Dark Creeper and Dark Stalker

Reaper Miniatures does a great job of putting out miniatures that are very similar to the artwork from the 1E TSR monster references that WOTC either won't put out because they don't support the monster in the 3E line or have changed significantly in their new reference materials.












A good example is the Dark Creeper. The image on the left is from the 1E Fiend Folio, which you can download in PDF form from RPGnow.com.

I was really thrilled last year to discover that Reaper was making a miniature that looked almost exactly like the artwork from the old sourcebook and was actually calling it a "Dark Creeper" in their catalogue. The figure from Reaper is on the right.

I have seen this very mini with its product name advertised on the Paizo website, so WOTC must be aware of it and don't consider it infringement because their 3E version of the Dark Creeper is so different. See for yourself:

To me, the sculpt that WOTC is now using for this creature is really unsuitable. It has the legs of a faun! How can something be a "creeping" anything if it has hooves that clack around in the dark on the subterranean stone? I don't know what they are thinking over there, sometimes.

Dark Creepers live in villages of around 25-80, with one leader. The leader is known as a Dark Stalker. Dark Stalkers are taller and meaner versions of the creepers, so I'm assuming that if WOTC ever does a stalker mini, it will also have hooves. Reaper has done, again, an excellent job of getting a miniature that evokes the full flavor of the original artwork without copying it exactly.

I can't wait to get these painted and run an encounter...I've literally waited years. I only have to buy 79 more Dark Creepers and I'll be all set.