Old DM here. 1974ish to the mid 80s. Lived in Lake Geneva back then, and yes knew him from afar. Then I quit and have never returned. But I follow the lore even half a century later, and love channels like this one. Kirin have possessed my adoration since the get-go. They represent the best of humanity’s dreams, in real life and DnD. In my world there was only one, and similar to Elminster was the occasional guardian and guide of my good parties. In my final episode of my last campaign, in the underdark after doing the entire giant series, etc, after 3 years of weekly games, this celestial being stood against the spider queen as the party destroyed the lead house of dark elves. Hundreds of demons, drow, archons and so many other wondrous things. There were 23 players and 3 DMs. I don’t play anymore but it was one of the highlights of my life… and it was all because of a kirin.
@dr.calibrations79846 жыл бұрын
So, what you're saying is the Kirin family motto is; "Fear not, everything will be okay.... BECAUSE I AM HERE!!"
@khalildiego45943 жыл бұрын
I know it's quite randomly asking but does anyone know a good site to stream newly released movies online?
@jgr74876 жыл бұрын
the idea of a Celestial Warlock Aasimar of a Kirin crossed my mind, and the amount of goodness it would embody is so off the charts it made me feel a little sick
@scootergsp4 жыл бұрын
I just started a campaign with that exact character.
@jgr74876 жыл бұрын
"how good is your kingdom blessed by the Qi-Lin?" "uh, a necromancer rose some skeletons, now they are happily working the fields and helping children and grandmas!"
@avenshil4 жыл бұрын
I run a medieval Japanese setting with a lot of Chinese highlights...I so needed this today...it’s easy to get caught up in the bad but it’s really refreshing to hear about the good too 😊
@Saccillia5 жыл бұрын
Wait.. able to move fast, plane shift, avoids direct confrontation..it's legendary pokemon! Those cheeky buggers that travel all over the map and flee on the first turn!
@InquisitorThomas5 жыл бұрын
There a typo in this comment, you called Roaming Legendary Pokémon "Cheeky Buggers" what you meant to say is Those "FUCKING BASTARD!!!"
@robertwilson25166 жыл бұрын
AJ I am just amazed at the speed and Quality of Your Videos. I wasn't expecting this for at least two more daye but you did this in a day and gave it the the recognition that a creature this ancient deserves. Bravo and Thank you the Kirin is my favorit eastern mythical creature and this video shows everyone why.
@AJPickett6 жыл бұрын
my pleasure Robert, I really enjoyed making this vid :)
@StevetheSteve016 жыл бұрын
I think one of the greatest indications of the quality of your channel is that I feel compelled to look for ways to include every creature or location you make a video of in my own campaigns! Thanks again for all the great knowledge dumps AJ!
@mikifauns5 жыл бұрын
This video made me smile with how optimistic it is. I love kirin.
@TarsonTalon5 жыл бұрын
I just had an idea, which you guys could feel free to use in your campaigns: Since there are bastions of extreme good to counter extreme evil, and the prime material plane is supposedly infinite, how does good or evil intend to finally win? Well, perhaps this 'buffer zone' where good and evil clash needs to circle one or the other faction, cutting them off from claiming the rest of the plane. There's a constant race to not get encircled, kinda like a Tron light bike game. If one or the other faction finally succeeds in circling the other, the faction that is encircled will be cut off from resources, whereas the one encircling will have infinite resources, meaning eventual defeat of the one encircled is inevitable, regardless of how good or bad their resource management is. A cool campaign idea to go along with this concept is the idea that the factions of good DO get encircled, but there is the hope that they may be able to break out of this encirclement before it's too late. Granted, the lands the forces of good control are incredibly vast, but if the situation doesn't change it will be the doom of future generations down the line. I recommend you save this sort of campaign concept for 'big planner'-type player characters. The kind that intend to build cities, raise armies, or ascend to godhood. Because it isn't just a 'defeat the big bad' type of campaign, but rather 'free the world' campaign. It would also give narrative reasons for evil aligned characters to actually serve side by side with good aligned characters, because when things are this desperate people can't be too picky about their saviors. Not only is this situation bad for the good guys, but aspiring bad guys will be hard pressed to conquer and control new territory, when bigger baddies are cutting them off from doing so. So, their motivation for helping good people is to have someone actually available to conquer later.
