Dragon 371 Table of Contents

tsadkiel · Jan 5, 2009

Here.

As widely speculated, the Dhampyr article is a new PC race. And I predict the Warforged & Genasi article will annoy many setting purists.

Shemeska · Jan 5, 2009

Since when have genasi been associated exclusively with FR?

*looks at all the 2e Planescape material with genasi*

Edit: as for the "cover" artwork. That yawning pan or satyr face in the background, I swear I've seen that somewhere else before.

RefinedBean · Jan 5, 2009

Shemeska said:
Since when have genasi been associated exclusively with FR?

*looks at all the 2e Planescape material with genasi*

I don't think they've ever been exclusively associated with FR. I mean, you just answered your own rhetorical question, so you know this.

4E Genasi, however, are associated with FR because that's the book that introduced them to 4E.

I would, however, love for WotC to start focusing on other races. You know, just a wee little article about Elves, or Halflings, or...well, any other frickin' race than Genasi and Warforged.

Shemeska · Jan 5, 2009

RefinedBean said:
I don't think they've ever been exclusively associated with FR. I mean, you just answered your own rhetorical question, so you know this.

4E Genasi, however, are associated with FR because that's the book that introduced them to 4E.

Pretty sure that Cordell was talking in general about genasi being associated exclusively with FR and warforged with Eberron (which hasn't yet gotten a 4e treatment).

RefinedBean · Jan 5, 2009

Shemeska said:
Pretty sure that Cordell was talking in general about genasi being associated exclusively with FR and warforged with Eberron (which hasn't yet gotten a 4e treatment).

Well, I'm sure he'll pop in and explain everything, so we don't have to make such assumptions.

And in fairness, there is the possibility that many D&D players DO associate the Genasi with FR. I sure do. And now that Warforged have a full 4E treatment, they're looking to give the race a boost for use in FR. Or, more accurately, LFR.

And really, LFR could use all the help it can get, but that's another thread entirely.

Shemeska · Jan 5, 2009

RefinedBean said:
And really, LFR could use all the help it can get, but that's another thread entirely.

Oh? Do tell. I've never done anything with the RPGA, so it's a black box to me.

Echohawk · Jan 5, 2009

While the genasi had 2e racial write ups as far back as the Planewalker's Handbook (1996), they certainly have a strong association with the Forgotten Realms, at least for the last decade. There are 3e stats for them in Monsters of Faerûn (2001), the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (2001) and Races of Faerûn (2003), and the article in Dragon #293 (2002) also states "Genasi are more common in a Forgotten Realms campaign because of Faerûn's large number of portals to other worlds." And, as has already been noted, their first 4e appearance was in the Forgotten Realms Player's Guide.

Given this, I don't think it is entirely unreasonable to make the claim that the genasi have long been exclusively identified with the Realms. Sure, there are plenty of sources indicating that Genasi can occur outside of the Realms; the same is true of Warforged (which appeared in the Monster Manual III). But I think it is still true that many people would still identify them as being exclusively Eberron or Forgotten Realms creatures.

Mustrum_Ridcully · Jan 5, 2009

Echohawk said:
Given this, I don't think it is entirely unreasonable to make the claim that the genasi have long been exclusively identified with the Realms. S

Nitpick: I think "exclusively" is still the wrong word. "Primarily" or "Dominantly" or something similar might describe it better. If they can exist in other worlds, they are not really exclusive anymore.

I guess their market price will fall down soon if it turns out they are not so exclusive, eh?