D&D (2024) Comeliness and Representation in Recent DnD Art

[Azzy]

No, it isn't. Not by itself. A reason has, well, reason behind it.

Reasons need not be based on rational thought.

Sourceless desire seems nonsensical to me.

And, yet, it's ubiquitous throughout the world.

 

[Charlaquin]

Google "fantasy Elf image" (then filter to remove Santa's Elves) and while many of them do look distinctive, many others look just like Humans with pointy ears.

And the ears make them recognizably elves, so what’s your point?

To the bolded: untrue, ever since their inherent boosts to Strength and Constitution went away.

You don’t need to increased Strength and Constitution to be preternaturally strong and tough, when dwarves are unencumbered by heavy armor, resistant to poison, and have more HP than members of other species with the same constitution score. In fact, increased strength and constitution scores don’t even demonstrate preternatural strength and toughness. They represent natural, mundane strength and toughness; something characters of any species can achieve. That’s why ability score adjustments are the least interesting way to distinguish species from one another; they don’t actually say anything unique about the species, since any character of any species can have those same stats with the right rolls or the right point buy. Actually unique traits such as Dwarves’ increased HP independent of constitution, ability to ignore strength requirement on heavy armor, resistance to poison and advantage on poison saves, and of course Stonecunning, are what meaningfully set species apart and draw players to those species.

 

[Charlaquin]

No, it isn't. Not by itself. A reason has, well, reason behind it. Sourceless desire seems nonsensical to me. There must be a reason, even if the person in question doesn't know what it is.

The reason is “I like it.” Desire is an emotional pehenomenon, and emotions are not rational. We can try to come up with rational expectations for our desires, but they’re ultimately just the monkey convincing itself it wanted to go the direction the elephant was going anyway.

 

[Lanefan]

And the ears make them recognizably elves, so what’s your point?

Not necessarily: just by the ears they could be Vulcans, or Gnomes*, or any one of various faerie-like creatures (e.g. Dryad, Pixie, Sprite, etc.).

And IMO most Elvish ears are horribly over-done (thanks, Elfquest, for nothing).

* - edit to add: a lot of Gnome art I've seen looks very Elvish.

You don’t need to increased Strength and Constitution to be preternaturally strong and tough, when dwarves are unencumbered by heavy armor, resistant to poison, and have more HP than members of other species with the same constitution score. In fact, increased strength and constitution scores don’t even demonstrate preternatural strength and toughness.

When applied species-wide, preternatural is exactly what those bonuses mechanically represent.

They represent natural, mundane strength and toughness; something characters of any species can achieve. That’s why ability score adjustments are the least interesting way to distinguish species from one another; they don’t actually say anything unique about the species, since any character of any species can have those same stats with the right rolls or the right point buy.

Can? Yes. Are less likely to? Also yes; and that's the point: the game mechanics are trying to reflect the differences on an overarching level, while at the same time allowing for overlapping bell-curve variances.

Actually unique traits such as Dwarves’ increased HP independent of constitution, ability to ignore strength requirement on heavy armor, resistance to poison and advantage on poison saves, and of course Stonecunning, are what meaningfully set species apart and draw players to those species.

Other than stonecunning, all those scream "this species has higher Con and Str" to me just without having the gumption to come out and say it.

 

[Charlaquin]

Not necessarily: just by the ears they could be Vulcans, or Gnomes*, or any one of various faerie-like creatures (e.g. Dryad, Pixie, Sprite, etc.).

Well, they can’t be Vulcans because Vulcans don’t exist in D&D. They might be some other Fae creature, but those species have other distinguishing physical characteristics.

When applied species-wide, preternatural is exactly what those bonuses mechanically represent.

Can? Yes. Are less likely to? Also yes; and that's the point: the game mechanics are trying to reflect the differences on an overarching level, while at the same time allowing for overlapping bell-curve variances.

That’s not preternatural though. What you’re describing is just natural.

Other than stonecunning, all those scream "this species has higher Con and Str" to me just without having the gumption to come out and say it.

It tells a different story that those traits aren’t tied to natural, physical strength and toughness. Even a scrawny, sickly dwarf can wear heavy armor without being weighed down, consume toxins safely, and endure more physical harm than a non-dwarf of the same strength and constitution. That’s what makes it preternatural. It comes from their nature but it goes beyond the natural.

 

[michaeljpastor]

I would suggest that's not what people mean when they say "just a robot." They don't mean "only has this life to live." If that's what you mean, fantastic, but that's not the meaning I was referring to.

can you clarify for me then?

 

[Fifth Element]

No, it isn't. Not by itself. A reason has, well, reason behind it. Sourceless desire seems nonsensical to me. There must be a reason, even if the person in question doesn't know what it is.

If I desire to eat chocolate ice cream, it's because chocolate ice cream tastes better to me than other ice cream. There is no "reason" other than my personal tastes.

 

[Fifth Element]

can you clarify for me then?

"Just a robot" in this sense means not being sapient, essentially. You follow your programming. Like a robot.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Well, they can’t be Vulcans because Vulcans don’t exist in D&D.

When I was reading LotR and Hobbit as a kid I imagined Elrond looking like Spock. Vulcans are space elves.

The council of Elrond:

 

[Charlaquin]

When I was reading LotR and Hobbit as kid I imagined Elrond looking like Spock. Vulcans are space elves.

The council of Elrond:

I mean, I agree, but that’s not an argument against pointy ears being a recognizably elf-like trait. Vulcans are just elves in a science fiction setting. And how is that shown? Pointy ears, high-arched brows, and haughty attitudes.