I'm so happy! I got my monster manual 2 in the mail today (1. I'm writing this on Monday, 2. Yay, Amazon!) and I was a little disappointed at the monster races in the book. Not only were there only three of them, but they are notably weaker than the races in the first MM and considerably weaker than the ones from the PHBs, signaling that they really only want these races for NPCs.
New Monster Races in the MM2
Kenku-
Black feathered bird people, give unusually high bonus to flanking and aid another and have the ability to mimic sounds and voices.
I have been looking forward to the Kenku for a while, they have everything that their race needs to be kenku, but I would've liked another race feature or two. I wouldn't mind playing one though.
Duergar-
Dark dwarves, shoot out quills.
Kinda weird for my tastes... dark dwarves... with quills?
Bullywug-
Unnatural frog people that corrupt their swamp home, creates and aura that weakens enemies that spends a healing surge.
Be good for a laugh, but overall, not the greatest of options...
Races they should have had playable in the MM2
Gnolls- Could have had the updated stats for them.
Lizardfolk- Weren't these also in the first MM? Still no race stats!
Shadar-kai- Could also have their updates racial stats.
Spriggan- Corrupt gnomes are the only way to play gnomes! I would like to played one. : D
Races they could have had playable in the MM2
Centaur- Could have been really cool option, but the large size was too much of a turn off for WotC.
Drakkoth- Same as centaur.
Nothic- Crazy, one eyed 'humanoids'. would be VERY fun to play. : D
Phoelarch- Humanoids covered in fire, who burst into flames and are replaced by a medium sized phoenix when they die.
Slaad- Was in the first MM, could have many options... maybe in 'plane below'.
Troglodyte- Yet another one from the MM, evil, but could be playable.
Wood Woad- living trees that hate anyone that looks like they might remotely cut down a tree.
Xorn- Creepy, but it could be playable.
Races I would have liked in the MM2, but I'll let slide this time...
Angel- Too overpowered...
Barghest- Goblin shapeshifters, awesome, but overpowered...
Beholder- Floating eyeball of death, too overpowered...
Marut- "Maruts serve other entities as mercenaries or serve their own mysterious purposes." how does that not get racial stats? Well, they are immortals... Oh, and they fly...
Myconid- They only communicate by SPORES. Otherwise would be cool.
Warforged- Another chance for updated racial stats, but will probably be in the Eberron players guide.
Another thing
They could have slipped the Wilden into the MM2 and have more people playtest it...
Did I get everything? Do you dissagre with my opinion? Post a comment!
3 comments:
I am pretty sure in Dragon Magazine they have introduced fully playable Warforged, Shadar-Kai, and Gnoll characters. As such I wonder if there is a great need to up them, again.
If they do it will likely be in PHB3 or, for the Warforged at least, Eberron.
yes, that's why they were mentioned, to put the updated versions in a book. (though when I looked at them there were not a whole lot of changes.)
And IMO, the Minotaur were the only ones that got nerfed...
If you'll check the back of the first MM, you'll find that the Gnolls and Shadar-Kai have already been made playable. BTW, this is DnD, I dont see why you shouldnt be able to use any other monster race as a PC, with the DMs approval.
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