Welcome to the Unofficial Saurok Playable Race Discussion Megathread!
Update 1/8/21: Happy New Year! I edited a few sections (Reasons for Joining the Horde, Starting Pet, Saurok Capable of Working With Others, Priest text in the Potential Classes section). Also had to relink custom screenshots in a new way, so if you see any weird URL or broken imagesâŚthen it means I still have to work to do. x- x
I am unsure if there is a time limit or a limit on the number of edits a thread can go through, so always check the latest posts for any news and current discussions!
The purpose of this thread is to collect ideas and suggestions of playable Saurok while having discussions of the concept in the game, be it as a core or as an allied race.
If by some Winterâs Veil miracle Blizzard decides to make playable Horde Saurok, they are more than welcome to use any ideas I have presented.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This thread is not meant to ask for Saurok above any other race. In particular, we are NOT competing with Sethrak fans, and it is very possible to have both Sethrak and Saurok playable and have differences between them culturally and in terms of gameplay mechanics. We all have races that we want playable, so let us band together as fans of the game and be open-minded in our discussions while being respectful to each other. ^^
This thread is also a work in progress. Iâll be editing this post with new info and redesigning it as time goes on. I am also not perfect, much as I try to research as much as possible, so there is always a chance of errors within the thread.
INTRODUCTION
One of my favorite fantasy races are lizard men, and it is something that I feel that World of Warcraft is very much missing in the playable department. It wasnât until Mists of Pandaria introduced such a race in the form of the Saurok, who at the time played an antagonistic role to both Horde and Alliance.
The Saurok were originally created by the Mogu, who had transformed them from various lizards in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. They were created to be soldiers that serve the Mogu, but the Saurok began to rebel against their own masters. They gathered their forces and waged a war against the Mogu before eventually running off to form their own warbands, which plundered and harassed the inhabitants of Pandaria.
Some were said to have been able to sail off Pandaria, past the mists around it. Some managed to get to the Wandering Isle, and took part as enemies near the end of the Pandaren starting area. Others appear to have joined different groups of pirates. It is possible others sailed elsewhere to other areas.
In Hearthstone, Saurok inhabit Unâgoro Crater, though I believe this is not shown in WoW. This is an example that Saurok would likely be capable of traveling to different continents, and maybe even undiscovered ones.
There are two different Saurok lore videos that go a bit more in depth than what I have posted:
There is also an in-game cinematic related to the âBetween a Saurok and a Hard Placeâ achievement that briefly goes over some of Saurok lore here:
More than mindless beasts? Thoughts on how to implement them as a playable race.
I will admit that looking at what we have right now, itâs hard to imagine the Saurok joining a faction. Theyâre in need of some major anger management classes, have been antagonists to Horde and alliance, and have been used as mooks to be killed for quests or jobbers for raids. They have little to go by other than âRAWR!â and being plundering warbands.
In order to consider them playable, it seems that we have to consider that some creativity would be needed to make some lore for them. Perhaps some managed to sail away to get away from the Mogu, and may have had a different view compared to other Saurok. Perhaps some had the thought of âI am more than just a tool to be used, but what am I?â and went on a spiritual journey to make their own civilization. This is, of course, just speculation on my part of how a group of Saurok could be lead into being playable.
At least one tribe, the Skumblade Tride, worship a devilsaur in the sky named Kros, believing that Kros created them and not the Mogu. This means theyâre capable of having some form of free thought, savage as they may be. Whatever the case, it will take some creativity to write them as more than an antagonistic race.
On the subject of being antagonistic, there are playable races that started off being jerks and doing things that werenât very nice to the Horde and Alliance. Dark Iron Dwarves started off being enemies and a group of them ended up joining the Alliance under Moira. Zandalari Trolls were big enemies in general before being written into becoming an allied race for the Horde. Worgen, previously a mindless and savage mook NPC race, were added to the Alliance through means of the Gilnaens. Adding Saurok would not be the first time an antagonistic race would become playable.
It also doesnât mean that all Saurok would be under the banner of playable. There are different tribes of Trolls that arenât playable and are currently enemies of the Horde. Not all humans are part of the Alliance and are part of groups that attack both factions. Even the Ogres have several tribes that attack both factions, but there is a clan of them (Stonemaul Clan) that are part of the Horde. Itâs quite capable of writing part of a race that joins a faction, but not include all of that race to be sworn members of it.
If Saurok were to become playable, such lore would need to be created in an expansion, likely with a different tribe with different views, and would require an open-mind to design it. What would be viewed as a huge hurdle can be overcome, and likely this can apply to many races people want playable.
Core or Allied Race?
