D&D General What the Melf's Guide to Greyhawk Cover Might Look Like

Below is a quick mockup of the potential cover of Melf's Guide to Greyhawk based on the Jeff Easley art revealed at Gary Con, using the current D&D 5.5E trade dress. The fonts aren't quite right, but it gives an approximate look at what the book may look like when it is released.

 

[mamba]

I read the preface in the book store then read the first chapter of the book. When I found out it was just the author being annoyingly apologetic in the preface and the book itself having good scholarship I bought it. The preface stains the book a bit. Instead of a 9.8 mint work it brings it down to a 9.2 near mint.

what level of acknowledgement would have been acceptable to you, or should it simply consider everything Gygax wrote as just great and beyond criticism?

 

[Mournblade94]

what level of acknowledgement would have been acceptable to you, or should it simply consider everything Gygax wrote as just great and beyond criticism?

No need to project your own extrapolations on to me.

The history sections of the books didn't disparage the creators at all. The apology was only in the preface.

You know where there is plenty of criticism. The numerous history books that focus on the development of TSR and at this point I dont think I there's one I havent read.

Its all there. I have no problem with it being addressed. Tondros apology in the development of the white box was where I had the problem.

 

[Mournblade94]

Who hurt you?

??? No body. I said the term was ironic. Not sure where hurt comes into it.

Lower Decks which makes fun of Star Trek and The Last Jedi which deconstructs Star Wars are both claimed as Love Letters to an IP.

Maybe lower decks is i couldn't tolerate past the second episode, but the Last Jedi was definitely not a love letter. Hence the Irony.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

You know where there is plenty of criticism. The numerous history books that focus on the development of TSR and at this point I dont think I there's one I havent read.

Its all there. I have no problem with it being addressed. Tondros apology in the development of the white box was where I had the problem.

If an acknowledgement of the problematic aspect of some of the early game and behaviors of some of the developers isn't in the definitive history book, that's basically burying it.

It would be cowardly and wrong for WotC to not have said "you know, some of this stuff wouldn't fly today." It was a very mild criticism and it's honestly weird how much some folks are offended by it.

 

[Mournblade94]

It would be cowardly and wrong for WotC to not have said "you know, some of this stuff wouldn't fly today." It was a very mild criticism and it's honestly weird how much some folks are offended by it.

I have to strongly disagree. WOTC fixed its representation problem. Just look at the 2024 PHB the evidence is right there.

WOTC 100% fixed getting non white creators on board and the art mostly features other demographics than traditionally have played the game. Looks like the problems have been addressed. Its literally a solved problem in game publishing at the moment.

I think leaving it alone would have sold them more books and I honestly can't fathom how it would be cowardly and wrong to not make the wishy washy apology. No one would have said a thing if it wasnt there, and ultimately companies best serve a wide customer base by not making controversy.

I was literally the only person in my FLGS willing to buy the book. I dont know sales numbers but I know out of the 5 copies ordered by my flgs 4 are still there (unless someone bought one since last wednesday)

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think leaving it alone would have sold them more books and I honestly can't fathom how it would be cowardly and wrong to not make the wishy washy apology. No one would have said a thing if it wasnt there, and ultimately companies best serve a wide customer base by not making controversy.

A history of D&D that ignored that some of the stuff in the book, including some of the footnotes that made it into print, was wildly inappropriate by today's standards isn't a history book; it's a whitewash.

I was literally the only person in my FLGS willing to buy the book.

Look at the Amazon reviews. In an era when people will review bomb things into oblivion for daring to have black hobbits in their TV shows (before anyone had actually seen a single episode) and similar non-issues, no one is particularly upset about this book, which gets 79% five-star reviews.

The very noisy people who are upset that the very mild "hey, it would have been great if the racist and sexist stuff wasn't part of the mix early on" comment is in the book are a tiny minority.

This is a you issue, including the likeminded folks at your FLGS.

If a very, very mild statement that racism and sexism are bad and have always been bad is this upsetting to you, that's something you're just going to have to learn to live with.

 

[mamba]

I think leaving it alone would have sold them more books

maybe, but maybe the number of books sold is not the only thing that is relevant

and I honestly can't fathom how it would be cowardly and wrong to not make the wishy washy apology. No one would have said a thing if it wasnt there, and ultimately companies best serve a wide customer base by not making controversy.

so you do not see how not acknowledging / addressing something for fear of creating a controversy or it negatively impacting sales is cowardly?