A Monster For Every Season (Spring) - Printable monster minis for your tabletop game

[The Giant]

Hey, it's that time again: the time when I need to put something on sale so I can keep sleeping indoors!

This is one of my favorite things that evolved out of the Kickstarter: A Monster for Every Season, a comprehensive set of print-and-play miniatures covering a wide variety of monsters and adventurers for your D&D game. It's basically a PDF file with pages upon pages of new OOTS-style monster art that you can print, cut, fold, and tape before dropping them into your game. Each page looks like this:



And then when you're done assembling them, they look like this:



Also, every monster is included in both full color and toner-saving line art, so you can change the colors yourself:



The sets are loosely themed around the four seasons, with the first set being Spring. (Yes, it was supposed to come out a few weeks ago.)

The first set includes the following categories:

• Animals (82 figures)
• Centaurs (5 figures)
• Dragons (11 figures)
• Druids (28 figures)
• Fey (31 figures)
• Gnolls (13 figures)
• Goblins (30 figures)
• Monsters (9 figures)
• Mounts (21 figures)
• Orcs (28 figures)
• Plants (22 figures)
• Rangers (39 figures)
• Trolls (13 figures)

For a full list of all the monsters, here's a helpful Content List to download. Future sets will include pretty much every major category of monster, once everything's said and done. Here's a pic from the forthcoming Autumn set (which will hopefully be on sale this Autumn):



I've set up a product page for the first set with more information, or you can head over to Gumroad and get it now. Or you can read the FAQ that is coming up.


Frequently Asked Questions:

I can't figure out how to buy them!
You can get to the purchase page by clicking here, or on the big cover pictures above, or you can get to the Giant in the Playground profile page at Gumroad (which lists all the products we have on one page) by clicking here.

Does this set have every monster I would need to play? Does it have the entire contents of the Monster Manual?
No. Rather than sample every type of monster shallowly, each set attempts to be comprehensive for a limited set of categories. For example, this set includes 82 animals but no undead (which will appear in the Autumn issue). The goal is that by the time the project is over, the collected set will include pretty much every monster that has ever been released for the game, or at least an exhaustive selection thereof.

Is this useful for players, rather than just DMs?
Yes! Each set includes a few pages dedicated to two or more character classes, showcasing a variety of player-ready characters in all of the most common player races. This Spring set includes 28 different druids and 39 different rangers (and if you wanted to use a druid as a cleric or a ranger as a rogue, no one is going to stop you). Also, the set includes a wide array of animals for players to use as familiars, animal companions, nature's ally summons, wild shape forms, etc. along with a selection of regular old mounts—horses, ponies, riding dogs, etc. There are plenty of miniatures that would be useful even if you never ran an adventure yourself.

When will the rest of the seasons be coming out?
Hopefully during their respective seasons! The Summer and Autumn sets are completed and just need some light file conversion, while the Winter set is expected for both Kickstarter backers and the general public late this year or early 2018.

Why did you waste your time drawing 332 monsters instead of doing more comics?!?
I didn't, at least not any time recently. This was originally part of the Kickstarter project, which means that the bulk of the work was done back in 2012. All I did now was some art conversion and a small number of new figures, which took only a few days total.

Why did you start with Spring since it's now July?
Finishing the O-Chul story for Kickstarter backers ran long, pushing back when I could start on this. I suppose I could have just started with Summer, but this was the first set released to the backers and I think it serves as the best introduction to the project. The Summer set has a lot of aquatic animals rather than land-based ones, which are a little more situational.

Is this the same set that I got in 2012 as a Kickstarter backer?
Mostly. The art has been updated to reflect the current style and to match the Autumn set, and switched over to vector images to allow for better scaling. The layout has been shuffled to fix the margin issue that the first set had, too. There are also 84 all-new miniatures that weren't in the original set, to bring the monster count closer to that of the later volumes.

What are the new miniatures that weren't in the 2012 Kickstarter version?
You can see the full list of included monsters, but briefly speaking, I added 24 animals, 13 druids, 13 fey, 3 gnolls, 2 goblins, 3 mounts, 5 orcs, 9 plants, 8 rangers, and 6 trolls. There are no completely new categories that weren't in the set before.

