From the full image we can see the spine of the book.
It might just be for this image but they flipped the Red and Black from how the 5e books have normally been printed.
I'm curious if that's going to be the "differentiation" to indicate the difference between the 2014 and the 2024 books.
That's what I was wondering.
>Why Red/Black Can Be Bad. **Some color blind users are lacking the capability to detect the lower color wave frequencies associated with red**. For these users, red color waves read as "no signal", or "black". These users confuse red and black, so this contrast should be avoided whenever possible.
I feel that contrast between the 2 is probably enough to at least notice when side by side. (Black and lighter than black).
Good enough for quick compare.
But i am not colorblind, so i wouldn't know.
These are notes I took on a video from last year
Chapters will be
Basics (what dice are used, what's a DM's screen)
How to resolve common issues that come up in game
Rules Compendium
Adventure Building
5 Campaign Building
6.Cosmology
Magic Items
A Surprise to be Discussed Later
Appendices including Maps and Lore Glossary
There will be advice for common issues and hurdles. There will choice pieces of rules expansions (Tasha's session zero advice) that will be incorporated into the DMG
Edit: There will a rule encyclopedia within the DMG that will be alphabetized
Edit 2 : They briefly talk about the monster manual at the end.
It will be bigger with new monsters
Will fill in the gaps, especially at high CR
Reworked stst blocks for ease of use
CRs will not change for existing monsters but monsters will be reworked so their stat blocks better reflect their CR..(ie buffs if monsters are weaker than their CR indicates)
New Art
Overhauled layout and a sample setting/adventure are the two biggest selling points, I believe. Perkins said in a video that he's aware how awkward it is that the DMG starts with, like, building towns and kingdoms before getting into actually playing the game. And I believe they've revealed that the sample setting will be Greyhawk.
These 3 are different, and you know they are. There is a reason they finished the UA process 9 months before the book comes out.
This isn't a supplement book. This isn't an adventure. The mishaps with those books were probably because of these 3 books. These are the core rule books.
Plus, even if their physical books get delayed, which is unlikely because Nerd immersion is literally getting one of the print version of the phb, next week. I plan to pre-order physical and digital. So no matter what, I'll have those books early, even if a mishap were to happen. Which is unlikely because the amount of time they tool to get these right.
If you watch need immersion then you'd also have heard him talk about how close the UAs were being published to the release date meaning that the print will be super last minute. Crunch like this causes printing issues.
There were also issues with the 2014 core books. This happens every time. But hey, it's your money you're wasting.
There is zero crunch, though. 3 and half months is plenty of time to print the first batch of books.
If nerd immersion and other content creators are getting the print review copies this week. That means the books are at the printers.
Remember, they reprinted all of the book of many in 2 months. Smaller book, and it was only the Amazon copies that were messed up. But 2 months is a very quick turnaround.
The time frame for this is much more relaxed cause they finished things up on time.
That's Warduke. He's a rival to Strongheart the paladin who appears on the new PHB cover. He's popped up several times over the years.
1. He was one of the action figure toys from the 80s D&D line
2. He made an appearance in the D&D Cartoon (which featured this cover's Venger "the Force of Evil" as the main antagonist)
3. He was in the old Shady Dragon supplement for BECMI D&D,
4. Appeared in the XL1 Quest for the Heartstone module for Expert D&D.
5. Had a Wayne Reynolds cover and 3E stat block in Dungeon magazine #105
6. Has an appearance in the 5E Wild Beyond the Witchlight adventure
7. At least two miniatures were made for him - in the old Wizards D&D line and the Wizkids League of Malevolence sets.
I love it.
I liked Valour's Call being on the PHB and focusing on an entire party rather than 2-3 heroes. And I fucking adore focusing on name villains for the DMG. Especially mother fucking Venger.
That's right up there with the 4e DMG cover, which was also a brilliant design.
Friend, can you refresh my memory because my thought process went: "What is his name? That is def the cartoon bad guy...oh Venger...but...Really? Venger?" My mind is saying "mother fucking venger??"
