Character Codex Round 13 - Gnome Ranger and Rogue

May 21, 2014 Than Gibson

Welcome to Round 13 of the Chronicle Character Codex!

I'm drawing our way through all 77 race/class combinations in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook. We're showing off the Gnome Fighter, Gnome Monk, and Gnome Paladin today. If you've missed any previous entries you can catch up HERE!

Virtual tabletop players, make sure to pick up some free tokens suitable for use in any virtual tabletop environment.

Also, if you like what you see here please consider clicking the Tip Jar button down the page or sharing this on the social media site of your choosing.

We've rounded the bend on the gnomes and this week we're taking a look at the Gnome Ranger and Gnome Rogue.

First up is the Gnome Ranger. For this one, I wanted to mirror the naturalist version of the druid but a bit more combat oriented. So I went with the Trophy Hunter archetype from The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game - Ultimate Combat. This blended well with the notion that the gnomes of Chronicle are the main race to have have black powder and their innate drive to study a science. I can see this gnome being the kind of naturalist who fills a museum with taxidermy specimens for posterity's sake. Somewhere there's a gallery with a stuffed owlbear in it!

I gave her some magical gear, though the exact powers of that gear could be changed up, depending on what the player had in mind.

Next up is the Gnome Rogue. This one's a bit on the nose, but I went with the Trapsmith archetype from the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Player's Guide. I know that a tinker gnome being good at disabling traps isn't very original, but sometimes you have to draw the classics and this is my own version of it.

I gave him goggles because a proper gnome has to have a proper pair of goggles. They're most likely some for of Perception buff. I like to think the screwdriver is magical (maybe even sonic, eh?) and gives a disable device bonus.

Well, that's it for this week! Next week we finish up the gnomes with the Sorcerer and the Wizard. So, come back to see what I can come up with for a pair of mages!

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The Chronicler's Notes - May 19th, 2014 - Schedule Update and The Tennessee Renaissance Festival

May 19, 2014 Than Gibson

Well met, Chroniclers!

It's another week here at Chronicle, and we've got some good things planned for the week. However, I want to give you guys a heads up that there will be no World of Chronicle update this week. I'm going to use the time I normally devote to that material to the comic instead. Last week's art was not my best and I want to make sure I'm delivering quality material. Also, if any of you are webcomics artists or are aspiring to be one, you will probably know that having a buffer of comics to post is very important. Mine is getting kind of low, so I need to build that back up.

The Tennessee Renaissance Festival

Now then, it's not comics related (but definitely inspiration material for me), but I wanted to talk about theTennessee Renaissance Festival. If you are within driving distance of Nashville this weekend, you need to go. It's open the first four weekends in May (including Memorial Day) and it is a must-do at least once in your life.

It's not as big as some of the other renfests around the country, but it makes up for it with heart and dedication. The people that put it on work hard and you can tell that it's a labor of love. Also, there is dedication in the regulars who attend. There are faces of strangers that I recognize year after year because they go that often.

I first went in 1994 with that big D&D group of mine I've talked about in the past. I've continued to go fairly regularly every year and some of those old friends of mine go every single year. It gets in your blood and you look forward to it.

There are some things I wish would change. I wish there was some sort of covering over the jousting field seats. I wish that there were new "anchor events" (I love the human chess match, but it's gotten stale). I wish that there were more lines for Jester Chips and less lines for pulled pork sandwiches. I really wish I-840 would magically move about half a mile southeast and Mr. Freeman could get the original fair grounds back.

But, there are also things I never wish would change. Turkey Legs. Questionably-authentic period garb. Geek boys walking around with their freshly bought replica swords strapped to their backs. Geek girls walking around with fairy wings and swords strapped to their backs. Axel the Sot. That wonderful exhaustion sitting in the line of traffic at the Triune four-way after leaving. Mr. Freeman and his passion for wanting to live in a castle and open his home to people who enjoy this time period.

This year I added one more thing to that list. I never want the look of wonder in the eyes of children (especially my own) to change. Watching my two boys watch the joust was amazing. Seeing a little girl kneeling in front of the Queen to be knighted was heart-warming. Kids love this stuff. I want to see that encouraged more and the Tennessee Renaissance Festival does that very well.

So, do yourself a favor and go take a stroll through the Renaissance for a day and make sure to thank everyone there for the work they do.

Fun Art Friday - The War Doctor

May 15, 2014 Than Gibson

This week's Fun Art Friday is The War Doctor, portrayed by John Hurt in the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special, The Day of the Doctor.

I am a huge Doctor Who fan. I watched reruns of the Tom Baker and Peter Davidson eras on PBS as a kid and rediscovered the series when it came back with Christopher Eccleston. So, I was pretty excited to be around for the 50th anniversary. But, I was skeptical. Rumors were flying around about no previous Doctors being involved, that they were going to mess with the regeneration order, and that, as the crazy fans are want to scream, Steven Moffat had messed everything up.

