Player's Handbook 3

The Player's Handbook 3 (PHB3) includes new races, classes, feats, and magic items--everything you'd expect from a new PHB. But it also breaks new ground with the Psionic power source, Hybrid Characters, and Skill Powers. Hit or miss? Click here to skip my ramblings and get to my concluding remarks.

Races

The PHB3 presents four new player races: the Githzerai, the Minotaur, the Shardmind, and the Wilden.

The issue with introducing new races into an ongoing setting is the difficulty in reconciling an allegedly pre-existing race with a world designed without them in mind. How has an entire race of beings gone unmentioned? The writers help resolve this issue by explaining that members of the PHB3 races are rare.

Something unique to the new races is that each has +2 to one ability and a +2 to a choice between two others. For instance, the minotaur has +2 to strength and +2 to either wisdom or constitution. This added versatility makes these races more attractive to players, and is evidence that the developers ran out of unique ability combinations.

In evaluating a new player race, two key factors come into play. Every race should have a unique cultural identity for roleplay purposes, and be able to bring something fresh to combat. Do the PHB3 races meet these criteria?

Githzerai

The githzerai have evolved since their first D&D appearance in 1981 and are now a disciplined race of humanoids native to the Elemental Chaos. Pointy-eared, wise, calculating, and rarely displaying strong emotion, githzerai bring to mind another race of otherworldly beings.

Kidding aside, the githzerai do possess a unique cultural identity that sets them apart from the other races and a rich background involving slavery to the Cthulhu-esque Illithids.

From a combat perspective, githzerai have high wisdom and high dexterity or intelligence. Elves and razorclaw shifters (PHB2) have high wisdom and dexterity, and devas (PHB2) have high wisdom and intelligence, so the githzerai must fight an uphill battle to prove their worth as a mechanically sound class.

Githzerai pale in comparison to elves, whose increased move speed and lowlight vision are only the forerunners of a list of superior racial traits. Though they compare better to devas, devas nonetheless win due to their resistances and defence bonuses.

Razorclaw shifters are overpowered by nature, with the ability to increase their move speed and defence when bloodied, so it's no surprise that githzerai seem relatively weak.

Although they could use some upgrades, githzerai are nonetheless a welcome addition based on the force of their roleplay value.



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