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

[Scribe]

The original description was specifically avoiding being a furry species and instead being an animal-headed species. The direction people are taking it is to shove them in the furry box, but that wasn't inherent to the design. It's honestly been kind of fascinating to watch the hard category instinct in real time

I'm sure you saw what people immediately jumped to for the Plasmoids...thats just how certain segments of the population roll.

 

[Incenjucar]

I'm sure you saw what people immediately jumped to for the Plasmoids...thats just how certain segments of the population roll.

I wasn't around for that, actually. I skipped 5E 100% until 1D&D.

 

[Charlaquin]

The original description was specifically avoiding being a furry species and instead being an animal-headed species. The direction people are taking it is to shove them in the furry box, but that wasn't inherent to the design. It's honestly been kind of fascinating to watch the hard category instinct in real time

I suspect that describing them as animal-headed was an attempt to sell the divine origin, which I suspect they thought would be needed for a not-insignificant portion of the fanbase to be comfortable with a catch-all beastfolk race. But I think doing so will only make said race less appealing for the people who actually want it, hence my advocacy for dropping the pretense and letting the obvious furry race just be a furry race. Let DMs who have a problem with that ban it at their tables. They will anyway.

 

[Scribe]

I wasn't around for that, actually. I skipped 5E 100% until 1D&D.

Well lets just say what we ended up with, did not match what people were expecting/hoping.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

Yep, it also applies to creatures like centaurs and fairies.

The main difference is that aardlings are looking to be a PHB species. And it's a lot harder to restrict PHB species than supplement material.

Are we sure of this? I don’t imageine we are getting any more than what is in the ‘14 PHB. I think the Ardling may be for another product. Just like they have done with other UAs

 

[Incenjucar]

I suspect that describing them as animal-headed was an attempt to sell the divine origin, which I suspect they thought would be needed for a not-insignificant portion of the fanbase to be comfortable with a catch-all beastfolk race. But I think doing so will only make said race less appealing for the people who actually want it, hence my advocacy for dropping the pretense and letting the obvious furry race just be a furry race. Let DMs who have a problem with that ban it at their tables. They will anyway.

Given the features, I feel like it's at least not unlikely that it was a sincere design. Ancient Egypt was still cool in the 90s. We even had cartoons like Mummies Alive! Regardless, both concepts have separate merit. A bald-chested man with a ram head has a very different feel than an anthro ram.

 

[Charlaquin]

Well lets just say what we ended up with, did not match what people were expecting/hoping.

Well, the way they’re depicted in official art doesn’t match what a lot of people thought of when they saw “ooze-people race.” In my experience, the way people actually describe their plasmoid characters is still exactly like what they thought of when they saw “ooze-people race,” regardless of what the official art looks like.

 

[Charlaquin]

Given the features, I feel like it's at least not unlikely that it was a sincere design. Ancient Egypt was still cool in the 90s. We even had cartoons like Mummies Alive! Regardless, both concepts have separate merit. A bald-chested man with a ram head has a very different feel than an anthro ram.

The cool thing is, Ardlings could accommodate both approaches. And they don’t have to be celestials to do so.

 

[Incenjucar]

Oh. They thought it was slime girls, didn't they. Oh internet.

 

[Mecheon]

I suspect that describing them as animal-headed was an attempt to sell the divine origin, which I suspect they thought would be needed for a not-insignificant portion of the fanbase to be comfortable with a catch-all beastfolk race. But I think doing so will only make said race less appealing for the people who actually want it, hence my advocacy for dropping the pretense and letting the obvious furry race just be a furry race.

I have a flat suspicion they're an attempt to do playable Guardinals again. They've always been on-again off-again playable since 2e. Why they didn't just lean into that specifically I dunno, but they're an obvious and historic celestial aligned animal people race who've been in D&D for absolute yonks

Mind, let's be honest: certain Guardinals would be improved if they were just animal headed. Cough cough, avorals, cough