Fire Giant Dreadnoughts in VOLO's GUIDE TO MONSTERS

WotC posted this image a couple of days ago, along with a brief note that that Volo's Guide to Monsters has "quite an extensive entry" on Fire Giant Dreadnoughts. Spiky! Also check out yesterday's Giant Lore preview, and the preface - there's a bit of a giant-based focus o the previews, which is likely because Storm King's Thunder is the current storyline. The book hits stores on November 15th (November 4th in preferred stores).

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[Ghost2020]

Oh dear. Let's hope this isn't indicative of the direction they are taking their content as a whole.

Agreed. That doesn't look like anything that I would want.

 

[MNblockhead]

Agreed. That doesn't look like anything that I would want.

Why? What do you want?

 

[UnknownDyson]

Oh dear. Let's hope this isn't indicative of the direction they are taking their content as a whole.

Why are you hating?

 

[Celebrim]

Why are you hating?

Because I'm a highly critical curmudgeon that demands things be made to a high standard.

I'm not actually hating anyone, I just would have, as an editor, product owner, or art director sent that back as unacceptable poorly thought out work. I don't mean to seem hateful about it, but criticism is a part of the refining process. You put out your stuff. It gets kicked around. You get angry. Then you sit down and you try again until you get something that has passed through the fire so many times it's pure gold or at least brass-plated and bulletproof.

However, if you want to defend the artistry, feel free to stand up for what you believe in. I might argue with you. I might think you are full of crap. I might end up thinking you have no taste. But I'm not going to respect you less for disagreeing, and I'm certainly not going to hate you for it.

Let me put it too you this way. Suppose you wrote a fantasy novel, and knowing as you do that people will judge a book by its cover, would you want that image to in any way represent your book? Suppose you were writing for an audience that you know spanned everything from 12 year olds, to 60 year old HEMA experts. Would you want your work represented to that audience by that? Hitherto, a lot of the 5e aesthetic harkened back to the better elements of 2e art - which I consider the high point for D&D (though I like the old school ink drawings as well). This however looks like it escaped from the worst of the 3e/4e era: all the sloppiness of 3e art, combined with all the unreality of 4e art. And that's not even to get into the fact that the art is representing something in the fictional world that is just plain silly.

 

[Leatherhead]

What do you think the shields are made out of?

I figure Obsidian, cause of lava magic.

 

[Celebrim]

What do you think the shields are made out of?

I figure Obsidian, cause of lava magic.

Oh, don't ask questions like that. It's just going to make it worse. Granted, if the shields are made of glass, they do weigh a good deal less - but then you have a shield made of glass. Also, it seems to be made of the same stuff as the boots and likely the armor. But, what is that hauberk or gambeson or breastplate (or whatever it is) made out of? Iron, as it appears if you look at the top of it, or some sort of cloth, like it appears if you look at the bottom? And why does it need to be belted? The belt doesn't support anything. It doesn't close anything. And why did this giant that just decked himself out in 20000 lbs of whatever, feel that his braid had to flip out in front of his head so badly, he was willing to cut a gaping hole in his neck protection to let it dangle down. And for that matter, exactly what is the braid attached to?

 

[Leatherhead]

Oh, don't ask questions like that. It's just going to make it worse. Granted, if the shields are made of glass, they do weigh a good deal less - but then you have a shield made of glass. Also, it seems to be made of the same stuff as the boots and likely the armor. But, what is that hauberk or gambeson or breastplate (or whatever it is) made out of? Iron, as it appears if you look at the top of it, or some sort of cloth, like it appears if you look at the bottom? And why does it need to be belted? The belt doesn't support anything. It doesn't close anything. And why did this giant that just decked himself out in 20000 lbs of whatever, feel that his braid had to flip out in front of his head so badly, he was willing to cut a gaping hole in his neck protection to let it dangle down. And for that matter, exactly what is the braid attached to?

Considering all the information, I'm guessing it's made out of lava. Magic lava that can assume the properties of a solid or liquid as necessary.

 

[UnknownDyson]

Because I'm a highly critical curmudgeon that demands things be made to a high standard.

