So, I have been looking forward to playing the Gith for quite some time, the Githzerai in particular, however now that I'm seeing them I feel a little... Underwhelmed.
To be more specific, I feel like the Githzerai get very little in the way of benefits while the Githyanki get way more. I don't really care all that much about power in terms of making a character (and I'm still dutifully working on an idea for a Githzerai character) but I feel like there is definitely something off about this.
The Githyanki get a lot, to the point where they are, at least in my mind, on the stronger end of PC races in D&D. The Githzerai get noticeably less. Though they still get some interesting features they are lacking when compared to other races (Tiefling springs to mind as a comparison due to the similar mechanics of their innate spellcasting) and very lacking compared to the Githyanki.
It also stings that the primary feature of the sub-race is a resistance to charmed and frightened conditions, which is not only trumped by innate resistances of other races (e.g. elves and gnomes) but is also somewhat problematic given that the most obvious and lore relevant class to play a Githzerai as would be a monk, who later get the ability to dismiss such effects as an action anyway.
While there is still an argument to be made for the ability to have resistance AND a way to clear the effect, making a Githzerai monk exceptionally resistant to such effects, it still seems like an annoying overlap.
Githyanki by comparison get some incredible proficiencies and strong spell choices. This does make them exceptionally strong at, for example, the Wizard class, due to their medium armour proficiencies and skills. But it also causes an annoying overlap again with the races that more usually fit with a Githyanki, such as Fighters and Barbarians who get considerably less out of the Githyanki subrace than they would other race options. (It is also worth mentioning that the VGM Hobgoblins get similar martial proficiencies except they only get 2 martial weapons and light armour, as opposed to the 3 martial weapons, light and medium armour that Githyanki get. While VGM states that the monstrous races are not as well balanced as most PC races, this still seems like something of an oversight.)
Overall I love the lore of the Gith in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes but the actual balance of these races seems questionable and not entirely thought out. I'll still be playing one because I don't care too much about the power of races as much as the flavour but I was just wondering what other peoples thoughts and opinions on the Gith were.
So, I have been looking forward to playing the Gith for quite some time, the Githzerai in particular, however now that I'm seeing them I feel a little... Underwhelmed.
To be more specific, I feel like the Githzerai get very little in the way of benefits while the Githyanki get way more. I don't really care all that much about power in terms of making a character (and I'm still dutifully working on an idea for a Githzerai character) but I feel like there is definitely something off about this.
The Githyanki get a lot, to the point where they are, at least in my mind, on the stronger end of PC races in D&D. The Githzerai get noticeably less. Though they still get some interesting features they are lacking when compared to other races (Tiefling springs to mind as a comparison due to the similar mechanics of their innate spellcasting) and very lacking compared to the Githyanki.
It also stings that the primary feature of the sub-race is a resistance to charmed and frightened conditions, which is not only trumped by innate resistances of other races (e.g. elves and gnomes) but is also somewhat problematic given that the most obvious and lore relevant class to play a Githzerai as would be a monk, who later get the ability to dismiss such effects as an action anyway.
While there is still an argument to be made for the ability to have resistance AND a way to clear the effect, making a Githzerai monk exceptionally resistant to such effects, it still seems like an annoying overlap.
Githyanki by comparison get some incredible proficiencies and strong spell choices. This does make them exceptionally strong at, for example, the Wizard class, due to their medium armour proficiencies and skills. But it also causes an annoying overlap again with the races that more usually fit with a Githyanki, such as Fighters and Barbarians who get considerably less out of the Githyanki subrace than they would other race options. (It is also worth mentioning that the VGM Hobgoblins get similar martial proficiencies except they only get 2 martial weapons and light armour, as opposed to the 3 martial weapons, light and medium armour that Githyanki get. While VGM states that the monstrous races are not as well balanced as most PC races, this still seems like something of an oversight.)
Overall I love the lore of the Gith in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes but the actual balance of these races seems questionable and not entirely thought out. I'll still be playing one because I don't care too much about the power of races as much as the flavour but I was just wondering what other peoples thoughts and opinions on the Gith were.
Githzerai can cast shield. That's easily enough to make up for their other disadvantages compared to their githyanki cousins.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
I'm still upset that they're both yellow, instead of yellow and green like 4e :(
Published Subclasses