mountains, where it’s rocky carapace would provide it camouflage, before wandering down through the foothills later in life, where it would take long, long naps and thus acquire a small ecosystem of moss, soil, grass, trees, and very confused squirrels.
* * *
Speaking of random doodles, I’ve been in the mood lately to draw some monsters. If you have any favourites from any game system, list them/describe them/post links to them in the comments, and if one of them captures my imagination, I’ll draw it and post it up here next week. If I get enough suggestions, this may become a “monster of the week” sort of thing!
thecountalucard Says:
Juggernaut, from Exalted!
A literally mile-high behemoth, zombified and groaning, carrying the inauspicious citadel of an evil ghost-king on his back… >:)
LoneHowler Says:
Was was thinking, What if some poor farmer had built his house on the giants back only to wake up one day to his whole house swaying as the giant decided it was finally time to relocate.
Perhaps they absorb nutrients in the soil or minerals from the ground while they hibernate.
Cheifly Says:
The creature reminds me of the Giant Turtle from The Neverending Story, Morla! Monster suggestion…. How about a vampire of the Tzimisce Clan. He used to be a doctor in an emergency ward, but was converted, and now has a lab in a warehouse. The drawing can show him fleshcrafting himself a Igor from someone he pulled off the street in the dark of night. That’s what you get for walking the night in a vampire infested neighborhood. lol
FuzzyDuck81 Says:
Been reading some of the older Discworld books recently maybe?
GribGrub Says:
I think the word is Colossus. Just needs some symbols, someone get the line drawer from the sports centre
Chade Says:
I play old World of Darkness and am a Satyr in a game that encompasses the entire WoD system. My Satyr has larger horns, plays a african hand drum (Djimbe), and is the talker of the group. If you could I would very much like to see your take on the Satyr, as I plan on getting a tattoo of one when I get back from Afghanistan.
Thank you
Chade
michael Says:
Don’t care about the name, it’s just awesome!
Faranior Says:
Great picture! There is no question what this creature is made: Awesome!
KenderBryant Says:
It reminds me of a D&D monster (I can’t remember the name just now, I’ll have to look for it). This particular monster is a giant turtle whose back is an island. The critter is large enough for small cultures to live on (like a small hamlet or village).
KenderBryant Says:
And I just found it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaratan_(Dungeons_%26_Dragons)
Hiulgrin Says:
I’m a guildwars player (mmorpg) and for some reason when I saw your giant I imaged a hippie Charr and burst out laughing. They’re the most warlike of all the Tyrian races!
maybe an idea for a sketch?
for possible refference you could check this out
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Charr
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Charr
Bartimaeus Says:
I have a request! Please, draw the Ebon Dragon from Exalted!
Simon Says:
Looks a bit like a Discworld-style troll to me. One of the ancient ones found up in the remote mountains.
Simon Says:
Heh… a few Exalted fans, I see. Yeah, it *could* be Juggernaut, if you replaced the green hilltop on its back with a forbidding fortress.
Dj Gilcrease Says:
Its the stone giant from Neverending Story!
Frankie D. Says:
Yup, was going to say discworld troll too….
Malady Says:
Ah Disc world. finished Hat full of sky today. I love the “Mac Nac Feegles”, so amazingly fun, but then i like any kind of fairy that isn’t like tinkerbell.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nac_Mac_Feegle
Lync Says:
Gnolls and/or Slaads. Hands down my two favorite D&D monsters.
vladsander Says:
What about The luggage from the discworld series? Or NuTT? he was an orc who thought he was a goblin?
Lislet Says:
Mmm… I don’t have a favorite from a game, but when I was little I created a creature and I think you’d probably do really well re-creating him.
He’s a Dracate, which is a Dragon-fox type creature. So large, with seven tails, mostly like a dragon, but with the lithe form of a fox; long whiskers like the snake dragons (only two on each side) and no mouth because… he’s telepathic. Facial structure is like a fox, with massive antlers growing out of his head. They’re speedy creatures with massive claws, and the ability to turn into whatever species is most prominent in the area… y’know… camouflage. When I first made him I wanted him to be a D&D monster, but my DM said he was too ambiguous, so he morphed into a character. :3 But, y’know, if you’re drawing creatures…
He’s a peaceful creature. They don’t usually get into fights, but he’s also… uhm… incredibly possessive of whatever is his. Y’know, like the atypical dragon and their hoard of gold. :33 Okay, so it’s a really bad description and I don’t have a good picture of him to show you (because I added the antlers and got rid of the spines going down his back)… but… it would be so cool if you did. x__x
Clinton O Says:
I hereby claim this Ogre Island in the name of The Realm!
Quid Says:
I have an idea for when my Dark Sun characters get high enough level: A monster made thousands of tiny spheres of metal. It would be amorphous, yet snake-like, always able to change at will to adapt. It would live in the Sea of Silt, so recovering its precious metal bits once killed would be difficult.
