D&D 4E 4e tiefling art vs. previous edition tiefling art?

FourthBear · Oct 14, 2007

Put me on the list of people who prefer more inhuman looking tieflings. I've gotten quite enough non-human races being simply humans with pointy ears or different colored hair. We're not limited by a make-up budget here. While the tieflings above are nice bits of art, they seem like pretty ladies with pointed ears and tails. Wow, how distinctive. Of course, I also would also be open to removing halflings from the PH and replacing them with kobolds. And I never minded the more inhuman looking elves of 3e (oh my god, they no longer look like swimsuit models with Spock ears! Someone call Elmore to bland them up, stat! How dare Mialee not look like every other elf princess out there.)

RPG_Tweaker · Oct 14, 2007

Wormwood said:
I'd prefer more Hellboy, less Suicide Girls.

More Suicide Girls! MORE SUICIDE GIRLS!

... oh... you're talking about tieflings... more Hellboy I suppose...

Klaus · Oct 14, 2007

Wormwood said:
Agreed.

I'd prefer more Hellboy, less Suicide Girls.

Why not both?

In 2e tieflings had a TABLE with various types of fiendish appearances. I had a tiefling in one of my 2e games that was essentially Nightcrawler.

Wormwood · Oct 14, 2007

FourthBear said:
Of course, I also would also be open to removing halflings from the PH and replacing them with kobolds.

You are wise beyond human reckoning.

Dragonhelm · Oct 14, 2007

I'm going to be the voice of dissent here. I actually like the look of the 4e tiefling.

Now maybe that's because I never got into Planescape and I really didn't care for the Planescape style of art. Or, maybe because I like minotaurs.

But the tiefling looks kinda cool to me. Better than little stubby horns. Though I do think there was a Planescape pic or two that I did like. Been a while...

Do we know if favored classes will remain in 4e? While I hope they go the route C&C did with typical classes (i.e. making them a suggestion), it seems to me that the natural favored class of a tiefling would be warlock.

EDIT: In a sense, tiefling horns can be like halfling hairy feet. If you want them, great. If not, don't worry about it. The choice is yours.

Klaus said:
In 2e tieflings had a TABLE with various types of fiendish appearances. I had a tiefling in one of my 2e games that was essentially Nightcrawler.

Okay, definitely gotta re-read my old Planescape books.

Kobold Avenger · Oct 14, 2007

I prefer tieflings being quite varied in appearance, giving whoever plays them the option of either having subtle features, or having more obvious features like Laughing Jane from Planes of Conflict.

Or Valek Xander from Complete Scoundrel.

Generally I prefer tieflings with subtle features, since they're more relatable as characters to play. So you could say I like the "Suicide Girls" tieflings more, with options for the others. It's one of the reasons why I like planetouched over other races.

It makes more since in their so-called campaign assumptions for their to be legends of the mysterious hero dubious origin (a tiefling), no one really knowing what they are, than it does with such obvious individuals.

I only hope that the write up for them in 4e is a variety of options for origins including fiendish heritage, mutation from planar energy, or a distant pact, but not one of them being the definite one.

Desdichado · Oct 14, 2007

I sure hope the people who want 4e to resemble Planescape and the people who complain about "dungeonpunk" art aren't the same people.

I haven't kept track who's on which whine train, but holy crap. I can actually see that Planescape art being called dungeonpunk, even though I otherwise think the word is completely useless.

Scholar & Brutalman · Oct 14, 2007

Hobo said:
I can actually see that Planescape art being called dungeonpunk, even though I otherwise think the word is completely useless.

Check out the enormous ears as well. Obvious anime influence...

Shemeska · Oct 14, 2007

Hobo said:
I sure hope the people who want 4e to resemble Planescape and the people who complain about "dungeonpunk" art aren't the same people.

Far as I can tell, they're two pretty darn distinct groups.

Shemeska · Oct 14, 2007

I'm not a big fan of the style of most of the 4e tieflings we've seen thus far. I like more variety in their forms, generally based on what they're descended from which has dozens of racial possibilities and even more if you go by specific fiend subtypes. I've played maralith descended tieflings, a gelugon descended monk, and a number of mutts who had no clue about the precise origin of their lower planar blood.

As far as subtlety of fiendish features goes (a far cry from having giant horns and a swollen forehead like you were beaten with Orcus's uglystick), here was a really cool picture that appeared in Green Ronin's 3e tiefling and aasimar book: