In addition to these two miniatures, next month also features the preview of the githzerai race on D&D Insider.
Sweet! i guess this makes sense. Thoughts?
Thoughts?
You mean, apart from "Yeah, we already knew that they're in PH3"?
Then, my only thought would be "LOL, that Cenobite looks like it has a tail."
Yes, we knew they would be in PH3, but we did not know they would be a preview article. I am just curious if it excites anyone to get them as a preview over what else might be in PH3.
Err...yes we did know that. They announced it Tuesday in the preview article for the Psion. As for being excited over it, I'd prefer the Githyanki for a racial write up since I have more character concepts floating about for that race then I do for the githzerai, but thats just my preference.
That aside...back to the meat of the question. What do people think about this being one of the preview articles? Happy? Indifferent? Wish it was something else?
I welcome the ability to play this now, although I suppose since we knew they would be there I would prefer something else for a preview.
Thoughts?
Woo? We get a racial write-up that provides us with no new information while giving us minimal use as a preview considering we already had the MM1 stats if we were keen on playing a githzerai before PHB3?
I would have liked to see Githyanki
I'm very curious to see how they're going to be made a PC race. Will PCs be outcasts (ala drow and gnolls?) or will the race be tweaked to better incorporate heroic players?Woo? We get a racial write-up that provides us with no new information while giving us minimal use as a preview considering we already had the MM1 stats if we were keen on playing a githzerai before PHB3?
I would have liked to see Githyanki
We have the same amount of info on Githyanki as we do Githzerai currently. Also the August preview with the Githzerai will not only be their stat writeup (which could change from what's in the MM just as other races have changed) but also racial feats and a racial PP. That is new information.
We have the same amount of info on Githyanki as we do Githzerai currently.
Except I'm pretty confident on how to incorporate Githzerai into a campaign as a player race. I'm nowhere near as confident with Githyanki. That's why I'd prefer them over the other. All the other stuff (PP which I'm nowhere near taking, feats and stat-changes) I wouldn't mind waiting until PHB3. I can't (well, I'd prefer not to) incorporate Githyanki into my campaign until I know what the official fluff is
I understand others will disagree and will be more keen for Githzerai then Githyanki (perhaps they really want to play a Githzerai Monk and aren't particularly interested in playing a Githyanki of any class), but my post were just my thoughts
Githzerai or Gothyanki, either way I'll be glad to see it. I suspect this to be the full info loaded to the CB and compendium on the august update with a similar article commentary like the Psion got.
That's a safe bet since they've stated that is how they're handling any of the Debut material we'll get (from PH3 or other sources) since these aren't part of the magazines nor DDI-exclusive material which follows the same article and update format as the magazines.
In any case, I already know how I'm incorporating both into my setting. Githzerai and Githyanki are one the same race of humans, but one immigrated to the heavily Far-Realm effected Shadowfell-equivalent-sort-of, while the other stayed on the Earth. Both worshiped the Angels from the sky, whose messengers (the Devas), brought with them the technology and understanding of artifice, and these races are by far the most advanced of all races. The Githyanki and the Shadar-kai compete in a dark future for control of a dying planet (the Shadowfell-like plane), while the Githzerai live off the land in their traditional methods, though modified with advances in technology. Both were a sort of Berber-like people originally, before changed by technology and the radioactive influence of the Far Realm, as well as the astral and chaotic influences of the outer planes of the Astral Sea and the Elemental Chaos.
I'm looking forward to both in PH3, especially with the advent of Psionics. Artificer is also a good class for both races, which fits well (though the Tinkerer is better for Githzerai, and the Battlesmith for Githyanki).
Unfortunately, since this stuff is being released via CB and Compendium, we won't be able to make an accurate guess based on write-up structure (whether the racial write-up is done like the shifter I mean).
I was thinking, maybe we aren't getting Githyanki in PHB3. They're described as militaristic and generally evil. They have a racial leader who is a very evil lich in cahoots with a number of truly evil immortals. What if they're decided to be "bad guys" and not written up?
Unfortunately, since this stuff is being released via CB and Compendium, we won't be able to make an accurate guess based on write-up structure (whether the racial write-up is done like the shifter I mean).
