Tiefling, Dragonborn : have they gained traction ?

[Psikus]

Dragonborn are, by far, the most played race in my group. I think they're definitely here to stay. As for tieflings, we have only had one so far. I like their new appearance and unified origin, but we just don't have the kind of players that should go crazy for them (i.e. drow players). That said, I'd bet that the dark, tortured race that will get real traction this edition are Shadar'kai (and they aren't even in a PHB yet!)

 

[Pickles JG]

I -adore- tieflings. But, I cannot stand the appearance and homogeneity of appearance that 4e forced onto tieflings. Gone are the grab-bag of random fiendish traits, mixed bloodlines, and unique individual appearances, all in favor a default origin story for all tieflings and a set of gigantic horns, a thick brow-ridge, and overly large tail. They've lost some of their hallmarks of the last twenty years in the process of WotC including them as a core race, and IMO too much was forcibly sacrificed in the process.

+1. But I can just use the 2e fluff & art & be happy.

 

[Hexmage-EN]

I don't care much for Dragonborn, but I love Tieflings. I know there are some people who miss the random features that Tieflings could have and dislike the homogenization of features in 4E, but in my opinion random features would be more indicative of an Abyssal origin than an Infernal one. I especially didn't like previous editions' depictions of them with goat legs, and there are still some 4E Tiefling illustrations that I don't care for.

This illustration, though, is awesome.

 

[Cadfan]

In my area, Tieflings and Dragonborn are pretty popular.

Halflings, Half Elves, and maybe Dwarves... not so popular. Straight up lame, even.

I think those three have conceptual problems for newer players. Older players love the tropes, but newer players are ever so slightly a group of culture aliens. So they look at halflings, and see "people who are short like children." Ok. And dwarves? "People who are short and also fat." And half elves? "People who are.... umm...." Halflings and Dwarves have cultures, sure, but those cultures are largely just copies of existing human cultures, meaning that its trivially easy for someone to create a human PC who's stolen the Halfling or Dwarf cultural shtick. And Half Elves are just... a bag full of empty.

Meanwhile Tieflings and Dragonborn are interesting and unique. Tieflings have an obvious hook (humans except demon touched) and they have physical differences on an entirely different scale from "really short" or "short and also fat." Dragonborn also have an obvious hook and physical differentiation that stops them from being "humans but kinda not."

 

[Hexmage-EN]

Dwarves are my favorite race, and I especially love the art direction for them in 4E.

In fact, let me rank the PHB and PHB2 races by how much I like them:

1) Dwarf
2) Gnome
3) Tiefling
4) Goliath
5) Human
6) Elf
7) Deva
8) Eladrin
9) Half-Elf
10) Half-Orc
11) Dragonborn
12) Shifter
13) Halfling

 

[Hereticus]

We have 4e since last year. Have you the feeling that the new races, tiefling and dragonborn, have gained the same "traction" than the good old standard D&D races (dwarf, elf, halfling...) ? Or are they rather the 4e equivalent of the half-dragons or half-outsider of 3e : popular for min-max build but rather bland inside?

Tieflings at least have some tie-in to a previous edition, and some before that if you include fiendish heritage creatures like Cambions and Alu-Demons.

If I were designing the Dragonborne and Dragonspawn races, I would have tied them in as sub-races of Lizardfolk.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

In our highest level party, I play a Dragonborn Warlord, and another player a Tiefling Paladin. It was either our first or second regular D&D 4 game, and I don't think anyone of us regrets their racial choice.

But I don't want to play just one races, so in the other campaigns I ran with other race/class combinations.

 

[Shemeska]

I don't care much for Dragonborn, but I love Tieflings. I know there are some people who miss the random features that Tieflings could have and dislike the homogenization of features in 4E, but in my opinion random features would be more indicative of an Abyssal origin than an Infernal one. I especially didn't like previous editions' depictions of them with goat legs, and there are still some 4E Tiefling illustrations that I don't care for.

This illustration, though, is awesome.

I see your brow-ridge and raise you goat legs.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Tiefling picture competition! I am so there *begins scrounging around* Hmm... Diterlizzi had a Tiefling picture I really liked, got to find it.

Say, Shemeska do you know of any 2e book that had a particular focus on Tieflings?

 

[Hereticus]

Dragonborn are, by far, the most played race in my group. I think they're definitely here to stay. As for tieflings, we have only had one so far. I like their new appearance and unified origin, but we just don't have the kind of players that should go crazy for them (i.e. drow players). That said, I'd bet that the dark, tortured race that will get real traction this edition are Shadar'kai (and they aren't even in a PHB yet!)

Fourth edition was set up so all classes had a combat aspect to them. Moreso than in the previous three editions. With the PHB1, Dragonborn were the only race with a Strength bonus. There was a built-in popularity for combat maximization.

Now with Half Orcs and Goliaths, they no longer have the Strength bonus monopoly.