Instead, we were given a great episode with a solid story that hearkened to the past and resolved plotlines from the present. Plus, there in the middle of it all was this new incarnation of the Doctor and he was so great I wish we could have more of him. Getting John Hurt to play him was genius, he fit the role perfectly.

So, I decided to draw him! I didn't try to go too realistic. I wanted to draw him in my cartoon style and have to say I'm pretty pleased with the results. So much so, that I may do the rest of the Doctors down the line! So stay tuned for more, Whovians! I did the side profile thing as a sort of portrait study, but I'm thinking about trying a full body animated pose at some point.

As always, thanks for stopping by and make sure to check out all my previous Fun Art Fridays and my comic, Chronicle! If you like what you see here, please share it on social media and spread the word!

(**And, yes, that special appearance at the end of The Day of the Doctor kicked me right in the nostalgia so much I may have had a happy tear or two.**)

Character Codex Round 12 - Gnome Fighter, Monk, and Paladin

May 14, 2014 Than Gibson

Hey everyone! Welcome back to another round of the Character Codex! We're drawing our way through all 77 race/class combinations in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook. We're showing off the Gnome Fighter, Gnome Monk, and Gnome Paladin today. If you've missed any previous entries you can catch up HERE!

Virtual tabletop players, make sure to pick up some free tokens suitable for use in any virtual tabletop environment.

Also, if you like what you see here please consider clicking the Tip Jar button down the page or sharing this on the social media site of your choosing.

And now, bring on the gnomes!

First up is the Gnome Fighter. I wanted to do at least one of these based off of the classic "garden gnome." So, I came up with the elite fighters, the Red Caps (named after another fairy creature). The gnomes of Chronicle are the only ones who have figured gunpowder out, so they have access to renaissance era firearms. But, since the Codex (for now) is only covering the Core Classes the Pathfinder Gunslinger is not available. So, this guy is using his fighter feats to become a crack shot.

Next, we have the Gnome Monk. This monk is a Ki Mystic, meditating to study the truth of existence. I thought it would be interesting to give her a floating meditation cushion so that she could move about while still focusing her ki. She has an ioun stone of wisdom above her head and an ioun stone that negates her need for food and water on her headpiece.

Finally we have the Gnome Paladin. The patron god of gnomes is Gib, the god of knowledge and magic. So, I designed this guy to look like a knight who could cast a some magic as well. Stat-wise, I think he would resemble the Knights of the Sacred Flame from Forgotten Realms. They, too, are paladins of a god of magic.

The blue and purple are Gib's colors, representing knowledge and magic respectively.

That's it for this week! Next week, we'll have the gnome ranger and rogue. See you then!

The Chronicler's Notes - Request For Comment - May 12th, 2014

May 11, 2014 Than Gibson

Greetings Chroniclers!

Wow, last week was great! There were so many new people stopping by to see what was going on here at Chronicle. If you've found that you like what's going on and you've decided to stick around, you will not be disappointed!

Here's what's going on this week:

Tuesday - The World of Chronicle - The Gnomes of Chronicle. We've been visiting the gnomes in the Character Codex, here's your chance to read about the similarities and differences between the gnomes of Chronicle and the gnomes of other fantasy settings. For you gamers, there will be racial stats for them that are fully compatible with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

Wednesday - Character Codex - Gnome Fighter, Monk, and Paladin. As I've said before, I'm having a blast drawing the gnomes and this week is no exception. Check out this sneak preview of the gnome fighter!

Thursday - Chronicle - Questions continue to rise as the leaders of the Haven Thieves' Guild deal with the unexpected visitors that have arrived on their doorstep.

Friday - Fun Art Friday - I've got a couple of different ideas for this week's entry. However, I would love to get some feedback from you guys. If you have something you want to see me draw, please leave a comment below. Keep in mind that this is a family friendly site and that I like to use Fridays as a chance to draw something other than fantasy-related. So, if you've got a superhero, sci-fi, anime, video game, or movie/tv that you want to see me draw leave a note below!

Additionally, I want to ask for some feedback from you all about one other thing. The World of Chronicle seems to be one of the lesser popular features on the site, but it's one of the features that takes a bit of work to update. So, here's my question: What aspects about the world that Chronicle takes place in do you want to see? More background info or more gaming info? More races and classes? More Character Bios? Do you want to see more artwork and less writing, or vice versa? Here's your chance to ask about the world!

Finally, if you guys really like what I do, please click on the Tip Jar button below and donate a little bit to help run the site or even better, hit up the Artist's Shop and get a commissioned drawing! There's more stuff coming to the shop soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

Thanks so much for coming to Chronicle and please spread the word! Share the site on Social Media and make sure to follow me on Twitter,Tumblr, Facebook, and Google!

Have a Great Week!

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