The TTRPG art problem
The mechanics sing. The PDF looks like a draft.
You wrote a tight system. The setting is original. Playtesters love it. But your rulebook PDF has stock art that doesn't match, placeholder portraits for the pregen characters, no battle maps, and your Kickstarter pitch is a Google Doc screenshot. You priced out commissioning real artists — $200 per character portrait, $150 per map, $500 for the cover. For a full book, that's $8–15k before printing.
You need every piece of art to feel like the same world — the iconics, the monsters, the maps, the tokens, the minis for VTT or 3D printing. From one direction. Without managing a roster of freelancers who've never read your setting doc.
Pick an artist. Their voice carries across character portraits, battle maps, tokens, 3D minis, and rulebook interiors. One direction, every asset your book needs.
Why it fits TTRPG
Built for worldbuilding, not asset grabbing.
Characters, maps, tokens, minis — one voice
Iconic PCs, NPCs, monsters, battle maps, top-down tokens, 3D minis. All in the same artist's voice across every format your VTT or print book needs.
3D minis, ready for VTT or print
GLB for Foundry, Roll20, TaleSpire. STL exports for backers who want to print at home. Same artist's hand across the character sheet and the battle map.
Battle maps that match the tone
Dungeon tiles, wilderness encounters, city streets, boss arenas. Grid or gridless, VTT-optimized resolution, cohesive with your character art.
Built for the Kickstarter cycle
Pre-launch: cover, sample spreads, pregen portraits. Mid-campaign: stretch goal art. Post-campaign: the full bestiary. Same artist on retainer through fulfillment.
The first month
From rules done to Kickstarter-ready in weeks.
Tell us about your game
Open @slop. Genre, setting, tone, three games whose art you admire, what you're shipping (PDF, print, VTT pack). A pitch doc works; a setting bible works.
Pitches come back
Within a day, 4–8 artists pitch your setting's visual world. Pick the primary voice — that's the artist holding the book.
Cover and iconics land
Days 3–7: the chosen artist ships the cover and your pregen character portraits. Enough to launch the Kickstarter.
Maps and bestiary fill out
After funding: battle maps, monster art, NPC portraits, rulebook interiors. Same voice across all of it.
VTT assets and minis follow
Top-down tokens, 3D minis for virtual tabletops, STL files for backer rewards. Print-ready files for your offset printer.
Brief shapes
From pitch art to a print-ready book.
Some creators need Kickstarter pitch visuals. Some need a complete illustrated rulebook. The brief flexes.
Cover + pregen portraits
Cover art plus 4–6 iconic character portraits. Enough to launch the campaign and show the setting's visual identity.
Battle maps for the starter adventure
5–10 encounter maps for your quickstart or core adventure. Grid-ready, VTT-sized, cohesive with the book's art style.
Top-down token pack
PC tokens, NPC tokens, monster tokens. Transparent PNG, VTT-ready, matching your character portrait style.
Every creature in the book
50 monsters, 30 NPCs, 12 iconics — all in the same visual grammar. Bulk-brief, single artist, consistent creature design.
GLB for VTT, STL for backers
3D meshes in your setting's art voice. Drop into Foundry or TaleSpire, export STL for print-at-home backer rewards.
Same artist through fulfillment
Pre-launch through supplements. Core book, bestiary, adventure modules. The artist holds the look across 18+ months of releases.
The math for creators
What a rulebook's worth of art costs. What you actually need for one game.
| Approach | Typical cost | Coherence | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelance TTRPG illustrators | $150–$300 per piece | Varies — each artist different | Weeks per batch |
| DriveThruRPG stock art | $5–$50 per pack | Generic — every indie uses it | None |
| Single contracted artist | $8k–$20k for full book | Excellent | Months |
| OKSLOP brief + retainer | Subscription — see plans | Locked to one artist across portraits, maps, minis | Days for pitch art, weeks for full book |
Costs are rough market ranges, not quotes. A subscription covers briefs, portraits, maps, tokens, minis, and the retained artist from one credit pool. See plans.
What ships from one direction
Every asset. Same world.
Cover art & key illustrations
The cover that sells the book. Chapter headers, full-page spreads, Kickstarter hero images — all in the artist's voice.
Character portraits
Pregen iconics, major NPCs, faction leaders. Consistent style across 50+ faces your players will remember.
Bestiary & monster art
Every creature in your game, from common threats to legendary bosses. Visual hierarchy that reads at a glance.
Battle maps & dungeon tiles
Encounter maps for every adventure location. Grid or gridless, VTT resolution, print-friendly versions included.
Top-down tokens
Transparent PNG tokens matching your portrait style. PCs, NPCs, monsters, vehicles — ready for Roll20, Foundry, or any VTT.
3D minis (GLB / STL)
Meshes for TaleSpire, Foundry 3D, or print-at-home backer rewards. Same artist's voice across the character sheet and the tabletop.
Kickstarter & marketing graphics
Campaign banners, stretch goal art, social media assets, actual play thumbnails. The pitch surface around the rulebook.
Ongoing production
Design your own artist. Hold them through supplements.
Briefs handle most of it — the cover, character portraits, battle maps, the bestiary. Flexible by design.
For the long arc — core book through supplements, adventure modules, second editions — design your own AI artist tuned to your setting's aesthetic. Their style, palette, creature designs, references. Put them on retainer and the look stays consistent across 18+ months of releases.
"Cover grimdark fantasy portraits in a woodcut style." That's all it takes.
Print & digital considerations
Licensed to ship. On Kickstarter day one.
- Full commercial license — Kickstarter, itch.io, DriveThruRPG, print-on-demand, retail distribution.
- No per-copy royalties, no revenue share, no surprise clauses.
- Privacy tier available — keep your setting's art off the public catalog.
- Credit pool covers briefs, portraits, maps, tokens, minis, and retained artists — one subscription, every asset type.
Creator FAQ
Questions TTRPG creators actually ask before launching.
Board game kickoff
Cards, box, minis, rulebook — same pipeline for card games and board games.
See board game kickoffIndie game kickoff
Video game assets — characters, props, 3D meshes, skyboxes, UI.
See indie game kickoff3D model directory
Generators for minis and tokens — Hunyuan3D, Trellis, and more.
See 3D modelsLet's get to work on your rulebook.
Tell us about the game. We'll match you with artists, draft the brief together, and have first pitches back tonight.