Dragonborn - will you ban them?

[Buttercup]

And I'm one of those people who doesn't imagine computer game influences where there are none.

Computer game and manga/anime influence has been growing since Eberron, IMO. But no matter, you're free to like 4e or anything else. And free to disagree wtih me.

 

[Counterspin]

Given that the topic is dragonborn, would you be so kind as to tell me which videogame/manga they come from?

 

[Kaffis]

I don't know enough about the 4e Dragonborn or the Tiefling to make a judgement yet. Seems silly to ban something when you don't know what you are banning other than a name and a very general idea.

Of course I would not be converting an existing game to 4e, so I have no "compatibility" issues.

Ditto. As for the game I play in, I think my DM's current plan is to use 4e as an excuse to toss the homebrew campaign setting and rebuild from scratch.

 

[danbuter1]

Depends on how they are done. If they are t'skrang in all but name, they will be in. If they are ubermensch power-gamer wet dreams, then they will be banned.

 

[TwinBahamut]

Given that the topic is dragonborn, would you be so kind as to tell me which videogame/manga they come from?

Not really a hard question, since things like Dragonborn do appear in videogames and manga. The better question would be why anthropomorphic dragons are specifically influenced by videogames and manga.

The existence of Dragonlance Draconians (or whatever their name is) is enough to show that such influence is not needed for humanoid dragon-men to appear in D&D. The simple combination of dragons and anthropomorphic creatures (like Minotaurs, Yakfolk, Lizardmen, Sahuagin, etc) is a logical step.

I suppose the idea of making Dragonborn a PC race, rather than just a monster, can be argued to be inspired by videogames and manga... The problem with that is such things are not terribly common even in anime and videogames. I can only name a few examples, myself.

Of course, I don't see the influence of anime and videogames as a problem (though I do see its influence is often overstated on these boards). I would rather have certain races from various videogames I like (Laguz anda Manakete, for example) than boring creatures like Halfings, Gnomes, Half-Orcs, and Half-Elves.

 

[Shortman McLeod]

Given that the topic is dragonborn, would you be so kind as to tell me which videogame/manga they come from?

Too many sources to list, but take Dragonball Z as a starter:

 

[Masquerade]

I suppose the idea of making Dragonborn a PC race, rather than just a monster, can be argued to be inspired by videogames and manga... The problem with that is such things are not terribly common even in anime and videogames. I can only name a few examples, myself.

The drakkon (?) race from the Wizardry series is probably the best example, given how much inspiration Wizardry takes from D&D.

Of course, I don't see the influence of anime and videogames as a problem (though I do see its influence is often overstated on these boards). I would rather have certain races from various videogames I like (Laguz anda Manakete, for example) than boring creatures like Halfings, Gnomes, Half-Orcs, and Half-Elves.

Aren't Laguz essentially the same as D&D's shifters?

 

[Mistwell]

How can 18% of people intend to ban a core race before they have even seen it?

 

[Voss]

Because it isn't something they want? This isn't really a rules/mechanics issue. Some folks just don't want dragonpeople in their campaigns. I happen to be one of them, I wouldn't necessarily care if they show up in an 4e Eberron campaign I might end up playing in (because Eberron design concept is 'chuck the entire Kitchen sink in'), but there just isn't a space for them in my homebrew.

That said, 'ban' isn't the right word. Its more a matter of 'won't include', just like I wouldn't include artificers or the various 'creature graft' concepts and feats. It doesn't fit the setting I am creating.

 

[Counterspin]

Which of the guys in that picture is a member of a bipedal race descended from dragons? I fail to see how that answers my question at all. Is the only requirement to "prove" that Dragonborn are video game inspired the existence of some sort of lizardman in a video game and series that I believe postdates the Dragonlance series' draconians? See, this is the problem with the video game meme. It allows people to be hostile without ever having to work out what they dislike and distill it into words.