D&D Outsider - Wilden & Shardmind

Klaus said:

For either race (and the bladelings, before them), the biggest hurdle, IMHO, is the art. Neither (or none of the three) races has a really compelling look.

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That is one of my two turnoffs for both races. I also dislike the narrow focus in their backstories (although the article did a great job expanding it) but I could get past that if they looked cooler to me. It's like when I play Star Wars--I always choose a race that I thought was cool-looking in the movies (Ithorians, Chevins, Quarrens, etc.) opposed to based on their stats.

My favorite part of the article was the Shardmind Slayer concept. That would make for a great character or adversary.

I really would like it if Wizards would ditch sexual dimorphism for some of the weirder races. Why do there have to be male/female shardminds and wilden?

I could have sworn Thri-Keen used to be exclusively female, and Muls used to be exclusively male. Dragonborn could have been more interesting if the females were slightly bigger than the males, and neither had mammaries.

Shardmind art would have been better without trying to force weird creatures into human sexual shapes.

That is one of my two turnoffs for both races. I also dislike the narrow focus in their backstories (although the article did a great job expanding it) but I could get past that if they looked cooler to me.

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I tried making them look a bit better for Counter Collection 4e Heroic 3. I'm not too keen on the wilden's wedge-shaped head, though. And the shardmind look better when it seems they're made of smaller, irregular crystals, even to the point of being a bit asymetrical.

It is solid.

He is so wrong about "Wilden" being better than "Killoren", though.

First, having KILL in the name of your race is friggin' badass.

Second, "killoren" have a nice little celtic lilt to them.

Third, hurling around buzzwords randomly and without thought is never to be rewarded or complimented. We've seen enough "wild" and "war" and "mind" to choke a cliche pit.

They've gotten better since 4e's launch, but "Wilden" is really a bad name, dood.

Well, I bet they has another name for itselves, but who speaks wilden?

Kamikaze Midget said:

It is solid.

He is so wrong about "Wilden" being better than "Killoren", though.

First, having KILL in the name of your race is friggin' badass.

Second, "killoren" have a nice little celtic lilt to them.

Third, hurling around buzzwords randomly and without thought is never to be rewarded or complimented. We've seen enough "wild" and "war" and "mind" to choke a cliche pit.

They've gotten better since 4e's launch, but "Wilden" is really a bad name, dood.

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This hasn't really gotten all that much worse since PHB1 and the Ranger's Hunter's Bear Claw Trap Boar's Charge Careful Nimble Twin Strike of Doom.

Klaus said:

For either race (and the bladelings, before them), the biggest hurdle, IMHO, is the art. Neither (or none of the three) races has a really compelling look.

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I too agree with this. I like the concept of the Wilden, but who wants to look like a Wolverine topiary?

I also feel that the three aspects should have greater diversity visually.

AbdulAlhazred said:

Well, I bet they has another name for itselves, but who speaks wilden?

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I bet the Lorax can.

Oh man, on Wilden vs. Killoren:

How many people played Killoren back in the day? (How many people knew the Wilden weren't really new?) I didn't play D&D at the time so I kind of assume that people have the same problems with monster races today as they did in yesteryear. Killoren is a totally badass name & Wilden isn't a better one...it's just one that sounds more like a race that's One with the Wilderness rather than a race that WANTS TO KILL YOU. The name Killoren is about a subtle as StabMinds or Murderbrotchen. It's cool....but a player wanting to play a weird race doesn't need to fight the uphill battle against the DM just by saying the Race's Name. Killoren screams "Killer" which kinda falls into the "disruptive monster PC" trap. Or something. To Some. Or so I blather.
(PS: I'm posting this here and not on the D&D Boards, though apparently the same guy is really upset by the name Wilden on both. And CrossPosting is just weird to me.)

@FireLance: Damn it, did I seriously forget to make a Lorax joke. Well played, good sir.
Also, in D&D the damn Lorax is out of work. What with Treants, Eladrin, Gnomes, Elves, Wilden, Druids, etc clogging up the "Speaking for the Trees" job market in the D&D Universe. Guy should've filed a copyright or something, all these off-brand tree-speakers just ruin it for everyone.
-Jared

Edit: I pretend that every person follows me on Twitter, where I blather about this sort of thing (including the new Six Flags D&D Ride that's coming out, complete with Venger+Stupid Unicorn), but since Sexual Dimorphism in Fantasy came up, all I can say is that I'm really glad D&D isn't like Wow. Check this out:
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2007/05/sexual_dimorphi/
It's like 1st edition's Female Template got revived or some madness. Oh my.

Edit Edit:
Also for kicks, here's the picture of the Killoren from "Races of the Wild", which while they were featured, focused more on Raptoreans become a new standard Race. Or something. It's an old book by my newbian standards.
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/row_gallery/86635.jpg
I personally don't know why they ditched the Grinch-That-Stole-Xmas physique.

Klaus said:

I tried making them look a bit better for Counter Collection 4e Heroic 3. I'm not too keen on the wilden's wedge-shaped head, though. And the shardmind look better when it seems they're made of smaller, irregular crystals, even to the point of being a bit asymetrical.

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Great pictures but I'm still not feeling the general image of the races. I think if the wilden were more plantish like a treant I would love them. I don't know what would make the Shardmind look better to me.

hutchback said:

I too agree with this. I like the concept of the Wilden, but who wants to look like a Wolverine topiary?

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Heh, I was just going to make a Wolverine haircut comment too!