Races of Destiny excerpt...

[Klaus]

Humans: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20041203a

Illumians: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20041203a&page=2

Sharakim (an "alternate half-orc" of sorts): http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20041203a&page=3

I specially didn't get the Sharakim's Level Adjustment:

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+2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: Sharakim are naturally strong but their size makes them clumsy. Their monstrous appearance works against them in social settings, but their culture forces them to be well educated.

Humanoid (human): Sharakim are humanoid creatures with the human subtype.

Medium: As Medium creatures, sharakim have no special bonuses or penalties due to size.

Sharakim base land speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision: Sharakim can see in the dark out to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and sharakim can function just fine with no light at all.

+1 natural armor bonus: Sharakim skin is tough and difficult to pierce.

Shadow Affinity (Ex): Sharakim are born to darkness, and despite their claims they operate best in night and shadow. In areas of darkness or shadowy illumination, a sharakim gains a +2 racial bonus on Hide, Move Silently, Search, and Spot checks.

Light Sensitivity (Ex): Sharakim take a -1 penalty to attack rolls in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.

+1 racial bonus on attack rolls against orcs (including half-orcs): Sharakim despise orcs, and learn special combat techniques that enable them to fight them more effectively.

Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, and Orc.

Favored Class: Wizard. A multiclass sharakim's wizard class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

Level adjustment +1.
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[shilsen]

I specially didn't get the Sharakim's Level Adjustment:

I agree. Especially if considered in comparison to a PHB dwarf, they shouldn't be a +1, but then that's got a little more to do with the dwarf than LA in general.

 

[Zweischneid]

Well, I certainly don't get the point of the Sharakim either.

Why not just make a Half-Orc Wizard to break the stereotype (if thats what you want - fighting against the prejudice against your race still is an old players favorite ever since a certain do-good Drow, right?) instead of making a whole new Race where to break from the old stereotype is the new one?

Kinda defeats the whole point.

 

[Li Shenron]

For me the Sharakim idea is the most attractive part of the RoD preview.

But the traits design doesn't appeal me much. The +1 LA is wrong (well, it would be correct if you start your design from the Half-Orc), and at the same time the +2 Int doesn't fit very much with the race description. IMO it would have been better if they had only the bonus to Str, and not both penalties but only one.

 

[Ferrix]

The illumians look slightly interesting but I think it could have been better to have been expressed by a template considering how they were created. The Sharakim are neat, but really just another vastly underpowered LA +1 (compare them to the Aasimar) made to break a stereotype. I would have rather seen focus on half-orcs as wizards or sorcerers (like the dwarven sorcerer racial substitution level in RoS) than creating a whole new race.

All in all, a very poor excerpt, heck the "Magic" excerpt just describes immediate and swift actions. What kind of excerpt is that?

 

[Greatwyrm]

All I can figure is the Natural Armor and the stats might be slightly unbalanced. I can't remember if Int and Cha are an even trade or not.

Anyway, it's still no bargain. When you look at the other +1 races, this hardly rates up there with the Lizardfolk, much less a Tiefling or something like that.

 

[Klaus]

The natural armor is offset by Light Sensitivity, and the stats are balanced (Str/Dex and Int/Cha are even trades).

 

[Psion]

For some reason, Wizards has been very cautious about allowing core races with an int bonus without LA.

Why, I don't know. Maybe another part of the over-reaction that brought us +1 DC Spell Focus.

 

[Knight Otu]

I would have rather seen focus on half-orcs as wizards or sorcerers (like the dwarven sorcerer racial substitution level in RoS) than creating a whole new race.

Maybe the half-orcs will get such an option? The presence of the Shakarim does not necessarily prevent that.

All in all, a very poor excerpt, heck the "Magic" excerpt just describes immediate and swift actions. What kind of excerpt is that?

Let's be fair - we also get a name of a spell using a swift action (choose destiny) . Yeah, the magic excerpt is quite poor.

Aside from the shakarim, we will see (according to the excerpt, at least):
Doppelgangers, mongrelfolk, skulks, and underfolk.

Maybe it's just me, but is there a slight disconnect between this

Even more than humans, illumians have an instinctive drive to be at the top of their hierarchy. Vying for social position is entirely natural to illumians, and they are puzzled by social structures that limit advancement by birth, gender, race, or other immutable characteristics. Until they've studied the matter, illumians might have a hard time understanding why a serf can't become a lord or why the elderly king retains his crown when his sons are clearly more capable rulers.

and this?

Black Table: The original cabals set nine seats at the Black Table, although the size of this ruling body can vary between six and twelve. Illumians and only illumians sit at the Black Table, and they do so for life.

 

[Ryltar]

This looks like a Must-Not-Have ...