D&D (2024) Thoughts on the revised Ardling?

[Mecheon]

Still got no clue why we need taxabi AND leonin AND cat shifters, AND cat head aardlings.

We now have four ways for people to play as a cat-like schmorp.

Cats got different traits. Wouldn't associate what you would with a lion what you would with a serval or caracal, or even a cheetah

And, well, shifters are werebeasts-light so sort of divorced from things, and Aardlings can be anything they want, with cat as just a suggestion. You don't even need to go with the associated ones, given they mentioned "Triceratops" as an option, it'd be easy just to rejig it to Anteosaurus or the like. Or, well, Velociraptor for something that isn't a semi-obscure Permian beasty

Just having a cat beast race (with taxabi and leonin as subspecies options), and shifters would be enough.

Tabaxi and Leonin are close enough you could theoretically subspecies 'em, sure, but, they've never been presented that way and what works for one doesn't work for another

Ideally I'd prefer to see aardlings become an aasimar sub-schmorp, with links to Guardinals as their celestial heritage. The player could them flavour that as traits from whatever animal they wanted, including an animal head.

The only time Aasimar have ever been used to display Guardinal features was in Pathfinder. Given Guardinals are specifically just, living creatures who dwell in the planes (As opposed to full on celestial entities like angels or deva), I'd argue proper presentation should make them stand-alone

 

[Corinnguard]

Cats got different traits. Wouldn't associate what you would with a lion what you would with a serval or caracal, or even a cheetah

And, well, shifters are werebeasts-light so sort of divorced from things, and Aardlings can be anything they want, with cat as just a suggestion. You don't even need to go with the associated ones, given they mentioned "Triceratops" as an option, it'd be easy just to rejig it to Anteosaurus or the like. Or, well, Velociraptor for something that isn't a semi-obscure Permian beasty

Tabaxi and Leonin are close enough you could theoretically subspecies 'em, sure, but, they've never been presented that way and what works for one doesn't work for another


The only time Aasimar have ever been used to display Guardinal features was in Pathfinder. Given Guardinals are specifically just, living creatures who dwell in the planes (As opposed to full on celestial entities like angels or deva), I'd argue proper presentation should make them stand-alone

According to the Forgotten Realms Wiki, Guardinals are animalistic celestials native to Elysium. They're very much like the Angels and the Archons.

 

[Scribe]

I'd rather they spent time adding options actually missing, like a plant schmorp.

Leshys are one of the best and most adorable parts of pathfinder.

Groot when?!

 

[NaturalZero]

Would love a plant schmorp.

Since 3.5 I've had mandragora as a human-sized plant race with song, sonic, and plant based features. There's a nightshade subrace that deals with poison, a luffa subrace that's more cactus-like and every subrace has a scream or song as a feature. It's weird how little the developers care to work on plant races when it's just laying there waiting to be developed.

 

[Mecheon]

According to the Forgotten Realms Wiki, Guardinals are animalistic celestials native to Elysium. They're very much like the Angels and the Archons.

The FR wiki is a Wikia/Fandom wiki. Never trust those. Warriors of Heaven back in 2E goes a bit into it, but they're born, age and die like regular folks, not immortal like angels. They're closer to how Eladrin work than how angels work.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

For beast-headed creatures, I'd have thought a Primal cantrip would be a no-brainer. I'm still not sure why they are insisting on keeping this Celestial link.

There is a lot of RL mythology (and D&D lore) around animal headed divine / heavenly / celestial entities. I imagine that is why

 

[Corinnguard]

Warriors of Heaven was an attempt (and an interesting one at that) to allow the players in 2e a chance to role-play a Celestial (Angels, Archons, Asuras, Eladrin and the Guardinals).

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

The FR wiki is a Wikia/Fandom wiki. Never trust those. Warriors of Heaven back in 2E goes a bit into it, but they're born, age and die like regular folks, not immortal like angels. They're closer to how Eladrin work than how angels work.

What is the 3e lore on them?

 

[Alzrius]

Warriors of Heaven was an attempt (and an interesting one at that) to allow the players in 2e a chance to role-play a Celestial (Angels, Archons, Asuras, Eladrin and the Guardinals).

And (in a web enhancement) quesars.

 

[Corinnguard]

And (in a web enhancement) quesars.

What were they like? curious