Races of the Wild game use?

[JoeGKushner]

So has anyone been using Race of the Wild in the game?

I like some of the racial substition levels and the Whisperknife for Halflings but overall... I'm not too impressed with anything.

Take the halfling rogue substition levels. You get ranged sneak attack. Since rogues get this up to 30' in the first place, I'm not seeing the true use of this, especially as it takes away your standard sneak attack.

The maps and NPCs and ideas are nice but I'm not as inspired to use the new race, the Raptorians, as I have been with the Illuminius and the Goliaths.

For me, part of the problem is the Raptorians could've probably been left out and had another one of the winged races in D&D covered a bit more. Heck, this book has elves in it so they could've went with the winged elves or even the aarocka (misspelled that I know...)

Other opinions now that it's been out a while?

 

[Mercule]

I'll agree that I'm not particularly inspired by the Raptorians, but they're better than the Illumians. I haven't found any of the new "featured" races from the "races of..." books particularly inspiring, though. Raptorians are at least better than Illumian, which isn't saying much. Still, I've got a spot for a flying race IMC, and had almost dispaired of filling it -- so, the Raptorians will likely be modified a bit and included. They'll just bear more physical resemblence to the old "Winged Folk". Statistically, they're okay, it's just some bits of the flavor text that are lacking.

If they'd gone with winged elves, people would have griped about "yet another elven subrace". And the aarakocra have become somewhat associated with FR, I think.

I loathe the concept of substitution levels. Since that's not the topic at hand, though, I'll leave it at that. Obviously, though, I'm unable to compare that section of the Race books.

I'll agree that the Whisperknife is a nice PrC, though. I also liked the Champion of Corellon (I think that's the name). I always pictured elves as lightly armored, but the Champion strikes a reasonable balance. I'm not so sure I like the religious side of the class, but that's probably because IMC elves don't have any gods of their own and are rarely priests.

The new fey race is kinda neat. Other than cosmetics, it's much more what I think gnomes should be like than silly bards. I don't like that most of the "new" races were just expanded entries on existing MM entries. That's a lame cop-out.

Strangely, I find myself actually liking most of the new armor and weapons. Having the mithril armors actually stated out (including cost) is pretty cool. The exception to all this is the elven courtsword: a two-handed weapon that's finessable -- WTF? Spiked chain, sure, but an extralight claymore?

 

[JoeGKushner]

The extra light claymore is, well, I won't say ripped off, but has seen use before in the Iron Kingdoms, where the elves there get Nyss Claymore profiency for as a martial weapon and it's one that can have Weapon Finese applied to it.

I'd probalby just make anothe feat: "Finese Weapon" where you select one weapon type (longsword, shortsword,etc...) and can apply weapon finese to that wepaon type.

 

[Furry]

I already had a Drd3/Wiz3/MT1 when people started to find copies of Races of the Wild, so right now I love that book.

 

[DM_Jeff]

All Elves

I've been running a game of all elves for about 6 months now and the players were awaiting it with much anticipation. After looking at my copy, two players went out and got it. The inspired notes for roleplaying elves enlightened them, one is now working toward a prestige class, and another has one of the racial substitution levels on the go.

-DM Jeff

 

[Nikosandros]

Take the halfling rogue substition levels. You get ranged sneak attack. Since rogues get this up to 30' in the first place, I'm not seeing the true use of this, especially as it takes away your standard sneak attack.

Isn't the power they get a +1d6 for ranged sneak attack and a -1d6 when in melee?

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

I also liked the Champion of Corellon (I think that's the name). I always pictured elves as lightly armored, but the Champion strikes a reasonable balance. I'm not so sure I like the religious side of the class, but that's probably because IMC elves don't have any gods of their own and are rarely priests.

I rather like the Champion of Corellon Larethian (whew), and my hat of elves knows no limit.

I'm *so* tempted to go in with a Ftr 4/Swa 3 with an Elven Courtblade and add Dex, Int, and 1.5 Str to his damage.

Brad

 

[JoeGKushner]

Isn't the power they get a +1d6 for ranged sneak attack and a -1d6 when in melee?

Yes. They lose a couple d6 in melee as they go up in levels.

Why would any halfling take this? If you got into the Whisperknife PrC for example, your using daggers which have like a 20 foot range so as a normal rogue, you're already in your sapce without giving up the melee benefit.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I've been running a game of all elves for about 6 months now and the players were awaiting it with much anticipation. After looking at my copy, two players went out and got it. The inspired notes for roleplaying elves enlightened them, one is now working toward a prestige class, and another has one of the racial substitution levels on the go.

-DM Jeff

See, this is cool. It's why I like posting questions like this. Seeing how people are actually using the book gives me ideas on how others might use it for their own game.

In my Saturday game, I'm running Black Company so most of this material is already out.

On Tuesday, I'm a player in a FR game with two elves. So far, neither player has shown a lot of interest in this book.

 

[Gnome]

Yes. They lose a couple d6 in melee as they go up in levels.

Why would any halfling take this? If you got into the Whisperknife PrC for example, your using daggers which have like a 20 foot range so as a normal rogue, you're already in your sapce without giving up the melee benefit.

Because it balances out. More damage for SA for a thrown weapon, and less for a meele SA. A halfling would perfer to do the thrown SA if possible, anyway to get the advantage of his DEX and thrown weapon bonus.