D&D type art

 https://beyondtheblackgate.blogspot.com/

That French site:

https://oldschoolnostalgia.wordpress.com/2022/04/17/dragonlance-draconiens/ 

Lovebug info, around 1940 they started being scientifically observed in the USA

Details from these UF links. Thanks Uni of Florida for all the good bug science. And so, interesting that they saw them flying over the Gulf of Mexico, 300 meters+ up in the air... so sounds like they could migrate across the ocean if they had to. ??? 

They started being observed mostly in the US in Texas and Louisiana in 1940, Hardy from Galveston, TX. Not as common in Florida in 1940 I guess (??? see his comments.. widespread in 1940 but tons in Texas and Louisiana... is that the same or not as today). A natural migration, most ppl are guessing. But why then? What changed, what made it possible for them to move that far? Was Mexico wetter near the coast during those decades? Well kept reading and sounds like these things can even fly over the Gulf of Mexico so... ??? Or did people just ignore them till 1940 b/c it was only when cars and lots of highways became a thing, then they became a more noticeable thing? I dunno, when they swarmed in our backyards they were very noticeable. Then again, maybe the grass yard contributed to them... or do they like leaf litter just fine?  

And the Florida ppl are finally noticing less of them here in 2023. But I can say, in my state, it's been waaaayyyy less most years for the last 10 years. I can remember one time recently, back yard with kids, where they were swarming. I mean when I was a kid in the 80's, they were massively stuck to the front of our vehicles, very memorable. 

https://weather.com/news/climate/news/2023-10-20-florida-lovebugs-fewer-this-year

https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/pestalert/lovebug.htm

https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/lovebug.htm

Quotes below, underlines are mine:

"The lovebug, Plecia nearctica Hardy, is a bibionid fly species that motorists may encounter as a serious nuisance when traveling in southern states. It was first described by Hardy (1940) from Galveston, Texas. At that time he reported it to be widely spread, but more common in Texas and Louisiana than other Gulf Coast states.

...

Within Florida, this fly was first collected in 1949 in Escambia County, the westernmost county of the Florida panhandle. Today, it is found throughout Florida. With numerous variations, it is a widely held myth that University of Florida entomologists introduced this species into Florida. However, Buschman (1976) documented the progressive movement of this fly species around the Gulf Coast into Florida. Research was conducted by University of Florida and U.S. Department of Agriculture entomologists only after the lovebug was well established in Florida.

Classification

Thompson (1975) reported over 200 species in the genus Plecia. However, there are only two species of Plecia in the U.S. — Plecia nearctica and Plecia americana Hardy. Their ranges are similar, but Plecia americana extends northeastward to North Carolina and south to Mexico, whereas Plecia nearctica ranges farther south to Costa Rica. Plecia americana is a woodland species that does not seem to be a problem on highways. Before Hardy described the lovebug species as Plecia nearctica, it was known as Plecia bicolor Bellardi (Hetrick 1970a).

Distribution

Plecia nearctica is established in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and the southeastern U.S. (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas). In 2006, this species was reported as far north as Wilmington, North Carolina (Mousseau 2006).

...

The females lay gray, irregularly-shaped eggs in or on the soil surface under partially decayed vegetable matter. Slate-gray larvae are often found in groups beneath decaying vegetation, where moisture is consistent. Factors necessary for larval survival include adequate moisture, partially decayed vegetation (for food), and favorable soil temperatures. Pupation occurs where the larvae develop, with the pupal stage lasting seven to nine days (Hatrick 1970a).

Figure 4. Larva of Plecia nearctica. Color is slate gray, with a darker head. Length of full-grown larva is about 11 to 12 mm.

Figure 5. Larvae of the lovebug, Plecia nearctica Hardy. Photograph by James Castner, University of Florida.

Each of the two Plecia nearctica generations in Florida lasts about four weeks in April-May and August-September. In addition to the two large emergences, this species has been collected in Florida every month of the year except November (Buschman 1976). A more recent study by Cherry and Raid (2000) shows a minor flight peak in December for south Florida that had been previously unrecorded. This later study does not contradict the importance of the two major flight peaks earlier in the year, but does state that in south Florida most of the adults seem to appear in April during the first yearly flight.