@That80sGuy19726 жыл бұрын
You spelled out in detail how these almost always underestimated creatures are top tier protectors. Great job, AJ. I'm now sending this video to a former player (if the email is still valid) who was salty when his OP evil party was creamed by and had to flee from a mountain city protected by one of these creatures. He almost rage-quit. That was about a decade ago, I still had my 2nd Ed stuff with Loom of Magus (my homebrew) conversions. He merely read the creature's stats and knew he could take it... like AD&D is a mere simple board game.
@chrishermann216 Жыл бұрын
I’ve just discovered your channel a few days ago, and I’m loving all the content. Soooo many great ideas for how to advance my campaign with all the great ecology tips and how these different creatures behave. Keep up the great work, dude! Thanks for all the hard work.
@AJPickett Жыл бұрын
Welcome aboard!
@kieranhodge64636 жыл бұрын
Well well well. It's about time you did a video on me. Gosh, I'm flattered. But seriously I've loved the kirin for a while now. Quite a cool and majestic looking creature.
@nullvoid40636 жыл бұрын
Great work AJ! Humble viewer request; the Chaotic GOOD aberration: the silthilar
@timothymcintire57476 жыл бұрын
Every time I see this thumbnail creature I yell "KRILLIN!" In Gokus voice (Seth)! Great job
@cernunnos_lives2 ай бұрын
Kirin are meant to be unstoppable celestial beings. Much like a Phoenix 🐦🔥 and hate undead. Anything to do with Negative energy planar powers will get their attention. In many folklore traditions they are the balance to ghosts, demons, and revenants. And somehow linked to fire (or sometimes lightning) and the natural order of things (Mandate of Heaven).
@anghbalahr29716 жыл бұрын
First half of video: Hello there folks, lemme tell you about this wondrous... second half of video: BONELESS CHICKEN!!!
@nevyncortex12226 жыл бұрын
the best thing about the RPG genre as a whole is that it allows the imagination to fully roam free.. no limits pure fun .. pure brain candy :-)
@christ72712 жыл бұрын
Poisons, Diseases and curses are suspended for good creatures: Hereditary diseases: Cancers, Heart Conditions, Dementia, etc. Everybody gets maximum life span. (Every good creature gets advantage on Stat rolls 6d6, take the top 3) Plants...no more plant zones, Apple Trees, Palm Trees, Banana Trees all grow together in the same orchard with vigor. Infant mortality rate plummets. I'd sum these regional effects up as the planar traits of Celestia or Bytopia being in effect in a 3 mile area. Imagine what Unicorn manure would do for a crop. How healthy would a Celestial pear or loaf of bread made from Celestial grown wheat be? If you examine the stat block for a Ki-Rin they're equivalent of a Lich (but good). The regional effects of these legendary creatures means they're living mythalars.
@chriscalvin50836 жыл бұрын
AJ I hope you do more videos like this.
@sanddry7386 жыл бұрын
Damn I saw an artwork of the Kirin for the Sword Coast Adventurers guide but never knew it was such a badass. It’s nice to see a creature that is “good” that focuses on the people/life in a positive way rather than a “holier than Thou” sort of style. It also makes me wonder just how bad of an offense or danger it is for a Kirin to be killed or corrupted (if it’s even possible). Either way thank you again for letting us know about such amazing creatures in D&D!
@Saccillia5 жыл бұрын
move aside sleipnir, there is a new steed in town.
@mateobarrett68296 жыл бұрын
You've inspired me to create a Celestial Pact halfling warlock with a Kirin Patron! These things are awesome!
@SuperMarioGamerBros6 жыл бұрын
I'm totally putting it in my champaign. The players are going to go to a small kingdom and feel the good that the Kirin brings (without knowing what the cause is). Then it suddenly dies and the good area is dispelled and there is panic.
@theatreofcontroversy6 жыл бұрын
thank you AJ for being the best thing to watch after a hard hard hard day :) keep it up
@Sarappreciates2 жыл бұрын
I like how detailed these videos are. Fun channel!!
@joshuazane32106 жыл бұрын
If you were running a campaign with evil player characters, this might make a great antagonist.
@zacharyhawley16936 жыл бұрын
They do indeed.
