Nontraditional Goblin Skin Part 2: Old School Edition

Goblins have been on my mind lately.  I know that's an odd thing to say but it is true.  I have been contemplating goblin weapons, goblin society, goblin raiding tactics, even goblin intelligence (or lack thereof).  But mostly I've been thinking about goblin skin.  Several months ago I began a project experimenting with goblin skin color.  I wanted to try different skin tones beyond the usual green-skinned little monsters that seem to be the norm these days.  While I have nothing against 'greenskins' and actually like them for certain aspects of gaming, I wanted to wander off the beaten path for a bit.

My first foray delved into the world of J.R.R. Tolkien.  I wanted a dusky look that fit more closely with the professor's description of goblins in Middle-earth.  For this attempt however, my inspiration came not from Tolkien but from the excitement surrounding the 40th anniversary of Dungeons and Dragons.  I wanted a color scheme that would harken back to the early 80s when I first started playing.  This is what I came up with...

For the miniature I chose a model from Hasslefree Miniatures.  This little grinning goblin is called Dima (HFO007) and can be found in Hasslefree's Orcs and Goblins line.  I liked the semi-old school style of the sculpt and thought he would be perfect for my old school color scheme.

I have a sizable collection of goblins from Otherworld Miniatures that would have served even better for the old school theme I was attempting.  I wanted to save them though until I found the right goblin skin color so that the entire tribe will look somewhat homogeneous.  So for now I will stick with Hasslefree's goblins for experimenting.

Now that I had my miniature I needed to decide on the paints I would use.  To aid in the decision I pulled out my trusty copy of the original Monster Manual and flipped to the well-worn page describing goblins (hmm... I guess I fought many of them back in the day).  On page 47 I found what I thought I remembered.  There, goblin skin is described as ranging from "yellow through dull orange to brick red."  Though the description would change in later editions (sounds like a subject for another blogger post), this was the goblin I had such fond memories of from those long ago days.

Shortly after reading the description in the Monster Manual I remembered a color photo depicting goblins with a similar color scheme.  I wasn't sure where I saw it so I rummaged through my collection for hours.  I finally found what I was looking for.  There, on the cover of module N2 The Forest Oracle, were three goblins with a pretty close resemblance to what I envisioned in my mind.  I then had both inspiration and an idea of the color scheme I wanted to use.  It was time to paint.

For painting the skin I chose a medium brown for a base coat.  I can't remember the Reaper color (maybe Intense Brown??) but it is the equivalent of GW's Bestial Brown.  From there, I started layering in various shades of lighter browns mixed with tints of red, orange, and yellow.  I made particularly heavy use of Saffron Sunset (09247) and Orange Brown (09201), both from Reaper.  Highlighting was accomplished with Saffron Sunset mixed with various shades of yellow.

The rest of the miniature, including the garb, armor, and weapons was painted in rather drab colors to contrast with the skin tone.  Greens and dark browns dominate the color scheme to help highlight the orange and yellow of the skin.  The armor and weapons were heavily washed to knock down the shiny new look that so often breaks the character of this type of monster.  After all, they should look like desperate scavengers and raiders and not like a knight in shinning armor.  With that being said, now that I look at the photos on blogger, I need to go back and wash the helmet a few more times.  It does look awfully shinny.

I am fairly happy with the outcome of this goblin and I think I'm close to finding the skin tone I want to use in the future.  I think I will paint one more goblin and intensify the oranges a bit to see what happens.  Afterwards a final decision will be made and the resulting color scheme applied to my waiting Otherworld Miniatures goblin tribe.

Anyone else use this style on their goblins?  Any comments, hints, and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

Aleena the Cleric

A few months ago (wow, has it really been that long?!) I made a comment about how a miniature I was painting reminded me of a certain NPC cleric of my past.  I thought the mini seen below was based upon Aleena the cleric from the Metzer red box edition of Dungeons and Dragons.  Well, it turns out my memory of the 80s when I was a D&D fanatic is not as I thought it to be.  I was clearly wrong with my assumption.  But in discovering my error, I took a fascinating journey of reminiscence and discovery into the past.  Please allow me to share.

The WIP of the miniature in question

My first introduction to D&D was through a strange mixture of the Moldvay Basic set and AD&D.  As clueless preteens we gleefully mixed the two systems into a loose ruleset that guided our adventures into strange lands.  While I have very fond memories of that first set it was actually the Metzer version of the basic set that I spent the most time playing back in those days.  Ahh, the memories.  How can one forget the awesome and terrifying red dragon painted by Larry Elmore gracing the cover of the fiery red box or the beautiful cleric that befriended a lonsome adventurer in the introductory adventure?  That of course is where Aleena comes in.

