Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="JoeGKushner" data-source="post: 2080518" data-attributes="member: 1129">Races of the Wild, written by Skip Williams for the Dungeons and Dragon line by Wizards of the Coast, is the latest Race book. Weighing in at 192 full color pages for $29.95, Races of the Wild is very reasonably priced.Laid out in standard two-column format, Races resembles many standard D&D books with chapter counters on the outside of the page. For example, flipping to page 153, I can see that I’m in Chapter 6, Character Options. In terms of art, Races of the Wild is one of the least visually appealing books to me. Outside of some work by Wayne England and Sam Wood, most of the book looks uninspired. Some of my least favorite artists like Tom Baxa and Dennis Crabapple are featured and Chuck Lucasks who handles the heading chapter illustrations, doesn’t stand up to previous illustrators.Each race starts off with a section, A Day in the Life. This follows a single individual through their daily workload showing how their live differs from those of other races.  It then moves into description, which covers physical traits, and under that, clothing, and grooming. Another section on psychology, provides insights into what the race considers important or why they’ve come to that way of life.  Another section covers Life. This includes things like culture in terms of arts and crafts, as well as living standards from technology and magic.  Other important subjects like Love and war, are briefly covered, as well as aging and death. Ideas on society and culture are also briefly detailed with ideas on community structure and family ties with specific names for various officlas offered.For those wondering how the race in question gets along with others, a section about “X and other races”, covers all of the core races, as well as the new race introduced in this book. A bit disappointing as it doesn’t mention the other new races in the series like the Goliath from Races of Stone. The section on religion includes the gods of the Pantheon. For the elves, for example, it include the standard leader, Corellon Larethian, as well as many new gods designed for a generic pantheon. These gods don’t have a specific table breaking down their portfolio, favored weapons and domains, but those details are found under each section. In addition, other bits of role playing information are included like clerical training, quests, and prayers, are joined with details useful for background information like shrines, rites, and herald and allies.Strangely enough, for the Halflings, it looks like several deities were just listed with no details.  For example, Arvoreen, Brandobaris, Cyrollalee, Sheela Peryroyl, and Urogalan, are all listed, and each includes power level, portfolio, domains, and favored weapon, but no background information or indeed, any other information like shrines, is included, making the poor Pantheon section the weakest of the lot.Each race also includes a generic section on the race’s history and folklore. This includes mythic origins, such as the elves being from the blood of Corellon and the tears of Sehanine, as well as legends. Details on language, including a phrasebook, with what the phrase means, are included to help give different races their own image. One of the most useful sections in each areas, is the names, including lengthy tables for prefixes and suffixes for elves, and sample Halfling names and earned names. Unfortunately, the author copped out when doing Raptoran names, referring to the Elven random name generator.Sample communities are included for each race. For elves, we get the typical elven wooded village. Halflings get a meadow, and the new race, the Raptorians, get some cliff dwellings.After that, we get some ideas on how each race approaches the core classes, as well as what specific feats and PrCs are appropriate for the character in question.The book starts off with Elves. One of the most written about demi-humans in 3rd edition with specialized books on drow, wood elves, and high elves, this chapter captures the standard elf from the Player’s Handbook. The author sticks with the standard height and weight of elves, making them still the short version as opposed to the Forgotten Realms version which tends to be more Middle Earth like. The Halflings, as described in the second chapter, are a race on the move, often moving in large groups like a Carnival. They even provide maps for a house wagon and provide some new twists for the Halfling pantheon. It seems that Yondalla formed the Halflings out of many bits and pieces of other races and the gods were upset at her larcenous nature and command her to sever that part from herself, and so she did, which created Dallah Thaun, a hidden goddess who no one outside the Halflings know about. An interesting twist.When looking at the new race, the Raptorans, I’m