The 10 Player Races in Volo's Guide Revealed

On its Volo's Guide to Monsters product page, Fantasy Grounds has a screenshot up listing the 10 playable races - Aasimar, Bugbear, Firbolg, Goblin, Goliath, Hobgoblin, Kenku, Kobold, Lizardfolk, Orc, Tabaxi, Triton, Yuan-ti Pureblood.

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Product Page: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store/product.xcp?id=WOTC5EVGM
Screenshot: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/images/screenshots/Screenshots/WOTC5EVGM/New-Monstrous-Races.jpg

Biggest surprise for me is Kenku. Bugbear is also unexpected.

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[doctorbadwolf]

That's not bad news

You're right. "Bad" is too mild a word.

For my group, the book might as well not have movie or or orc playable stats. Those stats are only usable for building NPCs using PC mechanics. Your group differs, and that's fine, but that Wild a deviation from the rest of the system is an awful sign, IMO.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I can see why certain people are upset about score penalties, they would not have been my first design choice, but I'd be willing to give it a try.

Too bad all the leaked stuff got taken down before I could look at it though, a lot of this stuff sounds really interesting.

 

[QuietBrowser]

I can see why certain people are upset about score penalties, they would not have been my first design choice, but I'd be willing to give it a try.

Too bad all the leaked stuff got taken down before I could look at it though, a lot of this stuff sounds really interesting.

If you check out 4chan /tg/, there's pretty much a link of all the leaks in every single 5e D&D thread. I also hear that the crunch may be on 1d4chan's article for D&D 5e.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Same here - I'm itching to play a firbolg druid now.

I scanned your comment way too quickly. At first glance, I thought you said firbolg druid cow. lol

Though considering the number of bovines in the book, maybe they are hinting at druids shape-shifting into cows.

 

[Demetrios1453]

I scanned your comment way too quickly. At first glance, I thought you said firbolg druid cow. lol

Though considering the number of bovines in the book, maybe they are hinting at druids shape-shifting into cows.

I'm sure the aurochs will actually be a fairly scary bovine, but other than that, they probably over-did the cow angle. I guess they had to balance all the exotic dinosaurs with something utterly (or is that "udderly"? ) mundane?

 

[Mecheon]

I'm just disappointed they didn't add Bonnacons

I mean, if you're going to have all of those cows, why not just go for it and add the cow that fires flaming poo?

 

[Pauper]

Kenku aren't evil, just Chaotic Neutral normally. Your thinking of Kobolds and Purebloods.

Nope -- seems they arbitrarily changed the race for 5e.

When kenku were introduced back in the original Fiend Folio, they worshipped Pazuzu, the demon lord that, at that time, ruled the top layer of the Abyss. Later, in Greyhawk, they were associated with Vecna after his ascension to divinity. They've been evil for a long time, but apparently not anymore.

Guess that answers my question about kenku -- but still curious what they'll do with the still-evil 5e races.

--
Pauper

 

[Mecheon]

Kenku dropped the Evil part as early as 2E. They've been neutral for a long time now

 

[Belltent]

Is anybody else a little underwhelmed with the mechanics here? Lizardfolk's stats and abilities seem to be at odds with each other, kenku don't do much, and tabaxi seem objectively worse than half elves. Feels like it goes aasimar, tritons, and then a huuuuge gap and then the rest of the races.

 

[Beleriphon]

I really like the bugbear option. Having just caught up on Girl Genius I plan on running my bugbear like a Jäegermonster. Probably most like Dimo, if only because he's hilarious.