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Wizards of the Coast shares artwork, including new cover for 2024 edition of DND

NecrosaroIII

Ultimate DQ Fan

dnd01.jpg


Not a bad cover tbh. It sort of reminds me of the 2nd edition a little bit. Sort of etheral.
 

NecrosaroIII

Ultimate DQ Fan
Pass.

Modern Wizards of the Coast is cancer and I won't go near anything that is 5th edition on upward.

Fourth sucked too, FWIW but not exactly for the same reasons that fifth edition sucks.
I think 5e started out strong, but around the time Tasha's Cauldron came out their priorities changed.
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
Well, at least the red head survived!

It's a dumb cover though. They are all facing the wrong way and I don't care for the muddy colors and wet look.
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
lmao at the "maybe it's a white guy, maybe not" helmeted warrior.
Why do you think that's even a man?

And is that a drow caster? I'm guessing by the lack of silver hair....no.

That 50th anniversary book with the 1st edition reprint is on my radar, pricey but should be good reading. Don't have any use for 5e books but do still like the dnd retrospective stuff like art and arcana.
 

kruis

Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
Is the redhead supposed to be a nonbinary character?
 

Toots

Gold Member
From an aesthetical standpoint, i find the cover quite successful.
The dragon looks cool, a bit fromsoftware-like.
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
From an aesthetical standpoint, i find the cover quite successful.
The dragon looks cool, a bit fromsoftware-like.
Nah, it's composed for shit. Look at the "bubble" around the clerics (?) mace thing. It goes BEHIND her orange hair and arm, as if it were a disc instead of a sphere. Then the caster is holding a thin staff that somehow is behind her cloak? And I guess she is levitating? The ranger lady is either doing a power squat with her butt right up against the knight or her back left leg is invisible. Plus her left arm is somehow resting ABOVE her boobs but her left hand is still in front of her right elbow, it's a very awkward positioning meant to highlight that yes, this is a female because while she doesn't have actual boob armor she somehow has a skin tight suit of studded leather that hugs her waist and displays her small bosom.

It's just a badly composited image, there is little detail, it has a bad smear effect to make it seem like watercolor or something (I'm pretty sure its a digital work), the faces are bland without much expression and the poses are bad. A lot of the books have this artist or style, I don't care for it. Compare it to the precision and detail Elmore or Parkinson (rip), even Caldwell, put into their stuff. This is like Thomas Easley (heck, it may even BE Easley) who was always the most surreal of the bunch and my least fav by a looooong stretch.
 

BadBurger

Many “Whelps”! Handle It!
They finally have a paladin on the cover of one of their books. It feels like they forgot the class existed for a good decade, but after the D&D film they're everywhere again.
 
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Meicyn

Gold Member
How many of you didn’t bother to look beyond the front cover?

LlxG5Yz.jpeg


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Last image has a few familiar characters from the 80s cartoon. I have a disdain for WotC given their greedy antics, but there is nothing wrong here at all with the art. Lot of ”look at this bitch eating crackers” spitefulness going on.
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
How many of you didn’t bother to look beyond the front cover?

2U78tgv.jpeg


Last image has a few familiar characters from the 80s cartoon. I have a disdain for WotC given their greedy antics, but there is nothing wrong here at all with the art. Lot of ”look at this bitch eating crackers” spitefulness going on.
These are all FAR better than that cover. And where is my bae Sheila? Hood on, I guess.
 

Toots

Gold Member
Nah, it's composed for shit. Look at the "bubble" around the clerics (?) mace thing. It goes BEHIND her orange hair and arm, as if it were a disc instead of a sphere. Then the caster is holding a thin staff that somehow is behind her cloak? And I guess she is levitating? The ranger lady is either doing a power squat with her butt right up against the knight or her back left leg is invisible. Plus her left arm is somehow resting ABOVE her boobs but her left hand is still in front of her right elbow, it's a very awkward positioning meant to highlight that yes, this is a female because while she doesn't have actual boob armor she somehow has a skin tight suit of studded leather that hugs her waist and displays her small bosom.

It's just a badly composited image, there is little detail, it has a bad smear effect to make it seem like watercolor or something (I'm pretty sure its a digital work), the faces are bland without much expression and the poses are bad. A lot of the books have this artist or style, I don't care for it. Compare it to the precision and detail Elmore or Parkinson (rip), even Caldwell, put into their stuff. This is like Thomas Easley (heck, it may even BE Easley) who was always the most surreal of the bunch and my least fav by a looooong stretch.
Maybe i just have bad taste, but you did not think about that before starting your rant.

Anyway i wish i could draw as bad as the dude who created this.
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
Maybe i just have bad taste, but you did not think about that before starting your rant.

Anyway i wish i could draw as bad as the dude who created this.
I checked, it's Tyler Jacobson, who has done a lot of the cover art for various DnD books (including the first 5e TPH and DMG). He is capable of a much better command of anatomy, scene presentation, and conveying emotion and purpose than this.
 
How many of you didn’t bother to look beyond the front cover?

LlxG5Yz.jpeg


r9zfkep.jpeg


20xIq4E.jpeg


2U78tgv.jpeg


Last image has a few familiar characters from the 80s cartoon. I have a disdain for WotC given their greedy antics, but there is nothing wrong here at all with the art. Lot of ”look at this bitch eating crackers” spitefulness going on.

