D&D 4E The 4e Mystery Race is going to be...

[Cam Banks]

Kobolds are awesome.

In Dragonlance, I added the great ally racial ability of kenku to them, in order to make them a little more attractive as a player character option. I also included a Black Robe wizard kobold named Master Yap into the 2nd of the Age of Mortals campaign adventures, Spectre of Sorrows; Master Yap has an article in the upcoming Lost Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home book from MWP entitled "10 Reasons Why Kobolds are Better than Draconians." It's a propaganda piece for the kobolds in the Blue Dragonarmy before their assault on the High Clerist's Tower during the War of the Lance.

Krynnish kobolds are not dragonblooded, however; they're related to the bakali races (lizardfolk, troglodytes, etc.) and were at some point in the distant past a kind of adaptive experiment to copy the niche occupied by goblins.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[Scholar & Brutalman]

Yep. There are VERY few depictions of orcs in any light that's generally positive:

* - Warcraft 3 and WoW
* - Eberron

And that's all I can think of. There may be more, but that's all I'm aware of.

FASA's Shadowrun and Earthdawn had positive, warrior-style orcs. SPI's Dragonquest had orcs as a PC race back in 1980, but I don't recall if they were very positive, just an option in a game with no alignment.

 

[Scholar & Brutalman]

It just came to me what the last race is! Popular, iconic and we haven't seen it mentioned yet: Mind Flayer.

 

[Goobermunch]

Hate to be the naysayer, but wasn't there a reference to a goblin ranger in one of the playtest reports?

And wasn't there also a reference to a fierce *mumble* ranger in the same party?

I think we can fairly conclude that it's going to be goblins.

--G

 

[Goobermunch]

My money is on the Goblin! With all the evidence we have (Pete Schaefer mentioned a Goblin Ranger, Michelle Carter says the class of the Mystery Race is Ranger, the Mysrtery Race is negatively connotated in Chris Perkins campaign etc.) it seems more than likely. Also, Goblins are iconic D&D Creatures and they would add a second small Race to the PHB, now that they kicked the Gnome! Seriously, should Halflings be the only small PC Races? All the small writeups for armor, weapons and stuff only for one Race? I don't think so

See, this is what happens when I think I've read an entire thread, but apparently miss one leetle page.

What he says.

--G

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think the drow in the starter set is the strongest indicator of what the mystery race is going to be, especially since it's been described as subterranean and controversial, with most of the controversy linked to a single setting.

 

[Mortellan]

Brad, Looking over the current PC race list I need a desireable PC race to make me -pick up- 4e.

 

[Mortellan]

If it's drow I don't understand the trouble of going into all this 'mystery'. People have been playing (emulating) drow characters for years. I think tiefling would've made a much more mysterious and surprising if not controversial pick.

 

[KoshPWNZYou]

It just came to me what the last race is! Popular, iconic and we haven't seen it mentioned yet: Mind Flayer.

You've been peeking at my house rules! Don't complain to me when -you're- forced to referee an Illithid Ninja/Bard.

 

[CleverNickName]

If it is another ing elf or ing demon variant, I am switching back to red-box rules.

I'm not even kidding.