erik@resonex.UUCP (Erik Guttman) (02/26/85)
Comrade gamers, Art goes hand in hand with fantasy gaming, I have found. Just as a sci-fi novel does better with a good cover than just the name, an event or character can be much fuller with an illustration. I am very lucky to play regularly with artist, and so I am treated to some incredibly vivid and exciting gaming-art. I, myself, am no artist. Just the same, I do my best to include drawings of key events and characters. I know that my drawing doesn't do the image just- ice, but it includes more details than I could mention orally without great difficulty. A few points which are great enhancements to the game, (artistically,) are: Character Portraits: Any description you give will most likely not even come close to the clarity of a drawing of a character, even if the rendering technique is poor. Treasure Cards: Magic Items drawn on 3x5 inch index cards allow for great variety; (the description of powers or "key" can be written on the back.) It also brings new heights to the enjoyment one has to the acquiring of treasure. This really does add a LOT to a game though it requires the GM to do a bunch of pregame artwork. Gathering Materials: Many scenes may be derived directly or indirectly from fantasy art. It is rather gauche, in many people's opinion, to take a story line and art DIRECTLY from another source, (like Heavy Metal magazine, etc.) but why not indirect 'borrowing?' A book cover or a poster may be just the image you had in mind for a landscape, NPC or favorite character. If the woo fits, share it. It has been a while since I posted the Time Magic spells. I heard from a few of you, (thanks a lot!) and wonder if the frp netters are interested in more where it came from. I also have a dozen or so new classes worked up. I, for one would love to see this sort of thing posted by you. What pet creative add- itions have you made to the genre? Wouldn't it be scintillating to see the frp net frothing with ideas, feed- back and sources? its that time again, Erik Guttman