Underrated D&D webcomics

[CowardlyPaladin]

I wanted to highlight some underrated comics, but if i went with all webcomics, the list would be absurd. I really feel like reading some D&D based webcomics, so here are three that really need love. Obviously none of these are as good as OOTS or Goblins, but these are still all worth reading. I am not including any webcomics that can be found on this sight.

Darken (http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=20031216)

A D&D adventure from the perspective of the protagonists, who spend their time fighting against either other bigger evil things, or petty good guys. The art starts out poor and gets....slightly less poor. The world building is intriguing but sadly unexplored, the plot is kinda confusing, but the dialogue and most importantly the characters are fantastic. You really come to love the main bunch, which includes a Yuan-ti Pureblood Rogue, a Drow fighter (who is basically a massive nerd), a half Dragon Cleric, a Demon Touched Blackguard, A werebear fighter and a human aristocrat. It is really worth reading.


Nahast the Land of Fate (http://nahast.spiderforest.com/archive.php?comic_id=0)

Set in a Japanese/Chinese setting, this story honestly really reminds me of Goblins. I don't know why. Anyways, it follows a Samurai who is trying to start up an all female military unit, which is ironically exactly what one of my players is doing. Extremely interesting character dynamics. Unlike all of the other examples, this is a straight drama, and is honestly really low key, the entire story feels like what it would be like to live in a D&D world. Art starts out Medocre and eventually gets to become....ok. But the writing is really top notch

Prime of Ambition (http://jaadrih.comicgenesis.com/d/20060107.html)
Well draw, nice presentation, and good set up but....kinda forgettable as the main character is a bit...Perfect? Still worth checking out

Drowtales
Extremely pretty to read, but I honestly have no idea what is going on. I would link it but the sight keeps changing every day or so and their seem to be two seperate stories going on....CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE EXPLAIN THE MADNESS TO ME. GAHHHHh


Our little Adventure (http://danielscreations.com/ola/comics/first.html)

An OOTS inspired work which I think is fantastic, quite frankly on par with OOTS and Goblins in terms of quality. While not as funny as the former or as clever as the latter, OLA is told in a similar but distinct style to OOTS in an extremely interesting Dragonlance esc Fantasy world. In fact, my only major criticism is that their isn't more information on the world. I love the way it portrays the AL system and how people would realistically act in a D&D world. Also, it is the only one of these that actually feels like somebody is writing down their D&D games.


Does anybody else know any good D&D based becomics.

[Fates]

Hmm...I'm not sure if it counts, and frankly I'm somewhat embarrassed for liking it, but Virtually Comics' Character Development (http://virtuallycomics.com/cdcurrent.htm), a playmobil-comic, is strangely intriguing to me. The plotline is really convoluted and quite ridiculous after a while and there is a not-unsubstantial amount of raunchy sex wacky shenanigans, but it's actually really hilarious at times.

EDIT: Oh, and by the by, Darken really is excellent (I've read it thrice, I believe). I have to respectfully disagree on OLA- it's not bad; it's got some shining moments from time to time and I still keep up with it, but frankly the fourth-wall breaking is too frequent and blunt for me to really delve into it thoroughly, and half the time I feel like the punchlines are...well, lacking their punch. Still worth a look, but definitely not on par with OOTS or Goblins in my opinion.

[The Walrus]

DM of the Rings (http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=612) by Shamus Young is really good. Although I wouldn't say it's underrated, it is D&D based. The premise is that Lord of the Rings is run as a D&D campaign, entailing a ton of railroading and exposition. Naturally, the players go off the rails and make a mockery out of the campaign. It's told by using screencaptures from the Lord of the Rings movies, rather than original art, but this doesn't detract from the quality. Also, it's finished with 144 comics plus a few extras, so you can read all of it in one sitting.

[CRtwenty]

Yet Another Fantasy Gamer Comic (http://yafgc.net/) is one of my favorites. Personally I think it's what Goblins initially attempted to be, a slice of life comic based around the monsters in a giant dungeon complex.

