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12 months ago ::
Sep 07, 2009 - 9:31PM
#61
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Personally, I'd be happy without both Githzerai and Githyanki (despite the rationally acceptable need of monk and/or psion oriented races in PHB3).
Same here... Both races are a neat concept, and the way in which they fit into the Mindflayer fluff is interesting, but I've never really felt much of a connection to the Gith races. I think they would make great races in a campaign setting book (possibly in a setting which focused more attention on Gith and Mindflayers; maybe even replacing the Dragonborn/Tiefling backround story of the baseline 'Points of Light' idea with that of the Gith story), but I really feel as though either a different option from the past or a completely new race would be more interesting to me.
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12 months ago ::
Sep 08, 2009 - 1:59AM
#62
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So, according to the notes in the Githzerai article, there will be no Githyanki race presented in PH3. Seems the designers wish to keep some races as the villains that they are.
Did they state that? I am hugely relieved that Githyanki will not be in PH3. When the Revenant was previewed, I was hoping they'd be Int/Con, but no. Then after hearing about psionics, and githzerai, in PH3, I was pretty upset, because I figured they'd throw Githyanki in there. As a result, a totally obscure race would suddenly become pretty much THE mandatory race for infernalists, artificers, most swordmages, etc. I was deeply frustrated. Not that I dislike the illithid vs gith storyline, but I only have interest in roleplaying the illithid half of the equation. And it'd make githyanki basically a required race. Anyways, to me this is great news. I'm hoping the int/con is something more like devas and less like kalashtar... something that's been part of D&D for a long time and with a great connection to the fluff.
As to 4E restricting the playable races (ie no LA races) it doesn't bother me at all, because things like minotaurs and illithids were EFFECTIVELY unplayable, compared to LA+0 caster characters.
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12 months ago ::
Sep 08, 2009 - 10:00AM
#63
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Why? Because they're just too alien! Githzerai and Githyanki, as well as Rakshasas, Slaads and Mind Flayers are supposed to be alien from an human mind point of view. They come from other worlds, twisted dimensions, live a completely different life from any "normal mortal".
How are they any more alien than a Deva, or Kalashtar, or Changeling, or Eladrin, or Genasi, or Elf, or Tiefling, or really anything that's not a human?
As to 4E restricting the playable races (ie no LA races) it doesn't bother me at all, because things like minotaurs and illithids were EFFECTIVELY unplayable, compared to LA+0 caster characters.
Except of course that Minotaurs are playable, and will be in the PH3 alongside Githzerai, fey-plant people, and an as yet unnamed 4th race.
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12 months ago ::
Sep 08, 2009 - 2:35PM
#64
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How are they any more alien than a Deva, or Kalashtar, or Changeling, or Eladrin, or Genasi, or Elf, or Tiefling, or really anything that's not a human?
Excellent question. Well, devas and changelings have no real society of their own, and are inclined to ape humanity, and tieflings still possess the traits of humanity. Eladrin and elves aren't really that different from people, and if you read the Silmarillion (should be required reading for D&D players) its not too hard to understand them.
I dislike Kalashtar and Genasi because they have made-up names with not much legacy behind them, and seem more likely, as is the case with the Githyanki, to be played for their ability scores than for the tenuous fluff. Actually, the Kalashtar are VERY similar to the Githzerai, a race of altered humans hailing from a freaky chaotic realm who are monastic. What is with sci-fi races having the whole ascetic thing going on? You see it in Warhammer 40K's spess muhreens, the austerity of the Star Trek Federation, and Star Wars' jedi knights.
Except of course that Minotaurs are playable, and will be in the PH3 alongside Githzerai, fey-plant people, and an as yet unnamed 4th race.
Referring to the way level adjustment effectively prohibited playing anything weird, I'm aware minotaurs will be in PH3. I'm reasonably excited about them. I just hope the Int/Con race isn't going to be a goofy forehead + new name race.
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11 months ago ::
Sep 11, 2009 - 3:18PM
#65
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I don't know how material or superficial the difference between githzerai and githyanki really is. I suppose I could look in the MM again, but the main flavor I get from them is of a political, not racial, nature, and I've never found any particular interest in them beyond their political background and the githyanki mage-knight "space" shipfarer concept. On a tangental note: Don't female Minotaurs lack horns in the art?
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