Ral Partha Dungeons and Dragons: Giant Spider (1995) (Jewel of July ’18)

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Ral Partha Dungeons and Dragons Giant Spider (1995)

Time for a Spider! Today’s model is a Ral Partha Giant Spider from their licenced Dungeons and Dragons range in 1995. Which is why it has a “TSR 1995” on it’s underside. While some of you might wonder why RP felt the need to licence something as incredibly generic as a Giant Spider, where no copyrights or trademarks could possibly exist, the answer lies in it being part of a branded D&D range that stores would carry and purchase from.

Ral Partha Dungeons and Dragons Giant Spider (1995)

Friend of the Bitz Box, Mark Morin actually painted the same model a couple of years ago, along with some other old-school Grenadier Spiders.

I painted the thing in woody browns, inspired by our local Aussie heroes, the Huntsman Spider. Even though the Huntsman isn’t furry like our D&D model, I still wanted her to have the “feel” and “appearance” of a “real” spider. In order to do that, I followed the really simple, muted tones of real spiders rather than going all that crazy with bright colours, as it’s clearly not a tropical specimen. I also went with browns rather than blacks, since I wanted it to stand out a bit more, and perhaps be a little less creepy(?) The tiny, beady eyes were painted black, with a single dot of white for the highlight, and gloss varnished. Not that you can see them, they’re so bloody small!

Ral Partha Dungeons and Dragons Giant Spider (1995)

After trying to make the thing look kinda-realistic with the paint, I wanted to then draw it away from looking like a large spider had invaded my games room by using the basing to tie it in with the rest of my minis collection, and with that black rim separate it from the tabletop slightly. I also used some bits of slate to raise the front f the spider, since it’s rearing up (for some reason) and make it look that little bit more impressive when sat next to other models.

Ral Partha Dungeons and Dragons Giant Spider (1995)

Ral Partha Dungeons and Dragons Giant Spider (1995)

It really is a nice sculpt, and probably one that’s now lost to time. It wouldn’t take much for someone who owned the mould to scrape off the TSR from it (or probably most of that range) and sell it, and I’m sure that’s the case with at least a good chunk of the rest of the mid-90’s range. After all, no-one “owns” Orcs, or Kobolds or Elves – which is why we now have GW selling us “Orruks” and “Aelves”, but without knowing the intricacies of that particular licence agreement, who can tell? RPE don’t have it. Maybe Mirilton or someone else like that owns the sculpts now? (Well, not Mirilton – I just checked!)

59 thoughts on “Ral Partha Dungeons and Dragons: Giant Spider (1995) (Jewel of July ’18)”

  1. EURGH. As an arachnophobic, that looks real enough to give me chills. The fact you have something like that around is genuinely one of the reasons I’ve never been to Australia.

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Thanks Mikko! You really don’t need to worry about the fauna most of the time, unless you’re in the right (or wrong) place. Huntsman Spiders are actually really helpful, as they’re not very poisonous and so not a danger to humans (despite their size) and their diet includes other spiders that are more dangerous to us.

      Liked by 1 person

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  4. Nope. NopenopenopeNOPENOPE. Sorry, I really couldn’t even read that. Like Mikko, I’m a serious arachnophobe, and, well, I guess it’s a testament to your quality of work that even a brief glimpse of it like that freaked me out.

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Yeah, I’m not fond of spiders myself either – that’s why I went with the Hunstman analogy. They’re large and “on our side”. All other spiders that I see inside the house need to die immediately. (Except for Daddy Long Legs – who are also “good” spiders). Huntsmen are the only ones that I’ll do the glass-and-paper trick with. Though it’s always better if someone else wants to do it!

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  5. Wow man that is very realistic. I think you should sent it to Mikko haha. My middle daughter has a phobia of spiders which I’m trying to help get her over. Bit by bit I’m getting her to come closer to spiders I find in the house.