Dungeons and Dorks (http://dndorks.com/) was another one that I used to follow. The first few story arcs are pretty good, but then writers and artists started dropping out and it became incomprehensible to me. If you start at the beginning though you should get some enjoyment out of it.

[Ravens_cry]

Another Gaming Comic (http://agc.deskslave.org/)* is literally a D&D comic, a group of players playing D&D, though it's a real mishmash of rules.
Unlike many, it doesn't indulge much in putting the characters in costumes in costumes and showing the action visually. Nope, it actually plays out basically as if you were watching a bunch of players play D&D, with only occasional illustrations of the actions for clarity. Since the players are playing characters who really are not them, including cross play, this is probably for the best.
The art is, to be charitable, terrible, but it does the job, and it's extremely text heavy, but the characters and situations are interesting nonetheless.
*Not to be confused with Yet Another Fantasy Gamer Comic.

[Fion MacCumhail]

Drowtales
Extremely pretty to read, but I honestly have no idea what is going on. I would link it but the sight keeps changing every day or so and their seem to be two seperate stories going on....CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE EXPLAIN THE MADNESS TO ME. GAHHHHh

here's a suitable link (http://drowtales.com/mainarchive.php).
Drowtales has the main comic "Moonless Age", two drawn games, "Relic Hunters" and "Path to Power", the latter of which you can participate in for free, and a number of Daydream stories, where naughty stuff happens.

also, "Nahast: Lands of Strife" incorporates some mexican culture as well if i recall correctly.

[Anteros]

I slogged through Darken recently. The first half was good...the second half I spent wanting terrible things to happen to the terrible, unlikable people I was reading about.

The only likable characters in the whole thing were generic rogue guy and some of the antagonists. Also...the plot..."let's go on an epic quest to find 3 ancient articacts! What's that? We found 2 of them by complete coincidence through no effort or merit of our own? Ok!"

That's some fine storytelling there.

[Ravens_cry]

The comic thread for DrowTales isn't called 'The Infodump' for nothing, and very little of the world interested me, so I literally never got into it. The only part I found fascinating was that humans were apparently a type of goblin in that universe. Too bad, it had quite good art, better than many, much more beloved comics.

[CRtwenty]

I wouldn't call it "underrated" by any means, but I've got to give a shout out to Nodwick (http://comic.nodwick.com/) here. It's about as D&D as it gets, and was one of my favorite Dragon magazine comics. The author also does a comic called "Full Frontal Nerdity" on the same site that is also good.

[Ravens_cry]

I wouldn't call it "underrated" by any means, but I've got to give a shout out to Nodwick (http://comic.nodwick.com/) here. It's about as D&D as it gets, and was one of my favorite Dragon magazine comics. The author also does a comic called "Full Frontal Nerdity" on the same site that is also good.
Sadly, the former is over now.
Hench on, little big nosed buddy.
Hench on.
Still worth a read going through the archives I agree.

[Spuddles]

Another Gaming Comic is great. It has the added bonus of slavishly following the 3.5 rules, unlike other D&D comics which have moved further and further away from an external rule set.

[Fates]

Anyone got any others? I already know every comic mentioned thus far. :smallbiggrin:

[CowardlyPaladin]

here's a suitable link (http://drowtales.com/mainarchive.php).
Drowtales has the main comic "Moonless Age", two drawn games, "Relic Hunters" and "Path to Power", the latter of which you can participate in for free, and a number of Daydream stories, where naughty stuff happens.

also, "Nahast: Lands of Strife" incorporates some mexican culture as well if i recall correctly.

Ok, but isn't their an original story and a reboot story?

Also I think the Elves are Mexican, at least the wood elves are, the sea elves seem vaugly indian, and the humans are Chinese/Japanese. I'm not sure what the dwarves are

[Fion MacCumhail]

Ok, but isn't their an original story and a reboot story?

well, most of chapters 1-12 of "Moonless Age" got rewritten and redrawn. the old versions are pretty much gone, though. only some pages can be found via search engine or people who downloaded them in time.

edit: or are you referring to the parts of the story that happen before and after the time skip?

