Savage Species

[HellHound]

Sounds like the same basic system that Monte Cook is using in Arcana Unearthed.

Edit: Beat to the punch by Chun-Tzu

 

[RSKennan]

I've used a similar alternate for ECL. I based mine on the original D&D Races as classes concept. It's hardly a new idea at all.

 

[LGodamus]

Well I am now interested.......amazing what a few little words can do to change an opinion from ehh to yay , isn't it. Seriously though it sounds as if savage species will be pretty good , but I think I will still pass on the others.

 

[Starseeker]

50+ monster races playable as characters, eh? I hope they include Kara-Tur savage races too, not just ones from the Unapprochable East. They seem to have a shortfall in decent Oriental races, considering the campaign-specific/limited races they have in Oriental Adventurers, which I must say in my opinion I was a little dissapointed with in a few places.
Maybe they could borrow a few ideas from Masquerade: Kindred of the East! 1/2 Oriental ghost/vamipre type races would be cool!

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I'm guessing that they're only using MM monsters out of the 50+ monster races, given WotC past policies. However if enough people demand it, they could conceivably make a regular web feature on monster classes, like they've been doing with Epic level progressions of prestige classes.

My guesses is that the 50+ monser class will most definately have Ogres, Bugbears, Troll, Gnolls, and Hill Giants. Goblins, Kobolds and other 1HD creatures don't need monster classes as they just use class levels anyways.

 

[Desdichado]

50+ monster races playable as characters, eh? I hope they include Kara-Tur savage races too, not just ones from the Unapprochable East. They seem to have a shortfall in decent Oriental races, considering the campaign-specific/limited races they have in Oriental Adventurers, which I must say in my opinion I was a little dissapointed with in a few places.
Maybe they could borrow a few ideas from Masquerade: Kindred of the East! 1/2 Oriental ghost/vamipre type races would be cool!

Yeesh!! I'm glad that seems incredible unlikely.

 

[2WS-Steve]

I've used the racial levels system for the tougher races in the Second World Sourcebook.

In playtest it has run nicely since everyone gets to start at first level and hit points/saving throws keep within a reasonable range as the characters go up in level.

 

[Alzrius]

Given that Savage Species will have rules for playing a monster at levels lower than its ECL equivalent, I hope the game designers looked at the flip side of the coin. I'd like to see ways to improve the "monster class" or "natural class" that it has beyond normal limits. Imagine an Ogre who's tougher than others not because its a Fighter of whatever, but just because its more ogrish. It's basically monster advancement like in the MM, but for monster PCs.

 

[Morgenstern]

You're making me feel old...

I remember the whole concept of monster characters being represented with 'monster' levels from way back with three books about it for D&D (not second ed - honest to goodness D&D!). There was one of woodland creatures (sprites, unicorns, treants, centaurs, etc), one of flying critters, and one of underwater creatures. Since you couldn't really multiclass in that game, it had (I think) 10 or 20 levels for each, and one of the levels represented 'maturity' at which point you were equivalent to a monster. You could keep gaining levels becomeing a more experienced version of that monster type (keep in mind elves and dwarves where classes in this game).

All in all cool to see that come round again. IF SS has a section on creating your own monter classes from ECLs, then it'll be a great companion volume ot Race of Faerun, but if not, the two books will kind shoot each other in the foot. I was grooving on Faerun, but I think SS will get my money first.

 

[Fenes 2]

I will probably get them both. Races of Faerun will be bought just because it has 30 odd pages on humans. Books on elves dwarves etc. are a dime a dozen, but humans often get the short end of the stick, despite being the predominant race in so many settings. The descriptions of the cultures of the different countries only go so far, imho.