A few weeks ago I purchased Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen videogame by Capcom. I haven’t had much time to play the game as yet, but what I have played makes me think its the best interpretation of D&D on console I have come across. One of the most impressive facets of the game is the design of some of the boss monsters.
The first video released for Dragon’s Dogma was a battle with the Chimera monster (a fantasy staple you could say). What was interesting about the design of this boss was how the individual parts of the monster not only acted independently, but also could be taken out independently.
The above image is the Dragon's Dogma Chimera. The Gorechimera is a variant (much tougher) all black Chimera with additional powers.
This seemed a much more interesting design than the current Monster Manual 1 version of the Chimera (a Level 15 Elite Brute). Each ‘segment’ of the monster could have its own unique role (Controller for the Serpentine Segment, Artillery for the Goat Segment and Brute for the Leonine Segment). Of course this being Eternity Publishing, I would always prefer an epic version – readily provided in the game with the dangerous Gorechimera.
So that inspired me to create a Chimera based on those principals. To take the design a stage further I envisioned that defeating certain segments of the boss in a particular order may change up its attacks…which, sometime later glancing around the Chimera/Gorechimera details on the Dragon’s Dogma wiki page is exactly how its designed in the game.
Another feature of the boss monster’s in Dragon’s Dogma is that you can climb onto them to deal damage to specific weak points. This was something I already have in the Vampire Bestiary with certain bosses, so its worth maintaining here.
Choosing the monster’s level, I decided upon 21st. With the Lion acting as solo monster base, the goat head and snake heads as elite additions. It may have worked as three Elite sections but I think that would be a bit flimsy at epic level and in the game itself the Lion seems to have three times the health of either the goat and snake sections (for the Chimera at least – I am not yet far enough into the game to have encountered the Gorechimera). The order you destroy the various parts impacts how tough the monster is. To protect it against area effect spells, I gave it a variety of resistances.
Incidentally, there is a monster from Hindu mythology called the Navagunjara that might show up in the Vampire Bestiary: Temple of Death which is vaguely Chimera-like and this might serve as a test bed for some of its mechanics.
Hope you enjoy.
Eternity Publishing 
William
August 26, 2020
I would like to purchase a hardcover copy of The Immortal’s Handbook:Epic Bestiary. I know the stores are all sold out, but I was hoping you personally had a spare you would be willing to sell. If you have an email I can reach you at, I can discuss this in better detail that way.
Always a fan of your material. I had a copy, but mine was destroyed in a unnatural disaster several years ago. I have the pdf, but I’ve always preferred physical books. Anyway, thanks and keep up the good work. 🙂
Upper_Krust
August 26, 2020
Hey William, I only have a few copies left myself. I know they go for crazy money on the internet. If you want to email me agooddesigner@hotmail.com we can maybe sort something out though. This will probably be the only time I do this though.
William
November 10, 2020
I hear rumors of a new book for 3.5.
If this is true, count me in.
…and thanks again for the book.
Excellent craftsmanship. 🙂
Upper_Krust
November 10, 2020
Hey William,
there is a new book coming. Originally that was going to be 3.5E; however, my ability to design for 3.5 (particularly epic material) has been sufficiently diminished over the years to the point that I just don’t think I can do it to any kind of standard. So I have switched over to the much more design friendly 5th Edition. But I will be providing basic conversion notes (for all editions of D&D) in an appendix in the book. In addition, I imagine some of the guys on the forums will convert over the new monsters.
So apologies for getting hopes up on new 3.5E epic material, but I hope people will still enjoy the new book and if not, I will understand.
William
November 10, 2020
5E is easy to convert. 🙂
William
December 18, 2020
What’s the latest news?
What are your current and future plans for monster creation?
Upper_Krust
December 18, 2020
Howdy William,
work is proceeding along. This past week I have been supervising the artwork for the new book (basically I draw it in my average way and then I get the proper artist to draw it up really good). So the artwork only started last weekend but already we have three pieces finished!
I will show at least one of these on the ENWorld website before Christmas. I sort of don’t want to give too much away about the book just yet because its still so early in development.
