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Jun 13, 2012 -- 11:02AM, Crimson_Concerto wrote:

These supposedly "rare" and "special" races will be as common as housecats, because EVERYONE wants to be considered "rare" and "special".

That's simply not true on multiple levels. If I want to play a Dragonborn, it's probably because I think Dragonborn are cool, not simply because I want to be considered rare or special. In fact, there are a lot of character races that I like that I wouldn't play if they were to be considered rare or special because being racial rare or special doesn't usually fit with my playstyle. Understand? Somebody can want to play something fantastically exotic without actually wanting to be considered rare or special in-game, and there's nothing wrong with that. This is no different than playing a Wizard in a campaign setting where Wizards are commonplace.

Agreed. I really hate how people keep saying that any effort to diversify the fantasy landscape from the bland Tolkieny cliches is "Mary Sue". I mean, why is it that these people greet any new race with a modicum of creativity in its design with "Waaaaah! It's Too Cartoony and Unrealistic! ", as if the fantasy genre was known for its realism.

Also, on how I think D&D should do some of its PHB1 classes:

BArbarian: I think that the BArbarian, as it levels up, should get various supernatural primally powered qualities (ALA 4e) that it can add on to its trademark rage, but only usable a certain amount of times per day. So you can use all your rage powers at once to turn into a fire-forest-bear-crow thing to use on the Big Bad, or use them more sparingly over the day.

Monk: I think the Monk should take a bit more anime influence, due to Anime's copious use of KI attacks. I think that the Monk should be able to at a certain level, be able to spend Ki to turn an unarmed melee attack into a ranged attack, and at a higher level be able to spend ki to turn it into a cone or sphere attack. And I'd love to see them gain a hurt-people-with-your-aura attack ala Raoh from Fist of the North Star (Kenshiro's "You're already dead" power is already covered rather nicely by Quivering Palm).

Warlock: I think the Warlock should have the ability to icnrease the power/utility of his spells, but for a price, such as gaining a status effect (Like ongoing damage, being slowed or charmed or blinded, that sort of thing), to fit with the whole "I sold my soul to dark powers" theme the class has going for it.

Warlord: I think the Warlord should appropriate the "Gain followers as you level up" mechanic the fighter used to have. At lower levels they'd have a normal retinue of the normal and mostrous humanoids, and at higher levels they'd have followers like wyrmlings, angels, slaad, giants, that sort of thing.

Jun 13, 2012 -- 12:09PM, Kung_Fu_Ferret wrote:

It always easeir to remove options than add them yourselves.

For an*experienced* player.  For the adolscent newbie who must be the primary audience of the initial core books, the opposite is true.  Simplicity is almost always going to be the proper design choice for that crucial audience: thus warforged, dragonborn, tieflings, aasimar, werefolk, merfolk, pixies, mind flayers, drow, driders, dromedaies, golems, gargoyles, grell, frue, and the Tarrasque should not, initially, be presented as core races.  They should be in expansions, for those who want them.

Fight the bloat!