On a side note I've decided to paint the unpainted cave bear from the board game as a joke to look like a care bear, hence the title of this post. but I haven't decided which one. If you aren't amused by this idea then move along, if you like my idea I'd like to know which care bear you'd choose.

Player Kobolds: People say kobolds will never become a player race because the power shifty is too powerful. Turn it into an encounter power however and the race becomes too weak. Shifty as it is now makes kobolds a great challenge for players but in the hands of players Shifty tips the scales against the game master. Since when was being a game master easy? So it's hard to pin a kobold down lots of characters can achieve that effect. Seekers can do it?

Player Hobgoblins: Perhaps for no other reason than they are such a dominant race in the Ebberon setting I think that Hobgoblins should get a player race write up. As they are now they seem pretty weak. They need flex stats and a few extra features to help them measure up. Githzerai got some extra features when they made it into PHB3 I don't see why there couldn't be an "eye on ebberon" article which talks about Hobgoblins in greater detail and how to play as them.

Player Kenku: I like kenku but the stats don't seem to fit any other class but rogue. Mimicry is situational at best and flock effect is only OK for melee classes which again with the kenku's ability scores rogue is the only suitable option. Hmm perhaps ardent or bard too. When I pulled a Kenku wingmage however I was overcome with the urge to make a kenku storm sorcerer. Kenku need some new features. I do hope they eventually become a full fledged player race one day.

Gnolls left behind: On the topic of monstrous players races I cannot help but mention the strange situation of the Gnoll. Given player status long ago but left behind when all of the other races were given their flex stats. The gnoll hasn't seen much love since then. Are we to assume that WotC has given up on the Gnoll for the future. It seems like we may never see new gnoll features.

Conclusion: I only ever get to play D&D at sanctioned events such as Living Forgotten Realms or Encounters. Playing a monster is not possible for me unless I want to play a thri-kreen or minotaur and I can't be even those in encounters, by the way what's up with that? I'm not a huge Gnoll fan but many are. Even more love Kolbolds! While I understand allowing players to play certain monsters devalues those races as antagonists it seems like they've already dropped the ball when they added drow, gnolls and minotaurs to the mix not to mention we now have a whole book based around how to play an evil character (heroes of shadow) so several ways to play a vampire are OK but a tiny lizard man is not? sure...