Ugggh... one thing WotC does (in regards to Eberron) is really bothering me... - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Ugggh... one thing WotC does (in regards to Eberron) is really bothering me...

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Cyber-Dave
Jul 24, 2009 16:23:00 They keep messing up in regards to the Talenta Tangat. First, in the original ECS, they used a picture of a Elvish scimitar instead of an actual Talenta Tangat. Then, in the Races of Eberron, sure enough there is a picture of a Talenta Halfling holding a scimitar. I haven't really found any 4e Eberron pictures of a halfling wielding a scimitar (thank god), but now they just released a miniature of a Talenta Halfling Barbarian that is doing just that!

For gods sakes WotC, Talenta Halflings DON'T WIELD SCIMITARS! Get your modeling and your art right.

Ok, my rant is over.
#2
Marcus_Majarra
Jul 26, 2009 13:31:57 Have you read the description for the tangat?

"The tangat, developed by the halflings of the Talenta Plains, features a curved blade (like a scimitar's) mounted on a short haft."

I'm inclined to believe that halflings do indeed wield scimitar-like blades.
#3
grug_the_just
Jul 26, 2009 13:46:03 Curved blade on a short haft. Sounds to me like a scimitar or a kama, depending on placement.
#4
Cyber-Dave
Jul 26, 2009 15:29:42 Except, its nothing like a scimitar or kama. And, its not a "scimitar like weapon," its a scimitar like blade mounted on a short haft. The haft, however, is far longer than a scimitar's handle. Its long enough that it requires specific mention. I don't think this, I know this. I know this because we have the settings own creator's words to back my statements up. Hellcow/Keith Baker has stated as much (in the past).

This picture was released in the 3e Eberron campaign setting.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/eb_gallery/82109.jpg

The scimitar like weapon in that picture was labeled a "Talanta Tangat." We were, however, informed by Hellcow that this was a mistake. Somebody mislabeled the drawing. A talanta tangat actually looks like the weapons shown in these two pictures:

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/eb_gallery/82090.jpg
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/eb_gallery/82141.jpg

Its pretty much a weapon about 3 foot in length, two feet of which is handle, 1 foot of which is a curved scimitar like blade. Its not a sword. Its more like a polearm, only one with an oversided blade, and a shorter than usual haft.

However, one of the artists of Races of Eberron, probably due to the mislabeling of the first drawing I posted, misdrew a halfling wielding a scimitar again. This is the picture I am talking about:

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/roe_gallery/88224.jpg

And, sure enough, that is the picture that the halfling mini is modeled after.

This bothers me. A talanta tangat does not look like a scimitar. It has a curved scimitar like blade. It also has a haft which is short for a polearm, but is still about twice as long as the blade itself. The fact that some artists keep getting it wrong REALLY bothers me.
#5
Duke5150
Jul 26, 2009 15:41:55 The talanta tangat in the first picture does indeed look simillar to a scimitar, but still, a great picture. Has more character than a standard scimitar. The talanta tangat in the second picture looks like a short glaive with a bent haft. The third picture looks like a variation of the short glaive and the last picture looks like a thin scimitar.

It doesn't really matter IMO because it doesn't change the mechanics of anything. Its just a type of fluff error that can be easily explained. Still, good artwork. I especially like the double-blade in the first picture.
#6
Cyber-Dave
Jul 26, 2009 15:50:46 It matters to me. Fluff is what makes a setting. Every time someone depicts a tangat like a scimitar, they have gotten the fluff wrong. The scimitar in the first picture is ACTUALLY supposed to be a depiction of the Arenal scimitars. Its an ancestral elvish weapon. The halflings are not big fans of the elves (though the reason has everything to do with the valenar and nothing to do with Arenal). Drawing a halfling holding a scimitar instead of a tangat is ludicrous. That tangat is, indeed, far more akin to a short glaive than it is to a scimitar. Hellcow even likens it to a a glaive in this post right here:

http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1222413

The only thing about a tangat that has anything to do with a scimitar is its blade. Both a scimitar and a tangat's blade curve in a similar/the same manner. The handle, and the ratio of haft size to blade size, however, are totally different.
#7
Duke5150
Jul 26, 2009 16:22:47 I agree that things should stay true to their original representation (artwork) but hey, its wotc after all and I think we all know what that means.;)

(Example - Arstor the Pentifex Monolith from the magic of incarnum is now an Avatar of Hope in Divine Power.)
#8
Cyber-Dave
Jul 26, 2009 16:36:02
I agree that things should stay true to their original representation (artwork) but hey, its wotc after all and I think we all know what that means.;)

(Example - Arstor the Pentifex Monolith from the magic of incarnum is now an Avatar of Hope in Divine Power.)

I don't know. All in all, I have been very happy with WotC's handling of the D&D brand. I certainly love everything they have done with 4e from the point of view of mechanics. I even really enjoy the 4e iteration of the realms (more so than previous iterations). But this is one of the few things they are doing that REALLY bothers me... and it was a problem in 3e as well as 4e. One person made a labeling mistake in the ECS, and that labeling mistake has haunted aesthetic representations of the talenta culture ever since.
#9
Nived
Jul 26, 2009 17:48:09 Back in the day I'd often point out the official errata to the EPG that the scimitar labeled the tangat is not what a tangat is.

