MavrickWeirdo
First Post
wingsandsword said:
Actually the munchkins prefer the changeling warshapers
Opinions on the non-PHB races?
- Thread starter Kobold Avenger
- Start date
Actually the munchkins prefer the changeling warshapers
tetsujin28
First Post
In general, my campaigns only have humans.
Hairfoot
First Post
I understand being jaded with PHB races, but they still offer the greatest roleplaying challenge, simply because they've already been played to death. It requires a great deal of invention to create a memorable core race PC.
Flavour races come packaged with an excuse to be weird and exotic. I like to see PCs rise above mundanity through design and and characterisation, not because their alien qualities are described in the MM.
It's just KISS. I'd rather drive a kitted-out Mini Cooper than a swing-wing European prototype with GPS, afterburner and an espresso machine in the dashboard.
Flavour races come packaged with an excuse to be weird and exotic. I like to see PCs rise above mundanity through design and and characterisation, not because their alien qualities are described in the MM.
It's just KISS. I'd rather drive a kitted-out Mini Cooper than a swing-wing European prototype with GPS, afterburner and an espresso machine in the dashboard.
tetsujin28
First Post
If we're talking about real Mini Coopers? Hellz yeah.Hairfoot said:
Mercule
Adventurer
Kobold Avenger said:
I'm not a huge fan of most of the new races. It's not that I'm opposed to new races, just that most of those I've seen haven't floated my boat.
I think hobgoblins should be considered a PC race -- and they are IMC. I just removed Darkvision from goblinoids to make them LA +0. I love what Eberron has done with them. Of course, that's probably because they resemble goblinoids IMC.
From the Races series, I really like Whisper Gnomes (much better than standard gnomes or halflings). Goliaths are kinda neat, as are the Gargun (although I'm using them for "yeti"). Illumians are dumb. The rest are "meh".
I really like the Kalashtar from Eberron, but the Warforged are probably my least favorite element of the setting. Changlings and Shifters are kinda neat, and value-added to the setting.
The Elan are mechanically pretty cool, but the backstory blows. I've changed them to be the (un)natural evolution/mutation of a human culture that has spent way too much time in an area with magic/psionic "radiation". The other XPH races aren't horrible, but aren't compelling, either.
I don't like any of the races from the Environment series -- not even a little. The races in UA are even worse -- the entire first chapter ranges from laughable to pathetic, with only the racial paragon classes and bloodlines being at all worthwhile. Definitely a low-point for a book I consider the "forth core book".
I don't own MoI, or any other books with races (so far as I recall), so won't comment.
Scotley
Hero
I like some of the new stuff. I hate some of the names though. Illumanins and Goliaths being the best examples. I like the Eberron races, but have some concerns. Warforged are really a +1 LA race. Shifters on the otherhand would work better if they were boosted a little and made a +1 LA. The others are great. I like the half-giants okay, but they are underpowered as half-giants. They'd be better as half-ogres at that power level. I'm working up a Bariaur from the Planer Handbook and I must say I like it a great deal so far. Raptorans and most of the Psi races just don't excite me. The Elans are the best of the bunch as others have said the backstory is lacking.
To hijack the thread just a little here's what I would like to see:
More quadrapeds, Bariuars are cool! I like Centuars, but haven't seen them done in a really playable way. Have Wemics been done for 3.5?
More racial paragons/savage species progressions including a couple of negative levels--so you could play a LA +1 or +2 race as a first level character.
A small flying race, winged elves have been done to death. Give me some Gnome sized flyers.
More interesting less middle-earthy fey. Something darker--not in a drow way.
Psionic Races that are less bland. It might be good to go more exotic--walking brains? Disembodied mental beings? I don't know something more.
Good animal races, give me cat people (Litorians Rock by the way!), dogmen, minatuars, little bird people, amphibians and lizards!
Other suggestions?
To hijack the thread just a little here's what I would like to see:
More quadrapeds, Bariuars are cool! I like Centuars, but haven't seen them done in a really playable way. Have Wemics been done for 3.5?
More racial paragons/savage species progressions including a couple of negative levels--so you could play a LA +1 or +2 race as a first level character.
A small flying race, winged elves have been done to death. Give me some Gnome sized flyers.
More interesting less middle-earthy fey. Something darker--not in a drow way.
Psionic Races that are less bland. It might be good to go more exotic--walking brains? Disembodied mental beings? I don't know something more.
Good animal races, give me cat people (Litorians Rock by the way!), dogmen, minatuars, little bird people, amphibians and lizards!
Other suggestions?
Dragonbait
Explorer
I'm always on the lookout to add more races to my world. Its been suffering from humanoid bloat for so long that a few more can't hurt.
I have not seen too many races in play, but I know that the Goliath Mountain Barbarian we had dominated almost all combat, especially when he used goliath weapons. Most fights lasted only 2 to 3 rounds. He killed an ettin in a single critical.
Expanded Psionic Handbook: I found that some of the XPsH had some races that have a lot of potential, but not enough fluff. And I'm not even that big on psionics. The races just need a home and some background.
Environment Series: Interesting ideas. I have not used any of them (except Neanderthals) but am interested in doing so. I plan to give some of them a home in my setting.
Eberron: I like the races, and I don't. I like the abilities of the races, but do not like the background on some of them. I've never been a big fan of the hybrids (Shifters and Changelings), but I like the mechanics of them.
I think, in the end, I'm just looking for some unique and new races, since I'm sick of the elven subraces and the "humans that are not human, but look almost totally human, but are just better" I like the core races (except the new halflings. I miss me hobbits.) but I felt that there has been a need to explore some new racial territories. I think that this has been happening, and I'm very pleased.
I have not seen too many races in play, but I know that the Goliath Mountain Barbarian we had dominated almost all combat, especially when he used goliath weapons. Most fights lasted only 2 to 3 rounds. He killed an ettin in a single critical.
Expanded Psionic Handbook: I found that some of the XPsH had some races that have a lot of potential, but not enough fluff. And I'm not even that big on psionics. The races just need a home and some background.
Environment Series: Interesting ideas. I have not used any of them (except Neanderthals) but am interested in doing so. I plan to give some of them a home in my setting.
Eberron: I like the races, and I don't. I like the abilities of the races, but do not like the background on some of them. I've never been a big fan of the hybrids (Shifters and Changelings), but I like the mechanics of them.
I think, in the end, I'm just looking for some unique and new races, since I'm sick of the elven subraces and the "humans that are not human, but look almost totally human, but are just better" I like the core races (except the new halflings. I miss me hobbits.) but I felt that there has been a need to explore some new racial territories. I think that this has been happening, and I'm very pleased.
