Questions tagged [art]

For questions about the use of visual imagery in published games or game play.

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22 votes
2 answers
890 views

Who is pictured on the cover of Dragonlance Adventures?

Who are the characters depicted on the cover of the Dragonlance Adventures hardcover? The painting was done by Jeff Easley, and I'm pretty sure it's depicting Tanis taking the crown from Emperor ...
10 votes
2 answers
350 views

Who drew the ten Princes in "Damnation City"?

In Damnation City there is a section with ten princes with artwork that is really cool. Does anyone know the identity of the artist?
38 votes
2 answers
16k views

What is the origin and meaning of D&D Beyond's spell school symbols?

Browsing the D&D Beyond spell list it is clear that each spell has an associated symbol related to the spell's school: $$\require{HTML} \newcommand{\schsym}[2][]{ \style{ display: inline-...
11 votes
1 answer
316 views

Are there lists tying artists to specific pieces in the DMG?

One of my players asked about acquiring an eversmoking bottle. I haven't gone page by page through the magic items section of the DMG, so today was the first time I actually looked at the illustration ...
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

What is the lore behind why soul coins have the symbol of Bhaal on them?

I am struggling to find an image of both sides of a Soul Coin (Baator’s currency), but everywhere I've looked, I've only found only one side bearing a letter and the other side depicting a skull with ...
2 votes
1 answer
658 views

Who is the drow woman depicted on the cover of Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage?

Who is the drow woman depicted on the cover of Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage? Is it Vlonwelv Auvryndar, Erelal Freth, or someone else?
27 votes
2 answers
2k views

Where do the symbols for the Spheres in Mage: the Ascension come from?

The Mage: the Ascension line has adopted symbols that represent each Sphere. My question is where they are from? Not in-world - I am interested what is the real world source of these. I would also ...
25 votes
4 answers
5k views

Which type of dragon is depicted in the middle of the cover art for this chapter of the "Rise of Tiamat" published adventure?

Episode 6 of the Rise of Tiamat adventure (chapter 14 in the combined Tyranny of Dragons book), "Metallic Dragons, Arise", has cover art featuring 3 metallic dragons. The art (full-...
2 votes
1 answer
244 views

What nation in Eberron uses a crown as its symbol?

The art on pages 12 and 13 of Eberron: Rising from the Last War shows two opposing armies. The army on page 12 is mostly undead with what might be a living officer at the front, which makes me think ...
11 votes
1 answer
4k views

Are there symbols representing the Feywild, the Shadowfell and elemental planes?

Are there symbols representing the Feywild, the Shadowfell and elemental planes (of Air, Fire, Earth and Water)? The player’s handbook of the 5th edition contains symbols for outer planes, are there ...
16 votes
1 answer
3k views

Who's the artist that drew the art on pages 148 and 220 of the PHB?

Anyone know the name of the artist or artists that drew the art on page 148 and 220 in the Player's Handbook? I know there's a list of artists in the credits, but looking through it, I haven't been ...
3 votes
1 answer
207 views

What is the scene depicted in the second "Waterdeep Digital Background" art?

In the Free Remote D&D Resources archive that Wizards of the Coast is providing, for April 30, 2020 there is a "Waterdeep Digital Backgrounds" zip file that includes artwork that one might be able ...
2 votes
1 answer
216 views

How to read the elven on the 3rd edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting cover?

The cover for the book in question has inscriptions in the espruar script on its outer circle. According to one of the authors, it means: “We remember cities now in ruin and forests murdered, yet ...
4 votes
1 answer
617 views

What part of Chult does this image depict?

What part of Chult does this image depict? It is found in Tomb of Annihilation, on page 9. Is it Aldani Basin? The Soshenstar and Tath rivers flow out of this marshy upland basin, which is a ...
10 votes
4 answers
1k views

What monsters are depicted on the 2008 D&D 4e DM Screen?