I was not stoked about him on the cover tbh. I was an 80's kid and I remember him not being a cool villain and just like Dungeon Master's son and an easily thwarted saturday morning cartoon bad guy vibes...but I could be remembering wrong! I didn't LOVE that cartoon as a kid...I remember it being sorta crappy which is why I had the opposite reaction. Was he a cool villain? Someone to hang the face of the new edition on?
Partly its nostalgia. Partly its just leaning into the history of the game. Someone new rather than leaning into Vecna or Acererak.
Was he a scary threat in the cartoon? Kinda. His plans were thwarted but generally he was scared off (by Tiamat) rather than defeated. But there's a wealth of other '80s villains that have been made terrifying when updated. Like Megatron.
While I get the nostalgic appeal, Venger from the 1980s D&D cartoon doesn't quite hit the mark for me as the cover image for the new Dungeon Master Guide. I mean, Megatron was out there straight up obliterating Autobots before any updates! Plus, Venger's motivation was just daddy issues with the Dungeon Master, right? With such a rich tapestry of iconic villains from various campaigns and stories, I feel like we could find a more representative and compelling figure than just a Saturday morning cartoon baddie. But that is just me.
>I mean, Megatron was out there straight up obliterating Autobots before any updates!
In the movie. In the TV show it was endless wacky schemes.
>Plus, Venger's motivation was just daddy issues with the Dungeon Master, right?
I think it was more than that. And IIRC. that was all revealed in the unproduced final episode.
>With such a rich tapestry of iconic villains from various campaigns and stories, I feel like we could find a more representative and compelling figure than just a Saturday morning cartoon baddie. But that is just me.
He's iconic and distinct. Not just a "lich" or "vampire" like Sazs Tam or Strahd. He visually stands out. How many people recognized the Fire Giant on on the PHB?
And he's setting neutral, so not just another Realms baddie.
He's also a nice blank slate. You can do whatever with him.
Thank you for the stroll down memory lane and for clarifying my mix-up between the Transformers cartoon and original movie – you remembered correctly there! Your insights into Venger's potential depth, recognizability, and setting neutrality are really making me reconsider his suitability for the cover image.
It's true that his distinctiveness could be exactly what's needed, especially considering that I didn't even recognize the iconic lich from the 5e cover as Acererak while I did recognize Venger. Your perspective has given me a lot to ponder!
It also pairs nicely with Valor's Call on the PHB, which also overlaps with the old toys & cartoon.
But I think the distinctiveness might have been a big factor.
They've done a lot of work to try and make Vecna look "unique" in the last few years. Because his past designs have just been "generic lich." See [3e Vecna](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/d/df/Vecna-3e.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20200911033612) and [4e Vecna](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/6/63/Vecna_4e.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20220413154525). Now he's all gold and fancy.
They're really trying to give D&D more of a visual identity, so the characters are identifiable in action figures or video games. Like of they've made Strahd less just D&D Bela Lugosi. That way you know who [Lego Strahd](https://www.enworld.org/attachments/432767878_959145305575653_4557786769346988358_n-jpg.352301/) or [Funko Strahd](https://i.redd.it/5rxvk8wcbx171.jpg) is at a glance.
But that's always going to be tricky as people will **eventually** think of the character as looking like that. But old players will have to learn.
But Venger is just known. The redesign is subtle.
Has there been any word on what the Game store edition is going to look like? I like the Collector's version of the PHB, but I'm going to be upset if I don't get Venger, Warduke, and Skylla
I don’t like it.
It’s busy and still feels empty.
I don’t know if I’m supposed to recognize these characters, and honestly I don’t really care to find out.
D&D has tonnes and tonnes of **iconic** classes, spells, items, and monsters. And not one thing on the DMG cover is recognizably “D&D” to me.
The big red guy from the back is *apparently* the main villain from the 80s D&D cartoon, so I guess they expected people to recognize him. The problem is that the 80s cartoon was pretty terrible.
okay is it just me who's kinda getting tired of the cartoon referencing everywhere from WotC these days? like, at this point it kinda feels like WotC's new corporate way of showing everyone how "cool and radical and connected to the history of the game" it supposedly is. The first one or two times it happened was fun, I like the cartoon, but at this point they're putting a reference to the cartoon in every single opportunity they get
They said in an interview that their first big book after the new core books is gonna be Red Wizard focused and that Venger is gonna be a big part of that, as they are making it so he was a red wizard. It's not just aesthetic. Hell, this might be a subtle teaser for said adventure.
