D&D for Beginners (new product)

[Sixchan]

Re: I just can't resist

PHB
Ray of frost guy, p243.

A mediorce picture to be sure.

Definitely

DMG
Spellcaster, p19.

A spellcater from a non-European influenced culture?

Which would make sense if the basis for D&D wasn't European-influenced culture. But the basic setting, Greyhawk, is.

The Arcane Archer. (not really, but I don't like the way the bottom of her ears are level with her eyes. She's deformed.)

I guess I just don't agree with this one.

You don't agree she's deformed? Even going by the already deformed look for elves in the PHB, she's still wrong. Page 15, PHB. Note position of eyes and ears. Take a look at the arcane archer's ears. See?

The Blackguard.

Okay, well that's just silly-art. The new picture of the Blackguard for 3.5e rocks!

Well, I'd still call it dungeon-punk, silly or no.

Drowning Gothic Alhandra, p114

Maybe your problem is short hair? I'm only being partly facetious.

Well, I was more thinking along the lines that she seems to have dyed her hair black, and put on black eyshadow and black lipstick.

Dwarven Shotgun, p162

That illustrates the topic of "building a different world". It's in context.

Context has nothing to do with it. I agree it is in context. I even think in this case that the dungeon-punk look fits in with the context. That doesn't change it from Dungeon-punk into impressionism or expressionism or whatever.

Apparaus of Kwalish, p207 (this is just un-D&D rather than Dungeon Punk)

Duuude! The Apparatus of Kwalish is classic D&D! It's been around since...forever!

It has? Oh well, I take this one back, then. But I still think it looks out of place for a medieval fantasy setting. Maybe in an industrial setting...

Creating Magic Items, p244

I still think it's the short hair.

No, its the working with volatile (and possibly corrosive) chemicals without even wearing an apron. Would your chemistry teacher in school have let you do your experiments topless?

That's just flicking thorugh, but I think I got most of them in the DMG

 

[Maggan]

You're right as well

You're right. I half-retract my comment. I think the WoTC look is very 'generation Y'; and I'm not surprised it appeals to children & younger teens, it just bugs an old gen-Xer like me (those who reached maturity pre-end of the millenium)

I do think the LoTR look would have wide appeal though, of course it's very close to the classic Games Workshop/Citadel look I grew up with in the '80s.

Actually, come to think of it, the kids swarm me and knock me over if I so much as hint that I have bought another LoTR book with pictures from the film. The imagery in the films is even more appealing than the pictures in D&D, so you're right there.

In some part I believe that to be because the LoTR stuff is actual pictures, which in this case is really intense and powerful. And of course the design of every detail is awesome.

So if WotC changed track and said "make all art like the LoTR images!" I wouldn't complain. And neither would the kids, because they would be to busy ooooing and aaawing over the pictures!

Cheers!

Maggan