I have the DM Screen included with the DM Kit. It depicts an underdark scene, and I can recognize: a gargoyle a beholder some zombies a mind flayer an umber hulk a black dragon a bugbear two drow a ...
5 votes
4 answers
423 views

First time DM - Is it a good idea to use stock photos / images? [closed]

I don't think I'm particularly good at detailed poetic descriptions and I'm worried my imagination could be a bit on the slow side. I was thinking I could use something like a quick and dirty ...
3 votes
1 answer
241 views

Are there digital versions of book artwork?

I want to use some of the book artwork in a Homebrewery document. I found these official wallpapers. The problem is that there are only a couple of those per book, if that. There's also the website of ...
10 votes
1 answer
818 views

Which of the Walking Statues does this art in the Waterdeep: Dragon Heist adventure depict?

The following art, Walking Statue of Waterdeep by Sidharth Chaturvedi, was made as interior art for the Waterdeep: Dragon Heist adventure. However, there doesn't seem to be any consensus in Reddit ...
21 votes
4 answers
5k views

Does Mage Hand give away the caster's position?

I was thinking about casting mage hand while hidden to do things like, for example, pulling a lever behind a guard's back. But if I'm not an Arcane Trickster, the hand is visible and the question is, ...
4 votes
2 answers
1k views

Who is depicted in Dragon Heist's cover?

Who are the characters depicted in the cover of Dragon Heist? I've just started DMing this, and I'm reading through the 1st chapter, but I don't recognize the characters here. The beholder in the ...
22 votes
1 answer
7k views

What is Orcus doing with Mind Flayers in the art on the last page of Volo's Guide to Monsters?

On the last page of Volo's Guide to Monsters (p. 224), there is a picture of Orcus, several Mind Flayers, and an Elder Brain standing (although that might not be the best term for the Elder Brain) ...
13 votes
4 answers
2k views

What is the winged creature on the back of the Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes book?

On the back of the Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes book, there is a small creature with wings: What is this creature? It doesn't match any of the creatures in any of the monster manuals. It kind of looks ...
34 votes
1 answer
5k views

Which creature is depicted in this Xanathar's Guide illustration of a war mage?

In Xanathar's Guide to Everything on page 59, there is an image of a war mage with some kind of creature on his shoulders. The creature looks vaguely like a Ki-Rin to me, but since Ki-Rins are ...
7 votes
2 answers
589 views

Epic fantasy art scenery [closed]

I'm gonna be running a video-game-esque fantasy campaigns for some friends soon and one of my major world inspirations is the Final Fantasy series, in all its iterations. For some unique locations I'...
41 votes
6 answers
37k views

Where can I get fantasy public domain art? [closed]

I'm working on a series of NPC cards but I'm having trouble finding good pictures. Is there a good source for public domain/creative commons fantasy-themed art out there? Is there another good way to ...
1 vote
0 answers
121 views

Good Resources for Making Custom Artwork for a Non-Artist? [closed]

I like to employ PowerPoint in my adventures with my party (Eberron right now!). I feel, as the DM, like it provides a "taste" of the world to my players and helps springboard their imaginations along ...
9 votes
1 answer
479 views

How to get permission to use Monster Manual images in articles and adventures “courtesy of Wizards of the Coast”?

We notice that a variety of online articles appear to have received permission from Wizards of the Coast for use of their images from the Monster Manual (such as this Nerdarchy article which uses a ...
17 votes
2 answers
3k views

What is the Symbol on the Amulet of Proof Against Detection and Location?

On page 150 of the D&D 5e Dungeon Master's Guide, there is an illustration of the Amulet of Proof against Detection and Location. The illustration depicts a closed eye, with a symbol above it, ...
10 votes
2 answers
8k views

Which Deck of Many Things cards are depicted in this art?

I found this illustration of the Deck of many Things. I don't know where this is from, but it appears to be ©2011 by Wizards of the Coast (in the bottom right of the image). Anyway, I can't ...
2 votes
0 answers
151 views

What is this early D&D or AD&D image of a rogue-type leaping into two-weapon combat? [closed]

I am looking for an image that I remember from early D&D or AD&D artist of a roguish-type human (maybe a Halfling) jumping into combat with two weapons in hand. It could have been from a ...
15 votes
3 answers
502 views

Which identical image appears in each of these editions' DMGs?

