Holy shit I love how the Sand Dwellers emerge from their human host like the final stage of Brundlefly when the rest of his “vestigial”flesh finally nope-d” out as he’s dragging Gena Davis towards the “telepods”! I absolutely love everything you create and add to the mythos Sandy my friend! What’s especially incredible is the love and reverence you have for this incredible “pantheon” while absolutely expanding it and trying newer things, all while adding important nuance and context without experiencing the pitfalls of overly explaining.

Sandy giving out little lead miniatures to kids on Halloween.

It’d be cool if they also had some weird hair-like tendrils on their bodies that were actually exposed dead arteries from when they were leeching off of their host

Hey Sandy, here's a potential video idea for you. In, "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" Willett resurrects a powerful being known only by the number on his jar, "118". Lovecraft doesn't give many hints about who he is, but I would like to hear your opinion. (Especially since it's my favorite Lovecraft story)

That's a very creepy take on them. It reminds me a bit of a short story I read a few years ago, where a biologist discovers the leftover DNA in the human genome that would allow a person to progress out of their "larval" state (since all vertebrates besides fish and amphibians gave up their pupal and "adult" forms) and discover whatever the human equivalent of an "adult" insect or fish or what-have-you would be... only, once the process has gone far enough that he can't stop it, he realizes that whatever he's becoming is actually a different creature that's eating him from the inside, and the end result won't be himself at all. I might have some of the specifics misremembered, but it was a fascinating piece of writing nevertheless. I think it might have been by David Brin.

"Koalas aren't scary" Tell that to the drop-bear (you might have to look it up online).

I really loved the Sand Dweller improvements! Sandy's mind at work!

Sandy Petersen has obviously never heard of drop bears. 🐨😋😂🤣

I honestly like it when unassuming, even cute creatures turn into something gruesome and terrifying.

A fun way to go with this is to suggest the lore about Skinwalkers of the American South West is inspired by these critters, but heavily corrupted by generations of oral tradition or maybe even intentionally distorted by the Sand Dwellers. I am tempted to get a CoC group together with these Sandy Dwellers and have that be the hook! Thanks, Sandy!

Koalas can be scary... beware the Drop Bear! Lol. But seriously have a look. ;)

Sandy, are you not terrified? 🐨

To Sandy: One of the few scenarios I've seen that uses Sand Dwellers (well, mostly one) is Desert of Sighs, in Miskatonic River Press's Our Ladies of Sorrow (which is unconventional but a special treat if you're a fan of Dario Argento, especially his Three Mothers movies - Suspiria, Inferno and Mother of Tears). Interestingly enough, the way they're used in the scenario can fit virtually seamlessly with your "reinterpretation" of them IIRC. Bonus: the main Sand Dweller NPC has a way to take the form of the human it replaced, so it can interact with human society.

Thanks Sandy!!! Love from a fan in Puerto Rico!!!

Fantastic video, and the editing got me, I love the Michael Rosen "Noice." Keep it up, Mr. Petersen!

How to make them scary? Have them declaim Derlethian prose against which ear plugs are useless and THE END OF EVERY UTTERANCE IS IN ALL CAPS WITH AT LEAST FIVE EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!! I appreciate the continued adventures. The monthly subscription might not have worked out - I did like the way I could do a session a month and "Tune in next time for the Perils of Petersen!" Having it all in one book has it's charms as well.

Sandy hates those of the sand. How ironic.

I ran a scenario at GenCon last year that had sand dwellers. The small tunnels, quick movement, and poisoned bite seemed to do the trick, especially since they can burrow into any tunnel the PCs are in - behind or in front. I treated them somthing like Fizzgig from The Dark Cryatal.

Mr Petersen sounds alot better (Healthier) than last time.

The sandlion from Mumin scared me quite a bit as kid. it looks quite a bit like the sand dweller description, but more like a very skinny black lion and it lives in the center of a sand pit that is hard to climb out of. It's also one of, if not the only mumin character that wants to eat you.

Sounds tastefully influenced by Banshee Chapter, in theme and setting. Relationship between dwellers and greater entities could birth a rich variety of side stories, but if it got a single 80-minute B movie I'd be first in line to see it. Having interdimensional travelers as friends would have its upsides.

I imagine that you must be a great "campfire" horror and ghost story teller....

Those are some great ideas where the Sand Dwellers are concerned. Until now they seemed like some of the least used of all Mythos creatures; I can't even think of anyone who did use them after Derleth's story. And rather OT but wondering with all the credit Derleth kept giving Lovecraft even though he took his own writing in vastly different directions: was Derleth trying to keep HPL's memory alive after his death to convince people to read his works? I seem to recall that aside from Derleth's own Arkham House, not much of HPL's works were reprinted for decades. Okay, Derleth was trying to promote the books his company published and make some extra sales, but I like to think he was trying to convince people to give Lovecraft's works a chance.

What came to my simplistic mind was el chupacabra. Maybe a twist of mirage-like mental power.

Starship Troopers, cool!

Nice take, I always just thought they were a variant of ghouls lol.

Koalas climb wood and dont mistake the power of those claws! they can get very ornery too, think hung over old man :) Not carnivores, sure .. but I wouldnt pick up a wild one in a hurry :) Ive also seen one sit in front of a car, middle of the road, and absolutely refuse to move! light nudging with the bumper, endless horn .. nope you hafta go round hes in a mood today :) And they can decide to give you quite a deep slash if they are feeling like that .. chase you too (at about maybe 3 MPH lol) Ive also seen one annoyed at a german shepherd, and when he got sick of the barking he reached out and very deliberately slashed his nose right open! not a small cut either, it was surgery at the vets .. dont underestimate the humble koala they are mean and totally fearless :) Oh, and if its needed to know during a game, I hear they are completely inedible, the eucalyptus flavour is like petrol (never tried myself)

Story time with Sandy is pretty epic, should be a new series.