For those of you who may have forgotten, we meet the blonde-haired cleric shortly after wounding a goblin in a cave.  As we cautiously pursue the fleeing goblin, we come upon her silently meditating in a corner of a cavern chamber.  She is drawn to our high charisma and invites us to join her for a rest.  After instructing us on several aspects of an adventurer's life, the cleric not only joins our expedition but kindly offers to heal us as well (that 16 charisma really pays off).  Aleena becomes a mentor of sorts as we explore the remainder of the caves together but she can do more than just offer instruction.  She exhibits her skill and power as she uses her clerical abilities once again, this time turning the undead ghouls that block our route.  We are beginning to fall in love with this woman!

But our love affair is not meant to be.  Bargle, the roguish magic-user that has been terrorizing the countryside around Threshold slays the beautiful young cleric with a deadly spell.  She falls in battle and no matter what we do, we cannot alter that fate.  We either kill the evil Bargle after making our saving throw or unwittingly aid him while under a charm spell.  Either way, Aleena the cleric is no more.

With either outcome, we do manage to recover Aleena's body and return her to the local church.  Hearts are broken, both in the game and in real life over the death of the cleric.  No matter how many times we play the scenario or what we do, we cannot save her.  The cleric's fate is preordained.  It is with great remorse for her loss that we begin our adventuring careers in the world of D&D.  But with her loss comes wisdom and the understanding that death is real in the game and the hero does not always win.  We are shown just how dangerous the adventuring life can be.  This would have been a profound lesson to those new to the game and perhaps this is why the Metzer boxed set remains so ingrained in the collective memory of D&D players worldwide.

I was reminded of her sad story as I went back to my worn red box to research what Aleena looked like and it brought back so many pleasant memories.  I wondered if others thought the same. I turned to the internet for answers.  What I found there was surprising.  The memory of her death was a topic much discussed. I discovered that many others felt the same way I did about the poor cleric and that the solo introductory adventure and her death remained with many players for years.

But I also discovered that her death was not in vain.  Aleena's fall galvanized the will of the countryside and thousands upon thousands of players rose up in anger to find and vanquish the evil wizard.  Who knows how many adventuring careers were launched by the memory of her fair face and kind demeanor? 

The anger directed toward Bargle was both in game and in the real world.  I found that many who played that introductory solo adventure retained a hatred of Bargle well after the Metzer red box became a collector's item.  For example, as a nod to the intense dislike that players held for the magic-user, Paizo included an adventure entitled Kill Bargle in the very last print issue of Dungeon Magazine (#150).

Some expressed this 'anger' in a more artistic manner as evidenced by the poster and t-shirt seen below.  Gamers from across the world were united in the memory of Aleena and a desire for vengeance.

Visit here for a short video about the "Kill Bargle" t-shirt.

One of the creators of the shirt

In my research I also found out that Aleena may not have perished after all.  I stopped playing D&D in 1987 when girls and cars became more important than dice and character sheets so I missed the future developments.  Apparently Aleena was sighted again after my departure in several TSR supplements.  In 1987 she was given a description and stats in GAZ1 The Grand Duchy of Karameikos as a 12th level cleric along with a note stating that if it were established that she had died in the solo adventure from the Basic set to change her name to Anielle.  In 1994 she was again found in Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure with basically the same descritpion but with no mention of a possible earlier death.  Though she may have existed for future players, her death and our failure to save her still sits heavily with those who played the adventure before additional supplement releases.

Is this Elmore's new revised Aleena?

Which brings me full circle with this post.  It was the thought of Aleena the cleric that came to mind when I started painting the miniature.  But my memory of her failed me utterly.  My miniature is the wrong class, has the wrong weapon, the wrong garb, and even the wrong hair color.  Hell, the only thing remotely similar is the helmet.  Maybe that was the memory trigger.  Though the miniature does not resemble Aleena as described by Metzer and illustrated by Elmore, the trip down memory lane was definitely worth the mistake on my part.  And really, as in most things in life, it's the journey that counts...not the final destination.

What memories do you have of Aleena and Bargle and do you have a miniature that aligns more closely with her description? 

Thanks for reading!

Happy Birthday D&D!

Happy 40th Anniversary D&D!  Though the date varies depending on who is asked, I see that today seems to have been chosen as the official day to celebrate.  I did not start playing in 1974 (I was only three years old) but it wouldn't be long before I was introduced to the game that would define much of my childhood.

My original Moldvay Basic Set

I was 11 years old in that magical summer of 1982...the year my life changed.  I had recently moved to the other side of town and was the proverbial new kid when Chris Chew invited me to a birthday party camp-out in his back yard.  After the normal stuff that kids do, and when the parents had all gone to bed, Chris and his friends pulled out numerous books, boxes, miniatures, strangely shaped dice, and sheets of paper and told me we were about to embark on a grand adventure.  That night will forever remain as one of the most memorable of my life.

