Minis Gallery 2

I've just dropped a bunch more minis photos to a Picasa Web Album. Most are older (though some are pretty good), but also has the most recent mini I completed. Enjoy!

Behind the Design: DDXP Notes

This is the first page from the oldest WotC notebook I've found (though I think I have an older legal pad somewhere). Click the image to enlarge it. It runs down some suggestions from a fan seminar at D&D Experience (when it was in DC). Since this came before the 4E announcement, you'll see suggestions for 3.5 products and Dungeon Tiles. The group was primarily made up of RPGA players, leading to requests for RPGA content on the podcast.

It's interesting to see what suggestions became reality, like ship Dungeon Tiles (as an RPGA DM Reward), non-collectable minis, and RPGA details on the podcast. Having each D&D Insider subscriber become an RPGA member automatically didn't happen, sadly. One cool part was the idea that there should be more "insider info" at DDXP. Of course, the next year at the con was when people got the very first chance to play 4th Edition!

You'll see at the bottom that rumors were already out there about 4E (though they were just as likely based on conjecture as on leaks). Unsurprisingly, the invested RPGA/Living Greyhawk players weren't too excited about the idea. Then again, few people were before details started coming out. I remember the chill that went through the room during the 4E announcement at GenCon.

Behind the Design: Torog Planning for Underdark

Listening to a podcast (The Tome Show, I think), I heard them talking about the grotesque image of Torog in Underdark. I meant to find the sketch I did to get his look straight in my head, but can't find it! I did some of the work on Torog and his treasure palaces (uncredited, sadly), and I did find the brainstorming/planning notes I'd put down. See the larger image here.

Much of it's based on the plans Rob Heinsoo had made, and I was looking for ways to flesh out and refine those ideas and roughs. You'll see my brief notes for the torture palace sidebars (which became "torture dens," I think).

I went pretty nasty and gruesome with the images and descriptions of Torog. What good is the god of torture if he isn't scary? I think the editors justifiably toned it down for the final book.

If I do find the sketch, I'll put it up!

Minis Gallery

I've dropped some photos of minis I painted recently into an album on Facebook. Most are Dreamblade or D&D minis repainted. See what you think!