Why D&D Worlds Shouldn't Have Statues

Statues are among humanity's oldest artistic expressions. But why do we assume that statues in D&D worlds should be realistic? And why are there so many statues out to end the lives of our villagers and characters? Let''s look at the taboo of statues in D&D, and how to make them a more interesting part of our worldbuilding.
#worldbuilding #fantasy #art #dnd #dnd5e #arthistory
Credits:
The Grungeon Master logo, background and intro music were composed by the wonderful Janina Arndt!
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[@Grungeon_Master]

Just wanted to make a comment here, as this video has been getting some criticism. Some of this criticism is very fair, and some less so. Essentially, the broad counterargument is "monsters are heavily tied to statues, sure. But they're heavily tied with other objects. That doesn't mean we stop using them." And, sure. I kind of agree. Most of my videos assume a continuity of sorts across a fantasy world's history, through which practical learnings are transmitted as folk tales, taboos, and ghost stories. And in the corpus of d&d monsters there's an awful lot of these statues that move that can be used for deadly purposes. My argument isn't that each society has a minor crisis and gets very scared of their own statues, but that based on the prevalence of living statues, artistic trends develop in a different way to our own - towards statues in more abstract forms, more set in with surroundings, and suchlike, rather than the freestanding figure. I do stand by the idea that art would respond to the threat of folkloric tales,(as we can see in the prevalence of things like evil eye wards in history jewellery.) These artistic traditions will only be solidified if the folkore is proven true every so often! This is not an attempt to call romanesque figurine statuary stupid, or claim that fantasy that uses a realistic style of statuary is plainly incorrect, but to provoke a discussion of other ways we can visually represent things, and hopefully learn something along the way. Hope this helps, Tom.

[@dumbelton]

Thank you for your insights! I’m intrigued by the idea that a culture justly averse to humanoid statues might deliberately construct terracotta warriors to defend their borders- which doubles as an intimidating way to discourage citizens from leaving.

[@artemisspawnofzeus7732]

I think statues being made in a form that can be manipulated by a god is a good form of tribute. Often statues are "stone guardians" or "stone protectors". The power of a statue that a deity could use to assist you in time of need is the reason that the statue monsters exist. In a world where magic is real, the intent of a statue is to do more than look cool.

[@stevesmith417]

There's also the problem of people making statues that are realistic to make it threatening on purpose as if you know which statues are safe, they become a very easily maintained burglar deterrent

[@davidbest3814]

Wouldn't a predatory statue-analogue in that case just adapt to that expectation and start assuming those same abstract forms? Like, a mimic doesn't copy a chest in the middle of the woods. It copies a fallen log.

[@rpgincorporated8302]

I'm curious your thoughts dolls in fantasy and how much tha overlaps with your thoughts here.

[@Mr_Maiq_The_Liar]

Rule 4: "No one carves statues of frightened warriors. If you see one, keep your eyes closed and your ears open."

[@marks7037]

carving giant spheres for potentially angry gods just asks for a indiana jone style boulder massacre.......

[@Karmasu_L]

Now we know where that thing came from.

[@khayyin359]

*ghostly pinball music begins to play* Wizard to the Rogue: Put it back. Whatever you took, put it back!

[@heatherharrison264]

It would make for an epic game of Marble Madness.

[@tach5884]

Evil gods get the most evil shape, the tetrahedron.

[@VidelxSpopovich]

I’ve actually done this trap before. The players enter the room through a long hallway and find an amphitheater at the back of which kneels a massive statue of a man holding the globe on his shoulders and back harkening to images of Atlas. So, if the players walk further into the room it activates a pressure plate which causes a pillar behind the globe to rise sending the globe rolling forward. The players have the option to either run or make a Dex check if they don’t have some other way to circumvent this. However, those who choose the Dex check will find themselves trapped in the room as the boulder, having rolled to the end of the hall, now sits wedged tightly into the entrance blocking their escape.

[@rubinelli7404]

Adventurers see animated statues as monsters because they are often invaders and thieves. Even in our world, statues were used as guardians to stave off spirits and even living creatures. One animated terracotta soldier in the middle of a completely mundane army might be enough to make an orc warband choose to take a detour.

[@GreyAcumen]

This one homes in on the real issue. Tom fell into the typical pitfall of "statues are 'bad' because they're what we end up fighting" but forget to consider the implication of the context of their individual settings. He also forgets just how cheap a life is in a medieval fantasy setting. A common theme of why adventurers are "heroes" is because the typical people with power don't give a crap about the common rabble.

