Skimmed through the 2024 PHB, was somewhat impressed with the layout & organization. But the art was so off-putting I would never consider running it. Yes, it was that bad. I don't know what game the artists thought they were illustrating, but it wasn't D&D.

Quote from: Horace on February 17, 2025, 11:39:46 AMSkimmed through the 2024 PHB, was somewhat impressed with the layout & organization. But the art was so off-putting I would never consider running it. Yes, it was that bad. I don't know what game the artists thought they were illustrating, but it wasn't D&D.

This is a big one for me. I don't really care how well organized it is, the art is just too whack for me to even care about cracking the PHB open again after my initial read through.

Focused posturing on "body positivity", gay dwarf baristas, Mexican orcs, wheelchair wizards, and mastectomy scars do not instill a desire to use even the tightest rules set.

Quote from: Horace on February 17, 2025, 11:39:46 AMSkimmed through the 2024 PHB, was somewhat impressed with the layout & organization. But the art was so off-putting I would never consider running it. Yes, it was that bad. I don't know what game the artists thought they were illustrating, but it wasn't D&D.

The art in the DMG is considerably better. The art in the MM is mostly better, with a few exceptions (the Sphinx is particularly bad).

Quote from: Horace on February 17, 2025, 11:39:46 AMSkimmed through the 2024 PHB, was somewhat impressed with the layout & organization. But the art was so off-putting I would never consider running it. Yes, it was that bad. I don't know what game the artists thought they were illustrating, but it wasn't D&D.

Clearly, if whimsical Harry Potter Prequel (not even the good films) Cosplay O-face art isn't your thing they you are an istaphobe!   

Quote from: Dropbear on February 17, 2025, 12:10:04 PMFocused posturing on "body positivity", gay dwarf baristas, Mexican orcs, wheelchair wizards, and mastectomy scars do not instill a desire to use even the tightest rules set.

What page/section is that (the mastectomy scars) on?   I'm not doubting you but I'm surprised I missed that personally.

It occurs to me that many in the purple haired newbie gamer crowd are probably experiencing their first edition war as the books they just bought are rendered obsolete for the first time.

Quote from: David Johansen on February 17, 2025, 01:16:50 PMIt occurs to me that many in the purple haired newbie gamer crowd are probably experiencing their first edition war as the books they just bought are rendered obsolete for the first time.

Eh.  A full decade is more than enough time to get utility out of an edition if they got in early; most aren't good and/or lucky enough to get half that before being invalidated.

Quote from: RNGm on February 17, 2025, 01:04:03 PM

Quote from: Dropbear on February 17, 2025, 12:10:04 PMFocused posturing on "body positivity", gay dwarf baristas, Mexican orcs, wheelchair wizards, and mastectomy scars do not instill a desire to use even the tightest rules set.

What page/section is that (the mastectomy scars) on?   I'm not doubting you but I'm surprised I missed that personally.

  Draconic sorcerer art. An example of the claim can be found here.

  EDIT: And confirmed by the artist on Twitter here.

Quote from: Armchair Gamer on February 17, 2025, 02:20:35 PM

Quote from: RNGm on February 17, 2025, 01:04:03 PM

Quote from: Dropbear on February 17, 2025, 12:10:04 PMFocused posturing on "body positivity", gay dwarf baristas, Mexican orcs, wheelchair wizards, and mastectomy scars do not instill a desire to use even the tightest rules set.

What page/section is that (the mastectomy scars) on?   I'm not doubting you but I'm surprised I missed that personally.

  Draconic sorcerer art. An example of the claim can be found here.

  EDIT: And confirmed by the artist on Twitter here.

Greetings!

ARRGGHHH! All of this degenerate, Tranny BS needs to be ruthlessly expunged from the game. Ah well. Fuck gay WOTC in the ass. Let them choke on their diapers and mentally brain-fucked ideas. They are nothing more than a Commie factory pumping out Feminism, racism, and Tranny degeneracy. They have become absolutely disgusting.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Quote from: SHARK on February 17, 2025, 02:38:57 PMFuck gay WOTC in the ass

Irony.

Quote from: Armchair Gamer on February 17, 2025, 02:20:35 PM

Quote from: RNGm on February 17, 2025, 01:04:03 PM

Quote from: Dropbear on February 17, 2025, 12:10:04 PMFocused posturing on "body positivity", gay dwarf baristas, Mexican orcs, wheelchair wizards, and mastectomy scars do not instill a desire to use even the tightest rules set.