Saurok could act as either or. Allied race might be more fitting, as whatever Saurok you meet, you have to work with them and convince them to join up. Likely, this could be an expansion where Saurok appear and have enough of a presence to either seek help or be able to offer help. Other than random pirates, they donât really have much of a presence in BfA, so I wouldnât expect them to appear there.
As a core race, however, I would like to think that more time could be utilized to design them. There are several types of lizards with different scale colors, patterns, and features. It would be neat to see that implemented into this race.
Ultimately, I can see them fitting either as an allied race or as a core race.
Possible Tabard and Allied Race Banner design
The Skumblade tribe have their own banner on the Isle of Thunder, shown here:
Now, I donât expect the Skumblade to be the playable Saurok faction, but this banner shows off a design that could be used for playable Saurok tabards and an allied race banner. Likely, the colors would need to be changed, but otherwise this would work for both, in my opinion.
What faction would they join?
I am a firm supporter of Saurok joining the Horde.
First, being a tribal race is more fitting with the Horde. They would look a lot better walking around places like Orgrimmar and Thunderbluff than Stormwind and Iron Forge. Saurok being a shamanistic race is also more fitting with the Horde, finding more similarities with Orcs and Trolls as opposed to Wildhammer Dwarves and Draenei. Itâs also hard to imagine the Alliance not looking down upon the Saurok, thinking theyâre just angry brutes. They would be better treated and respected in the Horde.
Second is that as a former slave race, Saurok would fit quite well with the Hordeâs theme of survival in a world that is against them. Saurok fought for their freedom against the Mogu, who are still around and likely causing problems for them in general. As a young and artificial race, they have to survive against a harsh world, as well as any Mogu that would come into power and try to enslave them again. As such, itâs very fitting for Saurok to join the Horde, since many other races also banded together to support each other for survival. I see Saurok joining the Horde to be a very interesting storyline opportunity as a result.
Third is that there are a few parallels between Saurok and Orcs. Both were slave races that were to be used as weapons for evil beings, both broke free from their cruel masters, both have some form of savagery in their personalities, both are Shamanistic in their cultures, and both have multiple tribes with different beliefs.
If youâre interested in seeing a bit more, I did type up a more detailed post located here for anyone interested. Iâll be sure to add to this section as I think of more reasons I feel Saurok would be better in the Horde.
Are Saurok capable of working with other races?
Yes! There are instances of Saurok being around and working with other races.
In BfA, there is a pirate crew called âThe Bilgeratsâ who consist primarily of NPC races (aside from Vulpera), and Saurok are among the ranks. Theyâre seen walking around Freeport with their shipmates among other crews and there is even one flexing his muscles to some humans of another crew.
Also in Tiragarde Sound, there is a hidden underwater area called âThe Whaleâs Belly,â where two Saurok are enjoying the party down there among other races. Even a Dwarf captain occasionally walks up to them and does a friendly roar emote, and the Saurok donât even try to maul his face over it.
Back in Mists of Pandaria, there were a few Saurok allowed in the Temple of the White Tiger to compete in honorable combat. They obviously would be on their best behavior to be able to stay there. This is talked about in this post.
In Shadowlands, a Saurok spirit in Maldraxxus is hanging out with and talking with at least one spirit that was likely a Dwarf. Saurok being able to arrive in Maldraxxus is interesting, given that souls there are meant to work together to protect the Shadowlands. Discussed in this post with screenshots.
If Saurok are capable of being among other races in some form of an establishment that offers services for gold and if they are capable of working with other races to form a functioning pirate crew, it stands to reason that they would be capable of being able to work with the Horde for a greater purpose.
Do any females exist in the game?
To my knowledge, not at the time of this post. However, artwork does exist in Hearthstone of a female Saurok shown here:
Even without female models in-game, it isnât impossible to create one. Some currently playable races, such as Worgen, didnât have any female models but eventually did when they became playable. Gilblins, a potential candidate for an allied race in the future, use to be all male, but in BfA, we saw female models created for them. It isnât impossible to create a female Saurok if they were to ever be playable.
Do Saurok have any player-only animations?
The Saurok models in game actually do have a few player-only animations (animations that are there for players that would never be performed by a NPC for the most part).
First, Saurok are capable of swimming backwards:
Second, they have a fishing animation:
Third, as it turns out, they have a Heart of Azeroth animation! It appears they use the male Worgenâs animation when doing it. Here is a picture Iâve taken showing this (forgetting to hide names when I took the image):
Itâs interesting to see these animations as the Saurok models in-game donât have some male Worgen animations enabled on them while some animations do work. Regardless, these are likely in here because of shared animations as opposed to being any hints of playable Saurok being considered, much as I want playable horde Saurok. Still a neat thing to see and show off.
What classes would they be?
Based on my own personal preference:
Death Knight- All allied races in BfA and Pandaren are now capable of becoming Death Knights. I see no reason why Saurok would not be able to become Death Knights as a result.