not inclined to use them. While a flying race is interesting, it’s also been covered in other races not even mentioned in this book. In addition, this is another race that started off as something else, much like the Illumans from the previous book, Races of Destiny, or the Mojh from Arcana Evolved, and made a pact with a entities from the Elemental Plane of Air, and received the gift of flight. What race they were before isn’t really covered but once again, no template is provided to show how other races might pledge their loyalty to the plane of air.And it’s strange that their, as a race, pledged to air, when their patron god isn’t some elemental being, but rather, a beast lord, “patron of the hunt” and “cherishes and protects all nocturnal birds.” This sounds much more like some type of animal deity than a pact with some elemental lord.In terms of game mechanics, they have wings that give them a bonus to jump checks and gliding ability, at first, but as the character gains levels, their wings get stronger and enable them to eventually fly. They also gain a +1 caster level when casting spells with the air descriptor, have an innate sense of direction, low-light vision, weapon familiarity with some new exotic weapon, and a bonus to climb and spot checks. Because of their ancient pact, their favored class is cleric. Overall, a big ‘meh’ from me.The other races brings several new races to the table. Well, most of these aren’t new races per say, but races from the Monster Manual, given a more complete racial trait listing for characters, as well as monstrous levels similar to Savage Species.  The Catfolk, one of the few races not from the Monster Manual, are actually from the Miniature’s Handbook. Might make some Anime fans happy, but they didn’t do a lot for me then, and they still don’t. The Centaur and Gnoll don’t do anything for me either. If there was a ‘winner’ race, it’d be the Killoren. These are fey who take different aspects, much like Warhammer tabletop Dyrads, to handle different events. They an change what form they manifest each morning, and can select from these aspects; Ancient, gaining knowledge of nature, destroyer, gaining a smite attack against the foes of nature, and hunter, gaining bonuses to Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot Checks. It’s an interesting mechanic  but as a race, they’re probably not something that’s going to see use in my campaign anytime too soon. If I want agents of nature who are out against those who despoil it, I’ll use wood elves.When looking at PrCs, the book starts off with existing PrCs that are appropriate for these races. Some obvious choices like Bladesinger and Halfling Outrider are included, as well as some hitting the highs of a society, like the Arhcmage and some alternative ‘generic’ PrCs like the Eldritch Knight. The book the starts with the new PrCs.Each new PrC has a quote, details of what the PrC is, information on becoming that PrC, game mechanics, including entry requirements and class features, how to play the PrC, including advice on combat, advancement, and resources, as well as how the PrC fits into the world, including organization and NPC Reactions. Other details like Lore of the PrC, usually relying on a specific Knowledge skill, are included from DC 10 to DC 30. Lastly, a section on using that PrC in the game, including adaptation and encounters, rounds off each section.Some of these will cause rules debate right off the top like the Arcane Hierophant, a druid-wizard PrC that gains spellcasting in both classes at once, while others are specialized for a race like the Whisperknife, a Halfling specializing in using daggers. The new race, the Raptoran, gets two PrCs specific for them, the Skypledged, a divine spellcaster who cannot cast spells with fire, water, or earth descriptors, but gains a spellpool, access to additional spellpower that has to be repaid within a number of days equal to your PrC. Very similar to a Guild Mage. The Stormtalon on the other hand, is a fighting based class that gains better flight and bonus aerial feats in addition to ‘Foot Talons’ where they can deal damage with their feat as if they were claws. Several skills get a quick look over in Chapter Six, under Character Options, including moving along a forest canopy using climb or finding trail signs using Survival. The real ‘beef’ of that chapter is the feats and includes several racials ones like Centaur Trample, where the centaur can prevent an opponent from avoiding him, and if he knocks the target down, he can make one hoof attack. Others like Defensive Archery are perfect for any archer, giving the user a +4 dodge bonus to his AC when using his bow and threatened by attacks of opportunity.One of my favorite type of feats, Tactical, makes a repeat introduction here. These feats often allow you to do multiple things with it and make them more useful than a standard feat. For example, Wolfpack has several maneuvers within it including Distract Foe, Drive Back, and Gang Dodge.Another section here, Racial Substitution Levels, provides options for each character, usually two ‘core’ concepts, including the favored class, and one off the path class. These substitution levels work by allowing the character to swap out his normal level for a racial level. For elves, they have paladin, ranger and wizard. Halflings have druid, monk, and rogue, while Raptoran have cleric, fighter, and sorcerer.Some of these may be overpowered for some campaigns.  