monster inspirations

Adamo · Post by **Adamo** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:29 pm

http://www.thedungeonmaster.com/MyMiniatures.pdf

MadMunky · Post by **MadMunky** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:43 pm

nice collection, if only someone wanted to remake them on the computer in 3d

Adamo · Post by **Adamo** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:50 pm

Mad Munky wrote:

nice collection, if only someone wanted to remake them on the computer in 3d

What for? No need to do that.
if I only HAD these dolls... I could simply make a photo of them - each of them from the front, back, sides, set a proper resolution in photoshop, proper colour bitmap and .. voila!!
The only thing I had to draw is attack bitmap - some of them would really need this.
I started seriously thinking of buying that collection....

Adamo · Post by **Adamo** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:12 pm

if some of you has them.........
could you..... make a few photos..............?

Adamo · Post by **Adamo** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:54 pm

right, now I`m searching the net to find SOMEONE that made the photos of these RPG miniatures from the different angles somewhere... front, side, back picture and I have a new monster for DM!!!

EDIT: I was right, you can spin some of them !!!!!!!!!

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mg/20050324a

MitchB1990 · Post by **MitchB1990** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:26 am

Man I always loved D&D 3rd ed Artwork, but to have miniatures from the MM would be kickass!

ian_scho · Post by **ian_scho** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:18 am

That's great Adamo, thankyou.

Post by **linflas** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:21 am

ahh !! i've been busted ! miniatures websites are my unique source of inspiration for new monsters

of course there's an additional photoshop work, especially for attack view.
for example, here's where FoD's Yaztromo comes from

http://www.darkswordminiatures.com/gall ... dragon.htm

i have already finished miniature based new monsters but i want to keep them secret for a surprise effect

ian_scho · Post by **ian_scho** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:28 am

Great minds.... Think alike

So for the photoshop -> Attack view work. Does it take you much time to do? I've zero experience, but am curious as to how much effort it takes you to bend the sword arm around, for example.

It's a really different style of dungeon, to incorporate these minitaures in, and they wont fit in a cartoony style dungeon wall theme

Post by **linflas** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:15 am

there are 2 parts of photoshop work on miniatures.
- adapt the 3 views bitmaps to your wallset style, i.e. crop, resize, clean borders, adjust colors, adding a shadow layer, and a few brush touches...
- for the attack view based on the front view, there are many brush penciling because transformations on arms or feet aren't sufficient for a nice effect. it takes me about 30 mn per monster, sometimes 1 or 2 hours !
it happens that you make a front view based on an attack view, it depends on the character expression.

Adamo · Post by **Adamo** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 4:29 pm

go to this site:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mg/20050324a
and try to spit the "Gold Dragon" - you`ll get 8 different views to choose; front, back, side1, side2, front-side, etc. All you have to do is to redesign the front bitmap to make an attack bmp.

Not all miniatures can be adapted to be a monsters in DM, because some of them are made to look like attacking, so you can`t use their front/back/sides views - for example "Whirling Steel Monk"; it would be weird to use his side or back wiew, because he is already attacking all the time!!

For example, the "Beholder" miniature is ideal to use him as a new monster; we have already front, back & sides bmps there shouldn`t be much work with making attack bmp.

Post by **linflas** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 4:58 pm

too bad the resolution of the "Gold Dragon" is a bit too small for me : i like to work on bigger images..
the beholder is great but i prefer EOB's one (already used in Sukumvit)

Wishbone · Post by **Wishbone** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 5:06 pm

I dunno.. they are all quite small and blurry.
I'm afraid they are not gonna look as good as you would expect.

Post by **linflas** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 5:48 pm

totally..
and about the whole process of making monsters from miniatures, i forgot to talk about the waste of time tof searching and choosing useable images !

zoom · Post by **zoom** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 8:12 pm

here is a spoiler..

some low res monster scribbles and ideas for a dungeon I am
way too lazy to ever do or accomplish on my own.
therefore I show this. So, for those interested -.-

preliminary versions. getting the right viewing angle,
how to depict the creatures, the poise, stance etc.

Ultimately these were thought as monsters for csbwin, therefore
this resolution.(100pixels x 100pixels)mspaint.
don´t know, maybe they could be bigger in game..
For other engines there is more room available on the canvas.

the texts below the numbers can be omitted or not

1 :Undead Dragon
(attacks with poison clouds- these do not harm it.
dragon lich is immune to poison, yet it is no immaterial monster)
/ there is a green gem in each eyesocket; green vapours surround this nightmare

gem could act as a key or money.

OR
use the gem to summon the dragon monster;
dragon bones block a path to the lower levels_
either use the gem on the bones (calling the dragon from the netherworld)
or use the staff of Nekazar(priest item) to dissolve the bones.. player´s choice )

2 :Wall Monster
(needs more space than a big monster to camouflage(=hide) as "wall":
attacks with protruding and retracting brick-like stonehands
out of wall or floor- crushing and maiming the party.
maybe that would mean corridor only monster)
#I would imagine it being magical, according to the dungeon theme.

3 :Alternate Coutal (small wings ,flyer: would give it a content
smile and closed eyes; not aggressive, lives in other spheres,
unheeding party)maybe make good and malign (evil) coutals.

1 :
wooden Plank that hovers and clobbers party,
easy monster : encountered in the beggining levels
and spawned on lower levels when a magical "living wood"
door is damaged. (there is a concept for these doors)

2 :
coins that are circling the air, occasionally hitting bystanders.
this coinmonster is a spook created by a party step on trigger
It has a timer, so it collapses (dies) after 10 seconds.
Just acts as a minor distraction .

3: food (drumstick, screamer slice and cheese) floating in mid air
Would be in line with a wizard´s tower dungeon theme.
No damage. Like in rust monster..
precious food that has to be earned: besides it can fly over
pits, out of reach

4 :Book with chain and manacles, flies, casting spells.
(red cover :fireball ,
green cover :aggressive (no spells, but
throws itself, effectively a flown "chaaarge!!"
and one wrapped in badly worn black leather,
the dangerous foliant of "do not trespass".
no one lived to tell what it does, but there are rumours it
could make the party totally helpless for a short duration of time...
uses manacle to grab..
I honestly don´t know what hitpoint type they should get

5 :mimic
(tao bao,chinese equivalent to ebay..
ebay is the shark, tao bao the crocodile in the yang tse..)

treasure chest gone mad- little feet , and teeth.
Maybe a tongue and baleful white eyes . I don´t want it to
look too brutal.
Do you know Terry Pratchett´s "Discworld" Series??

6 Airy Knight,
levitates ;only hit by non material attacks. packs of four
medium hitpoints, fast attack speed ,hope you can discern it.
Shield , Sword, Helmet, one Pauldron, missing some leg armor,
maybe no torso..