Let's compare covers

[Wolverine]

I know I'm a little biased, but I know which I would prefer to buy....

(click to show/hide)

Yes, that's the official cover

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No contest.

[Morgenstern]

I like our complete cover (with logo) even better.

Honestly I don't get what happened with the 4th ed covers. I like the artist, but the specific pieces just don't do it for me. That dragon-guy's chin just looks abberant to me.

[Number Three]

All the 4E art has been featuring dragon motifs.  They even give you a large¹ green dragon in the v.4e minis game starter.  My theory is that they noticed that for the longest time D&D artwork was decidedly lacking in dragons and, now that Lord of the Rings as left Joe Six pack's collective consciousness, the elves vs. orks theme no longer conveys the point.  The mundanes were wondering where the dragons were in Dungeons & Dragons.

As for my critical opinion, I have to agree with Morg that the half-dragon dragonborn is more fugly than dragon.  The large logo and the wizard with staff (and bonus coincidental cleavage) do convey the public conception of D&D better than any other cover they've done for 3E outside Draconomicon.  It is designed to be a gateway into the hobby, and it fulfills that purpose.  It is not the cover for those already playing, sadly.

The Fantasycraft cover is a lot more obtuse for the uninitiated.  However, if you've already earned your geek clubhouse membership, it says a lot more about how we feel a D&D game should look like: slain enemies surrounded by hordes of loot, as the party looks down the gullet of the dragon in question.  Or as some of us call it, "Good Times." All it needs is Will Smith boasting, "THAT'S RIGHT!  THAT'S WHAT YOU GET!"

They are two covers targeted to two different markets.  I'm curious as to which one will draw more attention in my aisle.<sup>2 

1</sup>For the strict d20 definition of 'Large', which is really not that impressive.

²Also, how many strange looks I'm going to get when I explain that to play the cool cover, you're going to need to also buy the cover with the two contemporary action heroes on it.

[Mister Andersen]

As for my critical opinion, I have to agree with Morg that the half-dragon dragonborn is more fugly than dragon.

That's an intereting call given just fucking ugly D&D's dragons have been since the advent of 3rd Ed

[Wolverine]

I like our complete cover (with logo) even better.

Orly? Anything you'd like to share with the group?

That dragon-guy's chin just looks abberant to me.

That's a dragon? I figured it was something appropriately inhuman, but from that angle it's really hard to tell.

What would have been nice is a combat scene - even if it's only 1/3 which could have matched up with the covers of the other two books.

[Mister Andersen]

Well to be accurate it's something called a "dragon born" which essentially takes the place of the half-orc as one of the core species (along with humans, changelings, tieflings, halflings, elves & their cousin species eladrins, dwarves and possibly warforged).

[meadicus]

I like our complete cover (with logo) even better.

Orly? Anything you'd like to share with the group?

The full cover is here, http://www.crafty-games.com/node/466. It's been there for a while.

[Wolverine]

The full cover is here, http://www.crafty-games.com/node/466. It's been there for a while.

Thanks, dude. Completely forgot about that page

[spinningdice]

Well to be accurate it's something called a "dragon born" which essentially takes the place of the half-orc as one of the core species (along with humans, changelings, tieflings, halflings, elves & their cousin species eladrins, dwarves and possibly warforged).

Pretty sure it's confirmed we're not getting Changelings or Warforged in the PHB (possibly playable stats in the MM though)

[Mister Andersen]

Probably for the best - they're pretty core to Eberron's identity and as such shouldn't be in the core rules.

[Golden Dragon]

The full cover is here, http://www.crafty-games.com/node/466. It's been there for a while.

Thanks for the reminder. On a second look, I want to thank you guys for giving the artwork as much space as you did. Nice work!

[VisualStatic]

Ok, to me, the 4E cover is rather dull, it just doesn't draw me into the game.  You know they are about to battle something but to me there is no draw.

I have to agree with Number 3, the FantasyCraft cover looks like what a dungeon crawl is.  Bodies at your feet, weapons strewn about, and something big and nasty about to eat you for lunch.

But, I could be bias as I've already decided I'm never buy another gaming product from WoTC, I'm done with D&D.   FC all the way.

[Mister Andersen]

Yeah, the 4E covers are kinda drek

[Krensky]

Well to be accurate it's something called a "dragon born" which essentially takes the place of the half-orc as one of the core species (along with humans, changelings, tieflings, halflings, elves & their cousin species eladrins, dwarves and possibly warforged).

Pretty sure it's confirmed we're not getting Changelings or Warforged in the PHB (possibly playable stats in the MM though)

From what I've seen Doppelgangers/Changelings are in the MM.

[Crafty_Pat]

The full cover is here, http://www.crafty-games.com/node/466. It's been there for a while.

Thanks for the reminder. On a second look, I want to thank you guys for giving the artwork as much space as you did. Nice work!

With a cover like that, how could we not?