For Shadow, I personally think the Shadar-Kai will finally receive a PHB update, similar to Warforged being updated in the Eberron PG. For other races, I'm less sure, though I personally think an Undead or at least "Half-Dead" race (the equivalent of the Mortif, Fetch, Gheden, Ghul and Katane from 3.5) is more or less bound to show up. In fact, given the aforementioned "half-dead", several such 'undead' PC races might be brought up to date- the trick would be to focus on their unique powers as something that straddles the border between life and undeath, focusing on the fact they are part undead, not that they are part human/elf/dwarf/whatever.
For Elemental... I'm stumped.
For Elemental... I'm stumped.
...Genasi?
Shadar-Kai and the Dark Ones without a doubt.
Elemental?.... a completely new, never before seen, PC race.
Genasi ARE the elemental race. Anything else would be too chaotic/crazy/explosions that it just wouldn't work for a PC race. Fey and Shadow tend to be a little more calm than Elemental.
On the subject of Undead PC races.... Revenant.
Done.
Elemental:
Raavasta: They are elemental humanoids. Have interesting combo of powers; psychic, change shape and vanish. They are throughout the Elemental Chaos and Abyss and are classic manipulators and dealmakers. Also look cool, as fox headed humanoids: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ManualPlanes/119437.jpg
Shadow:
Wraiths/Ghosts: It can bring in elements of Ghostwalk campaign setting. Can have a wide variety of appearances with different races. Different from normal undead races, being not physical.
Shadar-Kai: Obviously shadow-oriented and as non-exclusive it has a fair chance of being in PHB.
....
and we Goblinoid fans will be screwed again in 4E, this time in favor of the Furries.
Genasi ARE the elemental race. Anything else would be too chaotic/crazy/explosions that it just wouldn't work for a PC race. Fey and Shadow tend to be a little more calm than Elemental.
On the subject of Undead PC races.... Revenant.
Done.
They are one elemental race, and were already covered, but there are multiple elements, why not make a playable cousin to the Fire Giant?
They are one elemental race, and were already covered, but there are multiple elements, why not make a playable cousin to the Fire Giant?
Fire Genasi.
Fire Genasi.
Yes, Genasi does cover all the elements, but why stop with only one race? What makes you so certain that any other attempt at an elemental race would fail?
Yes, Genasi does cover all the elements, but why stop with only one race? What makes you so certain that any other attempt at an elemental race would fail?
Not that it would fail, it would just be really really redundant. I mean, Genasi are the quintessential sane elemental humanoid. I really just can't see any other concept that isn't just a very slightly altered Genasi.
And a Demon-PC would probably be along the lines of a tiefling, mostly. But I could see that working.
Please no elves (aquatic/winged), dwarves (azer/duergar/galeb duhr), etc.
Bel
What about djinn or efreet?
Please no elves (aquatic/winged), dwarves (azer/duergar/galeb duhr), etc.
Just thought of another for Elemental: The Slaads. Hmm... A book with Raavasta and Slaads would be quite nice for planar gaming. I really hope those are in for Elemental races.
Raavasta's might make okay PC races, but they fall under the category of "demon-race" that I said might work earlier.
Slaads, Djinn, Efreet, Galeb duhr (Whose name is an anagram for "hard bulge") are all far far too monstrous for WotC to ever make into a PC race. Azer maybe, but they probably fall under the same category as the others. And Duergar aren't elemental, they're natural.
And what's a Janni? I can't even find that on Wikipedia, or google.
And what's a Janni? I can't even find that on Wikipedia, or google.
IIRC I saw them in the 2e Monstrous Compendium. They were a type of djinn that was of all four elements.
They could work like multiclass feats or dragonmarks. At first level you'd choose an elemental feat list to follow and then roughly whenever you could gain a feat, you could get your next feat in your elemental feat tree.
In all honesty, the Minotaur probably is better in PHB4 than in 3. Due to the influence of Baphomet, they also have a strong "demonic" feeling and could make a great base for some sort of Abyss themed class. Gnolls might also make it in 4 for this reason.
IIRC I saw them in the 2e Monstrous Compendium. They were a type of djinn that was of all four elements.
From the d20 SRD
Bel
Not that I am pushing for them, but at least there are stories for them beyond D&D.
What do minotaurs, orcs, kobalds, kenku, etc have to do with the OP (shadow & elemental races)?
Kenku, Shadar-Kai, "Shades," Ravaasta, Dark Ones, Goblins, or Orcs all seem like good easy guesses.
In all honesty, the Minotaur probably is better in PHB4 than in 3. Due to the influence of Baphomet, they also have a strong "demonic" feeling and could make a great base for some sort of Abyss themed class. Gnolls might also make it in 4 for this reason.
Well, we know for sure that Minotaurs will be in PHB3. So... yeah.
And yes, Genies could be considered similar to Devils in many ways, I suppose... But we don't have any Devil PCs. We have half-devils. We have half-angels. Genasi are pretty much half-elementals.
That was my point. Most of the extraplanar races (aside from fey or shadow, and shadow tends to be either shadar-kai or undead) are half-mortal. I just can't see them releasing full on Djinns or Efreets or anything like that as a PC race. It just doesn't work. Also, all the genies so far are Large (All PC races are medium or small).
