Ideas for Jinn

[Plynkes]

Jinn, Djinn, Genies, whichever you prefer.

Looking for a Jinni for a game. But I'm a fussy so-and-so and want something other than an anthropomorphic Disney Genie. I've seen the Otherworld one, and while it's a lovely model, it's about as far-removed from what I want as is possible. I'm looking for something more, I dunno, primal. Something not human. And not Disney.

Unfortunately I have no idea what I do want. The Koran tells us they could look like snakes or dogs or people, but I want it to look supernatural, not just like a snake or a dog. They were made by Allah from "smokeless fire", so I suppose a column of flame could do it. An elemental figure, perhaps? Where might I find some of those?

It will be one of King Solomon's slave Jinn, still guarding a treasure of his since times long forgotten, since nobody told the Jinni he had died and it was released from its bond. A little Pulpish supernatural element thrown into one of my historical games to wrong-foot my players, as they will never expect something like that from me. But I don't want it to be cartoony. I want it to be realistic, in as much as an imaginary being can be.

Any ideas, gang?

[meninobesta]

have you tried the ral partha Europe catalogue?

http://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/17038-djinn-of-fire-p-1034.html

or the old stuff from grenadier? http://www.mirliton.it/index.php?cName=fantasy-2528mm
or fenryll? http://www.fenryll.com/category.php?id_category=23

also if you looking for a "fire guardian" could a cerebrus or hellhound mini would work?

Also: Have you tried the LAF? found this after I wrote this post:
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=32141.msg379677;topicseen#new
the mini in question is this one: http://twitpic.com/674857

[Nimrod]

Cypher studio makes a couple of jinns in their helldorado range

https://cipher-studios.com/store/index.php?main_page=popup_image&pID=571&zenid=a083bb6800d7b00dc3a22092af38a2f7

https://cipher-studios.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=36_43&products_id=491&zenid=a083bb6800d7b00dc3a22092af38a2f7

[dijit]

You could also just take a good unarmed mini (female would probably be good) and paint it fiery colours.

[matakishi]

I made elemental pillars with pva soaked tissue on a cylinder and a few slotta bases.

[Heldrak]

You might want to read the novel Declare by Tim Powers

http://www.amazon.com/Declare-Tim-Powers/dp/0380798360/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313590103&sr=1-1

This may provide help provide a more primal, elemental view of Djinn to help you get away from the "turban-and-curly-shoes" stereotype.

Miniature-wise, you might want to look for ifrits/efreets/etc. as these tend to be more fiery and less cutesy.

[Smith]

Some of the D&D elemental figures might work:

http://www.vesivus.com/minis/Elemental.htm

They also have efreet and djinni if you want a more stereotypical look:

http://www.vesivus.com/minis/Angelfire_Djinni.htm
http://www.vesivus.com/minis/Angelfire_Efreeti.htm
http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/w/wizardsOfTheCoast/byProductType/miniaturesGames/dnd/singles/lordsOfMadness/v5748btpy8gvb

All plastic, and most quite cheap.

[dijit]

Alternatively if you want wolf/dog like djinn try getting a werewolf model and scuplting flames and painting reds/yellows.
Duncan

[Brummie]

Interesting ideas. For my 20mm Near future game, the Jinn are one of the few none human factions and I had similar issues figuring out what I could use to represent them (especially with such a limited 20mm market when it comes to super-natural stuff!) However, the Koran (or what little it tells us about these beings) are shape shifters, they can practically be anything they choose to take the form of so to that end no one would know what their actual form is. And since humans can't enter the parallel realm the Jinn reside in no one can tell.

A fire elemental could be used. But a Jinn (Jinn is translated as a Demon I think to christianity) could well be a demon of some kind which has free will and isn't just hostile but capable of being an ally. Other then that you could practically use anything.

Here are a few other factors you could keep in mind, Jinn are meant to be exceptionally strong beings and are capable of becoming invisible to humans with their own set of magical powers. Maybe a magician of some kind might be good?

[Plynkes]

Part of me wants it to be formless, maybe even invisible or shape-shifting into mundane beings, but the other part of me wants an impressive-looking model for the tabletop. The inspiration comes from a role-playing scenario where a long-forgotten Jinni is trapped in a box in a treasure room and when the box is opened it possesses the one that opened it. The thing had no form other than the box or whoever it was in at the time. I like that idea, it's in keeping with the more "realistic" setting (i.e. a hidden thing of terror rather than having a flashy monster for the players to fight).

But at the same time I want a flashy monster for the players to fight, as this is a tabletop game, not an RPG. I need to give it some thought. Some cool ideas and suggestions here for me to mull over. Thanks.

[B. Basiliscus]

Start with an invisible, possesive force, then once some crucial puzzle is solved or a rite is preformed, it materializes as the creature.
simple.

[Andrew May]

I always liked these.
http://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/17045-braggu-demon-2-p-1041.html
 

[dijit]

Or this (the one on the left):
http://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/01031-elemental-daemons-of-earth-air-2-p-1222.html

[Cory]

Have you considered modeling some sort of shadow effect rather than the creature itself?

Some sort of additional base that any other creature would fit on - swirling mists, flashing light, a malformed shadow?