[@CastleTrime]

Yeah that was what I thought after contemplating the video. I could easily see the king having lots of statues around his palace with the implication they might come to life to defend the palace against attackers. Even if not all of them can or even any it would be a good threat against any intruders. Holy Shrines might have the same logic. Your town folk might like the idea of the god being able to possess the statue to help the priesthood or defend the shrine against invader.

[@mowermen1762]

@@GreyAcumenthis was the exact reason I paused the video and came to the comments. I normally use these videos to fall asleep but I’m kinda frustrated about his view point here. The idea that statues would be banned because of the monsters that come out would be the same idea as not having any plants in your city because there is a lot of monsters that come from plants.

[@silverwolf2414]

​@@mowermen1762 I made a comment arguing that if we change what we use as statues, the creatures that mimic statues would change with it. A mimic pretending to be a statue is still a mimic, it's shape doesn't have much difference in it's fighting ability

[@mowermen1762]

@@silverwolf2414 even if there was no statues for the mimic threat, they would instead just hide as other things. Mimics imo are just an inevitable threat.

[@sirsimon6562]

The paranoid elf arguing why not to walk into the dwarven stronghold covered in beautiful stone carvings

[@SangoProductions213]

Paranoia assumes he's incorrect.

[@skem9622]

I really like the idea that all statues are made with manacles, the stone carved to form bindings around the ankles, chaining the statue to the ground

[@MystWalkur]

This immediately reminded me that the Statue of Liberty has broken ankle manacles (symbolizes end of slavery) It could be a huge red flag if a statues ankle manacles are broken. Could give Players with high perception a way of noticing a statue may not _be_ a statue

[@sharondornhoff7563]

Why manacles? Maybe decorative statuary can be done as bas reliefs rather than free-standing objects.

[@BastiatC]

Bas relief gargoyle that cant move but can talk, and will cast vicious mockery if you cross it ​@sharondornhoff7563

[@ferrisffalcis]

i think the problem with this thesis is that it assumes that animating statues is the only possible form of animation. i think the reason mad wizards use statues is *because* statues are the prevalent artistic status quo. if the world was full of giant cheese wheels then we would be seeing a lot more cheese wheel golems with magic custom built to turn them into things that kill. it's causation vs correlation, i guess. we've had plenty of examples of creatures in tabletop settings disguising themselves as *everything*, from mimics to flying portraits to whatever the hell an alraune is sometimes depending on the myth, to living dolls remember that people in these settings *do* invent their spells, there are D&D spells named "tasha's hideous laughter" and so on and so forth. whatever ritual they made to animate these statues was built on the premise that such statues exists, and i'm sure a crafty lich with too much time on their hands would come up with a way to keep those magically thin necked statues alive

[@DanielMWJ]

>>whatever an alraune is "What if our hamadryad was a venus flytrap or pitcher plant instead of a tree?"

[@rogerwilco2]

Yes, carpets, cloaks and many other things can be monsters as well.

[@zhuslyth6164]

​@sandraswan9008Tasha is another name for Iggwilv the witch queen. Shes a major character from the greyhawk setting if i remember correctly. Googling iggwilv will probably get you more detailed answers.

[@dursty3226]

​@sandraswan9008 there's a lot of info about her out there. basically though, she's a super powerful archmage. at some point, she also becomes an archfey. try looking up info on her other name, "Iggwilv"

[@DanielMWJ]

@sandraswan9008 I know that she has a Cauldron of Everything.

[@philipmeade7789]

If it’s scary, then statues are good for intimidation I actually love putting lifelike statues in my games sometimes just to mess with players. Sometimes a statue is just a statue

[@bernatsaenz5100]

That's nightmare fuel.

[@commandoepsilon4664]

I once had a set of statues in a game I ran that were just statues, however they had a magic trap on them that created a powerful illusion of them animating. So much so I even had them roll initiative! As it turned out those 'golems' were really bad at hitting the party and seemed to have some sort of etherealness. Once they found out they were illusions they just moved on to the next room only to find out the person they were 'guarding' was just using the time they were fighting to run away.

[@kikankuro]

Now I'm imagining stone busts kept in crypts that cast spells meant to kill rodents to keep the corpses safe from desecration, but they also guard against grave robbers. These busts might be of the dead, or perhaps of depictions of spirits meant to protect and guide the dead

[@segafan2437]

Ah you beat me to it. Great idea.

[@kikankuro]

@@segafan2437 why thank you!

