Bariaur climbing

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Rhys's picture
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Joined: 2004-05-11
Bariaur climbing

Over at montecook.com (You modestly well-lanned bashers will remember Monte Cook as one of the most important names behind Planescape), there's a discussion going on about centaur PCs exploring dungeons. In Cook's masterpiece of a campaign setting Ptolus (save discussion of that campaign setting for another thread), centaurs--called aram--are a fairly common PC race. But the question arises of how a centaur PC moves down a human-sized hallway, or through human-sized doors, or climbs a ladder, or climbs a rope.

Most people's answer was to buy spider climb items, or levitation potions. Monte Cook tried to explain how a centaur is still sized sufficiently to allow climbing and laddering without trouble. It'd be more awkward, but it could still do it.

I think we have sort of the same issue with bariaurs. Sure, they may be Medium as opposed to Large and we may not have half our adventures taking place in Undersigil, but eventually a bariaur has to do something like this.

So, my roundabout purpose here is this: I challenge someone at this site (and I know there are plenty of wildly talented artists banging around the place) to put forth some sketches of bariaurs engaging in surprisingly adept feats of mountaineering. Use your creativity and show us a compelling depiction of a bariaur on a ladder, or a bariaur hanging from a cliff, or a bariaur shimmying along on a rope, or a bariaur tumbling through someone's threatened area.

Clueless's picture
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Webmonkey
Joined: 2008-06-30
Bariaur climbing

An additional reward/lure!

The best of the art submitted (and horseshoes of the zephyr are fun items for a bariaur for the record)... the best of the art submitted will be up for inclusion in a re-release of The Bariaur Book of Belief.

I've updated the 2nd ed. version of the release with 3.0/3.5 material - and would love t'chance to make it spiffy and pretty to boot before I send it out the door.

Squaff's picture
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Joined: 2007-03-03
Bariaur climbing

Quote:
Cook tried to explain how a centaur is still sized sufficiently to allow climbing and laddering without trouble. It'd be more awkward, but it could still do it.

I agree, and it would be even easier for bariaur to do it. After all their home plane is Ysgard (wich is full of moutains, hills, chasms, gorges and they certanly have time to practise in childhood), and look at moutain goats they are bit smaller than bariaurs and they dont have trouble scalig it. (I apologise to every Bariaur player out there for goat exmple).

Anywas the idea seems chalenging so I´ll draw it.

One last question: is there a deadline for picture or I can take my time?

__________________

One-eyed, one-horned, flying, purple people eater says: "Monsters are nature's way for keeping XPs fresh."

Rhys's picture
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Joined: 2004-05-11
Bariaur climbing

Right. I'm not saying, "I don't think it could happen. Prove it to me." I'm saying, "Not only can a bariaur manage a ladder, but here's a picture of one showing how he does it. And here's a picture of a bariaur burglar who's hanging by his legs from a horizontal pole, upside-down, while he picks a lock on a window." I just need the picture to show non-believers.

Duster's picture
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Bariaur climbing

I've thought about it a lot because I played a bariaur for a long time, but came only with a handful of ideas.

Bariaur scaling walls as a thief would use a rope and a pulley combined with backpack and saddle, because he/she has extra body parts, so she could have a complete crank mechanism for climbing through the lenght of her back(or both backs, whatever you call them).
Damn sphinxes and their wings.

Anyway, my character could have flown, levitate and has shapeshifting abilities and eventually reformed as a pixie, so I didn't have to think of another way.

I remember that I was the climb leader on Gehhena before I was fly worthy, but those mountains weren't as steep as I could remember form the beginning of the campaign all those years ago. I remember I had a hooked staff and a featherfall at ready at all times ^_^.

Akenaton's picture
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Joined: 2007-04-24
Bariaur climbing

Well, bariaurs are based on rams, and there are really very few things a ram cannot climb, so i don't see why any bariaur should have problems climbing a ladder or anything else. The only problem he could manage worse than a human shaped gentleman i think coul be climbing up or descending a "toboga shaped" vertical corridor, where you have to huse both legs and hands, or climbing a truly vertical ridge.

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Webmonkey
Joined: 2008-06-30
Bariaur climbing

I think it's less a question of if - and more a question of 'can anyone draw it?'

Narfi Ref's picture
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Joined: 2004-09-09
Bariaur climbing

'Akenaton' wrote:
Well, bariaurs are based on rams...

Actually, I think they are based on goats, not sheep. I don't remember bariaurs being described as being particularly wooly, and goats are craftier and more ornery than sheep which I think suits the typical bariaur personality better.

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Webmonkey
Joined: 2008-06-30
Bariaur climbing

It's goats.

Duster's picture
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Bariaur climbing

Here's a picture from your friendly neighborhood artist Philip AKA Squaff here.
I've got this one lying around for a couple of weeks but I hadn't found the time to scan it because of important exams.
Sorry for late art introduction, there are more to come.


Her name is Zylfe and she's a sister of Trysa from "Cinderhouse Passangers" campaign thread.

I hope you like it, a picture was too big for my scanner and I haven't photoshop cleaned it too much.

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Webmonkey
Joined: 2008-06-30
Bariaur climbing

*GIGGLE*
Oh that's *great*!! I love her. (Permission to adopt for use in the Bariaur Book of Belief?)

Duster's picture
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Joined: 2006-06-14
Bariaur climbing

I'll try to get a better scan tomorrow, or I'll just try to scan it twice and merge it.

You'll have to ask Squaff for permission.

I'm glad you like it.
I'll post a lot of art in the coming days as I've got some free time on my hands befor I go to seaside in a few weeks.

Squaff's picture
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Joined: 2007-03-03
Bariaur climbing

Quote:
You'll have to ask Squaff for permission.
Premission granted. Smiling

Anyways I had one other idea for Bariaur picture, who shows how to defeat gigants without aid of magic in 6 easy steps:

1. First find gigant resting on the meadow,
2. Then bulild fence in the meadow so the gigant could see it,
3. Gather as many bariaurs you can find, (qucker the better).
4. Let the bariaurs start jumping over the fence
5. This pastoral scene will relax the gigant and he will begin snoozin.
6. Beat the crap out of gigant.

__________________

One-eyed, one-horned, flying, purple people eater says: "Monsters are nature's way for keeping XPs fresh."

Iavas's picture
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Joined: 2006-07-12
Bariaur climbing

Wow... the artwork above is simply amazing. My only critique would be that the front legs are bending the wrong way.

My take on a bariaur climbing a ladder ended up in a very similar pose, but not intentionally. I wasn't trying to copy or compete or anything, but there are only so many ways to get a bariaur on a ladder. Anyway, I would really like some suggestions, particularly on the face and hands, before finishing that basher up. For lack of better ideas, he'll be stealing a cake, maybe even forty, from a window in Sigil. It'll be terrible.

Squaff's picture
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Bariaur climbing

Quote:
My only critique would be that the front legs are bending the wrong way.

Critique is noted and accepted.
After all, I did draw her body from my mind, without any reference to goat anatomy. :oops:

__________________

One-eyed, one-horned, flying, purple people eater says: "Monsters are nature's way for keeping XPs fresh."

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