Well if they wanted to sell a product, that cover is a pos. All the other stuff you posted is miles better even as drawings lmao.
 

Darkmakaimura

Can You Imagine What SureAI Is Going To Do With Garfield?
2U78tgv.jpeg


Last image has a few familiar characters from the 80s cartoon. I have a disdain for WotC given their greedy antics, but there is nothing wrong here at all with the art. Lot of ”look at this bitch eating crackers” spitefulness going on.
I'm finally getting represented as the vase with the long purple tongue!
 
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StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Not great looking. Not terrible, but not a fan of that messy pastelly kind of look. Also, is that a Chinese Halfling? lolol

Way back in the 80s, my older bros bought thos classic D&D box sets. Funny thing is they never played them as it was too complicated, we all preferred video games and traditional board games, but some reason they were still bought due to sheer coolness. I think they just wanted a collection. I was too young to play, but they and their friends probably tired them a handful of times and gave up.

I always thought the aqua coloured companion set looked awesome.

dd-becmi-basic-expert-sets-a-det.jpg


s-l1600.jpg
TSR1021_Dungeons_%26_Dragons_-_Set_4_Master_Rules.jpg
 
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NecrosaroIII

Ultimate DQ Fan
Not great looking. Not terrible, but not a fan of that messy pastelly kind of look. Also, is that a Chinese Halfling? lolol

Way back in the 80s, my older bros bought thos classic D&D box sets. Funny thing is they never played them as it was too complicated, we all preferred video games and traditional board games, but some reason they were still bought due to sheer coolness. I think they just wanted a collection. I was too young to play, but they and their friends probably tired them a handful of times and gave up.

I always thought the aqua coloured companion set looked awesome.

dd-becmi-basic-expert-sets-a-det.jpg


s-l1600.jpg
TSR1021_Dungeons_%26_Dragons_-_Set_4_Master_Rules.jpg
I really love AD&D's aesthetic. So much so when I wrote an adventure, I borrowed from it.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
I really love AD&D's aesthetic. So much so when I wrote an adventure, I borrowed from it.
My bros also bought a Monster Manual. Googling it, it was the first one.

I didnt give a shit about reading the info or stats. I just liked the pictures. In the manual, there were two artists. One did awesome realistic looking monsters whuch I loved. I still remember Chimera, Shambling Mound and Mind Flayer.

The other guy did more cartoony black saturated artwork which I thought looked like shit.
 

TheInfamousKira

Reseterror Resettler
Pretty sure I got into a heated Twitter debate with a WotC artist about clashing opinions regarding the chick on Valorant who got threatened with rape by a gay Aussie. I only discovered this after an hour of back and forthing when I realized suddenly that the number of views on the thread was like...1,500% more than my usual posts. I pissed off someone who's VAGUELY POPULAR online. Fish don't fry, moving on up, etc.

That's my input, have a pleasant whenever-the-hell-you-read-this.
 
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Pretty sure I got into a heated Twitter debate with a WotC artist about clashing opinions regarding the chick on Valorant who got threatened with rape by a gay Aussie. I only discovered this after an hour of back and forthing when I realized suddenly that the number of views on the thread was like...1,500% more than my usual posts. I pissed off someone who's VAGUELY POPULAR online. Fish don't fry, moving on up, etc.

That's my input, have a pleasant whenever-the-hell-you-read-this.
Take care.
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
Not great looking. Not terrible, but not a fan of that messy pastelly kind of look. Also, is that a Chinese Halfling? lolol

Way back in the 80s, my older bros bought thos classic D&D box sets. Funny thing is they never played them as it was too complicated, we all preferred video games and traditional board games, but some reason they were still bought due to sheer coolness. I think they just wanted a collection. I was too young to play, but they and their friends probably tired them a handful of times and gave up.

I always thought the aqua coloured companion set looked awesome.

dd-becmi-basic-expert-sets-a-det.jpg


s-l1600.jpg
TSR1021_Dungeons_%26_Dragons_-_Set_4_Master_Rules.jpg
That's all Larry Elmore stuff, one of the TITANS of fantasy art. Super nice guy, met him a few times at cons. His arts books are well worth it.
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
Fun little bit of PR 'controversey', the mini of the red box faceless warrior is a woman. Elmore got to have his 'talking to' about it, as he drew the character as a man. And when Elmore draws women, it's OBVIOUS.

 

jason10mm

Gold Member
Let's see how Elmore draws warrior women...
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So if this was supposed to be a woman, I think he'd have figured out how to have way more butt and thigh showing, probably even some side boob. The hair would be finer. And there would NOT be such a pronounced deltoid or thick thigh or the man hands. Anyway, it's a silly thing to debate but hey, what's a gamer forum for?
OLThBY4.jpeg


and just because these are some of my favorite works by him, even have signed prints, I'll throw these out as examples of storytelling in a single image.

XfPswOV.jpeg
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NecrosaroIII

Ultimate DQ Fan
Damn, Venger though!

He really needs a unicorn chained at his feet and "Evil Eric" as an anti-paladin in the fore ground, give us some storytelling with these covers.
Holy shit, I didn't even realize that was Venger. They're really going all in on DND cartoon nostalgia these days, huh.
 
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