PH3 Playtest Race: Wilden

[Klaus]

1. It's still a playtest, so those who want the name to revert back to Killoren should make themselves hear through feedback.

2. While the sketches look a bit "alien", there's nothing to stop one from envisioning the wilden/killoren as a "green man" type of creature, lifted straight from Medieval imagery:

 

[hong]

Perhaps. OTOH, somehow "deva" made it through the design process when "aasimar" was fine to begin with.

Deva is an actual word in addition to being a preexisting D&D monster. The Dragon writeup on deva ecology also draws heavily on real-world devae and the religious/philosophical traditions from which they arise for inspiration.

Aasimar OTOH is two letters away from ass smear.

 

[Barastrondo]

I wonder what the public reaction would have been if they'd reserved the name "dryad" for these guys.

 

[Festivus]

Stuff like this definitely won't make me buy PHB3. It's just too far away from the traditional fantasy game I want to play. But I think it's fair enough that WotC explore that avenue, since quite a few seem interested in "weird" races and they (WotC) have already covered my needs for races.

My first thought was as yours, not something I was looking for. But then it's taken me several years and an edition to like warforged as a race so it could grow on me, so who knows, I might change my mind before it hits shelves in a year.

 

[The_Fan]

I honestly had to download a copy of races of the wild (PIRACY!) just to refresh my memory on what the Killoren were. They had less traction in my mind than hadozee, fer cryin' out loud. This new writeup and new name does very little to alleviate this.

Also, identical racial stat bonuses to a dwarf are stepping on the poor dwarf's toes, and the bonus to one defense of choice only hurts the dwarf even more. The racial powers are also in my opinion a bit too good. They're like enhanced versions of other racial powers or class features (the Ancients power in particular is stepping on Eladrin toes).

I'm generally inclined to look at things in a half-full light, but this is pretty disappointing. Hopefully it will get better fluff and some toned down racial powers in the final version. Or, alternately, maybe I'm just feeling extra grumpy today.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I wonder what the public reaction would have been if they'd reserved the name "dryad" for these guys.

Hmm.

I think Dryad could work in general, but not for this combination of racial features, I think.

I am neither a fan of Killoren or Wilden as a name... We'll see. Names are always hard.

 

[hong]

Guild Wars 2 will use "sylvari"....

 

[Charwoman Gene]

KILLoren

Shh... it's subliminal.

 

[Hexmage-EN]

I don't care for the "Voyage of the Ancients" power. The other two racial powers make sense to me, but I don't really understand what being able to teleport after hitting someone with a close attack or a blast has to do with being a wise plant creature.

 

[Piratecat]

I'd change the fluff text completely, but I've offered this race to someone interested in playing a shaman in my game. I like them! Well, I like the game powers, and I like their plant nature; I'm less excited about their "brand new race, fighting the far realms" fluff. That doesn't fit in well with where I see my campaigns going.