[@locky7443]

The deity thing could go both ways though with gods rewarding people who manage to make good impressions of them. ALso a god being able to see through a statue may allow them to grant better protection(very handy in a monster filled world). So making realistic statues of deities might be a double edged sword. I can't remember where but I have read a story that plays with this idea, where being the sculptor of the goddesses statue was both a great honour and great risk either ensuring your family's place in the community(as none would harm you and risk divine wrath) or lead to an early death.

[@Drag00n1990]

For one of my major trade cities, they build statues out of heroes and kings that are enchanted to animate during times of crisis to help defend and protect the city

[@rytraccount4553]

the hogwarts approach

[@Karmasu_L]

statues OUT OF heroes and king?👀

[@przemysawjozwiak144]

Or even work as a CCTV with city guards

[@KingZolem]

​@Karmasu_L After death your bones are ground to powder, mixed with the plaster, and used to help protect your home.

[@Karmasu_L]

@@KingZolem I will haunt the shit out of this place.

[@mateuszslawinski1990]

Plot twist: monsters have a taste for beauty and simply carve sculptures for themselves.

[@Marinanor]

If statues are among the worst things in D&D, Gazebos are the absolute worst.

[@Daves_Not_Here_Man_76]

If a gazebo isn't a mimic are you really playing D&D?

[@jasonfurumetarualkemisto5917]

The Dread Gazebo strikes again

[@SymbioteMullet]

Even more terrifying than a swack-iron dragon.

[@rianfelis3156]

And don't forget to add in the common encounter partner, the Grassy Knoll. Multiplies the difficulty level!

[@damianarvizu1095]

Fantastic 😂

[@cashmanjenkins]

I just assumed that statues are there for this explicit reason. Sort of the "in case of fire, break glass" scenario. Maybe it's more "there's no legitimate reason to have this 12 ft gladiator statue", but reliefs and busts are the norm in public places. Now I feel like any good defensible position should have statue protectors at the ready during the fallback. Thanks for the video and idea. Folding into future plans.

[@sagenod440]

I think statue monsters only exist because of statues already being an ancient aspect of culture. They’re often massive and form the centerpieces of locations i.e town squares, palace foyers and the like. So it makes sense for them to double as guardians from a pragmatic as well as stylistic perspective

[@majesticgothitelle1802]

I think it would have physical differences between animated statues and regular is how there are ball and joint dolls that are designed to move and bind. While regular status is one piece making it unable to move at all. If they are animated their bodies would crack, break and fall apart.

[@majesticgothitelle1802]

I think it would have physical differences between animated statues and regular is how there are ball and joint dolls that are designed to move and bind. While regular status is one piece making it unable to move at all. If they are animated their bodies would crack, break and fall apart.

[@shorgravan]

Hey, Real interesting ideas. I particularly like the load-bearing and caricature versions. I would say, though, that in most settings you could imagine that statues (realistic or not) are more likely to be a boon than a liability, changing the cost-benefit analysis. That statue of a deity might have an aura that buffs people defending the city, or acts as a zone of truth, or cure the sick on full moons, or fully animate to warn the townsfolk and protect them in times of great danger. This statue of the Duke might provide a way for nonmagical people to call him to aid when needed, or maybe act as his eyes and ears (might be good or bad depending who said Duke is), ... That still implies a completely different treatments of statues than in a world where they are all mundane.

[@Karmasu_L]

That makes me think of how to play off of this. 1. Establish that there usually are no free standing, full-body statues. 2. Describe an area that has one or more such statues, letting the players know that their characters has an unsettling feeling about the area but are not sure why. 3. Have them remember or realize why. 4. (optional) roll initiative

[@robertstuckey6407]

You put the statues of your ciry gods near the harbor or gates. Anyone trying to enter or invade the city would have to chance that the gods are watching and might take an active roll in the defence.

[@SockieTheSockPuppet]

That just ensures that anyone who messes with my homebrewed free city incurs the wrath of three/four deities, as there are three major religions in it - those being of Pelor, Eilistraee, and a homebrewed set of twins. That's the gods of the Sun, Moon, and Stars that you've angered.

[@GnarledStaff]

10:30 Great, you just combined deadly statue with “Rocks fall, everyone dies”

[@TwilitbeingReboot]

The painful hesitation before "a Medusa" was wonderful to behold. I'm with you there.

[@kooolainebulger8117]

but my world is in a Renaissance-like setting! IT MAKES SENSE FOR MY WORLD!!!

[@tach5884]

It's what my character would do.

