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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[flametitan]

My disagreement with the negatives in ability scores is mainly that it doesn't really add anything interesting. Do you really benefit from making kobolds worse at being a heavy armour user than even races with no benefit to STR? It doesn't hurt the game as a whole per se, especially if you're just playing the stereotypical, but it is annoying when you want to go against the grain and make something out there. Does an Orc Evocation Wizard need to be worse than a Mountain Dwarf Evocation Wizard, never mind a High Elf Evocation Wizard? Not really, I don't see it as adding to the game for them to be worse at it, but it can add to someone's fun to know that they aren't penalized for wanting an "out there" build like that.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

My disagreement with the negatives in ability scores is mainly that it doesn't really add anything interesting. Do you really benefit from making kobolds worse at being a heavy armour user than even races with no benefit to STR? It doesn't hurt the game as a whole per se, especially if you're just playing the stereotypical, but it is annoying when you want to go against the grain and make something out there. Does an Orc Evocation Wizard need to be worse than a Mountain Dwarf Evocation Wizard, never mind a High Elf Evocation Wizard? Not really, I don't see it as adding to the game for them to be worse at it, but it can add to someone's fun to know that they aren't penalized for wanting an "out there" build like that.

That's viewing it through a gamist lens. From a different angle, it adds something important: it means that kobolds are weaker than humans, which makes sense given their small size and therefore aids suspension of disbelief. This is going to be especially important at tables where the point-buy variant is mandatory, such as AL, because without the kobold modifier, most kobold wizards will wind up with the exact same strength (8) as most human wizards, which makes zero sense. Does anyone really believe that kobolds and humans should both be equally capable of lugging around 120 lb. worth of equipment?

Ability score prerequisites might be a good idea, too. Such as "you cannot be an orc unless your Str, after modifiers, is at least 12," given that all the other orcs in the MM have Str 16. And there's probably a good reason why there aren't any kobold archmages. You could add in rules like "kobolds cannot have more than 7 levels total of spellcasting ability." That explains why there are tons of kobold witch-doctors out there casting Heat Metal and Hold Person spells on the low-level PCs, but also why none of those witch doctors seem to turn into archmages.

Now get off my lawn, y'all. ;-)

 

[flametitan]

That's viewing it through a gamist lens. From a different angle, it adds something important: it means that kobolds are weaker than humans, which makes sense given their small size and therefore aids suspension of disbelief. This is going to be especially important at tables where the point-buy variant is mandatory, such as AL, because without the kobold modifier, most kobold wizards will wind up with the exact same strength (8) as most human wizards, which makes zero sense. Does anyone really believe that kobolds and humans should both be equally capable of lugging around 120 lb. worth of equipment?

Ability score prerequisites might be a good idea, too. Such as "you cannot be an orc unless your Str, after modifiers, is at least 12," given that all the other orcs in the MM have Str 16. And there's probably a good reason why there aren't any kobold archmages. You could add in rules like "kobolds cannot have more than 7 levels total of spellcasting ability." That explains why there are tons of kobold witch-doctors out there casting Heat Metal and Hold Person spells on the low-level PCs, but also why none of those witch doctors seem to turn into archmages.

Now get off my lawn, y'all. ;-)

I'll counter your perspective with an anecdote about the perspective I first entered the game through. I didn't really care about versmilitude when I first picked up the rules. I just wanted to find something that was cool to play as for when I got a chance to join a group. I didn't know every spell in the PHB, I didn't even possess a PHB! All I knew was that wizards required high INT. You know what I saw? The Mountain Dwarf. It's key ability was that it could wear armour. Armour, something wizards lacked proficiency in.

Yes, I thought. I can be a dwarf wizard and wear armour. That sounds so cool. If I pick up the criminal background, I can also get thieves' tools. That would allow me to do most things competently.

I didn't care that it lacked an INT bonus, but I would've scrapped the idea immediately if it had an arbitrary INT penalty or limits on how much of a wizard it could be. What good is an oddball idea if you were just going to be punished for it? But it didn't have any of those, and I was so happy to play a Mountain Dwarf Wizard for my first character. Of course, this was right before the Elemental Evil season, and the group I was in immediately showed itself to be slightly creepy, so I never got to play Urist McLightningfist for more than a handful of sessions, but it was fun.

That's the angle I'm coming from. I want people to be encouraged to do strange things, and not penalized for it, because that's how I got my start in the game, was with an oddball idea. Versmilitude comes second to fun.

EDIT: Besides, Halflings and gnomes aren't significantly larger than kobolds, but they don't get an STR penalty.

 

[Parmandur]

My disagreement with the negatives in ability scores is mainly that it doesn't really add anything interesting. Do you really benefit from making kobolds worse at being a heavy armour user than even races with no benefit to STR? It doesn't hurt the game as a whole per se, especially if you're just playing the stereotypical, but it is annoying when you want to go against the grain and make something out there. Does an Orc Evocation Wizard need to be worse than a Mountain Dwarf Evocation Wizard, never mind a High Elf Evocation Wizard? Not really, I don't see it as adding to the game for them to be worse at it, but it can add to someone's fun to know that they aren't penalized for wanting an "out there" build like that.

Sure, it adds something, for sure in the case of Orcs: the Orc has every single ability and trait of Half-Orcs, PLUS Powerful Build, PLUS the Aggressive combat ability. Without some drawback, they are out of balance mathematically with the PHB races. Kobold, slightly less clear, bit looks right.