I've pretty much given up on this correction ever entering into the consiousness of the mainstream, they think its a weird scimitar... whatcanyado?

Ah well, maybe we'll get some Sharrash weilding artwork sometime.
#10
kawnell
Jul 27, 2009 14:26:05
Talenta Halflings DON'T WIELD SCIMITARS!

There's nothing that says they can't weild scimitars. If I was a talenta halfling who had just bested a valenar warlord, you can bet I'll be showing off his enchanted scimitar. 8-)

But yeah, a tangat is not a scimitar. I'm right there with you.

Have Fun
#11
Alex_
Jul 27, 2009 21:48:59
There's nothing that says they can't weild scimitars. If I was a talenta halfling who had just bested a valenar warlord, you can bet I'll be showing off his enchanted scimitar. 8-)

None of my Talenta Halflings would be caught dead wielding such a filthy weapon of such a dishonorable people. Now carrying about their dried out ears and fingers on a totem is something else entirely. :P
#12
Nived
Jul 27, 2009 22:17:17 You know I've always been disapointed that we've never gotten a huge splash page of a bow wielding Valenar on his horse doing battle with a glidewing mounted halfling. Since the glidewings are one of the few things that can keep up with a Valenar Riding Horse.

If only I had a modicum of artistic skill, but alas.
#13
salla
Jul 27, 2009 22:24:48 I have to admit, your, er, loyalty to the Talenta halflings is pretty impressive. A little scary, but still, impressive
#14
Cyber-Dave
Jul 27, 2009 22:43:21
I have to admit, your, er, loyalty to the Talenta halflings is pretty impressive. A little scary, but still, impressive

Who was that comment directed at?

I hope it was directed at me. :P
#15
salla
Jul 27, 2009 22:57:42
Who was that comment directed at?

I hope it was directed at me. :P

More or less, yeah. Alex_ gets a little, too.
#16
Cyber-Dave
Jul 28, 2009 0:03:13 Sweet.
#17
kawnell
Jul 28, 2009 13:46:57
None of my Talenta Halflings would be caught dead wielding such a filthy weapon of such a dishonorable people. Now carrying about their dried out ears and fingers on a totem is something else entirely. :P

Oh my gosh . . . how many Talenta Halflings have you gone through?!?! I used to fear the Valenar, but now I realize Alex the true threat to Talenta livelyhood. 8-)
Maybe if they used a scimitar, they'd live a lil' longer.

