Wemic
Encyclopedia
In the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
roleplaying game, the wemic is a humanoid with the upper body of a leonine human and the lower body of a lion. Like centaur
s, they are considered "tauric" creatures.
, the artist who painted the covers of the first edition Monster Manual
and Dungeon Master's Guide
, created the modern-day wemic for a game product called Monster Cards
Set 3, a first edition Dungeons and Dragons supplement released in 1982; the artwork for the original depiction being undertaken by Jim Roslof
. The wemic then appeared in first edition in the original Monster Manual II (1983).
The wemic appeared in second edition for the Forgotten Realms
setting in the Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix (1989), and reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993). The wemic was further detailed in Dragon
#157 (May 1990). The wemic is presented as a player character
race in The Complete Book of Humanoids (1993), and is later presented as a playable character race again in Player's Option: Skills & Powers
(1995).
The wemic appeared in third edition for the Forgotten Realms setting in Monsters of Faerûn
(2001), and as a player character race in Races of Faerûn
(2003).
. A nomadic, stone-age
folk, wemics are often represented as barbaric, illiterate, and uncivilized; they are famous for being highly superstitious. Others would describe Wemics as nature-oriented people with a rich tradition of oral history; they live close to the earth and are in tune with its magical forces.
When a wemic must be still for a time, telling stories around a fire, pausing for a meal, waiting for a friend, or just to take a brief rest, the Wemic commonly assumes a posture in which his hindquarters rest on the ground as his front legs remain straight and his forepaws stay flat on the earth. This they call sitting. This is different from a Wemic sprawling (both hind and forequarters on the ground, but with torso upright) or laying down.
, which also introduced the mountain wemic: essentially the same build, but the lion portions replaced by those of a large cougar. Mountain wemics are slightly smaller than common wemics and generally solitary.
campaign setting
. They inhabit the vast african-savanna
-like grassland known as the shaar, waging war with the Loxos, Thri-Kreen
and Centaurs
which also dwell there.
, a UK based live action roleplaying game. However, in this system they appear as highly cultured, bipedal felines, rather than quadrupeds.
Wemics in the Maelstom game-world are divided into two main cultural groups - those from Amun-Sa and those from Tritoni, although there are also populations in in the Free Islands, Gerosos and Lyzanium. This said, individuals or small prides of Wemics are still found all over the Known World.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
roleplaying game, the wemic is a humanoid with the upper body of a leonine human and the lower body of a lion. Like centaur
Centaur (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the centaur is a large monstrous humanoid. Based upon the Centaurs of Greek myth, they resemble humans with the lower body of a horse.-Publication history:...
s, they are considered "tauric" creatures.
Publication history
David C. Sutherland IIIDavid C. Sutherland III
David C. Sutherland III was an early Dungeons & Dragons artist. Sutherland was a prolific artist and his work heavily influenced the early development of Dungeons & Dragons.-Early life and inspiration:...
, the artist who painted the covers of the first edition Monster Manual
Monster Manual
The Monster Manual is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It includes monsters derived from mythology, and folklore, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically...
and Dungeon Master's Guide
Dungeon Master's Guide
The Dungeon Master's Guide is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons...
, created the modern-day wemic for a game product called Monster Cards
Monster Cards
Monster Cards is an accessory for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:The Monster Cards were a DM's aid, with each set containing twenty 3" by 5" cards, each with a color monster illustration on one side and statistics on the other side...
Set 3, a first edition Dungeons and Dragons supplement released in 1982; the artwork for the original depiction being undertaken by Jim Roslof
Jim Roslof
James Paul "Jim" Roslof was an American artist and graphic designer particularly well known for cover art and interior illustrations of fantasy role-playing games published by TSR, Inc. during the "golden age" of Dungeons & Dragons...
. The wemic then appeared in first edition in the original Monster Manual II (1983).
The wemic appeared in second edition for the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
setting in the Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix (1989), and reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993). The wemic was further detailed in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#157 (May 1990). The wemic is presented as a player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
race in The Complete Book of Humanoids (1993), and is later presented as a playable character race again in Player's Option: Skills & Powers
Player's Option: Skills & Powers
Player's Option: Skills & Powers is a supplemental sourcebook to the core rules of the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. This 192-page book was published by TSR, Inc. in 1995. The book was designed by Douglas Niles and Dale Donovan...
(1995).
The wemic appeared in third edition for the Forgotten Realms setting in Monsters of Faerûn
Monsters of Faerûn
Monstrous Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn is a supplement for the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons.-Contents:It features about 150 pages of monsters unique to the Forgotten Realms campaign setting...
(2001), and as a player character race in Races of Faerûn
Races of Faerûn
Races of Faerûn is an optional supplemental sourcebook for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons.-Contents:...
(2003).
Description
Wemics are larger and stronger than humans; a wemic can leap up to 50 feet with a running start. Their front claws are sharp, and they can fight with both claws and weapons at the same time. The leonine body is covered with dusky golden fur, while the underbelly fur is short and white. Males are generally represented as having long mane-like hair.Society
Wemics are excellent hunters and fighters. They do not make settled homes, but generally follow the herds they hunt for food. Some have compared them with the aboriginal people of the central plains of North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. A nomadic, stone-age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
folk, wemics are often represented as barbaric, illiterate, and uncivilized; they are famous for being highly superstitious. Others would describe Wemics as nature-oriented people with a rich tradition of oral history; they live close to the earth and are in tune with its magical forces.
When a wemic must be still for a time, telling stories around a fire, pausing for a meal, waiting for a friend, or just to take a brief rest, the Wemic commonly assumes a posture in which his hindquarters rest on the ground as his front legs remain straight and his forepaws stay flat on the earth. This they call sitting. This is different from a Wemic sprawling (both hind and forequarters on the ground, but with torso upright) or laying down.
Subspecies
Wemics entered the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons in the accessory Monsters of FaerûnMonsters of Faerûn
Monstrous Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn is a supplement for the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons.-Contents:It features about 150 pages of monsters unique to the Forgotten Realms campaign setting...
, which also introduced the mountain wemic: essentially the same build, but the lion portions replaced by those of a large cougar. Mountain wemics are slightly smaller than common wemics and generally solitary.
Wemics in the Forgotten Realms
Wemics appear in the Forgotten RealmsForgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
. They inhabit the vast african-savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
-like grassland known as the shaar, waging war with the Loxos, Thri-Kreen
Thri-kreen
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the thri-kreen, or "mantis warriors", are an insect-like monstrous humanoid race. Thri-kreen are one of the primary player character races of the Dark Sun campaign setting, and have also appeared in the Spelljammer and Forgotten Realms campaign...
and Centaurs
Centaur (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the centaur is a large monstrous humanoid. Based upon the Centaurs of Greek myth, they resemble humans with the lower body of a horse.-Publication history:...
which also dwell there.
Wemics in other systems
Wemics are a player race in MaelstromMaelstrom (live role playing game)
Maelstrom is a live action role-playing game campaign run in the United Kingdom by Profound Decisions Ltd. The campaign consists of four events held each year at weekends during the British summer at a variety of locations...
, a UK based live action roleplaying game. However, in this system they appear as highly cultured, bipedal felines, rather than quadrupeds.
Wemics in the Maelstom game-world are divided into two main cultural groups - those from Amun-Sa and those from Tritoni, although there are also populations in in the Free Islands, Gerosos and Lyzanium. This said, individuals or small prides of Wemics are still found all over the Known World.