New marilith/balor pictures
- Thread starter kenjib
- Start date
Kweezil
Caffeinated Reprobate
Personally, I like them.
Balor
Very good, very demonic and firey. IMHO, it resemble the version from Neverwinter Nights more than it does the Balrog, though with less of a skull-like face. Though I have to agree with Kamikaze Midget, the loincloth does look a bit off. Perhaps a slight change in the pose to cover the offending area instead would have fitted the creature better
Marilith
It could be the size of the picture (it looks compressed) but her face and hair colours are just a little too similar, giving her a stange look. There's some inspiration taken from movie Mystique (the way her hair flows back, like it's an extension of her skin rather than something seperate).
About the change in her appearance, perhaps this is what mariliths really look like, and the human-like appearance was just a facade to play with the mortals' minds? The more serpentine appearance and similarity to Yuan-ti fits perfectly with my homebrew world, so I can't help but like it.
Balor
Very good, very demonic and firey. IMHO, it resemble the version from Neverwinter Nights more than it does the Balrog, though with less of a skull-like face. Though I have to agree with Kamikaze Midget, the loincloth does look a bit off. Perhaps a slight change in the pose to cover the offending area instead would have fitted the creature better
Marilith
It could be the size of the picture (it looks compressed) but her face and hair colours are just a little too similar, giving her a stange look. There's some inspiration taken from movie Mystique (the way her hair flows back, like it's an extension of her skin rather than something seperate).
About the change in her appearance, perhaps this is what mariliths really look like, and the human-like appearance was just a facade to play with the mortals' minds? The more serpentine appearance and similarity to Yuan-ti fits perfectly with my homebrew world, so I can't help but like it.
Olive said:
Yeah, I thought of that. With what they've done to creatures like the manticore though, there are far fewer straight half animal creatures now than there are spikey emaciated ones. You've got a great point though. I think it was the whole Indian feel that really made it stand out for me though, rather than being half animal half human. By invoking deific imagery (the destroyer aspect of Shiva in particular), she really brought out a sense of power, majesty, and mystique well befitting one of the most powerful and terrible of the demons. The new one just doesn't have this same depth of iconic imagery.
demiurge1138
Inventor of Super-Toast
It's been said before, but I'll say it again; the neo-marilith is way too yuan-ti like. I do like that suggestion about the more human appearance being a facade for dealing with mortals.
I think I might be able to explain the loincloth on the balor. It could be pseudo-reflective of the savage but intelligent nature of the balors. They wear long, flowing robes, dress plate, etc, when just posturing, leading troops from the back, engaging in toadying to Demogorgon, etc. But when the silk gloves come off, so does the rest of it, leaving the balors free and manuverable.
Or maybe it's because balors had loincloths in 1st and 2nd edition.
Demiurge out.
I think I might be able to explain the loincloth on the balor. It could be pseudo-reflective of the savage but intelligent nature of the balors. They wear long, flowing robes, dress plate, etc, when just posturing, leading troops from the back, engaging in toadying to Demogorgon, etc. But when the silk gloves come off, so does the rest of it, leaving the balors free and manuverable.
Or maybe it's because balors had loincloths in 1st and 2nd edition.
Demiurge out.
Angcuru
First Post
Balor pic good. *adds lotsa flames, removes loincloth* Balor pic GOOOOD!
By removing the loincloth and adding pubic flame, we cover the offending area.
Marilith pic not good.
Marilith pic actually quite bad.
Marilith look like pre-pubescent bulemic naga with 6 REALLY skinny arms.
I think the pics of Mariliths on the cover of Rappunnathuk are the best fitting of the monster.
By removing the loincloth and adding pubic flame, we cover the offending area.
Marilith pic not good.
Marilith pic actually quite bad.
Marilith look like pre-pubescent bulemic naga with 6 REALLY skinny arms.
I think the pics of Mariliths on the cover of Rappunnathuk are the best fitting of the monster.
Last edited:
s/LaSH
First Post
Well, considering that (by comparison to a 12-foot balor) the marilith must be around 7 feet tall in that shot, I wouldn't say she's particularly skinny at all... her head is huge, she's disproportionate, but she's not going to be weak with those proportions.
I agree with the people who suggest that demons have limited shape-changing powers - it's not all that great a power to alter your skin colour, but it makes them cooler and weirder, and if you can quote all the aspects of a manifestation of pure chaos and evil there's something very wrong with the game.
And it occurs to me that the yuan-ti could very well have ties to this new development. After all, they speak abyssal. Why? They have no plane-shifting abilities. Could it be, perhaps, that they're the mortal agents of Something Else?
If that's the case, then the marilith doesn't look like yuan-ti - the abominations look like her. Only, probably not purple. Unless they're using their chameleon power to change the way they look. Wait, did someone say mariliths can change their rough coloration too?
Conspiracy! Yuan-ti agents of abyssal powers! Bleeargh!