When I get a chance I’ll also cook up the cover (I have the thumbnail for what I want but I generally do my layout sketches 50% size) for another great artist who is doing that.
I’ll also have a full update of progress in January. My aim by mid January is to have approx. 50% of the book written (might be slightly optimistic but good to set these targets).
William
August 12, 2021
What’s the latest news. 🙂
Currently getting back into AD&D 2E. Using Faiths & Avatars as a basis for demigods. Tossing in d20s for Hit Dice, Epic Bestiary damage by size, and a couple very minor (mostly thematic) tweaks.
How would you do deities if using Faiths & Avatars as a basis?
Upper_Krust
August 13, 2021
Hi William, work was progressing great up until the end of May. My girlfriend was diagnosed with double cancer and a brain aneurysm. Sadly she lost her battle last week and right now I am just about mentally hanging on – I can’t begin to describe how heartbroken I am buddy. It will take a while for me to get over this and back on track with things but I will get back to writing as soon as I am able.
William
August 14, 2021
You have my sympathies. I can’t even begin to imagine what you must be going through.
Upper_Krust
August 15, 2021
Its been a nightmare. But I’ll get through it eventually buddy.
William
August 16, 2021
Take as much time as you need. Your fans and friends will all be here. Many of us lurk eternally on enworld, on this site (and likely many others), checking in every so often.
I personally check every couple of weeks. Mostly on Enworld. I have no account there, but I read people’s creations. A lot of interesting stuff is posted there.
You pretty much redefined epic and divinity for a lot of people. Epic and divine creativity of your caliber is not too common. I see bits of it in older works by others too, but most people give up the moment they get started.
(((NB:ArchMagic by Mayfair Games for AD&D was a great example of this…epic stats above 25. Death himself had an appearance in that book…Strength 30, Constitution 50, Intelligence 40, and Wisdom of 40, etc.. Spells of up to 15th level, etc..)))
They come up with the beginnings of an idea, then think nobody will be interested, so they kind of let it fizzle out. …or they get brick walled by financial backers or naysayers.
You never truly give up. It’s one of the things I think a lot of people respect about you. You put your ideas out there and are incredibly polite about it. Giving people time to mull them over.
Even when an idea doesn’t pan out, you come back with something ten times better. You even manage to get people who can’t stand each other to come together in support of your ideas.
All in all, you do excellent work and add a touch of humanity to your divine works.
Upper_Krust
August 16, 2021
Hi William,
I’ll have to take some time because my head is a dark place at the moment.
I think people will like the next book. Its a bestiary, but has rules for lots of interesting stuff including the bare bones of Immortal PC’s, an epic spell system and several other ideas.
I should thank the people who post on my ENWorld forum. They have kept that alive while I was off trying my hand at other things.
I recall some of the 80’s Greyhawk stuff had stats up to 26 (instead of 25) and talk of epic spells.
I dunno about never giving up. Real life got in the way and I have wasted many years doing other things (although the past 4 years with my girlfriend had been the happiest of my life up until this tragedy robbed me of her).
But I will get back to the writing properly as soon as I am able. I have been reading some reference books and making notes just to distract myself and try to get back into the swing of things.
Thanks for the kind words William.
William
August 18, 2021
Your friends and fans will always think highly of you. You have a habit of being very polite and thoughtful. Most people appreciate that, even socially inept oddballs like myself. Your only real flaw is being easily distracted. Though that’s not uncommon amongst the creative.
I did some research and couldn’t find stats above 25 in any of my Greyhawk books. I know I don’t have all the books yet, so I guess it’s in something I’ve not seen yet. Do you remember which book it was? I don’t really need it, just curious.
Finding forgotten lore is fun.
Upper_Krust
August 18, 2021
Hey William,
I just try to treat people with a bit of courtesy and respect.
I am easily distracted, that’s true. It does impact my output.
The stats were in the World of Greyhawk boxed set, the Glossography book which had the god stats. Boccob is listed as Intelligence 26. I thought there were a handful with stats into the 26, but a quick glance only shows Boccob. Perhaps I misremembered or was thinking about the numerous +6 weapons the gods in that section have.
