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

[Faolyn]

There's some in Mandalorian that drink to forget.

Drink what? WD-40 on the rocks?

 

[Incenjucar]

Heck Santa Claus is known as a Jolly Old Elf, and he's the poster boy for jelly bellies.

 

[jayoungr]

Every species has dark vision, breath weapons, innate spells, free feats, medium size, luck, poison resistance, magic resistance, tails, horns, claws, and bites?

Fair--but most of those things can be duplicated through builds or equipment, so it's not like there's only one way to get those features.

Yes. Because some people don't want to play humans.

But (this is a genuine question, so please take it in good faith), what hooks them about the non-human characters, if it's not distinctive mechanics and it's not distinctive appearance? If it's the fictional culture or society, surely that varies from campaign to campaign? (And you seem to imply that most gamers don't really care about the fictional society with your comment about "bearded Scottish dwarves" anyway.)

I guess there are still things like dragonborn or maybe orcs or tieflings, but should humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, and gnomes just be lumped into "humanoids" at this point? And do we lose anything if we do that?

 

[Incenjucar]

Fair--but most of those things can be duplicated through builds or equipment, so it's not like there's only one way to get those features.

You can replicate being tubby with equipment too.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I have to say I quite don't get what's the purpose of having fantasy species is supposed to be at this point.

 

[Charlaquin]

Far be it from me to stand in the way of what people find fun at their own tables. Let a thousand flowers bloom and all that. But I can't help wondering, if all fantasy species are mechanically interchangeable and have exactly the same range of appearance features as humans ... is there any point to having different species at all?

If people want them to be different species, then yes.

 

[Charlaquin]

Fair--but most of those things can be duplicated through builds or equipment, so it's not like there's only one way to get those features.


But (this is a genuine question, so please take it in good faith), what hooks them about the non-human characters, if it's not distinctive mechanics and it's not distinctive appearance?

You’re telling me that elf doesn’t have a distinctive appearance?

If it's the fictional culture or society, surely that varies from campaign to campaign? (And you seem to imply that most gamers don't really care about the fictional society with your comment about "bearded Scottish dwarves" anyway.)
I guess there are still things like dragonborn or maybe orcs or tieflings, but should humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, and gnomes just be lumped into "humanoids" at this point? And do we lose anything if we do that?

Elves live a bajillion years, have inherent magical abilities and a connection to fae creatures. Dwarves are preternaturally strong and tough, have an inherent connection to the earth, and are usually uncannily crafty.

 

[Charlaquin]

I have to say I quite don't get what's the purpose of having fantasy species is supposed to be at this point.

People like to pretend to be magical beings. It doesn’t have to be any more complicated than that.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Drink what? WD-40 on the rocks?

They call it 'lubricant'.

Which proves that Star Wars is in the Futurama universe.

 

[Vaalingrade]

I have to say I quite don't get what's the purpose of having fantasy species is supposed to be at this point.

Weird bodies and powers.

Just like it always was.