I would love a proper, playable Myconid race (I have a Myconid Druid NPC in my Planescape campaign).
I gotta admit, I digs me some Myconids.
Fantasia had Myconids!
Playtest or get off the playtest boards.
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I want justice for the voice that can't be heard Vindication for every suffering and hurt Let retribution hold dominion over earth --Nemesis, VNV Nation
But, even with not trying to fill that niche, they pretty much did.
I don't see how that's possible. They don't have a single plant-evocative feature.
If you consider the physiological connection to nature baggage in a race for which that is the entire point...
No, I consider the physiological connection to nature to be baggage for the race that I wish that they had been trying to make rather than the race that they did make. It fits the Wilden as they are just fine. It doesn't fit what I wish the Wilden had been at all.
Other than the whole "don't eat/sleep, just dig into some soil and enjoy some sun for a bit" idea, I can't think of any plant evocotive features worth giving to a PC race.
Seriously, what would you give them?
They're a nature race, what more do you want? I can't imagine a plant race being plant like through some mechanical feature, rather than just it's fluff.
Even the eating/sleeping thing is fluff that's misplaced in the stat block, if there's a race with that feature.
More sex and gender equality and racial equality shouldn't even be an argument--it should simply be an assumption for any RPG that wants to stay relevant in the 21st century.
Other than the whole "don't eat/sleep, just dig into some soil and enjoy some sun for a bit" idea, I can't think of any plant evocotive features worth giving to a PC race.
Seriously, what would you give them?
They're a nature race, what more do you want? I can't imagine a plant race being plant like through some mechanical feature, rather than just it's fluff.
Ripping off mechanics from some other races just because I'm lazy right now, I think that being able to reduce forced movement like a Dwarf by taking root fits pretty well, and having bark-skin and sap for blood could be represented well enough by a saving throw bonus versus ongoing damage.
If we want to go more original, though, what about a feature that granted photosynthesis, temporary HP whenever you got hit with radiant damage? Other than that, bonuses could depend on what kind of plant we're trying to emulate. Something more vine-like or ivy-like? A bonus to grab or climb works great. Something more cactus-like or flower-like? Maybe you have thorns that do damage to your attackers. Depending on the kind of plant being emulated, something like Forest Walk could work. Even something as simple as the ability to actually easily disguise yourself as a normal plant is very flavorful and mechanically interesting.
Getting more exotic, there are a lot of more magic effects that I could see a plant-person race getting if we want them to be a bit more magical. The ability to cause other plants to grow, possibly causing difficult terrain or something, is a great one. Plants are also closely associated with life and healing, so maybe they could have a bonus to heal checks or the ability to grow or create medicinal herbs or berries.
There are actually a lot of really cool ways to go with a plant race that are very clearly plant-themed.
Speaking of things that were badly designed, please check out this thread for my Minotaur fix. What have the critics said, you ask? "If any of my players ask to play a Minotaur, I'm definitely offering this as an alternative to the official version." - EmpactWB "If I ever feel like playing a Minotaur I'll know where to look!" - Undrave "WoTC if you are reading this - please take this guy's advice." - Ferol_Debtor_of_Torm "Really full of win. A minotaur that is actually attractive for more than just melee classes." - Cpt_Micha
Also, check out my recent GENASI variant! If you've ever wished that your Fire Genasi could actually set stuff on fire, your Water Genasi could actually swim, or your Wind Genasi could at least glide, then look no further.
Finally, check out my OPTIONS FOR EVERYONE article, an effort to give unique support to the races that WotC keeps forgetting about. Includes new racial feature options for the Changeling, Deva, Githzerai, Gnoll, Gnome, Goliath, Half-Orc, Kalashtar, Minotaur, Shadar-Kai, Thri-Kreen, Warforged and more!
Other than the whole "don't eat/sleep, just dig into some soil and enjoy some sun for a bit" idea, I can't think of any plant evocotive features worth giving to a PC race.
Seriously, what would you give them?
They're a nature race, what more do you want? I can't imagine a plant race being plant like through some mechanical feature, rather than just it's fluff.