@kyledorey94593 жыл бұрын
Wait, master of magic, likes trees, teaches and mentors paladin kings....These guys are Merlin
@clockworkkid996 жыл бұрын
My whole group only knows this thing from Monster Hunter... If I introduced a Kirin, at least one would try to immediately attack it. XD "I'm sorry dm, I thought I could make pants out of it"
@gerbill136 жыл бұрын
do it
@deanreaver32686 жыл бұрын
You could make a campaign arch of them being cursed for killing the creature and they have to go on a quest to remove it or die slowly from the curse.
@clockworkkid996 жыл бұрын
Michael Pollard you make a convincing argument...
@TenositSergeich6 жыл бұрын
And it would be cool to explain the nature of kirin in greater detail as they would search for the cure. Given that kirin is a celestial and thus immortal in Prime Material, the cure for their curse could be the "slain" kirin itself, who will then talk about how they have grown during their quest and that their actions helped not only them, but also others, and other goodly aftertalk, and maybe even direct them to the actual foe.
@clockworkkid996 жыл бұрын
Tenosit Sergeich that's brilliant! XD I could easily bait them into attacking it... I can see it now, the party enters a prosperous city looking for "the nearest monster", and all the citizens are like, "there's a Kirin on the mountain...", then the party goes, "kthnxbye!" and runs off with their soon-to-be-shattered dreams of gold and glory! Absolutely brilliant, my good sir, absolutely brilliant!
@redfaux743 жыл бұрын
I was wrong. You DID do it. And you did it well. Now where's the Dragon Horse?
@christothehan6 жыл бұрын
the line "idealized form" could just mean a stronger version of themselfs without unateral change a small weak wolf could become a little bigger and stronger
@Kormelev Жыл бұрын
A group of orphans raised by a Kirin seems like a good place to kick of a high stat good campaign for new adventurers. Sure they would be their own perfect selves. But they wouldn't have experienced the dangers of falling outside the Kirin's influence or how hard the world can be. That ignorance of the more mundane world would be interesting to kick off play. What do you mean fruit rots off the vine?
@Thedegu6 жыл бұрын
lol I was just looking for an ecology vid on this monster and I was sad that you didn't have one. but here it is! thanks so much!
@matthewvillanueva44206 жыл бұрын
I know this was an old-ish video hut omg!!! Thanks!!! This is amazing
@TheFantasticMrPhil6 жыл бұрын
Not quite the electric unicorn I expected 😂
@magnasupreme6 жыл бұрын
electric unicron of death.
@StrixNebulosa_mk16 жыл бұрын
Hey AJ, Its been a while since I've felt it acceptable to make any other fan requests since you made the Oni request so amazing with the most epic opening music possible for that video. It satisfied all of the fan need that I had felt in making that request. But just recently I was watching the old Gold/Silver dragon video and I have to ask. And not because that video wasn't awesome, but your channel has come a long way with audio and format. Could you please please please maybe make new videos for both gold and silver separately. They are both the mightiest of the metallic dragons and both of which have really notable awesome dragons with fun, epic lore and stories attributed to their names. However, if your deciding to just leave it with the old video for both of them, that's cool too, as it was both informative and well executed. I guess this is a suggestion/request.... a ruggest.
@AJPickett6 жыл бұрын
I have plans for those old videos, now that the podcast is finally happening. What I plan is to collect the video series together, upgrade or redo the audio, maybe rewrite the old vids with better info and release them as podcasts, so someone could hit play and basically learn about every type of dragon in D&D like they just plugged into the matrix
@StrixNebulosa_mk16 жыл бұрын
Sounds solid to me. Ill be looking forward to these new developments.
@asw6544 жыл бұрын
Probably one of my favourite creatures, and what a great video / content you made to highlight it. Very optimistic and highlights/reminds us why dnd multiverses don't just implode with all the evil stuff in them. They have powerful counters like angels and this beast.
@JamesAdams-nd1td5 ай бұрын
I love the Kirin. It's this beautiful combination of stag and dragon, and I just love it.
@Mr_Maiq_The_Liar3 жыл бұрын
The quote in Volos for these things made me want to present one to my players “i was awed to tears at the mere sight of my first kin Rin and I’ve met gods” I feel like I could write a poem for the description. I did not, because players don’t take that shit seriously. But don’t call it a “unicorn dragon thing”
@michaelkelligan79315 жыл бұрын
My god the thumbnail doesnt look like the majestic Ki-rin of old,it looks like something out of a horror film! My good aligned characters would shit their breeches!