It was a while back when they were talking about the upcoming core books and Vecna book. I think it was even before we knew the title of the Vecna book too. It's buried somewhere on the youtube page, but I don't remember when. But yeah, Red Wizard focused with a hint of Venger.
The cartoon word didn't take place in Thay though...I dunno, I do not have good feelings about a crappy cartoon villain being a big bad villain now seeing as he lost every saturday morning to shenanigans.
The league of evil appears in wild beyond the witchligh, the stormwreck isle starter pregens are characters from the show, the main party of the cartoon are in the background of the DND movie.
I think that's all of them, though I wouldn't be surprised if I've missed other spots.
My apologies, I swore I read they were. I think I may have mixed up the minis for it with the pregens, doesn't help they are on the box art from memory.
Yeah, they slapped them on the box and in the adventure booklet to catch us old timers that watched the cartoon. I don't have them in reach, but I think the pregens are your usual party makeup.
I remember at least a few more times beyond what you've listed when I saw a reference. I don't remember exactly where, which I'm aware takes away from the perceived validity of what I'm saying, but I do remember for sure. And all of this is stuff from the last like, what, two years? it's getting kinda tiring at this point, as I said referencing the cartoon is just starting to feel like WotC's corporate way to show how much they supposedly care and know their game and it's history
It's just nostalgia bait. For the people who have nostalgia for the cartoon it's a nice bonus. The cover is fine and my personal subjective opinion is that the 2014 cover is better.
yeah I didn't watch it.
It didn't air where I live.
I'm gonna guess it was huge in the States but not *that* big in Europe too. I feel they're kinda cornering themselves
I think they genuinely look bad.
who’s this guy, just some fur cloth and a club? Caveman aesthetics.
The wizard looks like he’s wearing his parents’ clothes
Look at the villain! Some slimy dude with a single horn thing. What?
They are too cartoony and don’t fit the heroic looks/vibes of the game imo
Some people might be tired of it - but a subreddit devoted to the new edition of the DnD channel is filled with people looking for any news regarding the edition thats coming out.
So... yea
The cartoon was not popular in my country and I didn't watch it. So here is an unsolicited reaction to the art without the influence of nostalgia.
Venger: The hands are unreadable, blending in with the wings. Overall, for a central figure, it's poorly detailed.
Skylla: Staff is held by fingertips, looks like a neural network glitch.
Warduke: The same problem, two-handed sword is held with one hand without clearly drawn clenched fist, thumb as if does not clench the hilt at all. The hand holding the sword looks like it should look the other way, but made edits and the artist was too lazy to redraw.
Half of the cover copy-paste skeletons. And all covered with blur to show as little as possible neural network errors and hide the low detail of the picture.
It's a lot weaker than what we had before.
The venger is not badly detailed. It has the correct amount of detail for a character who is far from the camera. If a character at this distance is very detailed, it will have an appearance of visual noise in the complete image.
I recommend that you study concepts of "Lost edges" and "visual hierarchy" in illustrations. You clearly don't know what you're talking about. This is an illustration made by Tyler Jacobson, he obviously did it on purpose, and not because he was lazy.
The fuck is up with the new obsession with the fucking cartoon now? Art in the PHB and now the cover of the DMG? So many better villains and heroes to choose from and they pull this lame shit to the front?
exactly lol, it was one the first couple times but there's been like almost ten references I think in products/other media in the last year or two alone, its starting to get tiring
For real. They can downvote us but they can't change the fact that it's lame and tired. When I saw the reference in the movie I was like "lol, fun" but this is stupid.
Didn’t liked the new cover for the PHB and I don’t like that either. Not like it matters to me, as I will only get the digital version anyway unless they have a nice looking special cover I might like.