I'm a Kickstarter backer and I never got my free copy of this!
You must have missed the update with the download link. You can download the file for free from your Kickstarter account by going to the pledge drive's page and looking for Update #38 from May 16,2012. You'll need to be logged into your account in order to view that update.

How do I get my PDFs?
You'll get an email with a download link a few minutes after ordering. Keep an eye on your spam folder, just in case.

What does the watermark look like?
It's on the first page (the cover), and it's a small grey ribbon-shape with the Gumroad "G" logo, next to which it says "Sold to" and then the email address that you gave when you purchased the book. So don't buy using your top secret email.

Why does it say there are two files?
Your purchase includes a full color version of every monster, and also a separate black-and-white line art version. These two sets are in separate files, so you'll get one file that has everything in color and one file that has everything in line art.

Why are you using Gumroad instead of (insert name of other company)?
Because they charge the lowest commission, which means I could lower the price more. Plus, most other companies that offer a watermark service add it to every single page, which seemed like overkill to me. One page is enough.

I paid for the product but I didn't get it! What do I do?
The first thing to try is to go to your Library on Gumroad, at this link: https://gumroad.com/library You should be able to see everything you've bought from them, and you can just manually download the file. That only works if you have an account there, but if you bought it without one, you can just make a new account using the same email you used to buy it and it should show up in your Library retroactively. If that doesn't work, then you need to contact [email protected]. I don't have much control over Gumroad's technical side, since I don't own them or run their service, so your best bet is to talk to them directly.

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or technical difficulties, feel free to post them here.

[Douglas]

I'm a Kickstarter backer and I never got my free copy of this!
You must have missed the update with the download link. You can download the file for free from your Kickstarter account by going to the pledge drive's page and looking for Update #38 from May 16,2012. You'll need to be logged into your account in order to view that update.

I think there's another question related to this that's likely to be "frequently asked": I'm a Kickstarter backer, do I get this new version with updated art and 84 new minis for free? And from the original download link, or a new one?

[The Giant]

There is a backer-only Kickstarter update on the way to your inbox addressing this question.

[rgrekejin]

Are the summer monsters going to get re-worked in the new art style as well? That's what the announcement seems to imply, but it's unclear whether they'll be in the new style or just the originals getting a broader release.

[The Giant]

Are the summer monsters going to get re-worked in the new art style as well? That's what the announcement seems to imply, but it's unclear whether they'll be in the new style or just the originals getting a broader release.

Yes, the Summer monsters will definitely get updated. Whether or not there are any bonus monster is still uncertain.

[littlebum2002]

For some reason, I thought those were quarters holding down the pieces, and i'm like that's $83 just to hold down your minis!

Then I realized they're pennies. That makes much more sense.

[Lissou]

For some reason, I thought those were quarters holding down the pieces, and i'm like that's $83 just to hold down your minis!

Then I realized they're pennies. That makes much more sense.

Some bigger monsters use quarters (and some smaller ones use dimes) but yes, most of them use pennies (sometimes more than one for wide minis like mounts).

I really enjoyed this as a backer, and there is enough new content to justify the purchase, in my opinion. (If you were a backer, do check your update on this as it has useful information). I will probably buy the rest of the set too so I have them all in an easy-to access spot, especially Summer for the art change (the others may wait slightly longer, but for this price they won't break my bank, especially at the rate of 4 per year).

Looking forward to the other sets, and really enjoying the new female versions of some of the monsters. I have one comment that may seem silly (and is definitely not a hard request or anything): several of the civilian women have kids with them. I was wondering if in future sets some civilian men could be holding kids too? I understand that due to the style and our concept of gender roles it may make them harder to identify as male, but I think it would be pretty neat.

The animals are adorable and although we've been playing online, I think I'll share this with my DM (I'll show him my copy, he'll probably buy one if he's interested). If nothing else, it could be used for the thumbnails we use in our games, but it may also inspire him to use some creatures he hadn't thought of before.

