Critical Role Wildemount has new subraces and reprints a ton of others

[gyor]

WotC would probably consider that a drawback.

But D&D already has far more than enough "core" races. For every race that goes into the PHB, another one has to come out.

Says what? Do they take out Halflings and Half Orcs when they added Tieflings and Dragonborn? No. Races don't take up alot of space.

 

[Blue]

Says what? Do they take out Halflings and Half Orcs when they added Tieflings and Dragonborn? No. Races don't take up alot of space.

For me, it's not about page count, it's about combinations and making the game inaccessible to new players.

It's yet another thing that needs to be considered, at a point when a new player is trying to read, understand and juggle all the possibilities. Right now we have 9 races and 12 classes in the PHB - 108 combinations. And a new player isn't editing that down by filtering out "bad" combos. Adding just 2 more of each - not a lot - would bring us up to 154 combinations. About 50% more possibilities to be considered.

 

[Reynard]

For me, it's not about page count, it's about combinations and making the game inaccessible to new players.

It's yet another thing that needs to be considered, at a point when a new player is trying to read, understand and juggle all the possibilities. Right now we have 9 races and 12 classes in the PHB - 108 combinations. And a new player isn't editing that down by filtering out "bad" combos. Adding just 2 more of each - not a lot - would bring us up to 154 combinations. About 50% more possibilities to be considered.

While I agree with you in general, I think good starter sets alleviate most of this problem in that after the starter set, new players aren't really "new" anymore. Or, at least, they have had enough experience to be able to wade through those options. Luckily, 5E does have good starter sets and hopefully they will continue to produce them. I'd love to see setting specific ones, in fact. Maybe in a theoretical Eberron starter set, the core races are Human, Elf, Warforged and Orc instead of the usual.

 

[Blue]

While I agree with you in general, I think good starter sets alleviate most of this problem in that after the starter set, new players aren't really "new" anymore. Or, at least, they have had enough experience to be able to wade through those options. Luckily, 5E does have good starter sets and hopefully they will continue to produce them. I'd love to see setting specific ones, in fact. Maybe in a theoretical Eberron starter set, the core races are Human, Elf, Warforged and Orc instead of the usual.

Starter sets are useful for new groups. A new player who is joining an existing group will likely be starting with at least the PHB as options.

 

[Reynard]

Starter sets are useful for new groups. A new player who is joining an existing group will likely be starting with at least the PHB as options.

But a new player joining an existing group has a support structure to sift through the options to find the ones that support what the player wants to try and what works in the group.

Unless that player is creating their character in isolation, which no one should do, newb or veteran. Rant Warning: This is a huge pet peeve of mine. It's a group activity and an ensemble story. You don't get to make a character out of context.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

For me, it's not about page count, it's about combinations and making the game inaccessible to new players.

It's yet another thing that needs to be considered, at a point when a new player is trying to read, understand and juggle all the possibilities. Right now we have 9 races and 12 classes in the PHB - 108 combinations. And a new player isn't editing that down by filtering out "bad" combos. Adding just 2 more of each - not a lot - would bring us up to 154 combinations. About 50% more possibilities to be considered.

I think its a matter of presentation.

All in the PHB:
- Split the races in 3 definite sections: prime, monstruous and planetouched, with notes that the non-prime are exotic and rare and require the ok from the dm.

- Split the basic classes from the advanced. Do the write up of all the classes with their basic archetypes, like in the basic rules, then add another section with the optional archetypes.

This way, the information and possible combination are easier to parse and new players can only focus on the prime races + basic classes if they dont want to overwhelm themselves, and add little by little as they gain more experience with the game.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Says what? Do they take out Halflings and Half Orcs when they added Tieflings and Dragonborn? No. Races don't take up alot of space.

Should have just not added tieflings and dragonborn. No need to have many races in the core rules.

Next edition will probably be all or mostly online, so DMs just microtransaction the ones they want.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Next edition will probably be all or mostly online, so DMs just microtransaction the ones they want.

This.

 

[Marandahir]

WotC would probably consider that a drawback.

But D&D already has far more than enough "core" races. For every race that goes into the PHB, another one has to come out.

No, nothing as to come out.

We've got the four common races and then an assortment of uncommon races – ALL of which had previously appeared in a Core Rulebooks PHB at the start of an edition.

5e is the Smash Ultimate of D&D editions. It has something for all past players, without locking those features behind DLC.

I may honestly prefer just getting rid of Half-orcs and sticking to Orcs, but that's my own game. I put that in an aside for a good reason – subtractive future core doesn't make sense. That's bad-wrong-funnism, and it has no place in D&D.

ADDING a race like Goblins or Orcs, however, does have a measure of sense: both are commonly occurring races in D&D, have less villainous portrayals (or at least important subversions amidst the villainous race) in MANY WotC-proprietary/licensed settings, and have appeared in prominent non-proprietary fantasy settings as heroic (and therefore the heroic portrayals are within the cultural consciousness of the player base). They're no less worthy than Drow.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

I like how they handled the Saerae, aka Rae now, they kept the wings, fire theme, and basic compassion and redemption themes, but replaced the Angel background with Humaniod Pheonix and Golarion lore with Exandia lore. It will he interesting to see how Rae evovles in the future and if she ends up in Nentir Vale if they update it to 5e.

What is this?