Buschman (1976) stated that, throughout its extensive range, Plecia americana has been collected only in April, May, and June, with no evidence of a fall emergence. Thus, Plecia that emerge in the fall are definitely Plecia nearctica. Thompson (1975) added that most of the spring collection dates of Plecia americana in north central Florida are two or three weeks earlier than similar dates for Plecia nearctica.

...

Dilophus sayi (Back to Top)

Another March fly (Bibionidae) that may be confused with Plecia neartica is Dilophus sayi Hardy (1966). The behavior of the adults is somewhat similar to that of Plecia nearctica, but Dilophus sayi adults do not congregate on highways. In Florida, Dilophus sayi  populations peak from late January through April, but can be observed most of the year beginning with cooler weather in October. Most Florida records are in the peninsula south to Dade County.

Dilophus sayi is smaller than the Plecia spp., and has an all-black body, lacking the reddish color of the thoracic region of Plecia. The males of Dilophus sayi are smaller than the females and have clear wings as opposed to the brown fumose wings of the females.

Dilopus sayi was observed being attracted to recently parked cars in Gainesville, Florida, and to barbecue grills (Denmark and Mead, personal observations). Thornhill (1976a) in studies at Gainesville, Florida stated that aggregates of up to 300 larvae of Dilophus sayi could be found on or near the surface of the soil among the roots of grasses. 

...

Behavior of Plecia nearctica (Back to Top)

Hetrick (1970a) studied the biology of Plecia nearctica, and estimated that September 1969 flights reached altitudes of 300 to 450 meters, extended several kilometers over the Gulf of Mexico and covered one-fourth the land area of Florida.

Callahan and Denmark (1973) reported that ambient temperatures above 28°C and visible light at above 20,000 Lux (2000 ft-C) stimulated lovebug flight but not orientation behavior. Lovebugs are attracted to irradiated automobile exhaust fumes (diesel and gasoline) when the ultraviolet light incident over the highway ranges from 0.3 to 0.4 microns (3000 to 4000 angstroms (A)) between 10 AM and 4 PM, with a temperature above 28°C. Hot engines and the vibrations of automobiles apparently contribute to the attraction of lovebugs to highways. Callahan et al. (1985) reported that formaldehyde and heptaldehyde were the two most attractive components of diesel exhaust.

The following description of reproductive behavior was taken largely from Leppla et al. (1974), who reported on a daily rhythmicity of flight, mating, and feeding of lovebugs in the laboratory and in the field, which coincided with the ambient temperature of 19°C and an incident light intensity range of 15,000 to 20,000 Lux (1500-2000 ft-C). Adult males begin hovering between 8:00 to 10:00 AM EDT. Males orient into the wind 0.3 to 0.9 meters above ground level. This behavior tends to cease after 10 AM and a resurgence occurs at 4:00 to 5:00 PM and lasts until about 8:00 PM. Females do nor hover but crawl up vegetation and take flight through the swarm of hovering males. The female is grasped by a male during flight, or while she is on vegetation before flight. Copulating pairs begin dispersal flights around 9 to 11 AM. Individuals may feed alone, or while in copula, on nectar or pollen in the vicinity of the emergence site. There are few or no mating pair flights by afternoon.

...

By using traps, it was determined that most lovebugs emerge from the pupal stage from 6 to 9 PM with a smaller number emerging from 8:00 AM to 12 Noon (Thornhill 1976b). Eclosion from the pupal stage requires about 5.2 hours at 27°C for males and six hours for females. Both sexes become fully sclerotized within two hours. Thornhill (1976b) did not report any positive evidence for the emission of a sex pheromone by either sex during or before copulation. Males hover near their emergence site and use visual and perhaps auditory cues to locate females.

..."

