D&D Outsider - Wilden & Shardmind

[Dragonhelm]

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.

I have to agree. Thing is, the shardmind shouldn't have to look that bad. When I think about them, I think about Crystar.

BTW, I like your take on the Wilden. Vast improvement, IMO.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I always felt the Dr. Who special effects/costume/makeup crew did an excellent job with the silicon-based life form known as Eldrad.

 

[Dragonhelm]

I could see shardminds in Dark Sun as obsidian men.

Obsidimen? Sounds like Earthdawn to me.

 

[Incenjucar]

One of the big mistakes being made with this art is a lack of variation. There's no reason for creatures made of plants or crystals to be nearly all clones of one another. There's certainly a value to having tightly-controlled and thus recognizable art, but you won't excite imaginations if every scene is just the same characters doing the paper doll routine.

Think of all the nutty variations of warforged we've seen. I'm not a huge fan of the race, but they've got some darn good art floating around.

 

[Klaus]

Not to mention: one of the Shardminds in the MM3 is the Warseeker, who goes out in search of other Shardminds to kill. To disguise itself, the Shardmind Warseeker goes about dressed in full plate armor, with only its glowing eyes showing through the helm's visor.

So it'd be neat to see shardminds in plate armor. Or wilden paladins of Melora in scale armor, etc.

 

[OhGodtheRats]

Not to mention: one of the Shardminds in the MM3 is the Warseeker, who goes out in search of other Shardminds to kill. To disguise itself, the Shardmind Warseeker goes about dressed in full plate armor, with only its glowing eyes showing through the helm's visor.

Totally my favorite thing (after Townsend's Banderhobs) from that Monster Manual....partially because it gives mechanical evidence that players can hide their Race if they want to by dressing up (a liberal thought by some DM standards....I've actually heard "Half-Orcs walk differently" when confronted with a player who wore a mask Mexican Wrestler Style/make-up to hide his race) & partially because it's a monster that's a Player Race walking around being a DICK, disguised as the heroic knight on a horse.
If I ever ran this guy, I'd make sure the players realized something was wrong when the knight swiveled his head unnaturally 180 degrees. Shardmind biology is fun.
-Jared

 

[Klaus]

Totally my favorite thing (after Townsend's Banderhobs) from that Monster Manual....partially because it gives mechanical evidence that players can hide their Race if they want to by dressing up (a liberal thought by some DM standards....I've actually heard "Half-Orcs walk differently" when confronted with a player who wore a mask Mexican Wrestler Style/make-up to hide his race) & partially because it's a monster that's a Player Race walking around being a DICK, disguised as the heroic knight on a horse.
If I ever ran this guy, I'd make sure the players realized something was wrong when the knight swiveled his head unnaturally 180 degrees. Shardmind biology is fun.
-Jared

Wouldn't that be shardming geology?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Shardmind anatomy is the word you're searching for.

 

[Incenjucar]

Not to mention: one of the Shardminds in the MM3 is the Warseeker, who goes out in search of other Shardminds to kill. To disguise itself, the Shardmind Warseeker goes about dressed in full plate armor, with only its glowing eyes showing through the helm's visor.

So it'd be neat to see shardminds in plate armor. Or wilden paladins of Melora in scale armor, etc.

You know what 4E needs?

Official art contests.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

While I've never been a big fan of Shardminds (despite having a Shardmind character now ), I've always thought Killoren or Wilden could have a pretty big place in a campaign. The biggest problem they used to have is that there was already elves as the derpy hippy tree hugger race. I think the 4e elf is less "my trees ;_;" and more badass Iroquois warriors, which leaves the nature-y guy trope open for the Wilden.