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

[flametitan]

The Aasamir were in SCAG to, but AL still said a cert was required. I wonder if they will do the same with the races here?

That's because the Aasimar weren't actually in the SCAG. Instead, there was a sidebar in the SCAG saying to look in the DMG. Being that the DMG is banned for making PCs in AL, the Aasimar in turn was banned.

It sounds like Aasimar in Volo's are getting an entirely new write up. I hope there's some new details in their depictions, as the default that Aasimar are *always* fair-skinned has some unfortunate implications to it.

EDIT: It seems I misread the DMG depiction of them. It merely says flawless. That said, older write-ups for Aasimar (In planescape) were fairly explicit about being fair skinned, or some unearthly skin colour like green.

 

[RulesJD]

Well, the Orc, Goblin, Firbolg, Triton, Kenku and Tabaxi are confirmed playable; while it is true the Aasamir was only confirmed to be in the book, I'll bet on them being playable.

Can you please show me where they have been confirmed as playable races?

Last time I asked, it was linked to tweets by MM that only confirmed them as being in the guide, not that they would be listed as playable races.

 

[l0lzero]

Regarding the Orc Half-Orc diversity issue, I think it would be interesting to add something akin to the half-elf variants from the SCAG to the half-orc, like a half-orc half-dwarf or a half-orc half-tiefling, or a half-orc half-dragonborn (since they're not produced only through ritual and born from magical faberge eggs anymore). Bwahaha... half-orc half-warforged

 

[thalmin]

It's a Death Kiss beholderkin. Took me a couple of minutes to sort through the beholderkin before I figured that one out.

Has anyone figured out what Mr Snakearms is yet? I assume some sort of yuan-ti variant, although I'm not sure exactly which one....

I haven't seen the preview pics yet, but Mr. Snakearms sounds like a Yuan-ti Malison figure in the Storm King's Thunder minis set, #36/45.

 

[Leatherhead]

I haven't seen the preview pics yet, but Mr. Snakearms sounds like a Yuan-ti Malison figure in the Storm King's Thunder minis set, #36/45.

I'm leaning to some kind of Yaun-Ti myself, but the picture is significantly different from that Mini. And by significant I mean it has like a dozen snake tails instead of two snake heads as arms.

It could be some new monster.

 

[Parmandur]

Can you please show me where they have been confirmed as playable races?



Last time I asked, it was linked to tweets by MM that only confirmed them as being in the guide, not that they would be listed as playable races.

Certainly: Orcs, Goblins and Firbolg are specified as playable races in the product description, and Stan! specified Triton, Tabaxi and Lenku as detailed PC options (as opposed to the Quick Rules table).

 

[flametitan]

Can you please show me where they have been confirmed as playable races?

Last time I asked, it was linked to tweets by MM that only confirmed them as being in the guide, not that they would be listed as playable races.

Tritons: Announcement.

Goblins, Orcs, Firbolgs: Product Page.

Tabaxi, Kenku: Stan! played a Tabaxi in Extra Life, while also confirming that kenku will be another playable race.

Aasimar: All we have is a tweet to go by, though the impression from the tweets is that it will be in Volo's, not just a redirect to the DMG.

 

[RotGrub]

Since the book is about the FR, I wish they'd include the Saurials.

 

[Al2O3]

Regarding the art from the guide: on http://dndwizards.tumblr.com/ they have 2-3 lines of text about the monsters depticted (Ki-rin, Pit master, Flail snail and Death Kiss).

A couple of comments on Tolkien races, playable orcs and half-orcs: it seems that Tolkien also introduced half-orcs and there seems to be quite a lot variation between different kind of orcs in Tolkien's works. I think there should be room for differentiation among them.

From a more Forgotten Realms perspective I like the idea of allowing some orcs along the lines of Obould Many-Arrows. Some of the Many-Arrows orcs probably still want to try and live in peace with the civilized races, and if I recall correctly there was even some point when Bruenor Battlehammer faked his own death to go an look for Gauntlgrym along with Drizzt and no more than a couple of others. There were probably just four characters knowing about the plan; one of them was an orc. Still, the inclusion of orcs is the first time I consider limiting the options for players regarding what is allowed. Otherwise it has been free pick from all books and latest iterations of UA options.

 

[gyor]

Tritons: Announcement.

Goblins, Orcs, Firbolgs: Product Page.

Tabaxi, Kenku: Stan! played a Tabaxi in Extra Life, while also confirming that kenku will be another playable race.

Aasimar: All we have is a tweet to go by, though the impression from the tweets is that it will be in Volo's, not just a redirect to the DMG.

We have one other thing to go by...good sense. They're not going to put Aasmir, a race that is designed to be a player race, have been a playable race in most editions within FR, which is one of the few races that would be extremely welcome and popular in most human settlement, in Volo's Guide to Monsters and not make it playable, yet making Orcs, Tritons, Goblins, Firbolgs, and Tabaxi, Kenku, who knows what else playable. Like there is not a shred of doubt in my mind that playable Aasimar are in VGTM, I'm so certain I'll eat the book if they're not playable.