And finally, a 2008 funny 18 wheeler picture from and from:

https://laymanstermsmedia.com/2013/09/20/eat-love-and-die-the-short-but-meaningful-lives-of-love-bugs-2/

If you’ve ever driven along the Gulf Coast in love bug season, your car will look something like this.
Source: VehicleSpa.com – 2008

And that last link says: 

"The reason the bugs are attracted to the vehicles that give them an early fate is both because of the temperature from the hot engines and the formaldehyde found in gasoline and fumes. The chemical attracts the female because she  senses it as an organic safe spot to lay her eggs."

Me: So according to this map, apparently from UF also, 1975 they were all over the Gulf South and Florida.

AH HA, so this expert did say it was probably the highways that did it, via that same laymanstermsmedia site:

"Some say the bugs came over in stowaway ships from Central America that were docked in New Orleans, but UF entomologist Norman Leppla told the Gainesville Sun he dismisses that theory because of their short lifespan and delicacy. He believes the expansion has to do with the simultaneous rapid building of roads and highway systems along coastal areas.

After Eisenhower’s federal Interstate Highway System was approved in 1956, the swarms of bugs, according to Leppla, started migrating at a faster rate. Since the older cars had no AC, the bugs that got sucked up into the cars while traveling would pop out at different places along I-10 and start another population somewhere else."

 

Links to good old school DnD D&D art, LOTR art, etc.

 https://www.blackgate.com/2011/12/28/art-of-the-genre-ices-middle-earth-roleplaying-part-two-angus-mcbride-1931-2007/

So Angus McBride did a lot of cool looking stuff (LOTR stuff). Who else? 

D&D DnD, spells... why'd they change these so much I wonder?

Mostly feels like they nerfed mages/dmg spells in 5e, boo, boo. Less spell slots, less dmg . Fk me, I'm going back to 3.5. 

(BTW, I saw Mr. TreantMungle youtube say less spell slots to make level 20 parties more fun, less slow battles. He also said i htink him, that concentration was to avoid so many stacking spell effects which bogged down battles). The sorcerer class really felt like a nerf from 3.5 to 5e, which is what turned me off of ever playing 5e for so long till the kid and the school dnd stuff. 

Obviously 5e DnD has higher hitpoints and I think better saves at higher level (correct me if I'm wrong). But just looking at raw damage numbers, some weird things have happened from 2e, 3.5e, to 5e. I'm ignoring "upcasting it at a higher level" which maybe is a slight problem due to Warlocks in 5e always casting at higher and higher levels as they go up in level. 

note: getting numbers from 2e's Deck of Wizard Spells book, 3.5e via the dndtools.org site, and 5e via the dndbeyond site... before they start changing to this OneDnD new version stuff. 

note2: some older than 2e stuff from https://dungeonsdragons.fandom.com/wiki/Creeping_doom

note2: using numbers vs. one target for simplicity. 

Fun list: https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/dnd-best-attack-spells

• Goodberry in 3.5e was limited to 8 HP of healing per day... seems reasonable. But 5e let it be infinite withing 24 hours. Weird and why? 
• Creeping Doom - spell level 7- in like D&D orig and AD&D, it sounded much cooler and deadlier. In 1e it did up to 100 dmg if all bugs hit, but lots of caveats I guess: 
• D&D - Calls up a horde of deadly spiders, scorpions, centipedes, and millipedes. They appear in 1d3 turns, and the spell calls 1d10*10 of them. The mass of small creatures can move up to 6" in one turn to attack whatever the caster commands them to attack, and will pursue prey up to the spell's range (or until it or they are destroyed). This spell can be employed underground as well as outdoors.
• AD&D - 1,000 dmg theoretically, you read that right, if one target and they don't run quick, highest damage ever, good to be a Druid. Conjures a swarm of 1d6+4 * 100 venomous biting and stinging arachnids, insects, and myriapods. The carpet-like mass swarms in an area 2" square, and creeps forth to any target the caster designates within 8" at the rate of 1" per round. Each of the creatures inflicts 1 hp damage against a target in the swarm, and then dies. If the creeping doom goes beyond 8" of the caster, it loses 50 creatures for each 1" beyond 8". Any method that will thwart or destroy a swarm will work agianst a creeping doom.
• 2e - ?
• 3.5e - Insect Plague is close but diff.  
• 5e - Insect Plague, 40 dmg, is close but different, level 5, no creeping just AOE, 4d10. Simplified. 
• Horrid Wilting aka Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting, cool story on the guy here: http://www.canonfire.com/cf/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=529 , went from being super powerful at level 20, with a 20d8 dmg in 2e... to now capped at 12d8 in 5e. Hugely different... was it due to something on the video game Baldur's Gate 2 where people were struggling against the computer's team (apparently the devs used a bunch of Horrid Wilting spells on bad guys b/c no friendly fire, easier on the AI)? Or maybe it was nerfed b/c it's "only" level 8? Maybe not many had resists against it, etc.  