From that night forward, I was hooked on Dungeons and Dragons.  I played every possible moment and collected as much material and books as I could get my hands on.  For about the next six or seven years my life revolved around the fantasy world.  I made great friends and went on wonderful adventures, and even learned a few things that could be applied both to school and life in general.  Those were the best of days.

Eventually my obsession began to wane and by the time I left for college, D&D had become much less important than girls, and cars, and girls, and beer, and girls.  I sold off most of my vast collection for beer and date money (a huge mistake that I still regret to this day) but I did hold on to a few pieces that held the most memories.  (My original Moldvay Basic Set is my most prized and beloved gaming possession).  I sometimes thought about D&D but I never returned to the game.  It was Peter Jackson and the LotR movies that rekindled my love for fantasy and gaming in general.  After a nearly 15 year break, I began to drift back to the game I so loved. 

So happy birthday D&D and thanks for the memories!

Recalling the Past - 1983 TSR Miniatures

I have hundreds of miniatures in my collection and see no sign of my acquisitions ending. Painting and collecting them (and occasionally actually using them in a game) constitutes a large portion of my hobby activity. Although I laughed when I first heard the terms plastic crack, metal crack, and lead crack, the smile quickly faded from my face when I realized how accurate those words were. I am very addicted to all the various forms, genre, and activities associated with those little miniature figurines.

Though I had been playing Dungeons and Dragons religiously since 1982, I did not purchase my first miniatures until several years later. I was in eighth grade when a TSR boxed set completely changed the gaming hobby for me. My first miniature, or miniatures rather, was a Magic Users and Illusionists set I picked up from a local bookstore. To this day, I have no idea why I chose this particular set. I rarely, if ever, choose to take on the role of a magic using character in any game whether it be roleplaying or not. Surely one of the other sets out at the time would have held more allure. I can only speculate that perhaps this was my first exposure to the miniature line and that this set may have been the only one available (since it was purchased in a bookstore instead of a hobby shop). Whatever the reason, the twelve little figures included in the box hold a special place in my memory of the hobby.


I'm certain that I tore into the packaging as soon as I got home with my precious treasure. Fortunately I had paints on hand from my years of building plastic models. Of course, the paints were thick enamels by Testor and were completely unsuited for the small metal miniatures, but I did not know that back then. Even if I had better paints on hand, I do not think it would have mattered. At that age and experience level, I had not even the slightest notion of the concept of shading or highlighting and to say that my initial attempts were frightening would be an understatement. But you could not have convinced me then that my work was anything other than a masterpiece. I would spend hours on a single miniature making sure that everything was just right...including the black dot of paint for an eye that I would apply with the end of a tooth pick.

Two miniatures in the box stand out in my memory. The little gnome illusionist (bottom right) my have been the first miniature I ever painted. Though I can recall little of the details, I do remember that his trousers where an incredibly bright blue. Why I would remember such a seemingly insignificant detail I do not know. But I can see those shiny blue pants in my mind and even to this day I must say...those pants were BRIGHT. The other miniature that stands out in my memory is the elf with the wand (second from the right on the second row). He is significant only because I remembered thinking he did not look like an elf to me. I painted him of course, but I told myself over and over while painting him that he was a young human and most definitely not an elf. Isn't it odd what images and memories remain with us as we age?


Looking back at the miniatures today it is easy to see how far the industry has come as far as sculpting and casting are concerned. The minis in the box seem "flat" compared to the robust and intricately detailed figures of today. Facial features are neutral or lacking completely and the poses seemed forced and unnatural. Yet, despite their simplicity, the figures in that box represent the heart of the Dungeons and Dragons game more so than any of the wonderfully designed miniatures of today. Perhaps I am simply falling prey to the "good 'ole days" syndrome, but to me those simple lead miniatures recall the awe, adventure, and allure of roleplaying games in the golden age of the 1980's.


I still have those original miniatures hidden somewhere amongst other childhood keepsakes. I found them and reminisced several years ago when I began to get back into the hobby after a long hiatus. Unfortunately I seem to have misplaced the old miniatures again.  Looking at the box of my newly acquired Ebay version and handling the cold stark unpainted magic users and illusionist certainly brings back memories. But nothing compared to the rush of nostalgia and longing for the past that I felt when I found those old painted miniatures that evening. I could almost see myself as a young boy, intense concentration written upon his face and a far away look in his eyes, applying that bright blue paint to the trousers of that little gnome.

What was the first miniature you ever painted?

Recalling the Past - Dragon Magazine

My life changed dramatically in the summer of 1982 when I learned to play Dungeons and Dragons.  That magical first night, without a doubt goes down in my personal history as one of the chief events of my life.  I think the very next day I begged my mother to buy the Basic Set for me and from then on, I was fully engrossed in the lifestyle.