*Runs screaming from room*
*Comes back to hit 'submit reply'*
I agree with the people who suggest that demons have limited shape-changing powers - it's not all that great a power to alter your skin colour, but it makes them cooler and weirder, and if you can quote all the aspects of a manifestation of pure chaos and evil there's something very wrong with the game.
And it occurs to me that the yuan-ti could very well have ties to this new development. After all, they speak abyssal. Why? They have no plane-shifting abilities. Could it be, perhaps, that they're the mortal agents of Something Else?
If that's the case, then the marilith doesn't look like yuan-ti - the abominations look like her. Only, probably not purple. Unless they're using their chameleon power to change the way they look. Wait, did someone say mariliths can change their rough coloration too?
Conspiracy! Yuan-ti agents of abyssal powers! Bleeargh!
*Runs screaming from room*
*Comes back to hit 'submit reply'*
Here we go again with people whining about transitions in art and concept between editions. Oh, the renewed stench of misplaced nostalgia.
The fact of the matter is that the illustrations in 1ed MM and most other 1ed products (MM II was an exception) were extremely simplistic and almost universally cartoonish. For the most part, they lacked inspiration as well.
Now, on to these two images.
The Balor is okay. Love the head and the horns. The interesting thing here is that the artist actually looked at the image of the Balor in 1ed MM and used that hideous picture as a springboard. That Balor had the same horns and general build. Hell, I think that the weapons are even in the same hands. What I don't like about the Balor is its coloring and the loinclothe. It's an evil spirit... why the Hell is it wearing a loinclothe? The artist (Sam Wood I think, who's usually very good) should have simply surrounded the Balor with flames, thereby hiding the feet, legs, and groin. Problem solved. As far as the coloring, I've always seen Balors in the same light as the Balrogs upon which they're based: Shadows that barely contain the flames of rage and evil that burn within. I would have tried to capture that kind of an image rather than the more "traditional" reddish demon look.
The Marilith is okay. First, to all these people whining about it being emaciated, you're comparing her to a 12 foot tall Demon. Take that into consideration first. Second, she's a DEMON! She's not a beauty queen, and she's not a model. Her appearance maintains the general description from all three D&D editions with an added degree of sensibility. I've never understood why every Marilith looked like some middle-eastern or Indian belly-dancer. Just because the base-model is based upon Kali doesn't mean that they all have long hair, tons of jewels, and are drop dead gorgeous (if you like girls). This image is hideous and otherworldly, precisely what these Demons are.
I will say that I saw that image of the huge Marilith from a recent D&D module and I liked it. However, I thought it was rather lackluster because it looked like virtually every Marilith out there. This one looks like a disgusting Demon with the silhouette of a good looking, slender woman. Her strength to carry those weapons have nothing to do with "natural" strength, but with the strength conferred by her evil and status in The Abyss.
So, can people please back off the nostalgic nonsense. I swear, all it does is limit their ability to consider and explore new things. And makes them look shortsighted and conservative besides.
The fact of the matter is that the illustrations in 1ed MM and most other 1ed products (MM II was an exception) were extremely simplistic and almost universally cartoonish. For the most part, they lacked inspiration as well.
Now, on to these two images.
The Balor is okay. Love the head and the horns. The interesting thing here is that the artist actually looked at the image of the Balor in 1ed MM and used that hideous picture as a springboard. That Balor had the same horns and general build. Hell, I think that the weapons are even in the same hands. What I don't like about the Balor is its coloring and the loinclothe. It's an evil spirit... why the Hell is it wearing a loinclothe? The artist (Sam Wood I think, who's usually very good) should have simply surrounded the Balor with flames, thereby hiding the feet, legs, and groin. Problem solved. As far as the coloring, I've always seen Balors in the same light as the Balrogs upon which they're based: Shadows that barely contain the flames of rage and evil that burn within. I would have tried to capture that kind of an image rather than the more "traditional" reddish demon look.
The Marilith is okay. First, to all these people whining about it being emaciated, you're comparing her to a 12 foot tall Demon. Take that into consideration first. Second, she's a DEMON! She's not a beauty queen, and she's not a model. Her appearance maintains the general description from all three D&D editions with an added degree of sensibility. I've never understood why every Marilith looked like some middle-eastern or Indian belly-dancer. Just because the base-model is based upon Kali doesn't mean that they all have long hair, tons of jewels, and are drop dead gorgeous (if you like girls). This image is hideous and otherworldly, precisely what these Demons are.
I will say that I saw that image of the huge Marilith from a recent D&D module and I liked it. However, I thought it was rather lackluster because it looked like virtually every Marilith out there. This one looks like a disgusting Demon with the silhouette of a good looking, slender woman. Her strength to carry those weapons have nothing to do with "natural" strength, but with the strength conferred by her evil and status in The Abyss.
So, can people please back off the nostalgic nonsense. I swear, all it does is limit their ability to consider and explore new things. And makes them look shortsighted and conservative besides.
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