tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1790030420507335953.post2702653583281722066..comments2024-03-23T08:21:07.075-07:00Comments on Points of Light: Wandering Monsters: CelestialsDavid Guyllhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16299128722345607123noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1790030420507335953.post-64942820092694340012012-12-06T11:12:24.045-08:002012-12-06T11:12:24.045-08:00I get the reasons for humanoid races specifically ...I get the reasons for humanoid races specifically designed for player-usage; easier to empathize with, and also avoids lots of can/how does this race use magic items and the like (though I do think it was kind of silly for "female" shardminds to have boobs). There is also probably something to be said for heavy social role-playing.<br /><br />I still think that there is a demand for non-humanoid stuff, and have played a blink dog, earth elemental, and umber hulk before (blame Savage Species).<br /><br />Angels are a different case: they are really not intended for players, and if an intention is to portray them as enigmatic and somewhat alien, I see no reason to give them easily comprehended, humanoid shapes. Having individuals perceive them in different ways reminds me of Mage: The Ascension in a good way.David Guyllhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16299128722345607123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1790030420507335953.post-28151674634409589252012-12-06T08:44:59.911-08:002012-12-06T08:44:59.911-08:00I especially dislike the "humanlike" des...I especially dislike the "humanlike" descriptor for angels in D&D a lot. Ok, maybe it wasn't so bad before 4E when the standard playable races could all be described as "humanlike", but in the first PHB of 4E we've got races that drastically differ in appearance from humans, long before we get to such things as Wilden, Shardminds, and Minotaurs in the later PHBs (granted these are still humanoid, despite Wilden and Shardminds having no reason to be so).<br /><br />Personally, I run them as altering perceptions rather than actually shapeshifting. This has the added benefit of being able to appear differently to separate individuals simultaneously (everyone sees a representative of their race, one person is struck by awe while the rest just perceive a normal human, no one can remember what they looked like, everyone hears them speak in their own language, etc.). I've toyed with the idea that this ability may not be perception altering, but simply them breaking physics and actually manifesting in multiple forms simultaneously.Svafahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12237691554328991393noreply@blogger.com