New cover art for the Revised PHB and DMG?

[Sixchan]

If thye keep with the tome look, it'd be even cooler if there was a competition to win books with the actual style. Like having metal strips with jewel-encrusted ends (glass jewels, obviously). It'd make them heavier, but SO MUCH COOLER.

 

[Henry]

I didn't care especially for the "jewel-encrusted book" cover for the PHB, nor the locking/gears theme on the DMG...If they're going to go the "fake book" cover route I'd rather have it look like the FRCS, but I think personally I would like a luscious, illustrated fantasy scene.

Who asked you!?!?!

 

[Mouseferatu]

On the matter of the covers: I say keep the "tome" style. I like it, and it's different. And, as someone else pointed out, it's setting-generic.

On the matter of internal art: In the best of all worlds, this would be a non-issue. I'm not personally a fan of "dungeon-punk." I don't insist that armor and weapons be copied from a history book, but I'd prefer closer to that than some of the truly outlandish.

But...

Why the heck does it have to be an either/or thing? If you go back to 1st Edition, the various pieces of interior art were of wildly differing styles in some cases. Some people might feel that's a problem, but I think it add to the feel. D&D is supposed to be out options--so provide multiple viewpoints. Do some dungeon-punk pics. Do some that are so historically accurate they could be copies from actual wood-carvings of the time. Do some (most) that fall between the two extremes. Heck, do some for non-Western cultures.

Who decided every picture in the game had to have the exact same "feel"? For games with specific settings, that's fine. For a game that's supposed to be usuable to recreate any sort of fantasy imaginable, sticking to a single style is a weakness, not a strength.

 

[William Ronald]

I think that the current 3rd Edition covers have an attractive look, although the ancient tome look of the FRCS is very nice as well.

I sometimes think the "dungeonpunk" look gets a little over done. I would like to see art work with several different styles of clothing and armor. Different cultures in our own world have different styles of clothing. The same should be true for fantasy worlds as well. Thus a Knight of Cormyr, a Knight of Veluna, an elf from Evermeet, and a two dwarves from different parts of the same campaign world may all wear plate armor, but the look can be very different. A little more variety could be interesting.

I do agree that some of the demi-human art leaves much to be desired. The ears on that Arcane Archer look bad, and I initially wondered if Mialee had the Hang Gliding feat because of her ears.

 

[Droogie]

UAHUEHAUHEUHAUEHUAHUEHAUHEUAHUEHAUHEUH!!!!!!

ahhhh...


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[Illuminae]

Explanation:

First, i looked at the cover of S&S...

Grasped more air...

Looked at Lord of the Iron Fortress...

 

[Droogie]

Explanation:

First, i looked at the cover of S&S...

Grasped more air...

Looked at Lord of the Iron Fortress...

Ok, still confused.......laughing? screaming? Both?


ANyway, the guy seems to have a thing for Geiger's alien is my only, probably unoriginal point. Check the walls and the statues on the cover of S&S. The crouching thing on Fortress, and the demon with the lash on T&B.

 

[Illuminae]

further explaining: yes, laughing, hehehe

i read your comment and now i, too, think he doe slike giger.

and that gives me some more thoughts on my comparison on aliens/halflings...

maybe it was meant

bizarre, but... meant

 

[Kichwas]

Well...

I liked the tome and jeweled look of the core books, and I liked the spikey-punk-fantasy look of the core art.

Considering the success of the material, I doubt I was alone in that.

 

[Snoweel]

I must concur - since 3e is pseudo-medieval (with emphasis on the "pseudo"), medieval styles make the game look like it is trapped in the past.

Add to that the fact that d20 rules suit cinematic RP instead of realistic, and you may as well have unwieldly weapons, ineffectual armour and impossible clothing, since it looks so much cooler.