So I could see maybe a half-efreet or something. But it's still unlikely, as those haven't been anywhere near as prevalent in DnD history as things like Tieflings, or half-angels, or Genasi, etc.
Shadar-Kai: Seems like an obvious pick. They already have an online write-up for them, and it'd be a logical step to update that for PHB4 like they're doing with the Minotaurs in PHB3.
Undead race: An undead or undead-like race also seems like an interesting idea. They've already started to explore the territory with Revenants and Dhampyr from the online sources, so putting in, for instance, a quasi-vampiric race (similar to how Shifters are quasi-lycanthropic) wouldn't be too much of a stretch.
Flying race (Raptorans?): The later PHBs could very well be a place for more complex racial options. For instance, they might figure out a way to do a winged race while keeping it balanced with other races that can't fly (either by sticking to overland flight which is hard to use in combat or by having full flight granted only in paragon/epic racial feats). Such a race could very well carry elemental flavor, being associated with air and the winds.
Aquatic/Amphibious race: Similarly, a water-breathing race could be associated with elemental energies (water genasi partially fill this role as well). The amphibious option would be available so that the race could be usable outside of an oceanic campaign.
Kobolds: Seem to be a fan favorite, and an eventual target for a PHB slot or an online write-up. Not sure how 'elemental' dragons are flavorwise, but it could be an interesting concept to work with.
...being that they originate from Limbo which is what the Elemental Chaos is more or less based off of.
I think you're confusing complete boredom and ceaseless eternity with utter chaos and total mutability. They're kind of... opposites.
I think you're confusing complete boredom and ceaseless eternity with utter chaos and total mutability. They're kind of... opposites.
I have no idea what you're saying ...
But ... he isn't entirely right or wrong. The Elemental Chaos is basically just one big melting pot of all the former Inner Planes (ie elemental planes) plus Limbo, Pandemonium, and maybe the other Chaotic planes. So he's right about Limbo, just not right about it being mostly Limbo.
Of course ... I barely even remember the Neraph. Like the majority of 3e races that didn't spring from a specific setting (ie Eberron races like Changelings, FR races like Fey'ri), they have so little traction I'm surprised when anyone remembers them. Probably why I'm so surprised at all the people clamoring for Dromites and Elans of all things.
One class may bind elementals to his equipment, another throws around terrain transmutations and various flavors of baleful polymorph, another becomes an avatar of the power of the elemental chaos.
i tried to play a shadowwalker in 3.5 but it was a little to powerfull.
shaddar-ki is close,,,but if you are going to put out a new shadow race,,, the shade was always a very cool monster that half of my group wanted to play.
dark ones would aslo be cool,,,two races in one kind of.
Undead Construct/Frankenstein's Monster/Promethean:
You play a being stitched together and brought to life/un-life through Necromancy, Eldritch Technology, Arcane Magic, etc. Obviously the tie into Shadow is that you are created from dead beings and have essentially been torn into existence from death. Interesting mechanics I think would be if it was somewhat of a "choose your parts" mechanics. You can pick a couple different attributes to showcase just what you are made out of.
A bit different then most races, for Shadow:
Undead Construct/Frankenstein's Monster/Promethean:
You play a being stitched together and brought to life/un-life through Necromancy, Eldritch Technology, Arcane Magic, etc. Obviously the tie into Shadow is that you are created from dead beings and have essentially been torn into existence from death. Interesting mechanics I think would be if it was somewhat of a "choose your parts" mechanics. You can pick a couple different attributes to showcase just what you are made out of.
There was the Ravenloft monster known as the Broken Ones, while it's a neat idea for a race, I don't know if they'll bother to do it.
I'm guessing that the 3rd PHB will have Gith (probably both as dumb as that is), Gnolls, Minotaurs, Shadar-kai and Wilden.
....
and we Goblinoid fans will be screwed again in 4E, this time in favor of the Furries.
Well, speaking as a furry, I'm sure not gonna complain.
A bit different then most races, for Shadow:
Undead Construct/Frankenstein's Monster/Promethean:
You play a being stitched together and brought to life/un-life through Necromancy, Eldritch Technology, Arcane Magic, etc. Obviously the tie into Shadow is that you are created from dead beings and have essentially been torn into existence from death. Interesting mechanics I think would be if it was somewhat of a "choose your parts" mechanics. You can pick a couple different attributes to showcase just what you are made out of.
This is actually what I was originally speculating the online undead race to be before it was revealed as the Revenant - the Blaspheme from Open Grave. The Blaspheme Knight is Unaligned, and has mental prowess and personality, unlike a Flesh Golem. It would be a construct race like the Warforged, but an Undead one too. It's really a great concept. The name could use something else than Blaspheme though (but Wizards likes making Monsters into races, so it may stay).
I would put it at Str/Int, since it's supposed to be highly intelligent, and a powerful guardian.
For past Elemental-themed races, alls I can think of that might be likely are the dromites (hey, they aren't any weirder than wilden), which had a four-element caste system, and (duhn duhn duhnnnnn) the svirfneblin (sp?). They *were* an underdark race of gnomes...but now, they could be anything. They used to have ties to the Plane of Elemental Earth, could summon elementals, all that jazz. And it would give PH3 a small race, if anyone cares about that.
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