In previous versions of the rulebook, a Dryads’ aversion to metal has been a roleplaying requirement that metal items make a dryad very uncomfortable, but can still be touched/used/carried by a Dryad. That is all fine and dandy; it’s meant to be a race where metal isn’t your thing overall, and I like it a lot.
However, in the recent 2.1 rulebook drafts, the following line has been included in the Races section: “Dryads cannot wear or use metal Game Items, except for coin.”
This is not simply a piece of flavor text; this is a hard mechanical rules change, and a massive departure from past design and intent for Dryads. Under the current verbiage, Dryads are now hard restricted from using any metal game item, regardless of how much/little metal is involved.
Was this change intentional? If so, why? What constitutes a Metal Game Item?
Does this extend to Magic Items, which may have metal pieces depending on the rep used by a chapter? In past, for example, a Dryad might have a little metal trinket or two kept in a pouch that they could use, but by the verbiage of 2.1 Draft 5, that’s a “metal Game Item” and therefore cannot be activated at all. Similarly, they can't now even activate a metal item being carried by someone else.
Does this extend to Ritual Catalysts, which may have metal pieces depending on the rep used by a chapter? By the 2.1 Draft 5 verbiage, Dryads can't even begin the ritual, because it is a "metal Game Item".
Does this extend to Heartstone Reagents, which are stated in their rulebook flavor text to be “typically associated with gems and other forms of rare metals”? By the 2.1 Draft 5 verbiage, Dryads can't use these for rituals or spellcrafting, because it is a "metal Game Item".
Does this extend to buckles and rivets that help hold together a Dryad’s rep that they are using to fulfill the an Armor Tag?
Etc, etc. Metal is everywhere in this game, and saying that Dryads can't wear or use any of it, full stop, is ridiculous.
I highly doubt the intent of 2.1 is to completely lock an entire PC Race from interacting with portions of the game, especially given the change to Biata to now be able to interact with Celestial, etc. Sylvanborn are not listed as “Sylvanborn cannot use Command Effects”, and High Ogres are not listed as “High Ogres cannot use Necromancy Effects.” They are still roleplay requirements for the race, but there are not hard mechanical restrictions. For some reason, the Dryad roleplay requirement has become a mechanical restriction, and it is categorically unfair and unbalanced when compared to the way other races interact with the game, its mechanics, and the props used to make the game. The 2.1 Draft 5 rulebook clearly makes Dryads the mechanically worst race in the game by a massive margin.
The intent of the original race is clear: Dryads don’t like metal, so they don’t wear big metal armor or wield big metal weapons. That's 100% fine. They use unique stone weapons, wear leather armor, and need to layer other types of armor if they want to get the points usually obtained by 4-point metal plate, etc. Dealing with minor instances of metal (coins, little metal trinkets, rivets and buckles on armor, etc.) is fine, but large stuff gets them jittery and uncomfortable. But, in a pinch, they might still be willing to struggle through it and activate a Spell Store on their friend’s metal sword to give that friend a Life spell when they're dead, or do a ritual with a little metal statue as the catalyst, etc. Their racial roleplay requirements should NOT be a hard mechanical restriction as currently shown in 2.1 Draft 5, especially since it will vary based on prop to prop used in chapters, and rest assured, I will pursue every possible avenue with ARC, Owners, and whoever else to ensure that this unfair and hopefully unintentional change is rectified.
The Biata racial disadvantages state "They experience psychic noise while in contact with or within a persistent Celestial effect. ...... The psychic noise generated by contact with Celestial Ritual effects is a roleplay effect and does not otherwise impact the ability to use mental abilities." Perhaps the Dryad racial disadvantages should say something similar: "They experience discomfort while in contact with large amounts of metal, such as metal armor or metal weapons. They are not noticeably bothered by coins or other small pieces of metal, and the discomfort generated by contact with large metal objects is a roleplay effect and does not otherwise impact the ability to use items."
However, in the recent 2.1 rulebook drafts, the following line has been included in the Races section: “Dryads cannot wear or use metal Game Items, except for coin.”
This is not simply a piece of flavor text; this is a hard mechanical rules change, and a massive departure from past design and intent for Dryads. Under the current verbiage, Dryads are now hard restricted from using any metal game item, regardless of how much/little metal is involved.
Was this change intentional? If so, why? What constitutes a Metal Game Item?
Does this extend to Magic Items, which may have metal pieces depending on the rep used by a chapter? In past, for example, a Dryad might have a little metal trinket or two kept in a pouch that they could use, but by the verbiage of 2.1 Draft 5, that’s a “metal Game Item” and therefore cannot be activated at all. Similarly, they can't now even activate a metal item being carried by someone else.
Does this extend to Ritual Catalysts, which may have metal pieces depending on the rep used by a chapter? By the 2.1 Draft 5 verbiage, Dryads can't even begin the ritual, because it is a "metal Game Item".
Does this extend to Heartstone Reagents, which are stated in their rulebook flavor text to be “typically associated with gems and other forms of rare metals”? By the 2.1 Draft 5 verbiage, Dryads can't use these for rituals or spellcrafting, because it is a "metal Game Item".
Does this extend to buckles and rivets that help hold together a Dryad’s rep that they are using to fulfill the an Armor Tag?
Etc, etc. Metal is everywhere in this game, and saying that Dryads can't wear or use any of it, full stop, is ridiculous.
I highly doubt the intent of 2.1 is to completely lock an entire PC Race from interacting with portions of the game, especially given the change to Biata to now be able to interact with Celestial, etc. Sylvanborn are not listed as “Sylvanborn cannot use Command Effects”, and High Ogres are not listed as “High Ogres cannot use Necromancy Effects.” They are still roleplay requirements for the race, but there are not hard mechanical restrictions. For some reason, the Dryad roleplay requirement has become a mechanical restriction, and it is categorically unfair and unbalanced when compared to the way other races interact with the game, its mechanics, and the props used to make the game. The 2.1 Draft 5 rulebook clearly makes Dryads the mechanically worst race in the game by a massive margin.
The intent of the original race is clear: Dryads don’t like metal, so they don’t wear big metal armor or wield big metal weapons. That's 100% fine. They use unique stone weapons, wear leather armor, and need to layer other types of armor if they want to get the points usually obtained by 4-point metal plate, etc. Dealing with minor instances of metal (coins, little metal trinkets, rivets and buckles on armor, etc.) is fine, but large stuff gets them jittery and uncomfortable. But, in a pinch, they might still be willing to struggle through it and activate a Spell Store on their friend’s metal sword to give that friend a Life spell when they're dead, or do a ritual with a little metal statue as the catalyst, etc. Their racial roleplay requirements should NOT be a hard mechanical restriction as currently shown in 2.1 Draft 5, especially since it will vary based on prop to prop used in chapters, and rest assured, I will pursue every possible avenue with ARC, Owners, and whoever else to ensure that this unfair and hopefully unintentional change is rectified.
The Biata racial disadvantages state "They experience psychic noise while in contact with or within a persistent Celestial effect. ...... The psychic noise generated by contact with Celestial Ritual effects is a roleplay effect and does not otherwise impact the ability to use mental abilities." Perhaps the Dryad racial disadvantages should say something similar: "They experience discomfort while in contact with large amounts of metal, such as metal armor or metal weapons. They are not noticeably bothered by coins or other small pieces of metal, and the discomfort generated by contact with large metal objects is a roleplay effect and does not otherwise impact the ability to use items."
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