And the mystery race is...hated

[Hairfoot]

"They're people who look like dragons."

Or lizards that look like people.

I don't loathe the idea, it just seems to lack novelty or simple coolness.

I feel like I've been waiting for a new television station to come online, been successfully baited with snippets of information, then find out that it's just 24/7 reruns of Seinfeld and Turkish knock-offs of 80's sitcoms.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Elves are immediately recognizable to even casual fans of fantasy. They have existed in dozens of different books, movies, and video games. By comparison, dragonborn are not nearly as recognizable. If you describe the game to a new player, it's pretty likely that he can get a general idea of what an elf is just from the name. Dragonborn, though, will require more explanation.

Id just call them "Lizardmen". I think I understood the concept of Lizardman when I was 5 or 6. Same with wolfman, ratman, catman, dogman, fishman, and even Yakman. In fact, I know the "Yakman" exists in one of the Monster Manuals but couldn't tell you the actual DnD name to save my life.

Furthermore, elf refers to many different beings, including tall thin Orlando Blooms who shoot arrows and love trees, as well as small guys living in trees and baking cookies. I can probably find you 10+ books, movies, and video games that have "Lizard Guys".

DS

 

[PoeticJustice]

Personally, I wanted Shifters. Then again, there is a shifter in Desert of Desolation...

You know, I'm not really surprised at their choice. Then again, after stuff like making Succubus devils, Hextor getting replaced with Bane, and the striking of gnomes, I think I'm too disinterested in 4E flavor text to go on caring what they do.

 

[Particle_Man]

You know, I remember there was a Lizard Man fighter statted up in the 1st ed AD&D Rogue's Gallery. He was a reincarnation, and could well have been a character in Gygax's group!

So I am down with Dragonborn! Though I will likely play a Warlock!

 

[Scholar & Brutalman]

Id just call them "Lizardmen". I think I understood the concept of Lizardman when I was 5 or 6.

I was just thinking of how best to explain dragonborn to a 5 year old, then I got it: "They're Dinosaur Men." All 5 year olds love dinosaurs!

 

[Henry]

A trend based on hearsay and anecdotal reports, though. My own personal view is that dragonborn are no more out of place in 4ed than half-orcs were, to me, out of place in 3ed.

I can see that point, but when I look at half-orcs, I see something that's been a staple of the game since its "Advanced" inception, and orcs which have been important to the game for decades. I can see the appeal to the designers for starting some new trends, but it doesn't stop it from being uncomfortable with me and others for introducing even further afield non-human elements into the game. I still agree with Gary Gygax's point from many years ago that the further afield you go from the human experience, the less that players can relate to the creatures that make up the game, on any level other than "humans in funny suits."

(Then again, anything other than a human is a "human in a funny suit," so it's hard to draw the line between any non-human variation and "totally out there presentations."

 

[Particle_Man]

I wonder if Dragonborn will end up as paladin-types. Knights in shining armour that can't take the armour off.

 

[Vegepygmy]

Interestingly, in this poll, Dragon-race comes up as the 2nd most not most hated!

Sort of. Speaking only for myself, "Half-vampire or such" includes half-dragons which includes things like "dragonborn."

So I'm not sure the results of that poll tell us much about whether dragonborn is a generally hated choice or not. And even if it's not the most hated, that doesn't mean it isn't still hated by most...just that there are other possibilities even more reviled.

 

[Vigilance]

Sort of. Speaking only for myself, "Half-vampire or such" includes half-dragons which includes things like "dragonborn."

So I'm not sure the results of that poll tell us much about whether dragonborn is a generally hated choice or not. And even if it's not the most hated, that doesn't mean it isn't still hated by most...just that there are other possibilities even more reviled.

Apparently that poll needed a "I will hate the new race whatever it turns out to be option".

Clearly, that would have won hands down!

 

[Vigilance]

I don't "hate" them with the burning passion of a thousand suns, but I find it interesting that on one hand WoTC is going, "Point of light" and on the other going "high fantasy" as a dragon based PC is very high fantasy.

I could see dragon-men fitting into Hyboria more easily than Halflings, Gnomes, or Dwarves, so I'm not sure how you get the impression that Dragonmen is a high fantasy construct.

You make them degenerate worshipers of a "snake god man was not meant to know" about, have them tie a hot chick to an altar and grab a big knife.

Insert one half-naked barbarian and you've got 50% of the Conan stories ever written.