D&D 5E (2024) Here's The New 2024 Player's Handbook Wizard Art

 

[gorice]

I know I've expressed some criticisms of this art, but I don't hate it, and at the end of the day, I'm happy to live and let live. I'm not even particularly invested in D&D at this point -- it's more of a curiosity. A variety of different art styles is probably a good thing for the game and the hobby.

Having said all that, I will burn WotC to the ground if they ever start doing isekai. When I saw the Break! RPG was doing this, all of my interest turned to unspeakable loathing.

 

[Yaarel]

Hell they could re-release entire special, limited editions of the PHB and so on with different aesthetics at higher prices and people would probably buy the hell out of them lol. All the while grumbling but handing over hundreds of dollars!

That is a great idea.

A 2024 Core books set with only nostalgia art from 1e, 2e, and 3e, probably Basic too. I mean reprints of the art from the old books and "modules", maybe some Dragon magazine stuff too.

It would be a small run meant for collectors.

It is a nice nod to the D&D anniversary too.

 

[Thommy H-H]

Having said all that, I will burn WotC to the ground if they ever start doing isekai. When I saw the Break! RPG was doing this, all of my interest turned to unspeakable loathing.

Uh oh!

 

[Ruin Explorer]

They explicitly stated in the very first playtest that they were having custom be the norm, and were trying to organize the document in a such a way to make that more obvious to people who missed it in 2014.

Ah yes so they did, good reminder!

I'm with @Ruin Explorer on this. I mean, at GaryCon they discussed about how they love that D&D5e is versatile. In an interview, Perkins discussed how D&D's expanded market came from its versatility. This, in my opinion, would expound upon that principle.

I think it's one of those decisions which will really speak to how forward-thinking the management of the 2024 project is. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't do it, but also, it's not a wild idea, and would lay the groundwork for future $$$.

No disrespect intended but goes along with my point of Gen Z etc has moved on from the things of yesteryear.

Sure, I was just being a pedant re: the specific examples if I examine my own post honestly!

But I am staunchly opposed to the success of Isekai (given it really is "the worst" of anime, by and large - it doesn't even usually have good animation or fights! The lowest possible standard for Shonen-style anime!) and follow a lot of Gen Z accounts on various social media that I think will tip me off if it ever goes mainstream in the West - thankfully it has not so far!

 

[Scott Christian]

On a side note, look at the Wizards in D&D's older editions.

Aside from the diversity, including fantasy diversity such as species, most of them appear young.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Uh oh!

I mean, that's technically Isekai in the sense that they're pulled in from another world but it doesn't embody even single one of the tropes associated with Isekai anime (I mean, I guess, bad animation but it wasn't badly animated for the period and region!).

If it was an Isekai anime, only Eric (sorry buddy, I'm about to throw you under a very big bus) would have gone through, the rest would all be "natives", and Eric would be even whinier, even more cowardly, way more of just a jerk, and both the girls would be absolutely ALL OVER Eric ALL THE TIME (one of them probably in tsundere way), for no apparent reason at all. Presto would also be female, scantily-clad, and also all over Eric all the time. and probably look about 12 but be technically 300 or something (UH OH). The Barbarian would still be a child (sorry I forget his name), but like, seriously age-inappropriate things would be happening with him and the anime (yeah even a modern one, if it was Isekai, because they tend to have the social attitudes of an anime 20 years older than them) would think it was hilarious. Ranger would be like, drastically dumber than Eric, and maybe have a rivalry but constantly be defeated by his own stupidity and Eric's innate superiority. Venger would be an even more thinly-veiled homophobic stereotype (but admittedly also probably more badass), and Dungeon Master would probably be perving on the girls.

I mean, hell, Rise of the Shield Hero basically is the "What if only Eric came through?" anime in a lot of ways (because the lead is a cowardly whiner who only has a shield to fight with), and it's NOT good (despite being one of the least-awful Isekais).

 

[Yaarel]

I legitimately don't understand the criticism of the glasses. Sure, high level magic could potentially "fix" her vision but... that just makes it a choice? Maybe she likes how she looks with glasses. Maybe she isn't even near/far-sighted and just wears them as an accessory.

Just because YOU wouldn't want to have glasses if you didn't need them does not mean that other people can't make other choices.

I assume, these are glasses are a magic item, Gems of Seeing, for Truesight.

 

[Reef]

Heh...check out that cover for The Secret of Bone Hill. You can't tell me that the 5e image is more of a superhero than that one .

Not complaining, mind you...it's an awesome cover!

Also, more flying mages from the early editions:

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I think that everyone is allowed to like or dislike the new art for the wizard.
But telling other people what D&D art is, is not better than telling them that theor game is badwrongfun.

D&D's strength is having diverse characters. The PHB reflecting that is not a bad idea.


I really love the 2014 phb art, becasuse it has a) diverse characters of many kinds, b) decently dressed female characters in normal poses. c) rather low fantasy depictions.

I don't know if I will like the new art of the 2024 books as much. I don't particularily like the style of the wizard. I like the style of the champion. Lets see how it all fits together.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

I legitimately don't understand the criticism of the glasses. Sure, high level magic could potentially "fix" her vision but... that just makes it a choice? Maybe she likes how she looks with glasses. Maybe she isn't even near/far-sighted and just wears them as an accessory.

Just because YOU wouldn't want to have glasses if you didn't need them does not mean that other people can't make other choices.

Totally missing it.

That is not my reasoning. This is about setting a mood for the game. I don’t prefer things that take me out of my preference for medieval flavored fantasy.

No, I don’t describe the king’s knights as wearing glasses. This is a taste thing only. No value judgment or moral concern to it. Might as well argue with me for not liking mayo.

Its a good piece of art. I made a statement about taste and design decisions in the context of it being skillfully done.

I am not getting the vapors over it but based on several posts in the thread, it is unthinkable that I don’t like D&D characters with glasses. The only answer is I must like that design choice?

One person informed me about when glasses were invented and suggested I don’t know much about history.

I made it clear that they “seem” anachronistic…and made a point to not argue about gunpowder in China or the first person to wear glasses.

If you imagine Elric or Aragorn or whatever with glasses more power to you.

Now if you will excuse me, I am going to select my duergar artificer’s feat…and laugh about his goggles. He is fun but not exactly and exemplar for a core class in my mind.

Flexibility is a virtue or something.