It’s August and that means that the annual #RPGaDAY ‘question a day’ is here to celebrate “everything cool, memorable and amazing about our hobby.” This year we’ve decided to join in the fun and will be canvassing answers from the ENWorld crew, columnists and friends in the industry to bring you some of our answers. We hope you’ll join in, in the comments section, and share your thoughts with us too… So, without further ado, here’s Day 5 of #RPGaDAY 2017!
#RPGaDAY Question 5: Which RPG cover best captures the spirit of the game?
Darryl Mott: The original Shadowrun cover by Larry Elmore. 1980s style cyberpunk mixed with urban fantasy has never been presented as well in a single image. I understand why it was changed starting with third edition as the game had moved beyond that aesthetic (which, by the end of the 90s, looked pretty dated). However, nothing really hits those genre buttons as hard as an elf with a Mohawk/mullet plugging his brain into a computer in a dark, graffiti-covered alley while a sorceress in a trench coat provides cover with a spell ready in one hand and a sawed-off shotgun in the other, and a Tribal-painted commando dual-fists Uzis for cover fire as a group of shadowy antagonists taking cover behind a futuristic car. That is quintessential 1st/2nd Edition Shadowrun.
Morrus: There are two which had that effect on me. The first was Jeff Easley's 1E AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide cover, which drew me in with a sense of wonder that I don't think I've felt since with an RPG cover. These days the emphasis is more on action, which is awesome, but that particular cover evoked something special.
The second was FASA's Star Trek RPG boxed set from the 80s. There were other covers for this game, but this particular one captured the characters and the feel of the show - and the game - for me perfectly. Interestingly, again, not an epic action piece. I guess epic action pieces don't do it for me!
Michael J Tresca: D&D Basic Rules, red box. It promised solo D&D in a way that, as a kid with nobody to play with at the time, was irresistible. There was a prototype of that cover that showed an entire party which probably better represented the game (below), but for me, at that time, that lone fighter taking on a red dragon (suicide in D&D Basic rules!) was iconic D&D.
Christopher Helton: Normally I don't like photo covers, or photo art in role-playing games. A lot of the time, they just aren't that good, or the mix of photos with art is jarring to the design of the book. The Solo Of Fortune supplements for R. Talsorian's Cyberpunk game are a perfect storm because of how they married the magazine style of graphic design with a role-playing supplement. Solo of Fortune 2 has long been one of my favorite covers, and I think it is representative of the game itself.
Angus Abranson: It’s a very tough call but Hollow Earth Expedition wins out for me. I’ve been a big fan of pulp since I was a kid… I used to avidly watch the old black & white Saturday Morning Serials they reran on TV each week and was enthralled by the B-Movies that always seemed to conveniently be on after we got back from school on BBC2. Ray Harryhausen was a legend to my childhood. When I first saw Hollow Earth Expedition, and met the Exile Games crew, at their first Gen Con in 2006 I was instantly captured by their brand new game. The cover stood out and grabbed my attention and for good reason as I’m sure you can all agree…
Dennis Detwiller (Creator of Delta Green, Arc Dream Publishing): Skyrealms of Jorune. Miles Teves is a God. Of course, he co-created the world so that makes sense. But he went on to bigger things, working in film (I think he designed the 2002 Spider-Man suit!)
Lynne Hardy (Cogs, Cakes & Swordsticks; Achtung! Cthulhu): Which RPG cover best captures the spirit of the game? Blue Rose - Stephanie Pui-Mun Law's artwork really captures the sense of ethereal beauty and wonder the game encapsulates. Also, War of Ashes: Fate of Agaptus - murder muppets by the bucketful!
August Hahn (Lone Wolf, Åskfågeln): For me, no piece of cover art captures the spirit of its roleplaying subject quite like the one Steve Jackson Games chose to head up the In Nomine line. The burning feather, pictured in mid-fall, is simply perfect.
Martin Greening (Azure Keep, Ruma: Dawn of Empire): Ah, so many to choose from: Apocalypse World 2e, Mistborn, Numenera, Shadowrun 2e, Symbaroum. I’d have to say the best (as of now) cover that captures the spirit of the game is the original Top Secret RPG from TSR. The scattered money, passports, photos, and pistol, along with the manila folder, just scream secret agent.
