In The Frame: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Concept Art Spotlight - Part 1

Hello and welcome back to In The Frame! The format for all card art enthusiasts!

Magic's newest Set "Adventures in the Forgotten Realms", which is a crossover with the TTRPG giant Dungeons and Dragons, was released for Arena more than week ago, and since we took a look at some official concept art for Hearthstone's Forged in the Barrens last time on here, we thought that we should keep the ball (or dice) rolling and do the same for MTG! There's a ton to go through, so take a seat and maybe grab a drink, as we dive deep into the Concept Art for AFR in this two part series!

But how are we going to explore this vast world of wonderful artwork ? Well, since D&D is an RPG, how about we make this a little game? That way we could immerse ourselves in this world better, and make sure that the art can have its full effect and spark our imagination!

If that sounds exciting, let's start with character creation.

White - Holy Champions

Are you a player who likes the flavour of virtue and honor? If so, classes like Monk, Cleric, or Paladin might be up to your liking. Be it through laying healing hands onto friends, or smiting foes with holy strength, characters of those classes tend to be principled Champions, that dedicate their lives to a higher cause.

Could that fantasy be something for your character? Have a look!

Nadaar, Selfless Paladin

A brave Dragonborn knight in shining armor.
See the determined look on his face, as he takes a stand against evil to protect his friends!

Looks like this hero has been immortalized in this glorious bust!
... or maybe it's just a sculpt for reference.

"Easy now, everyone. I'll take care of this"
- Nadaar

Dawnbringer Cleric

An experienced Cleric, taking care of one of his injured party members.
The light illuminating from his hands not only heals the wounded, but also inspires hope in these dark caverns.

Thanks for lending a hand!

Arborea Pegasus

What would a holy champion be without an equally holy mount?
Maybe you'll prove yourself worthy enough to take a flight with one of those elegant creatures!

The noble steeds of the elven gods can sometimes be persuaded to allow mere mortals on their backs.

Blue - Skilled Rogues

But what if heavy weapons and plates aren't your thing? Maybe you're a player who prefers clever trickery and deceitful schemes. In that case, Rogues should be more up your alley. As Jack-of-all-trades, they seek to master every situation through their cunning, leaving outsmarted victims behind before getting noticed.

Wanna find out what your character could become capable of as Rogue?

Guild Thief

Here we have an orc thief planning her next moves.
As you can see, there's a lot of things you can do as scoundrel to get by.

She puts some coin in the Guild's pocket and sends a message at the same time.

Fly

Learning simple magic can really pay off in certain situations.
A good Rogue should always have a trick, or spell, up his sleeve.

Watch out, the floor is lava.

Yuan-Ti Malison

A serpent assassin lurking through the shadows.
Who will be his victim?

Silent. Slithering. Sinister.

Green - Cheerful Travelers

What would an adventure be without the joy of traveling? If you're one of those players, who loves making the journey their goal, maybe you should consider becoming a bard! Equipped with fantastic songs and epic stories, these troubadours seek to embolden their friends to great feats with magical music and keep their spirits up for the long way ahead.

Does that sound good for your character?

Inspiring Bard

Here we see an elf waking up his group with some invigorating tunes after a long rest.
Can you feel his enthusiasm?

"Wake up my friends! There are deeds to be done and treasures to be won!"

Song of Inspiration

A bard empowering his group with his music.
Through his magical words they're ready to jump into action!

Any special song requests?

Black - Dangerous Dungeon

Alright, by now all of you should have decided who your characters are. If you're ready, let's finally begin our journey and venture right into our first dungeon! But I must warn you: As one could imagine, there's many threats that lurk behind every corner, waiting to seal some unfortunate adventurer's fate.

Be careful! I think  I heard something...

Yuan-Ti Fangblade

We're being ambushed! These miscreants must have been waiting here for unsuspecting travelers to pass by!
Watch your backs, their blades are poisoned!

"The air is sweet with the taste of your fear."

Dungeon Crawler

Alright, I think we fended those goons off. Let's continue on our way through these tombs.
It's so dark in here... Keep your eyes peeled. You'll never know what will emerge from the shadows next.

Maybe something like this rotting zombie!
If you're not carefull enough in here, you might end up becoming one yourself!

"I think of it as giving them another chance to achieve their potential."
- Nestus Wrasse, Necromancer

Hoard Robber

There it is, the treasure chamber! But what's that rumbling... Oh ...
Looks like the guardian is taking a nap while on duty. Grab as much as you can, but don't make any noise!

"And to think, a year ago I was picking pockets in Waterdeep."

Red - Mobs and Monsters!

Dammit! We might have gotten the treasure, but it seems like a couple of you startled up some of the resident dungeon dwellers! Quick, let's get past them, before we stir up even bigger trouble!

Minion of the Mighty

Is that little guy one of the guardian's lackeys?
Huh. Not really impressive.

Although, for a Kobold he's pretty intimidating.
Look, he's almost 3ft tall!

You See a Pair of Goblins

Okay, I think they lost our tracks, but we're still not safe yet.
See those guys over there? They're probably searching for us.

Look at those ugly grimaces!
I suggest we better don't engage with these Goblins and get finally out of here.

"I have the shot. Shall I take it?"
- Varis, Silverymoon ranger

Earth-Cult Elemental

Oh, oh, there's the bigger trouble I was talking about!
A giant Elemental has awoken from its slumber and makes the very earth it walks tremble!

Just look at these stones on that thing!
They must weigh tons!

There's no use in fighting it! Run or be flattened!

Colorless - Sweet Loot!

Whew, That was close! But thank god, it looks like we made it out alive! Some bruises and flesh wounds here and there, but nothing a healer could fix, right? Anyway, let's set up camp and inspect what exactly we found in that cavern. Hopefully it's worth all what we've been through.

Now, let's see.

Swiftfoot Boots

What are those?
They look like normal boots, but something feels off about them.

Wow, look at them go!
I can imagine them becoming handy in future adventures.

One who wears magical boots of striding and springing can jump astounding distances.

Dungeon Map

Okay, what else do we have? Lots of gold, some nice jewelry, a weird looking idol, ...
... and a map?

It looks so ancient! Who's map could that be?
And better question: Where does it lead to?

"Wait, is that a secret door? I can't tell for sure... there's some blood in the way."

The Artists

These are the artists that were featured in this article. Check out their ArtStation to see even more from them!

• Aaron Miller - Nadaar, Selfless Paladin; You See a Pair of Goblins; Earth-Cult Elemental; Dungeon Map
• Lie Setiawan - Dawnbringer Cleric; Fly; Song of Inspiration
• Justyna Gil - Arborea Pegasus
• Mike Jordana - Guild Thief
• Oriana Menendez - Yuan-Ti Malison; Minion of the Mighty
• Eelis Kyttanen - Inspiring Bard
• Simon Dominic Brewer - Yuan-Ti Fangblade
• Svetlin Velinov - Dungeon Crawler
• Anna Pavleeva - Hoard Robber
• Manuel Castañón - Swiftfoot Boots

And that's it for now. Thank you for playing this little game with us! We hope that you enjoyed these beautiful artworks as much as we did, and will join us again next time for even more fantastic AFR Concept Art.

What are your favourites? What do you think about these sketches/paintings/etc? Tell us in the comments!