Ambiance? It's a game, not a restaurant

[Voneth]

Thanks to the d20 boom, I finally have a collection of d20 rules I like from a variety of sources. Now I just wish I had them stripped of all their illustrations, why?

I have found that even though a lot of gamers claim to have a strong imagination and love to fiddle with rules, that a lot of them can't seem to ignore a simple picture that doesn't add to the mood.

More than once, I've had players distract themselves from my fantasy game because they were looking at the d20 Deadlands illustrations when I was using the Mad Science rules for clockwork inventions.

I guess my main frustration is that I can get past the pretty pictures when I run or play a game, but a LOT of other people can't despite claiming that they can be "abstract thinkers," "super creative," etc.

Does presentation help sell me the game? Yeah, it helps get my initial interest. But I still am wary, I have seen too many pretty books that were nightmares of organization.

But once that puppy goes on my shelf, then the illustrations only become landmarks on the page ("Okay, I know that chart was just after that vampire cheesecake picture.")

So my question is:

Can you swing your mighty claymore sword and cast a spell while looking into a book where people are wearing spandex and tights?

 

[Desdichado]

Yeah.

Although I really like nice pictures, I can fairly successfully blot out horrible ones if needed.

 

[Airwolf]

I think pictures have their place.

When I have to describe a monster I find it helpful if the reference material has a picture of the creature. I am always spinning the MM around so the players can see what they are facing. I love looking through the MM just to find something they haven't faced yet.

As for reading books while we play, it rarely, if ever, happens. My wife, a bard, usually is doing cross-stitch. When we get into a town she perks up and pulls out her recorder and starts playing, which can annoy the others but its funny anyway. We also play on Sunday afternoon, so the TV is usually on with football. The players will pay pretty good attention but we will stop now and then if something interesting is going on in the football game.

Of course, that doesn't really have to do with pictures. There are plenty of pictures in the PH and DMG that I barely even look at. There are also many that are useful. The pictures of the weapons and armor are helpful (my wife was a newbie so they came in really handy). Another one I can think of, off the top of my head, is the one that shows the different sizes of people / creatures. I can’t think of a picture in DMG that I have used but there may have been some.

I don’t look for pictures of towns, mountains, forests, etc. to help in the ambiance. Our group knows what these look like and don’t need a picture. If I played with a group that was always getting distracted just listening to the narration then I might consider visual aids. All in all, pictures have their place, like anything else they can be over used to the point of distraction just as well as they can be under used to the same end.

If your players like looking at vampire cheesecake at the gaming table I would say it’s time for a new rule, no open books unless directed by the DM. I think that is a bit harsh but it might work for your group. Good Luck!

 

[Desdichado]

I can’t think of a picture in DMG that I have used but there may have been some.

I use the picture of the blackguard from the DMG all the time. Somehow, all my main villains look like that...

If your players like looking at vampire cheesecake at the gaming table I would say it’s time for a new rule, no open books unless directed by the DM. I think that is a bit harsh but it might work for your group. Good Luck!

Except for the PHB, what are players looking at books for anyway? Cheating by looking up monster stats?

 

[Voneth]

I think pictures have their place.
...
If your players like looking at vampire cheesecake at the gaming table I would say it’s time for a new rule, no open books unless directed by the DM. I think that is a bit harsh but it might work for your group. Good Luck!

The worst time I had of it was when I used the Marvel SAGA game for RIFTS. The players wouldn't focus on the game as they looked at the comic book heroes on the cards.

 

[mmadsen]

I guess my main frustration is that I can get past the pretty pictures when I run or play a game, but a LOT of other people can't despite claiming that they can be "abstract thinkers," "super creative," etc.

Perhaps that's because the books are your books, and the pictures aren't new and exciting to you anymore.

 

[Jeph]

A black marker can solve all your picture problems!

 

[pogre]

My wife, a bard, usually is doing cross-stitch. When we get into a town she perks up and pulls out her recorder and starts playing, which can annoy the others but its funny anyway. We also play on Sunday afternoon, so the TV is usually on with football. The players will pay pretty good attention but we will stop now and then if something interesting is going on in the football game.

I get annoyed when players do not pay total attention to the game. I'm a snob in this regard.

There is no TV or other distractions allowed at the table. I had one player who constantly read comic books when we played - I told him it had to stop - and he did.

I think a TV would distract even me - especially one with football on it!

As to the subject at hand -
If I use a rule from a non-fantasy source I repackage it by making a document with the rules I want. I could see how using Deadland rules in a D&D game could be distracting.