D&D 5E criteria for new races to be added to the PHB

[the Jester]

The logical thing from that standpoint is to put all races in a 4th core book. PHB, MM, DMG, & PRG (Player Race Guide). Otherwise someone is always being left out or a 2nd class citizen.

Oh Jesus no. A full book of races would be 90% wasted space for most campaigns that don't want an anything goes style. And it would be a required buy to play the game- you can't play a raceless character, after all.

 

[the Jester]

A beginner box would be humans-only.

Except, either in the form of the Basic Rules or Starter Set, it isn't.

 

[dave2008]

Oh Jesus no. A full book of races would be 90% wasted space for most campaigns that don't want an anything goes style. And it would be a required buy to play the game- you can't play a raceless character, after all.

Oh yes I realize it is a horrible idea - that is what makes it so great!

Funny story, in my last 4e campaign I gave the players the Monster Manual and said pic your player race from that and I can make it work. We ended up with a a Lizardfolk, a dragon, a yaun-ti, two elves, and a halfling. I was really hoping someone was going to pick a beholder.

 

[Coroc]

I’m so confused, though. What is wrong with the Goliath, as is?

Edit: also, do ogres fill the role of “really big people, not especially evil or despised, just rarely seen and usually reclusive”?

I do not know for sure, but it might have to do something with "Large" or "Medium" creature, especially on battlemat (Taking 4 squares or 1) , or in narrow dungeons. It came up with 3e i think or 4e to e.g. replace halfgiants of 2e to a more manageable size. some people who liked large PCs with all advantages and drawbacks probably were disappointed with it.
Tbh i do not like it either, because it is some compromise with a biblical name but without any sound lore.
Halfgiants in DS got lore. Ogres got lore. Halfogres are explainable somehow as are Orogs. But Goliaths came out of the blue just to satisfy soem game mechanic.

 

[gyor]

I don't want any of those except aasimar as an option. Put them in a PH and that's a bunch of wasted space that could be better spent on other material. Remember, every page spent on stuff a given group isn't going to use also costs a page of stuff they will.

It's used enough that they keep reprinting Goblins, they are more popular then you think. Pathfinder 2e even has them in the core.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I’m so confused, though. What is wrong with the Goliath, as is?

A

I do not know for sure, but it might have to do something with "Large" or "Medium" creature, especially on battlemat (Taking 4 squares or 1) , or in narrow dungeons. It came up with 3e i think or 4e to e.g. replace halfgiants of 2e to a more manageable size. some people who liked large PCs with all advantages and drawbacks probably were disappointed with it.
Tbh i do not like it either, because it is some compromise with a biblical name but without any sound lore.
Halfgiants in DS got lore. Ogres got lore. Halfogres are explainable somehow as are Orogs. But Goliaths came out of the blue just to satisfy soem game mechanic.

now we are deeper into the stuff that confuses me.

How on earth could it ever matter why Goliath entered the game?

They have 3 editions of solid lore, which is very much their own. The 5e Goliath has nothing to do with satisfying a mechanical issue. It is in the game because enough people like them for it to be worth including them in Volos.

 

[dave2008]

It's used enough that they keep reprinting Goblins, they are more popular then you think. Pathfinder 2e even has them in the core.

Do you really have any idea how popular they are? The only data I have seen (most popular race & class) doesn't even have goblins listed. I do find it interesting that the human fighter it the most popular race / class combo.

 

[Eltab]

Bring in a race when it adds something to the setting or the party that they will not have without it. This "something" might be fluff or might be a mechanical benefit.

Sometimes it's easy to push A-lot-of-choices right over into Too-many-choices Land.

In grocery stores, 12 similar items (like brands of mac&cheese) is the most you can stock before sales drop because "I can't decide".
On the other end of the spectrum, less than 4 items brings complaints of "I can't find what I want".
So the 6+6 races in PHB is about as many as they could put in while optimizing for both happiness and variety.

 

[Arnwolf666]

A

now we are deeper into the stuff that confuses me.

How on earth could it ever matter why Goliath entered the game?

They have 3 editions of solid lore, which is very much their own. The 5e Goliath has nothing to do with satisfying a mechanical issue. It is in the game because enough people like them for it to be worth including them in Volos.

they are not in my 3.0 or 3.5 PHB. I really wouldn’t count a supplement. There are literally 100s of races as optiona in the various editions if you count every optional splatbook. Many race more common than the Goliath if you count that way.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

they are not in my 3.0 or 3.5 PHB. I really wouldn’t count a supplement. There are literally 100s of races as optiona in the various editions if you count every optional splatbook. Many race more common than the Goliath if you count that way.

Lol what the hell!?

The Goliath has lore from 3 editions. That isn’t a statement that has literally anything to do with PHB vs supplement.