New Quickling

[Dr. Confoundo]

Woah!

That thing looks like that nasty little bugger from an episode of Tales from the Dark Side.
It lived in the closet and ate guests.

I was like 13 when I saw that episode and I still remember how creeped out I was.

Good job.
I'll never look at quicklings the same.

That episode gave me nightmares *for years*.

Thanks for bringing it up... hopefully the heebie-jeebies will go away before I go to sleep tonight.

 

[Klaus]

That is a very nice and creepy pic. Actually, I would have been happy if they had designed Quicklings like that. The only problem I see with that design is that it is too similar to a pixie. Casual gamers are going to have a hard time distinguishing between one type of tiny winged elf from another.

This got my wheels turning, so I quickly sketched out some pics of what a quickling would look like in motion. The awkward body lends itself towards a creature that is meant to be in constant motion, one that needs to run. I like the idea of a quickling feeling uncomfortable when walking or standing. Those big claws would also be highly useful for sudden turns at high speeds. It could dig into the ground for sharp turns or stop suddenly by using its claws.

I also think the strange leg anatomy makes sense. The quickling would need to sleep “standing up” by sitting on its own legs. That means, even while sleeping, it would be ready to go at a moments notice. Something like this:

Very nice kinetic representation in the first two pics, man! Love it!

The only change I'd make is in the 2nd picture. The bent leg should be leaning parallel to the extended leg, like a baseball player sliding for the base.

 

[Traycor]

The only change I'd make is in the 2nd picture. The bent leg should be leaning parallel to the extended leg, like a baseball player sliding for the base.

Nah! I wanted the feel that it is about to step out in another direction. Lightning fast turns and all that.

I appreciate the critiques though! Always welcome.

 

[BarkingDeathSquirrel]

My only memory of Quicklings comes from one of the old TSR golden box computer games (maybe Pool of Radiance? Once you were out in the wilderness?) Only fought them once or twice, but they had ridiculous movement (characters could move 12 spaces unencumbered, 6 in plate, or 3 if fully encumbered; they dudes moved at like 48!) and they moved so fast they were invisible when the moved. Which, in terms of a turn-based video game, meant nothing since I couldn't do anything to them when they moved anyway. Being small and pixely, I have no concept of what they were meant to look like.

Other than that, they were like goblins: hit very weakly, didn't have many hitpoints. They attacked in a huge swarm, but were easily killed (in those games, fighter types could Sweep smaller opponents, pretty much doing a whirlwind attack against 1 creature per level), so the fight lasted like 3-4 turns: 1) they all moved in and did crap damage, 2-3) my party killed 3/4s of them, 4) they all fled (so quickly they made it off the board, no problem).

Good times, good times.

Yep, they were a random encounter in Pool of Radiance in the wilderness area. That's the first (and only) time I've ever seen them in a DnD game. Incidentally... that game was also my first exposure to DnD. Fond memories.

I'm liking the more "alien"'ish appearance of the fey.

 

[Traycor]

What the heck is a Quickling? Sounds like some ultra-obscure monster who nobody uses at all. And that little goblin-freak with big feet doesn't look that much more interesting either.

There is a quickling character in the novel Sojorn about Drizzt. He was more annoying than anything so I'm glad about the switch in portrayal.

 

[Wolfspider]

There is a quickling character in the novel Sojorn about Drizzt. He was more annoying than anything so I'm glad about the switch in portrayal.

The problem here is not quicklings as such but the way that one is portrayed in the novel. They shouldn't be merely annoying. They should be dangerous and deadly, which is always how I've portrayed them in my games. My players hate and fear quicklings more than they do most demons.

 

[Traycor]

Here's an image from the Sojourn comic showing what the Quickling looked like in 1E