• 2e = 20d8, at lvl 20. 
• 3.5e = 20d6, at level 20 (20d8 vs. water elementals, etc.)
• 5e = 12d8
• Via the link, "Abi Dalzim, whose name in Ancient Baklunish means 'Father of Droughts,' is both a skilled elementalist and a dreaded practitioner of necromancy." Apparently he was a super villain in the Greyhawk world, of the fictional DnD Baklunish people who are mostly like Arabian folks. 
• Info on 3.5 here: https://dndtools.org/spells/players-handbook-v35--6/horrid-wilting--2742/ 

• Lightning Bolt
• 2e had it bouncing off walls. Seems like it doesn't bounce off walls anymore... even 3.5 removed that, so no double hitting. That's sad. (FYI, creature would only take full damage on one of the bolts, others are auto half damage sounds like). 
• 2e also had it so you could make it 10 feet wide and go less range, or 5 ft wide max range. And you could start it anywhere within range, didnt have to be at your fingertips. 
• 2e = max of 10d6 at level 10
• Fireball in 
• 2e = max of 10d6 at level 10
• 3.5e = max of 10d6
• 5e = max of 8d6
• Delayed Blast Fireball in
• 2e = max of 10d6 + 10
• 3.5e = max of 20d6 at level 20
• 5e = max of 22d6 ... aka 12d6 + 1d6 per turn (up to a minute).
• Disintegrate - hugely nerfed, wtf. 
• 3.5e = 240 aka 40d6 at level 20
• 5e =  100 aka 10d6 + 40 force damage
• Power Word, Kill
• 2e = 60 HP or less one creature (or ... mult creatures if 10 HP or less). Current HP, BTW.
• 3.5e = 100 HP or less one creature example
• 5e = 100 HP or less one creature example
• Meteor Swarm, actually went up in max damage from 2e to 5e. Well there is a surprise, I guess b/c they made all level 20 char stuff crazy(like moon druids w/ infinite wildshape?). And I guess to reflect the level 9ness of it. And probably everybody has resist fire and whatnot in 5e at high levels, I dunno. 
• 2e 160 dmg max, and only if you are in the middle. 10d4 per each of 4 big spheres, for example, with overlap taking extra (only middle takes max). 
• 3.5e, 192 dmg max ... AKA it could do 2d6 bludg, then 6d6 fire. Times 4, b/c you can put all 4 big spheres on one opponent. https://dndtools.org/spells/players-handbook-v35--6/meteor-swarm--2632/
• 5e, 240 dmg max... 20d6 fire + 20d6 bludg, so 240 dmg total, overlap doesn't matter.  
• BTW, in the Shadow over Mystara arcade game, it definitely came from the sky, but in 2e and 3.5e it definitely says it streaks from your fingers (and in 2e at least, all folks in the way take damage with no save if they are betw you and the landing spot, aka they are in the streaks). 

Fun stuff from that site: https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/dnd-best-attack-spells

Bigby's Hand (5e reference surely)

Why is it such a great offensive spell?

• This is like Aladdin’s carpet if it was more powerful. Fly around on it and cast spells while providing yourself some cover.
• Using the hand’s abilities only costs a bonus action, so you get to keep casting all the spells you want, then using the hand as an afterthought.
• You can upcast the spell for more damage which already starts at 4d8 for the clenched fist.
• It’s a great all-around spell for offense but its versatility makes it a must-have spell. Just there to give you a “hand” when you need it most.