Art, is it important to you, does it help your roleplaying?

[GrimCo]

It's very important to me. Specially if it comes to physical books, since for very long time, i buy them exclusively because of artwork. Hell, most of rpg books i bought, i bought only because of art since i find pdf-s more practical for actual use.

In general, i do like nice art to visually depict characters, creatures, places. In the olden days, i would spend nice chunk of time searching internet for right artwork for use in campaign, then some time in Photoshop to edit those that are not quite what i need but are close enough. These days, AI generation does most of that work decent enough. Still, for my characters, specially those in long campaigns, i like to have custom made drawing of them (and it give my sister in law opportunity to use her university education for something useful).

 

[cbwjm]

One thing I do like about art in an RPG (or other) book is that it can really help define the setting by having a consistent art style. Art from like Brom and DiTerlizzi helped define the settings of dark sun and planescape respectively, dolmenwood has an art style for much of its colour pages which gives it this pseudo-medieval look to it (I don't really know how to define it).

I'm such a fan of DiTerlizzi that I bought his Realms art book which showcases his DnD artwork.

 

[John Dallman]

. . . I find that often maps/cartography is more important. Though I would argue that maps are art too!

I'm currently playing in a Day After Ragnarok campaign, and the world map in that is extremely evocative. It shows how much the world changed in the apocalypse, and inspires me with scenario ideas.

 

[aramis erak]

I remember, when what was it, 3rd ed DnD came out there was a big reaction to the art, that seemed to set a trend in the RPG world of great art or bust. This is an impression, not a fact. That said I am wondering does art still carry a lot of weight in the RPG comuunity and if so, I would like to understand why. I myself will hold up a picture , my players will give me a quick nod of understanding and away we go.

Is it like that for you? Do your players rely on pictorial reference or imagination more?

A single halfway decent picture of a monster beats about 250 words of descriptive text for me. My players like having both...

 

[Distracted DM]

I'm a very visual person, and art helps me visualize at the table. That said, I don't care about most of the art in an RPG rulebook. Honestly, it more an opportunities to lose points (Freaking 2014!PHB Halflings) than gain them. Maybe if there's a unique weapon type or something else I don't have a frame of reference for a picture is needed. But during play art of NPCs and monsters really helps. Both for immediate but also for remembering who they were at a later point. Art of fellow PCs is a big deal, and I generally always try to have art for a character I run for others and it helps ground me in the character as well.

(Though the biggest part of grounding in a character for me is how they talk, completely separate from my visual nature.)

I appreciate that you posted this, I was curious to see if anyone was going to say "no ttrpg book art doesn't matter to me," because to my mind it'd be like someone saying "I don't like (any) music" so I couldn't imagine it. Thus I appreciate you sharing your perspective!

 

[Fenris-77]

I find it's far more important to me as a GM than it is to me as a player. I definitely buy some books at least in some portion because of the art (I'm looking at you, Ultraviolet Grasslands). I find that great art really helps me soak up the setting and helps get my creative juices flowing. Some other books this applies to in my collection - Heart, Vermis, and Coriolis.

 

[Jahydin]

This is a business reason to appreciate art in RPGs. Unless you're a publisher, I'm not sure what this has to do with anything.

@1QD is a game designer and asks questions like these for feedback, so phrased my answer from that angle to be more helpful.

To be a bit more personable though, currently there's nothing more important in an RPG than the artwork to get me to buy a game. Once I have that game, there's nothing more important than the mechanics to get me to actually play it.

I think I'm this way (good art -> buy -> good mechanics -> play) for two reasons. First, really reading AD&D cover to cover over the COVID Lockdown gave me a new appreciation for that specific tone of D&D, so always on the hunt for creators that feel similar. And second, I'm pretty good with numbers and creating solid house rules. Visually representing or even expressing what's in my head though? I'm pretty awful (that's what I get from switching my major from art to engineering ), so appreciate artists more than ever.

 

[1QD]

It's pretty important to me. It's not even about the quality of the art, but it has to say something to me

I am glad to hear this.

 

[1QD]

Lockdown gave me a new appreciation for that specific tone of D&D, so always on the hunt for creators that feel similar. And second, I'm pretty good with numbers and creating solid house rules.

Awesome

 

[1QD]

Thank you all for your input. When deciding on art I felt there was much to compare myself with, and the comparison was daunting. There was some amazing art out there, and the price to hire an artist for black and white line drawings was on average 150$ per pic. So I decided to self illustrate. DnD 1rst edition was my rationalization tbh. They had black n white art, and relatively they were just starting out. Once tsr got big they could afford big art budgets.

Me, well I'm small potatoes atm, and well I am not a terrible artist. I came up with my own way to do black n white pics. They are simple, but for the most part, clearly illustrate my intended target. I also felt that when a player looks at the art, and they want to create their own, it feels a whole lot better to compare yourself to something you feel you can imitate, or even out do. I was hoping my art style would make my presentation relatable. I have hundreds of pics in my book and it took diving into every past art I ever made to fill my book.

Also I thought people might be more responsive to the idea that all my art is done by hand, done by me, and not AI. I penciled, inked, scanned and edited all my photos. I would show some, if it isn't considered self promo.