D&D 5E Players Handbook Expanded Cover Art

[Stormonu]

Also, I like how the red line penetrates through Presto's magic orb, intermixing the text and the art. It's subtle enough to look like the orb is part of the logo (and Presto is reach out to extract it from there in a 4th wall break). Nice touch!

 

[Hatmatter]

This would have been so much better for the 2024 PHB!!!

It is a terrific updating of the adventurers and I like it quite a bit...well done. But, honestly, the peanut gallery here on ENWorld and elsewhere all over the Internet would have eaten this up and spit it out if it was the cover. Not because it is not well done by any means, but for...reasons. Principally, because this artwork works because it is a dynamic representation of the cartoon characters aged up and armed for a real D&D adventure...if you don't care about the cartoon characters, it doesn't land. The actual covers, on the other hand, do not rely on the viewer's knowledge of the characters...any more than we knew the names and backstories of any other characters who featured on previous covers.

Anyway, to be clear, I love it. But, everyone with a instant opinion would have chimed in and buried this if it was official artwork.

 

[mamba]

I'm not talking about cover in this thread, I like this. I'm talking about 2024 PHB cover.

how does that make a difference, they are both talented artists

 

[Weiley31]

Wait, is Nixlord releasing their own version of the Players Handbook ala how Nixlord has versions of the Monster Manual????

 

[mamba]

everyone with a instant opinion would have chimed in and buried this if it was official artwork.

not sure about that, there were people who like the below better as the cover of the PHB than the actual cover

There will always be people who do not like an image, that does not mean no one would like it

 

[Stormonu]

Wait, is Nixlord releasing their own version of the Players Handbook ala how Nixlord has versions of the Monster Manual????

I was so focused on the picture it didn't even register until you pointed it out. Yeah, @Nixlord - spill the beans on this one. What can we expect in this book (if in just broad strokes)?

 

[Hatmatter]

not sure about that, there were people who like the below better as the cover of the PHB than the actual cover

View attachment 366247

There will always be people who do not like an image, that does not mean no one would like it

I contend that if this was selected as the cover art of any of the core rulebooks, it also would have been chewed up and spit out by the Internet peanut gallery. People may fire off a one-sentence post that reads something like, "This should have been the cover art," but I think that most are doing that because they are initially introduced to this art knowing that it is not the cover art. If this (perfectly fine and enjoyable) art of the animated series characters exploring the outside of a dungeon that will be inside the revised PHB were presented as the new cover art, that context would have set off a storm. I base this on my experience of being a member of ENWorld for 16 years and a reader of it for a few years before that.

 

[aco175]

At least Eric has a sword, even though he does not have it out when walking into a dungeon. He was always a bit odd to me.

 

[Hatmatter]

At least Eric has a sword, even though he does not have it out when walking into a dungeon. He was always a bit odd to me.

Exactly, right?!? Finally all are armed up like a real dungeon-delving expedition!

 

[ezo]

Haha, nice catch. It was a layout issue. Originally, it was flipped the other way. But the red ribbon was blocking Diana's hand and torch. It didn't look good. So I inverted it.

Here's how it originally looked.

It didn't look good even if I raised the ribbon higher. And it can't any lower than where it is, right now. It would look really off.

So, I flipped it and I said it was better this way even if it did make all of them except Diana look all left-handed.

View attachment 365795

I think it actually looks better this way! Diana's hand and the torch come off of the Credt-red-flame graphic.