William
August 18, 2021
Baccob having a 26 Intelligence, Thor having a 26 Strength (well…technically listed as 25 and Special because of artifacts), and probably at least a few others scattered throughout various books tells me that at least a few designers thought the cap of 25 was a bit too confining.
I have notes that let me use stats up to 40 so far. I might make full tables that go up to 50 in the future. Though at around 30 or so you start to see less and less benefits from high stats. …but that makes sense considering that the game was only designed to handle so much Phenomenal Cosmic Power, and is more or less an itty-bitty living space for deities.
In truth, only demigods are really playable in AD&D 2E and even then only barely.
Upper_Krust
August 19, 2021
Hi William,
Yes there were a few outliers on the Deities & Demigods/Legends & Lore book as you note.
You could say Magni and Atlas also had greater than 25 strength although mechanically nothing is mentioned.
I got away with playing a Lesser God in AD&D albeit we were mostly Demigod level when playing as a small group of 2-3 and before that Quasi-deities playing with 3-4.
In 5E I will likely treat the Score of 30 as a hard cap but with cosmic/transcendental (etc.) abilities that let you bend certain rules. I do have divinity multipliers for HP & DMG though. So Greater Gods (for instance) would not be doing +10 damage.
William
August 20, 2021
Would you ever be interested in doing a conversion of Ascension for AD&D 2E? Not as a whole book, obviously, but as a basic set of conversion notes on your website? I can imagine a lot of older gamers would probably find it interesting.
What kinds of challenges did you have for a lesser deity when you played?
Upper_Krust
August 20, 2021
Hey William,
I am planning to have conversion notes for 1st, 3rd & 4th at the back of this current book.
A few years ago I contemplated doing a book for 1st (AD&D) which would have been basically all my epic monsters (or at least a few hundred). The beauty of 1st is just the simplicity of the design.
5E is itself fairly simple but even the weaker monsters require 1 page worth of space whereas the AD&D Monster Manual would have 4 monsters per page (typically) and Deities & Demigods/Legends & Lore uses the same format. So you could probably detail 100 monsters in 32 pages or so. Making a 96 page book contain a lot.
The flip-side is you need more art (I dislike having no illustration for an entry) but the art is printed smaller and therefore a more graphic style works. So I might be able to get away with doing the art myself.
As regards the challenges for my Lesser Deity. Off the top of my head: 1) Other gods: Druaga was a major adversary for a while, Hel (norse goddess) became a big player, the Moorcock Sword Gods had started being involved. 2) Demon Princes (often boosted like Graz’zt who conquered the Abyss and became a Greater Power) and Archdevils (or at least Tiamat). 3) Powerful Mortals – assassins with vorpal axes and units of Level 20 fighters. 4) Even more powerful Aliens – such as the Level 500 Psionic Wizard Doomstar…although I allied with him, very dangerous character. 5) Big Dragons – The Dread Linnorm from the Dragon Article was the vanguard of a portal Hel had opened, Another Drgaon was a gigantic Red Dragon – Dragon magazine had another article about making monsters 10 times bigger. 6) Alien Monsters – somewhat like the Draeden/Cogent.
I am sure there were tons more I can’t recall off the top of my head.
Also remember half the ‘god’ adventures at the time were using worshippers rather than the deity characters themselves – so lots of regular adventures using mid-level or high-level servants.
William
August 20, 2021
Fascinating stuff. I imagine a lot of that could TPK a group fairly easily. I especially like the bit about the assassins. Scary stuff.
Upper_Krust
August 20, 2021
Hi William,
my character was kinda tough. 😉
The assassins thing only worked (as a threat) because of the way AD&D has its own ‘bounded accuracy’ with various caps to things. Being Level 100 is not much better than Level 20.
The Assassin only hit my character on a 19-20 but with a vorpal axe that would have been a one-hit kill of course.
William
August 21, 2021
This is why it pays to regenerate like a tarrasque or be an elder lich (kinda like a demilich, but with death knight, ghost, lich, reaper, and other abilities tossed in for fun) or both. Headloss ceases to be a problem. +6 or better Entropic Holy Avengers of Disruption on the other hand. Those can be nasty even if you are an unholy terror.
