D&D 5E (2014) Wandering Monsters: Heirs of Gith

[GX.Sigma]

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4wand/20130423

Lawful Neutral Githzerai? Okay, I see what you're saying, but no.

Also: anyone notice the thumbnail picture for Wandering Monsters has the wrong scale? It should be 1 square = 10 feet.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

As I recall, Githzerai were LN in 3Ed & 3.5Ed.

Or, according to Wikipedia (since I don't feel like looking it up):

They are usually chaotic neutral, neutral, or lawful neutral.

 

[GX.Sigma]

As I recall, Githzerai were LN in 3Ed & 3.5Ed.

Or, according to Wikipedia (since I don't feel like looking it up):

3e did a lot of weird things. In AD&D, they were always chaotic neutral.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Well, sorta. 3.5Ed actually reigned them in a bit.

In the FF, they were listed as CN, but by the time Planescape rolled around, they were listed as "any non-lawful".

 

[GX.Sigma]

Well, sorta. 3.5Ed actually reigned them in a bit.

In the FF, they were listed as CN, but by the time Planescape rolled around, they were listed as "any non-lawful".

That was for PC githzerai, though, wasn't it? In the Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix I, the "commonly encountered" githzerai are described as chaotic neutral.

(Okay, it wasn't always, but always doesn't always mean always anyway. )

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

That was for PC githzerai, though, wasn't it? In the Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix I, the "commonly encountered" githzerai are described as chaotic neutral.

(Okay, it wasn't always, but always doesn't always mean always anyway. )

Yeah- to both. . (I had to look in the Planecape Player's guide to find that bit.)

But even "commonly encountered" gives wiggle room. Its like some of the monster descriptions that say "usually _____" of alignment.

Personally, I always found the highly regimented & disciplined culture of the Githzerai at odds with being CN, especially with them being so very monklike. But it was also sort of de rigueur with the chaotic races. Someone pointed out in the Slaad thread that these creatures of chaos were color coded and had a very "lawful" biology.

 

[GX.Sigma]

Yeah- to both. But even "commonly encountered" gives wiggle room. Its like some of the monster descriptions that say "usually _____" of alignment.

Personally, I always found the highly regimented & disciplined culture of the Githzerai at odds with being CN, especially with them being so very monklike. But it was also sort of de rigueur with the chaotic races. Someone pointed out in the Slaad thread that these creatures of chaos were color coded and had a very "lawful" biology.

Hey, the Outer Planes wouldn't be the same if everything made sense.

As I said, I totally understand the reasoning for making them LN. If they end up LN in the monster manual, I can't really get mad--it makes perfect sense. I just like the anti-lawful element of their philosophy, as described in Planes of Chaos. To me, it's central to their identity that they are former slaves who will not tolerate restrictive rules (I'm not sure where the "strict rule that dictates sleep schedules" comes from; probably 3.x).

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Perhaps, to them, law is deeply personal, not to be imposed from outside.

 

[MarkB]

I like this concept of Githzerai - but then again, most of my exposure to Githzerai was Dak'kon from Planescape Torment.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Personally, I always found the highly regimented & disciplined culture of the Githzerai at odds with being CN, especially with them being so very monklike. But it was also sort of de rigueur with the chaotic races. Someone pointed out in the Slaad thread that these creatures of chaos were color coded and had a very "lawful" biology.

They weren't described as being highly regimented and disciplined in Planescape, or even Monk-Like (though 2e mostly didn't have Monks). They were described as ruggedly individualistic, but distrustful. And they had cities like Shrak'kt'lor.

3e went and emphasized the Monk part of the Githzerai over everything else, and literally made their cities such as Shrak'kt'lor disappear and made them only have monastaries such as Zerthadlun.

For 5e, I think there's enough room for both types of Githzerai, and I feel they should best be Any Neutral as an alignment.