@ImLordDomo3 жыл бұрын
Idea: A kirin that finds itself transported to a world with no gods, like Athas or Etharis, where powerful sorcerer kings, fallen angels, exalted fiends, or slumbering primordials hold sway. Would such a kirin attach itself to the reigning good power that was closest to whatever ideals its former divine masters held to, or would it set itself up as a god?
@Kakkarot2113 жыл бұрын
or would the kirin inspire those merely being neutral to becoming good
@flibbernodgets70186 жыл бұрын
Thanks for this. It's important to remember the good in the world that keeps the evil away
@xfuture_kidx11146 жыл бұрын
rides down a snowy mountain *IM A GIRAFFE*
@rickeymariu16 жыл бұрын
Awesome! A creature I hadn't heard of. Thanks A.J.
@derrabbit72896 жыл бұрын
A good warlock patron?
@AJPickett6 жыл бұрын
yep :)
@murderspoon6 жыл бұрын
Beat me to it. Could be good for the good drow/goblin mentioned in the video. If youre trying to break from your races' less than nice/civilised nature, what better to help than the recognition and blessing of such a force of life and goodness to help exemplify the good theyre truly capable of and give them the power to make a real positive change in the world?
@nathankelley14666 жыл бұрын
Bach in Advanced D&D I used the Kirin as my "go to" celestial to intervene or help a good party in times of need. Players always loved this NPC. Of course most likely because it is such a cool looking creature, not to mention its great abilities.
@jacopoarmini78896 жыл бұрын
I want to play a paladin of light and ride one of these things while charging in an army of undead... Neverending story style.
@whiteeagle63705 жыл бұрын
Or the Elf king in the Hobbit, riding an Irish Stag? Beautiful creature that actually once existed.
@joebyrnes92546 жыл бұрын
Wow, this creature is FUCKING AWESOME! but I have to ask, is there an opposite to the Kirin? I think you should make your next video on such a creature of there is one.
@chrislaurette67786 жыл бұрын
Love this one AJ. Thanks. Ki Rin: Cool myth, poor beer. But that's just my picky, inner beer snob coming out. I'm wondering if you have any inclination to do a monster ecology video on the 'Thought Eater'. Just because I'm writing it into a game. I honestly don't even know if it was a monster continued beyond the original Monster Manual or not. Keep up the good work. Cheers!
@Blargaha3 жыл бұрын
The emperor Wu of Han.... *Laughs nervously in 2020*
@ericwalston23446 жыл бұрын
Happy labor day AJ!
@AJPickett6 жыл бұрын
Indeed! Thanks, Eric, you too.
@Greenscyth226 жыл бұрын
You don't think creatures can be anymore good aligned than this...then you add a celestial template to it lol. Can a creature be too good?
@MrRourk6 жыл бұрын
Celestial Dragon.
@jgr74876 жыл бұрын
it can be too good.
@dakotastein94996 жыл бұрын
i once played in an oriental adventures campain as a Samurai that rode a "Moon Kirin"
@florenmage6 жыл бұрын
One of the reasons I watch dungeons and dragons videos is because it inspires my fantasy writing and something you said made me think. Ok so in my novels setting there are no traditional gods people worship local spirits or beasts that grant power benefits protection and have usually some organization set up to maintain some order good or evil One god is a blue dragon who ruled as emperor over a sea faring kingdom. Another is a dracolich and another s a talking tree in the heart of a jungle there's also a powerful dire trex but you get my point they are all monsters. When you speak of this thing creating and cultivating communities of good alignment I was like... yea this thing is god level power in my setting
@jonsosebee16894 жыл бұрын
hope you'reenjoying the winter time snow over there
@wschippr16 жыл бұрын
If I was a GM and someone brought up a Kirin's ability to make X evolve into its ideal form, I'd say, well animals don't have an "ideal form", that's not how things evolve... I'd be a bad GM
@AJPickett6 жыл бұрын
The lion has a mane twice as large, dragonballZ style.
