D&D 5E why has none of the wisdom races caught on?

[jmartkdr2]

any others?

and for the cleric and monk?

I was going form memory of 3e races. I don't recall any having cleric as a favored class, and the monk is uncommon - the only ones I could find were Githzerai and Zentheri (the lawful equivalent to tieflings and aasimar.)

 

[Mind of tempest]

I was going form memory of 3e races. I don't recall any having cleric as a favored class, and the monk is uncommon - the only ones I could find were Githzerai and Zentheri (the lawful equivalent to tieflings and aasimar.)

Zentheri I take it are kinda boring?
the lack of cleric as a favourite class seems odd it is one of the core four?

 

[jmartkdr2]

Zentheri I take it are kinda boring?

They were meh, since they were connected to really boring outsiders.

the lack of cleric as a favourite class seems odd it is one of the core four?

You'd need a race where everyone's really religious - and that's the stand out thing about them. Which isn't much of a hook for a race by itself.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

You give aasimars a +2 Wis instead of Cha. Instead of playing up their beauty and distinctiveness, have their appearance be the same as the race they live among. Instead, emphasize their role in guiding others, and give them a +2 Wis.

Or maybe go back to the 4e Deva instead of Aasimars, with their wisdom from the their thousand lifetimes.

That could be a simple yet effective idea, you are right.

 

[Laurefindel]

I think OP was only considering races with a +2 WIS as a ‘wisdom race’ which I don’t think wood elves have IIRC?

Ah, got it. It's the "not counting hill dwarves" part that threw me off since they don't have a +2 either.

@Mind of tempest , are there other non-PHB races that "caught on" better than those in your experience? I can think of warforge and perhaps tabaxi and aasimar (not counting Eberron's dragonmark variants). Could it be a "it's not in the PHB" thing?

[edit]: it is notable that wisdom is the only stat that does not provide a +2 bonus in one of the PHB races however, as mentioned.

 

[Weiley31]

Alseid?

It's basically when you take a Centaur, and make it Elf/Deer instead of Human/Horse. Comes from Kobold Press's Midgard setting via the Margrave Forest book.

 

[Weiley31]

Alseid?

Alseid - 1d4chan

1d4chan.org

 

[Minigiant]

The best option is an animalistic race of a perceptive animal that isn't known by their speed or strength.

So a bat person race?

"A Wisdom check might reflect an effort to read body language, understand someone’s feelings, notice things about the environment, or care for an injured person."

Perhaps they can hear your body language and changes in your voice.

And you get t be Batman. Who doesn't want to be Batman?

 

[Micah Sweet]

I admit, I am still a little confused by the premise. There actually aren't any wisdom races anymore from WotC, and it sounds like there'll never be again. Is this just theoretical?

 

[Vaalingrade]

He was asking why have no historically Wisdom races caught on. It has nothing to do with whether there will or will not be any in the future, only asking why they failed in the past.