2020 Geek-A-Long: Mimic

Seasoned adventurers often shoot a chest with an arrow before touching it. This is because adventurers who survive dungeon after dungeon learn from the mistakes of their less fortunate peers. If the arrow breaks, no big deal, it’s all good. But if the arrow hits and the chest says, “Ouch,” you know you are dealing with a Mimic. These monsters are able to look exactly like normal items until you touch them. Then, they become sticky globs of teeth, gnashing and biting while your teammates attack it.

The Mimic is a staple in dungeons. It looks like treasure and bites like a lion. And they don’t just look like treasure, some look like beds or furniture. And some are so large they mimic whole towers. That Wizard’s tower that just appeared and looks well stocked and poorly defended? It’s too good to be true. The only treasure there is whatever was left behind when it ate the last fool. 

I am a big fan of Mimics. A few friends of mine even played in a DnD game where they were the Mimic Knights sworn to the Mimic King and given strange powers. It was a lot of fun to watch. I think it’s still on YouTube. 

There is a downside to using Mimics, however. They make the players want to roll for everything. Sure a good DM wants them to use their skills and feel the danger of raiding an ancient dwarven ruin, but no one wants the party to stop every ten feet and roll a bunch of checks to see if that wardrobe is a mimic. It isn’t? How about that chair? No? Well, let me shoot the bed with an arrow! It’s an older style of play that I find grating after one session. There used to be all kinds of trick DM’s would use to punish their players for, you know, playing the game. Fortunately, Earwigs didn’t make it into fifth edition yet. 

Whether you’re knitting, crocheting, or cross stitching this square, you can download the Mimic pattern here. Instructions and charts for both knit and crochet are listed in the pattern. When you’re finished making it, don’t forget to Instagram your squares at us @lattesandllamasyarn with the hashtag #geekalong! Want to hang out with other people making the blanket? You can find moral support in the Geek-A-Long group on Ravelry here.

~Megan-Anne

Earwigs were terrible little monsters that hid in doors waiting for people to try and put their ear against it to listen. It was a Very Specific monster.

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