I kinda hope this foreshadows a (likely distant) campaign module involving the mind flayer empires. It's always been something mentioned but never really touched on in D&D and it'd be really cool to see one of D&D most ubiquitous adversaries taking center stage
DarkFox Dev I think it may be closer than you think. The primary story designer at wizards is Chris Perkins, recently he's been writing a lot of planscape type stuff for his twitch show dice camera action. About 3 weeks ago he announced that the newest adventure storyline had been finalized. Since he's been writing so much planar themed stuff for one show it stands to reason some if not all of that follows along with the the next hardback adventure that he just finished. Not to mention all the new class specs that came out in Xanthars guide to everything, about half of those new 24ish subclasses had to do with different planes that the material, for example the horizon walker ranger.
I’ve always loved this part of D&D lore, because it was left open for people to imagine their own speculations about what happened. The mystery of what happened with Gith has always fascinated me.
I always like to imagine that all the enslaved races played a roll in overthrowing the mindflayers. While the gith probably led the rebellion, I could see the kuo-toa playing a large roll as well, since they have the ability to literally create gods. Direct intervention from a god might just have been necessary in order to defeat the Ilithid empire. All hail Blipdoolpoolp!
I always liked the idea, that the Gith found a Flow River that carried them through Time, and they destroyed the Illithid Empire by crushing the empire's seeds before it started. Thus, no ruins and no one taking about this giant empire.
Correct, sort of. The illithid in escaping the forerunners (pre gith) during the revolt traveled backwards in time taking some forerunners with them accedently (this is why aboliths who know the origin of all species don't know where the illithid came from, and why there are no ancient illithid ruins). Anyway my take on the deal is that the gith will receive help to start the revolt at the future time that the illithid have taken over everything, thus restarting the cycle and giving us all headaches.
Time is one option. But more fitting for the mind flayers (which are highly influenced by Lovecraft) would be an involvement of a 4th _spacial_ dimension. Just as 2d is to 3d... the 4th dimension would be to us stuck within just 3 dimensions completely beyond our sense. Stuff could be right there, just beyond the perception of the mortal races (and maybe even immortals/Gods) but well within touching distance for being that could perceive it. I like this concept because it's just hard enough to conceive of and visualize that it reinforces the alien nature of Mind Flayers -- whose origins tie into the unknowable Far Realm, a very Lovecraftian realm.
I once saw someone play this differently as the illithid empire was more like the matrix, completely cerebral and existing in the elder brains in a shared constructed imaginative reality. This is the reason there are no ruins, the buildings are memories which can only be given shape in the astral plane. The elder brains still hold pieces of the empire within but cannot recreate it alone. This also enhances their need for slaves to care for their physical needs while their minds are connected into the great empire.
Great Stuff, most of what Mike Mearls said can be found in the Old Dragon #100/Dungeon magazines "Incursion" Adventure as well as the "Lich Queens Beloved" Adventure. Lots of well thought out background for the Gith. So I'm hoping (as it seems a lot of other people) this is foreshadowing for a near-future campaign featuring the Illithid Planar Empire and the Race of Gith, maybe some others such as Neolithids, Aboleth, and Kuo-Toans. OF COURSE this also means we may Finally get a 5e Psionic Ruleset. Which makes me very happys since I also like Dark Sun as a campaign world. Overall I can't wait to see what new stuff they add to one of the most Iconic Villain Races in D&D (after all they were featured on the Fiend Folio in AD&D 1e). HOODY HOO!!!
Ohhh, I hope the next published campaign deals with this stuff. I kinda had an idea for a playable Mind-Flayer campaign where Mind-Flayer heroes would go to an abandoned Mind-Flayer city to slay a Neolithid and an Alhoon, in a very typical fantasy fashion, while also sucking out brains every now and then.
In the introduction text for the slaad, it is said that the Spawning Stones allowed creatures such as Githzerai to dwell within Limbo. This implies that the Githzerai had already emerged as a distinct culture prior to the existence of any slaad. Since the Githzerai/Githyanki split occurred as the war for independence was winding down, the war in which the Mind Flayer empires were destroyed also occurred before the slaad existed. Also, a few well placed red dragons who can roll well on initiative can crush a large group of unsuspecting mind flayers with ease.
According to the 1st Edition Manual of the Planes, for every 1,000 years that pass, the effects of one day of time pass on the astral plane. Inhabitants of the plane don’t perceive time any differently, but the aging and need for food is at this speed.