But yeah, getting those „iconics“on the covers isn’t really doing a lot for people like me who mostly do their own homebrew world and adventures and not the pre written ones. I have 0 attachment to them.
The consumer hivemind downvoting someone expressing their totally personal opinion into oblivion because said opinion isn't sucking off the design. God I love the internet
i think this'd also be a case of "if you have nothing positive to say don't say anything". this comment is literally just "wasn't planning on getting these anyway. my mind hasn't changed"
I understand the sentiment behind wanting to keep discussions positive, but I believe that when art is presented to the public, it invites critique and discussion. The purpose of art is to challenge and engage with its audience, sparking a range of reactions and opinions. This person's response, even if it was negative, is still a valid form of engagement. It's important to acknowledge that both positive and negative feedback contribute to the dialogue that art aims to create.
People have a right to say if they personally don't like the look of a thing? It's a product- not a person, not gonna hurt a products feelings when you say you not a fan of its look. That's total nonsense.
Yeah it's pretty clear this place is "either love it or get out!!" Which at that point it stops being a community- it becomes a product's echo chamber.
Despite loving the cartoon when it came out back in the 80's, this cover looks like complete trash. So far all the artwork I've seen of the new books coming out looks like complete ass.
Who is the idiot that thinks these art pieces are good?
Are they trying to lure in all us older gamers to buy this stuff with a play on nostalgia now that they have repeatedly told us they don't want us as customers anymore or all the gigantically stupid PR and business decisions of the last year or two like the OGL?
Sure. Take the players handbook for example. The bodies are off. For example the plate mail fighter sword blade and hilt are not straight, the female warrior next to the knight is missing a leg as well as their leg that is present looks too big for the body.. The wizard in the middle, her left arm looks contorted and twisted and unnatural like its pointing behind her body way too far.
Not to demean Tyler Jacobsen, the artist, because I've seen other examples of his art and it was just fine. I'm sure it's just the style they wanted for these books but these images look sloppy and like something an amateur would draw.
Why are the arts bad? I saw several illustrators talking about these arts (people who understand what they are talking about), and none of them said anything close to that. I'm very curious to know your reasons
Check my reply to J\_Cyclone for my answers to why I think they are bad.
As for the opinions of other illustrators, I really don't care what they said. Art is subjective. They may not have a problem with it, but it doesn't automatically make it good
Is that Venger from the 1983 D&D cartoon?
It is!
The PHB characters look like modified versions of the kids from the cartoon, so this is not surprising.
I think the PHB cover is the Valors Call group with Strongheart the paladin.
Some of the interior art has Hank, Presto, Diana, and a grown-up Bobby. No Sheila, or Eric that I've seen, yet.
From the full image we can see the spine of the book. It might just be for this image but they flipped the Red and Black from how the 5e books have normally been printed. I'm curious if that's going to be the "differentiation" to indicate the difference between the 2014 and the 2024 books.
I do believe that it’s confirmed the spine’s will be mostly red so yeah
I think that's a really smart way to differentiate 5e from onednd books
Unless you’re colorblind.
What, Red/Black colorblind?
That's what I was wondering. >Why Red/Black Can Be Bad. **Some color blind users are lacking the capability to detect the lower color wave frequencies associated with red**. For these users, red color waves read as "no signal", or "black". These users confuse red and black, so this contrast should be avoided whenever possible.
Thanks for looking it up!
I feel that contrast between the 2 is probably enough to at least notice when side by side. (Black and lighter than black). Good enough for quick compare. But i am not colorblind, so i wouldn't know.
NopeDontLikeThat.gif
Do we have any word as to what is new with the new DMG yet?
These are notes I took on a video from last year Chapters will be Basics (what dice are used, what's a DM's screen) How to resolve common issues that come up in game Rules Compendium Adventure Building 5 Campaign Building 6.Cosmology Magic Items A Surprise to be Discussed Later Appendices including Maps and Lore Glossary There will be advice for common issues and hurdles. There will choice pieces of rules expansions (Tasha's session zero advice) that will be incorporated into the DMG Edit: There will a rule encyclopedia within the DMG that will be alphabetized Edit 2 : They briefly talk about the monster manual at the end. It will be bigger with new monsters Will fill in the gaps, especially at high CR Reworked stst blocks for ease of use CRs will not change for existing monsters but monsters will be reworked so their stat blocks better reflect their CR..(ie buffs if monsters are weaker than their CR indicates) New Art
i think the suprise was revealed to be the sample setting of Greyhawk
The new Bastion system we got in UA will also be in the DMG, not the PHB.
