D&D General Help me source this image!

[Eyes of Nine]

The term "Soselian Ear-Spoon" is very strange. The usual term is "Bohemian Ear-Spoon".

The image seems to come from this site for RetroMUD, a computer roleplaying game. One of the planets is called Sosel.

The polearms image appears on this page. Another page for staves mentions a "Soselian bo stick".

It seems to be heavily influenced by D&D weapons.

Thanks!

 

[Eyes of Nine]

The term "Soselian Ear-Spoon" is very strange. The usual term is "Bohemian Ear-Spoon".

The image seems to come from this site for RetroMUD, a computer roleplaying game. One of the planets is called Sosel.

The polearms image appears on this page. Another page for staves mentions a "Soselian bo stick".

It seems to be heavily influenced by D&D weapons.

Do you think the image from RetroMUD is where it originally came from? Or could it have come from somewhere earlier?

 

[Doug McCrae]

Do you think the image from RetroMUD is where it originally came from? Or could it have come from somewhere earlier?

Googling the word "Soselian", it doesn’t seem to appear in an rpg context anywhere except this MUD. The weapon names on the left-hand side look 'off' – they’re not lined up properly – but the weapon art seems fairly professional. Therefore I think the text on the left might've been added to a pre-existing image.

I’m not sure where that image came from however. Most of the weapons appear in the list on page 37 of the 1e AD&D PHB. The "bo stick" and "jo stick" in the image on the Staves page, which has the same art style, also appear in the 1e PHB. The inclusion of these Asian weapons makes me think the image comes from something that was inspired by D&D rather than a book about arms and armour. The art style seems consistent with the 1e era – it’s not as fancy as the art in, for example, the 2e AD&D Arms and Equipment Guide.

However a few of the weapons – Ox Tongue, Corseque Bat’s Wing, Fauchard-Guisarme – don’t appear in the 1e PHB. "Ox tongue" and "fauchard-guisarme" are in Unearthed Arcana, but the image isn't from that book.

Therefore I think it might be from an 80s or early 90s D&D-style computer roleplaying game like Pool of Radiance, the Wizardry series, the Ultima series, or a Rogue-type game like Angband – perhaps a physical chart that came with the game.

EDIT: Or a MUD. There seem to have been commercial MUDs as early as the mid-80s.

 

[Rabulias]

Oops. Nevermind.

 

[dave2008]

The term "Soselian Ear-Spoon" is very strange. The usual term is "Bohemian Ear-Spoon".

The image seems to come from this site for RetroMUD, a computer roleplaying game. One of the planets is called Sosel.

The polearms image appears on this page. Another page for staves mentions a "Soselian bo stick".

It seems to be heavily influenced by D&D weapons.

However, that doesn't seem to be the original source of the image. As @Rabulias image is much more clear and in the exact same order I am guessing RetroMUD copied it.

 

[dave2008]

Do you think the image from RetroMUD is where it originally came from? Or could it have come from somewhere earlier?

Based on the 2nd post i would think the RetroMUD version is not the original.

 

[Rabulias]

The image that I found from Battle of the Nations also has the unusual "Soselian Ear-Spoon" listed. If "Soselian" is a term unique to the MUD, it would follow that the MUD has the earlier (though not necessarily original) image. It is strange that the version on the MUD seems to be a lower quality, like it was copied from a copy, but would seem to be an earlier usage. The OP may want to reach out to both parties and see if anyone there can shed light on this.

 

[Doug McCrae]

There are many more images of weapons and armour on the RetroMUD site, all in the same style. Some feature unique terms – "Meritoson sword", "Meritoson bow", "Welstarian mace". Welstar is a planet in RetroMUD, like Sosel, but with a European flavour. Meritoson seems to be a nation or culture on Welstar.

Daggers
Thin Blades
Broad Blades
Axes
Bludgeons
Ancients
Small Throwing
Medium Throwing
Large Throwing
Slings
Bows
Crossbows
Thundersticks

Studded Leather
Chain Mail

Scale Mail

Plate Mail

 

[Doug McCrae]

However, that doesn't seem to be the original source of the image. As @Rabulias image is much more clear and in the exact same order I am guessing RetroMUD copied it.

The Battle of the Nations image is larger and uses more solid black, but it's less detailed. Compare the BotN halberd head:

with the RetroMUD halberd head:

The RetroMUD also has many more images that I detailed in the previous post. A google image search on the broad blades image shows it doesn't appear anywhere else.

The Battle of the Nations post is fairly recent, 2016.

 

[dave2008]

The Battle of the Nations image is larger and uses more solid black, but it's less detailed. Compare the BotN halberd head:

View attachment 135925

with the RetroMUD halberd head:

View attachment 135926

The RetroMUD also has many more images that I detailed in the previous post. A google image search on the broad blades image shows it doesn't appear anywhere else.

The Battle of the Nations post is fairly recent, 2016.

Thanks for following up!