What "classic" races are left? -- Forked Thread: PH3 Playtest Race: Wilden

[Rechan]

We got demons, how about angels.

Deva.

 

[am181d]

Ogre, faerie, animal folk (ala Narnia, Final Fantasy, or -- if you absolutely must -- the furries)

Clockwork men is sort of covered by Warforged

Goblin as playable race, or maybe Saytr?

 

[Mephistopheles]

We got demons, how about angels.

I couldn't help but note that one of the shifts with 4E was to emphasize that player characters are the heroic good guys and yet the two new player races introduced as core in PHB1 were a dragon man and a demon man. I found it sort of amusing at the time.

 

[Rechan]

animal folk (ala Narnia, Final Fantasy, )

Won't happen. Animals can't wield 90% of published magical equipment.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

I could see an Elf/Eladrin type split for the aspects of previous edition gnomes that didn't carry over into the 4E version. Svirfneblin for the small folk of elemental earth and Minoi for those wacky little tinkers.

 

[doctorhook]

The most traditional and/or classical racial archetype not yet treated in 4E? IMHO, it's the Shapeshifter/"Changeling", who will imminently be represented by Doppelgangers (themselves modelled upon a race actually called "Changelings" in 3.5E, moreso than traditional Doppelgangers) if not in the Eberron Player's Guide, then in Player's Handbook 3 I imagine.

Goblinoids would be nice too. In fact, several of the traditional "monster" races might be cool, although some would certainly be redundant with other races: Orcs, Hobgoblins/Bugbears, Goblins, Kobolds, Medusae, and possibly Centaurs or Satyrs. Furries... I don't like; I'll watch Care Bears when I wanna see anthropomorphs everywhere.

In 4E, we've pruned elves down into three distinct races, and no more. However, if there's one more traditional D&D race that hasn't been mentioned yet, it's one final elf-type: Sea-Elves. Trouble is that you've gotta be playing an underwater/ocean campaign for them to be meaningful, and then you've got to include Merfolk and Sahaguin, too.

 

[Jack7]

Personally, I'd like to see the purple skinned lycanthrope lizard catoblepas Amazon men of Arcturus Seven. You know the ones who can shape shift into either a Swiss Banking Accountant or something very like a pterodactyl Homunculus.

Then again I wouldn't mind seeing the furry eight-armed war-forged astralnaut Spider People from Mystery Island who can water walk under the Sea of Bubbly Chaos as a encounter based racial attribute.

Wait a second! I've just been handed a special dispatch hot off the wires. Both those races are scheduled for the Player's Handbook Number 21, to be released right after the PHB 20 that contains the Magic power powder dust Mechanized Star-Beam Orc-Bot with the quick aim infravision Wizard Eye Laser Scope. Daggummit. Never mind.

Why are all the good ideas already taken?

Animals can't wield 90% of published magical equipment.

Because they don't have opposable paws, or because nobody has yet thought to build the bionics necessary for such a fantasy game?

I think what one needs to do, is decide what "classic" and "traditional" is. Since, while say for example a Thri-Keen is deemed a classic race from early editions, people who say they want to play a "traditional fantasy" game wouldn't ever consider that.

To be more serious, I suspect you're right.

 

[Rechan]

Because they don't have opposable paws, or because nobody has yet thought to build the bionics necessary for such a fantasy game?

The former. The issue of weapons/armor et al. Not to mention that, because animals can't use weapons, that pretty much knocks out the weapon-using classes.

 

[Jack7]

because animals can't use weapons, that pretty much knocks out the weapon-using classes.

Yeah, but some of em sure can bite. One of my Great Danes accidentally bit me clean through to the leg-bone from the back side of my calf while I was breaking up a dog-fight. Still got the scar.

Granted, it didn't hurt as bad as that time I got knifed in the side but if she had kept it up for awhile I'd have sure sat up and taken notice. Or maybe fallen down and bled for a bit.

Maybe though magic could give an animal a magical sword or spear bite, or a "I can control this rod of lordly might" with my mind.

Sure, you'd have plenty of limitations, but you'd also have some unique opportunities, especially given animal senses.

 

[Kinneus]

I'd just like to see more 'official' versions of the monster races, ala the Gnome and Gnoll. Goblin, Kobold, Bugbear, both types of 'gith', Doppleganger... wouldn't be particularly exciting, but it would be useful.