* * * Wizards Community Thread * * * -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Thread : Finally placed this character! Started at 01-09-07 10:31 PM by Cthulhudrew Visit at http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=769468 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 1] Author : Cthulhudrew Date : 01-09-07 10:31 PM Thread Title : Finally placed this character! I think my fascination with the LJN action figures (Warduke, etc.) is fairly well known at this point, so this story may not be a huge surprise. For ages now, I've been trying to figure out who/what Mandoom is in that line of toys (the second release, one of the Battle Masters). He was clearly not human, but I didn't know what it was. I finally found a clear picture of the text on his figure's card: Mandoom is a very fierce warrior from a very strange place. He has golden skin, square eyes, and appears to be made of stone. Mandoom is often called to this world by magic users who need his help in battle. He always carries gold weapons and wears golden armor when he goes into battle against enemies of the magic users. I posted a query at ENWorld trying to figure out what it could be (I was thinking a giant or an elemental), and almost immediately a couple of posters (Diaglo and AFGNCAAP) identified Mandoom as one of the Kelmain (http://www.angelfire.com/scifi/kraai/dandd/mm_kelmain.htm). The Kelmain are from Moorcock's Elric tales (specifically the Vanishing Tower/the Sorceress) where they have their own land in the Young Kingdoms. That, plus the Nihrain steed of Strongheart's, makes for some interesting thoughts on the origins of the LJN characters. (Now if I can only get a decent scan of Skylla's card, with her picture and the text that accompanies it...) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 2] Author : OldDawg Date : 01-10-07 03:10 PM Thread Title : Re: Finally placed this character! Yes, Mandoom was the most difficult LJN character to work in Ghyr/Western Alliance (Okay, maybe Young Titan was the worst :nonono: ). The best research I could come up with was this concept art http://www.toyarchive.com/Dungeons&Dragons/Prototypes/Art/MandoomArt1a.jpg Since hill giants were going to be a feature in Western Alliance, and he looked 8'+ in the art, I just went ahead and retconned the guy as hill giant. -OldDawg -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 3] Author : Shane Date : 01-10-07 06:23 PM Thread Title : Re: Finally placed this character! That's an obscure and interesting find Cthulhudrew. Hey, if all the LJN toys are assumed to be part of Mystara (via Quest for the Heartstone and the Ierendi references), then the Kelmain could be considered a Mystaran race (though likely of otherworldly origin)...right? One more for the Creature Conversion Index? Travis -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 4] Author : ripvanwormer Date : 01-11-07 03:56 PM Thread Title : Re: Finally placed this character! Yeah, that's a kelmain alright - the square eyes are a dead giveaway. I'm really surprised they made a toy of Moorcock character. These were the stats for kelmain in 1st edition Deities & Demigods (first printing): KELMAIN FREQUENCY: Very rare NO. APPEARING: See below ARMOR CLASS: 2 MOVE: 12" HIT DICE/POINTS: See below % IN LAIR: 85% TREASURE TYPE: H NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to petrification and paralysis MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard INTELLIGENCE: Very ALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral SIZE: M (6') PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil Attack/Defense Modes: Nil LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: Variable These creatures are a savage race from the dimension of Limbo. They have golden skin that appears to be carved out of rock. They are humanoid in shape and have square eyes. The Kelmain fight in golden-colored armor and usually wield gold-colored broadswords. When summoned, they will fight on the summoner's plane until the battle is won, and then keep the land they have fought over. They appear in fighting forces of 10-10,000 depending on the power and desires of the summoner (and the referee's discretion). The bulk of the army are 1st level fighters. Additional leaders are as follows: Number of Troops Additional Leader 5 2nd level 10 3rd level 50 4th level 250 5th level 1,000 6th level 5,000 7th level 10,000 8th level Thus, if 10,000 Kelmain troops appear, they will be led by one 8th level leader, two 7th level leaders, ten 6th level, forty 5th level, two hundred 4th level, one thousand third level, and two thousand 2nd level leaders for a total of 13,253 Kelmain. If 10 troops arrived, there would be one 3rd level and two 2nd level leaders. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 5] Author : ripvanwormer Date : 01-11-07 04:06 PM Thread Title : Re: Finally placed this character! (Now if I can only get a decent scan of Skylla's card, with her picture and the text that accompanies it...) The one currently on ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com/SKYLLA-EVIL-MAGIC-USER-Advanced-Dungeons-Dragons-NR_W0QQitemZ180073298565QQihZ008QQcategoryZ44112QQcmdZViewItem) looks pretty good. I'm sure I've got some of the words wrong, but it seems to say something like: "Male wizards are the most powerful of magic users, the female must be considered even more special. In a world where every head is turned against her, she turns them in a field that is difficult indeed. Able to cast magical spells of awesome power, she will go to any lengths to win her private battles." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 6] Author : Cthulhudrew Date : 01-11-07 09:17 PM Thread Title : Re: Finally placed this character! "Male wizards are the most powerful of magic users, the female must be considered even more special. In a world where every head is turned against her, she turns them in a field that is difficult indeed. Able to cast magical spells of awesome power, she will go to any lengths to win her private battles." Yeah, that's the one that I've been looking at these past couple of days- best scan I've ever seen. You got a lot more of the words than I could, though- good eyes! I'm not sure if that says "Male wizards" or "While wizards" though- the first sounds awful sexist to be on a toy, and I think the second might be more correct. I'd thought that might read "every hand is turned against" but couldn't make out the part after "her, she". I think your reading is probably what it says, though. Sweet, now I think I've got her complete description (just for the record, can anyone read the French to compare- mine is too rusty to be able to be sure, at the size of that scan.) As an aside, I've often wondered why they used a picture of Charmay (LJN character from the coloring books) for the AC1 and XL-1 pictures of Skylla rather than the one on her toy card. Kind of weird. (I'm currently trying to track down a better picture of Skylla on that card. It looks like an Elmore, so I'm checking to see if anyone recognizes the piece and knows if he did any more or has a picture of that. I know that he's used the Charmay figure in more than one of his pictures, and possibly Mercion as well.) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 7] Author : Cthulhudrew Date : 02-28-07 10:03 PM Thread Title : More LJN stuff Back again with something I just saw- I never realized it, but Kelek, Strongheart, and Warduke weren't the only LJN characters to make it onto the D&D cartoon. In the second and third season intro, Eric bumps into a couple of half-orcs, and one in particular looks awfully familiar: Could it be Zarak? (http://www.cartoonreviewsite.com/series/dd/d&ds2.htm) (third picture) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Downloaded from Wizards Community (http://forums.gleemax.com) at 05-10-08 09:25 AM.