[@yesmansam6686]

Imagine walking out to your garden one day and there's just a statue there that you've never seen before.

[@Pantology_Enthusiast]

_Magic Missle!_

[@goininXIV]

In a world where the relief-style is used to bind statues, I really like the idea of the group noticing a relief that was carved in inverse: Things that should be protruding out of the wall are instead recessed. What a curious style of statue this culture uses! Most of the figures look to the side, however, with high enough perception or maybe culture, the heroes might notice that where they would expect breasts and abs, the relief instead shows the peoples backs, and the one statue not looking to the side has no face, but rather just a full head of hair. Yeah, those statues weren't carved like that, they walked out.

[@LeDingueDeJeuxVideos]

I dont understand your reasoning. What did the statues do to become like this?

[@QCreyton]

​@@LeDingueDeJeuxVideosthey animated and stepped out of the wall. All the carvings look like they are the backs of people because you're seeing the intends formed from the statue leaving the wall. A cast mold of their backs.

[@LeDingueDeJeuxVideos]

@@QCreyton thank you, I feel a bit dumb now haha

[@Saje3D]

My monk in my wife’s game was attacked by cultists who pretended to be statues, now he’s at a disadvantage anytime he’s near a statue.

[@TheStartrek99]

Bit of irony in this video and "why only humans use golems" by NetNarrator coming out within an hour of each other.

[@GnarledStaff]

This assumes they dont want the statues to come to life. That the statues are not supposed to bring fear to the populace.

[@nascenticity]

now THIS is a cool idea for a setting. you could do so much with it, maybe especially in a campaign where characters arrive in a strange place and can’t figure out why the populace lives in such fear when there’s no visible show of force that they can see… until the art starts moving

[@mister_bomb7777]

You could have a town with statues of guards at every corner. Most would be stone to save on cost, but some could be living. Even if someone knows that not all the statues are alive, they'd have no way of knowing which are.

[@Dumbozo_II]

In The Lord of Mysteries novel, there used to be a time when the gods walked and ruled on the earth, and during this time, it was popular to depict them with statues. But during the present time of the setting, building statue representations of the gods is highly taboo, and all the different churches and temples strictly use symbols associated with their gods. It's to the point where when the protagonist of the novel explores an old temple and finds a statue of a goddess, he becomes really confused and creeped out because it's widely known that all the churchs strictly ban any kind of anthropomorphic representation of their gods and the protagonist is shocked to discover that it wasn't always the case.

[@leondonmaya8878]

Obelisk’s and Carvings! I believe they would replace statues, in that world.

[@DanielMWJ]

"Animated Obelisk crits you for 236 damage. You're completely crushed into hamburger."

[@RyuuKageDesu]

I wouldn't even be too sure about relief statues. Just because they look like they are bound to the stone, doesn't mean they really are. This is also why some people may want to create impressive statues that really could be a dangerous thing; to ward off those who are not in the know.

[@danielwhite1890]

I think the real issue is how separated adventure life is from common life. Statues are commonplace in big cities because no statue monster would be caught dead in a place with so many eyes and guards. And humans specifically when surrounded by people who could have known their ancestors, could desire to immortalize themselves or others in carved statues

[@alananimus9145]

The reason defacing a statue warrented the death penalty in ancient times was because defacing a statue was murder. The act of defacing causes the god to suffocate.

[@Arthurbrabo111]

Imagine doing something similar to the trojan horse, where u gift the rival City with a realistic statue in order to it wreak havoc later

[@recursiveslacker7730]

Let’s not forget that dead gods float around as petrified corpses in the astral plane. Depicting a deity in stone could well be seen as a threat.

[@catman8770]

1:10 almost like a lot of the culture and aesthetics present in DnD are inspired by Europe lol.

[@solalabell9674]

A fun twist on that from a book (I won’t name it here because this is a huge twist and it’s fairly popular) but there’s statues that decorate the city that are actually intended to be animated and were actually used in this setting’s ‘great offscreen war’ so basically the whole what I’d they were animated getting implemented

[@ra1nyran]

tensegrity statues could work to fix the earthquake problem. they could be bound by wires that hold the statues together, but the proportions are too spindly to break the binds safely.

[@nobledamask]

Abstract sphere statues covered in decorative lines would be seen as safe right up until some malevolent statue-making mage comes up with the idea of bakugan.

[@Grungeon_Master]

Amazing.

[@d3str0i3r]

necromancer statuemaker you can hire to preserve your memory and protect your family by having a statue made in your image that is then animated using your very soul

[@tiagotiagot]

When you started talking about European statues, for some reason, the first thing that came to my mind were gargoyles; scary inhuman statues intended to ward off bad spirits or something of the sort...