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Heh, ours was fine until Mom started shrieking about bugs, mainly spiders and ants. After that she would wig out. Which is exactly the opposite of what I did as a kid. Much to my Mom’s dismay, I would bring spiders in the house. Spider-Man was cool, so spiders must be too, right?! The Toddler has started to get over her fear of bugs, mainly through my reassurance. Sometimes by starting with something a bit removed, like cartoon images of friendly spiders or something, will help along those lines. Kids can outgrow phobias pretty quick.

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    • Healthy fear of spiders is ..healthy. A crippling fear or phobia, notsomuch (since we need to dispose of them rather than let them get away and lurk). As long as she knows to avoid them (or kill them when she gets older) rather than play with them, it’s all good. 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

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  6. You did this one well, a nice Jewel! Thanks for the shout out, and I can attest that this figure is not easy to assemble. Your basing really adjusted well to the figure such that it looks completely natural.

    And yes readers, this is a big dude. I actually prefer your rendition to mine, but I was going for a blackish evil tarantula Kyle in LOTR movie. It was already two plus years ago, wow. I do see that in Australia your creepy crawlies are not to be trifled with (too much Discovery channel).

    Exceptional work Azazel!

    Liked by 2 people

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    • It’s funny if you check out GW’s Arachnorok Spider, you can tell they they went out of their way to make it look *less* terrifyingly spidery. It looks like a cross between a Tyranid, a Crustacean and a Spider. And then painted it like a cooked lobster, just to drive that point home!

      Liked by 3 people

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  9. Ok, a Giant Spider…*yawn*…giant bugs, done to death in old SciFi movie, computer gamers, etc. But huh…wait…what’s this? Azazel slapped some nice paints on this lovely little furry guy?! Ok, better give it a look…

    I think you definitely chose well to go with the brown. Not that I have any doubt you couldn’t pull off a big black LoTR looking spider either, but this looks more natural and shows off your painting skills even better. I think the pose was a really nice idea. I would’ve tried to move the two legs closest to the head out in front more, as that’s a more natural rearing spider pose. But I don’t know what’s possible with the model.

    That’s truly a Jewel for July, and since it’s early….I can only gleefully wait to see what else you might spring on us!

    Liked by 3 people

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    • It’s one of those models that’s metal but I’d be a bit wary of trying to bend anything. (Especially since it’s way OOP) You can see how it narrows at the segment joints, so while it’s pretty thick, I’d also be worried about a little snap. I might look at it a bit later and see, though the whole “rearing up” pose is a bit odd, anyway.
      I did plan to take a photo of it on the floor, next to the wall so it looked like a real spider about to climb up the wall, but then forgot once it was fully painted until after I superglued it down to the base. Considered prying it off, but then thought better of it.

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      • Yea, don’t pry it off! Or bend it. Would’ve been a cool pose though. I’ve watched spiders go into that rearing attack pose.
        Great offensive or defensive tactic, as they either push away or more likely get some limbs around for the death bite grapple. I played with way too many of them as a kid. Even had a large Black Widow spider under our porch. Luckily I knew to leave that one alone. We used to catch bugs and throw them into webs just to watch the spider come out and web them up.

        Liked by 2 people

      • Fair enough. I learned to fear and hate (or at least not fuck around with) spiders here, since black spiders have a nasty bite and red-backs can kill a human (doesn’t often happen because modern medicine, but still). Luckily, The Sydney Funnel-Webs haven’t *quite* made it this far down south, yet…

        Liked by 2 people

      • I painted my own Giant Spider last night:

        I hope he looks pretty realistic, though I couldn’t convince him to rear up for the photo. 😉

        Now if only I could capture a pic of a drop bear…

        Liked by 1 person

      • I have a small army of spiders in plastic, all sizes! The biggest is almost softball size, the smallest is a coin-sized swarm of babies. Good for all kinds of gaming! LOL I will have to line them all up for family photo now…

        Liked by 2 people

      • I think you need to do it. I’ve got a few different ones from Reaper and Citadel of various sizes, but none that are both especially good sculpts *and also* a good size..

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