Illumians

[DungeonmasterCal]

In case no one's seen it, WotC has posted details about the Illumians from Races of Destiny.

http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20041114b&page=2

 

[shilsen]

Semantics!

 

[Chroma]

Word!

 

[Desdichado]

I like this from the intro to the preview texts:

So, if you're like me, you're probably still tearing into booster packs from the Aberrations expansion to the D&D Miniatures Game that hit shelves last month. (I still want more Kobold Sorcerers, Kobold Champions, and Sahuagin Rangers.) You're probably also relieved that the wait for Sharn: City of Towers (and that soundtrack CD) is finally over. Of course, if you're like me, you're also wondering if you can survive until that next minis expansion comes out, and you are absolutely certain that you need Complete Arcane or Races of Destiny on-hand to build your next character or just to level up one you're already playing. While it's satisfying to pick up a much-anticipated book or pocketful of minis, something can be said for the excitement of always wanting something that's on the horizon or around the corner.

My goodness, how does that guy ever actually play anything he's got?

As for the Illumians themselves, they seemed OK. Where are these new races they keep introducing supposed to fit, I wonder? There's no place for them in the settings introduced so far. I mean, I'm all for tools that you can use to homebrew, but that doesn't exactly seem to be the WotC MO...

 

[Felon]

That there is conveniently on sigil for each core class kind of breaks the 4th wall for me, and the fact that most of the sigi's just provide a damage output boost is kind of dull, but I see nothing so objectionable that I'd forbid anyone to play the class.

 

[The_Gneech]

Forbid? No ... but I can't imagine I'd have to. What's the appeal of the race supposed to be? Random more better class abilities? Huzzah.

-The Gneech

 

[Felon]

Well, not really random. You get to pick the sigils. The appeal is supposed to be that it is the ideal race for multi-classing. When you think "fighter/wizard" or "barbarian/rogue", little pictures of bald men should start popping into your head.

And you get two sigils at first level. Many of them are individually at least as good as a feat, if not better. Last I saw, it takes an epic-level feat to give a rogue even a single extra sneak attack die.

 

[Mercule]

I'm with The Gneech. Random or not, there just isn't anything attractive about the race. A great big *yawn* from me.

Of course, I didn't think the goliath were particularly interesting, either. Feral gargun and whisper gnome, yes, but not the goliath. I'm more interested in the "Other Races" chapter than the spotlighted additional race.

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

Personally, it didn't appeal to me either. I thought I'd just post it up for all to see. Goliaths left me cold, too, although I liked the whisper gnomes. IMC, gnomes control a vast and byzantine crime syndicate (there's no such thing as the Gnomish Mafia!) and whisper gnomes fit that bill perfectly.

 

[The_Gneech]

Well, not really random. You get to pick the sigils. The appeal is supposed to be that it is the ideal race for multi-classing. When you think "fighter/wizard" or "barbarian/rogue", little pictures of bald men should start popping into your head.

And you get two sigils at first level. Many of them are individually at least as good as a feat, if not better. Last I saw, it takes an epic-level feat to give a rogue even a single extra sneak attack die.

"Random" was a poor word choice, perhaps. I didn't mean they were randomly generated, but that Joe Illumians has one, while Frank Illumians has another, and Jane Illumians has a third.

-The Gneech