Character Art in KotS

[direkobold]

I'm sure that I'm the only person this bugs, but as I was reading through the characters in KotS I realized that the art doesn't match the description.

The Dwarf is wielding a two-handed maul with no shield but in the art he's got a sword and shield.

The rogue has daggers listed as his ranged basic attack, but he's carrying a hand crossbow in the picture.

The cleric has no shield in his equipment list but a shield in the art.

The dragonborn paladin is listed as having a longsword and shield. In the art he's got no shield and a polearm...

The wizard is the only one who matchs...

Perhaps it wouldn't bug me so much if these were full color polished drawings, but they're pencil sketches! You couldn't spend an addition day or two of the artists time and actually make a picture that matched the description?

Am I the only one this bugs?

 

[DimitriX]

I'm sure that I'm the only person this bugs, but as I was reading through the characters in KotS I realized that the art doesn't match the description.

The Dwarf is wielding a two-handed maul with no shield but in the art he's got a sword and shield.

The rogue has daggers listed as his ranged basic attack, but he's carrying a hand crossbow in the picture.

The cleric has no shield in his equipment list but a shield in the art.

The dragonborn paladin is listed as having a longsword and shield. In the art he's got no shield and a polearm...

The wizard is the only one who matchs...

Perhaps it wouldn't bug me so much if these were full color polished drawings, but they're pencil sketches! You couldn't spend an addition day or two of the artists time and actually make a picture that matched the description?

Am I the only one this bugs?

If you take your OCD medication, it won't bug you so much.

 

[jasin]

I lol'd.

 

[Wolfspider]

Ahh, yes. The sarcastic, dismissive replies to valid complaints about KotS in specific and 4e in general continue....

Suffice to say that I also find this aspect of the character art annoying.

 

[Boarstorm]

Ahh, yes. The sarcastic, dismissive replies to valid complaints about KotS in specific and 4e in general continue....

Says who?

 

[Ktulu]

That's the same art used on D&D minis, so it's fairly sure those will be future D&D minis and they used them as "representations" rather than exact art. Sort of like how you dig through the minis box to find a halfling wielding a spiked chain while riding a black dragon...but you don't, so instead you just use the mounted githyanki on red dragon and your friends often make jokes.

yeah, pretty much the same.

 

[SteveC]

Says who?

I would say that having artwork for a character that doesn't actually resemble it, especially when the artwork is a pencil sketch is a valid complaint. Why have the art if it's not going to reflect the character? Or, why not make a character that reflects the art. How complicated could it be?

And that's coming from someone who likes the adventure, and is looking forward to running the game. Just because you like something doesn't mean it can't have faults or problems.

--Steve

 

[Wolfspider]

And that's coming from someone who likes the adventure, and is looking forward to running the game. Just because you like something doesn't mean it can't have faults or problems.

--Steve

Same here. I bought the adventure, after all. I'm generally excited about D&D 4e, but I think that they really dropped the ball with KotS. I think the character art is one more bit of sloppiness that ends up making this important introductory product much less than what it could have been.

More specifically, the mismatched art is liable to cause a bit of confusion, especially among players new to D&D. One such player may want to shoot the kobold with the cool crossbow his halfling character is depicted as using only to find that he just has a few daggers to throw. Or maybe the player of the dwarf wants to use the big ass shield his character is carrying in the art to block a doorway or surf down some stairs, only to find out there is no shield after all.

Nothing serious, really, but I'm sure it could lead to some "Wha?" moments.

 

[Boarstorm]

I would say that having artwork for a character that doesn't actually resemble it, especially when the artwork is a pencil sketch is a valid complaint. Why have the art if it's not going to reflect the character? Or, why not make a character that reflects the art. How complicated could it be?

And that's coming from someone who likes the adventure, and is looking forward to running the game. Just because you like something doesn't mean it can't have faults or problems.

I understand the complaint, and were the sketches meant to represent someone in particular, I'd agree (the image of Irontooth bothers me for this same reason -- where's his giant facial tattoo?). But the "character" sketches are NOT meant to represent anything other than the archetype (human wizard, halfling rogue, etc).

I mean, the statblocks don't even have genders. Should the artist have made them all vaguely hermaphroditic? It's just a bit of placeholder artwork to pretty up the page and give you a basic idea -- fleshing out the character is YOUR job.

Hence, I don't consider it a valid complaint.

 

[FreeXenon]

Thirded.
I was confused too, when I saw it.

I thought perhaps they changed the name of a 'long sword' to maul or something.
*shakes head*

I had to look at it again to make sure.