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."

 

[Gammadoodler]

While I do quite like this, and moreso than the original, it is quite strange that both of them feature ally dragons.

Is this a circumstance that happens often for others? Certainly has never occurred for me.

 

[mamba]

While I do quite like this, and moreso than the original, it is quite strange that both of them feature ally dragons.

they feature gold dragons, because of the 50th anniversary

 

[Charlaquin]

And that's my issue with it: it is not going to jive with anything in the book itself, which makes it a poor cover choice no matter how cool the art is on its own.

Understandable. But, I don’t know, D&D doesn’t necessarily need to be full of bombast. This image could be a nice tone-setter for a more mellow, intimate campaign.

 

[Reynard]

Understandable. But, I don’t know, D&D doesn’t necessarily need to be full of bombast. This image could be a nice tone-setter for a more mellow, intimate campaign.

I'm not sure anything in the PHB is going to support a "mellow, intimate" D&D campaign.

 

[Charlaquin]

I'm not sure anything in the PHB is going to support a "mellow, intimate" D&D campaign.

I’m not sure such a tone necessarily requires rules support. It’s definitely not the tone I would typically expect from D&D, but I don’t think it’s outside the scope of what could be done within D&D’s framework.

 

[SteveC]

I think this is a great cover, but nothing about it says D&D to me. For another game, this might be a home run but for me I think it's disconnected from what playing the game is actually like.

 

[payn]

Understandable. But, I don’t know, D&D doesn’t necessarily need to be full of bombast. This image could be a nice tone-setter for a more mellow, intimate campaign.

True. I think since 3E/4E the artwork has leaned fantasy kick ass action. Which isnt a wrong way to portray D&D, but this alternate cover implies a more storytelling in the lives of fantasy characters tone.

 

[Gammadoodler]

they feature gold dragons, because of the 50th anniversary

Hmm. That certainly qualifies as a reason. Not sure either piece of art indicates that the presence of this dragon is "special" in any way.

Like, it's fine, but a little odd.

 

[Reynard]

I’m not sure such a tone necessarily requires rules support. It’s definitely not the tone I would typically expect from D&D, but I don’t think it’s outside the scope of what could be done within D&D’s framework.

Are people going to come to D&D to play that kind of game, though? Or, if this cover made them do so and they then saw that the PHB was 90% about punching things with magic, would they be disappointed?

 

[Gammadoodler]

Are people going to come to D&D to play that kind of game, though? Or, if this cover made them do so and they then saw that the PHB was 90% about punching things with magic, would they be disappointed?

I think there's a general question of the purpose of the art as representation vs. inspiration. And also how the cover fits into the broader portfolio of the art included in the book.

If all someone sees is the cover, then I can see how it would be viewed as disconnected from the game experience.

But if there is a good mix of "kickass" and "slice of life" type art, then I can see a good case for this cover serving as inspiration to think of the game more broadly than just as a monster killing simulator.