[@macoppy6571]

Tale of the Manticore dropped the latest pod on June 1, featuring an entire hall of magical statutes. Coincidence? I think not.

[@Diomedes343]

I love this channel; it has quickly become my favorite d&d content on youtube. I love how deeply you consider the practical and logical consequences of worldbuilding elements.

[@revshad4226]

i think another important factor in this is religion and idols, the ancient people saw the idols they made as being a "body" for the gods, and was therefore a place both for them to come to the god and make offering but also was a place for the god to act from increasing there reach and influence. so if we apply that logic to our fantasy worlds, then the various gods still need a body to act from, so idols would still need to be constructed. and perhaps in times of need said idol is animated by the god

[@WFlack-wt9fq]

I think this one a bit silly, in a way that feels more like trying to outsmart the genre than do critical worldbuilding. Yes, in a D&D world there's always a chance that a realistic statue is construct in disguise, but any given piece of furniture in a room could also be a mimic. That doesn't mean every culture is stabbing their front doors with knives every morning and bludgeoning their bedframes with hammers every night, though!

[@jasonfurumetarualkemisto5917]

It would be entirely hilarious if there was one that did however.

[@torg2126]

That's the dorfs of Dwarf Fortress. Notable among Dwarves as being axe crazy drunkards, they are perfectly willing to mimic test random objects

[@stevensilvainus6084]

Now I want to make hyper realistic statues of people in a state of terror.

[@Okamikurainya]

Vanity will forever draw man to solidify himself in nigh immortality, one way or another.

[@emperoremperor1486]

Aesthetics trumps everything.

[@rogerwilco2]

It is a Medusa lair. Time to start casting Greater Restoration.

[@greaterdanemark2397]

Using statues as a defense system in a city would be pretty fun, Terra cotta warrior type shit. Course a lot would require the ever elusive npc magic and explanations but I’m keeping that in my pocket

[@jek__]

Statues have an inherent air of arcanity to them. Just like lanterns and bells

[@DanielMWJ]

I don't think people would rely on manacles. They would probably have some engraved spell formula or ritual that blocks animation of statues. And probably a second set on manacles. At least any done in a population center or master.

[@michaelzautner4848]

Since most of the monsters indicated look like they do because they are mimicking our statues, wouldn’t having less realistic statues just mean the mimics would look like less realistic statues instead of very realistic ones? Like, a living statue doesn’t have to look realistic, it just does because that is what it is made from, a realistic statue, and it is made from that because it is usually the most common style. If the most common statue was abstract pieces, then those are what animated statues would be made from and look like. Similar for mimics, stone golems, etc. If anything, having more abstract statues as the norm is dangerous in its own way because that might be easier for a mimic or other morphing creature to imitate because it would be harder to tell if it got something ‘wrong’, which might net you more statue mimicking monsters because the bar for entry, as it were, would be lower than having to perfectly replicate a human form. Maybe the opposite happens and statues are pushed to be absolutely realistic down to the tiniest detail because anything less could be a mimic of some kind in disguise. Will certainly give you the parts about gorgons and the like. And the above isn’t a refutation, just a possible alternative to consider.

[@twelfthknight]

This reminds me of that Treehouse of Horror episode of The Simpsons where the giant advertising mascot statues spring to life and start terrorizing Springfield like Kaiju. Be fun to do something similar in a magipunk setting, where your players' showcase encounter is against the in-universe equivalent of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

[@tiagotiagot]

Giant advertisement animatronics hacked to wreck havok.....

[@thomashall6323]

I find this idea really interesting. But, counter idea, all statues are known to be homes for spirits or the gods. They are all defenders of a society, all golems. And offerings are made to them. In that society, if youbsee a statue, you dont suspect it may move, you know it will whn the gods command it.

[@hexretro8112]

10:05 : imagine a low Bering pillar with a statue then casting animate objects for the purpose of collapsing the building but they just start struggling to move as they are connected to the pillar.

[@durtypan]

Well thats just unfair, one of my current characters is a living statue of an ancient hero

[@Cammino3]

The Easter island moyai aren't just heads, they also have large bodies that have been buried in the earth over time

[@bigbuddhamech]

Interesting ideas. Enjoyed the video! I could imagine a noble society that likes to collect the frozen statues of basilisk victims or something so they can decorate their lawns.