Sandy- tell us how you really feel about the sand dwellers …😂

I love it. I would additionally suggest that the Sand Dwellers specifically/can only target humans that are pre-genetically disposed to have a psychopathic neural make-up to their brains. This rare feature to a human mind gives the San Dweller a psychic 'door' to get into their minds. This would make the Sand Dwellers much much more discerning about their victims and would explain why they aren't just trying to take over/possess humans all over the place. It keeps them to be a rare occurrence and not pervasive to the point that humans would have gained wide notice of them and their machinations.

*Insert Tom Hall quote*

Hey Sandy, have you ever checked out the 2002 survival horror game Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem? Very Lovecraftian as the name implies, and has an eldritch servant called the Bonethief who operates within humans exactly as you theorized the Sand Dwellers do.

thx for the idea that the Sand Dwellers can enter human bodies! now I use them as things that can jump from body to body, sort of like the Agents from the Matrix saga, but doing it with dimentional superposition. if someone is killed by a cult, there's a free body for them to freely inhabit.

Wasn't expecting this video to be as good as it is. I should have, its Sandy Peterson.

That was the perfect way to make something dull and tiresome into something cool and fascinating. You should try that with Tommy Wiseau.

Your idea for sand dwellers brings up an interesting idea. What if a sand dweller enters a guy so evil that it bothers even the dweller, who seeks people to get them out of the person prematurely.

I like your improvements.

Weird seeing this on a Monday but I am looking forward to your terror paths game.

Damn, Sandy... that really works! Once I have some money I really need to get Skin Deep.

I appreciate him rescuing the Mythos just after Lovecraft died but his stories are just inferior to the contemporaries of the time, not to mention the duality of good vs evil he inserted.

Cool I love your monster videos. I’m still really hoping you get back to unknown classic movie monsters. Or at least a hyperspace style anyist of wolf and tiphids concept of intelligent plants and animals reaching sentinels with out the use of technology

Oh wow

Whats your most middling monster sandy. Also do you think augests devoutness to his faith may have limited him in his story monsters and writings.

It really is an interesting excersize to try making the thing you hate and think is boring, interesting and fun. Like Ray Palpatine from the disney trilogy. I utterly DESPISE her. However I discovered just by some additional set dressing tweaks (a worn leather bound notebook here, a meditation mat there, a holocron in the corner, you can explain a LOT of her background without having t oresort to 'oh she imprinted on Kylo Ren and copied his knowledge.' You can even get away with her being a Palpatine just fine. Nurture vs Nature. Her Natural tendancy, as Luke himself points out, is towards the Dark Side. Yet her nurture has caused her t ochoose to stand in the light even though being stuck in a rando shithole planet couldhave easily left her bitter and angry she chose to help people, because thats' what you do when everyone depends on everyone else to survive. All leading t oa confrontation with pappy palpie. I would have made the confrontation les bombastic less a matter of palpatine somehow having a phantom army yadda yadday and more 'the first order tearing itself apart' because some will see palpatine as 'Yaay the emperor is back he will lead us to greatnes!' and the others wil lgo 'OH FUCK NO NOT THIS AGAIN!' And have Palps, an abomination and writhed in eldritch darkness as he is literally burning out the clone body he is inhabiting, aging and decaying. Then another body steps out from behind the proverbial curtain s Ray is confused, this mental blurring as he feels all these lives but theyr'e all blurred, a single person's mind threading through them all until one becomes the focus. And Ben hoping to cut Palpatine down. Succeeding. As another palpatine laughs, clapping, 'Pravo my young skywalker. Now then.... we have much t odo before Snoke again rises to try claiming what is rightfully Mine....' 'But," Ben standing there confused as the dead palpatines dissolve into ash, 'I thought.... isn't Snoke just one of your...?' Sinister laughter from Palpatine. 'Let us just say I am not the first to have managed to use the force to trancend my mortal bonds. I have learned much from and of this usurper and I think it is long past time that he see that this galaxy is, now and forever. Mine.' A gesture of hands once young now showing signs of old age creeping in. 'Now my dear children. Kneel, and you will recieve all that I am.... and in return you will carry forward and break these mewling children and rebuild this pithetic first order in MY image.' Rey, doubtful, heart in turmoil, looking down. All she had fought for, all the sacrafice. All t oget here and... She sees a pale trnaslucent blue hand, gloved. Belonging to someone wearing Vader's suit, yet without the teltale of vader's breathing. Soft voice whispering in her ear as Ben looks to her. They had agreed to set aside their own squabble to see thsi through, light and deark sides. To make an end of this riddle. 'We've got your back kid...... all of us.' And the camera panning out showing flickering ghosts. Windu, Ahsoka, Yoda, On and on, forms blurring and merging and seperating as their light pushes back the encroaching dark that is Sidious. All as Ben steps between Rey and Palpatine, taking the sith lightning in her place. 'don't.... cry. Look at it this way. Saves everyone the trouble of a trial....'

Hit the bell. KZfaq doesn't pop you up in the subscription tab.

Sandy, I'd like to see what you think of the game Cruelty Squad

Since you called out the Rat Bat Spider, do you tie in Angry Red Planet to the Mythos?

As a consummate cryptid enthusiast, I'm surprised that you described Koalas as "Koala bears". They're marsupials.

Lovecrafts ghouls come from Arabian mythology

Noice.

Sandy do you like Bloodborne?