D&D 5E Vote for your favourite 5E cover art!

[steeldragons]

I thought the DMG the best by far, mainly because there's a sense of intrigue and I'm not entirely sure what it is.

I think the emphasized by me section [EDIT: which I then forgot to emphasis. Heh. Sorry. Here...[/EDIT] is of quintessential importance and, I can only hope and surmise that, it is intentional.

All of the covers make us "wonder." They are clearly telling a story-in-progress and we, the viewer/reader/purchaser of D&D are the ones getting to decide what that story is.

Is the figure in the foreground of the MM running away or calling their allies? For that matter is it a male or female? Is it a human or elf...or half-elf? What's with the explosion of lightning in the back...where'd that come from?

Is the lich on the DMG actually standing on a mound of dead bodies? Fresh one's or old ones? Is that the remains of our party we're looking at? Is this him/it dispatching its final attacker or is it animating one of the corpses it is surrounded by to send at the PCs?

ASIDE: I will concur with whoever it was in whichever art thread that said the lich looks like Galactus. That crown/headress is a BLATANT rip-off...but I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt...maybe a 50/50 chance that it was subconscious/unintended. /ASIDE

The PHB, is that caster-lady flying or diving out of the way of that sword blow? Is that a winter wolf or a hellhound behind the frost (or fire?) giant? Is that elf going to be of any help at all? He's got a free hand, is he going to be casting too? What spell is the magess preparing?

These are all great. And exactly what the art on the cover of a D&D book should do. What's the story? It's your DMG/PHB/MM! YOUR D&D! Make it up!

Now, the questions about layout design and the personal appreciation of the actual artwork/quality thereof are completely different matters.

But the "I'm not sure what it is"? On the DMG and the rest, definitely a plus to my thinking.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

With the DMG coming in a close sewcond, the Starter Set gets my vote, although the dragon is a bit too green for my tastes.

 

[DMZ2112]

I like the subtle and not-so subtle tributes to previous covers, especially the starter set but...
PHB cover looks best in my opinion.

I get the starter set reference to the Basic and Companion sets, but I'm not seeing the others. Can someone explain?

My initial impression was that the core book cover subjects were chosen simply for appearance's sake, but on closer review of the higher-res images I did start to wonder if they were not scenes from classic D&D. The lich on the cover of the DMG, in particular, is wearing a Tomb of Horrors demon-mouth pendant. The PHB suggests an origin in Against the Giants.

 

[DM Howard]

I voted for the Starter Set art. I like the rest of them quite a bit, except the Player's Handbook art doesn't evoke "Player's Handbook" to me. I'm sure that sounds strange!

 

[Iosue]

I get the starter set reference to the Basic and Companion sets, but I'm not seeing the others. Can someone explain?

My initial impression was that the core book cover subjects were chosen simply for appearance's sake, but on closer review of the higher-res images I did start to wonder if they were not scenes from classic D&D. The lich on the cover of the DMG, in particular, is wearing a Tomb of Horrors demon-mouth pendant. The PHB suggests an origin in Against the Giants.

Moldvay's cover was two adventurers vs. a green dragon. Mentzer's cover was a single fighter vs. a red dragon. The Starter Set is a single fighter vs. a green dragon.

Also, both 2nd Ed.'s Monstrous Compedium and Monstrous Manual featured a beholder front and center. The OD&D Greyhawk supplement also features a beholder vs. a fighter.

 

[Ahnehnois]

I voted for the Starter Set art. I like the rest of them quite a bit, except the Player's Handbook art doesn't evoke "Player's Handbook" to me. I'm sure that sounds strange!

It's didn't to me either. It just seemed to be aiming too high. When I think of my first PHB, I don't think of characters in melee with giants, I think of something more low-powered, lower-fantasy.

 

[Talath]

According to the D&D Facebook page, the covers have the following captions:

DMG: The terrible lich Acererak raises some undead minions on the cover of the Dungeon Master's Guide. Check out his amulet for a bit of a nod to his original appearance.

MM: Maybe you had forgotten that a Beholder is big enough to eat someone in a single bite. As one of the scariest monsters ever, the beholder is a perfect fit for the cover of the Monster Manual.

PHB: King Snurre smiting some unfortunate heroes on the cover of the Player's Handbook.

I didn't realize until I saw the high rez versions of the covers, but King Snurre is wearing a white dragon cloak, or armor. That's pretty cool, fire giant king wearing the hide of a creature that is impervious to cold.

 

[Mistwell]

I thought the World's Greatest was a nod to my favorite comic book, the World's Greatest Comics Magazine (see top of comic):

 

[DMZ2112]

According to the D&D Facebook page, the covers have the following captions:

DMG: The terrible lich Acererak raises some undead minions on the cover of the Dungeon Master's Guide. Check out his amulet for a bit of a nod to his original appearance.

MM: Maybe you had forgotten that a Beholder is big enough to eat someone in a single bite. As one of the scariest monsters ever, the beholder is a perfect fit for the cover of the Monster Manual.

PHB: King Snurre smiting some unfortunate heroes on the cover of the Player's Handbook.

Yeah, okay. Thought so. Not so much nods to previous covers, but rather to previous content. It's a bit surprising to me that there was no iconic beholder encounter they could draw from... but on reflection I can't think of any either.

 

[steeldragons]

PHB: King Snurre smiting some unfortunate heroes on the cover of the Player's Handbook.

I didn't realize until I saw the high rez versions of the covers, but King Snurre is wearing a white dragon cloak, or armor. That's pretty cool, fire giant king wearing the hide of a creature that is impervious to cold.

Wow! So that is a fire giant! ...with a white beard...?...I will admit, the white dragon cloak is a genius kinda move for an adversary that everyone and their mother (with any kinda magic to bare) will be throwing cold/ice spells at. That'd make the canine shadow a hellhound, for sure.