PDA

View Full Version : On Windblade anatomy...



Nonanonymous
2008-05-04, 01:15 AM
For those of you who haven't read the Monster Manual IV, Windblades are flying outsiders created by Eyrnithuul, king of spelling and slaughter, that inhabit Pandemonium. And they look like this: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mm4_gallery/98732.jpg

Go on and take a good look at that, and then move on to my question.

How the heck does it throw the spears at you? How does it even manipulate tools in the first place so that it can fashion them? I mean, A)They have no thumbs, and B)Their elbows bend in the wrong direction to be used easily for things like that.

Nebo_
2008-05-04, 01:18 AM
Obviously the artist didn't take that into account when he drew the picture. The picture is wrong, not the text.

wodan46
2008-05-04, 01:24 AM
A wizard did it. I also suspect that they don't so much throw the spears so much as build velocity via flight and then release the spears.

Swooper
2008-05-04, 06:35 AM
I'm beginning to see why people think the MMIV is bad. That is one of the dumbest looking monsters I have seen. :smalleek: Yes, that includes the Duckbunny.

shadow_archmagi
2008-05-04, 07:41 AM
For those of you who haven't read the Monster Manual IV, Windblades are flying outsiders created by Eyrnithuul, king of spelling and slaughter, that inhabit Pandemonium. And they look like this: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mm4_gallery/98732.jpg

Go on and take a good look at that, and then move on to my question.

How the heck does it throw the spears at you? How does it even manipulate tools in the first place so that it can fashion them? I mean, A)They have no thumbs, and B)Their elbows bend in the wrong direction to be used easily for things like that.

Its double jointed and uses its tail in combination with both arms.

Starbuck_II
2008-05-04, 08:38 AM
Its double jointed and uses its tail in combination with both arms.

Actually, it looks more like the feet are prehensile and can be used to grab stuff as hands. Look how it curls up the feet.

Maxymiuk
2008-05-04, 09:15 AM
Actually, it looks more like the feet are prehensile and can be used to grab stuff as hands. Look how it curls up the feet.

Doesn't change the fact that it lacks anything resembling an opposable thumb. Two parallel digits isn't what I'd call an ideal tool for manipulating objects.

wodan46
2008-05-04, 11:28 AM
Its also worth noting that with all this talk about holding the spears, there is no way this creature could even fly, its wings are too big and its body is too dense

EvilElitest
2008-05-04, 11:32 AM
I'm beginning to see why people think the MMIV is bad. That is one of the dumbest looking monsters I have seen. :smalleek: Yes, that includes the Duckbunny.

What do people think of the fourth MM. I found it to be somewhat disappointing
from
EE

Mewtarthio
2008-05-04, 12:09 PM
Its also worth noting that with all this talk about holding the spears, there is no way this creature could even fly, its wings are too big and its body is too dense

Same's true with dragons. We just let that slide via suspension of disbelief. It's easy to imagine: The creature flaps its wings and moves through the air. The Windblade's ability to use spears is what's important. I can't even picture it throwing those things. I guess it could painfully fold its wings back and sorta grasp one, but throwing it is out of the question.

Nonanonymous
2008-05-04, 12:41 PM
Its also worth noting that with all this talk about holding the spears, there is no way this creature could even fly, its wings are too big and its body is too dense

...Flight bladders?

Swooper
2008-05-04, 01:05 PM
Its also worth noting that with all this talk about holding the spears, there is no way this creature could even fly, its wings are too big and its body is too dense
Are you looking at the same picture? It's wings are tiny, wussy membranes in it's armpits! I can't even see how this thing could float in water, much less fly! It's got the aerodynamics of a brick wall! :smalleek:

And how does it put on the chainshirt it's wearing? I can't see how it would get it's wings/arms through the holes. It would need the help of something with thumbs to do it as well.

I don't know who designed or drew this monster, but I'm pissed at them both for being idiots :smallannoyed:

Edit: Also, it's got lipstick.

EE: It's a general consensus that the inverse Star Trek Law applies to Monster Manuals, so, the odd-numbered ones are good and the even-numbered ones are bad. There's of course a few good monsters in the bad ones and vice versa, but that's the average. Actually, with monsters like that in the MMIV, I think there must be something absolutely brilliant to bring the avarage back up to just 'bad'. Am I rambling? Sorry, I'm done now. :smallsigh:

EvilElitest
2008-05-04, 01:29 PM
EE: It's a general consensus that the inverse Star Trek Law applies to Monster Manuals, so, the odd-numbered ones are good and the even-numbered ones are bad. There's of course a few good monsters in the bad ones and vice versa, but that's the average. Actually, with monsters like that in the MMIV, I think there must be something absolutely brilliant to bring the avarage back up to just 'bad'. Am I rambling? Sorry, I'm done now.

I've never heard of that Star Treck laws actuallly, but i do know taht this monster's art is abominable. The book seemed very meh to me actually, not worth the time
from
EE

Mando Knight
2008-05-04, 02:01 PM
I've never heard of that Star Treck laws actuallly, but i do know taht this monster's art is abominable. The book seemed very meh to me actually, not worth the time
from
EE

The Trek Law states that the even-numbered Star Trek movies are good, while the odd ones are bad. Thus, the Inverse Star Trek Law would state that the odd numbered versions of a product are good/tolerable, whereas the even ones are relatively bad.

Starbuck_II
2008-05-04, 02:16 PM
Are you looking at the same picture? It's wings are tiny, wussy membranes in it's armpits! I can't even see how this thing could float in water, much less fly! It's got the aerodynamics of a brick wall! :smalleek:

Maybe it has hollow bones: thus it would be a brick wall that floats since less dense than water.




Edit: Also, it's got lipstick.

Hey Whale by-products are good for you. Second, maybe it has a hot guy it is flying toward for a date.
Even monsters need loving... they just gotta pay more.

Inyssius Tor
2008-05-04, 03:51 PM
How about this: the quiver of spears is angled forward as much as possible without them pointing directly at the creature's head. When flying, the windblade uses the hooked part of its tail to "grab" the hooked part of the spearhead, and "throws" it forward.

Presumably they live in groups of ten or more, so that there are always three or four other windblades back at the hive to help each warrior put on and take off its armor.

EDIT~ Regarding the red lips: that could be the windblade's own blood. With those teeth, you'd probably be cutting yourself with them all the time--and if Erythnul didn't make them that way on purpose (let's face it, he's not a nice guy), he probably wouldn't really care (knowing Erythnul, he probably slapped them together in an afternoon out of people he didn't much like and lost interest immediately after).

Deth Muncher
2008-05-04, 05:15 PM
Or, there's the simple fact that it lives in fecking PANDEMONIUM! Pandemonium cares even less about the laws of making sense than the rest of D&D.

EvilElitest
2008-05-04, 05:36 PM
The Trek Law states that the even-numbered Star Trek movies are good, while the odd ones are bad. Thus, the Inverse Star Trek Law would state that the odd numbered versions of a product are good/tolerable, whereas the even ones are relatively bad.

Really? I never had heard of that rule, you learn something new every day
from
EE

Greenfaun
2008-05-04, 05:56 PM
I kinda like how it looks like an alien of the Brood (http://en.marveldatabase.com/Brood) with heavy makeup on.

Otherwise, totally terrible, yes.