Though I must have owned about every set, hardback book, and module available, I did not purchase my first Dragon Magazine until several years later.  To this day I'm not sure why.  Whenever I received a bit of money from gifts, chores, etc.. I would immediately beg to be taken to the nearby hobby shop.  I sometimes even walked the six miles there and back if no ride was forthcoming.  So I think it safe to say that I should have been exposed to the Magazine on numerous occasions.  Somehow the treasure trove that is Dragon Magazine escaped me until early 1985.

Though I do not recall why I failed to notice the magazine in the first few years of D&D, I vividly recall the evening I finally discovered it.  My mother took my sister and myself to the local mall where we were forced to follow her around for hours as she looked for clothing.  We eventually passed by a Waldenbooks where I was able to slip away from estrogen-fueled shopping for a time.  The small fantasy/science fiction section sat tucked away on the lower level of the back right hand side of the store.  As usual, I made my way there completely ignoring everything else in my way.  Displayed on the shelves amongst the paperback sci-fi novels was the usual assortment of Dungeons and Dragon books, but something else caught my eye that evening.  A lovely female ranger kneeling on a small hill before a gnarled oak tree stared back at me.  A blue sky with scattered clouds framed gray mountains in the distance and cast shadows over a green plain dotted with trees.

Issue #94.  February 1985.

With shaking hands, I reverently reached for the copy and gently flipped through the pages.  Even if the words inside were some magical incantation I don't think I would have been happier or more surprised at my discovery.  Surely I must have drooled while quickly scanning a few articles and looking at the art work.  Fortunately I had enough money in my pocket (from unspent lunch money no doubt) to buy the magazine and take it home where I would eventually read it cover to cover countless times.

Flipping through the issue today (gently and with great care as the pages are close to separating) I can recall the magic and excitement I felt on that day long ago as a 14 year old boy.  A whole new world was opening before me and Dragon Magazine was to be the vehicle to get me there.  Looking at the yellowing pages now, I can also appreciate just how special those time were for TSR and D&D.  Mike Cook was the publisher while Kim Mohan and Roger Moore were on the editorial staff.  Other notable names contributing to the issue were Roger Raupp, Ed Greenwood, Larry Elmore, and Clyde Caldwell.

Speaking of Mr. Caldwell, he was the cover artist of this issue.  According to the magazine, the model was Jeanne Stanley of Winston-Salem, NC (not far from where I lived at the time) and apparently the two met at GenCon in 1984.  The fact that she was a North Carolina resident probably contributed to the eventual nostalgia for this particular issue.

Some of the articles that brought back memories include Official Changes for Rangers, An Army Travels on its Stomach, My Life is My Honor - The Knights of Solamnia, and Creature Catalog II.  The section on rangers was especially important to me because I almost always played that class (and still do) and the additional rules really helped to flesh out rangers and set them firmly into the role that has defined them ever since.  Also noteworthy is the article on The Knights of Solamnia.  That article, along with an add for Dragons of Autumn Twilight perked my interest in the Dragonlance setting and novels.

TSR was about to awaken the dragons and I was thrilled about it.

Looking at all the old advertisements also refreshed my memory of those heydays of D&D and other RPGs.  On the first page was a large ad for two MERP (Middle-earth Role Playing) modules: Moria and Rangers of the North.  A game set in Anne McCaffrey's Pern was featured just a few pages later.  Both Pern and Middle-earth loomed large in my imagination during this period of my life.  I also couldn't help but smile as I stumbled upon the many Play By Mail games advertised in this issue.  Duel Masters, a game of gladiatorial combat was one that I remember falling for while Hyborian Wars (not featured in #94) is another.

Dragonscale paints by Ral Partha.

 

One of the biggest surprises I encountered while rereading the issue was the full page advertisement for Ral Partha's Dragonscale paint.  I was just thinking about this product recently and for the life of me could not recall who made it or what it was called.  I distinctly remember buying the set along with the Golden Dragon seen in the upper left portion of the photo after reading the ad.  I also remember using the cream and applying it with the soft tip applicator onto my now glistening dragon.  Though I still have that dragon (he has been repainted several times but is slowly falling apart after nearly 25years) I do not think I ever used Dragonscale again.

My poor dragon falling apart after many years.

Close up of the Gold Dragon by Ral Partha.

The issue ended with several comics including Wormy and Snarf Quest.  But my favorite ending section, and the one in which I will end this journey into my past, is Dragonmirth.  Though I took my games seriously even back then, it was nice to be reminded that in the end, a game is just a game.

Dragonmirth was always worthy of a good chuckle.

Do you have a particular gaming product that brings back such memories?