While they are described as militaristic and generally evil that doesn't mean that there aren't/wont be unaligned or even good aligned -yanki, just that they are less common than their generally evil race. It's like Drow and how they were generally chaotic evil, there are those who break from that general mold, Drizzt among a few others. The Worshipers of Eilistree(sp?) to use another example of drow outside the general mold.
Edit: At the same time, your thoughts are well founded.
A Githzerai Fighter would be indistinguishable from a Githyanki and a Githyanki Wizard would be instinguishable from a Githzerai. So why not stat a single Gith PC race that is designed to be flexible and customizable enough to work as either?
Aren't Githzerai and Githyanki similar enough that you could well subtitute one for the other? I really don't understand why their attributes and powers had to be different in the MM since really they are just two cultures of the same race, almost like two sectors of the same society that are at war with one another.
A Githzerai Fighter would be indistinguishable from a Githyanki and a Githyanki Wizard would be instinguishable from a Githzerai. So why not stat a single Gith PC race that is designed to be flexible and customizable enough to work as either?
This may end up being the way they go with it. Which is similar treatment to how Shifters appear in the PHB2.
Yes, we knew they would be in PH3, but we did not know they would be a preview article. I am just curious if it excites anyone to get them as a preview over what else might be in PH3.
Yeah, a preview of the githzerai has me pretty excited. Playtesting a githzerai monk would be fun. He could find a place in the Everdark, a homebrew underdark setting, where mind flayers rule and psionics are the predominant supernatural force (supplanting magic). We toyed around with the idea of an underdark campaign before. Now might be a good time to pitch the idea to the DM again ;).
Playtesting a githzerai monk several months before they show up in print; that's pretty cool. I like these previews already.
I've always enjoyed the story behind the (dual-race) gith, and PH 3 has me hoping to here a bit more. As with all editions, I fully expect the story will be 're-imagined' to some extent. Sorta like how the Simbul (of Forgotten Realms fame) was revealed to be a sorcerer in 3.5. Or how aasimar are revealed (in 4e) as deva. It drives some peole crazy ;) but I really enjoy this aspect of edition change, and have hopes for PH 3 in that regard.
Aren't Githzerai and Githyanki similar enough that you could well subtitute one for the other? I really don't understand why their attributes and powers had to be different in the MM since really they are just two cultures of the same race, almost like two sectors of the same society that are at war with one another.
The two gith races have about as much in common with each other as elves, eladrin, and drow have with each other. They might have started out as one race but the split a long time ago. Furthermore, not only are their cultures distinctly different which likely emphasizing different qualities, but they also live in diametrically apposed planes where they have likely had to adapt to survive in radically different environments.
The 'zerai were only mentioned in passing in how they relate to the history of the 'yanki and their split from Gith before the predecessor of the Lich Queen.
A PC 'zerai would probably be a revolutionary against the Lich Queen. After all, a hero is exactly the sort of person the Lich Queen would consider a potential threat, and thus want dead. Just because the Lich Queen is evil, and the 'zerai loyal to her are as well, doesn't mean every 'zerai must be.
By Zerai you mean Yanki, right? Because the Zerai don't have anything to do with the Lich Queen.
Yes, yes you are correct. I am sometimes something of a space cadet.
For a second, I was like "you mean that the Githzerai are actually the Githyanki and the Githyanki are actually the Githzerai? Whoa...":D
Zerai are cooler than Yanki, but we already have a Con+Wis race (or two, can't remember) and the Yanki fill an unfilled niche being Con+Int, but I can get over that. I want to play me a Cenobite, Zerth, or Mindmage.
Dragon has an arcile on the Githyanki and their home in the Astral. They really haven't painted them to be a player friendly race in that article. They repeatedly talk about how evil and militant and fanatical to Gith they are.
Every article on the Drow does the same. Guess who's a PC race? :P
Zerai are cooler than Yanki, but we already have a Con+Wis race (or two, can't remember) and the Yanki fill an unfilled niche being Con+Int, but I can get over that. I want to play me a Cenobite, Zerth, or Mindmage.
Zerai are Dex/Wis. :P Yay for four of them.
Zerai are Dex/Wis. :P Yay for four of them.
So... even more reason for the Yanki to come out but not the Zerai. I really hope we get both of them in PHB3, honestly.