I really love PHB2- I was excited to see the druids become more shapechangey and I love how the bards set up as more musical and lore oriented. Also very happy to see the Half Orc returned. Avengers, Shamans, Wardens, and the new take on the sorcerer was very cool.

What I'd still like to see are some my old favorite races and classes, especially the ones I didn't get to play that often in 3E:

RACES:
Mongrelmen (I don't care if they re-name them really, I just like the concept). I've placed groups of Mongrelmen scavengers in a lot of my adventures, and I'd love to see a playable race take on them.
Goblins I know we have the basic details, but I'm reallly hoping for some goblin-related feats and paragon paths
Spellscales (my favorite race from Races of the Dragon, maybe redone as a bit less effeminate..)
Elan - They were a major race in my last 3E campaign and I really got to liking them. I think they have an interesting history.
Dromites - I just like the way they look! Plus I am going to end up putting them into my current campaign. I think there needs to be a second genderless race besides Warforged.
Illumians - I still think these are cool. Theyre briefly mentioned in the 4E Planar book, so I think we'll see them again.


CLASSES:
I'd also like to see the return of Binders. I noticed that they recently added a new pact for Warlocks called the Vestige Pact, which effective brings back a sort of Binder, but it might be cool if they did them as their own class, with certain Vestiges tracks being options similar to Warlock pacts or the Wild/Dragon Magic sorcerer options.

I definitely want to see the new psions all broken out (from Elocator to Wilder or similar) in 4E format.

Monks.
Maybe ninja (I know monks aren't the only thing they're putting under the "ki" power source)

Ah... what other power sources were going to be in that book?

As for races... they'll probably also be themed after included power sources. If ki's a big thing they'll probably include kenku and such. If psionics is a big thing, I'm looking forward to half-giants, gith, thri-keen, duergar, and a bunch of others.

One word: Thri-Kreen.  I'd like to see how they are going to handle multiple arms in a character race, and maintain game balance.

Quote from: Drohem;292293One word: Thri-Kreen.  I'd like to see how they are going to handle multiple arms in a character race, and maintain game balance.

By making any attempt to use them simultaneously an encounter power.

Quote from: beejazz;292294By making any attempt to use them simultaneously an encounter power.

This could be a 'quick and dirty' way of dealing with it, but I'd like to see a system wide approach to dealing with multiple limbs on player character race that was a little more involved.  Although, at first blush, this does seem like a good way of dealing with it.  They can make one attack with all arms during each encounter.  Some food for thought here.

It seems likely that we'll see monks, ninjas (especially since they started porting them into the complete books near the end of 3E), and maybe even samurai and shugenja.

I wouldn't mind playing a Wu-Jen, (they did an entire spell selection up for one in Complete Arcane for 3E) and I'd really like to see a dedicated illusionist class ala 1E.

I agree with beejazz that the Thri-kreen will probably get some kind of racial encounter power for its 4-arms-ness.

Quote from: Drohem;292297This could be a 'quick and dirty' way of dealing with it, but I'd like to see a system wide approach to dealing with multiple limbs on player character race that was a little more involved.  Although, at first blush, this does seem like a good way of dealing with it.  They can make one attack with all arms during each encounter.  Some food for thought here.

Well, chances are they would get a racial encounter power, and then there would be a selection of Thri-kreen specific feats that would be similar to what a double-weapon fighter might get. I'm basing this off of what the minotaur ended up with.

I would like to see a 4e Oriental Adventures, or something similar, too.

Quote from: Abyssal Maw;292298I agree with beejazz that the Thri-kreen will probably get some kind of racial encounter power for its 4-arms-ness.

I'm surprised to see people agreeing with me on this. I meant it as a joke. I hope they don't do it that way, as it strikes me as kind of silly.

Besides which, I think the thri-keen's got more than enough fodder for racial powers already with its psionics.

Isn't two weapon fighting a strictly ranger thing now anyway? If anything they'll find a way to modify that for the thri-keen. Or write a racial paragon path, since at that point it might not be so game breaking. Or say that since one set of arms is littler than the other they can twf two handed weapons but can't wield four. Or just lose a pair of arms (they don't seem that reluctant to change the flavor of things where it suits them... and the four arms thing only got big because you could break it... the intended flavor is "psychic bug man").

There's a bunch of things they might do. I'm sure something makes more sense than an encounter power.

Quote from: Abyssal MawWell, chances are they would get a racial encounter power, and then there would be a selection of Thri-kreen specific feats that would be similar to what a double-weapon fighter might get. I'm basing this off of what the minotaur ended up with.

Wait... what did the minotaur end up with?

But yeah... feats would be cool... I don't know how balanced 4 weapon fighting would be as a feat, but it'd be a great way to implement it if they get it right.

At will martial power four attacks at -4 penalty? Each does 1w damage?

Quote from: beejazz;292302I'm surprised to see people agreeing with me on this. I meant it as a joke. I hope they don't do it that way, as it strikes me as kind of silly.

Besides which, I think the thri-keen's got more than enough fodder for racial powers already with its psionics.

Isn't two weapon fighting a strictly ranger thing now anyway? If anything they'll find a way to modify that for the thri-keen. Or write a racial paragon path, since at that point it might not be so game breaking. Or say that since one set of arms is littler than the other they can twf two handed weapons but can't wield four. Or just lose a pair of arms (they don't seem that reluctant to change the flavor of things where it suits them... and the four arms thing only got big because you could break it... the intended flavor is "psychic bug man").

1st thing: rangers aren't the only two-attack class. The "Tempest" variant of the fighter can do a dual strike as well. (Fargrim is playing one in my PBP here).  Half elf dilletantes can pick up either one of the at-will dual strikes as an encounter power as well, so it isn't completely out of scope.

The minotaur gets "Goring charge" as a racial encounter power- it's a charge that ends in a knockdown. Then they get a lot of race-specific feats (for example, opportunity gore, which lets the minotaur PC use goring charge as it's opp attack).  Another  minotaur feat is a perception bonus that accounts for their affinity with mazes and labyrinths. That sort of thing.

Dromites are my psychic bug-man race of choice! But Thrikreens are cool too. Whatever they do, they can't let it be unbalanced compared to a half elf.

Hehehehe... honestly, boiling it down to just an encounter power would suck, IMHO.  It would have to be a comination of racial power, racial feats, and paragon path that would lead to the ultimate mastery of 4-armed combat.

Dromites are cool too.

PHB3 = Men & Magic.

AKA. How to play D&D uber-rules-light. I'm not holding my breath, though.

Quote from: Benoist;292349PHB3 = Men & Magic.

AKA. How to play D&D uber-rules-light. I'm not holding my breath, though.

Well, can't you already do that using another set of rules?


 Your'e talking about a sort of Unearthed Arcana 4E, in any case.

Of course I can. That's not the point.

Quote from: Benoist;292353Of course I can. That's not the point.

Let's face it, the rules-lite thing is out there, it's available. It's been available for years. Most people aren't that interested in it. The people that are interested in it, certainly can accomplish this on their own.