Knights & Knaves Alehouse

Does Otherworld Mini sell over the counter, or do they only accept online sales? Either way, if a 9 year old is buying these minis I'd be more concerned about weak parenting skills. I know that I for one never have my kids buying anything online unless I O.K. it. Social or political censorship is a poor bandage for irresponsible parents.

Oh, and something else you might be interested in along the same lines: there's a guy named Felix who used to sculpt for GW. Fantasic Spanish artist who has put out his own line of figures. One of the models is a dark elf, and she has been sculpted in both topless and concealed variations. Pretty cool idea if you ask me.

Aak, another edit! I understand what you are saying about amount of nudity and it's relation (or lack thereof) to the quality of a piece of art or a set of rules. And in many ways I agree with you. Not all art/rules/models need a set amount of nudity. It's when the nudity is intentionally obscured/substituted/obmitted from the work to satiate Puritans that this all becomes an issue.

- Wheggi

No to change the subject (too much) but I was in Barnes and Noble today and glanced at the new 4E PHB ... wow the art MONDO sucked!

/grognard on

I have never seen a WOTC D&D product yet that I liked the art ... and that sentiment actually goes back to 2nd ed. and late 1st ed. material as well.

/grognard off

Marriat the Ranger wrote:I have never seen a WOTC D&D product yet that I liked the art ... and that sentiment actually goes back to 2nd ed. and late 1st ed. material as well.

Return to the Tomb of Horrors had some decent artwork.

Marriat the Ranger wrote: /grognard on

I have never seen a WOTC D&D product yet that I liked the art ... and that sentiment actually goes back to 2nd ed. and late 1st ed. material as well.

/grognard off

I actually kind of fond of the guy who did Matthew-'s avatar. I think he did the stuff for the last Icewind Dale game. Very 'oil painting' looking.

- Wheggi

Damn it, when did that "-" mark become so associated with my name?

Aye, Justin Sweet does some real nice work. Honestly, I can't be sure this particular image was by him, since I don't see it in his gallery, but I think it probably was.

Yeah it is indeed a cool picture. I always wondered who the artist was?

Wheggi wrote:It's when the nudity is intentionally obscured/substituted/obmitted from the work to satiate Puritans that this all becomes an issue.

It's one thing when you're taking nudity out of R-rated films, burning books for having sexual content or trying to outlaw pornography for consenting adults. When it comes to an RPG rulebook, I'm willing to concede the the Puritans may have a point that it's unnecessary and eliminating it doesn't really harm the quality of the product in any way, while the arguments for including it are based on... dubious principles at best (IMO). If we're talking about an art book (like a collection of Frazettas or something) that's an entirely different matter.

I'm just saying, if I heard someone loudly complaining that Otherworld covered up the devil-schlong on all their sculpts and it totally ruined the products for them, I'd be a little creeped out by that. If devil-schlong on a miniature (which, let's be honest, amounts to a tiny nub of metal on the figure, no matter how "well endowed" the devil in question might be) is that important to someone, it seems to me that person has some mighty screwed up priorities.

For my part, I think nudity can be appropriate (and even genre-supporting) in the type of D&D I tend to enjoy, which is heavily swords-n-sorcery flavored. I wouldn't want lots of adult themes in the games I run for my children, but in games with adults, I like some darkness: human sacrifice, scantily clad princesses, amoral wizards, slavery, degenerate cannibals, et cetera.

I don't mind the core books and such avoiding controversy, but I do tire of the constant stream of products with PG-rated art. Some products targeting an older demographic, where nipples needn't be obscured by convenient and strategically placed weapons or foliage or whatever would be welcome. I'm married to a beautiful woman and we have a wonderful married life, so I don't need D&D art to give me a thrill; I just think that sometimes violence, nudity, et cetera, can be appropriate.