Again, thanks for releasing them! I want to say that as a backer I've been really happy with all the free stuff we've been getting, and that you have allowed us to have exclusive access to it for a really long time, so having them available to everyone (for a fee) is something I'm quite happy about.

[Salty]

Will there be a way for non-backers to get the draw-your-own PDF, too? I've had a ton of fun making custom minis for my games, and while it wouldn't be too much trouble to edit a template together, having them ready-made was a nice touch.

[The Giant]

Looking forward to the other sets, and really enjoying the new female versions of some of the monsters. I have one comment that may seem silly (and is definitely not a hard request or anything): several of the civilian women have kids with them. I was wondering if in future sets some civilian men could be holding kids too? I understand that due to the style and our concept of gender roles it may make them harder to identify as male, but I think it would be pretty neat.

Check out the kobold civilian in the Summer set. Although I guess the kobolds and other reptilians are pretty hard to gender one way or the other anyway. But sure, I'll keep it in mind for the Winter set. I think I have bugbears on tap for the humanoid slot.

[hewhosaysfish]

Sold!

I've dabbled in the past with making character portraits in HeroMachine and turning them into paper stand-ups but the OOTS art-style is perfect for quirky characters with detail that's still visible at a table-top scale.

And as a bonus, I get monster stand-ups too! I now have to plan an adventure with goblins, gnolls, centaurs and no undead...

[unbeliever536]

Random question: are you planning to do the general release of kickstarter stuff in any particular order?

[Celticbear]

I just want to take some time off of my day to thank Rich for dong this. The miniatures are beautifully drawn in the new art style, there's even a black and white version of the book so I can color in my own stuff, and there's a freakin goblin jester! What more can I ask from the author and illustrator of my favorite web-comic than to read this little thank you post.

[Kayvaan]

Was there some sort of naming rights issue with the *ahem* Oxidation Critter? It gave me a bit of chuckle to see its new name. :)

[rgrekejin]

Was there some sort of naming rights issue with the *ahem* Oxidation Critter? It gave me a bit of chuckle to see its new name. :)

I also liked the new addition, the "Racing Bird". :)

[LordOfMistakes]

This has been my favorite thing from the Kickstarter, and, now, I can point people to where they can buy these fantastic minis!

In addition, one of the new animals is a Hedgehog--which has been a dream of mine for years!!

Thanks, so much for this!

--Steven

[Sunken Valley]

{Scrubbed}

[The Giant]

Random question: are you planning to do the general release of kickstarter stuff in any particular order?

There is no plan or order. When something's ready to release, I release it.

Was there some sort of naming rights issue with the *ahem* Oxidation Critter? It gave me a bit of chuckle to see its new name. :)

If you're familiar with the webcomic Rusty & Co., they had some issues with Mr. Jones and Mr. Rodriguez a few years back. I'm trying to avoid anything similar, especially when I'm selling them rather than giving them away.

[Lissou]

Check out the kobold civilian in the Summer set. Although I guess the kobolds and other reptilians are pretty hard to gender one way or the other anyway. But sure, I'll keep it in mind for the Winter set. I think I have bugbears on tap for the humanoid slot.

Thanks! This thought came to me while looking at the new release, I should have checked the other seasons first. My mistake, and thank you for responding (and I definitely look forward to the Winter set).

[GrayGriffin]

How easy is the lineart to color with computer art programs? In a similar vein, is it okay for people to screenshot/crop the images to use as tokens for online games as well?

[The Giant]

How easy is the lineart to color with computer art programs?

It is really hard to answer this question without knowing your personal level of technical proficiency and the tools you have available. It would be easy for me to do, but I've been using Adobe programs professionally for 22 years.

In a similar vein, is it okay for people to screenshot/crop the images to use as tokens for online games as well?

As long as you don't just post them online somewhere for anyone to grab, I'm fine with it.

------------

Also, I'm just going to quote myself from one of the last product threads now, because apparently every one of these needs to get derailed in the same way:

This thread is for discussion of the Belkar comic monster miniatures and issues related to ordering from Gumroad. If you want to complain about the new art style yet again or tell me about how I'm a terrible liar for evolving as an artist, go start another thread so I can more easily ignore your opinions.

