How Important Is Art In Your Campaign?

[SHARK]

Greetings!

I was reviewing some old notes from several classes I had for my degree in ancient and medieval history, and I came across a number of things that intrigued me. I was noticing how important art was to the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, for example, and later on, of course, the different artistic movements and styles in northern and western Europe during the High Middle Ages, as well as the Renaissance.

I was wondering, seeing that art has played a significant, though subtle role in ancient and medieval politics, culture, as well as popular culture, as well as patronage, invention, economies, and political, religious, and social protest and consciousness--what kind of role or influence has art played in your campaigns?

Do Bards or wizards that spend skill points on that damn painting skill actually get to use it in some meaningful way? Have you worked into different plots for example, of art work being stolen, or...heh-heh...*forged*? (Gotta use that Forgery skill, too you know!).

How about npc's that the players know being arrested for creating idolotrous art, or art that is politically incorrect, and the Baron or the Duke has put a hammer down on it?

Any social, political, or religious trends or expressions influenced by artwork, and artists in your campaign?

Then, well, there's always the neat little perk of having some kind of enchanted painting or sculpture that the players either earn as booty, or somehow interact with in some interesting manner...

What do you all think? Any cool approaches or ideas?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[Milagroso]

No one in my game invests in anything that they don't think they will use in combat... which is silly really since most of my campaigns are more role-playing intensive. I would prefer that someone did take that kind of initiative, but I leave creation process to the players. They create it how they see fit.

In my current campaign, my NPC (that I play as a PC) uses Craft: Sculpting and occasionally sculpts little figures and stuff. Perhaps if the players see me making some income off of it, they will get the hint.

I have used art in some of my games for one reason or another, but nothing to the degree you mentioned above. Which, by the way, are nice plot devices. Thanks.

One campaign I had the PCs at a dinner social in a baron's house and they saw a portrait of an elusive enemy PC that they were hunting hanging in the dining room. It was a clue I left there for them.

In my game before that the PCs are tasked with solving a murder/kidnapping (of Alusair Obarsky the Regent of Cormyr), the only witness was a budding artist who was out that morning painting the sunrise. She was scarred and had her eyesight taken. The PCs had to convince the NPC to overcome her blindness and sketch the attacker.

In another game, the PCs found a small ivory statuette of an elven female that one of the PCs was certain was magical in some way. He spent hours staring at the damn thing trying to figure it out. He never did figure out that it was just a statuette.

One of my PCs uses magically conjured tokens or figurines of himself as a calling device. He passes them out to people he trusts and they use it to summon him when in dire need.

One game I ran many years ago had the PCs encounter Oscar Wilde and a certain Dorian Grey.

Aside from that, I haven't used art much in D&D. But now that you've mentioned it, I probably will more frequently now.

 

[SHARK]

No one in my game invests in anything that they don't think they will use in combat... which is silly really since most of my campaigns are more role-playing intensive. I would prefer that someone did take that kind of initiative, but I leave creation process to the players. They create it how they see fit.

In my current campaign, my NPC (that I play as a PC) uses Craft: Sculpting and occasionally sculpts little figures and stuff. Perhaps if the players see me making some income off of it, they will get the hint.

I have used art in some of my games for one reason or another, but nothing to the degree you mentioned above. Which, by the way, are nice plot devices. Thanks.

One campaign I had the PCs at a dinner social in a baron's house and they saw a portrait of an elusive enemy PC that they were hunting hanging in the dining room. It was a clue I left there for them.

In my game before that the PCs are tasked with solving a murder/kidnapping (of Alusair Obarsky the Regent of Cormyr), the only witness was a budding artist who was out that morning painting the sunrise. She was scarred and had her eyesight taken. The PCs had to convince the NPC to overcome her blindness and sketch the attacker.

In another game, the PCs found a small ivory statuette of an elven female that one of the PCs was certain was magical in some way. He spent hours staring at the damn thing trying to figure it out. He never did figure out that it was just a statuette.

One of my PCs uses magically conjured tokens or figurines of himself as a calling device. He passes them out to people he trusts and they use it to summon him when in dire need.

One game I ran many years ago had the PCs encounter Oscar Wilde and a certain Dorian Grey.

Aside from that, I haven't used art much in D&D. But now that you've mentioned it, I probably will more frequently now.

Greetings!

Good stuff Milagroso! Nice ideas there, too. And you're welcome as well for the inspiration. I think art is oftentimes overlooked, you know? Plus, I always like to think that players--or hell, npc's, too!--should actually be able to accomplish something kinda cool by devoting skill points to such skills as painting, sculpting, or rhetoric, for example. Plus it's always nice to have a character actually benefit from high ranks devoted to singing, dancing, or some kind of musical intstrument skill. Beyond the explicit combat benefits of what the Bard can do for the group when they are out on an expedition, heh?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[Milagroso]

Greetings!

