D&D (2024) New D&D Edition's Player’s Handbook Cover Reveal

Game Informer has revealed the cover to the 2024 Player’s Handbook.

The cover features a gold dragon behind the old-school D&D characters Strongheart the paladin, Mercion the cleric, Elkhorn the dwarf fighter, and Molliver the thief. Ringlerun the wizard is absent (then again he got his showcase on one of the 1E AD&D Player's Handbooks), but a drow mage appears to have joined the party!

 

[SkidAce]

I like this art.

I make no claims to it being better or worse than previous art.

I just like it.

 

[Clint_L]

I'm loving the new 5e24 cover art. It definitely feels old school and reminds me of the 2e covers.

You know you're a grognard when you read that sentence and your immediate reaction is "2e? Old school? Damn newbies!"

 

[Meech17]

I still say all the artwork has been downhill since this masterpiece.

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What is this from? I love it

 

[mamba]

Now that that's out of the way, let's start arguing about the superhero on the back cover! Or do we only get mad when that's a woman?

since you asked, I have no problem with the picture on the back, it is high fantasy, not superhero art, and that has nothing to do with one being a woman and the other not, but with the style of the painting. Too sleek, too clean, too digital art (and yes, these ones might also be painted on a computer, but they do not look it as much). No posing for the sake of posing.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

I do like the artwork for the bronze dragon. Apologies if this was posted in one of the earlier art threads.

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I'm also loving this redesign for the bronze dragon. I definingly makes it look more suited to an aquatic lifestyle, and those teal green tarnish accent/markings are lovely too.

 

[Dion D Ritter]

I was thinking about getting back into D&D, but after seeing that cover, I have my doubts. Very stereotypical, which leads me to conclude that the whole book is infected with that crap. Probably not just the pictures, but the text too.

 

[mamba]

I do like the artwork for the bronze dragon

what's with the green, is it rusting?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Yeah man.. You're allowed to not like whatever you want. We're not the "Liking Stuff Police"

Well, I am, but I'm off duty.

(I'll be stopping by later to talk to the handful of people who don't like "Severence.")

 

[Meech17]

When everything is awesome, when every battle or scene is epic...it's all boring. DnD art has been striving for AWESOMELY WORLD-SHAKING ACTION!!!! for the last two editions so hard that it's not at all remarkable anymore.

I like the art, but I kind of thought this too..

If I were the art director coming up with prompts and in charge of picking the cover, I'd have opted for a scrappy low level looking party. The fighter wearing a leather old fashioned football helmet and wielding a rusted, notched sword. The wizard looking horrified as their spell fizzles in their hand. The priest tying a bandage with their teeth because they're out of spell slots.. The Warlock laying unconscious on the ground, being bandaged by the priest because they were out of spell slots..

I feel like that captures D&D.. Then I'd try and get the same party depicted throughout the book, each time looking stronger and better equipped.

 

[Meech17]

I do like the artwork for the bronze dragon. Apologies if this was posted in one of the earlier art threads.

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It looks kind of fish like...