Dungeoncraft article: Shifters in MM, deities mentioned

[Kobold Avenger]

The new dungeoncraft article gives hints on starting a 4e 'points of light' campaign and how to build the world and use player races for beginners. They confirm the PC races that the majority suspects there is in the PHB (human, elf, half-elf, tiefling, halfling, eladrin). Much of the things said before are brought up here again.

The only new bit of info is that they confirm that shifters are in the MM1, and that Pelor, Bahamut, Kord and Moradin are likely in the PHB and a mention of Mount Celestia.

 

[Merlin the Tuna]

First off, here is a link to the article.

There's other stuff to be had here, too. "Eladrins are a new race in the Player's Handbook. They're akin to the elves, but they more often make their homes in the Feywild." There's also a nice piece of art that pretty much says that elves are going to look more pretty and less oh-god-what-is-that-thing; no more Mialee! *Crosses fingers*

Wyatt also decides that even in his proto-town, he has a hard time placing tieflings -- and therefore doesn't. It seems the "drowning in tieflings" issue may not be as bad as their attention in Design and Development articles suggests?

Bahamut is in the PHB, as a god of Justice, Protection, and Honor. (Notice the lack of "Good" in that portfolio. Significant, or no?) Pelor's sticking around to hang out with him. More new information on the gods front is that Bahamut typically hangs out with Kord and Moradin in Mount Celestia, their Astral Dominion of choice. That's two LG and a CG, for those keeping score.

Silverymoon from the Forgotten Realms makes a (kinda) appearance. "I like Silverymoon as a good example of a city situated in the midst of dangerous wilderness." FR buffs, is he talking 3.5E or 4E?

 

[Moonshade]

I really like the art comparing human, half-elven and elven features. I hope it ends up in the PHB, along with similar examples for other PHB races.

 

[Scholar & Brutalman]

The gods mentioned are all D&D gods. No Thor, no Athena.

 

[Uzzy]

Silverymoon from the Forgotten Realms makes a (kinda) appearance. "I like Silverymoon as a good example of a city situated in the midst of dangerous wilderness." FR buffs, is he talking 3.5E or 4E?

Could apply to both, really. Silverymoon has always had a dangerous wilderness around it.

 

[vagabundo]

I might rob that whole article wholesale as my first 4e location. Maybe renaming the town Darkbrier ...

I have an inkling of the FR campaign, but I will need to run something for the few months before that comes out.

I was thinking Keep on the Shadowfell and the sequel, maybe I'll integrate that into the Towerwatch town he mentions...

I am such a tiefling.

 

[blargney the second]

It looks like the Eberron races might all be available from the get-go. Woohoo!

 

[Perun]

One thing I noticed, in the human/half-elf/elf line-up pic -- the "grid" on which the faces are drown remains of constant (or nearly so) width, yet the faces grow, i.e. half-elf face is larger than the human one, and the elf is larger than the half-elf.

I'm probably reading a bit too much from this, but could it be that the 4e elves are larger than humans?

EDIT: Oh, and the tieflings are definitely more than a "human with a fiend somewhere in its anbcestry" now. The article mentions "crumbling ruins left by the ancient empire of the tieflings". That (for me, anyways) strongly implies they're a separate, full-fledged race.

 

[Bossemeyer]

It looks like the Eberron races might all be available from the get-go. Woohoo!

it makes since to give Eberron fans a reason to play 4e even if we don't get an updated Settings book until 2009...

as the youngest Setting we have plenty of Material to play our favorite characters in our favorite world... the only flaw we have is the lack of key Eberron exclusive content... those being Warforged, kalashtar, Changelings and shifters... with Rumors of Changelings being in PHB, Warforged said to be fighting for a spot in MM and now shifters being said to have a spot already we have most of what we need... Kalashtars will have to wait... no psionic rules means this race wouldn't be right if they tried to get us a "magic" version...

I really personally think if some of these races are missing we will see them in some kind of Web Article that isn't as detailed as what the races in PHB would get but would please the Eberron fan base to get them to buy the new books...


On to the article it self... its a great insight into how to make a setting or a game in a known setting... i am really looking forward to more articles along this matter... I think D&D could do much in the lines of teaching and encouraging more people to take up the role of DM...

 

[Khaalis]

The article also mentions Dwarves as a definitive race. So that gives us confirmation on the following PHB races:

Dwarf, Eladrin, Elf, Half-Elf, Halfling, Human, Tiefling

In the MM: Shifters