Fudgerylog

The art of Dungeons & Dragons has changed considerably over the years, and every edition has its staunch defenders. The question now is: What sort of art will grace the covers and pages of D&D Next?

I will make no apologies for my own preferences. I started role-playing in the era of Moldvay’s Basic Set, Cook’s Expert Set, and 1st edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (with the original covers). The illustrations that fire my imagination when I think of D&D — the illustrations that allow me to effortlessly slip the shackles of reality and enable me to be there — are those of Dave Trampier, Erol Otus, Jim Roslof, Darlene Pekul, and Russ Nicholson. Whereas later editions were increasingly dominated by commercial art and comic book art, the classic editions were populated with art that was original and even visionary. It was art that was as creative and liberating as the game it depicted. The artists I mentioned above were responsible for the look of D&D when it was at the pinnacle of its popularity. This is something worth considering.

If Wizards of the Coast really wants to recapture the true spirit of D&D, they would be well advised to choose their artists carefully from amongst those who have a personal interest in fantasy art, and not merely a financial one. This is an excellent opportunity to provide work for many artists who may be outside the mainstream, but who are exactly right for this frankly eccentric hobby. Another option would be to select illustrations from every edition to represent the D&D that encompasses all previous editions (with perhaps some new illustrations as well). And if neither of those options are acceptable, then I would plead for an edition with no illustrations rather than the soulless corporate hackwork that characterized the last two editions.

(It is worth mentioning that, according to EN World, “The Forgotten Realms will be supported from the start, and a video game art studio from China has been hired to fully detail the Realms.” If outsourcing the art to sweatshops in totalitarian nations is to be the strategy for D&D Next in general, then Wizards of the Coast doesn’t deserve custodianship of D&D. Human rights matter.)

Not that anyone has asked my opinion of what the covers of the new Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition reprints should look like, but if anyone were to ask, I would suggest that the publisher, Wizards of the Coast, should keep two goals in mind. The first is that you want to appeal to your intended audience. Who is the intended audience? It is primarily those who bought and played 1st edition AD&D when it was originally in print, some of whom are currently part of the Old School Renaissance. It is partly nostalgia and partly genuine appreciation, but most of all it is recognizability that will appeal to this audience. Gamers who would be interested in this product ought to recognize it on a store shelf instantly. The second goal is that you want to differentiate it as a reprint and convey that difference as desirable without negating the first goal. This can be done by such a simple means as rendering the title in gold leaf (or some semblance thereof) and adding the words “Commemorative Edition” (or words to that effect).* The original art is thereby retained, and the shiny new title serves the dual function of drawing attention and informing the prospective customer that this is an attractive reprint of a classic.

* It is highly advisable that the original title be retained insofar as the edition is known officially as ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS (with all capital letters as it was spelled and enforced by its original publisher, TSR). Changing the title (by dropping the word “Advanced,” for instance) creates confusion and doubt. The game was not then, nor is it now, referred to as Dungeons & Dragons, 1st edition or otherwise (and that reopens and exacerbates yet another can of carrion crawlers regarding the issue of edition numbering). If the title has been changed, gamers will ask, what else has been altered? This will diminish the appeal for those who are interested in a true reprint of the content. D&D Next may be just Dungeons & Dragons (or whatever they decide to call it), but AD&D is ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. If you respect the history of D&D, don’t try to rewrite that history. Most role-playing gamers have long memories.