D&D 5E Player Races in Upcoming Volo's Guide to Monsters

[doctorbadwolf]

Hmmm, yes, obv we shouldn't have more than one hairless upright mammal, more than one small race, more than one "brute" race....

or we we could be happy about popular races getting official write ups. Yeah, that makes a lot more sense to me.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

If I had to guess about the last 5 detailed races:

Githyanki
Githzerai
Hobgoblin
Thrikreen
Knbolds

Just a guess, stuff like Shadar Kai, Extimaar/Pureblood Yaun Ti, Flinds, and odder stuff in the quick races section.

Just my prediction.

Are Hobs more popular than bugbears? I hope my favorite goblinoids at least get the quick write up treatment. Also, I'd like to see how they do shader-kai, and I honestly don't care if there is a whole fluff write up. The 4e writeup was full of stuff that made me roll my eyes, and earlier descriptions I found boring, so I'm happy with my own fluff for them, but they are a tricky race to build mechanically, so an official version will be helpful, even if I end up deviating from it. (If they don't get something along he lines of either a teleport, shadow movement, inaubstantial, etc I'll definitely deviate from it)

my my main concern, though, is that IMO, is that the game should not have only one of a given broad type of race. There should be multiple uncivilized brute races, multiple tricksy small races, multiple aquatic, wilderness/nature focused, avian, underdark, shadow, extraplanar, elemental, etc races. One of each makes the game feel like it's trying to fill a grid, rather than build worlds.

Also, Kenku and aarakokra are about as similar as elves and dwarves, at *most*.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I think Goblins as in the small-sized variety would be a detailed race. As many have said, they sort of want Goblins for comedic relief, though Kobolds certainly overlap in that regards. I also think some campaigns would be more accepting of the small-sized monstrous races, because they're less threatening than Hobgoblins or Orcs and therefore perceived as being "balanced".

 

[Xohar17]

If anything I think the goblin and kobold overlap thematically with each other more than the Aarakocra and the Kenku. Both are small races, weak individually and like to attack in groups, generally considered more like an underdog or comedic race, etc.

 

[Dualazi]

It is a True player resource, for playable races it has 12 detailed races and large amount of quickly done races, it will have new shapes for wildshape, new Beasts to have as companions, new creatures for summoning spells and True Polymorph, likely new setting lore.

And its a done deal, they're already committed to these races. Kobolds,Kenkus, ect..., are really popular and likely already done, except maybe for the art, so most of the energy has been expended.

And given the volume of races I think the only D&D fantasy races that won't be covered, are setting specific ones that don't appear in FR,like Warforged, which would come out with Eberron.

Even with the races we know about there is a wide area explored.

Firbolgs(giants), Kenku (land based, tricky, crow people), Tritons (Aquatic race), Aasimar (Celestial race), Tabaxi (Jaguar/Leopard/Cat Folk and a fast race), Orcs (War like barbarian race), Goblins (small, sneaky race), with say 5 more detailed races. And really weird stuff will be likely on the quick race list.

I don't qualify it as a “True Player Resource” unless that's what the sum total of the book is about, and you can't even claim the majority of Volo's is for players. The official page count was what,224 pages? I'd guess that by the end 10-12% of the book will be player's options, which does not a player's resource make in my book.

Hmmm,yes, obv we shouldn't have more than one hairless upright mammal, more than one small race, more than one "brute" race....

or we we could be happy about popular races getting official write ups. Yeah, that makes a lot more sense to me.

Once again, you fail to make a point by futilely attempting to reduce the definitions beyond what anyone else has put forward. Kinda outs your position as a tenuous one.


In response to both of you, I've never been clamoring that they should remake the book, obviously an impossibility even if any of us did have the power, but I am disappointed in this choice by wizards as it makes the product less desirable to me.


I'd also love to see something resembling hard data on how many people are excited for Kenku; I've seen gnoll fans elsewhere on the net, but never have I seen anything resembling Kenku fanbase. Anecdotal, butt hat's why I'd like to see some data.

 

[gyor]

Are Hobs more popular than bugbears? I hope my favorite goblinoids at least get the quick write up treatment. Also, I'd like to see how they do shader-kai, and I honestly don't care if there is a whole fluff write up. The 4e writeup was full of stuff that made me roll my eyes, and earlier descriptions I found boring, so I'm happy with my own fluff for them, but they are a tricky race to build mechanically, so an official version will be helpful, even if I end up deviating from it. (If they don't get something along he lines of either a teleport, shadow movement, inaubstantial, etc I'll definitely deviate from it)

my my main concern, though, is that IMO, is that the game should not have only one of a given broad type of race. There should be multiple uncivilized brute races, multiple tricksy small races, multiple aquatic, wilderness/nature focused, avian, underdark, shadow, extraplanar, elemental, etc races. One of each makes the game feel like it's trying to fill a grid, rather than build worlds.

Also, Kenku and aarakokra are about as similar as elves and dwarves, at *most*.

I'd say Kenku and Aarakokra are as simular as Tieflings and Avariels (Flying elves).

As for Hobgoblins vs Bugbears, the only Hobs I like are in Changeling: The Lost 1e and 2e, so feel free to switch Hobgoblins for Bugbears.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

If anything I think the goblin and kobold overlap thematically with each other more than the Aarakocra and the Kenku. Both are small races, weak individually and like to attack in groups, generally considered more like an underdog or comedic race, etc.

True, although I still definitely want good stats for both.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I don't qualify it as a “True Player Resource” unless that's what the sum total of the book is about, and you can't even claim the majority of Volo's is for players. The official page count was what,224 pages? I'd guess that by the end 10-12% of the book will be player's options, which does not a player's resource make in my book.





Once again, you fail to make a point by futilely attempting to reduce the definitions beyond what anyone else has put forward. Kinda outs your position as a tenuous one.


In response to both of you, I've never been clamoring that they should remake the book, obviously an impossibility even if any of us did have the power, but I am disappointed in this choice by wizards as it makes the product less desirable to me.


I'd also love to see something resembling hard data on how many people are excited for Kenku; I've seen gnoll fans elsewhere on the net, but never have I seen anything resembling Kenku fanbase. Anecdotal, butt hat's why I'd like to see some data.

It is a directly applicable comparison. You claim Kenku are redundant because they are also based on birds. That is the same argument, and makes as little sense, as claiming that any upright hairless mammal race makes any other such race redundant.

Especially when kenku and aarakorka have entirely different looks, capabilities, cultural and ecological fluff, size, personalities and biases, and player appeals.

Wanting to play kenku is not solved, in any way whatsoever, but the existence of aarakokra, even at a table where aarakokra are allowed wholesale. They don't fill the same niche. Goblins and dwarves are more similar, and fill more of the same conceptual space. Both mammalian, both subterranean, both shorter than humans, both organized in extended family groups, out often used for comic relief.

Kenku and aarakokra are...both featured bird people...and that is it. That is the only thing.

 

[Parmandur]

If I had to guess about the last 5 detailed races:

Githyanki
Githzerai
Hobgoblin
Thrikreen
Knbolds

Just a guess, stuff like Shadar Kai, Extimaar/Pureblood Yaun Ti, Flinds, and odder stuff in the quick races section.

Just my prediction.

I had misheard the initial count; Stan! said "about half a dozen..maybe more?" So, unclear just how many more than the seven we know about will be detailed, if any. Your guesses seem reasonable, as for content.

 

[SkidAce]

Kenku are popular enough honestly, they should have been published first and Aarakocra left to the sidelines. They're a second tier race

I agree with this.