Dungeons & Duckies

Fall 2023


Concept

Dungeons and Dragons is a well-known tabletop game, known for allowing players to get creative. But often it is a struggle to understand the differences between dnd classes. A passion project focused on creating a fun way to remember DND class types.


Approach 01

Initially, the approach was to create a mini booklet filled with facts and a large illustration of each duck. However, after completing eight ducks, the process of tracing and adding accessories to the ducks did not allow much room for expression and personality, leading to a shift in approaches.

Research

Using the Fighter as an example, I wanted each duck to have a unique pose that best represents their behavior and class and how to keep that style consistent with all 12 classes.
Traits of Mallard
- Ancestor of most domestic duck breeds, they can breed with other duck breeds to create hybrids.
- There is a estimated 11 million mallards in North America.
- They are classified as a dabbling duck, meaning they poke their heads under the water to reach food, but do not dive fully under water.

How it Relates to Fighter Class
- Fighters are the most common class played.
- Diverse backgrounds, anything and one can be a fighter.
- Specialization options makes the class very customizable.


Sketches


Variations

Considered the limitation of the rectangle frame, some variations were created for DND classes that used magic.

Layout

Reassessed the order of duck breeds and classes. Created multiple practice zines allowed for better organization and writing down why ducks would be in certain classes. 

Type Exploration

Paired a transitional typeface with a sans-serif typeface, similar to other one-shot PDF’s. For the final, Chiavettieri became the title typeface, for its thick, contrasting serifs. The body copy used Franklin Gothic, which allowed various fonts for differentiating dungeon master notes from speaker notes.

Logo Exploration

A logo mark resembling the official Dungeons and Dragons logo was created to give the zine more authenticity.


Final

2025