Hey, Paizo folks!
For the last couple of months, I have noticed the use of iconic adventures (for the record, I am especially intrigued by the ranger/rogue/scout dude with the white hair and red leather armor). I have looked for stats anywhere with no luck, then noticed this message from Erik Mona:
"Erik Mona (Editor-in-Chief, Dragon & Dungeon), Tue, May 31, 2005, 10:14 AM
ASEO wrote:
1. Who are the new characters in the illustrations?
I assume you meen the new "iconic" characters seen mixing with our familiar paladin and rogue. Like the familiar characters, these new iconic characters do not have names, and exist only to give the magazine a sense of character and to make it easier for us to do art orders. Instead of explaining to artists (who often don't play D&D) what a paladin is every time we need one illustrated, we can send them an image of our "iconic" paladin and say "paint this guy."
The new characters are a human female cleric of Wee Jas, a male drow bard, and a female tiefling fighter. "
First off, I am glad to know that I am not crazy and imagining it! :) Second, let me be the first to request game stats for these guys- maybe in Dragon as examples in Class Acts?
Does anyone know what the purpose of these characters is? I'm genuinely curious. There must be some percieved merit behind the idea, but when I try to picture one of the Dungeon staff saying "These characters will help our publication by..." I can't come up with an ending for that sentence.
Personally, I'm neutral toward the whole idea. They don't make the art more vivid or meaningful for me, but at the same time their designs are appealing, unlike some of the rather sucktastic PHB iconic characters (especially Mialee).
Does anyone know what the purpose of these characters is? I'm genuinely curious. There must be some percieved merit behind the idea, but when I try to picture one of the Dungeon staff saying "These characters will help our publication by..." I can't come up with an ending for that sentence.
Personally, I'm neutral toward the whole idea. They don't make the art more vivid or meaningful for me, but at the same time their designs are appealing, unlike some of the rather sucktastic PHB iconic characters (especially Mialee).
I think it is to put the same characters in all the illustrations sort of like WoTC has done in its books and modules. DUNGEON has come up with some of their own characters so as not to infringe on those used by WoTC. I for one find the use of the same characters in the various illustrations interesting. Although I've never been one for Tieflings.
ASEO out
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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Basically it does two things.
1. Gives the magazine a greater sense of identity by providing what amounts to an "Easter egg" for continuing readers.
2. Gives the artists something concrete to draw so we don't need to explain what a paladin looks like every time we want to put one in an issue.
Art orders might not seem like a pain in the ass to the readers, but they take up an enormous amount of time.
For example, here's the art order for "The Whispering Cairn."
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THE WHISPERING CAIRN
13. Full-Page Opener: Adventurers Encounter the Face (Full-Page)
This illustration depicts a long hallway, ten feet wide by ten feet tall. The far wall, about ten feet square, is almost completely covered with a huge bas-relief face of a hairless, somewhat long-faced human of indeterminate sex. The face has its mouth wide open in a howling scream. Both eyes are open wide, and both bear a subtle “hypnotism” ring effect, centered on the pupil and extending to the periphery of the eye.
Hurricane-force wind blasts from the face’s open mouth, filling the corridor with a blast of air aimed directly at the viewer. Tossed about in the midst of this air are the iconic paladin, iconic rogue, iconic cleric, and iconic fighter. One of these guys is holding out against the wind. Another holds onto a floor flagstone for dear life, his legs suspended in the air by the blast of wind. The other two tumble head over heels toward the reader.
Make it [CENSORED] crazy.
Reference: Iconic paladin
Reference: Iconic rogue
Reference: Iconic fighter
Reference: Iconic cleric
14. Yawning Cairn Entrance (half-page horizontal)
This illustration shows the iconic paladin, the iconic rogue, and the iconic cleric about to enter the Whispering Cairn. The Cairn entrance is on the side of a tall hill. It’s about 20 feet wide and 10 feet tall, and the “frame” of the tomb’s entrance looks a bit like one of the three-stone arches of the Stonehenge monument, albeit built into the side of a hill. But it shouldn’t look like just boring old Stonehenge. Turn it up to 11, to borrow a phrase from Spinal Tap (who knew a thing or two about Stonehenge).
One of the adventurers has a lit torch in his hand, and another is turned toward the reader. We can see a look of concern at what might be ahead written on the face of the adventurer looking at us.
Reference: Iconic paladin
Reference: Iconic rogue
Reference: Iconic cleric
15. Magical Apparatus on Pedestal (spot)
This illustration depicts a small marble platform raised about six inches off the floor at the end of a 10-ft. wide passage with stone walls. A strange, shattered arcane apparatus rests upon this platform, its curved ovular frame giving the appearance of a noble’s dressing mirror. Only a third of this frame remains; the rest is nowhere in sight. An unusual arcane glyph about the size of a man’s head has been delicately carved into the baseplate of the support platform.