[@CitanulsPumpkin]

From a set dressing standpoint, photo realistic statues fit in right along with abstract and "impressionist" statues. All D&D settings are populated by at least three dozen distinct sentient races. Many of which are either aberrations, fey, or fiends with wholly alien minds compared to humans and the various humanoid mortal races. Lizardfolk are gonna have wildly different art standards and traditions than gnomes. From a game mechanics standpoint, statues prove that the bard has the best spell list in the game. Not only do they get all the good illusions, all the psychic damage, and potential access to both fireball and spirit guardians. Bards get both Awaken and Animate Objects. "This is Dave. He's a bear, and he's my best friend for the next thirty days. Next to him is Steve. He's a one hundred foot tall stone depiction of the nameless and forgotten kraken god, and he's our best friend for the next," checks watch, "forty-five seconds."

[@tylergerber9737]

I could see a mad stone carver with the spell stone to flesh making hybrids of creatures before sending them off to cause mayhem

[@larstollefsen1236]

Only Grungeon Master can talk about symbolic statues then immediately and unironically suggest putting shackles and manacles on statues of people without mentioning the obvious symbolism there.

[@ValdVincent]

You do also need to remember, in forgotten realms the deities are legit powered by prayer and faith, and stop existing if they don't get it, and can be changed by worship and belief. Clerics also for the longest time had to pay dues in D&D, and putting the money to giant statues likely generates a good deal of prayer and faith.

[@alexanderharvey6407]

Pulling from the caricature concept, what about a wizards college where the headmasters have a small statue commissioned to memorialize their tenure. The initial artist emphasized a larger head and smaller body to represent a focus on the mental strengths and prowess of the headmaster while downplaying his physical attributes as secondary. As time goes on and artistic rendering shifts the school develops into basically chibi statues adorning the halls. Larger heads to emphasize their intelligence, more attractive facially to appeal to the growing ego of the headmasters and the schools prestige, and a continued de-emphasis on the physical body so it can become more cartoonish. Even to the point of collectible statuettes being made as the fame of the school grows...now Jiminy Hackspur has a shelf space with Meliana Tunquist, 12th headmistress of Arkwell Academy, Bartholomew Bertrandson III, 23rd headmaster at Arkwell, and pride of place to his favorite, Faendor "Black Staff" Sitharivel, the 6th headmaster and originator of the office of the Black Staff. You want fantasy FunkoPop? This is how you get fantasy FunkoPop.

[@UltraTtrpger]

I just used Weeping Angels in my game on Saturday 😂😂😂

[@alexandarvoncarsteinzarovi3723]

I used a very horrible idea of several goddess statues in the ancient Greek & Roman world, yes you would get attacked by living statues that are butt naked of Selûne, Shar, Eilistraee, Lolth, Sune! Several clerics & paladins rolled and got fate points during that encounter, they paid me 2 quattro stagioni pizzas to do it again years later, RIP team will miss you,

[@hyko8355]

Paladin : "DEUS VULT" *Smite*

[@richardkern112]

Whatever you make statues out of, the things that mimic statues would just turn into that

[@richardkern112]

Doesn't matter if it's "perfect aesthetic replication of real life human"

[@helixxharpell]

Complexity in detail for said statue is indicative of the technology level of tools at the time. And of course the visualization talent of said sculptor. If said DM wants to maintain the proper analogies of earth history in their world, then.. they would want to include statues in their worlds despite the risks. 😊

[@ramuk1933]

What about some structure having fake gargoyle statues in order to scare away intruders?

[@matthewgordon3281]

I agree with this. A world with lots of magic and magic monsters would likely have a lot of defensive customs. No statues; all dead people get cremated within the hour with full religious rites (even if poor people found dead in the street) to prevent undead; people carrying a small bar of iron, maybe one of silver if they can afford it, to test for shapechangers.

[@majesticgothitelle1802]

I understand keeping the statue of a deity who stupid enough to animate a god statue or disguised themself as one with being destroyed by the follower or divine punishment

[@segafan2437]

Rows apon rows of exagerated nosed busts of Dwarven heroes past, acting as the pillars of a vast comemerative space in the city for all to see and venerate the dead. Pride captured in stone.

[@ianhall7513]

The visual pain you had while separating Medusa and gorgons was hilarious.

