Monsterous Mimics

This month, we are going to be jumping into the wild world of monsters and going back to the roots of Dungeons and Dragons. While this is just an excuse to paint all my monstrous minis, I also want to pay homage to the more straightforward monsters—those who are just trying to survive without complex backstories or roleplay. The minis for September will simply want to kill and potentially eat adventurers. Therefore, we will be talking about the lairs of these monsters and where you might find them.

First up for this month is the humble mimic. See that table over there? Mimic. Why's that barrel got teeth? Mimic. What's the problem with this door? Mimic. Why can't the players make it to the end of the dungeon? Because they're afraid of mimics. The mimic can be anything, from barrel to chest to an entire house in some cases. Hungry, with sticky pseudopods and made as a natural trap for greedy adventurers, mimics provide a fun alternative to traps defending loot or acting as bait. Some creatures inspired by, and great when paired with, mimics include the fake stalactite of a roper, the good ole animated sword, and even the rug of smothering. Each of these is a lovely guardian for an abandoned wizard's tower or the home of a wealthy noble.

Can you count how many mimics are in the above picture? That’s right, they’re all mimics!