D&D 5E D&D Next Art Column Discussion: May

[Piratecat]

Non sequiter: in-character, my group refers to owlbears as "browls." "Owlbear? Who would call a browl an owlbear? That's stupid!" It's also well established that owlbears sound like "GrrRARRRwho-whooo!"

I prefer track 2, but agree it needs a proper beak.

 

[Klaus]

Another thing to consider: do you want the owlbear to "make sense", as if it were the spliced genes of an owl and a bear, or do you want it to feel "chimeric", i.e. a weird mix of different creatures (like the griffon, the manticore or, obviosuly, the chimera)?

 

[Hussar]

Another thing to consider: do you want the owlbear to "make sense", as if it were the spliced genes of an owl and a bear, or do you want it to feel "chimeric", i.e. a weird mix of different creatures (like the griffon, the manticore or, obviosuly, the chimera)?

For me, chimeric totally. This thing is most certainly NOT natural, so, it shouldn't even try to look so. Now, I suppose it should look better than Rubber Suit Monster, but, I like the Worth1000.com's chimaera contests approach much more.

 

[Wiseblood]

I would like more human centric art. Less elf art (or perhaps just ears less than 6 inches long), dragonborn art and teifling art. The multicultural friends is a bit meh. Humans are often described as dominant. I flipped through the 4e PHB and saw less than 25 humans depicted. Fully 5 of them were questionable. There were 28 depictions of elves 31 if you count drow. I combined the elf and eladrin because their physical traits seem identical. They are thus interchangeable when it comes to art. Dragonborn and Tieflings had 13 and 14 depictions respectively. Yeah I was bored.

The humans seem to endure the misfortune of being adventurers. One id dead or dying and being healed. One is about to be skewered on a spike trap. The third is being shot in the face by a goblin wielding an energy weapon. I think there are as many Dragonborn jumping. They sure like to jump. (so do halflings)

 

[Kaodi]

I think the "blended" as "natural" and "chimeric" as "stitched together" is a big of a false analogy. Most of those crazy Greek monsters were "born" , were they not? They were "natural" in a certain sense.

In any case, I prefer Track 2 of these, but some changes that might make it both more owlish and more bearish: on the parts that are not the head or part of the huge "shroud" formed by its arms and back, it should be fur, not feathers. And the head should be about twice as big. Look at the head proportions on a real owl. If depicted from the back, it should have a tail like a bear. And maybe keep claws like a bear, as in Track 1.

 

[Klaus]

I think the "blended" as "natural" and "chimeric" as "stitched together" is a big of a false analogy. Most of those crazy Greek monsters were "born" , were they not? They were "natural" in a certain sense.

In any case, I prefer Track 2 of these, but some changes that might make it both more owlish and more bearish: on the parts that are not the head or part of the huge "shroud" formed by its arms and back, it should be fur, not feathers. And the head should be about twice as big. Look at the head proportions on a real owl. If depicted from the back, it should have a tail like a bear. And maybe keep claws like a bear, as in Track 1.

It's not a comment on the creature's origin, but a shorthand for their look. Those creature might've been "natural" in myth, but were actually more of a "one-of-a-kind" types (one Chimera, one Minotaur, one Pegasus -- who was the twin brother of a dude in golden armor).

For instance, "natural" minotaurs look like what we have in 4e or like the tauren in WoW. "Chimeric" minotaurs look like the 1e/2e "cursed human" minotaurs, with a bull's head atop a very human body.

 

[Libramarian]

Eyes like saucers . . . glowing bright in the night.
Silent as an owl it struck.

I like this! I'm not really seeing it in the owlbears in the article though. Every one, including the concept pieces, is roaring. It looks perfunctory, like it's just a given that all monsters must rawr. I seriously want a creepily quiet owlbear.

Rawring monsters are like oversized weapons, maybe. Modern fantasy artists really, really, really want to do it. They have to be trained not to. p)

 

[hafrogman]

Every one, including the concept pieces, is roaring. It looks perfunctory, like it's just a given that all monsters must rawr. I seriously want a creepily quiet owlbear.

Rawring monsters are like oversized weapons, maybe. Modern fantasy artists really, really, really want to do it. They have to be trained not to. p)

This is a really good observation. Dynamic pictures are all very good, but there is quite a lot of rawr going around.

There's lots of different types of owls. Some of the heads and beaks chosen end up looking a lot more hawk-like. I'd like an owl bear based on a more silent wing'd creature of the night.

 

[CM]

This is a really good observation. Dynamic pictures are all very good, but there is quite a lot of rawr going around.

There's lots of different types of owls. Some of the heads and beaks chosen end up looking a lot more hawk-like. I'd like an owl bear based on a more silent wing'd creature of the night.

I like 4e's take on owlbears, giving them a screech ability. I don't believe previous editions did that. Unfortunately they don't have any bonuses to stealth.

 

[Klaus]

This is a really good observation. Dynamic pictures are all very good, but there is quite a lot of rawr going around.

There's lots of different types of owls. Some of the heads and beaks chosen end up looking a lot more hawk-like. I'd like an owl bear based on a more silent wing'd creature of the night.

Not to mention that sometimes the utter *lack* of an expression can be more unsettling than an easily-readable roar. For instance, the current Batman comics are getting much mileage out of pitting Batman against a creepy Illuminati-esque group known (in creepy nursery rhymes) as the Court of Owls.

Creepy barn owls in animated gif:

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