[Komodo]

Shoutout and love to Dungeons & Denizens. (http://dungeond.com/2005/08/23/08232005/) This one is a gem, in my opinion. The comic focuses on Min the Minotaur as he takes on a tech support job for a dungeon that treats the occasional raid by heroes as a business. The comic's story is disjointed at best; I can never tell if the author genuinely believes he has some sort of narrative goal in mind or if he's feebly attempting to con me into believing that he's really planned everything out. For all that, though, the art is very nice, the characters are well defined, and the whole thing's just so lighthearted and reveling in its silliness that I just can't help but like it. Probably not for everyone, but certainly worth a look.

[CowardlyPaladin]

God damn, is their like a guide book to Drowtales, so I can understand what is going on? This would be so much easier if it wasn't for the god forsaken overly complicated names. I keep forgetting who everybody is in this comic

[Fion MacCumhail]

the wiki (http://wiki.drowtales.com/index.php/Main_Page)
the questions and worldsetting forum (http://forums.drowtales.com/viewforum.php?f=88)

[VariaVespasa]

Another Gaming Comic (http://agc.deskslave.org/)* is literally a D&D comic, a group of players playing D&D, though it's a real mishmash of rules.
Unlike many, it doesn't indulge much in putting the characters in costumes in costumes and showing the action visually. Nope, it actually plays out basically as if you were watching a bunch of players play D&D, with only occasional illustrations of the actions for clarity. Since the players are playing characters who really are not them, including cross play, this is probably for the best.
The art is, to be charitable, terrible, but it does the job, and it's extremely text heavy, but the characters and situations are interesting nonetheless.
*Not to be confused with Yet Another Fantasy Gamer Comic.

You rat-bastard! Three damn days that archive dive took me!! And then, right at that damn moment, the guy takes a couple weeks off for writing!!! :P

[JadedDM]

Anyone got any others? I already know every comic mentioned thus far. :smallbiggrin:

Maybe...Planescape Survival Guide (http://planescapecomic.com/)?

[Swiftbow]

Maybe...Planescape Survival Guide (http://planescapecomic.com/)?

Thanks for the plug, man :) (even if it took me quite awhile to notice it!) Can it get a sweet description like these others, though? :smallwink:

(Haven't seen you on the tagboard in a while, either!)

[JadedDM]

Well, it's a comic set in the setting of Planescape. A powerful entity known as the Nothing is consuming the multiverse. The heroes consist of an adventuring party from Faerun (Forgotten Realms) and a group of planar travelers from Sigil, as well as several others (a dragon, a good beholder, an owl), and they are trying to stop the Nothing.

Also, there is a TVtropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Webcomic/PlanescapeSurvivalGuide?from=Main.PlanescapeSurviv alGuide) page.

[Starbuck_II]

Our little Adventure (http://danielscreations.com/ola/comics/first.html)

An OOTS inspired work which I think is fantastic, quite frankly on par with OOTS and Goblins in terms of quality. While not as funny as the former or as clever as the latter, OLA is told in a similar but distinct style to OOTS in an extremely interesting Dragonlance esc Fantasy world. In fact, my only major criticism is that their isn't more information on the world. I love the way it portrays the AL system and how people would realistically act in a D&D world. Also, it is the only one of these that actually feels like somebody is writing down their D&D games.

Big fan of this webcomic.


Does anybody else know any good D&D based becomics.

Murphy's Law:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=270576
From the our loveable own CoffeeIncluded on this site, it is a D&D tale about an adventuring party and the world.

I love Another Gaming Comic.

Friendship is Dragons is a 4th edition "My Little Pony" D&D webcomic.
http://friendshipisdragons.thecomicseries.com/comics/377

Rusty and Co. Mostly it starts as monster side of D&D, but now it is slowly becoming a regular D&D adventure.

[Sir Brandon]

I'd never heard of Will Save World For Gold (http://willsaveworldforgold.com/?p=18) until yesterday. I've, uh, now read it all.

It does have a tread here, which is how I found it, actually. But it's good, so...yeah. Also, it takes the piss out of 4e mechanics, so it doesn't feel like "OOTS already made that joke".

