Does anyone actually like Dragonborn and Tieflings?

[Darrin Drader]

I don't dislike them so much as I don't want to see them as default elements.

Honestly, I'd be glad to allow either in my 3e game. As exceptions.

This.

 

[Wormwood]

Amen. Least favorite D&D race EVER.

Preach it brother!

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Am I just a grognard, or are Dragonborn and, to a lesser degree, Tieflings universally despised? Both seem more "kewl" than "cool", more post-2000 World of Warcraft-esque fantasy than classic Lord of the Rings fantasy or New Wave Talislanta-esque weird fantasy.

You're not just a grognard, you're a super-grognard. I've been playing RPGs since 1988 and neither of them seem any more "kewl" than 95% of the portrayals of elves in every RPG ever.

That said, I don't think either race, as implemented in 4E is particularly interesting. Dragonborn are just "Dragons + Klingons", and that's not horribly exciting or horribly lame. Tieflings in 4E are not "the real Tieflings", which were much less OTT and more varied in appearance and, er, less "emo" I believe is the current term. They're hardly horrible though, and not really very "kewl".

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

I like the dragonborn. Should my current bugbear rogue go down, I might do a dragonborn ranger (monk).

I'm okay with tieflings, but not likely to ever play one.

Brad

 

[SavageRobby]

I liked Cambions as a once-in-a-blue-moon-exception. I like the occasional Half-Orc. I even let someone play a Svirfneblin, and even once a Half-Ogre (ah, Roger Moore's Half-Ogre, good times).

But Dragonborn and Tieflings as core? I'm in the "meh" category there - I dislike them as core. However, I will admit them I'm kind of old school that way, and its not a reflection on how the race plays, but purely my own preferences. (So, if you like them in your games, more power to ya.)

 

[Evilusion]

Yea I one of the few that hate them both. For me it is just not my style. I would have rather seen 2 other races than dragonmen and semi demons people.

 

[Agamon]

They're bad guys in my campaign, not really player races. But in the game one of my players is running, I'm making a tiefling warlord.

 

[Fifth Element]

Like both of them well enough.

Despise gnomes, half-orcs and halflings.

 

[williamhm]

Im playing a tiefling fey pact lock right now, personally I like the new fluff better. Then again Im inclined to like anything that breaks the LOTR mold. It was a great series of books but Im sick of games even somewhat based on it.

 

[The Green Adam]

quote=Shemeska;4339969]

I love the art of the amazing Tony Diterlizzi...but I don't like Tiefs or Dragonborn. I must admit though...if they still looked as they do above I might be more inclined to include Tiefs as at least they would retain a vaguely medieval, folkloric appearence.

My problem with the two new species are:

A) Dungeons & Dragons has become increasing distant from its medieval fantasy origins and these creatures just seem to reinforce that. I feel the starter book should have a more basic array of creatures and said beings should be a bit more classic. After looking through the 4E Player's Handbook, a non-gamer female friend said to me, "Are there any Dragons or Dungeons in this game? This looks like another planet. Its like Star Wars."

I imagine she is one of the people that WotC/Hasbro is trying to market to...a creative and intelligent young professional who doesn't buy their product but might. She is a history buff and a fan of classic literature but sees nothing of the mass market elements she expects to see that might interest her. It doesn't look like Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. It looks weird and confusing. She's in consulting and marketing herself btw.

On the subject, I thought fantasy RPGs did better then SF ones because they are based on a recognizable past we can all reference the same way.

Of course this choice of a change in atmosphere is directly related to...

B) The art. I just don't like it that much but specifically I'm not a big fan of the designs of these two creatures. The Dragonborn do not look like Draogn Men to me but rather evoke images of Predator and D'Argo from Farscape. The Tiefling of late is a different colored Draenai. Not interesting to me at all as I've seen it before.

Maybe the next PHB will contain more species I can get a handle on, though I'm sort of expecting Warforged, Klingons and beings made of pure magical energy. Neat yes but not what I'm looking for.

AD