Have Fun

'course I probably go through a character a month. I just spread the love around. I'm not practicing halfling genocide by trying to play everyone of them until they're all gone.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Cyber-Dave Jul 24, 2009 16:23:00	They keep messing up in regards to the Talenta Tangat. First, in the original ECS, they used a picture of a Elvish scimitar instead of an actual Talenta Tangat. Then, in the Races of Eberron, sure enough there is a picture of a Talenta Halfling holding a scimitar. I haven't really found any 4e Eberron pictures of a halfling wielding a scimitar (thank god), but now they just released a miniature of a Talenta Halfling Barbarian that is doing just that! For gods sakes WotC, Talenta Halflings DON'T WIELD SCIMITARS! Get your modeling and your art right. Ok, my rant is over.
#2 Marcus_Majarra Jul 26, 2009 13:31:57	Have you read the description for the tangat? "The tangat, developed by the halflings of the Talenta Plains, features a curved blade (like a scimitar's) mounted on a short haft." I'm inclined to believe that halflings do indeed wield scimitar-like blades.
#3 grug_the_just Jul 26, 2009 13:46:03	Curved blade on a short haft. Sounds to me like a scimitar or a kama, depending on placement.
#4 Cyber-Dave Jul 26, 2009 15:29:42	Except, its nothing like a scimitar or kama. And, its not a "scimitar like weapon," its a scimitar like blade mounted on a short haft. The haft, however, is far longer than a scimitar's handle. Its long enough that it requires specific mention. I don't think this, I know this. I know this because we have the settings own creator's words to back my statements up. Hellcow/Keith Baker has stated as much (in the past). This picture was released in the 3e Eberron campaign setting. http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/eb_gallery/82109.jpg The scimitar like weapon in that picture was labeled a "Talanta Tangat." We were, however, informed by Hellcow that this was a mistake. Somebody mislabeled the drawing. A talanta tangat actually looks like the weapons shown in these two pictures: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/eb_gallery/82090.jpg http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/eb_gallery/82141.jpg Its pretty much a weapon about 3 foot in length, two feet of which is handle, 1 foot of which is a curved scimitar like blade. Its not a sword. Its more like a polearm, only one with an oversided blade, and a shorter than usual haft. However, one of the artists of Races of Eberron, probably due to the mislabeling of the first drawing I posted, misdrew a halfling wielding a scimitar again. This is the picture I am talking about: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/roe_gallery/88224.jpg And, sure enough, that is the picture that the halfling mini is modeled after. This bothers me. A talanta tangat does not look like a scimitar. It has a curved scimitar like blade. It also has a haft which is short for a polearm, but is still about twice as long as the blade itself. The fact that some artists keep getting it wrong REALLY bothers me.
#5 Duke5150 Jul 26, 2009 15:41:55	The talanta tangat in the first picture does indeed look simillar to a scimitar, but still, a great picture. Has more character than a standard scimitar. The talanta tangat in the second picture looks like a short glaive with a bent haft. The third picture looks like a variation of the short glaive and the last picture looks like a thin scimitar. It doesn't really matter IMO because it doesn't change the mechanics of anything. Its just a type of fluff error that can be easily explained. Still, good artwork. I especially like the double-blade in the first picture.
#6 Cyber-Dave Jul 26, 2009 15:50:46	It matters to me. Fluff is what makes a setting. Every time someone depicts a tangat like a scimitar, they have gotten the fluff wrong. The scimitar in the first picture is ACTUALLY supposed to be a depiction of the Arenal scimitars. Its an ancestral elvish weapon. The halflings are not big fans of the elves (though the reason has everything to do with the valenar and nothing to do with Arenal). Drawing a halfling holding a scimitar instead of a tangat is ludicrous. That tangat is, indeed, far more akin to a short glaive than it is to a scimitar. Hellcow even likens it to a a glaive in this post right here: http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1222413 The only thing about a tangat that has anything to do with a scimitar is its blade. Both a scimitar and a tangat's blade curve in a similar/the same manner. The handle, and the ratio of haft size to blade size, however, are totally different.
#7 Duke5150 Jul 26, 2009 16:22:47	I agree that things should stay true to their original representation (artwork) but hey, its wotc after all and I think we all know what that means.;) (Example - Arstor the Pentifex Monolith from the magic of incarnum is now an Avatar of Hope in Divine Power.)
#8 Cyber-Dave Jul 26, 2009 16:36:02	I agree that things should stay true to their original representation (artwork) but hey, its wotc after all and I think we all know what that means.;) (Example - Arstor the Pentifex Monolith from the magic of incarnum is now an Avatar of Hope in Divine Power.) I don't know. All in all, I have been very happy with WotC's handling of the D&D brand. I certainly love everything they have done with 4e from the point of view of mechanics. I even really enjoy the 4e iteration of the realms (more so than previous iterations). But this is one of the few things they are doing that REALLY bothers me... and it was a problem in 3e as well as 4e. One person made a labeling mistake in the ECS, and that labeling mistake has haunted aesthetic representations of the talenta culture ever since.
#9 Nived Jul 26, 2009 17:48:09	Back in the day I'd often point out the official errata to the EPG that the scimitar labeled the tangat is not what a tangat is. I've pretty much given up on this correction ever entering into the consiousness of the mainstream, they think its a weird scimitar... whatcanyado? Ah well, maybe we'll get some Sharrash weilding artwork sometime.
#10 kawnell Jul 27, 2009 14:26:05	Talenta Halflings DON'T WIELD SCIMITARS! There's nothing that says they can't weild scimitars. If I was a talenta halfling who had just bested a valenar warlord, you can bet I'll be showing off his enchanted scimitar. 8-) But yeah, a tangat is not a scimitar. I'm right there with you. Have Fun
#11 Alex_ Jul 27, 2009 21:48:59	There's nothing that says they can't weild scimitars. If I was a talenta halfling who had just bested a valenar warlord, you can bet I'll be showing off his enchanted scimitar. 8-) None of my Talenta Halflings would be caught dead wielding such a filthy weapon of such a dishonorable people. Now carrying about their dried out ears and fingers on a totem is something else entirely. :P
#12 Nived Jul 27, 2009 22:17:17	You know I've always been disapointed that we've never gotten a huge splash page of a bow wielding Valenar on his horse doing battle with a glidewing mounted halfling. Since the glidewings are one of the few things that can keep up with a Valenar Riding Horse. If only I had a modicum of artistic skill, but alas.
#13 salla Jul 27, 2009 22:24:48	I have to admit, your, er, loyalty to the Talenta halflings is pretty impressive. A little scary, but still, impressive
#14 Cyber-Dave Jul 27, 2009 22:43:21	I have to admit, your, er, loyalty to the Talenta halflings is pretty impressive. A little scary, but still, impressive Who was that comment directed at? I hope it was directed at me. :P
#15 salla Jul 27, 2009 22:57:42	Who was that comment directed at? I hope it was directed at me. :P More or less, yeah. Alex_ gets a little, too.
#16 Cyber-Dave Jul 28, 2009 0:03:13	Sweet.
#17 kawnell Jul 28, 2009 13:46:57	None of my Talenta Halflings would be caught dead wielding such a filthy weapon of such a dishonorable people. Now carrying about their dried out ears and fingers on a totem is something else entirely. :P Oh my gosh . . . how many Talenta Halflings have you gone through?!?! I used to fear the Valenar, but now I realize Alex the true threat to Talenta livelyhood. 8-) Maybe if they used a scimitar, they'd live a lil' longer. Have Fun 'course I probably go through a character a month. I just spread the love around. I'm not practicing halfling genocide by trying to play everyone of them until they're all gone.