Eran Aviram (Up to Four Players; City of Mist): Shadowrun 2nd Edition. It was brilliant: An elf woman holding a spell in one hand and a shotgun in the other stands next to a tribal-looking street ganger, both protecting an elf decker in the middle of a dirty alley, all dressed in super-80's-looking styles, while in the background a group of security guards, or maybe a rival gang, charge toward them with guns blazing, and in the background a neon-lit city. Everyone is desperate, everything is ancient and futuristic at the same time, and the word “punk” seems to explode toward you along with the huge SHADOWRUN in the top. This image captures everything you need to know about the feel of the game inside.
Richard August (Conan, Codex Infernus): While somewhat self-serving, I'm going to go for Brom's cover for Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of. Though Dungeon Crawl Classics runs it very close.
Stephanie McAlea (Stygian Fox Publishing, The Things We Leave Behind): The One Ring
Lloyd Metcalf (Fail Squad Games; Gary Con; Frog God Games): What RPG Cover best captures the spirit of the Game? I became inspired to be an artist because of AD&D. In particular - Jeff Easley’s Monster Manual II cover with the giant wielding the halberd against a fighter in a forest.
That cover inspired a lot of adventure for me, a lot of art, and my entire career as an RPG illustrator, writer and producer. In one striking image, it relates what I want every adventure to be like. A hero against a dangerous foe, adventure, exploration, unknown.
When I was a young lad in highschool with my grades in the crapper, I got called to guidance counselor’s office. She asked me, “What do you want to do when you leave here (school).”
I pulled out the Monster Manual II pointed to the cover and said, “I want to do THIS. I want to work for Gygax, I want to make art and D&D adventures… I want to do THIS!”
She shook her head and asked, “Have you considered just getting a job at the mill in the village?”
My stubborn determination became bound in stone at that moment to NEVER settle for working in that mill, and I would become an artist. I may not be the best, I may have a lot to learn – I see it all as part of the journey. I’ve met Jeff Easley, Larry Elmore, Clyde Caldwell, and many of the TSR artists. I’ve looked at a lot of their work…. But the Monster Manual II cover will ALWAYS remind me of why I do what I do under the Fail Squad Games Banner.
Federico Sohns (Nibiru RPG): I'm a sucker for good thematic design, and there are some great RPGs out there that made interesting things to bring their themes to life. Of the top of my head, I'd go for Geist: The Sin Eaters. The design of the cover—the aesthetics—is just hauntingly beautiful, and the keys in the background are an ever-present element within the game!
Rich Lescouflair (Alligator Alley Entertainment; Esper Genesis 5E): Shadowrun 1st Edition by Elmore
Mike Lafferty (BAMF Podcast; Fainting Goat Games): There could be about a dozen answers here. I’ll pick a current one. The cover for Masks: A New Generation from Magpie Games captures the “teen superhero” vibe that book is aiming for perfectly.
Simon Brake (Stygian Fox): The cover of 2nd edition Paranoia was always one of my favourites because, although the scene illustrated was unlikely to ever feature in a game you knew exactly the sort of game you would be playing – whilst other editions of the game have made it look either too straight or too much as if Friend Computer was the main threat to your life, 2nd edition Paranoia showed you it was EVERYONE, right down to your identical clones.
Marc Langworthy (Modiphius; Red Scar): There are so many great artists (with art directors behind them) in the gaming industry today, that this is a tough choice. I’ll say Symbaroum for now.
Ian Sturrock (RPG Writer and Game Design Lecturer): This is probably Cyberpunk 2020. It isn't perfect as a game system, and it doesn't capture the spirit of any one particular cyberpunk novel. But, it does perfectly capture the spirit of Cyberpunk 2020, its own setting that's at least somewhat inspired by most of the cyberpunk classics, but designed particularly for gaming. It's really tough to make a good SF game, and for me, CP2020 is still one of the best.
Darren Pearce (EN Publishing; Savage Mojo): I’d have to say John Wick’s 7th Sea 2.
Uli Lindner (Space: 1889; Clockwork Publishing): I always thought the old Shadowrun corebook really tells you what the game is about (or was about back then).
Ken Spencer (Rocket Age; Why Not Games): RPG covers are like movie posters, they need to sum up a lot of information in one image. Matching the cover to the contents is a very subjective matter, one I am learning as we at Why Not Games move along. A good cover needs to express the main themes of the book, but also what playing the game will feel like. This last part is the most difficult, because the play at the table can go in hundreds of directions, only a few of them what the author imagined. My favorite is the cover of Cakebread and Walton's Renaissance Deluxe, It is simple, yet elegant, much like the Renaissance System. The compass hints at the directions you can take with this rule set, which is nearly anywhere your mind can go. Yes, it is not a flashy cover, but it is one that speaks to the words inside.