@VieVentar6 жыл бұрын
Had a party I was in saved by one of these, would have been a TPK otherwise. We were working to break the Ki-Rin from a weird fleshy web, only for a flutterflesh to appear. A flutterflesh? How did that almost TPK you? The DM misread its powers and thought its single target incapacitating and major damage attack was in fact a 120 foot cone... And he thought it sounded underpowered so he buffed the DC of the resist roll... So yeh, Thanks Ki-Rin!
@rizuopal81536 жыл бұрын
I'd love to hug Kirin
@charlottewalnut31185 жыл бұрын
You know it would be awesome a Klarich or paladin that road one of these things in the battle
@whysvert5 жыл бұрын
Your mic explodes around the middle of the video x.x but it's alright since I greatly enjoyed the video! Thank you for this! Planning to add a kirin in our campaign.
@zacharyhawley16936 жыл бұрын
A kirin once crushed my PC's throat by its hoof. xD
@ericwalston23446 жыл бұрын
What alignment was your character?
@zacharyhawley16936 жыл бұрын
Wasn't evil that time. Actually, CN. That said four party members were.
@MrRourk6 жыл бұрын
Proof of goodness and wisdom skips 4th edition! ;)
@AJPickett6 жыл бұрын
lol. I knew as soon as I said that...
@chriscalvin50836 жыл бұрын
Great video AJ
@goldenbrigain70313 жыл бұрын
finally, something from D&D about good instead of making me want to scream until my lungs burst in disgust and hate.
@Kakkarot2113 жыл бұрын
man, I had no idea they could have such a big impact
@MrRourk6 жыл бұрын
Drank his beer this weekend at the sushi house. ;)
@garethfarrell81466 жыл бұрын
Perfect I just started playing my celestial warlock who's patron is is ki-rin
@jaycenzimbeck76382 жыл бұрын
What so this creature that symbolizes good fortune was present in every edition except 4th? Perhaps they decided not to visit for that edition for a reason...
@35november6 жыл бұрын
We were just talking about the Kirin in our character creation session last night. Always love the deep research you do into your videos. Hopefully you will do a "dire" and "giant" beast video to help me better explain that to my players. In the meantime I just explain that giant versions of beasts are rare anomalies and dire versions are rarer than that.
@DracosDiabolis6 жыл бұрын
could you imagine one of these awesome creatures, finding humans and humanoids curious and fascinating. almost similar to a steel dragon mind set. but makes their home in the middle of Waterdeep. lmao , or deep in the bowels of undermountain.
@yaldabaoth26 жыл бұрын
I wear them as a coat in Monster Hunter.
@AJPickett6 жыл бұрын
Yeah I saw the art for them in Monster Hunter plastered all over the interwebs
@dibaterman6 жыл бұрын
Oh? The coat was so last season though, Kirin belts are the new chic.
@Anceleron6 жыл бұрын
@@dibaterman I'm getting ready for the oroshi Kirin now that is said to come into fashion soon.
@platinumsketch6 жыл бұрын
Wow, really took that one guy's advice
@user-gj7lp5iz6k6 жыл бұрын
the absolute madman
@davidlewis8814 Жыл бұрын
Good stuff, there at the end, about balance and the lands in which we place our adventures
@Lh00003 жыл бұрын
KIRIN COME -some famous character you might have heard of.
@morganhanam95225 жыл бұрын
an enjoyable discussion. good balance b/w dnd lore and actual lore.
@ericwalston23446 жыл бұрын
This is mad informative, sparing no details whatsoever! How would a Ki-Rin fare against a Pit Fiend or a Marilith?
@BoojumFed6 жыл бұрын
Up close and personal? Probably not very well. But with spells and an aura like that, it'd take some doing to get anything demonic or abyssal within striking distance...
@ericwalston23446 жыл бұрын
I concur...
@axepoison2556 жыл бұрын
ALL poisons? Impossible.
@ruirui77646 жыл бұрын
Are u a poisonous axe, a poison created from axes or a poison just for axes?
@AJPickett6 жыл бұрын
well, axe poison is an epic artifact level toxin, so, maybe.
@axepoison2556 жыл бұрын
Poison made of axes.
@manuelcamara64006 жыл бұрын
When I first saw this thing in VGtM the first thing that came to my head was: "How the hell am I gonna use this thing in my game"?
