D&D (2024) All about Ardlings

[Parmandur]

I raised that question in my feedback survey: What problem is this solving? If it's a heavenly counterpart to the tiefling, why aren't they just elevating the aasimar? If it's an anthro race, what's with the magical wings? This feels like a senior designer's pet idea that they won't let go of, rather than something that organically arose from a need during the design process.

I think the Venm diagram overlap between younger audience members who like wingfic and animal people is very high. Seems grounded in market research has aimed at younger kids and making cool toys for a multimedia push.

 

[Raith5]

A setting that has humanimals can easily have hundreds of different kinds to choose from. For ardling to be a single race that can accommodate all of them is a win.

Notice how the tiefling can represent different kinds of fiends: devil, demon, yugaloth.

I dont see the overlap as a benefit. Id rather these races point a real cultural being that has a place in the world rather than being a signifier of a rare individual. Race is such an important anchor point to the world. For eg, the difference between high elves and woods elves is that these are different cultural groups in the world not just a resource for PCs or being a rare individual. Id like any race to have a sense of depth

 

[Yaarel]

Race is such an important anchor point to the world. For eg, the difference between high elves and woods elves is that these are different cultural groups in the world not just a resource for PCs or being a rare individual. Id like any race to have a sense of depth.

I agree the story of the setting must give narrative depth to a particular species or culture. Different settings will tell different stories about them.

Generally, except for a "kitchen sink" setting, only one or a few sapient species will exist in a setting.

The features of a player character and the tropes of a particular setting need to inform each other.

For eg, the difference between high elves and woods elves is that these are different cultural groups in the world not just a resource for PCs or being a rare individual. Id like any race to have a sense of depth.

Regarding the elf, I tend to focus the High culture on themes relating to sky and politicking, and Wood culture to earth and vegetation. But both are equally about fate, magic, and beauty.

I dont think I have ever seen a Sea elven culture in any D&D campaign, but I have seen nixie and noviere eladrin. In my mind all of these are narratively identical, regardless of stats. I even think twice before considering triton or merfolk as separate creatures from the other sea folk.

In any case, each setting may or may not include any of these particular cultures.

I dont see the overlap as a benefit.

Regarding the ardling and tiefling, I view the overlap of options beneficial. The tiefling can be various Types of fiend. So the player has freedom to visulize the character in different ways, with different kinds of horns or other fiendish characteristics.

Likewise, ardling with various types of celestial to choose from can give the player freedom to visualize the character, whether animalistic or human. Also, giving celestial traits like wings to the animalistic features, helps make the ardling more appealing to players who like tropes like Egyptian gods without being into "furry" per se. But ardling can be fullon furry, and like the trope of "winged catkids".

That said. Maybe the ardling and the tiefling should have a note that when choosing a specific appearance, to think about whether the character is unique or typical of a specific community, and to consult with the DM about where such a community might be and ones connection to it.

 

[Raith5]

Regarding the ardling and tiefling, I view the overlap of options beneficial. The tiefling can be various Types of fiend. So the player has freedom to visulize the character in different ways, with different kinds of horns or other fiendish characteristics.

I think this is important. I like the idea of playing tiefling that is a result of a union between a mortal and demon or devil - and the rules should certainly support that individual and the customisation that comes with that.

And there is a cranky old man in me that says get these damn furries of my lawn! So I think either the race will be supported by a younger demographic - so my views will be irrelevant and/or there is something more substantial added to the race that will sell the race to a broader demo.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Regarding the ardling and tiefling, I view the overlap of options beneficial. The tiefling can be various Types of fiend. So the player has freedom to visulize the character in different ways, with different kinds of horns or other fiendish characteristics.

Likewise, ardling with various types of celestial to choose from can give the player freedom to visualize the character, whether animalistic or human. Also, giving celestial traits like wings to the animalistic features, helps make the ardling more appealing to players who like tropes like Egyptian gods without being into "furry" per se. But ardling can be fullon furry, and like the trope of "winged catkids".

That said. Maybe the ardling and the tiefling should have a note that when choosing a specific appearance, to think about whether the character is unique or typical of a specific community, and to consult with the DM about where such a community might be and ones connection to it.

The thing is, I'm perfectly fine with "divine furries" as some people have called them, but they can just be trivially rolled into Aasimar. Allow Aasimar and Tieflings the aesthetic of having animal features or animal heads based on their progenitor and... done. That's it. You want wings? Aasimar Radiant Guardian has wings, as does the Necrotic Shroud.

It is such a bizarrely simple fix, I don't see why there needed to be a second race.

 

[Yaarel]

The thing is, I'm perfectly fine with "divine furries" as some people have called them, but they can just be trivially rolled into Aasimar. Allow Aasimar and Tieflings the aesthetic of having animal features or animal heads based on their progenitor and... done. That's it. You want wings? Aasimar Radiant Guardian has wings, as does the Necrotic Shroud.

It is such a bizarrely simple fix, I don't see why there needed to be a second race.

I agree, the aasimar and ardling are moreorless the same race.

 

[Mecheon]

I can understand it from a design perspective. Aasimar got the "You've got a guardian angel" thing this round, and they've never really leaned into that. Just the "You can have an animal head if you want idk" for Aasimars really doesn't give a strong art direction, compared to tieflings who have a very stylistic "This is a Tiefling" that makes them easy to slot into pictures. Consider Aasimar. If you threw one into an action scene in the background, could you tell they were specifically an Aasimar from the ways described? And folks probably wouldn't be happy with Aasimar being changed in such a way to give them A Consistent Visual Theme, so the new race was the choice to go with

but also this is my "They're trying to come up with a celestial race that actually has even a fraction of the tiefling's popularity" theory and not the equally valid "They wanted a generic beastfolk race and gave it an angel background to explain why they didn't have a heap of different options" theory

 

[Parmandur]

but also this is my "They're trying to come up with a celestial race that actually has even a fraction of the tiefling's popularity" theory and not the equally valid "They wanted a generic beastfolk race and gave it an angel background to explain why they didn't have a heap of different options" theory

Two birds with one stone is my theory.

 

[SkidAce]

I would be fine with ardlings portrayed as any of the above; it should be up to the player. For me personally, if I were playing an ardling, I would pick either 70% or 100% animal, depending on the character concept.

(Somewhat off topic, I wish they had come up with a different name for them. Something about the "-ling" suffix feels like it's signaling "small" or "less than" to me. It's obviously meant to parallel "tiefling," and I got used to "tiefling" back in the day, so I'll get used to "ardling" now, but it's definitely not the name I would have gone with.)

Not going to use "ardling", will come up with something else.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I can understand it from a design perspective. Aasimar got the "You've got a guardian angel" thing this round, and they've never really leaned into that. Just the "You can have an animal head if you want idk" for Aasimars really doesn't give a strong art direction, compared to tieflings who have a very stylistic "This is a Tiefling" that makes them easy to slot into pictures. Consider Aasimar. If you threw one into an action scene in the background, could you tell they were specifically an Aasimar from the ways described? And folks probably wouldn't be happy with Aasimar being changed in such a way to give them A Consistent Visual Theme, so the new race was the choice to go with

To note, the guardian angel ability is gone as of Monsters of the Multiverse. Now they have features like other similar races. Things like having a ghostly halo, or metal freckles.

I agree they don't have a strong visual identity, but I also don't see how giving them a strong visual cue with the animal heads is a bad way to go. It can be made perfectly clear that the Aasimar appearance is a choice, without it needing to be a new race entirely.