****
Originally created by Dave Chapman (Doctor Who: Adventures in Time & Space; Conspiracy X) #RPGaDAY os now being caretakered by the crew over at RPGBrigade. We hope you’ll join in, in the comments section, and share your thoughts with us too!
#RPGaDAY Question 5: Which RPG cover best captures the spirit of the game?
Darryl Mott: The original Shadowrun cover by Larry Elmore. 1980s style cyberpunk mixed with urban fantasy has never been presented as well in a single image. I understand why it was changed starting with third edition as the game had moved beyond that aesthetic (which, by the end of the 90s, looked pretty dated). However, nothing really hits those genre buttons as hard as an elf with a Mohawk/mullet plugging his brain into a computer in a dark, graffiti-covered alley while a sorceress in a trench coat provides cover with a spell ready in one hand and a sawed-off shotgun in the other, and a Tribal-painted commando dual-fists Uzis for cover fire as a group of shadowy antagonists taking cover behind a futuristic car. That is quintessential 1st/2nd Edition Shadowrun.
Morrus: There are two which had that effect on me. The first was Jeff Easley's 1E AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide cover, which drew me in with a sense of wonder that I don't think I've felt since with an RPG cover. These days the emphasis is more on action, which is awesome, but that particular cover evoked something special.
The second was FASA's Star Trek RPG boxed set from the 80s. There were other covers for this game, but this particular one captured the characters and the feel of the show - and the game - for me perfectly. Interestingly, again, not an epic action piece. I guess epic action pieces don't do it for me!
Michael J Tresca: D&D Basic Rules, red box. It promised solo D&D in a way that, as a kid with nobody to play with at the time, was irresistible. There was a prototype of that cover that showed an entire party which probably better represented the game (below), but for me, at that time, that lone fighter taking on a red dragon (suicide in D&D Basic rules!) was iconic D&D.
Christopher Helton: Normally I don't like photo covers, or photo art in role-playing games. A lot of the time, they just aren't that good, or the mix of photos with art is jarring to the design of the book. The Solo Of Fortune supplements for R. Talsorian's Cyberpunk game are a perfect storm because of how they married the magazine style of graphic design with a role-playing supplement. Solo of Fortune 2 has long been one of my favorite covers, and I think it is representative of the game itself.
Angus Abranson: It’s a very tough call but Hollow Earth Expedition wins out for me. I’ve been a big fan of pulp since I was a kid… I used to avidly watch the old black & white Saturday Morning Serials they reran on TV each week and was enthralled by the B-Movies that always seemed to conveniently be on after we got back from school on BBC2. Ray Harryhausen was a legend to my childhood. When I first saw Hollow Earth Expedition, and met the Exile Games crew, at their first Gen Con in 2006 I was instantly captured by their brand new game. The cover stood out and grabbed my attention and for good reason as I’m sure you can all agree…
Dennis Detwiller (Creator of Delta Green, Arc Dream Publishing): Skyrealms of Jorune. Miles Teves is a God. Of course, he co-created the world so that makes sense. But he went on to bigger things, working in film (I think he designed the 2002 Spider-Man suit!)
Lynne Hardy (Cogs, Cakes & Swordsticks; Achtung! Cthulhu): Which RPG cover best captures the spirit of the game? Blue Rose - Stephanie Pui-Mun Law's artwork really captures the sense of ethereal beauty and wonder the game encapsulates. Also, War of Ashes: Fate of Agaptus - murder muppets by the bucketful!
August Hahn (Lone Wolf, Åskfågeln): For me, no piece of cover art captures the spirit of its roleplaying subject quite like the one Steve Jackson Games chose to head up the In Nomine line. The burning feather, pictured in mid-fall, is simply perfect.
Martin Greening (Azure Keep, Ruma: Dawn of Empire): Ah, so many to choose from: Apocalypse World 2e, Mistborn, Numenera, Shadowrun 2e, Symbaroum. I’d have to say the best (as of now) cover that captures the spirit of the game is the original Top Secret RPG from TSR. The scattered money, passports, photos, and pistol, along with the manila folder, just scream secret agent.
Eran Aviram (Up to Four Players; City of Mist): Shadowrun 2nd Edition. It was brilliant: An elf woman holding a spell in one hand and a shotgun in the other stands next to a tribal-looking street ganger, both protecting an elf decker in the middle of a dirty alley, all dressed in super-80's-looking styles, while in the background a group of security guards, or maybe a rival gang, charge toward them with guns blazing, and in the background a neon-lit city. Everyone is desperate, everything is ancient and futuristic at the same time, and the word “punk” seems to explode toward you along with the huge SHADOWRUN in the top. This image captures everything you need to know about the feel of the game inside.
