PHB, MM, DMG covers

[Simia Saturnalia]

I like the style, overall. Really eye-catching, as compared to the faux-grimoire look of the 3.x (which, IMO, got worse with 3.5 - please, stick a few more useless brass orbs in the design!).

That said, I find it sad that the image which most falls flat for me is the PHB, arguably the most common and important book at the table...and I gotta go with Klaus. It's one of the most "posed for the camera" D&D pictures I've seen since Dragon Slayers and Proud of It in the 2e PHB. "Alright, now throw the lightning cantrip and everybody say "Bigby!"

The MM cover is certainly...dynamic...but I think Orcus lacks raw visual power unless you know who he is already. Maybe it's the resolution/size, but he looks like a pot-bellied red demon to me.

The DMG cover, however, gets me at least half-masted about DMing again. MAN that's cool.

 

[Baby Samurai]

It also looks like they will be square, ala Saga.

 

[A'koss]

I love WAR's work myself so I think it's great he's getting to do the covers. That said I think the layouts could use a little work (for example, it would have been nice to see an entire party of adventurers on the PHB cover) but they're eye-catching and that's what's most important...

 

[RavinRay]

I dunno, I kinda got used to the faux 3D effect with the orbs/buttons/gems and Higginbotham's spectacular art (MM2 and the Expanded Psionics Handbook come to mind)… but it's cool. Then again, if there's a dragon on the cover, it just has to be the iconic red and no other species, <sigh>…

 

[Fifth Element]

It also looks like they will be square, ala Saga.

Those pics aren't square. They're 253x305, 261x307 and 260x305 (pixels). Likely some distortion in the pics, since they don't all have the same height:width ratio, which ranges from 1.18 to 1.21. (The ratio for 8.5x11 is 1.29, while the ratio for a square is obviously 1.00).

Ergo, absolutely no reason to think they'll be Saga-sized.

(Edit:typo)

 

[Baby Samurai]

I dunno, I kinda got used to the faux 3D effect with the orbs/buttons/gems

Yeah, I kind of liked them too, especially MoI – sweet cover.

 

[Baby Samurai]

Those pics aren't square. They're 253x305, 261x307 and 260x305 (pixels). Likely some distortion in the pics, since they don't all have the same height:width ratio, which ranges from 1.18 to 1.21. (The ratio for 8.5x11 is 1.29, while the ratio for a square is obviously 1.00).

Ergo, absolutely no reason to think they'll be Saga-sized.

Okay, right on, they did look a little smudgy and distorted.

…And did you use the word "ergo"?

 

[Simia Saturnalia]

Those pics aren't square. They're 253x305, 261x307 and 260x305 (pixels). Likely some distortion in the pics, since they don't all have the same height:width ratio, which ranges from 1.18 to 1.21. (The ratio for 8.5x11 is 1.29, while the ratio for a square is obviously 1.00).

Ergo, absolutely no reason to think they'll be Saga-sized.

(Edit:typo)

Thank the Powers of the Outlands!

That's not what a roleplaying game book looks like, dammit!

My prejudices are almost incomprehensible!

Edit: Correction. It's not even an incomprehensible prejudice. If I can't slip a copy of my character sheet between the pages of my PHB for backpack transportation, it's not a properly shaped RPG book.

 

[WayneLigon]

Very, very nice covers. I am most pleased.

 

[Fifth Element]

Okay, right on, they did look a little smudgy and distorted.

…And did you use the word "ergo"?

Indeed. It seemed a most appurtenant choice of word.