D&D (2024) Here's The New 2024 Player's Handbook Wizard Art

Gradine said:

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Jaeger said:

Not in the medieval era in the style that she is wearing.

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Reef said:

I can certainly understand shoulder pad hate (especially if it borders on Warcraft levels of insanity). This one doesn’t bother me so much. It’s pretty much a historical fact that those with power made sure people knew it by wearing overly-ornamented clothing. Have you seen the engraved abs on ceremonial amor in museums? Not to mention the cod pieces…heh. And any clothing worn by such people almost always had elaborate embroidery and the like, even for their ‘day to day’ wear.

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Reef said:

Which makes sense. When you can clear the room with a fireball, it saves time and effort if everyone knows it by looking at you, instead of you having to constantly prove it. Less mess on the carpet, as well .

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Reef said:

That was even a running bit in the Belgariad books. Where Belgarath, the legendary sorcerer dressed like a common slob, because he couldn’t be bothered. And was constantly running into people who refused to believe he was who he was. To the point where a couple of times he was forced to dress in fancy wizard robes by his daughter (also a powerful sorcerer) just to save time at the door when going to see some monarch or other.

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Kobold Avenger said:

The designers realized that D&D is in the Renaissance, it's one of the justifications for why the new PHB has the Musket and Pistol on the equipment list.

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kenada said:

There’s a balance though. Armor worn in battle needs to be functional. If there’s the wrong kind of ornamentation, it will be less effective and potentially endanger the wearer. However, that’s not the issue here. The armor the wizard in the illustration isn’t functional. It’s there to evoke a certain aesthetic, which is one I noted as not liking.


I didn’t bother reading the previous 40+ pages, and what I skimmed with the search seemed kind of questionable at times. Am I missing some context? I think the illustration is fine even if I don’t like the shoulders. Maybe the time has passed for sharing reactions, but the post is only a few days old.


Just in case it’s not clear: I think it makes sense for an illustration of a wizard to make the character look like a wizard. If there are issues being taken with the subject’s being depicted as cool or powerful, then that’s ridiculous. I assume the other classes are being portrayed that way, so why wouldn’t the wizard?

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Reef said:

Sorry if it seemed like I was calling you out. I don’t know if there’s any specific context you’re missing. Probably I’ve just absorbed so much commentary on this piece over the last 40 pages, it’s all sort of stewed together in my head. .

My only point was that I didn’t think the shoulder pieces were meant to be protective or functional at all. They are there for pure aesthetics. Face it, if a wizard finds herself in a position where actual armor pauldrons are necessary, a whole lot of things have gone wrong .

But I was definitely not questioning your right to not like that aesthetic, and I apologize if it came off that way. Your post just led me down a specific chain of thought.

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