Anyone who posts on this thread on any other topic than the topic indicated for this thread will be infracted.

And their post scrubbed.

[Celticbear]

Pro tip for paper monster minis if you want to save ink (but not paper):

1) Go to the "Edit" tab in the top left corner of the computer monitor

2) Go to the option of "Take a Screenshot" (should have a little camera in a rectangle as the icon beside it)

3) Screenshot the mini(or minis) you want to use

4) Paste them on word

5) Print the word document

6) Enjoy!

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: If you're using this method to get a more refined roster of minis, make sure the zoom setting in the document is set to 100%, or else the picture will come out too large or too small.

[some guy]

Big fan of the dire sloth! (Their tunnels still exist to this day! Giant beasts that make their own dungeons, why are they not in every edition's monster manual?)
The legion sheets are also very useful.

Will one of the upcoming sets have spiders, centipedes, bugs and other crawlies?

[Armitage]

Pro tip for paper monster minis if you want to save ink (but not paper):

1) Go to the "Edit" tab in the top left corner of the computer monitor

2) Go to the option of "Take a Screenshot" (should have a little camera in a rectangle as the icon beside it)

Pro tip: Mention the operating system/program you are talking about. Not everybody uses the same. On my computer there is no "Edit" tab in the top left.

[Yendor]

Will one of the upcoming sets have spiders, centipedes, bugs and other crawlies?

Oh yes. There's a whole bunch in the Autumn set.

[Lissou]

Will one of the upcoming sets have spiders, centipedes, bugs and other crawlies?

Autumn has a bunch of creepy-crawlies in it.

[Celticbear]

Pro tip: Mention the operating system/program you are talking about. Not everybody uses the same. On my computer there is no "Edit" tab in the top left.

Whoops, I got mine into Adobe Acrobat.

[some guy]

Oh yes. There's a whole bunch in the Autumn set.

Autumn has a bunch of creepy-crawlies in it.

Great! Good to know I don't have to wait too long for those then.

[The Giant]

I just wanted to give a heads up that if you have a problem with the technical aspects of file delivery, you need to contact [email protected] to resolve it. I don't have very much control over Gumroad's systems—they're a third party service that I use but don't control—so I can't fix problems. The support people can look at your account and figure out what went wrong.

Also, even though you don't need to create an account to buy something from them, I recommend doing so anyway. It allows you to see everything you've ever bought and download it again if there's a technical error in delivery (or if you just accidentally delete the file or something). Even if you purchased something without an account, if you then subsequently make an account with the same email, everything you previously purchased will show up in your Library.

[BigBadHarve]

Any chance we'll see a Miniature Set devoted exclusively to the character classes, with various options for race and such?

I love the monsters you're providing, but having a variety of minis to match the characters my players are running would rock.

Perhaps that could be your Kickstarter Mystery prize #9? (coughcough*hint hint*coughcough)

[The Giant]

Any chance we'll see a Miniature Set devoted exclusively to the character classes, with various options for race and such?

I love the monsters you're providing, but having a variety of minis to match the characters my players are running would rock.

Perhaps that could be your Kickstarter Mystery prize #9? (coughcough*hint hint*coughcough)

Right now, I'm including the character classes in each set. Spring has rangers and druids, Summer has fighters and wizards, Autumn has clerics and paladins (and necromancers), and Winter will have rogues and barbarans. If I continue the series beyond that, I'll probably do bards, monks, and psions, and maybe sorcerers in future sets. But they won't be Kickstarter Mystery Prize #9, that's already a specific thing. More likely I will put them on sale like I am these ones.

EDIT: Unless you're saying you need more variety than the 39 rangers in the Spring set, in which case, no, that's a lot less likely to happen. There's a near infinite variety for player characters in terms of style, armaments, etc., so I would never be able to create a set that included everyone's idea of what their ranger looked like—and that's not counting all the weird races out there. And at a certain point, it's just me wracking my brain for different ways to draw a ranger and coming up empty, and still not matching what other people might be wishing for.