What page/section is that (the mastectomy scars) on?  I'm not doubting you but I'm surprised I missed that personally.

  Draconic sorcerer art. An example of the claim can be found here.

  EDIT: And confirmed by the artist on Twitter here.

Thanks for the confirmation and the receipts.  That's disgusting.  My mother had breast cancer and I had to take care of her in the aftermath of the intial surgery as well as multiple failed reconstruction attempts after the fact.  The pain and suffering of people who are forced to go through that horrible situation isn't a fashion statement.

Quote from: RNGm on February 17, 2025, 02:48:28 PMMexican orcs,

"How do you know they're Mexican?"
"Well they have sombreros."
"That's a stereotype."
"Not if the artist is a Mexican!"
"Is the artist Mexican?"
"Does it matter?"
"Well, wouldn't you say it's cultural appropriation if they aren't?"
"Only if the artist is rich and successful, or white, because everyone knows white people are automatically privileged."
"Fair enough.  I'll fire you and hire a sane Latino to do orc pics from now on."
"Now now wait a minute!"

I see this picture aging very badly.

Quote from: RNGm on February 17, 2025, 02:48:28 PMwheelchair wizards, and mastectomy scars

"What's your fantasy?"
"I want to play an elven wizard in a wheelchair!"
"Why?"
"Because I love my irl wheelchair, and how it gives me mobility and helps me move around."
"No, I mean, 'why not just have your character walk'?"
"That's abelist!"
"Okay, but why not have an animated platform with legs or a cloak of levitation or something?"
"(sigh) Again, I love my irl wheelchair!"
"Fine, you have a plain old wheelchair."
"No!  My wheelchair can levitate me up stairs and shrink down when I need to crawl through tunnels and-"
"Next!"
"My turn?"
"Yes.  Please.  What do you want?"
"I want to play a transman with surgical scars."
"..."
"What?"
"Do I have to say it?"
"Say what?"
"Why not just play a man?  And if you have to play a transman, why do you need scars?"
"Don't question my fantasy play!!1!"

Quote from: Habitual Gamer on February 17, 2025, 10:48:22 AMI confess, I -hate- randomized character advancement and creation.  I feel it results in me playing -a- character rather than -my- idea for -my- character.

But, I'm grown up enough to acknowledge that other people hate fixed advances and creation.  I can see how such things can result in characters seeming very samey unless there's a multitude of equally valid options to choose from.  And it's that exact reason why I'm pretty burned out on 5ed (I feel I've seen it all) while still appreciating HERO, M&M, and other effects based points-buy systems.

I can understand that some people have a very specific idea of the type of character they want to play, and that isn't always bad (except that in many games with specific settings, a new player might not know enough of the setting to create a character that will actually be credible for the game setting).

But the benefit of random rolls (and in my games, by default at least, you roll randomly for ability scores, social background, and a past event, and there's even medieval-authentic name tables) is that what you roll up will likely NOT be something you could have come up with, and provides an opportunity to fit together a new character that you would not have imagined on your own otherwise.

Quote from: RPGPundit on February 18, 2025, 09:59:41 AMBut the benefit of random rolls (and in my games, by default at least, you roll randomly for ability scores, social background, and a past event, and there's even medieval-authentic name tables) is that what you roll up will likely NOT be something you could have come up with, and provides an opportunity to fit together a new character that you would not have imagined on your own otherwise.

So the person that came up with the tables is presumed to be smarter and/or more imaginative than any player could be?

Quote from: HappyDaze on February 18, 2025, 11:31:40 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit on February 18, 2025, 09:59:41 AMBut the benefit of random rolls (and in my games, by default at least, you roll randomly for ability scores, social background, and a past event, and there's even medieval-authentic name tables) is that what you roll up will likely NOT be something you could have come up with, and provides an opportunity to fit together a new character that you would not have imagined on your own otherwise.

So the person that came up with the tables is presumed to be smarter and/or more imaginative than any player could be?

I think the benefit of random rolls isn't that you couldn't come up with that combination. The choices are easy to think of, generally.

It's that the randomness can push the player outside of their default preferences or tendencies.

As a GM, I sometimes use randomness for NPCs that way. I roll randomly for the race and/or sex and/or social class of an NPC.