Speculation -- next Friday's PH3 Playtest?

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Alright, here's one I'm surprised no one has mentioned, what with the Shadow PS and necromancers and all.

NECROPOLITANS

No, seriously. Consider the fact that we don't have an undead race. Constructs, yes, undead, no. This could be pretty different depending on what direction they want to take it in - and could also sell more minis, if that's what they care about. But they could do some kind of regeneration, perhaps necrotic and poison resist, +2 int, +2 con (undead flesh resists destruction, maybe?). As one can see, I haven't thought this out well.

Dhampyrs we already have, it was done via Bloodlines.

From which we haven't seen much new yet. I hope they plan something more along that lines...

Which isn't to say that a Necropolitian is impossible.

Don't we need a "Dungeonborn"? And an "Ampersandborn"?

 

[Derren]

I'm thinking Thri-kreen for playtesting the extra arms, Illumians for the different Sigils, Changelings/Doppelgangers for the polymorph mechanics or Maybe Elans, playing up their abberant nature.

Bel

What "needs playtesting" doesn't really factor in in such open playtest articles. Such things are actually more promotions than real tests. While WOtC certainly values user input (especially as some users seem to understand the math behind the game better than the in house guys) the serious playtesting is done by WotC.

"
1. When the Monster Manual came out, they included some extra races in the back of the book. As a stopgap measure, so you could have Bugbear NPCs and so forth before they got a full racial writeup--NPCs only, mind you; the stuff was designed with monsters and so forth in mind, and should only be allowed for PCs with the DM's discretion.

No, not really.
See the "NPC" Kobold. This kobold looses its Darkvision and the only reason for that is because Darkvision is not allowed for PC races. Would that writeup only be for NPCs Drakvision would have stayed.

 

[WalterKovacs]

No, not really.
See the "NPC" Kobold. This kobold looses its Darkvision and the only reason for that is because Darkvision is not allowed for PC races. Would that writeup only be for NPCs Drakvision would have stayed.

Darkvision was given to a PC race, the drow, in the forgotten realms player's guide. In fact, the Drow NPC writeup of the Monster Manual has darkvision.

The start of the chapter flat out states that they are provided to help DM's create NPCS, and they can be used as guidelines for creating PCs, and they should only use it with DM's permission.

 

[pawsplay]

Goliaths win because they killed half-ogres and stonechilds (stonechildren?) and took their stuff. You can play a Krusk-like character that does not remind people of Worf. I rather like them conceptually, but I gave up on them when I sold Races of Stone. Mechanically, they were a mess.

Thr-kreen I'm thinking won't be it. Judging from the Minotaur and other monster races, a PC version of thri-kreen would have purely cosmetic extra arms. A racial encounter power might allow you to add extra damage, or there might be an at-will that allows you to change between weapons each round. But basically, in an ancient AD&D tradition that has been revived by 4e, any actual monstrous traits will be de-emphasized in favor of making them basically similar to humans.

WotC has every reason to grow their house brand, so I would look at previous books for clues about future races. The new races introduced in each Races book are a likely starting place. How about...?

Killoren: Let's face it, these are extremely cool, and with Primal being an explicit power source, they have a niche. Their Aspects work well with the 4e "pick one" customization philosophy.

Raptorans: They are fliers, but they're problematic. Again, PC races in 4e generally don't get anything you don't find among more common character types. Flight is the issue here. Even the staged abilities they have in 3e don't translate easily into 4e. If I were personally forced to convert them, I would alter their culture such that flight is not an achievement of all adult raptorans, and make flight and elemental air abilities part of a paragon path.

Spellscales: No.

Necropolitans: Very possible. They have that "often sort of evil but not necessarily psychopathic" thing going on.

Elan and Kalashtar: Depends.

IIllumians: Maybe there isn't a huge fanclub for these, but they were pretty well received. They just didn't make much of a splash. The Umbral Blade, however, fits into the 4e aesthetic very nicely.

 

[Hexmage-EN]

I have no idea what the playtest race will be, but I will say that I expect Illumians to be released as a PC race eventually based on their being mentioned in the Manual of the Planes.

Also, I've never even heard of Killorens before; I'm gonna have to look them up.

 

[avin]

Alright, here's one I'm surprised no one has mentioned, what with the Shadow PS and necromancers and all.

NECROPOLITANS

No, seriously. Consider the fact that we don't have an undead race. Constructs, yes, undead, no. This could be pretty different depending on what direction they want to take it in - and could also sell more minis, if that's what they care about. But they could do some kind of regeneration, perhaps necrotic and poison resist, +2 int, +2 con (undead flesh resists destruction, maybe?). As one can see, I haven't thought this out well.

I hope some developer reads Sandman...

 

[TarionzCousin]

Lastly, FWIW, Illumians have already been mentioned in 4E, in a box in Manual of the Planes, in case anyone didn't know. Take that as you will.

Killoren: Let's face it, these are extremely cool, and with Primal being an explicit power source, they have a niche. Their Aspects work well with the 4e "pick one" customization philosophy.

IIllumians: Maybe there isn't a huge fanclub for these, but they were pretty well received. They just didn't make much of a splash. The Umbral Blade, however, fits into the 4e aesthetic very nicely.

I don't remember the Killoren. What's their fluff?

My expectation is that the race will be the Illumians. In MotP they were called "vanished," but "it’s said that some still remain in the world, a diminished but wiser race."

 

[pawsplay]

Killoren are fey creatures. Unlike most fey, they are not evasive and timid, but instead are active protectors of the wild places. In appearance, they are green and decidedly nonhuman. A killoren can choose one of three aspects of nature each day, which affects its demeanor and capabilities.

 

[hong]

Augh, moar elves!

 

[Derren]

A killoren can choose one of three aspects of nature each day, which affects its demeanor and capabilities.

Augh, moar elves!

Spellscale elves!