I Got My Magnus Archives Dice Set A Few Weeks Ago And Have Been Endlessly Pondering Some Of The Symbols

I got my magnus archives dice set a few weeks ago and have been endlessly pondering some of the symbols on the big fears die. I heard that you were the one who designed the symbols, could we perhaps get a walkthrough of which symbols represent which fears? Just for some clarification :D

Oh fun! Happy to share.

So, I had to do these symbols in a way that was large and bold enough to be on a die, but distinct enough to identify. This sheet shows what’s what:

The above image has 3 columns and 5 rows with icons for the 15 fears. (Some are more thoughtful than others)

Row 1 - in the upper left is Extinction, shown as a robotic hand with a radioactive symbol on the palm. This is inspired by a combination of human and technology creating toxicity around them. To the right of Extinction is Stranger, shown as offset theater masks for the duplicity and carnival-vibe. In the upper right is the Web shown as a cobweb.

Row 2 - left is the End, shown a la a skull with a triangle cleaved in the center. I originally wanted to do something with tendrils out of it but it wasn’t clear enough to render right. The triangle is an artistic render of the death hazard. To the right of the End is the Vast shown as a triangle with a lighting bolt. This one was a little difficult as I wasn’t sure how to express Vast in a small space. So the lighting is supposed to evoke a dangerous sky, in a V made to form a triangle. Right on row 2 is the Spiral, shown as.. well, a spiral.

Row 3 - left is Desolation, a small flame engulfed in a larger flame, spreading. To its right is the Hunt which I originally had as a crosshairs target but Alex suggested going more primal, so we settled on teeth (I’m pretty happy with them) right on row 3 is the lonely, shown as a lighthouse.

Row 4 - left is the Dark with the classic closed eye in a filled circle. To the right of the Dark is the Corruption which is weirdly my favorite. It’s a bee but with a head with several growths. It’s a bit more abstract I guess but I was thinking of The Last of Us and the fungal zombification . The growths on the head are meant to be reaching out continuously in the hive mind. The right on row 4 is the buried, the shape inside is supposed to evoke closing in and down, collapsing

Row 5 - right is the slaughter, with a knife on a drum. I don’t know if I have to explain that. I wanted to do two knife drumsticks but they wouldn’t render on dice well. Center bottom is the Flesh shown as an anatomical heart with veins around it. This was another on I didn’t know what to do with at first and just drew a steak lol then Alex suggested a heart and it just made more sense. I think of it as the duality of Flesh as a visceral fear, but also an emotional one. The bottom right is an eye! Because… eyes.

There is also a rendered version of the web cassette on the set (not pictured)

I hope that helps and is interesting! And if you want a Magnus Dice set with the 15 fears I designed, check it out here: https://thedicedungeon.co.uk/products/themagnusarchives

The Dice Dungeon

The Magnus Archives - The Entities Limited Edition Dice Set

The Magnus Institute, London. An organisation dedicated to studying the esoteric and the weird. The Institute and its employees take care of