I got Races of the Wild, you got the questions

[kilamanjaro]

Any idea why the designers have decided to drop pre-existing minor deities for the non-human races in favor of the new ones we're seeing? Not sure I like it.

The only reason I can think of is that the existing racial dieties have become so ingrained into the FR that they are now considered part of the Realms brand.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

The only reason I can think of is that the existing racial dieties have become so ingrained into the FR that they are now considered part of the Realms brand.

That probably has a lot to do with it...but I'd bet there's a little more. At some point, you just have to stop reprinting old material and recyling things. The game will just stagnate if that's all you do with each revision instead of coming up with new stuff.

 

[ivocaliban]

I agree, but I think the goal here is to provide a racial diety for pretty much any type of character. Elves who go over to the dark side have Lolth to worship if they want to stay within (more or less) the Seldarine, the gnomes had Urdlen long ago (and now Garl's dark twin), the dwarves have always had various grimmer figures (and a very nice evil entity now), and halflings need something comparable. I know a LOT of people who play psycopath halflings for some reason (and well before Order of the Stick came on the scene), and now they have a diety that lets them be both very halfling and not particularly cuddly.

More troubling to me is the apparent decision to only detail two halfling dieties at all, and give the others a cursory treatment.

I understand the need to have something for everyone in the pantheon, I'm just not so certain I like the idea of Yondalla having her ld running around as conscious being. And yes, when only these two deities are presented it makes this goddess with two aspects seem even more central to the faith. It almost reminds me of The Faith of the Sun from Deities and Demigods where Taiia has both Creator/Destroyer aspects.

This shifts the entire nature of halfling faith...which doesn't seem necessary to allow characters of every ilk to have a compatable deity. Now, it just seems that those psychopathic halflings can justify their behavior by claiming to serve all of halfling-kind by following Yondalla's dark side.

 

[Banshee16]

I don't know the Rakasta from Mystara, so I can't tell you that.

They have no natural attacks, though.

Catfolk are quick and quite agile, stealthy, have good ears, a tough hide and surprisingly, get a charisma bonus. They're said to accomplish most tasks in quick bursts of energy.

The Rakasta are basically 5'-6' tall humanoid cats. Fairly civilized, in that they have a culture with a variant of samurai. But they do get natural attacks....a bite and claw attacks, each of which cause 1d4 dmg.

I think in 2nd Ed. they had +2 Dex, -2 Wis or something like that.

Banshee

 

[Sun Wukong]

Any idea why the designers have decided to drop pre-existing minor deities for the non-human races in favor of the new ones we're seeing? Not sure I like it.

Same here. I was looking for some new deities.

 

[reanjr]

...provided the GM lets it in the game in the first place.

Spell it with me now: O - P - T - I - O - N - A - L.



Besides, since when does having "WotC" stamped on something mean it can't be bad or broken?

:\

The last time I remember that holding, I was reading Rule#0

 

[Gez]

They also have big ornate cat trays in their homes, and scratch trees (which they never use btw, they're just a religious thing. They sharpen their claws on the furniture).
They also have an aversion to water (tread as shaken if they get wet), and of course the -4 penalty to all bluff checks, because they purr if something goes to their liking.

Their spell-like ability consists of them making large eyes and meowing, and onlookers must succeed at a will save or lose their action and dex to AC as they go "aawwww cute".

All these assets are balanced by a big drawback: they permanently suffer from a feline distraction effect.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

More troubling to me is the apparent decision to only detail two halfling dieties at all, and give the others a cursory treatment.

I also noted that this book lacks some of the things the others had: New subraces for the two existing main races and a whole new pantheon for the same.

Though, to be hones, I don't miss either too much, I'm usually playing in the FR anyway, have the FR books, and even if not, I can "steal" those deities (in past editions, they were the universal demihuman deities, anyway).

That probably has a lot to do with it...but I'd bet there's a little more. At some point, you just have to stop reprinting old material and recyling things. The game will just stagnate if that's all you do with each revision instead of coming up with new stuff.

On the other hand, there has to be continuity with a campaign setting. In 4e, they couldn't just say "we had this Chauntea wench and this Talos guy long enough, they're gone from the setting and now we have these" Those things are reprinted because they are the powers that be in that world.

 

[Voadam]

Able Sniper (for shooting at thos who aren't in point blank range)

What does this specifically do, just extend PBS?

 

[Truth Seeker]

*This question was meant for this thread, but your review on the rating will stand for both books*

Kae Yoss, I am grateful for your review of the book, and I will be buying it, based on what has been said here. But finally, out of a rating from 1 to 5, what do you give it?