Reference: Icosiol glyph
16. Sarcophagus w/detail of figure’s left hand (half-page vertical)
This illustration depicts a top-down view of a sealed marble sarcophagus upon a vaguely arrow-shaped stone pedestal. The sarcophagus is perhaps 8 feet from top to bottom, with the “tip” and “shaft” of the arrow extending about two feet in either direction (top for the tip, bottom for the shaft). The lid bears a milky white stone relief of a tall figure cloaked in a simple garment of flowing cloth similar to a toga (but not a toga—the outfit should conjure thoughts of ancient times without being a specific ancient outfit).
The figure at first looks human, but a cursory examination reveals that it is about 7 feet tall, is completely hairless, and is of indeterminate sex. Its arms and hands rest at its side. The left hand curls upon itself in a fist, but the right is placed palm up, with the thumb turned in and all but the index finger held parallel to the arm. The index finger, originally curled under the thumb, was broken off by tomb raiders centuries ago and now rests in a different part of the tomb. Please draw a “call-out” study of this hand next to the image, clearly depicting the position of the left hand (this is an important clue in the adventure).
The figure wears a scarab-like amulet around its neck, inscribed with an unusual glyph (see reference).
Reference: Zosiel glyph
17. Indigo Lantern (spot)
This spot illustration depicts an intricately designed lantern consisting largely of indigo-colored glass panes. It’s big enough to hold an entire torch. A ring at the top of the lantern allows it to hang from a chain (not pictured).
18. Alastor Land (full-body no background)
This full-body no background illustration depicts Alastor Land, a teenage boy who fell victim to one of the Whispering Cairn’s insidious traps, and who now haunts the tomb as a ghost. His head should hang at a somewhat weird angle, as he died from a broken neck sustained from a nasty fall. Part of his skull should be crushed, but none of it should be clearly visible. He’s looking right at the reader, his dead lips curled back in a nasty sneer. He dresses in what looks like a rotting leather jerkin, a soiled cotton shirt, and grubby pants. He is not armed, but what the hell. Give him nasty claws. He should look like he is trying to scare the [CENSORED] out of the reader, but please avoid arm-waving “ooga booga” action.
19. Filge the Necromancer (full body no background)
This full-body no-background image depicts Filge, a despicable necromancer who serves as one of the chief villains of this adventure. Filge is a human male in his mid-30s. He wears a dark-colored sleeveless long vest-coat that goes down to his ankles. His short-cropped brown hair recedes significantly at the temples, making his hairline seem to point at his overly large nose. He has a [CENSORED]-up, drugged-out look on his face, a mix of ecstasy and pain.
Filge holds a nasty-ass overly large medieval-looking syringe in his right hand, point up. The syringe holds some sort of piss-colored alchemical concoction.
Seeping track marks run up the inside of his left arm and along his right jugular vein. He has long black fingernails, filed to sharp points, on each hand. He wears a bird skull on a necklace.
He is a total and complete creepazoid.
20. Wind Warrior (full body no background)
This illustration depicts a skinny humanoid figure clad in intricately carved ancient ceramic armor festooned with a flowing cape and skirt as well as a handful of blue and yellow pinions. The figure wears a tall helmet with a proud horsehair plume died bright red. The feeling here should be motion, with the various cloth bits trailing away from the figure as if blown by an invisible wind. The figure wields two delicate longswords. We cannot see any of its actual body, because in fact it is little more than an animate suit of armor held together by a sentient cloud of wind trapped within.
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So, honestly, anything that makes that easier is good for me.
--Erik Mona
Editor-in-Chief
Dragon & Dungeon
That makes sense. Kudos again for not using the PHB iconics. ;)
It's not that they are not cool, it's just that they are used too much. It's like every other page. I mean I dig the Sorcerer and the TWFing Rogue but that female Ranger(or Druid) how many times do I have to see that wolf?
Oh, well.
Great request for Flige.
I must say, that I prefer the Ranger to the Tiefling. Although I guess I had the Ranger guessed as a Druid.
Still I like the iconic character concept.
ASEO out
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Since the ranger is my least favorite, you probably won't see her very often.
--Erik
Drat!! The ranger is my favorite. Oh well, then let me just say that I love the iconic characters in Dungeon magazine. They are way cooler than the PHB ones. And the new characters make the group even cooler. Keep up the great work!
Is the Ranger the one that looks like she belongs on a 4th of July parade float, or is that another of the female characters? :)
Is the Ranger the one that looks like she belongs on a 4th of July parade float, or is that another of the female characters? :)
She's the one who wears a wolf skin on her head. I'll bet she has a wicked bald spot under there. . .