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D&D 4E 4E PHB Viewing at Games Plus, what we saw

Rechan

Adventurer
thalmin said:
The following monsters were listed with some info for use as playable character races:
Bugbear
Doppleganger
Drow
Githyanki
Githzerai
Gnoll
Gnome
Goblin
Hobgoblin
Kobold
Minotaur
Orc
Shadar-Kai
Shifter (2 types)
Warforged

Intriguing. James Wyatt said that the names for the PHBII races start with: D G G H S.

We all ready have Gith, gnomes, hobbos, Shadar-kai and Shifters, and DRow. Also, Drow are getting a serious racial write-up in the FR Playerbook.

So this makes me wonder what we'll see in PHBII.

Also, huh. Maybe this is why we're getting a chromatic dragons book soon - because those are the only dragons in the MM. But, if those are the only dragons in the MM... why do we need a book on them? I guess we only get 1 type of each one. Or maybe 1 for each tier of play.
 
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Fallen Seraph

First Post
Hmm, also when you combine it all together that is a lot of right off the bat races to choose from: 16 from MM (including the two Shifters as separate) and the 7 from PHB: 23 races.
 

A'koss

Explorer
Rechan said:
Intriguing. James Wyatt said that the names for the PHBII races start with: D G G H S.

We all ready have Gith, gnomes, hobbos, Shadar-kai and Shifters, and DRow. Also, Drow are getting a serious racial write-up in the FR Playerbook.

So this makes me wonder what we'll see in PHBII.
I assume the the "playable" races in the MM will be barebones implementations, leaving room in the PHB II for more fleshed out versions of Drow, Gnomes, Githyanki, Hobbos, etc.
 

Lord Nat

First Post
Fallen Seraph said:
Hmm, also when you combine it all together that is a lot of right off the bat races to choose from: 16 from MM (including the two Shifters as separate) and the 7 from PHB: 23 races.

The ones in the MM will not likely have a full range of feats upto level 30 tho.
But it will likely not be that hard to house rule them.
 

Fallen Seraph

First Post
Lord Nat said:
The ones in the MM will not likely have a full range of feats upto level 30 tho.
But it will likely not be that hard to house rule them.
Also it isn't like that makes them any less complete really, unless you REALLY want to take just racial feats, since they can just take ordinary feats.
 

Rechan

Adventurer
A'koss said:
I assume the the "playable" races in the MM will be barebones implementations, leaving room in the PHB II for more fleshed out versions of Drow, Gnomes, Githyanki, Hobbos, etc.
You also have to consider that PHBII is putting out 2 other power sources: psionic and primal. So they have to be putting in some races for that. I mean, it'd be dumb to JUST put racial feats for the MM races in the PHBII.
 

A'koss

Explorer
Rechan said:
You also have to consider that PHBII is putting out 2 other power sources: psionic and primal. So they have to be putting in some races for that. I mean, it'd be dumb to JUST put racial feats for the MM races in the PHBII.
I would be inclined to agree and with the Githyanki you have your psi race and perhaps they'll have... Half-orcs instead of hobgobs (barbarian angle).
 

Rechan

Adventurer
A'koss said:
I would be inclined to agree and with the Githyanki you have your psi race and perhaps they'll have... Half-orcs instead of hobgobs (barbarian angle).
Maybe. But Dromites or some other D might be as well - Drow are all ready getting written up in the Forgotten REalms book. The doppelganger (read: Changeling) will be getting attention in the Eberron campaign book. Same with Shifters and WF.
 

thalmin

Retired game store owner
A'koss said:
I assume the the "playable" races in the MM will be barebones implementations, leaving room in the PHB II for more fleshed out versions of Drow, Gnomes, Githyanki, Hobbos, etc.
Yes, while quite playable right out of the book, we don't get any racial feats to add on. A racial power is listed for each. Speed, vision, defense adjustments, stat bonuses etc. are listed.
 

Bestopheles

First Post
I was there tonite as well (thanks Thalamin!) and while I couldn't write anything down or photo anything (obviously), I did get a few details:


A few notes:

Shifters are actually cool. Once the hit bloodied, they get an ability that kicks in and last the last of the encounter that adds +2 spd and I believe + dmg (for shifter: razorclaw). The other shifter had another + ability that kicked in at bloodied and lasted the whole time.

Rogues are AMAZING. Like seriously, damn near Op. At 3rd level they get a utility power that lets them re-roll any bluff check (Trigger: when player rolls bluff, and doesn't like the look of the roll.) They also have a nice garrotte ability that does 7w and can be held for a bit...fun thing about holding it is that attacks on the rogue have a possibility of hitting the person you're choking). They get auto-escpape grapple abilities, and lots of things playing off Combat advantage (including one that we figured could add 7W dmg +10d8 +dex mod). Very sick.

Starpact warlocks can throw you into the stars and bring you back bent...and infernal pact locks can banish someone to hell for a time (keeping them there for up to 3 rounds with a minor action).

If you take multiclassing paragon path option, you get an at will ability of your new class at 11, and a new encounter and daily at upper levels.

Minotaurs are a MM race, and get a fun per encounter charge attack, and +2str and +2 con.

Doppelgangers get a "look like another humanoid" ability that's at will effectively.

Gnomes. GNOMES. Gnomes are insane. Gnomes can *turn invis* once per encounter after they've taken dmg. They can also choose to roll "hide" instead of intialtive at the start of an encounter. Hello Gnome Rogue. And by "hello" I mean, "Please, for the love of god, stop stabbing me in the back." My friends quote was "Man, I hate gnomes! They're stupid! But now I can't stop picturing a pack of gnomes sitting in the trees doing the clicking noise that the Predators make in the alien movies. Stupid stealth gnomes. I'm going to have to play one."

Bugbears get a dmg bonus for combat advantage I believe.

Rituals: range from cheap to learn and cast to expensive. As an example: Raise Dead costs 650GP to learn uses a 500gp reagent, and "scales" at levels. At lowever levels, it's "free" except for the reagent cost." At medium levels it's 5,000gp. And at epic levels it's 50,000. Oh, and the raised person gets a penalty of -1 until you've passed "3" milestones.

Oh, and another interesting/weird feature....there is an easy to cast ritual that clears 1 status ailment (curse, disease, etc) each time it's cast, but with a catch. You make a heal check, and your result ='s how much dmg the TARGET sick player takes while being healed. SO, a low roll can kill outright, or can do dmg. A high roll causes very little dmg.


That's all I got for the moment. If I can remember more, I'll put them up there.
 

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