Comments on A Hero Twice A Month: OK, this image from Divine Power kind of bugs me.

@Rook: I found her "falsies" to be inoffensive, si...

2009-07-08T08:34:54.033-05:00

@Rook: I found her "falsies" to be inoffensive, since they are essentially an over-sized pair of cloak coins (see any image of doctor doom). A pair of heavy discs on either side of the chest is actually a pretty common affectation for men wearing a full length cloak, as they help to balance the weight of the thing while also serving to pull back the shoulders in an impressive and manly way. Seriously, go to Bristol this summer and check it out at the shops.

@Norman: I really don't think that plate makes much sense at all for a cleric in most cases. If they are based on the crusaders, chain is far more applicable, and if based on the traditional fantasy world, most are similar to magicians. The only spots where plate becomes the obvious choice for a cleric are D&D (where it is far and away the best armor available, and was free to the cleric until very recently) and games sent roughly in the 15th century (where the clergy would largely use the same armor as the nobility).

Thanks for your clarification. When I reread my co...

2009-07-06T14:35:03.821-05:00

Thanks for your clarification. When I reread my comment, I realized I came across a lot snarkier than I intended. You're right, it is hard to convey tongue-in-cheekiness when writing.

The art is a tough call. Visit any comic book store over the last 10 years and you'll see a massive increase in "cheesecake" covers. D&D, in general, has a similar audience...

While it doesn't offend me, I do wonder what impact it might have on my daughter (who has started playing the game.)

Thanks for your blogwork and comments!

RE: Red Sonja gets a pass, but the cleric doesn't?...

2009-07-05T12:48:00.292-05:00

RE: Red Sonja gets a pass, but the cleric doesn't?

I was being mostly tongue-in-cheek about my acceptance of the chainmail bikini. I will admit that probably wasn't obvious from the text of my blog.

After reading your post, I feel a little bad for picking on the Divine Power picture. It is really not a bad piece of artwork.

In fact, I would posit that the reason it bugged me so much is because when I first saw it, I thought "What a nice piece of non-cheesecake artwork". Then I noticed the waist.

I will admit that my rant was a bit out of proportion to the crime here. After all, Red Sonya or even the woman on the cover of the Player's Handbook, are a lot more egregious examples of cheesecake than the Divine Power picture could ever be.

so, Red Sonja gets a pass, but the cleric doesn't?...

2009-07-05T02:58:01.390-05:00

so, Red Sonja gets a pass, but the cleric doesn't? I'm not sure I buy your logic on this. Most of the armor and weaponry depicted in D&D art is patently ridiculous from a functionality standpoint. From an artistic standpoint (IMHO) it's mostly cool. What's your judging criteria? Must all depictions of armor in D&D meet functionality requirements? Is there a percentage of bare flesh that can be shown, or do you require that certain areas be covered? Are suggestive costumes OK in fantasy art, but not OK in D&D art?

Big picture, I'm not sure that art like the Red Sonja piece is going to attract a particularly diverse audience (it may even turn some people away). The cleric image, OTOH, is far less blatant. I'd be interested to hear what female readers and players thought.

@rook103 I think you need to look up what genitali...

2009-07-04T23:54:52.025-05:00

@rook103 I think you need to look up what genitalia menas.

For a cleric, plate mail makes much much more sense than leather. But metal or leather it's ridiculous and the artists intent is obvious. Draw a hottie that appeals to the adolescent mind.

Perhaps we could all split the difference, and cal...

2009-07-04T19:28:59.549-05:00

Perhaps we could all split the difference, and call it hard cured leather designed in imitation of plate? Even if it is leather armor, leaving a coverage gap right on each hip can do no less hurt to it than if it was plate.

I'm going to be asking for platemail thighhighs in...

2009-07-04T12:57:48.764-05:00

I'm going to be asking for platemail thighhighs in my next campaign...because I had honestly never thought of that idea, and I've come up with some crazy stuff before. Feasbility be damned, that's just awesome.

RE: Anne is clearly wearing leather armor with a l...

2009-07-04T11:55:00.870-05:00

RE: Anne is clearly wearing leather armor with a loincloth.

I puzzled over of the nature of the armor for a bit as well, but I still maintain she is supposed to be wearing chainmail or platemail. Here is a link to a slightly higher resolution version.

Looking at her feet is what convinced me that it is meant to be plate armor down there. I will admit that it is difficult to tell with any certainty though, especially because her lower half resembles tight jeans more than anything else.

As an aside...chainmail would chafe some places th...

2009-07-04T09:44:10.705-05:00

As an aside...chainmail would chafe some places that Anne would not recover from.

I have to disagree with you on an issue in this po...

2009-07-04T09:42:15.434-05:00

I have to disagree with you on an issue in this post. Are we looking at the same picture? IMHO Anne is clearly wearing leather armor with a loincloth, over emphasized pauldrons (shoulder guards), and a pair of dramatic lance rests to simulate genitalia. Now she may be wearing a chainmail shirt, but I will concede that the artist did not give us enough details to be sure. Is there some other detail in the Divine Power supplement to indicate that she is wearing a chainmail bodysuit?

Sorry...been painting too many miniatures...looking to decipher artist's intent and then paint them correctly.

I am with you on both counts. My own theory on wh...

2009-07-04T08:05:02.119-05:00

I am with you on both counts. My own theory on why the chainmail bikini doesn't bother me probably comes from RenFaire, where they are commonly worn as adornment. I think that nobody would mistake the chainmail bikini for armor (though I think Sonja is actually wearing it's close cousin the scale bikini there), though I suppose it could be a sign of a warrior woman by the fact that most medieval girls would never consider bearing that much skin.