D&D 5E Dragon's Eye View: Murder In Baldur's Gate

[Klaus]

This week, Jon gives us a peek inside Murder In Baldur's Gate, where they're testing some ideas for D&D Next's visual identity.

http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4dreye/20130821

 

[JeffB]

The interior stuff looks great.

The covers ..ick. the "hey,.check me out in my badass pose with all my buckles and spikes and stuff" look ha salready been done to death in 3.x and Pathfinder.

Though perhaps the styles of individuals artists was not all that well received, I loved the fact that they went back to "landscapes", and "action shots" of adventurers doing adventuresome things for the vast majority of art in 4th edition.

 

[dd.stevenson]

And since that's their Forgotten Realms look, it's a safe bet that this will be the art style in the core rule books.

 

[Klaus]

Please note: "testing". This isn't the final visual identity of DDN, just where they're at right now.

 

[Klaus]

The covers ..ick. the "hey,.check me out in my badass pose with all my buckles and spikes and stuff" look ha salready been done to death in 3.x and Pathfinder.

Er... where? I see *one* character with three belts (the flamboyant elf on the left). None of the characters have spikes, either.

 

[dd.stevenson]

I don't hate the character portraits-- they're good in adventures for giving players an image of who they're dealing with.

But otoh they don't do much towards getting me excited about the game. That task usually falls to the location art (i have a weakness for isometric aerial images) and action/narrative scenes.

I found the Wyrms crossing spread very appealing, but I wish Jon had included some action or narrative art so we could comment on the things that most people are likely to remember and get excited about.

 

[JeffB]

Er... where? I see *one* character with three belts (the flamboyant elf on the left). None of the characters have spikes, either.

They are still posing for a group photo. Not a fan.

 

[heptat]

They are still posing for a group photo. Not a fan.

I agree with you, the posing is very dorky. OTOH, I really like the way the faces have been drawn (they're all a bit stern, but they don't look like cartoon characters). Except the guy on the far left. He needs to be killed off in the first combat. Oh he's an *Elf*, so yeah, kill him off ASAP.

 

[Warbringer]

I like the muted colors, even the Mage in purple (where in medieval times purple was a royal and expensive color); but I can d without the green lantern mask and the oversize armor on our fighter/paladin

 

[wedgeski]

Roleplayers and art. Always a crap shoot.