Originally Posted by Niara
To be fair, the animals listed are only suggestions - not a 'list'; nothing is 'missing' in that sense, there's just a few creature types they suggest to give you an idea.

"CELESTIAL LEGACIES
Legacy Suggested Animals [...]
Exalted Cat, eagle, goat, mule
Heavenly Elephant, owl, pig, stork
Idyllic Bear, dog, raven, toad [...]"

Sure that part is a bit of a throwaway - as suggestion, but I kinda like the way it reads. The lower planes should get something somewhat analogous and brief though for parity. Something like say...

INFERNAL LEGACIES
Legacy Suggested Animals
Despotic Cat, bull, goat, mare
Abyssal Serpent, spider, rat, bat
Chthonic Hound, raven, wasp, catfish

With more to devils than just horns and tails right?

ps. sorry knocked it onto the next page I guess. General point was not so much what's there or what's not available in the wider scope of D&D, I'm familiar, but more in what they're choosing to highlight for the PHB gloss. They can set a pretty broad tone, since what's in the players handbook always carries the most weight. I kinda vibe on what they're doing with the Ardlings, but I think it would be more fun if it had a dark mirror going too. On the other hand maybe they want all animals to be good, which is understandable, since they are, but if I can't be Yertle the Wicked Warlock, or a catfish demon, then maybe do something similar but with just monsters instead of beasts for the lower planes? since there are plenty of monstrous hybrids already that'd make do. I see it as more of a visualization thing that they're going for to make it more expansive if somewhat generic as a catch all.

Organizationally I think they should list Ardlings and Tieflings next to each other in the layout so they play off one another. The way it is now they have humans listed at the top, then go alphabetical, but I think they should pair off a bit more. Like Elves and Orcs next to each other. Also feels like Humans are a little lackluster in the description. Perhaps a word about the Gift of Death or something to line it up with some of the other material that other races get. Not sure how many players figure on lifespan ever, but some kind of mystery nod for humanity might be interesting. As time goes on I guess the players have pushed the whole idea of character races to allow for a lot more 'party-of-monsters' themed adventuring as opposed to the old classic standard bearers like Elves and Dwarves. It's like the overused Nietzsche quote at the start of BG1 sort of came true over the long haul. They warned themselves, and then we got the Half-Orc highlight like immediately hehe. I get it though. I can kind of understand the angle there. Tiefs are kind of a very specific look that's been developed, but I could see them branching out. For example someone who wants to be a tiny goblin rather than a hulking orc, might choose a lower planes lineage that evokes all things goblinoid and then they got a quick plug and play sort of way to approach it. Not sure if that's where they'd go, but it might deliver if they did it down proper.

Last edited by Black_Elk; 21/08/22 05:22 AM.