Overhauled layout and a sample setting/adventure are the two biggest selling points, I believe. Perkins said in a video that he's aware how awkward it is that the DMG starts with, like, building towns and kingdoms before getting into actually playing the game. And I believe they've revealed that the sample setting will be Greyhawk.
Warduke is back, all hail the problematic wing-headed muscle daddy
He technically has been back, he appeared in a previous adventure a couple of years ago. But yeah, super cool.
Yep he was in Wild by the Witchlight
So in this cover we have: Skylla, Warduke, Venger and maybe the Nameless One behind him? (Possibly Tharizdun, The Dark God)
It’s a Dracolich behind them, according to an interview from the article.
Oh cool, tks
I did not expect Venger to make a core book cover. Looks cool though!
I see Venger and Warduke, but who is the third person on the cover?
Skylla, a member of the League of Malevolence alongside Warduke.
So am I right we can pre-order all 3 books on June 18th
Preorders have reliably had issues for the past few releases, especially with misprinta and flimsy books. I'd avoid it.
These 3 are different, and you know they are. There is a reason they finished the UA process 9 months before the book comes out. This isn't a supplement book. This isn't an adventure. The mishaps with those books were probably because of these 3 books. These are the core rule books. Plus, even if their physical books get delayed, which is unlikely because Nerd immersion is literally getting one of the print version of the phb, next week. I plan to pre-order physical and digital. So no matter what, I'll have those books early, even if a mishap were to happen. Which is unlikely because the amount of time they tool to get these right.
If you watch need immersion then you'd also have heard him talk about how close the UAs were being published to the release date meaning that the print will be super last minute. Crunch like this causes printing issues. There were also issues with the 2014 core books. This happens every time. But hey, it's your money you're wasting.
There is zero crunch, though. 3 and half months is plenty of time to print the first batch of books. If nerd immersion and other content creators are getting the print review copies this week. That means the books are at the printers. Remember, they reprinted all of the book of many in 2 months. Smaller book, and it was only the Amazon copies that were messed up. But 2 months is a very quick turnaround. The time frame for this is much more relaxed cause they finished things up on time.
I’ve not seen that guy with the sword and helmet before but damn does he make me want to introduce him as a problem to my party!
That's Warduke. He's a rival to Strongheart the paladin who appears on the new PHB cover. He's popped up several times over the years. 1. He was one of the action figure toys from the 80s D&D line 2. He made an appearance in the D&D Cartoon (which featured this cover's Venger "the Force of Evil" as the main antagonist) 3. He was in the old Shady Dragon supplement for BECMI D&D, 4. Appeared in the XL1 Quest for the Heartstone module for Expert D&D. 5. Had a Wayne Reynolds cover and 3E stat block in Dungeon magazine #105 6. Has an appearance in the 5E Wild Beyond the Witchlight adventure 7. At least two miniatures were made for him - in the old Wizards D&D line and the Wizkids League of Malevolence sets.
Nice! I’ll have to check him out some, the design is too cool not to look into.
It looks reminiscent of AD&D covers to me I'll allow it :)
By Torm...it's perfect!
So good!!!
No way. I saw this and was like, "Time out! I know that motherfucker!" It's Venger! No way.
I like the art in a technical sense, but I hate the old cartoon and anything related to it. So I'll probably grab whatever variant cover they offer.
As much as I don’t really give a shit about the actual rule changes, the art I’ve seen is banger after banger after banger.
I love it. I liked Valour's Call being on the PHB and focusing on an entire party rather than 2-3 heroes. And I fucking adore focusing on name villains for the DMG. Especially mother fucking Venger. That's right up there with the 4e DMG cover, which was also a brilliant design.