Richard August (Conan, Codex Infernus): While somewhat self-serving, I'm going to go for Brom's cover for Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of. Though Dungeon Crawl Classics runs it very close.
Stephanie McAlea (Stygian Fox Publishing, The Things We Leave Behind): The One Ring
Lloyd Metcalf (Fail Squad Games; Gary Con; Frog God Games): What RPG Cover best captures the spirit of the Game? I became inspired to be an artist because of AD&D. In particular - Jeff Easley’s Monster Manual II cover with the giant wielding the halberd against a fighter in a forest.
That cover inspired a lot of adventure for me, a lot of art, and my entire career as an RPG illustrator, writer and producer. In one striking image, it relates what I want every adventure to be like. A hero against a dangerous foe, adventure, exploration, unknown.
When I was a young lad in highschool with my grades in the crapper, I got called to guidance counselor’s office. She asked me, “What do you want to do when you leave here (school).”
I pulled out the Monster Manual II pointed to the cover and said, “I want to do THIS. I want to work for Gygax, I want to make art and D&D adventures… I want to do THIS!”
She shook her head and asked, “Have you considered just getting a job at the mill in the village?”
My stubborn determination became bound in stone at that moment to NEVER settle for working in that mill, and I would become an artist. I may not be the best, I may have a lot to learn – I see it all as part of the journey. I’ve met Jeff Easley, Larry Elmore, Clyde Caldwell, and many of the TSR artists. I’ve looked at a lot of their work…. But the Monster Manual II cover will ALWAYS remind me of why I do what I do under the Fail Squad Games Banner.
Federico Sohns (Nibiru RPG): I'm a sucker for good thematic design, and there are some great RPGs out there that made interesting things to bring their themes to life. Of the top of my head, I'd go for Geist: The Sin Eaters. The design of the cover—the aesthetics—is just hauntingly beautiful, and the keys in the background are an ever-present element within the game!
Rich Lescouflair (Alligator Alley Entertainment; Esper Genesis 5E): Shadowrun 1st Edition by Elmore
Mike Lafferty (BAMF Podcast; Fainting Goat Games): There could be about a dozen answers here. I’ll pick a current one. The cover for Masks: A New Generation from Magpie Games captures the “teen superhero” vibe that book is aiming for perfectly.
Simon Brake (Stygian Fox): The cover of 2nd edition Paranoia was always one of my favourites because, although the scene illustrated was unlikely to ever feature in a game you knew exactly the sort of game you would be playing – whilst other editions of the game have made it look either too straight or too much as if Friend Computer was the main threat to your life, 2nd edition Paranoia showed you it was EVERYONE, right down to your identical clones.
Marc Langworthy (Modiphius; Red Scar): There are so many great artists (with art directors behind them) in the gaming industry today, that this is a tough choice. I’ll say Symbaroum for now.
Ian Sturrock (RPG Writer and Game Design Lecturer): This is probably Cyberpunk 2020. It isn't perfect as a game system, and it doesn't capture the spirit of any one particular cyberpunk novel. But, it does perfectly capture the spirit of Cyberpunk 2020, its own setting that's at least somewhat inspired by most of the cyberpunk classics, but designed particularly for gaming. It's really tough to make a good SF game, and for me, CP2020 is still one of the best.
Darren Pearce (EN Publishing; Savage Mojo): I’d have to say John Wick’s 7th Sea 2.
Uli Lindner (Space: 1889; Clockwork Publishing): I always thought the old Shadowrun corebook really tells you what the game is about (or was about back then).
Ken Spencer (Rocket Age; Why Not Games): RPG covers are like movie posters, they need to sum up a lot of information in one image. Matching the cover to the contents is a very subjective matter, one I am learning as we at Why Not Games move along. A good cover needs to express the main themes of the book, but also what playing the game will feel like. This last part is the most difficult, because the play at the table can go in hundreds of directions, only a few of them what the author imagined. My favorite is the cover of Cakebread and Walton's Renaissance Deluxe, It is simple, yet elegant, much like the Renaissance System. The compass hints at the directions you can take with this rule set, which is nearly anywhere your mind can go. Yes, it is not a flashy cover, but it is one that speaks to the words inside.
****
Originally created by Dave Chapman (Doctor Who: Adventures in Time & Space; Conspiracy X) #RPGaDAY os now being caretakered by the crew over at RPGBrigade. We hope you’ll join in, in the comments section, and share your thoughts with us too!