The just-for-fun prestige class conventioneer (or, if that doesn't work for you, here) that was posted on Wizards of the Coast Web site in 2001 possesses the special ability convention savvy. The ...
14 votes
3 answers
327 views

Is there a searchable index for WotC images published in Dragon/Dungeon magazine?

Is there a master index of all the images available in the Wizards of the Coast Art Gallery files? When I want to find a specific image, I have to open the file for each individual issue of Dragon/...
2 votes
1 answer
442 views

Is there a definitive set of monster icons or images that is royalty free? [closed]

I'm about to start broadcasting a D&D campaign on roll20 via twitch.tv. My current account is loaded with images that are, suffice to say, copyright infringement. I intend to replace all of the ...
4 votes
1 answer
1k views

Why are rogues always depicted wearing so many belts? [closed]

I have no idea where to put this, but I had a player ask a really good question about rogues: Why are they always depicted wearing so many belts? I've been googling this for a few hours, and while I ...
10 votes
1 answer
723 views

Is there a realistic depiction of Planescape's Sigil regarding its horizon?

I've seen quite a number of artistic interpretations of Sigil, the central city of the Planescape setting. A lot of them are really great and do help set the mood -- however, they all seem somewhat ...
5 votes
2 answers
1k views

Is there any D&D 5e art for the Acolyte background/monster?

I run a lot of adventures on roll20, and I do my best to use official D&D art for my monsters to match the feel of the world I am trying to represent. Currently, I'm doing stats for an Acolyte, ...
12 votes
5 answers
13k views

Is there a system for creating visuals of characters? [closed]

I'm thinking something like this, except for fantasy games like D&D or Pathfinder. Base models of various races (gnome, human, half-orc, whatever), each with compatible artwork of equipment. It ...
2 votes
0 answers
164 views

Tips or assistance in drawing maps? [closed]

I'm going to be running a 5.0 dnd campaign in a few months, and i'd like to draw out the terrain on main cities beforehand, but my artist skills are lacking. I have flying chunks of land, oceans, and ...
5 votes
1 answer
895 views

Are there sourced statements about what inspired the D&D Demogorgon visuals

Wikipedia states: Demogorgon is based on the invented, supposedly pagan god or demon Demogorgon, which was first spoken of by Christian scholars as a being whose very name is taboo. A creature ...
7 votes
1 answer
479 views

Where can I find the full Clyde Caldwell artwork that appears on these covers?

The art by Clyde Caldwell (identified in this question) that was featured on the cover of both the Genesis CRPG Warriors of Eternal Sun and the AD&D sourcebook The Book of Lairs is an excerpt from ...
15 votes
6 answers
973 views

How do I find artwork to inspire adventure design? [closed]

Often when I find a cool piece of artwork online, I build some scene in my upcoming adventure around it and then show the image to the players during the session. The more cool artwork I have access ...
6 votes
4 answers
8k views

Where can I find cartography icons for game maps? [closed]

I am looking for icons to represent cities, villages and other places, something like the ones that come with AutoREALM, but which can be used in my mapping tool of choice (GIMP in this case). Is ...
12 votes
1 answer
1k views

Which D&D artist drew the cover art for the Warriors of the Eternal Sun Genesis game?

The Warriors of Eternal Sun Sega Genesis game had a small portion of a full-sized poster by a D&D artist. I have seen the full-size art in some D&D art book back in the day, even saw someone ...
5 votes
2 answers
442 views

Commissioning Art for Games [closed]

What I'm interested in is the prevalent practices for licensing art within the tabletop games industry: How is most art commissioned for tabletop games licensed to the creator of the tabletop game ...
13 votes
4 answers
3k views

Images depicting the average citizens and their life in the Warhammer 40k universe

Which (rpg) books related to the Warhammer 40k universe have images depicting the "average" citizenry and cities of the Empire and their daily lives? In case there are no official sources, please ...
10 votes
1 answer
1k views

Larry Elmore's Public Domain Art

I recently read that some of Larry Elmore's Black & White Art was released into the public domain, which would be of great benefit to people making retroclones. I'm unable to find it though. ...