In the lead up to the playtest we're thinking a lot about big mechanical and thematic elements. How classes work, what a theme contains, how skills and abilities tie into task resolution, what we love or hate about hit points, etc.
That's all well and good, but I want to ask a more personal question. What are one or two obscure (or just neglected) game elements would you like to see return in 5e because they really grabbed you? It could be a thematic element, monster, race, a tiny little subsystem, one of the more colorful tables in the early editions, whatever. If it needs a little polish or a complete overhaul, what would you do? If it's a little embarrassing, all the better.
Maybe you want it to shine in one of the big 3 books, but more likely you just want it to get a little sun. Basically, tell us about something you loved that never really made it into the wider consciousness as important to or characteristic of D&D.
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I'll start off with my favorite fairly obscure D&D race, illumians, which were introduced (I'm almost certain) in the 3.5 book Races of Destiny. They also made a small appearance in 4e as a disappeared planar race (Dragon 392). The principal conceit behind them I find fascinating: the idea of a language made flesh. In a fantasy setting where "power words" are a thing, it seems like there should be plenty of room for such an exploration, to say nothing of Tolkienesque ideas about the Black Speech of Mordor, etc. The mechanical execution of the race was so-so, but I enjoyed the idea of sigils even though I could have done without the eponymous glowing and the idea that illumians were otherwise basically human.
How might I rehabilitate them? The idea of how language affects how we think is of interest to me in the real world, but for illumians language might be almost akin to DNA -- not determinative, but fundamentally influential. An illumian that is "composed" of only a single language, particularly a mundane one, might be an object of pity by illumian standards, with an unlucky birth or perhaps the child of illumians that are themselves composed of only a single language. For an illumian learning a new language is a deeply spiritual and impactful event, more existential exploration than high school spanish. They don't "learn" a language, it "becomes" them. Illumians suitable as player races might start being composed of a handful of fairly mundane languages, and would be somewhat psychologically or even physically oriented toward the ideas those languages express most readily. For the most part, though, they function in everyday life quite like the other PC races.
The Illumian mythic ideal might be "to become the multiverse's thoughts", incorporating all possible expressions of meaning into oneself without going mad. Learning Abyssal might make very potent abilities available, but it would also mean incorporating frightful influences. The greatest illumian villains might be akin to demons, perhaps initially benevolent individuals pursuing dark languages without the restraint of wisdom, and eventually losing all desire to become other then what they are. (The fall from grace is obviously a standard archetype, but illumians could walk that path with a unique twist.) Likewise, some illumians might achieve an almost angelic aspect. Not all illumians would embrace the mythic ideal, and even adventurous ones might find they function well enough without needing to risk the essence of their personhood.
Others in my gaming group have gone "whatever, dude" about this concept, especially the language as DNA bit. But this thread isn't about specific ideas being good or bad, it's about sharing the small inspirational elements we find in the nooks of the game and would like to see again. What are yours?
That's all well and good, but I want to ask a more personal question. What are one or two obscure (or just neglected) game elements would you like to see return in 5e because they really grabbed you? It could be a thematic element, monster, race, a tiny little subsystem, one of the more colorful tables in the early editions, whatever. If it needs a little polish or a complete overhaul, what would you do? If it's a little embarrassing, all the better.
Maybe you want it to shine in one of the big 3 books, but more likely you just want it to get a little sun. Basically, tell us about something you loved that never really made it into the wider consciousness as important to or characteristic of D&D.---
I'll start off with my favorite fairly obscure D&D race, illumians, which were introduced (I'm almost certain) in the 3.5 book Races of Destiny. They also made a small appearance in 4e as a disappeared planar race (Dragon 392). The principal conceit behind them I find fascinating: the idea of a language made flesh. In a fantasy setting where "power words" are a thing, it seems like there should be plenty of room for such an exploration, to say nothing of Tolkienesque ideas about the Black Speech of Mordor, etc. The mechanical execution of the race was so-so, but I enjoyed the idea of sigils even though I could have done without the eponymous glowing and the idea that illumians were otherwise basically human.
How might I rehabilitate them? The idea of how language affects how we think is of interest to me in the real world, but for illumians language might be almost akin to DNA -- not determinative, but fundamentally influential. An illumian that is "composed" of only a single language, particularly a mundane one, might be an object of pity by illumian standards, with an unlucky birth or perhaps the child of illumians that are themselves composed of only a single language. For an illumian learning a new language is a deeply spiritual and impactful event, more existential exploration than high school spanish. They don't "learn" a language, it "becomes" them. Illumians suitable as player races might start being composed of a handful of fairly mundane languages, and would be somewhat psychologically or even physically oriented toward the ideas those languages express most readily. For the most part, though, they function in everyday life quite like the other PC races.
The Illumian mythic ideal might be "to become the multiverse's thoughts", incorporating all possible expressions of meaning into oneself without going mad. Learning Abyssal might make very potent abilities available, but it would also mean incorporating frightful influences. The greatest illumian villains might be akin to demons, perhaps initially benevolent individuals pursuing dark languages without the restraint of wisdom, and eventually losing all desire to become other then what they are. (The fall from grace is obviously a standard archetype, but illumians could walk that path with a unique twist.) Likewise, some illumians might achieve an almost angelic aspect. Not all illumians would embrace the mythic ideal, and even adventurous ones might find they function well enough without needing to risk the essence of their personhood.
Others in my gaming group have gone "whatever, dude" about this concept, especially the language as DNA bit. But this thread isn't about specific ideas being good or bad, it's about sharing the small inspirational elements we find in the nooks of the game and would like to see again. What are yours?
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