I tend to play Bob, The Lich types. Super spooky, but works in a pet store that sells monsters. The current one lives in a haunted castle in Sigil. The Dabus keep him on a short leash and use him for dangerous missions. If he messes up, he’ll get permanently booted out of Sigil…or worse. He has a lot of enemies beyond Sigil.
How did psionic wizardry function? That sounds interesting too.
Upper_Krust
August 21, 2021
Hey William,
I wouldn’t let simple Regeneration defeat decapitation. But there could be some kind of cosmic regeneration that could; as well as perhaps supernatural abilities that might let your limbs still function (including severed head) after dismemberment.
Well with a Lich you always have the Phylactery back-up, in case of death. Of course that will have to be well hidden.
In AD&D lots of beings (including most of the gods, demon princes and arch-devils had psionic powers in addition to their regular abilities (and class levels in the case of gods). So psionic ability was not a class as it is nowadays. If a character was a 100th-level wizard or whatever, then they would be extremely vulnerable to Anti-Magic. So having Psionic powers was a way to circumnavigate that extreme vulnerability.
William
August 21, 2021
I rather like the idea of a psionic wizard. Reminds me of various sci-fi/fantasy novels.
Upper_Krust
August 21, 2021
Howdy William,
well given the Spelljammer connection to Psionics its clear TSR always thought it had something of a Sci-fi slant.
William
August 23, 2021
Spelljammer was loads of fun back in the day. Some of the monsters were beyond epic in scale. They even had sentient galaxies and other interesting horrors. D&D needs more sci fi.
Upper_Krust
August 23, 2021
Hey William,
The higher in power you ascend the more sci-fi and fantasy become indistinguishable.
…sentient galaxies…I think we can go bigger than that. 😉
William
December 10, 2021
Just dropping by to see how things are going and find out what’s new. 🙂
Upper_Krust
December 10, 2021
Hi William,
starting to get over my personal tragedy of earlier this year and get back into completing this new book. So its just going to be a few more months. This book has a lot more pages than before and crazily I have changed things more than once.
This book will have full deity rules for 5E; full epic rules; Mega Monster rules plus a massive bestiary as well. Hopefully people will like it.
William
December 12, 2021
You’re doing far better than I would under such circumstances. I admire your courage and tenacity.
I imagine many people will like your new
book. I look forward to ordering a copy once its available. 🙂
Upper_Krust
December 12, 2021
Hey William, just doing my best in bad circumstances amigo.
I appreciate the support. I’ll try to make this the best work I have ever done and hopefully people will enjoy it.
Upper_Krust
December 12, 2021
Meant to say I will start posting some previews when I get nearer to the release date.
William
December 12, 2021
Take as much time as you need. 🙂
Question:What was the bogeyman (3.5) going to be like? I’ve been pondering using one. Do you have a basic outline of its abilities? I could easily do a template and share it with everyone if I knew its particulars. Maybe even offer up a gloom bogeyman as an NPC for people to use in their games.
I’ m also interested in the cimerial template (Is that spelled correctly?).
Upper_Krust
December 13, 2021
Hey William,
I’ll take the time don’t worry.
The Bogeyman was an unkillable super-ghost that would just reform a few rounds after you killed it. To defeat it you actually had to unravel the mystery of why it existed. It was inspired by classic movie bogeymen like Freddie Kruger, Candyman, Jason Voorhees etc.
The Cimeriel was a Wight King who gained the powers of all the swords, spears and axes that were still embedded in his corpse.
William
December 15, 2021
Thanks. That should give me a base to work with. 🙂
William
December 25, 2021
Merry Christmas!!!
Hope you have a good one. 🙂
Upper_Krust
December 25, 2021
Hey William,
thank you buddy.
I’ll be having a quiet one this year. Just looking to get this year over with in fairness. Might get some art layouts done after I get my Xmas dinner here. Had a fun idea for some of the ‘in-between’ art in the book (ie. the chapters before the BIG Bestiary section).
William
April 5, 2022
I’m loving the Assimilate ability. My character has eff. acquired Extra Portfolio (x48) using it. As well as an assortment of other abilities. He’s a devil/fallen celestial and has taken over Hell (very discretely…letting Asmodeus retain his throne). So far all his portfolios are thematically linked to the environment and nature of Hell as well as his personal interests.