@DemonRaider42016 жыл бұрын
I hope you do more good creatures in the future although I don't use them very often for combat and my game they're excellent for roleplay and Rewards for my players
@thecrypticautistic6114 жыл бұрын
Area influence sounds a lot like Tolkien's Galadriel.
@willynthepoorboys26 жыл бұрын
So bottom line we need to station a few hundred of these at every nation's capital A.S.A.P....lol as always great video.
@wizard3806 жыл бұрын
make one about cyric the mad god
@slashercope3 жыл бұрын
Shang chi moment
@linguisticallyoversight86856 жыл бұрын
So if we accept the creatures from other Realms are made from substances that you cannot find in the prime material worlds then Celestial creatures like this even when they die should provide ample materials not only for spellcasters but for the creation of Enchanted items I don't see why dust ground from the bones of this creature as long as it died peacefully that is could it be used in the forging of a silver sword to give it an inherent holy quality or something along those lines or perhaps it's scales or horns given while it was alive willingly
@AJPickett6 жыл бұрын
yep, I agree.
@giet04565 жыл бұрын
Did you say selfishness or mean to say selflessness? time was 11:01 just making sure.
@AJPickett5 жыл бұрын
I meant to say Selflessness. Thanks Giet04
@giet04565 жыл бұрын
@@AJPickett No problem just wanted to make sure. 👍 Hope you have a good day
@Jianju696 жыл бұрын
-and they make good beer! :P
@asw6544 жыл бұрын
The lore in this video reminded me a Japanese light novel and anime called "The Twelve Kingdoms". The kirin do exactly as you describe them. They raise kings/queens and try to guide them on the path to righteous rule. They also have similar personalities in that they loathe violence even against evil (balor or not balor).
@agsilverradio22255 жыл бұрын
can calm emotions force a barbarian out of his rage?
@jacobgelven71945 жыл бұрын
You could make them not want to attack you, which may lead to its rage ending, but it wouldn’t outright end it’s rage
@morganmcconal47856 жыл бұрын
Kirin paladin mount?
@DyrgeAfterDark6 жыл бұрын
Morgan Mcconal perhaps for one Battle that could determine the Fate of the Realm. I wouldn't expect they would serve as one forever
@Yuudaddy6 жыл бұрын
I want to see the ideal Drow ;]
@murderspoon6 жыл бұрын
Włodzimierz Szyc something akin to the old elf race, before the whole lolth thing, maybe? That or guiding its typical racial features and abilities towards uses for good in some way if you want to keep the same essence of drow-ness EDIT: the elf reincarnation cycle that the drow were cut off from (as described in mordenkainens) comes to mind too as a possible thing it could help with
@zacharygadzinski31475 жыл бұрын
Perhaps the idealized form for some is godhood. Yet have any good aligned people sought godhood anytime during the history of 5e?
@AJPickett5 жыл бұрын
Yes. (unofficially)
@zacharygadzinski31475 жыл бұрын
@@AJPickett I would figure given in individual campaigns. Yet a new age of gods could shake up the status quo. Pantheons with all evil dieties could lose some influence as heroes, kings, and queens are worshipped by their subjects and people.
@jackiesantos21215 жыл бұрын
Awesome Sia Dragon horse
@Telenaus3 жыл бұрын
wow what a beautiful yet horrifying vision of battle, part of me would love to see them fight but then again id hate to see the damage to the people & land who didnt ask for it ..
@DracoMaverick6 жыл бұрын
I think I found my paladin's greater steed
@MrRourk6 жыл бұрын
Caste Haste and Mach 1
@agsilverradio22255 жыл бұрын
you said that the Kirin were wizards, but I think you meant clerics.
@asw6544 жыл бұрын
He tends to get a wide variety of sources for these videos. I'm not sure if this is what he referenced for stats, but in the 3.0e dnd, the Kirin was statted in Oriental Adventures, which described them as having arcane spellcasting: "A ki-rin casts spells as an 18th-level sorcerer. The save DC is 16 + spell level." That's closer to a wizard than cleric. They **also** have spell-like abilities (not spells) that they can use, some of which resemble cleric spells, like the ability to create nutritious food.
@linguisticallyoversight86856 жыл бұрын
Are nightmares faster than them because the flavor text more the nightmare says that is the fastest creature in all the realms