Ripping off mechanics from some other races just because I'm lazy right now, I think that being able to reduce forced movement like a Dwarf by taking root fits pretty well, and having bark-skin and sap for blood could be represented well enough by a saving throw bonus versus ongoing damage.
If we want to go more original, though, what about a feature that granted photosynthesis, temporary HP whenever you got hit with radiant damage? Other than that, bonuses could depend on what kind of plant we're trying to emulate. Something more vine-like or ivy-like? A bonus to grab or climb works great. Something more cactus-like or flower-like? Maybe you have thorns that do damage to your attackers. Depending on the kind of plant being emulated, something like Forest Walk could work. Even something as simple as the ability to actually easily disguise yourself as a normal plant is very flavorful and mechanically interesting.
Getting more exotic, there are a lot of more magic effects that I could see a plant-person race getting if we want them to be a bit more magical. The ability to cause other plants to grow, possibly causing difficult terrain or something, is a great one. Plants are also closely associated with life and healing, so maybe they could have a bonus to heal checks or the ability to grow or create medicinal herbs or berries.
There are actually a lot of really cool ways to go with a plant race that are very clearly plant-themed.
Fair enough. I'd love to see a race embrace some of that.
The wilden, I'd rather have continue to represent nature, while being fairly plantlike in appearance.
I'd love for a full on plant race to have a terrain walk of their choice, with an associated survival associated bonus.
Maybe be able to straight turn into a tree. (I don't really think anything other than tree people is likely to gain as many fans as we'd want for a new DnD race. Also, we could then have general Nymphs instead of dryads as a player race, with different options you pick during CharGen, like river, wood, etc.)
But wilden, I want to be able to represent the wrath of nature. I think it should be given new aspect powers, representing nature's wrath, healing/nurturing, maybe a couple other aspects. More clearly define the class as being intrinsicly tied to nature.
And honestly, I don't expect any plant race ever introduced to DnD to not have a strong connection to nature that is unavoidable or close to. The two concepts are extremely connected. There's almost a guarantee of "baggage".
More sex and gender equality and racial equality shouldn't even be an argument--it should simply be an assumption for any RPG that wants to stay relevant in the 21st century.
Fair enough. I'd love to see a race embrace some of that.
The wilden, I'd rather have continue to represent nature, while being fairly plantlike in appearance.
That's fine. To continue my analogy from before, the Shard-Mind doesn't have to go anywhere. I'm just saying that it's not a suitable substitute for the War-Forged. Either give us the War-Forged instead or give us both, but people will rightly complain if they only have the Shard-Mind.
And honestly, I don't expect any plant race ever introduced to DnD to not have a strong connection to nature that is unavoidable or close to. The two concepts are extremely connected. There's almost a guarantee of "baggage".
I don't think that's true at all. Would I select Nature as one of the skill bonuses for a theoretical plant race? Probably, but I don't see any good reason to go any further than that. D&D already has plant creatures entirely unconnected to any broader/vaguer concept of nature. They just haven't been playable races. And even those that do thematically have that connection don't always have it represented mechanically. Take a look at the Hamadryad as an example. I'm not a fan of the race at all, but it's a good enough example of what I'm talking about. Other than its +2 racial bonus to nature, nothing that it has is specifically evocative of any connection to nature as a force.
Speaking of things that were badly designed, please check out this thread for my Minotaur fix. What have the critics said, you ask? "If any of my players ask to play a Minotaur, I'm definitely offering this as an alternative to the official version." - EmpactWB "If I ever feel like playing a Minotaur I'll know where to look!" - Undrave "WoTC if you are reading this - please take this guy's advice." - Ferol_Debtor_of_Torm "Really full of win. A minotaur that is actually attractive for more than just melee classes." - Cpt_Micha
Also, check out my recent GENASI variant! If you've ever wished that your Fire Genasi could actually set stuff on fire, your Water Genasi could actually swim, or your Wind Genasi could at least glide, then look no further.
Finally, check out my OPTIONS FOR EVERYONE article, an effort to give unique support to the races that WotC keeps forgetting about. Includes new racial feature options for the Changeling, Deva, Githzerai, Gnoll, Gnome, Goliath, Half-Orc, Kalashtar, Minotaur, Shadar-Kai, Thri-Kreen, Warforged and more!
