Shadow Races up!!!

[Nemesis Destiny]

I like it. I may have a use for it in my campaign...

 

[Aegeri]

I'm wondering if the other races, Human/Halfling and such get anything in this book or just a page of fluff about the shadowfell?

It also occurs to me that I so hope they didn't throw a random disadvantage on the Revenant for the amusement of it.

 

[chitzk0i]

But how about powers like Turn Undead which hit undead, but do not have a different effect on non-undead? Can you choose to not be undead? I think not.

Turn Undead has different effects on undead and the living, so you get to choose.

 

[Mengu]

Yeah, since realizing that it wasn't draining two surges - just reducing the amount you heal by 2 - it's actually pretty solid.

At first level with a 13 Con, most classes start with 25 hit points. If you are reduced to 0 hit points, it would take 5 healing surges to heal up to 22, and 6 healing surges to heal up to full. At low levels, being reduced to 0 hit points is not that uncommon. I would say this is a pretty huge weakness.

I suppose a ranged character might not care too much, but I really don't see an up front rapier rogue, or inspiring warlord, or dragon sorcerer, or thaneborn barbarian, or cavalier, many other good str/cha and dex/cha class options where a -2 to healing surge when bloodied will hurt quite a bit, because the times you need healing the most are when you are bloodied. At first level, I go down, and the runepriest lets me spend a surge and heals me up to 4 hit points? That's a bit dismal. I find 6 points of healing to be barely enough already.

I'm really not fond of the racial handicaps. So far there are 3 races that bug me in this manner, two of which are from heroes of shadow.

 

[Neverfate]

Way better than the Shade, of which I'd just house rule the racial to (when Klaus doesn't have NDAs to contend with and tell us his original intent).

I like the flavor. Note quite human, but not quite revenant. A middle ground for DMs who dislike the rev race.

 

[Kingreaper]

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Shadow Races)

Good details on the Vryloka. Looks interesting. A bit of weakness, that seems to match shadow.

Yeah, that seems to be the intended shadow theme. Small disadvantages, and good advantages to make up for it.

 

[Walking Dad]

I really like the race. And at last we got another one with a Str/Cha bonus

Their are some great synergies between this race and the vampire class, as i hoped for. I just realized that it can count as living humanoid, so you could play a

Revenant (Vryloka) Vampire with the Dhampyr bloodline (last one only, if your feat choice comes before the class choice... so probably no to the bloodline.)

 

[Klaus]

Glad you guys liked it. The only things that changed from the initial design are the racial power's Effect and some minor details of the background.

 

[renau1g]

Yeah, pretty nice race. I'm still puzzled over their design philosophy change to have no penalties for race. I thought that was an excellent step away from the past. Usually you'd have players saying I'd play X class, but never Y class with race Z, as they'd be pigeon-holed into their choice. Most people chose classes to minimize weaknesses and maximize their strengths. There weren't too mnay halfling paladins in prior editions...now it's a great choice. Half-orc wizards in the past were a terrible idea, but at least in 4e you're not at a penalty for them.

 

[Klaus]

The penalty interacted in an interesting fashion with the original racial power.