I'm not actually hating anyone, I just would have, as an editor, product owner, or art director sent that back as unacceptable poorly thought out work. I don't mean to seem hateful about it, but criticism is a part of the refining process. You put out your stuff. It gets kicked around. You get angry. Then you sit down and you try again until you get something that has passed through the fire so many times it's pure gold or at least brass-plated and bulletproof.

However, if you want to defend the artistry, feel free to stand up for what you believe in. I might argue with you. I might think you are full of crap. I might end up thinking you have no taste. But I'm not going to respect you less for disagreeing, and I'm certainly not going to hate you for it.

Let me put it too you this way. Suppose you wrote a fantasy novel, and knowing as you do that people will judge a book by its cover, would you want that image to in any way represent your book? Suppose you were writing for an audience that you know spanned everything from 12 year olds, to 60 year old HEMA experts. Would you want your work represented to that audience by that? Hitherto, a lot of the 5e aesthetic harkened back to the better elements of 2e art - which I consider the high point for D&D (though I like the old school ink drawings as well). This however looks like it escaped from the worst of the 3e/4e era: all the sloppiness of 3e art, combined with all the unreality of 4e art. And that's not even to get into the fact that the art is representing something in the fictional world that is just plain silly.

Ok, I'm starting to get where you are coming from. My next question is what don't you like about the fire giant dreadnought specifically? I think he looks amazing. And as far as reality goes........ he could easily be a chosen of Surtur or some other ridiculously powerful supernatural character.

 

[MonkeyWrench]

Ok, I'm starting to get where you are coming from. My next question is what don't you like about the fire giant dreadnought specifically? I think he looks amazing. And as far as reality goes........ he could easily be a chosen of Surtur or some other ridiculously powerful supernatural character.

I can't speak for Celebrim, but I do share the same sentiment. I don't like the fact that based on the depiction, it looks like the giant would be crushed beneath the weight of all that metal armor. For me, "it's magic" doesn't cut it as an answer for why the giant isn't straining under all that weight.

 

[Celebrim]

Ok, I'm starting to get where you are coming from. My next question is what don't you like about the fire giant dreadnought specifically?

I've already outlined a lot of problems, but in bullet point form:

a) The figure has absolutely no dynamism to it. Yes, I know they are trying to emphasize the figures immobility, but they have done so to the point that it looks immobile not in a good way. I mean what it mostly brings out for me is that it is made of paint. Static. Unreal. One dimensional.
b) The armor on the character is outlandish. The larger the character, the thinner the armor should be in proportion to the figure, and the more tailored it should be to protecting only the figures critical points. Also, regardless of the size of the figure, the armor should be made so as to deflect blows - not trap them. All those spiky bits are ridiculous. Everything is way too ponderous.
c) Fighting with two tower shields (one in each hand) is ridiculous. Whenever something has not been a thing in real life, there is a good chance that there are good reasons why. Now, for a brief period in the early bronze age, it was a thing to fight with a tower shield on your back and another in one hand. But they only did that because they hadn't yet gotten good at working bronze into finely shaped curves so that you could make well-fitted and flexible armor. Again, the immobility of the figure is emphasized, but to the point that makes the figure seem trapped or confined, as if it would struggle to pick up and wield the "weapons" it's been equipped with. I struggle to imagine this creature doing anything.
d) The ultimate effect for me looking at the figure is that it engenders pity. I imagine in my mind its being tortured by being forced to wear this crushing weight and strapped to this insanely heavy mantlets as a means of humiliating, torturing, and ultimately killing it. The images conjured to my mind aren't of a fearsome warrior, but an criminal being crushed beneath a heavy cangue or the man in the iron mask. Trapped beneath all that steal, unable to move, unable to feed itself, scarcely able to breathe, it's spine being crushed by the thousands of pounds forcing down on its shoulders. That's what this image does for me. It makes me want to rescue the poor hapless creature, and hopefully there is a cleric in our party.
e) What's with that braid?

I think he looks amazing. And as far as reality goes........ he could easily be a chosen of Surtur or some other ridiculously powerful supernatural character.

Yeah, that's unintentionally a really good idea. Google up "Surtur" or "Surtr D&D" or just "fire giant" and compare the images with this thing.