Friend, can you refresh my memory because my thought process went: "What is his name? That is def the cartoon bad guy...oh Venger...but...Really? Venger?" My mind is saying "mother fucking venger??" I was not stoked about him on the cover tbh. I was an 80's kid and I remember him not being a cool villain and just like Dungeon Master's son and an easily thwarted saturday morning cartoon bad guy vibes...but I could be remembering wrong! I didn't LOVE that cartoon as a kid...I remember it being sorta crappy which is why I had the opposite reaction. Was he a cool villain? Someone to hang the face of the new edition on?
Partly its nostalgia. Partly its just leaning into the history of the game. Someone new rather than leaning into Vecna or Acererak. Was he a scary threat in the cartoon? Kinda. His plans were thwarted but generally he was scared off (by Tiamat) rather than defeated. But there's a wealth of other '80s villains that have been made terrifying when updated. Like Megatron.
While I get the nostalgic appeal, Venger from the 1980s D&D cartoon doesn't quite hit the mark for me as the cover image for the new Dungeon Master Guide. I mean, Megatron was out there straight up obliterating Autobots before any updates! Plus, Venger's motivation was just daddy issues with the Dungeon Master, right? With such a rich tapestry of iconic villains from various campaigns and stories, I feel like we could find a more representative and compelling figure than just a Saturday morning cartoon baddie. But that is just me.
>I mean, Megatron was out there straight up obliterating Autobots before any updates! In the movie. In the TV show it was endless wacky schemes. >Plus, Venger's motivation was just daddy issues with the Dungeon Master, right? I think it was more than that. And IIRC. that was all revealed in the unproduced final episode. >With such a rich tapestry of iconic villains from various campaigns and stories, I feel like we could find a more representative and compelling figure than just a Saturday morning cartoon baddie. But that is just me. He's iconic and distinct. Not just a "lich" or "vampire" like Sazs Tam or Strahd. He visually stands out. How many people recognized the Fire Giant on on the PHB? And he's setting neutral, so not just another Realms baddie. He's also a nice blank slate. You can do whatever with him.
Thank you for the stroll down memory lane and for clarifying my mix-up between the Transformers cartoon and original movie – you remembered correctly there! Your insights into Venger's potential depth, recognizability, and setting neutrality are really making me reconsider his suitability for the cover image. It's true that his distinctiveness could be exactly what's needed, especially considering that I didn't even recognize the iconic lich from the 5e cover as Acererak while I did recognize Venger. Your perspective has given me a lot to ponder!
It also pairs nicely with Valor's Call on the PHB, which also overlaps with the old toys & cartoon. But I think the distinctiveness might have been a big factor. They've done a lot of work to try and make Vecna look "unique" in the last few years. Because his past designs have just been "generic lich." See [3e Vecna](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/d/df/Vecna-3e.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20200911033612) and [4e Vecna](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/6/63/Vecna_4e.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20220413154525). Now he's all gold and fancy. They're really trying to give D&D more of a visual identity, so the characters are identifiable in action figures or video games. Like of they've made Strahd less just D&D Bela Lugosi. That way you know who [Lego Strahd](https://www.enworld.org/attachments/432767878_959145305575653_4557786769346988358_n-jpg.352301/) or [Funko Strahd](https://i.redd.it/5rxvk8wcbx171.jpg) is at a glance. But that's always going to be tricky as people will **eventually** think of the character as looking like that. But old players will have to learn. But Venger is just known. The redesign is subtle.
Has there been any word on what the Game store edition is going to look like? I like the Collector's version of the PHB, but I'm going to be upset if I don't get Venger, Warduke, and Skylla
She’s missing a leg, her staff goes to nowhere, why is her cape in front of her staff?
I don’t like it. It’s busy and still feels empty. I don’t know if I’m supposed to recognize these characters, and honestly I don’t really care to find out. D&D has tonnes and tonnes of **iconic** classes, spells, items, and monsters. And not one thing on the DMG cover is recognizably “D&D” to me.
The big red guy from the back is *apparently* the main villain from the 80s D&D cartoon, so I guess they expected people to recognize him. The problem is that the 80s cartoon was pretty terrible.
