D&D (2024) New D&D Edition's Player’s Handbook Alternate Art Cover Reveal

Polygon revealed the alternate art for the 2024 Player's Handbook.

"Illustrated by Wylie Beckert, the alt art cover of the Player’s Handbook (2024) features a party comprised of D&D’s four iconic classes — the fighter, the wizard, the cleric, and the rogue — all gathered around a friendly gold dragon, sharing tea. This gentle scene stands in stark contrast to the mainline Player’s Handbook (2024), which will have a bright, bold cover by Tyler Jacobsen with similar characters posed in the moments before striking a blow."

 

[Meech17]

Don’t go cheap on the artist. I expect quality.

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I didn't scroll down and see the wizard at first.. Thought the dragon was using it's breath weapon and shooting like eldritch blast out of his hand or something.. That would be an intense encounter.

 

[Wolfpack48]

Ooh, I like that one.

 

[AstroCat]

Because, I live in a global world. I have friends from various ethnicities. We play D&D.



Majority? I am looking at Wikipedia. The US has odd ethnic categories for historical and legal reasons.

The United States is about 62% "White" (an American pan-ethnicity). But this includes about 4% Latino White, 1% "Middle Eastern" (various ethnicities), and whoever 38% "Other" are.

Say around 60% of the US is Pan-European White. That is a majority, but not a defining majority. 40% of potential customers arent. 40% of potential friends arent.

African (an American Pan-African ethnicity) is about 12%

"Asian" (very many diverse ethnicities) about 6%.

Indigenous about 1%.

Other about 9%.

"Multiracial" about 10%.


If there is a picture with five US characters, maybe three are White, but two wont be.

I feel one should never ignore the majority. But it is good to make room for minorities, and even overrepresent them, especially in a fantasy game, where the minorities can offer interesting perspectives.

Out of five characters in a US fantasy game, probably two are White, even with a majority demographic in mind. One will probably be African American, one Asian American, and the fifth a choice of other, perhaps Indigenous.

The US is ethnically diverse.


This is just a glance. With a 100 pages of illustrations, the representation can become more inclusive, with better resolution of the diversities within each group.



Both women look clearly White. The man sitting has blond hair. The man standing is probably White.



Honestly. To prevent a backlash, the US entertainment industry does well to remember its White male customers. And. Be more inclusive of other identities.

So, in the US, it's between 60-71% "white" depending on census and specifics. So out of 5 characters at least 2-3 should be white by your standards. I personally have no interest in over or under representing people, and don't believe we always need to strictly follow US centric populous percentages in all things.

This is going nowhere fast, and almost always leads to misunderstandings and trouble. I was here to say I liked this art, a positive note, I'm gonna stick from that moving forward. So, I like this art more than the other cover. And, they did a nice job of letting the "race" of the characters be in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Yaarel]

I like the border art and background, not so sold on the picture.

For the Humanoids, I prefer a tad more detailed realism.

I enjoy the overall impression.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Both women look clearly White. The man sitting has blond hair. The man standing is probably White.

The man looks like he might be Black, one woman might be Black or South Asian and the other woman might be Latina, Arabic/North African or White. They're really ambiguous looking in this version.

 

[dave2008]

The man looks like he might be Black, one woman might be Black or South Asian and the other woman might be Latina, Arabic/North African or White. They're really ambiguous looking in this version.

That was my thought as well.

 

[Yaarel]

The man looks like he might be Black, one woman might be Black or South Asian and the other woman might be Latina, Arabic/North African or White. They're really ambiguous looking in this version.

In the US, Arabic is "White". Many Latinos are White.

 

[Shardstone]

In the US, Arabic is "White". Many Latinos are White.

Uuuh none of this is true. What? I have Arabic and Egyptian family members who are not white and are not considered white. I live in a latino community and I can tell you they are not considered white in any way, shape, or form. Latinos can be white/white-passing, but the majority of latinos in America are not culturally white and do not appear to be totall white either.

 

[Yaarel]

Uuuh none of this is true. What? I have Arabic and Egyptian family members who are not white and are not considered white. I live in a latino community and I can tell you they are not considered white in any way, shape, or form. Latinos can be white/white-passing, but the majority of latinos in America are not culturally white and do not appear to be totall white either.

For example, in the Wikipedia article, the US census lists "Middle Eastern" as about 1% of the US "White" population.

Egyptian is White, according to the US legal definition.

The US ethnicities group together diverse ethnicities as if a single ethnicity.


I am in a mainly Latino community. Many Latinos here self-identify as White with European ancestry. The US census lists 53% of Latino Americans identify as White.

 

[Shardstone]

For example, in the Wikipedia article, the US census lists "Middle Eastern" as about 1% of the US "White" population.

Egyptian is White, according to the US legal definition.

The US ethnicities group together diverse ethnicities as if a single ethnicity.

US legal definition doesn't mean naughty word to the actual culture and what people consider white though. No one actually, in practices, considers Egpytians White or latinos White. You have to be really blind to reality and discrimination to see that.