R&C Art, the Women of R&C

[JoeGKushner]

From skimming over Races & Classes yesterday, I'd say some of the females could've done with showing a little less skin. Granted, that's also true for at least one of the males, and there's nothing near the level of bad that is a fighter type in a chainmail bikini, but still.


cheers

My favorites are like the one with the woman in furs with the midrift exposed. "Is it chilly to anyone else here?"

 

[Reynard]

Cheescake/beefcake shouldn't be the defining image of D&D by any means, but it does fit the fantasy genre.

I think part of what makes fantasy "fantasy" is the idealization of it all, which comes through really well in art: mountains aren't just tall, they reach into the clouds; warriors aren't just powerful, they are mighty thewed; elves aren't just attractive, they have an unearthly beauty about them; the bad guys aren't just mean, they are vile and diabolocal; the city isn't just dirty, it is grimy and raining all the time and a hive of scum and villainy. D&D shouldn't lose that idealization -- there's room for chainmail bikins as much as there's room for bone armored necromancers and 500' long dragons and magical storms that can eat a continent.

 

[Mirtek]

No chainmail bikinis

 

[JoeGKushner]

From the same site, more importantly, what really happened to gnomes!

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

My favorites are like the one with the woman in furs with the midrift exposed. "Is it chilly to anyone else here?"

The artist might have been a bit inspired by contemporary women clothing. It's seems usual these days (not that I mind!) to wear something slightly to short so that your lower back is exposed when you're sitting on a bike (and it can get cold on a bike in the winter!).

 

[I'm A Banana]

I think of fantasy characters' wardrobes kind of like I think of runway fashion.

Is it practical? Does it make sense? No, but that's not the point.

The point is to look good and convey a particular message.

I mean, Hennet's buckles make as much if not less sense than a chainmail bikini, but I've got no real problem with that because (a) it looks good on him and (b) it conveys the message that all the time you spend in the morning putting on full plate, this sorcerer spends idly buckling himself.

Mialee's outfit isn't about practicality, it's about looking like part of the forest, a leaf, a dappled treetop.

Spikey armor doesn't have to be logical, it just has to convey the "I am a dangerous and intimidating person" look.

A chainmail bikini isn't just about cheesecake (though it's about that, too). It's about true vulnerability under a veneer of toughness, about how our protections are absurd, and about how human beauty cannot be hidden.

I mean, it's important to think about this in terms of what it means, not just in terms of what it is.

That doesn't mean ignore what it is, but that does mean that an outfit is SO MUCH MORE than a functional way to keep warm and/or protected, and that such elements might not even be the most important function of an outfit, even for adventurers in a D&D world.

 

[Betote]

But it really comes down to artistic preferences. On the one hand, there's art that is politically correct and not Romantic. On the other hand, there are chainmail bikinis. I strongly support the chainmail bikini. The game is a fantasy game, chainmail bikinis are fantasy fun, and they don't hurt anyone.

Tell that to all those nipples' widows

 

[John Cooper]

I mean, Hennet's buckles make as much if not less sense than a chainmail bikini, but I've got no real problem with that because...it looks good on him...

Surely you jest, sir. All those buckles make him look like a clown.

 

[Lackhand]

Surely you jest, sir. All those buckles make him look like a clown.

"No sir, Chuckles the Clown. Yes, I know what you've got written down, but that's not my name. Yes, they sound alike. Chuckles, sir. See Aitch. Chuckles."

Anyway: I don't think Hennet looks the worse for wear(ing the buckles). It's not a normal style, I don't know anyone who dresses that way, but remember who he hangs out with. If he dressed more... normally... he'd get ignored in favor of the heavily armed-and-armored compatriots.

If he's the face, he's got to draw attention to himself, and he's got the Charisma to pull off that look.

And, like KM, I think it's a chainmale bikini.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

Mialee's outfit isn't about practicality, it's about looking like part of the forest, a leaf, a dappled treetop.

Actually Mialee's outfit is fairly practical. She has a crapton of pockets in an easy to reach place, that are organized. The clothing is sparse and wont inhibit movement. Since protection isnt a factor, its reasonably well designed. Its certainly a lot better than a robe, the piece of equipment guaranteed to hamper you at every turn.