[@FluffyFailure0]

Can you cast Animate Object on a petrified creature? Would it be ethical to buy or sell petrified creatures? And what if a petrified creature isn't rendered unconscious, would that be a fate worse than death or not? :3

[@dr._.baldwyn]

Wait till mate hears about medieval (prerenaissance) tomb effigies, where they are ment to be super life like

[@dr._.baldwyn]

But no, I generally agree with the points you raised here

[@bodaciouschad]

First time the party sees statues: regular statues. Second time: living statues. Third time: inanimate vanities of a nobleman. Fourth time: reliefs built into a wall- which animates into a wall of flesh style monster. Fifth time: busts. Sixth time: the busts and their columns animate into monsters. Oh yeah. Thats all goin in tha book of dm trickery and tomfoolery

[@uwtartarus]

My players don't ever trust statues, so I gotta add them everywhere to reduce the "GM says statues? gotta be petrified people!" assumptions

[@alexandercross9081]

The issue I have with this interpretation is that most of the statue monsters are constructs made by mages for their own purposes. Servitors, maybe ones whose masters are gone, but there wouldn't be people around those.

[@s-o-tariknomad6970]

So if we were in D&D we'd want the Spitting Image people in charge of art, amazing

[@meferswift]

Yea yea, any way the door is red

[@mikeesplace]

These are probably the most educational D&D videos out there

[@tiagotiagot]

07:30 Lion-man? I would've guessed that's meant to represent a bear, standing up as bears sometimes do...

[@tiagotiagot]

The problem with big blocks of stones replacing statues is that according a somewhat popular ancient meme, the statue is already in there and the artist is just chipping away the parts that are not the statue...

[@michaelwest4325]

Very evocative way to have any animated, constructed or even a mimic break free of or form itself into a statute.

[@SpiritWolf1966]

I enjoy all of the Grungeon Master videos

[@anvos658]

You forgot the statue is just a statue, is by far the majority of statues. Plus if you don't have regular statues its too easy to tell which statue is the guard statue. Further if you know where the statue came from its easy to tell in a city/town. With Gods I'd say your wrong as divine vessel would be a decent defend the temple/holy site when its threatened. Plus craftsmen would quickly learn what depictions a god likes and there would be a lexicon for how to please a god in your craft work.

[@mycatistypingthis5450]

Somehow, my players are more on edge when I line walkways with gargoyles and statues.

[@eng20h]

Another possibility is to have statues work as guardians for the temple or palace they are displayed on. In fact I would expect a temple to have many elements that show off the power of their clerics and therefore their deity

[@damianarvizu1095]

We built statues of famous people forever. We commemorate our heroes with statues. So why would our fantastic heroes have anything less? In a fantasy setting we might even enchant them to be protectors of our cities in order to protect our homes when under siege. Deities might demand statues to create avatars of their power. See Clash of the Titans and Jason and the Argonauts for examples of how gods could speak to their followers. I would suspect that this is more of an issue of how often our DMs toss them at players rather than a fantasy setting, societal problem.

[@targetdreamer257]

I had an idea for a heist, more of a book then a D&D campaign just because you can make the players do what you want. But still it was with in the D&D mechanics. There this a collector of statues that were petrified people. The idea was that a Rogue of some other sneaky character would allow themselves to be petrified. Then you get a Cleric, a Druid or some other that can cast these two spells Greater Restoration and Meld into Stone. With Meld you can "You step into a stone object or surface large enough to fully contain your body, melding yourself and all the equipment you carry with the stone for the duration. " You can remain in the stone for 8 full hours. It is a strange spell mostly because it lasts for such a long time but also it is a self only spell, do no everyone taking long rests inside a stone. Then you have someone you trust to deliver the statue and not break it to the collector. The collector sets up the new acquisition in the "sculptor garden". The one in the stone waits a certain amount of time then steps out and Cast Greater Restoration on their buddy. Boom sneaky infiltration.

[@rafaelsodre_eachday]

Answer: when such statues are so rare that almost all people believe them to exist just in fairy tales. The adventurers that tell of such statues are not even remotely believed to be serious or sane.

[@theostr1ch943]

The way I've always looked at it is that Ina world where stone can come to life and magic is open to anyone. They wouldn't get rid of the idea of statues, but improve on what they do. We can't think about their applications in our world compared to a world that grew alongside it. It could be a defense system for the town where it comes to life as some kind of guard made tor that reason, a symbol of hope that inspires people to keep fighting something that may seem unlikely. We saw this in BG3 where a statue would give you bless just for having it in your camp. Now we know they can have passive helpful properties. If they are worried about someone taking it under their control by controlling the stone then give it a metallic core, post guards around it. It's likely in a town square anyways and would need the guards, anti magic field, or some form of ward. Whichever would fit best with the setting. In one of my games I have a city that honors its dead by using a magic crystal either to crystallize their dead and put them on a gargantuan tree that will grow around them or they put them into the structure of their walls as pillars. They could be cultural icons. From a gameplay standpoint they could also be used intentionally for players to be able to use them. Maybe they're war forges under the look of stone. I don't disagree with what you are saying where they'd be cautious. But stripping away statues could strip not only creative interpretation from a world but stories that could come with them. EDIT: after posting this you said a few things similar to what I had. I do still stand by the idea of statues but the other things you brought up are a good idea to contribute as a lower costing option

