D&D 5E Dwellers on Shadow

[avin]

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4wand/20130430

This time about Shadar-Kai.

In shadow, not on... can't edit title it seems.

 

[avin]

I don't particularly care if Shadar-kai are humans or fey, but I think their story shouldn't be so firmly tied to a God, like we had in 4E, race origins should be more open.

 

[Shemeska]

Do the Shadar-kai even need an article based on them? Yes they appeared in 4e, but I never had the sense that they had gained any sort of traction whatsoever.

If anything, out of the creatures created by the 3e Fiend Folio, I would have greatly preferred the ethergaunts or the kaorti. Those two were awesome, the shadar-kai... didn't strike me as anything special, and I don't really care to have something as overtly evil as the shadar-kai attached to Shadow. But 4e's design team liked the shadar-kai, so they had lots done with them (I think Mona and Jacobs created the ethergaunts and kaorti respectively, so they weren't there to push for their creations with 4e, which is unfortunate because it meant little was subsequently done with the most awesome monsters in that book).

I just don't really see shadar-kai as anything remotely resembling iconic for the Shadow Plane. I'm largely ambivalent about them, but if 5e heavily pushes their 4e origins (the meta-origin of the Raven Queen ruins it for me to an extent) it isn't going to do the edition any favors IMO.

Shadow deserves denizens, but the shadar-kai aren't anywhere near the top of the list in my opinion.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I really like the idea of inflicting pain to keep their souls tethered to their bodies.

I see no reason they should have to be fey (humans are more relatable), and I like the compromise about the pact (it was with a god of death) and the origin (some have followed the god back to the shadow world).

Pain as part of getting rid of ennui made no sense to me. "Oh, I live in a world of magic and dragons and I'm SO BORED, I guess I'll jam a spike into my eye socket.", so I think I'd rather see the giving up as final, as corrupting (perhaps the sorrowsworn are created like that).

I don't see why there can't be some shadar-kai who hide in plain sight and some who shadow-bamf instead.

 

[Kinak]

I still remember reading the original shadar-kai entry and being like "Wow... the Emo race of Pain, Torture, and Shadow... you're trying way too hard, guys."

But, if people like them, I'm not opposed to them existing. I'm just much more likely to use Kyton (especially the Pathfinder version) if I need a race of hooks and chains.

On the other hand, I freaking loved the kaorti. I'm totally not surprised to find out James Jacobs made those. They're the only thing that really made the Far Realm work for me, by showing what it can do to people rather than just having it be the spawning ground for monsters.

Cheers!
Kinak

 

[gyor]

Shadar-Kai are very popular.

I love the FR verison better then the general Raven Queen 4e verison or the 3e verison.

I don't care for the 3e verison inherant bitterness and I like the the 4e verisons focus on pain and more.

They have a very Sadomasocastic feel, which I enjoy. I

 

[the Jester]

Do the Shadar-kai even need an article based on them? Yes they appeared in 4e, but I never had the sense that they had gained any sort of traction whatsoever.

I really liked them in 3e, and liked them in 4e as well. So they had at least some small amount of traction.

Then again, I also really like the vegepygmie, so go figure.

 

[Zaukrie]

I thought the compromise position worked well, frankly. Btw, I use both the shadar kai and my own version of kaorti in my current campaign.....I love the kaorti more though. My version has turned out to be different than the great 3e version.

 

[Kinak]

Then again, I also really like the vegepygmie, so go figure.

I also think vegepygmie are great... except for the name. I was wondering just yesterday how much more traction they'd have if they had a different name.

Cheers!
Kinak

 

[Dragoslav]

I really enjoy shadar-kai, myself. The whole race is very "Byronesque."

Pain as part of getting rid of ennui made no sense to me. "Oh, I live in a world of magic and dragons and I'm SO BORED, I guess I'll jam a spike into my eye socket.", so I think I'd rather see the giving up as final, as corrupting (perhaps the sorrowsworn are created like that). .

I know you're just being glib, but it's not just about being "bored," it's about having your capacity to experience any sort of emotion slowly drained away and, in this case, transforming into a shade, a hollow echo of a mortal creature with its hopes and dreams. And that's exactly why the shadar-kai go out and mess about with exciting things like magic and dragons--in order to stave off the ennui.

Either way, the 3e and 4e shadar-kai both engage in self-harm for the purpose of "trying desperately to retain the essence of what makes you human/mortal," but to me I prefer this essence being "the capacity for passion, whether joyful or sorrowful" rather than just another D&D trope of "something something THE SOUL something something MAGIC."