James Says:
I second the idea of a picture of “The Rockbiter” from THE NEVERENDING STORY, either your own design or one based off of the film… you can do it!
Dan Says:
For the Monster Requests: I’d like to put in the “Celestial Dire Peep” from wizards “holiday monster contest”. Yes, it’s loosely based on the marshmallow peeps….
adam Says:
i have a strange and sudden urge to play shadow of the colossus again
Sliver Says:
Suggestion:
(Rolemaster) An elf fighting a wraith (Nazgul like)
Joe Says:
Hmm, might just be me but my request is the Tonberry from Final Fantasy X. He’s the right mix of adorable and frightening.
Ravyn Says:
Here, how about this for a drawing?
Undead behemoth leafy sea dragon, found in the still oceans of the Underworld: when I was showing this to my group, I used this picture (http://mohimarinebio.pbworks.com/f/LeafySeaDragon2.jpg) for body shape reference. Its ridges are the half-rotted timbers of long-dead ships with seemingly nothing between them, its fins the spectral echoes of ragged canvas sails. Here and there little white crabs, or perhaps the shed carapaces of little white crabs, crawl up and down its solid portions. Its eyes glow with pale blue luminescence.
Eldar Says:
It reminds me of an old discworld troll too.
borkborkbr0k Says:
Two related monsters from D&D that I love (because they’re so horrifying) are the Skin Kite and the Forsaken Shell.
Both are undead animated skins of creatures (eww) that try to latch on to living creatures and feed on their flesh (ack). The existing D&D art for both creatures isn’t very good. I’d love to see your take on them!
Wizard Says:
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=193464
Jaddi Lifestrider
thinegold Says:
i would love to see what you could do with a rust monster from d&d 3.5… he is my second favorate staple for players next to a good old geletationus cube infused with potions
Othniel Says:
Please tell me a Bard animated that! “The Hills are alive with the sound of music” da lala
Kenku Says:
I gotta throw this one out even if it isn’t that big in the DnD circles. A human or crow headed tengu!
Gomedhist Says:
Please make this a T-shirt!
StealthMarmot Says:
Ever drawn angels? Planetar, Astral Deva, or a Solar?
filkin Says:
I’d like to see your take on the four Jenn types of the old Al-Qadim setting. A good game I played ran the setting using 4th ed rules, and counted them as a type of familiar for the genie masters.
Another creature idea is your take on a Jabberwocky.
Darren Vallance Says:
Owlbear. Because well Owlbear.
Herne Says:
Behold the infamous Mound Troll! Holder of the secrets of the Earth Realm! A real Force of Nature!
MECHHavik Says:
D&D 3.5 Half Silver Dragon, Half Ogre Mage. All time favorite villain I’ve ever had the honor of creating… it took myself and a friend of mine two hours to get the stats and everything worked out so it made sense mechanically.
FlawArtist Says:
Clownthuhu, personification of insanity in the form of a clown with a forked tongue. Hunted by the anti-clown defemation league
Stuart Says:
I immediately thought “troll!”
The Scandinavian version, not the D&D version.
QAlchemist Says:
Flumph. I dare you to find a way to make a flumph menacing!
Kitehack Says:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Displacer_beast
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Hook_horror
Good old displacer beasts and hook horrors.
Slipps Says:
EQ2 Rustbeast… love those things
Andy Says:
DANG YOU GRIBGRUB, in way before I could comment. This totally -is- a Colossus.
Ashlinde Says:
Simple as they may sound… I’d love to see your take on a traditional Sidhe. You know, the ones that if you wander into their mounds may keep you for a hundred years… not so nice, but fascinating compared to regular Fae! Ooooh, maybe a picture of the Great Hunt. /glee
Ellen Says:
There was a small, white, furry creature called Hofsa in a LARP-campain I am in. It brings good emotions to everyone that is near it. No matter how sad, angry or bitter you was, you will be happy and calm if you meet one of these. They are protected by a pack of orchs, but beacuse of the happines the Hofsors bring they are hippe-orchs, coverd in flowers. Please, draw a Hofsa and a Hippie-orch. They was removed from the campain, and I miss them!
DarthThought Says:
I totally agree that it is either a colosus or you’ve been reading discworld lately. When I first saw it, it looked like the turtle then i just realized it was a mountian-ish gollum or something to that extent.
I just finished reading your backlog and I can say that I’m enjoying it but now I am sad that I actually have to wait for updates
Joe G Kushner Says:
It’s a mumified colossal stone ape. When the ancient shamans realized that their guardian colossal apes were no longer breeding in sufficient numbers to guarantee their viability as a race, those that died of old age or violence were cast back into the soil so that they could be reborn as stone apes. The longer the sleep, the more viable the stone apes are. Those that are disturbed too soon tend to crumble back into the stone while those that have sleep for eons are like demigods, shrugging off magic and even siege weaponry.
KenderBryant Says:
If you’re looking for suggestions…how about Draconians!
macbone Says:
Oooo, how about a Quaggoth?
KenderBryant Says:
The TARRASQUE!