[@silverwolf2414]

This is great until you consider why some things mimic statues because they evolved to mimic what was around them. If we chqjged statues to abstractions like the ball, theyd evolve to mimic those instead. But you do have a very good point with the fact statues could in fact be petrified people, so some cultures might venerate or hate them depending

[@TheHej2]

In a dnd story I have heard the King of a country was turned to stone while fighting a gorgant, while grappling it. Instead of using magic to heal him his sons instead built a coliseum and placed him in it. The beast is still alive to this day.

[@Jeromy1986]

I love looking forward to your perspective on things. Also, I had thought caryatid columns were "katydid columns" this whole time! (They were in one of the 3rd edition Monster Manuals)😅

[@sharondornhoff7563]

1e Fiend Folio originally, actually.

[@Jeromy1986]

Before my time

[@spelkar]

There is a problem that arises when a DM only places statues when they are monsters in disguise. I place statues everywhere. I make them common and only occasionally do they come to life. Statues of various sizes are in every park, on street intersections, in temples, public buildings, taverns, castles, and palaces. People place statues of gargoyles on their rooftops to frighten off other flying monsters such as griffins and wyverns and harpies, like the way that people place owl statues to ward off crows. It’s also sensible that many of these commonly placed statues might secretly be golems or have an enchantment placed on them to animate for several minutes if a command word is spoken to them, that way they can aid in defence of the town in an emergency. And when it comes to animated objects, it doesn’t need to even look like a person to begin with. You could have a section of wall, a pillar, altar, or furniture come to life. Golems could also be standing behind thin walls, bursting free at a moment’s notice. A statue of a god might be enchanted to curse the one who defiles them. And nothing helps to build atmosphere better than statues that represent a certain emotion or tone in their expressions. Plus, it helps to keep the PCs a little nervous.

[@scorpiovenator_4736]

I used so many golems, eidolons, medusas, stone cursed, and gargoyles that my players instantly attack statues on sight

[@garyvincent7397]

But the things that look like statues loo like statues because thats what statues look like

[@CountAdolfo]

You asked a question. Why do we have this Greco-Roman viewpoint.... D&D worlds are generally based on a fantasy version of Medieval to Renaissance Europe. Simple. Then, you debunk yourself. Who would make these statues if they could be creatures or even petrified people? Um, most of those legendary beasts you cite came to us from the Greeks (and some from Romans) and they made such statues. So... makes sense that they exist in D&D

[@Kazen169]

this is going into the lore book!

[@backonlazer791]

9:36 Are you sure about that? Don't forget, the Animate Objects spell gives statues a *flying speed* if they don't have legs/other appendages they can use for locomotion, making them much more dangerous!

[@Coid]

To be fair, most statues in a human settlement are going to be installed in pretty particular locations, so a random statue on a street corner or in the middle of a hallway is still going to register. Plus, even most gargoyles and the like will still have to exert some level of effort to carry off a pre-existing statue so they can take its place on a pedestal or altar or the stone block in front of the courthouse.

[@flagshipson]

You’re forgetting the value of using monsters as guard dogs. I could easily see a forgotten empire having a captured/tamed monster statue in their capitol, and then they export lifelike statues to project force, with some captured monsters amongst their retinue.

[@slinelol]

I just got an idea for a civilization that got secretly undermined by shapeshifting or "living statue" controlling evil doers. Luckily through some deus ex machina situation the plan didn't work out because in an iconoclast moment every single statue in the entire hegemony got destroyed. On could use this as a charakter background of an adventurer going out and warning others of the evil influence hiding in plain sight, somehow controlling others. Or they might be able to shapeshift into specific figures in power and banish a king to a live as a statue feeding or even sharing their memories. This also opens up a classic tragic player charakter background of dead parents, maybe as a nobel background. The second a statue of your parents, the royal couple got shattered as a precaution the individuals you thought of as your parents transformed into an amorphous being. The connection that dictated them what to be severed.