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

[Kintara]

I think minotaur is out because it's too close to the Tauren in WoW. They'll probably already get crap for adding in the Warlock, and having two elven races (one nature-like and one more magical). To be clear, I think this is an argument that relies on a lame (ultimately circular) analogy, but I can see them being self-conscious about it.

Hobgoblins don't suffer from this problem, and they seem to be an It race at the moment at Wizards and in general. People love their militant hobgoblins. And they don't step on the shoes of any of the confirmed races as much as goblins might (with halflings). Also, I think hobgoblins as fully formed PC characters works really well in Eberron (I don't know about FR).

I'd love to see Changelings in the core book, but they'll probably save that for Eberron.

I could totally play a Gnoll, but that seems like an outside shot, especially since I remember the designers talking about them as very much monsters (that fight like hyenas).

Someone mentioned Kenku at one point in another thread. I've actually played one, and, again, would love to see them in the core book, but that's NOT going to happen.

I'd laugh if the mystery race was the Gnome. Laugh my ass off.

A Shadowfell associated undead race (necropolitan?) would probably suffer the same problem as the minotaur, which is that WoW already has an Undead race. A living race from the Shadowfell might work, but nothing is jumping out to me as archetypal enough. Maybe they're making something totally new.

Edit: Catfolk would make some people giddy with happiness, and it would make others giddy, too...in a different way. Personally, I love (...but not looove ) cats so I'd be down.

 

[ChaosShard]

I'd prefer full-blood Orcs to Half-Orcs. If they're pushing the Orc towards being a standard PC race (The Orc King, set in FR starts doing exactly that), then I find it hard to see Half-Orcs around, as they tend to be a reminder that Orcs like to... well... let's just say that I've never heard of a Half-Orc born of a happy marriage.

 

[Daz]

I'm gonna have to side with hobgoblins on this. They make a pretty much ideal fighter race and I would love to see them done well. They are also very important in Eberron, and I would love for there to be a playable version in the new edition

Orcs are a close second, especially with the whole orcs in the forgotten realms thing. I hope they wait to make a druid class before introducing orcs though.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Some folks on this thread seem to be saying what they want, not what they expect, and then reading everyone else as doing the same. Before disagreeing with someone, figure out if they're saying what they hope for, or merely what they expect.

 

[Kintara]

Some folks on this thread seem to be saying what they want, not what they expect, and then reading everyone else as doing the same. Before disagreeing with someone, figure out if they're saying what they hope for, or merely what they expect.

To be clear, I wasn't specifically claiming much about anyone in particular with my post, but rather I expect some people will have different expectations (and that I will think they are wrong ).

 

[Drkfathr1]

My guess goes to Dragonspawn. A nice replacement for 1/2 dragons.

 

[catsclaw227]

My guess goes to Dragonspawn. A nice replacement for 1/2 dragons.

Interesting thought. I would like to see this, but it might be too weird and far-out for old-skool sake. In the same vein, I don't think WOTC would ever make an undead race a core PC race either -- though that would be Cool(TM) too.

But I still believe it will be Orcs. I would prefer Hobgoblins or a cat-like race (ala Arcana Evolved), but Orcs are the best bet in my book.

 

[Aristotle]

I expect Orc is the new race, and will happily take it. I'm not a fan of a lot of half races, so I'd much rather get orcs than half orcs. I'd be OK with minotaurs, as a huge fan of them from my Dragonlance days, but I'm guessing they are a long shot at best.

 

[Wormwood]

My guess goes to Dragonspawn. A nice replacement for 1/2 dragons.

Hadn't considered that---but I like it.

Done well, they could really be a nice addition to the D&D canon.

That said, my default preferences would be:

Lizardmen > Hobgoblins > Gith > Drow > Orcs

 

[JohnSnow]

I think Orcs are the most likely too.

I've got an outside theory about a brand-new Wolfen-style race, but that'd probably invite a lawsuit from Palladium. Unless of course they just used gnolls.

I think lizardfolk are an outside possibility, or maybe snakeblooded humans.

Of course, maybe it's something totally new and unexpected. That'd be cool. And might also explain why we haven't seen the "real" PHB cover yet.