Earlier this week the Githzerai race dropped behind the D&D Insider wall. It is labeled as debut content from the third Player’s Handbook, due out sometime in 2010. Just as with the debut class content from that book (the Monk), the boys from WotC don’t spare anything in putting out the core of the racial concept.

Unlike with the Monk, however, this isn’t a playtest. The racial writeup feels like a fully realized chunk of content, one you can drop into your game tonight and feel good about it.

As I plan to do with most of these chunks of gaming goodness, here’s my view on the Githzerai as presented in Dragon 378.

Keep It:

• Like the Psion writeup, several of the designers pop in with Commentary about decisions made in creating the ‘zerai as a race. While some of these comments state the obvious, there are enough ‘o really?’ statements to make this worthwhile.
• The mechanics of the race feel fitted to a number of character concepts purely on their own. Looking over the race’s +2 to Dex and +2 to Wis, you know what kind of characters you’ll be making with these guys. Their racial power (Iron Mind), similarly extends the idea that this race will be perfect for certain concepts.
• The race has retained all of the flavor shown in previous editions. They didn’t mess with a good thing, and thanks to the flexibility of 4e a lot of those ‘fluff’ elements are now reflected mechanically as well. (A paragon path focused on taking down psionicists, for example.)

Change It:

• Everytime I walk through a group of racial feats, I’m underwhelmed. Some of them are named after characters from the race’s past, which is cool. As with many of the feats that interact with racial powers, though, a lot of the ‘zerai’s options aren’t that appealing.

Explain It:

• Why can’t we get more planar-connected characters that feel ‘solid’ like the ‘zerai? This race really has so few flaws it’s hard to complain about it. Why don’t we as players feel more like that with new racial offerings? (I’m looking at you, shifters.)