Playable Giff in the next Extra Life?

[MechaTarrasque]

At https://www.sageadvice.eu/2018/05/31/are-giff-playable-in-mordenkainens/, Mike Mearls said that "I suspect a playable version is exactly the kind of thing that would be a good Extra Life PDF."

Although I don't have any great desire to play a Giff, I think it would be Tortlely...I mean, totally cool if they kept up the "new race for Extra Life" idea.

 

[Ancalagon]

... what is an extra life pdf?

 

[gyor]

... what is an extra life pdf?

It's a PDF like the Tortle Package that they use to get donations to extra life, an American hospital charity.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

To expand on that, the Tortles package is available for purchase in the DMs Guild (purchase price went to EL) and was "official" for AL. Presumably the Giff would follow suit (MToF's isn't the most player-heavy resource, so if it is "official", I assume it will be linked up to a different splat book for AL [possibly one that hasn't been announced yet], depending on when or if they do this).

 

[Pauper]

From the standpoint that it would likely 'sell' well and thus bring in a lot of $$$ for Extra Life (an annual charity event that various gaming companies such as WotC participate in), it would be a good idea.

From the standpoint that the Giff have no real history or place in the Forgotten Realms, will have to be significantly 'cut down' from their monster expression to remain playable (no firearms, for instance), and thus will likely prove disappointing to those who actually appreciate the lore of the race while appealing to those who know nothing about it, I think it would be a terrible idea. I also don't see this preventing WotC, especially Mearls, from doing it.

--
Pauper

 

[fjw70]

I’m down for a playable Giff.

 

[thundershot]

From the standpoint that it would likely 'sell' well and thus bring in a lot of $$$ for Extra Life (an annual charity event that various gaming companies such as WotC participate in), it would be a good idea.

From the standpoint that the Giff have no real history or place in the Forgotten Realms, will have to be significantly 'cut down' from their monster expression to remain playable (no firearms, for instance), and thus will likely prove disappointing to those who actually appreciate the lore of the race while appealing to those who know nothing about it, I think it would be a terrible idea. I also don't see this preventing WotC, especially Mearls, from doing it.

--
Pauper

To be fair, Tortles didn't exist in FR either before the Tortle Package...

 

[Demetrios1453]

To be fair, Tortles didn't exist in FR either before the Tortle Package...

Which makes it reasonable a place can be found for giff in the setting. Tortles were unknown previously since they live in an isolated area of Chult no one had really explored before, so I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to have an isolated giff settlement somewhere, perhaps the remnants of a crashed Spelljammer ship. Or - and this just occurred to me - just have them live on Lantan, since Lantan was one of the few areas of the setting undetailed before the Spellplague (so, for all we know giff might have been there all along, especially as the island was a Spelljammer haven on the planet), went missing to parts unknown for the last century or so (so, if there weren't giff there before, perhaps they picked them up wherever the island went), and would thematically be very fitting for a gunpowder-using race to inhabit...

 

[Ancalagon]

To expand on that, the Tortles package is available for purchase in the DMs Guild (purchase price went to EL) and was "official" for AL. Presumably the Giff would follow suit (MToF's isn't the most player-heavy resource, so if it is "official", I assume it will be linked up to a different splat book for AL [possibly one that hasn't been announced yet], depending on when or if they do this).

Thank you, I assumed it was a ToA thing. I'll have to look into that, it sounds like a good fit for my Yoon-Suin campaign.

 

[Mistwell]

Although I don't have any great desire to play a Giff

I believe it's pronounced Jiff.