Good stuff Milagroso! Nice ideas there, too. And you're welcome as well for the inspiration. I think art is oftentimes overlooked, you know? Plus, I always like to think that players--or hell, npc's, too!--should actually be able to accomplish something kinda cool by devoting skill points to such skills as painting, sculpting, or rhetoric, for example. Plus it's always nice to have a character actually benefit from high ranks devoted to singing, dancing, or some kind of musical intstrument skill. Beyond the explicit combat benefits of what the Bard can do for the group when they are out on an expedition, heh?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

I agree. the game allows for a play style that transcends the normal hack and slash. It is good to find players willing to invest skill points in something that they won't use for combat.

 

[Aeric]

I usually assume that there is art in the world, and that it takes a form similar to whatever is the closest real-world parallel: stained glass in temples, marble statues, etc. Unless it's integral to the plot, I don't give it much thought.

Fashion, on the other hand, is very important to me. It always bugs me when artists mix and match time periods in the clothes their characters are wearing (Eberron, I'm looking at you!). I don't expect 100% historical accuracy, but a little consistency would be nice. Not every ship captain needs a tricorn and a waistcoat, especially if the rest of the world looks like 14th century Europe!

 

[green slime]

I'm actually quite surprised that games don't include more forgeries: A forgery is opposed by... a forgery check. And how many PC's, NPC's have you ever seen with this skill? Next to none. I suppose everyone is too busy chasing/avoiding slavers, dragons, and giants to actually consider what is probably the easiest mundane way to create loads of cash.

 

[Wombat]

My current campaign has a fair amount of art, but we are set in something closer to the 16th century.

Since social standing is very important in the game, having portraits done will help solidify your placement; equally, comissioning public art (or plays or even songs) can help the characters increse their reputations.

So, yeah, by giving the in-game benefit, people latch onto the notion ... and for pretty much the same reasons people did so in the comparative real world period.

 

[Milagroso]

I wonder, if a person wanted to forge an expensive or rare painting would the skill check be based off his forgery skill alone? I never read the RAW for forgery, but I know it is for at least forging a signature. Wouldn't Craft: Painting provide some synergy bonus? What about Knowledge: Art History?

 

[SHARK]

I usually assume that there is art in the world, and that it takes a form similar to whatever is the closest real-world parallel: stained glass in temples, marble statues, etc. Unless it's integral to the plot, I don't give it much thought.

Fashion, on the other hand, is very important to me. It always bugs me when artists mix and match time periods in the clothes their characters are wearing (Eberron, I'm looking at you!). I don't expect 100% historical accuracy, but a little consistency would be nice. Not every ship captain needs a tricorn and a waistcoat, especially if the rest of the world looks like 14th century Europe!

Greetings!

Very true, Aeric! The whole tricorn hat and waistcoat--from the 17th and 18th centuries!--in a very different time period!

Indeed, clothes do not have to be slavishly tied to a historical era, but some of the time-jumbling with styles is...*jarring*!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[Teflon Billy]

There are lots of Artists in my campaign world, but they are more "artisan" than artist really (since most of the art they create is commissioned by Religious Orders or the wealthy).

Statues, Bas-Reliefs, Mosaics, Gargoyles (I've never really managed to explain to my own satisfaction why Artisans are permitted to create camouflage for actual Gargoyles like this)...emplacement stuff.

Portraiture is mostly practiced by painters at the behest of the rich and the powerful, Religious Scenes at the behest of the Churches.

There is no real "Art Scene" outside of the patronage salons of the rich.

Lots of the idle rich will pretty much wage war over their access to their favorite artists though.

I've given some thought in the past to having an angry artist begin releasing paintings that were either Blasphemous or Anarchic, but I never went anywhere with it.

Fashion plays a huge role in my games though. PC's who think they can move around in civilization in their plate mail find that not only are they looked down upon as brutes and thugs, but that they are simply not taken seriously by folks who matter.

At one point in the campaign when the group were basically just secret mercenaries of a crown prince, his father discovered them and was impressed by their competence in comparison to most of his own people.

He granted them peerages (Knightly Dubbings without lands), insisted that their Company become a Knightly Order (So Kogusar's Black Legion became The Order of the Black Shield) and had a tailor properly garb them...(inexplicably, they chose Cavalry Dress uniforms despite the highest ride score amongst them being 2).

If they had refused any of those changes, they'd probably have been killed as "rogue elements" by the Duke.

As it worked out, they were welcomed into court society, and were something of a "celebrity Group"...rough edges and all...because they were dressed properly.

They started loving magic items other than arms and armor at this point in their careers...jewelery being their favorite format as they didn't have to ditch it when they got back to town.