[Killer Angel]

I slogged through Darken recently. The first half was good...the second half I spent wanting terrible things to happen to the terrible, unlikable people I was reading about.

The only likable characters in the whole thing were generic rogue guy and some of the antagonists. Also...the plot..."let's go on an epic quest to find 3 ancient articacts! What's that? We found 2 of them by complete coincidence through no effort or merit of our own? Ok!"

That's some fine storytelling there.

Sometime, this happens also to standard D&D adventurers: they find things by luck.
Anyway, the art didn't impressed me, but the ending wasn't bad.

[IW Judicator]

Our little Adventure (http://danielscreations.com/ola/comics/first.html)

An OOTS inspired work which I think is fantastic, quite frankly on par with OOTS and Goblins in terms of quality. While not as funny as the former or as clever as the latter, OLA is told in a similar but distinct style to OOTS in an extremely interesting Dragonlance esc Fantasy world. In fact, my only major criticism is that their isn't more information on the world. I love the way it portrays the AL system and how people would realistically act in a D&D world. Also, it is the only one of these that actually feels like somebody is writing down their D&D games.


Just read through this one, quite enjoyable. Nothing quite as awe inspiring as OOTS or other comics, but it certainly was amusing (and amazingly consistent in virtually all departments) so I'll definitely be following. :smallsmile:

[Metahuman1]

Nahast the Land of Fate (http://nahast.spiderforest.com/archive.php?comic_id=0)



Really got into this one, can't wait for it too pick up again!

[Daremonai]

I suspect that Nahast may be dead and gone - as I recall, the last update was February 2012.

[Knaight]

Rusty and Co. Mostly it starts as monster side of D&D, but now it is slowly becoming a regular D&D adventure.

It's pretty good too (http://rustyandco.com/).

[wheelofdawn]

World of Darkness never gets any love :p

[BiblioRook]

Not as blatant of an example of a D&D comic, but I would say Pieces of Eight (http://piecesofeights.com/) certainly qualifies. It's a pirate comic (if you couldn't tell from the title) that reads like a campaign combining elements of 4th edition and Pathfinder.

[Elusivemike]

RANDOM LOVE FOR MY COMIC! WOOHOO!
Thanks, BiblioRook! And yes, it's heavily inspired by D&D/Pathfinder with a Chaotic Neutral lead.



Not as blatant of an example of a D&D comic, but I would say Pieces of Eight (http://piecesofeights.com/) certainly qualifies. It's a pirate comic (if you couldn't tell from the title) that reads like a campaign combining elements of 4th edition and Pathfinder.

[BiblioRook]

No problem, it's one of my favorites.

Talking about one of my favorites, I feel I have to give some special support to Darken (http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=20031216), from the description given it almost sounded like the poster didn't even like it very much except for certain aspects.
It is fantastic. It is honestly one of the only comics that I felt the urge to go back and reread.
Do you want to read about an all-evil party done right, this is what I use as a point of reference to that regard.

[dehro]

there's By the Book (http://bythebook.smackjeeves.com/comics/1153963/start/), said book being the adventurer's handbook

[Metahuman1]

Actually, having checked out the official facebook page for Nahast, the author has said he expects it to be back to running some time this year.

http://coyotzin.deviantart.com/art/Nahast-Pg340-428264823

I present the next Issue, now up on Facebook and Deviant Art and coming soon too the site I'm sure. =)

[Coyotzin]

Actually, having checked out the official facebook page for Nahast, the author has said he expects it to be back to running some time this year.

http://coyotzin.deviantart.com/art/Nahast-Pg340-428264823

I present the next Issue, now up on Facebook and Deviant Art and coming soon too the site I'm sure. =)

It is indeed on the site now (http://nahast.spiderforest.com/), dialogue balloons and everything :D

[2xMachina]

Sadly, AGC seems to have died/not updating in favor of other projects by the author.

[Metahuman1]

It is indeed on the site now (http://nahast.spiderforest.com/), dialogue balloons and everything :D

And I'm thrilled that it's there and that more are coming! =)

[Necromancy]

Looking for Group
www.lfgcomic.com
- loosely d&d with characters reminiscent of World of Warcraft.
The best art you can find, engaging storyline, regular updates, extremely funny.