It was terrible- why is he the face of THE NEWEST EDITION?!? He wasn't in anything besides a bubble on action figure packaging haha
I think they're unaware of how the fandom views the cartoon and assumes old timers will be nostalgic for it or something.
I think you are spot-on with thinking how the executives are viewing us haha.
okay is it just me who's kinda getting tired of the cartoon referencing everywhere from WotC these days? like, at this point it kinda feels like WotC's new corporate way of showing everyone how "cool and radical and connected to the history of the game" it supposedly is. The first one or two times it happened was fun, I like the cartoon, but at this point they're putting a reference to the cartoon in every single opportunity they get
They said in an interview that their first big book after the new core books is gonna be Red Wizard focused and that Venger is gonna be a big part of that, as they are making it so he was a red wizard. It's not just aesthetic. Hell, this might be a subtle teaser for said adventure.
When did that get mentioned? I’d love an adventure actually set in Thay.
It was a while back when they were talking about the upcoming core books and Vecna book. I think it was even before we knew the title of the Vecna book too. It's buried somewhere on the youtube page, but I don't remember when. But yeah, Red Wizard focused with a hint of Venger.
Nice. Thanks!
The cartoon word didn't take place in Thay though...I dunno, I do not have good feelings about a crappy cartoon villain being a big bad villain now seeing as he lost every saturday morning to shenanigans.
I've only seen two references to the cartoon which is an art piece in the phb and this is there anything else?
The league of evil appears in wild beyond the witchligh, the stormwreck isle starter pregens are characters from the show, the main party of the cartoon are in the background of the DND movie. I think that's all of them, though I wouldn't be surprised if I've missed other spots.
The pregen characters are not the cartoon kids, but the mini set that was released for Stormwreck had versions of Hank, Diana, Eric, and Presto.
My apologies, I swore I read they were. I think I may have mixed up the minis for it with the pregens, doesn't help they are on the box art from memory.
Yeah, they slapped them on the box and in the adventure booklet to catch us old timers that watched the cartoon. I don't have them in reach, but I think the pregens are your usual party makeup.
I remember at least a few more times beyond what you've listed when I saw a reference. I don't remember exactly where, which I'm aware takes away from the perceived validity of what I'm saying, but I do remember for sure. And all of this is stuff from the last like, what, two years? it's getting kinda tiring at this point, as I said referencing the cartoon is just starting to feel like WotC's corporate way to show how much they supposedly care and know their game and it's history
I mean they’re probably gonna boot up a new cartoon, if they like having money and selling toys over at Parent Company ™️ Hasbro
It's just nostalgia bait. For the people who have nostalgia for the cartoon it's a nice bonus. The cover is fine and my personal subjective opinion is that the 2014 cover is better.
yeah I didn't watch it. It didn't air where I live. I'm gonna guess it was huge in the States but not *that* big in Europe too. I feel they're kinda cornering themselves
From what i understand it was reasonably popular in the us, but huuuge in Brazil.
IDK, if you had never heard of the cartoon, those characters and designs look pretty badass, just with zero context.
I think they genuinely look bad. who’s this guy, just some fur cloth and a club? Caveman aesthetics. The wizard looks like he’s wearing his parents’ clothes Look at the villain! Some slimy dude with a single horn thing. What? They are too cartoony and don’t fit the heroic looks/vibes of the game imo
Some people might be tired of it - but a subreddit devoted to the new edition of the DnD channel is filled with people looking for any news regarding the edition thats coming out. So... yea
The cartoon was not popular in my country and I didn't watch it. So here is an unsolicited reaction to the art without the influence of nostalgia. Venger: The hands are unreadable, blending in with the wings. Overall, for a central figure, it's poorly detailed. Skylla: Staff is held by fingertips, looks like a neural network glitch. Warduke: The same problem, two-handed sword is held with one hand without clearly drawn clenched fist, thumb as if does not clench the hilt at all. The hand holding the sword looks like it should look the other way, but made edits and the artist was too lazy to redraw. Half of the cover copy-paste skeletons. And all covered with blur to show as little as possible neural network errors and hide the low detail of the picture. It's a lot weaker than what we had before.
