D&D General Art in D&D

[doctorbadwolf]

Then why have halflings in the game? If they are just half scaled humans, then they serve virtually no purpose - humans already have that, they're called children. Or dwarfs. Either way.

If the only thing that distinguishes this race from humans is hairy feet, then, well, that's not a race that's particularly needed in the game. Even Dragonlance's Kender had a distinct identity. You could look at them and KNOW, hey, that's a kender. That Jeff Dee picture of halflings is a perfect example. Take out the human from that picture and those are two elves with dirty feet. Give them footwear and you'd never know that they were halflings.

True, I don't think the 5e version works either, but, there has to be SOMETHING to distinguish halflings besides hairy feet.

Why?

Or more to the point, no.

As far as visuals go, there is no particular need for such a distinction.

 

[Hussar]

Different races aren't in D&D because they make for good art. This thread may be primarily about art, but if you're asking why a race is in D&D if they aren't as distinguishable in the art rather than in how they're portrayed by their cultural description and in play then that's a really shallow question.

What culture?

What great halfling empires populate the D&D worlds? What great warriors or wizards? What great artists or cities? Historians? Sages?

It's very telling that the most "D&D" halflings are the ones that reject the PHB and strike off on their own - whether it's kender or cannibal halflings or the dinosaur riding Eberron halflings. And, oh look, every single one of those is INSTANTLY recognizable from the art. Because, as it stands, halflings in core D&D are just short humans. Put them in boots, like that halfling picture I posted upthread, a commissioned work I might add, and they are indistinguishable from humans.

I'd argue that the art is a HUGE reason why different races are popular and have stuck around in D&D. Dwarves and elves have TONS of evocative, incredibly beautiful art pieces devoted to them. Never minding that in game they have actual cultures and history and whatnot. Axe of the Dwarvish Lords. Elven chain mail. Going right back to the earliest days of D&D, both the art and the portrayal of these races has cemented them into the game.

Halflings? No art, barely any portrayal. If there weren't halflings in Tolkien, they would have been left by the roadside years ago.

 

[billd91]

What culture?

What great halfling empires populate the D&D worlds? What great warriors or wizards? What great artists or cities? Historians? Sages?

Setting specific, can't really be answered conclusively. But for the generic halflings, no empires, no ambitions to rule over everyone - that's right on point with their culture and how theirs contrasts with elves, humans, or dwarves. A culture where a good beer and a good gardener are held in high esteem, where there is value in a light heart and simple pleasures? That's a great counterpoint to the excessive angst you tend to see among players' characters.
You may not value that, but there are plenty of us who do, even if they tend to look substantially human in the art.

Halflings? No art, barely any portrayal. If there weren't halflings in Tolkien, they would have been left by the roadside years ago.

... If there weren't halflings in Tolkien, there wouldn't be any in D&D at all. They wouldn't exist, much less be left by the roadside. This is getting to be an increasingly weird rant.

 

[generic]

Actually, I agree with @Hussar on this one.

Well, I do in some ways. Firstly, I would prefer it if halflings did not have odd and frightening proportions, but, without a distinct culture of some sort, halflings really are absolutely pointless in that they are more 'human' than any other humanoid race (other than humans, but that's a given).

Large feet, covered in hair, and oversized facial features are fine, but xenomorph heads and spindly limbs are... in my humble opinion, a tad weird.

One of the best looks for halflings is (IMO) when they have well-proporioned bodies for their size, (just barely) oversized heads with distinct features (not like the bobble-headed halflings of MToF), and large feet.

 

[happyhermit]

... but, without a distinct culture of some sort, halflings really are absolutely pointless in that they are more 'human' than any other humanoid race (other than humans, but that's a given).
...

Half-elves. It seems like there is a lot of demand for "almost human".

 

[Sacrosanct]

What culture?

What great halfling empires populate the D&D worlds? What great warriors or wizards? What great artists or cities? Historians? Sages?