Table Titans
www.tabletitans.com
- Similar to the old Knights of the Dinner Table where it is about a gaming group. Fairly new but promising.

[dehro]

Not sure they qualify as underrated.

[Tarqiup Inua]

I was just about to mention Nahast's revival and what do I find - someone was faster.

[CowardlyPaladin]

I recently reread Nahast, I have to say, while the art isn't stellar, I love the world they built. A mix of Japanese/Chinese and Mexican culture, you hardly see Mexican culture in fantasy period and mixing it like that is just fascinating. Does anybody who knows Mexican culture better than I have any ideas about how that would work?

[Pyra]

I'm feeling somewhat evil today, so I'm going to inflict this on the Playground:

Friendship is Dragons

http://www.friendshipisdragons.com/comics/

Given the very active MLP thread in the Media Discussions forum, I'm sure there have to be other people from here following it, but it hasn't been plugged in this thread yet.

Like Darths and Droids, the premise is that the MLP:FIM show is a D&D game, 4E in this case, and the players are the Mane Six. I've never watched the show and I'm finding it entertaining. The sum total of my MLP knowledge comes from that webcomic, basically. The comments section is a gem too - lots of D&D stories.

[CowardlyPaladin]

I'm feeling somewhat evil today, so I'm going to inflict this on the Playground:

Friendship is Dragons

http://www.friendshipisdragons.com/comics/

Given the very active MLP thread in the Media Discussions forum, I'm sure there have to be other people from here following it, but it hasn't been plugged in this thread yet.

Like Darths and Droids, the premise is that the MLP:FIM show is a D&D game, 4E in this case, and the players are the Mane Six. I've never watched the show and I'm finding it entertaining. The sum total of my MLP knowledge comes from that webcomic, basically. The comments section is a gem too - lots of D&D stories.
Could be interesting but I have never watched a Ponies thing in my life so I doubt I will get that

I want to re-recommend Our Little Adventure as well, which I think has some of the best villains I've ever seen in fantasy.

[Nevereatcars]

Grand Line 3.5 is the One Piece DnD comic, consistent MWF schedule, 566 pages long and halfway through the Baratie arc.

[ti'esar]

I want to re-recommend Our Little Adventure as well, which I think has some of the best villains I've ever seen in fantasy.

I'm not sure I'd go that far, but I definitely second the sentiment. The comic as a whole varies from good to mediocre (I strongly agree with whoever said earlier that the fourth-wall jokes need to get turned down a notch, and that it's not good with punchlines in general), but I really like what it does with villains. Even generic mooks generally get names, unique character designs, and a degree of personality that often involves caring about each other - while remaining villains all the same.

[Knaight]

Could be interesting but I have never watched a Ponies thing in my life so I doubt I will get that.

You don't need to. I gave MLP a shot, decided it wasn't for me after one episode, and never came back to it. Fourth edition was similar - I played a little of it, but I didn't particularly like it and haven't paid much attention since. I still like the comic.

[Allan Dotson]

Hey, my Critters webcomic (link in my sig, below) is an underrated D&D webcomic! It doesn't explicitly call attention to the rules, but it's inspired by 3.5 and the Savage Species rules for young monsters. Please check it out!

[CowardlyPaladin]

Really got into this one, can't wait for it too pick up again!

It came back for a bit but seems to have gone away again, which is a shame because I really want to know what happens next


On OLA, I really enjoy the fact that almost none of the evil villains see a need to kick the dog or act needlessly evil at any point, they just are like normal guys who happen to be really evil. Also I appreciate how gender neutral the cast seems.

[Metahuman1]

The author apparently lost the computer he was using to make the comic. And with it a VERY big chunk of work for the comic. So there's a delay again, but I've been given to understand it WILL be back.

[LeMooseImperium]

You don't need to. I gave MLP a shot, decided it wasn't for me after one episode, and never came back to it. Fourth edition was similar - I played a little of it, but I didn't particularly like it and haven't paid much attention since. I still like the comic.

Same here. You can find me in the comments as ChaoticNeutral4Life.