I've been saying for years that if they had spun Spelljamming as something 'more planer', it would be pure gold. It seems that's the direction they are heading, and I am really glad to hear it. The whole thing will have a more fantasy-ish, 'Moorcockian' feel (like the worlds of Elric/Stormbringer).
after watching this video I conclude that the githyanki are simply one of those many races that just need a great big hug and a safe space after the trauma from the mind flayers. x3 lol
One thing I take issue with is the insinuation that they don't produce art?? There was a huge section in Guide to the Astral Plane about githyanki culture, artists, and philosophy. They intensely value creativity and individualism, and saying their empire isn't vast or important? It is on the Astral! What other group dominates the Astral like the githyanki do? Nobody. I kinda feel like this is another gutting of planar lore. Saying some 2-bit country in the prime is grander than the githyanki empire.
One-dimensional culture, one-dimensional arts(fighting and survival, not really artsy), one-dimensional philosophy. So, you're tripping on that for nothing. Also, what significance does dominating the Astral Plane serve? It literally affects no one. You're also tripping over this for nothing. You're not a writer/producer for a reason :( I love the simplicity and narrow nature of Gith. They are perfectly neutral. The base principles of Gith are bland. What players are able to do with Gith in terms of individuality is nigh limitless. You dont have to saltiiii
Speaking Cosmologically, considering their location in Limbo and their lack of patron, I had the Githzerai encounter Indra and form a strong relationship with the Land of Milk and Honey. Their cultures, though diverse, synergize in a really interesting way.
circular lore perhaps pointing to the great wheel turning... is fate a circle? do the gith getting out of slavery start the new cycle and the universe repeats itself?
For a moment I thought he said 'Sayians' and I thought 'hold the phone(cause I almost dropped it, made a monk like recovery though) the Githyanki are pound for pound more like Sayians then any other race in D&D. I then prepared to write this long- scathing comment about how wrong he was even though he's the creative director and he's kind of the guy who creates everything. Sure D&D has a long Rich backstory but the world's change from edition to edition. I mean if everything stayed exactly the same I have no need to play 3.5 anymore and I so love 3.5. It's funny how that one little thing kind of taught me to pay a little better attention before I go off half cocked and make a whole ass out of myself.
I prefer the idea of the Gith being their own race that could have been as successful as humans, halflings or dwarves before they had their future stolen by mind flayers. Also, it’s implied here that there was a distinction between the githyanki and the githzerai before the rise of zerthimon. Can anyone explain?
Githzerai basically means "the people of Gith". They were from another cast than the githyankies. It's hard to tell if it's just a social construct or a real physiological difference. For exemple, the githzerai don't lay eggs (essentially because they don't need to in Limbo. But perhaps it was the case already in the time of Gith.) But they have much more in common than differences.
I likt the concept that I think Keith Baker came up with that went along the lines that the reason the Gith hate Illithids so much is that the Illithids were once Gith that were changed by the Daelkyr (inhabitants of the Far Realm) in an experiment such as they are want to do with sentient creatures that they conquer . In fact all aberrations are a result of the "play" of the Daelkyr in Eberron. It's quite a good concept when you think about it as it gives the Gith a perfectly sound reason for their burning eternal hatred of the Illithids. It can provide for great story beats as far as I am concerned.
I think this might mean that we will be getting a Psionics support/source book with the mechanics and Psionic classes (eg Mystic) and of course Psionic monsters. I hope so anyway.
I think this might mean that we will be getting a Psionics support/source book with the mechanics and Psionic classes (eg Mystic) and of course Psionic monsters. I hope so anyway.
Its a little sad that the guy talks almost entirely about the Githyanki and barely any about the Githzerai, luckily Mordenkainen's Tomb of Foes goes into it a fair bit more but still focuses mostly on the githyanki, ultimately not much to go on for what is in fact a fully playable race now in 5e. Hopefully there will be a little more about them in the future, would love to see a fleshed out campaign involving both races and hunting the illithids (there was a really horrible recent module where you have to play pregen characters that are the opposite of optimized seemingly on purpose).
When he talks about what "we know" or "we don't know" who is the we? Is he saying nobody has written this stuff yet? Or it's known but a GM secret in some module so he's not putting spoilers in the video? Or teasing a non-released supplement?
stopped yourself short of calling them a group of foes. Did someone accidentally almost use the terminology from a book that wasn't announced when this video came out~?
I hate that they changed psionic warriors to mystics. It does not sound as cool and word "mystic" gives a very distinct visual that doesn't correlate with the abilities.
Mike has a habit of alternating his speech between conversationally loud and almost a whisper. It makes if very hard to follow what he is saying without constantly alternating your volume up and down. Mike. Please. For my speakers sake. Pick a volume.
