D&D 5E Kender are a core race?

[CAFRedblade]

From what I've read and understand, there will be things in the "Core" Rules PHB, DMG that are not part of the Basic or Standard gameplay without DM permission.
IE: Kender and Warforged are in the "Core" Rules but are not Core due to setting specifics.

If playing Dragonlance, or Eberron, those races then become Core options. This helps with the I want to play these settings with the Core Rules without waiting years for Setting specific rule books to arrive with those options.

As long as they visibly present material as optional, that'll go along way to helping DM's craft their gameplay/gameworlds.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Provided they stick with the "Exotic Races, DM Permission" notation for races other than the core four, I don't care what they put in the PHB. They can include a monkey robot ninja dinosaur-riding pirate zombie PC race for all I care.

I'd rather see everything past human get that notation. I don't see why elves, dwarves, and especially halflings should be assumed to be in every game.

 

[Mistwell]

I'd rather see everything past human get that notation. I don't see why elves, dwarves, and especially halflings should be assumed to be in every game.

Screw it...just say all races are DM permission, and your DM will let you know which races are included in their campaign, and that it's common that some or even most of the following races will not be allowed.

 

[I'm A Banana]

You mean like a "kender" ???

So, the equation "kender = the player is a jerk" is false.

These are two separate things. So we shouldn't conflate them.

Screw it...just say all races are DM permission, and your DM will let you know which races are included in their campaign, and that it's common that some or even most of the following races will not be allowed.

I think that's going to be the practical upthrust. I imagine they're including dwarf/halfling/elf/human in Basic just to let it be played "out of the box." Here are your fundamental generic D&D races, no thinking necessary. And if you want to think about it, do whatever. At least I hope so. I suppose there's a chance they take a "we can't get rid of anything core!" approach in the interest of brand identity or something, but I think that'd be kind of narmed.

 

[Li Shenron]

From what I've read and understand, there will be things in the "Core" Rules PHB, DMG that are not part of the Basic or Standard gameplay without DM permission.
IE: Kender and Warforged are in the "Core" Rules but are not Core due to setting specifics.

IMXP it's more about what is in the PHB.

For instance in 3e, subraces were technically in core, but not in the PHB. There are players who didn't buy DMG or MM, and may not have been even aware of the subraces option.

So it remains to be seen if they put the "unusual races" in the PHB, DMG or MM. But even putting them in a PHB sidebar makes them look more like "by permission only" IMHO.

 

[pretend_i_won]

Why all the hate?

And what if I'm not the GM? Yeah, I can just leave, but who wants to be put in that position in the first place?

Why are you so against having a kender? I actually have a player that plays a Kender in my campaign at home and it isn't bad. She knows that if she overuses the kender it will end up getting nerf'd. The ability isn't bad anyway. Yeah, there is a 25% chance it will work, but it doesn't. It's more like 1-in-10 to be honest. And it's succeeded at some pretty spectacular moments when that mundane (NOT magical in any way) item can turn the tides or continue the adventure. If you don't want to play a kender, don't. If you don't want a kender in the campaign you're DM'ing, don't allow it. If you hate that someone across the table is playing one, too f'ing bad! You don't get to decided what everyone else does and creates! If someone tried that crap in my group, I'd kick them out. They have no business trying to force their opinions of players on my other players. It ruins the game.

 

[pretend_i_won]

Provided they stick with the "Exotic Races, DM Permission" notation for races other than the core four, I don't care what they put in the PHB. They can include a monkey robot ninja dinosaur-riding pirate zombie PC race for all I care.

You sir get a +1 to all stats. This is, by far, the best quote from this whole forum.

 

[CleverNickName]

I'm joining the chorus of people who would prefer that Kender be a halfling variant and not a separate race. (This seems to be the direction that D&D Next is going with it anyway. But I've been wrong before.)

I don't understand the kinder-hate either. After all, it's the player--not the rules, not the DM--that dictates a character's behavior and attitude within the game. Right?

 

[Mistwell]

You sir get a +1 to all stats. This is, by far, the best quote from this whole forum.

Sadly, no monkey, and they're not combined. But still...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm joining the chorus of people who would prefer that Kender be a halfling variant and not a separate race. (This seems to be the direction that D&D Next is going with it anyway. But I've been wrong before.)

Post-3E, I think it's hard to make the case that kender and halflings AREN'T the same race already, aside from some setting-specific stuff about where they live.

That said, I'd be even more radical, and combine kender, halflings and gnomes into one race. Killing all three, taking all of their stuff and putting it in one race would give a wealth of good bits to assemble a new race from. Tricksy and good at hiding naturally and tricksy and good at hiding via magic don't seem like separate niches worth retaining as two different races.