PH3 Playtest Race: Wilden

[Hammerhead]

Yeah, everything should just look human or get killed by angry mobs, if you ask me.

 

[fireinthedust]

And ugly dragonpeople who breathe fire and can burn the tavern down, and teleporting elves who aren't even called elves who just shift from the bar to the table all day long are? And the robots and the ramheads are regulars...if it's a tavern, then either it's the Star Wars Cantina, or everywhere is now like Sigil.

D&D's implied setting is IMO not in a safe pair of hands, here. I'm surprised you didn't notice until just now.

I'd argue that point, sure, but there is a BIIIIIIIIG difference between Warforged in Eberron and Wilden in POL.

Warforged: introduced into the setting by a massive war. They're the new technology. They may have been made by the last human Empire. They're relatively common, in Eberron.

Dragonborn: ran an Empire back in the day. Older than humans. Like how the British were the power before America. There are loads of them. They're just a different type of "Common" race, like humans or halflings.

Tieflings: Ran an Empire back in the day.

Eladrin: Travellers from their Feywild cities. Ran an empire back in the day.

Halflings: ply the river trade, common sight.

Humans: most recent Empire attempt. Also, primary source of D&D authors and 50% of the guests at GenCon.

Orcs/Halforcs: um, loads of them.

Genasi: minor race, sure, but they have a history of city states and civiization.

Wilden: Someone didn't clean the fridge. Wilden grew out of this, as the answer of the Meatloaf to the threat of the Far Realm. They do this best by not having any natural defences (claws, spells, etc.), relying instead on walking into taverns and joining mercenary groups. As they are highly unlikely to be played in a long-term campaign whose scope will be to entirely rid the planes of the Far Realm incursions, the world is doomed. FAIL!


I mean, can you imagine one of them wearing boots of striding and sprining? Or a hat of disguise? Bag of Tricks? Magic Carpet? Handy Haversack? Chainmail or metal weaponry? Why? Because they're incongruous in their current form with most equipment in D&D.

 

[rounser]

I'd argue that point, sure, but there is a BIIIIIIIIG difference between Warforged in Eberron and Wilden in POL.

So warforged aren't going to make PHB?

 

[rounser]

Yeah, everything should just look human or get killed by angry mobs, if you ask me.

Definitely too much to ask, as it would resemble something vaguely medieval, and restore monsters to a status of being feared and exotic creatures. I think you need to get with the program.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

People always ask "Can you imagine this walking into a tavern looking for adventure?" as if it were a good thing to trot out that stupid, tired trope again and again and again and again and again for decades more.

Especially when the race is one that outright states isn't that common or that apparent in the normal World. So of course they wouldn't be in a tavern, they be something exotic which is part of the appeal.

I personally am completely gunhoe with exotic races being in the PHB, primarily since it means they will get just as much support as more mundane races.

 

[fireinthedust]

So warforged aren't going to make PHB?

Naw, they'll be in the Eberron PG. They're already in the MM, and have Dragon articles helping them out. Which means they're one step ahead of the Genasi (who I enjoy), who are in the FRPG and Dragon issues (but not yet an MM ).

Tavern vs. Exotic: I get that. I like exotic (note: Genasi even if they're not common).
However there is something to say about how a character can get hooked into an adventure. Exotic races can do that sometimes, sure, but something about these guys just yells "we're going weird on this one". I just don't see it working as a standard race.

Most of the adventures out there don't have Far Realm bits to them. These creatures are specifically anti-far realm. They're also without a culture in many cases.

I mean, anything can work, but you lose more story elements than you gain playing a character without any sort of ties to the world. They just *pop* into existence and go fight monsters.

Do they know the Blacksmith? Why save his daughter from Orcs? Orcs are part of the natural way of things, too...

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Most of the adventures out there don't have Far Realm bits to them. These creatures are specifically anti-far realm. They're also without a culture in many cases.

Meh, if your adventures don't have Far Realm just refluff, this is needed anytime you don't run in the core-game setting (which does have heavy Far Realm intrusion and obviously from the statement in the playtest more to be seen as well). I have already come up with multiple refluffs, for the Wilden.

Your comment actually about lack of culture is a perfect avenue for them being part of different adventures. What if something happened and they were raised/taught by others, say Eladrin for instance.

I honestly think that any race can tie in, it is simply depends on the right story behind the character.

 

[MrFilthyIke]

I don't necessarily dislike it, but I don't really like it either. Every new race that is being released makes the game resemble old Talislanta.

As a die-hard Talislanta fan, I approve of this message.

 

[77IM]

The more I think about it, the more I agree with this line of thinking:

Also I haaaaaate the look. This is too close to the goofy side of RPGs, like all the weird stuff that never gets used. I mean, can any of you imagine these guys walking into a TAVERN at first level, looking for an adventure?

"Hi, I'm one of the Natural World's antibodies against a realm none of you know about that would make you go insane if you even thought about it. Um, could I have an Ale? I'm looking to go adventuring and find some magical items (because the world that hatched me as an Antibody didn't give me any kind of natural defences to handle what it wants me to fight). Um, did I mention this is completely normal for you?"

There's a word for races that are so exotic the common people don't know them. It's "monster" (rawr!). The wilden seem like they would make a fine monster race. The dragonborn are numerous, civilized, and have a certain majestic air about them that gets them in. The warforged and half-orcs and shifters and genasi and drow and such are "on the edge;" they are deliberately positioned as outcasts, mistrusted by society, but at least they are part of it.

I don't mind having Dragon articles for races like gnolls, minotaurs, wilden, etc. (Heck, I am looking forward to the goblin and hobgoblin write-ups. And give me my lizardfolk!) Even if Dragon is "core" most people understand that the DM might not have read those articles and might have issues with them. But if this race is in the PHB3, which many more people will read, somebody's going to show up at my table wanting to play them, and I'm in either the awkward position of squeezing them into the already-crowded campaign world, or the awkward position of telling a player "no."

-- 77IM

 

[Piratecat]

I have to agree with 77IM. It seems like a great monster race (rawr!). I have trouble seeing it as a PC race.