For example, the elf wizard’s first ability, Generalist Wizardry, basically gives them specialist abilities, gaining an extra spell in her spellbook, gaining extra spells when advancing, and being able to prepare an additional spell of her highest level each day, of any school. Others may not work for some campaigns. For example, I wonder why any hafling would drop out his rogue levels for his racial ones. See, they can use a sling or thrown weapon and gain an extra 1d6 points of sneak attack damage, but their melee sneak attack is reduced by 1d6. What does that do for things like bows? Don’t know as it’s not listed. Why would a Halfling take this as normally, a sneak attack can be ranged up to 30’ and most thrown weapons don’t have a lot of distance behind them anyway?When looking at equipment and magic, a lot of it involves new weapons and armor, and a lot of it involves exotic weapons. It starts off with many different types of arrow, including blunt arrows, but others like dragonbreath inflict extra fire damage as their on fire. The exotic weapons come in for the elves with the lightblade, thinblade and courtblade, in essence elven versions of the rapier, short sword, and greatsword. The good news is that in each case, if you have any of the weapon focus or specialization feats, it carries over to the standard weapon as well. The main benefit of these exotic weapons is that their critical threat is greater, for example, the courtblade that does 1d10, has an 18-20 critical range, and can be used with Weapon Finesse. For armor, there are several new types including various mithril variants such as chain shirts and breastplates, to new wildwood armor from scale to full plate. Each one has different benefits, but most of the good stuff is that they have a higher maximum dex bonus and the armor check penalty isn’t as bad as normal armor.In terms of new magic items, there are no racial relics or artifacts. No legendary bows or speares of the Raptorans for example but we do have things like Swordbows, a weapon nthat can be either a sword or a bow, or the Hawkfeather Armor, +3 studded leather armor that allows the user to cast eagle’s splendor on himself in addition to being able to fly for a limited period and having a bonus on Spot checks while wearing the armor.Of more interest to some are the new spells. These start off in abbreviated form, broken down by class and level, and for wizards, by school. Not a lot of new material here, but a few will be useful right away like Raptor’s Sight where the user gains a +5 bonus on Spot checks and range increment penalties are halved. Of more interest to me are the three new psionic powers, simply because psionics get so little support. Of the three, my favorite is Living Arrow, a 5th level Psychic Warrior ability that can travel around corners to strike the target.The last chapter, Campaigns in the Wild, provides some ideas on what to do with the material. This ranges from how to assemble such a group, to the demographics of the different communities, making an elf community different than a Halfling one. Sample NPCs of various levels and classes help the GM come up with NPCs in a split second. Holidays are provided for the three races, but should’ve been included in the earlier description of each race. A few monsters are introduced including an old favorite, the elven hound or the cooshee. The book ends with one hundred adventure ideas and a listing of NPCs by CR.Of the Races book, this one will probably get the least use from my group and me. I’ve already incorporated a lot of background details from the Illumans in my game, and don’t  have another spot in my campaign for another flying humanoid race. Stats for gnolls and centaurs as the ‘new’ races, especially trying to give the gnolls a ‘good’ outlook, didn’t sit with me. Some of the game mechanics will require some playtesting to see how they work out and usually, I can tell if something’s too good by how many players want to use it. Thus far no player’s have approached me about the Halfling rogue substitution levels, but I have had a few people tell me that the next character they want to play is an elven wizard.For those looking to round out their collection, Races of the Wild continues to provide hardcover full color books at a reasonable price.</blockquote>

Verification