With that many portfolios, would he gain more followers…or just a greater variety of followers?
Also…how could he go about eliminating portfolio weaknesses?
Upper_Krust
April 6, 2022
Hi William,
I think with more portfolios you would have a wider base of followers BUT that you would have LESS clerics – so it would all even out.
Being a god of [something] is that beings Unique Selling Point.
When you are god of half a dozen different things then it dilutes the focus. In such cases the deity may need to ‘re-brand’ itself or create some sort of unique persona “Lord of the Five”, “Goddess of Mystery”.
The whole point of Portfolio weaknesses is that you cannot eliminate them.
William
April 7, 2022
That makes sense. Less clerics due to a less focused priesthood.
Personally, I’d allow for portfolio weakness elimination. I’d have it cost a cosmic. If a cosmic can give you scaling abilities, then a cosmic should, in theory, be able to eliminate scaling weaknesses. It shouldn’t be too game breaking.
William
April 15, 2022
Quick questions…What’s the connection between Cthulhu and the Maskim (Ancient Ones), Maskim Xul, etc.?
Is Cthulhu a former Maskim?
If so, how far has he deviated from his origins?
I ask because I noticed him mentioned under the Maskim entry as being one of them. I had to dig into a bit of Lovecraftian lore just to see where the reference may have come from, but still didn’t learn much at all.
With the right flavor text, Cthulhu could be rewritten as a former Maskim easily. One could just add the epic pseudonatural template or illithid type abilities.
Upper_Krust
April 15, 2022
Hey William,
the name Ktulu is one of the listed names of the Maskim – presumably where H.P.Lovecraft got the name from in the first place.
Whether Ktulu and Cthulhu are the same being or somehow linked is something I will likely touch upon in this upcoming book. 😉
Cthulhu (in my estimation) would be much more powerful than a single Maskim though. I don’t want to give too much away but some of this will be explained in the new book.
William
July 15, 2022
It’s been a while. Was moving. Same city, same life, new place. Just thought I’d pop on and see what’s new.
Also have a question regarding immortal level epic magic and residual effects.
The Scenario: Through various gamebreaking shenanigans that are technically still legal by RAW my character cast a series of evil enchantments at a caster level of 1,447 in an effort to create an artifact. The procedure was lengthy and fortunately not interrupted.
The Question: What sort of effect would black magic of that magnitude have on the environment (it’s a volcanic island in an immense saltwater lake near the ocean).
Would it just kill everything or would there be a new Hellscape or just mutated animal and plant life? The magics were mostly of the conjuration and transmutation sort.
Upper_Krust
July 16, 2022
Hey William,
progress on the new book is at my usual pace (ie. slow but steady). I’m in the process of adding a new Chapter (The Kosmos) with lots of lovely colour art. The book is taking time because of my current work situation but I am planning to remedy that in about 6-8 weeks and make some serious progress.
As regards your black magic spellcasting, my rough guess would be that the area of effect would encompass something akin to a multi-megaton level event. So you could take that sort of area and basically do anything within it – mutate, destroy, plane shift, reverse gravity etc. Basically anything along the lines of the artifact itself – depending on what its intended to do.
William
November 30, 2022
Moved a while back. Same city, etc.. Came to say howdy and see what’s new. 🙂
Upper_Krust
December 1, 2022
Hey there William,
hope you are keeping well my friend?
Work is progressing on the new Immortal’s Handbook, or handbooks I should say since I have split the work into two books. “Immortal’s Handbook: GODS” & “Immortals Handbook: MONSTERS”. I have this annoying tendency to add a new page for every two I write, so the work is shaping up to be about two 280+ page books or thereabouts. Which is completely crazy.
Once I get things to the point where I see the finish line within a month or two I will ramp up my exposure on the book and start posting serious previews.
Everything is going great, the art is fantastic. Its just all taking a darn long time, my fault, but it is what it is.
Sometime in January I plan to show the current progress (via video showing thumbnails of the pages) so people don’t think I am stringing them along.