It's very telling that the most "D&D" halflings are the ones that reject the PHB and strike off on their own - whether it's kender or cannibal halflings or the dinosaur riding Eberron halflings. And, oh look, every single one of those is INSTANTLY recognizable from the art. Because, as it stands, halflings in core D&D are just short humans. Put them in boots, like that halfling picture I posted upthread, a commissioned work I might add, and they are indistinguishable from humans.

I'd argue that the art is a HUGE reason why different races are popular and have stuck around in D&D. Dwarves and elves have TONS of evocative, incredibly beautiful art pieces devoted to them. Never minding that in game they have actual cultures and history and whatnot. Axe of the Dwarvish Lords. Elven chain mail. Going right back to the earliest days of D&D, both the art and the portrayal of these races has cemented them into the game.

Halflings? No art, barely any portrayal. If there weren't halflings in Tolkien, they would have been left by the roadside years ago.

Well, that’s even weirder logic then. Being homebodies who love the comforts of home IS the culture if halflings. Along with about every other race. Adventurers are the rare exception. Farmers, commonfolk are the norm. That’s why they have “common” in their name.

Also, it’s a double standard to say, “put shoes on them” because you say the same thing for elves. Put a hat on that covers the ears.

Also, take away Tolkien, and we wouldn’t have halflings, elves, or dwarves. So I don’t follow your logic there.

 

[Haffrung]

I prefer the art in 5E to 4E's and 3E's highly stylized approach.

But overall, I prefer a gritty, sword-and-sorcery approach to fantasy artwork that has fallen out of fashion in recent decades. Dave Trampier is still my favourite artist, and his work in 1E AD&D defines the tone I like my game to have. And D&D has moved far away from that aesthetic. I find the art to WFRP more to my liking.

So this in preference to this.

 

[Salthorae]

What great halfling empires populate the D&D worlds?

Dark Sun halflings WERE the dominant people before the settings' "great cataclysm".

Seriously, picture Hobbiton and you have halfling culture. Which is to say... very human-like, more so than dwarven or elven culture.

I don't know that that is a bad thing necessarily. You also have the subraces where Stout where D&D historically more linked to and lived in and around dwarven settlments (and wore/wear boots), while Lightfoot mingled with the human settlements and Tallfellows were more in the forests and around Elven settlements.

They are very mimic-y in that regard. But there is little flavor to separate the Greyhawk or FR halflings from humans.

OTOH Gnomes for me suffer from the same issue. They are little tinkerers (like dwarves but MORE) or silent forest guards (like elves but MORE). I like the route PF took with them to make them refugees from the Feywild and that whole Bleaching thing. That's fun.

So this

Man the guy with the shield looks really uncomfortable...

 

[Ruin Explorer]

5Es art has been largely "okay". There are a number of wonderful pieces, but the vast majority is very anodyne and forgettable.

This makes it better than 3E for my tastes, which was memorable but stylized in a way I really didn't like. 4E was also a bit excessively stylized but had more memorable and imagination-sparking pieces.

I'd like to see more art with attitude, honestly. I know WotC can do it. MtG has fantastic art reliably, far better than 5E.

 

[generic]

5Es art has been largely "okay". There are a number of wonderful pieces, but the vast majority is very anodyne and forgettable.

This makes it better than 3E for my tastes, which was memorable but stylized in a way I really didn't like. 4E was also a bit excessively stylized but had more memorable and imagination-sparking pieces.

I'd like to see more art with attitude, honestly. I know WotC can do it. MtG has fantastic art reliably, far better than 5E.

It's no wonder, then, that the 5e book with perhaps the best art (regardless of its faults) was GGtR (the Ravnica book). The difference here is that M:TG's artists are aided by a full team of veteran art directors.

I would love it if some of my favorite M:TG illustrators produced pieces for D&D. Imagine a Terese Nielsen cover for a sourcebook.