D&D 5E That Eberron Cover Is Just A Placeholder

According to WotC's Jeremy Crawford, Ben Oliver's cover for Eberron: Rising from the Last War on Amazon and WotC's website is an interior illustration serving as a placeholder.

Crawford added that "That warforged has customized itself in unusual ways. Each warforged can alter how it looks. That said, the book has plenty of traditional-looking warforged." There's more to the art, as you can see in the banner across the top of WotC's webpage. I rather like it.

Ben Oliver is credited as the cover artist in WotC's product page; his cover art will presumably be revealed soon, as the book is only three months away.

Ben Oliver was the artist who illustrated the covers of Tomb of Annihilation and Curse of Strahd.

 

[Aldarc]

That's a relief.

 

[Morrus]

Yeah, I guess that's it. It is like talking about sports cars and someone mentions that the Tesla S could have a nicer interior. Sure, it is sort-of-relevant, and sure, it could be nicer, but the point of the Tesla is to get you an electric car. The point of Acq. Inc. is to highlight Penny Arcade's version which includes a Krahulik cover. One thing isn't quite like the others.

Sure. I’m not really seeing it as an issue of fairness though. Acknowledging different styles or intentions isn’t an indictment of anybody.

 

[Trance]

can't pre-order the deluxe cover?!?!?!

 

[Zardnaar]

Early October for me but might just get it for Christmas.

 

[NiClerigo]

I’m not sure this wasn’t originally the cover, since Greg Tito said (I’m paraphrasing) on Twitch yesterday that they have been listening to the feedback on the cover

 

[doctorhook]

I’m not sure this wasn’t originally the cover, since Greg Tito said (I’m paraphrasing) on Twitch yesterday that they have been listening to the feedback on the cover

That’s reassuring. I really don’t know why they would choose to just some use random person’s face for the cover of an Eberron book. It would be an odd choice for any D&D book, but especially one that isn’t supposed to be dominated by any famous NPC. Like, who the heck is this person anyway, and why do they represent Eberron?

 

[Emirikol Prime]

can't pre-order the deluxe cover?!?!?!

Check at your local hobby store. I pre-ordered mine.

 

[Reynard]

Man, whoever that artist is... I feel terrible for them. They've not been treated well (by some industry publishers too). Anybody know who it is?

I think it's fine. Especially in the wider piece.

People are needlessly, intentionally cruel online in a way that often confounds my sense of what humans are really like to one another in the real world. It's like a sickness.

Anyway, I liked it as the cover. It reminded me of old pulp novel covers, and Eberron is nothing if not pulpy.

 

[cmad1977]

Is that a Pikachu on her shoulder?

 

[Abstruse]

It’s just a face, man. It doesn’t show us anything related to anything, especially in this hobby where we’re generally making our own heroes. Who is the person? Why is their head the entirety of this cover? Why not an action scene like every other Eberron cover ever? This one is not great cover art.

Because all the setting/adventure books so far have had covers like that? They're all heavily inspired by pulp novel covers and Drew Struzon movie posters - Curse of Strahd for Ravenloft, Tomb of Annihilation of Chult, both the Waterdeep covers and the Baldur's Gate cover.