Gamer Radio Zero - Races: Choose the Races: D,G,G,H,S

[MaelStorm]

Githzerai are far more likely to be a PC race, given the fact that as stated before, Githzerai are more likely to be PCs since Githyanki are more likely to be villains.

It was like that even in 2e when the Githzerai were introduced as a PC race along with Tieflings in the Planescape Campaign Setting Boxed Set. They only came out with rules for Githyanki PCs in the supplement Guide to the Astral Plane, and then again in 2e completely snubbed the Githyanki as a PC race when they reprinted the Planescape PC races in the Planewalker's Handbook (but they introduced the Genasi).

In 3e even when they started to make the 2 Gith races almost alike, you certainly saw more of Githzerai as PCs than you did with Githyanki (of course in 3e it was probably because Githzerai were broken even as a Level Adjustment +2 race).

Because I never played them, and they are both one and the same (in appearance, meaning it's just fluff that differentiate them), Githzerai is fine with me also.

But if you listened to the interview, James Wyatt says that it's fun to play the baddies. Maybe in 4E there's a high probability for both races being core.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

is it correct to assume that any race thats in the monster manual is NOT in the player handbook 2?

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Semi Off-Topic:

Was rewatching the GRZ episode in the text comments, GamerZer0 made this comment:

Thanks. I was thinking of focusing on the Dungeon Masters Guide next, but I can try to do classes if people think it's more interesting. =)

So we may find some new info on the DMG.

 

[dm4hire]

I thought that the Drow and Genasi have been confirmed for getting full race write ups in the Forgotten Realms Player's Guide.

I also though that WotC has said that there will be no "half-orc" race, just straight up Orcs.

Including Drow in the PHB2 will make them available to those who do not like the FR setting and will not buy the product. I can see WotC relenting on the Half-orc as there has been some serious outcrying over their disappearance.

Genasi is a good pick also.

I would love to see the Githyanki, but most likely would be Githzerai as there are too many in story problems for the Githyanki (namely Gith herself, unless they have her overthrown finally she tends to kill off anyone who could become a threat to her).

Goblin would be an interesting twist, but I have to agree at least one of the "G" will be Gnomes.

Satyr for the "S" but I think it will be Shifter, introducing us to part of Eberron 4e.

 

[Irda Ranger]

One of the two G's will be the Githyanki, because there is a very high probability that the Psionic power source will also debut in PH II

I'd go with Githzerai before Githyanki.
They're Psionic too.
They're often Monks, which is a class I expect to see in PHBII.
They're not "usually pretty evil" like Githyanki.

In fact, now that I think about it, I'd pick Githzerai for making an appearance as a PC race over Gnomes. They're "cooler", and more in line with WotC's new feel for 4E. Plus, it's clear from the art preview that WotC doesn't have any more clear conception of Gnomes than anyone else does. Githzerai are definitely cool, badass and clearly defined; which are the three traits WotC is looking for.

 

[Spatula]

Drow, gnome, shadar-kai, etc. are all going to have PC rules in books published this year. If the PHB2 is reprinting them, then it's a complete waste of space.

My guess is that at least some of them are the psionic races (dromite or duergar, githzerai / githyanki, half-giants, are all possibilities), and the rest primal-related.

 

[arscott]

is it correct to assume that any race thats in the monster manual is NOT in the player handbook 2?

Not by a long shot. The MM race writeups are going to be incomplete--No race-specific feats or other racial options that the PHB races get, no flavor or descriptive text beyond what the monster entry gets. They're really designed for GMs creating NPC opponents, not Players creating their characters.

And regarding wizard's "No half-orc" statement: I'm pretty sure that's limited to the MM writeups. Especially if they're going to make Eberron books--Half-orcs have a definite place in that setting--one that avoids the ickiness factor of the standard half-orc.

 

[Green Knight]

They're really designed for GMs creating NPC opponents, not Players creating their characters.

They're designed for player use, actually. DM's don't need PC stats to create monster NPC's. Only players need PC stats.

As for Half-Orcs, Rich Baker said a while back that they'll probably be eventually introduced through DDI, so Half-Orcs aren't gone. Someone did say something about using Orcs for your Half-Orc characters, but that doesn't mean that Half-Orcs are gone. It just means that the person in question was suggesting that Half-Orc players should use the stats for Orcs until the Half-Orc stats are out.

I dunno, PHB1 has: 7 Races

Eight, actually. Dragonborn, Dwarves, Eladrin, Elves, Halflings, Half-Elves, Humans, and Tieflings.

But yeah, assuming a 320 page PHB II, they can pack in quite a bit. The PHB I is giving us eight races and eight classes. Imagine how much more we'd get if it didn't include the game rules, or the chapter on skills, and if the equipment chapter and feats chapter were much smaller? 10 races and 10 classes may not be altogether out of bounds. Assuming six pages for each race, and 15 for each class, we're talking 210 pages. That still leaves 110 pages for additional magic items, equipment, new feats, Epic Destinies, and so on.

 

[The_Fan]

At least one of the G's is probably goliath. They have the best traction out of all the Races Of... series. Dromites have a certain charisma to them, I could see them being the D. The H is either a half-something or a new race. The S...I'm going to be different and say Snakemen, unless Yuan-Ti are playable right out of the MM.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I'm pretty sure that PHB2 won't have a "combat chapter" which is usually a pretty big chapter. There also probably won't be a "What is a RPG chapter?" as well, so there's probably more room for more races and classes.