 

[Jester David]

I'll counter your perspective with an anecdote about the perspective I first entered the game through. I didn't really care about versmilitude when I first picked up the rules. I just wanted to find something that was cool to play as for when I got a chance to join a group. I didn't know every spell in the PHB, I didn't even possess a PHB! All I knew was that wizards required high INT. You know what I saw? The Mountain Dwarf. It's key ability was that it could wear armour. Armour, something wizards lacked proficiency in.

Yes, I thought. I can be a dwarf wizard and wear armour. That sounds so cool. If I pick up the criminal background, I can also get thieves' tools. That would allow me to do most things competently.

I didn't care that it lacked an INT bonus, but I would've scrapped the idea immediately if it had an arbitrary INT penalty or limits on how much of a wizard it could be. What good is an oddball idea if you were just going to be punished for it? But it didn't have any of those, and I was so happy to play a Mountain Dwarf Wizard for my first character. Of course, this was right before the Elemental Evil season, and the group I was in immediately showed itself to be slightly creepy, so I never got to play Urist McLightningfist for more than a handful of sessions, but it was fun.

That's the angle I'm coming from. I want people to be encouraged to do strange things, and not penalized for it, because that's how I got my start in the game, was with an oddball idea. Versmilitude comes second to fun.

EDIT: Besides, Halflings and gnomes aren't significantly larger than kobolds, but they don't get an STR penalty.

I agree with this wholeheartedly... for core/PHB races.
I think secondary races in splatbooks can conform to type a little more.

 

[Jester David]

Goliaths

I wonder if it's inclusion has to Grog and Critical Role: getting Goliaths into a physical book available in stores.

 

[gyor]

Sure, it adds something, for sure in the case of Orcs: the Orc has every single ability and trait of Half-Orcs, PLUS Powerful Build, PLUS the Aggressive combat ability. Without some drawback, they are out of balance mathematically with the PHB races. Kobold, slightly less clear, bit looks right.

No they don't. They get Menacing, Darkvision, Aggressive (as a bonus you can move towards an enemy), and Powerful Build, that's it.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I agree with this wholeheartedly... for core/PHB races.
I think secondary races in spkatbooks can conform to type a little more.

Why? What's the difference?
Many should Orc wizards be penalized? Especially in a point but game, it severely limited what he done with the race, and adds a needless complication.
Made you going to suggest that it's fine is "secondary" options are less well made?

 

[flametitan]

I agree with this wholeheartedly... for core/PHB races.
I think secondary races in spkatbooks can conform to type a little more.

I disagree.There's no reason to, as somebody's still going to want to play something that breaks the mould, regardless of it it's splat or core. The easiest way to make an interesting character is to have a type, and then play against it. Discouraging playing against type is discouraging what are potentially really interesting characters.

Sure, it adds something, for sure in the case of Orcs: the Orc has every single ability and trait of Half-Orcs, PLUS Powerful Build, PLUS the Aggressive combat ability. Without some drawback, they are out of balance mathematically with the PHB races. Kobold, slightly less clear, bit looks right.

I've been hearing mixed responses. Sometimes I'm hearing that it *only* gets aggressive, powerful build, and Intimidation; sometimes I'm hearing it gets everything.

In either case, the answer is not to reduce INT. In the former, it's an arbitrary penalty. In the latter, it does absolutely nothing to "balance" it. Why? Because it's bonuses are geared towards being a big dumb barbarian anyway. You don't care about INT if you're playing a big dumb barbarian, and you get bonuses to make you that much better at being a big dumb barbarian than anyone else. However, if you don't play the big dumb barbarian, you don't benefit from these abilities, *and* you miss out on the ability scores you so need. It does nothing to hurt you, unless you don't play to type.

 

[Parmandur]

I disagree.There's no reason to, as somebody's still going to want to play something that breaks the mould, regardless of it it's splat or core. The easiest way to make an interesting character is to have a type, and then play against it. Discouraging playing against type is discouraging what are potentially really interesting characters.



I've been hearing mixed responses. Sometimes I'm hearing that it *only* gets aggressive, powerful build, and Intimidation; sometimes I'm hearing it gets everything.

In either case, the answer is not to reduce INT. In the former, it's an arbitrary penalty. In the latter, it does absolutely nothing to "balance" it. Why? Because it's bonuses are geared towards being a big dumb barbarian anyway. You don't care about INT if you're playing a big dumb barbarian, and you get bonuses to make you that much better at being a big dumb barbarian than anyone else. However, if you don't play the big dumb barbarian, you don't benefit from these abilities, *and* you miss out on the ability scores you so need. It does nothing to hurt you, unless you don't play to type.

Yes, Orcs are geared to be the best at being dumb Barbarians/Fighters, and even an exceptional smart Orc Wizard (16 Int is good enough for first level, 14 is fine), still has barbarian-ness baked in: just as the Bugbear has Assassin baked in, the Goblin Rogue, the High Elf has Bladesinger, the Aasamir has Paladin, etc etc...but the Orc is way way better than the normal best Barbarian, theHalf-Orc so needs broader balancing.

As races get more afield, I expect to see more of that: more specialization, but fringe concepts still easily doable.

Actually, playing a full Orc Wizard sounds fun now...