Fair enough. I'd love to see a race embrace some of that.
The wilden, I'd rather have continue to represent nature, while being fairly plantlike in appearance.
That's fine. To continue my analogy from before, the Shard-Mind doesn't have to go anywhere. I'm just saying that it's not a suitable substitute for the War-Forged. Either give us the War-Forged instead or give us both, but people will rightly complain if they only have the Shard-Mind.
And honestly, I don't expect any plant race ever introduced to DnD to not have a strong connection to nature that is unavoidable or close to. The two concepts are extremely connected. There's almost a guarantee of "baggage".
I don't think that's true at all. Would I select Nature as one of the skill bonuses for a theoretical plant race? Probably, but I don't see any good reason to go any further than that. D&D already has plant creatures entirely unconnected to any broader/vaguer concept of nature. They just haven't been playable races. And even those that do thematically have that connection don't always have it represented mechanically. Take a look at the Hamadryad as an example. I'm not a fan of the race at all, but it's a good enough example of what I'm talking about. Other than its +2 racial bonus to nature, nothing that it has is specifically evocative of any connection to nature as a force.
I'm not just talking about nature as a force. I think it's pretty hard to take the hamadryad and have it come from the city, though. And I think that any race that is actually a plant race (honestly, I don't think the hamadryads are really a plant race. They're a fey race that's associated with trees, and will become more treelike eventually, but right now is very talking monkey shaped, and almost assuredly has sex in a manner pretty much identical to humans.) will, but virtue of any mechanics that make it feel more like a plant race, also feel more necessarily connected to nature.
If it can turn into a tree, gain nurishment from the sun and soil, no need to eat, and has some kind of natural terrain walk, it's a nature race.
More sex and gender equality and racial equality shouldn't even be an argument--it should simply be an assumption for any RPG that wants to stay relevant in the 21st century.
Well then, I think we've found where we disconnect. You seem for some reason to see a plant-race as unable not to be a nature-themed race because you associate plants so closely with a nature theme. I, on the other hand, view the two as entirely separate. Sorry, I simply don't buy that a plant-race must be any more nature-themed than an animal-race, at least certainly not so far that it's fine to simply include other nature themes that conflict with or take the place of the more specific plant theme.
Speaking of things that were badly designed, please check out this thread for my Minotaur fix. What have the critics said, you ask? "If any of my players ask to play a Minotaur, I'm definitely offering this as an alternative to the official version." - EmpactWB "If I ever feel like playing a Minotaur I'll know where to look!" - Undrave "WoTC if you are reading this - please take this guy's advice." - Ferol_Debtor_of_Torm "Really full of win. A minotaur that is actually attractive for more than just melee classes." - Cpt_Micha
Also, check out my recent GENASI variant! If you've ever wished that your Fire Genasi could actually set stuff on fire, your Water Genasi could actually swim, or your Wind Genasi could at least glide, then look no further.
Finally, check out my OPTIONS FOR EVERYONE article, an effort to give unique support to the races that WotC keeps forgetting about. Includes new racial feature options for the Changeling, Deva, Githzerai, Gnoll, Gnome, Goliath, Half-Orc, Kalashtar, Minotaur, Shadar-Kai, Thri-Kreen, Warforged and more!
I would like a playable Treant race too, like in 3rd Ed's Savage Species and Basic D&D's Tall Tales of the Wee Folk.
I still prefer classic Lizard Men to Dragonborn, I have no problem with both versions of Tiefling and Deva, Eladrin are merely an elven subrace (not called Eladrin).
Well then, I think we've found where we disconnect. You seem for some reason to see a plant-race as unable not to be a nature-themed race because you associate plants so closely with a nature theme. I, on the other hand, view the two as entirely separate. Sorry, I simply don't buy that a plant-race must be any more nature-themed than an animal-race, at least certainly not so far that it's fine to simply include other nature themes that conflict with or take the place of the more specific plant theme.
Fair enough. I view these things in light of what I think the community will do, though, and I think that in this case is unrealistic to expect the designers to come up with a plant race that isn't strongly tied to nature.
More sex and gender equality and racial equality shouldn't even be an argument--it should simply be an assumption for any RPG that wants to stay relevant in the 21st century.