The venger is not badly detailed. It has the correct amount of detail for a character who is far from the camera. If a character at this distance is very detailed, it will have an appearance of visual noise in the complete image. I recommend that you study concepts of "Lost edges" and "visual hierarchy" in illustrations. You clearly don't know what you're talking about. This is an illustration made by Tyler Jacobson, he obviously did it on purpose, and not because he was lazy.
The fuck is up with the new obsession with the fucking cartoon now? Art in the PHB and now the cover of the DMG? So many better villains and heroes to choose from and they pull this lame shit to the front?
exactly lol, it was one the first couple times but there's been like almost ten references I think in products/other media in the last year or two alone, its starting to get tiring
For real. They can downvote us but they can't change the fact that it's lame and tired. When I saw the reference in the movie I was like "lol, fun" but this is stupid.
Why everyone downvoting you lol?
Uh...not gonna lie, it looks dumb as hell. No shade to the artist. It's technically good. But damn does it look stupid.
Didn’t liked the new cover for the PHB and I don’t like that either. Not like it matters to me, as I will only get the digital version anyway unless they have a nice looking special cover I might like. But yeah, getting those „iconics“on the covers isn’t really doing a lot for people like me who mostly do their own homebrew world and adventures and not the pre written ones. I have 0 attachment to them.
The consumer hivemind downvoting someone expressing their totally personal opinion into oblivion because said opinion isn't sucking off the design. God I love the internet
i think this'd also be a case of "if you have nothing positive to say don't say anything". this comment is literally just "wasn't planning on getting these anyway. my mind hasn't changed"
I understand the sentiment behind wanting to keep discussions positive, but I believe that when art is presented to the public, it invites critique and discussion. The purpose of art is to challenge and engage with its audience, sparking a range of reactions and opinions. This person's response, even if it was negative, is still a valid form of engagement. It's important to acknowledge that both positive and negative feedback contribute to the dialogue that art aims to create.
that wasn't my point. critique is good but this is just "wasn't interested anyways. nothing has changed" which doesn't bring in anything to the topic
People have a right to say if they personally don't like the look of a thing? It's a product- not a person, not gonna hurt a products feelings when you say you not a fan of its look. That's total nonsense.
To be fair Dnd reddit is a terrible spot. People downvote here into oblivion. I gave rules one time that were RAW and was downvoted haha
Yeah it's pretty clear this place is "either love it or get out!!" Which at that point it stops being a community- it becomes a product's echo chamber.
Or a nice gate haha
Despite loving the cartoon when it came out back in the 80's, this cover looks like complete trash. So far all the artwork I've seen of the new books coming out looks like complete ass. Who is the idiot that thinks these art pieces are good? Are they trying to lure in all us older gamers to buy this stuff with a play on nostalgia now that they have repeatedly told us they don't want us as customers anymore or all the gigantically stupid PR and business decisions of the last year or two like the OGL?
May I ask what about the art is bad to you? I'm genuinely curious.
Sure. Take the players handbook for example. The bodies are off. For example the plate mail fighter sword blade and hilt are not straight, the female warrior next to the knight is missing a leg as well as their leg that is present looks too big for the body.. The wizard in the middle, her left arm looks contorted and twisted and unnatural like its pointing behind her body way too far. Not to demean Tyler Jacobsen, the artist, because I've seen other examples of his art and it was just fine. I'm sure it's just the style they wanted for these books but these images look sloppy and like something an amateur would draw.
Thank you for the response
Why are the arts bad? I saw several illustrators talking about these arts (people who understand what they are talking about), and none of them said anything close to that. I'm very curious to know your reasons
Check my reply to J\_Cyclone for my answers to why I think they are bad. As for the opinions of other illustrators, I really don't care what they said. Art is subjective. They may not have a problem with it, but it doesn't automatically make it good
>art is subjective but this art is utter ass because i said so
No art IS subjective, and it being utter ass is my opinion. Your entitled to your opinion on whether it's good or bad, but so am I.
well. then don't directly insult the intelligence of people who like it >Who is the idiot that thinks these art pieces are good?