[dmmaus]

If I can be so bold as to plug my own comic, the Fantasy theme (http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/cast/fantasy.html) in Irregular Webcomic! (http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/) is very heavily inspired by D&D.

Technically the characters are taken from a GURPS Fantasy campaign I ran, but the comic relies much more on D&D tropes than GURPS ones.

[Vinyadan]

Dungeon Crawl Inc. A nice and hilarious comic. http://dungeoncrawlinc.tumblr.com/

[137beth]

It's a stretch to call it a D&D comic, but one little-known comic I've been reading lately is Aether (http://aether.thecomicseries.com/). It isn't explicitly a gaming comic, but there are plenty of points where it feels like the transcript of an RPG campaign. The game starts with two players and a few more join the game as it goes on.

The comic is drawn almost entirely in gray-scale, because the author is a professional colorist and draws the comic in her free time as a way to take time away from work. Although, the chapter pages and a few other things have color.

[Fion MacCumhail]

Same here. You can find me in the comments as ChaoticNeutral4Life.

Thread necromancy successful.:smallwink:

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MTG-ThreadNecromancer_3198.jpg

[137beth]

I was recently made aware of Darken (https://darkencomic.com/), by Kate Ashwin, a completed comic that ran from 2003-2011. The story was based on a D&D campaign that the author played in.

[LeMooseImperium]

I was recently made aware of Darken (https://darkencomic.com/), by Kate Ashwin, a completed comic that ran from 2003-2011. The story was based on a D&D campaign that the author played in.

Darken is magnificent. I first found out about it on this thread, and since then I have read it five times, along with Kate's second comic, Widdershins.

I would recommend either comic to...basically anyone.

[Anarchic Fox]

I read through Darken on account of this thread, thanks guys. And yeah, most of the characters are horrible people, but it's entirely possible to tell a fun story about evil characters, provided they end up taking down even greater evils. (See Breaking Bad.) For that matter, I found the drow character genuinely sympathetic, not just funny.

[137beth]

I found out about Widdershins (http://www.widdershinscomic.com/) because someone linked to it on the OOTS board, and then I read Darken afterwards. I think Widdershins is better, as Kate Ashwin's writing improved over time (as writers usually do).

[Anarchic Fox]

I'll give it a look!

[hajo]

D&D based webcomics.
Old (as in both '1977-1988' and 'classic') but sadly unfinished:
Wormy (https://sites.google.com/site/wormycollected/) by Dave Trampier (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_A._Trampier).

[Anarchic Fox]

Old (as in both '1977-1988' and 'classic') but sadly unfinished:
Wormy (https://sites.google.com/site/wormycollected/) by Dave Trampier (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_A._Trampier).

I've read a few pages, but I never knew the full thing was online. I'll give it a read.

I also had a blast reading through Snarfquest (in print) a few years ago, so if that happens to have appeared online, I give it a hearty recommendation.

[hajo]

I've .. had a blast reading through Snarfquest (in print)
I have that as one book.
I always wondered if there are more of those stories somewhere,
but haven't seen any.

[LeMooseImperium]

I found out about Widdershins (http://www.widdershinscomic.com/) because someone linked to it on the OOTS board, and then I read Darken afterwards. I think Widdershins is better, as Kate Ashwin's writing improved over time (as writers usually do).

Darken mainly was based on a campaign she played in actually.

[LadySol]

Seems as though some other folk are posting links to their own webcomics here so I suppose I'll go ahead and follow suit.

Quest - a Masquerade <- questmask . thecomicseries . com

Very classic take on young adventures trying to figure out who they are and if they can survive in a world where everything seems to want to eat them.

Based on a DnD campaign my sister and I ran.

[137beth]

Seems as though some other folk are posting links to their own webcomics here so I suppose I'll go ahead and follow suit.

Quest - a Masquerade <- questmask . thecomicseries . com

Very classic take on young adventures trying to figure out who they are and if they can survive in a world where everything seems to want to eat them.

Based on a DnD campaign my sister and I ran.

Linkified for you! (http://questmask.thecomicseries.com/)