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

 

[Crimson Longinus]

If it's obvious, why did you make a statement that made no sense unless I was American? I'm obviously too confused and dimwitted for this discussion!

Ovious part was your statement about the insanity. And I did not make any assumptions about your nationality, I merely explained what I find to be the issue with questioning Picard's accent.

I feel like you're absolutely proving my point re: beautiful nerd obstructivism and technically correct, though! I respect it!

Technically this is not about being technically correct, the correctness I'm aiming for was more of an ethical kind. But I am glad if you were amused nevertheless.

 

[occam]

My reason for not liking this illustration is that the subject is clearly presented as a stereotypical mermaid in an Impressionist style, and wearing glasses like that would make no sense underwater.

This is my opinion, so there's no need for disagreement.

 

[Older Beholder]

removed

 

[Hussar]

I really did not say what you think I did.

I totally agree with you 100%.

I just wanted to remind everyone that it is ok to not like something for reasons you can't describe.
And that such dislikes are not helpful when discussing something and that they are not helpful at all for a discussion forum.

It is also not OK to say: this is a naughty word piece of art when in reality you meant: I don't like it because personal preference.

Sorry, wasn't disagreeing with you. Was springboarding from what you said. Sorry that wasn't clear.

 

[Hussar]

Just testing the theory that it’s ok to not like things…
Is it ok to not like women? How about not liking people of colour?

Doesn’t seem ok to me, even if you can’t explain why.

Let's not go there shall we? This is a fun thread and I'd hate to see it go spiraling down the drain.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Let's not go there shall we? This is a fun thread and I'd hate to see it go spiraling down the drain.

This is a fun thread?!

I mean people 'went there' on page one and have now established an HOA and a coffee shop 'there'

 

[Older Beholder]

Let's not go there shall we? This is a fun thread and I'd hate to see it go spiraling down the drain.

That’s fair. I was hoping my comment would be taken rhetorically.

It just strikes me that ‘it’s ok to not like things’ is a statement that condones some terrible behaviour all in the name of art criticism.

 

[Hussar]

This is a fun thread?!

I mean people 'went there' on page one and have now established an HOA and a coffee shop 'there'

Meh. No one's holding a gun to your head to read.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Meh. No one's holding a gun to your head to read.

That is... not a response to that thing I said.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I don’t see the latter following from the former. First of all not all mythology has to be superheroes just because some is, and second of all that does not mean all fantasy has to be either. Game of Thrones is fantasy, I doubt anyone would consider it superheroic.

Some?

If we are taking the stance that Jesus is basically a superhero, then we are open to either Gods or Demi-Gods from other mythologies.

Greek/Roman Myth? Yep, lot of super heroics there. The battle against Typhon is a great example, or the Labors of Heracles (Hercules being an actual DC superhero, and Wonder Woman being deeply tied to Greek Myth)

Norse Myth? Loki's shapeshifting battles or Thor's Journeys (not to mention the Asgardians being actual Marvel Superheroes)

Egyptian Myth? Shapeshifting battles, fighting giant monsters that consume planets, secret magics (Not to mention Ra and the Ennead being Sentinel Comic Superheroes)

Various Celtic Myths? The Battle against the Balor, The adventures of Cu'Culain, lot of fey magic from the High Kings.

Hindu Myth is full of Cosmic conflicts.

South Pacific Island Mythology has various nature spirits duking it out, plus the adventures of Maui

Chinese Myth? The Monkey King and the the various Sages.

Japanese Myth? Plenty of mythological heroes with strange magics and great feats battling Yokai and Oni.

Sure, some of these myths feature sliding powerscales, but so do Superhero stories. For every Superman or Martian Manhunter, you have The Huntress or The Question.


But, I will grant you, not all Fantasy follows in this line. The Game of Thrones has the a very "these forces are beyond you" feel with the dragons and the ice zombies. But that just makes it a question of, as I said originally, low fantasy vs high fantasy. Just like the Myth of Galatea mostly features "ordinary" people, but Greek Myths also involve the God of Sea throwing an island at a massive monster. The larger point being, these high fantasy, high power ideas are still a very clear part of Fantasy. There isn't some great wall separating Mythology from Fantasy from Superheroes, it is more like the grass changing color from emerald green to tan.

Even if you leave all that aside, the Wizard pose, just like the Jesus pose is a power pose, it is meant to impress / awe, it has no further purpose. It is not meant to be an accurate depiction of the living person.

To the "it is meant to impress and/or awe"... yes, that was my point. Which is why I find the accusations of it being too "superhero" to be a bit off-the-mark. Not because superheroes don't make that pose, but because the problem has nothing to do with superheroes and everything to do with people not liking the power pose meant to impress and awe on a high level wizard. That was my entire original point.

As for it not being an accurate depiction of a living person.... I mean other than the floating, why not? I can stand with my head back and my arms out from my sides. If your point is that living people don't have the ability to fly and surround themselves with magical auras.... yes? Obviously? But that seems to be a rather odd angle to take, because no Tiefling or Orc would be an accurate depiction of a living person either. If your goal is to say that aspirational, high level characters should look like Ren Fair cosplayers.... why?