Here's the email I sent my players about the book -
Three new races:
Earth Gnome - Bonuses to Int and Con. The traditional, talking to
burrowing mammals gnome, rather than the new Gninja Gnomes found in
the Monster Manual.
Orc-Blooded - Bonuses to Strength and Wisdom. Half orcs, basically.
Good at hitting people very hard. Have a fever of a hundred and three.
Shire Halfling - Stats are in the preview. Also, I'm playing one
right now.
Five New classes:
Martial Artist - Monk. Divine Striker. Uses Dex and Wis. They move
fast, and gain bonuses to AC. While Rogues get bonus damage by
striking with surprise, warlocks get bonus damage by cursing people,
and rangers get bonus damage because they hate the guy they're hitting
SO MUCH!!!!!, martial artists basically punch them in the kidneys -
it's an extra attack they can use once per round, with damage
comparable to a warlock's curse. Easier to use, but they have to roll
to hit. Martial artists have a nice mix of weapon and unarmed powers,
and at 16th level they can fight a duel on the surface of a lake.
Nature Priest - Druid. Divine Controller. Uses Wisdom and more
wisdom. Powers are split between summoning spirit animals and
controlling weather and the elements. They have a paragon path for
shapeshifting.
Savage Warrior - Barbarian. Martial Defender. Uses strength and more
strength. Bonuses to charge, and when they're bloodied they get
bonuses to hit and AC, and are more likely to crit.
Troubador - Bard. Arcane Leader. A few powers use Dex, but most use
Charisma. A little bit of magic, a little bit of swordplay, highly
skilled, and not necessarily musical. They're better than other
leaders at enhancing spellcasters in the party, and they have a few
powers that let them borrow powers from other party members. They're
also the best choice for non-combat focused characters, and everyman
types. I think I love them.
Spellbinder - Illusionist. Arcana Controller. Charisma focused.
Sort of a subclass, since they borrow several powers from wizards, fey
warlocks, and troubadors.