Hunter- They would naturally be hunters, since they would live off the land. One possible starting pet is a basilisk, since many in the SKumblade Tribe user them as pets.
Mage- For Saurok to become mages, it would depend on if they managed to get ahold of magical artifacts. I suspect they might be able to gain some intelligence from some artifacts, allowing them to become mages. Many of them use water and ice based magic, though likely intended to be Shamans. Still, I feel like an argument can be made for these âLizard Wizards of Blizzards.â
Monk- Many are capable of fighting bare-handed, so I can see some specializing in that.
Priest- Since the Skumblade have Priests of their devilsaur god, itâs possible that other tribes would have priests dedicated to any wild god they worship. Shadow priests would also fit them, in my opinion.
Rogue- They seem like the type that could sneak around. Plus, many of them work as pirates. Very fitting, in my opinion.
Shaman- Their race is tribal, so Shamans would fit them naturally.
Warlock- Given their creation, I can see some exploring the dark arts.
Warrior- Another natural fit for them.
If Iâm missing any classes they can be in-game, please feel free to link me to those specific mobs. Iâll be happy to add them to the list. That said, a lot of my choices are debatable.
Saurok Hunter Starting Pet Ideas
So far, Iâve found two instances of pets Saurok use. The first is a basilisk, used by the lower members of the Skumblade Tribe:
The Saurok that use these are capable of forming a bond with them, with some not wanting to kill their pet to prove themselves in the Skumblade Tribe, who the leaders think relying on a pet makes one weak.
The other is a turtle pet, used by a Muckscale Flesh-Hunter:
With Shadowlands, Pandaren start with a green dragon turtle pet, despite being shown with a yak pet on the character creation screen, if they start in Exileâs Reach (they no longer have a starting pet if they start on Wandering Isle). I still view dragon turtles as potential choice, especially if Saurok are treated as an allied race with their own racial hub.
Itâs still worth noting that Saurok are capable of forming a bond with another animal in order to hunt. Itâs unclear what the Muckscale view on Hunter pets in general, but seeing as they walk in the open, itâs likely accepted more than the Skumblade.
This does show that Saurok are capable of forming a bond with another being, which is important in showing that Saurok are capable of being more than just angry lizards. Itâs possible that Saurok of any tribe could tame these creatures as pets, though it could also depend on where playable Saurok come from whether they tame local creatures or took some of the creatures with them from Pandaria.
Another potential pet would be a mushan:
The Salyin clan raises them for different purposes like combat, as shown with their giant mushan named Galleon. It stands to reason that Saurok tribes in general could tame them both as combat pets and also for mounts.
If anyone knows of any other beasts the Saurok use as combat pets, please let me know.
Heritage Armor
If we go by what is in the game, there are two main types of armor Saurok use.
One with a banner on the back:
And one with the ring on the back:
There are slight variants of these in the game, but these two in general are the main armor of Saurok.
Itâs possible either of these could be used for heritage armor designs, though my opinion is that we would likely see a brand new armor design be created as their heritage armor. Still, itâs worth nothing what is currently there when considering heritage armor.
Racial Ideas
Dash with Water Walking- When activated, Saurok have increased run speed while being able to walk on water when this ability is active. This comes from some real life lizards having the ability to run across water.
Passive Regeneration- Lizardmen in general are known for having a form of passive regeneration. Real life lizards are also known to regrow parts of their body, such as their tails. Thus, a form of passive generation would be a fitting racial.
Increased Underwater Breath Meter- Saurok should be able to stay underwater longer than other races.
Increased Swimspeed- Saurok should be able to swim faster than other races.
Infravision- Saurok have the ability to use infravision, possibly as a clickable skill. This could be used to help see mobs in general and also see stealthed enemies.
Natural Armor- Since having scales, Saurok could have more defense against physical attacks.
Tail Equipment- Saurok could have the ability to put weapons or magical items on their tail, such as a spiked ball or a magical crystal. This could be used to increase attack power, spell haste, or even just be a decorative item like a transmog. See this post for more information.
Tail Whip/Swipe- Some real-life lizards are capable of whipping with their tail. This could be a single target stun attack or the Saurok could spin and trip mobs around them for 2 to 3 seconds.
Potential Dances
âWalk the Dinosaurâ by âWas (Not Was)â
Referring to the dance the cave women do. Talked about in this post.
âCrocodile Rockâ by Elton John:
Talked about with other videos showing the dance in this post.
Potential Mount
The mount for playable Saurok is going to depend on if they come from one of the tribes on Pandaria or if the playable tribe left Pandaria, likely by swimming. If the latter occurs, then it would depend on what creatures would be in the local area.
If they are located in Pandarian, the only real mount Iâve seen used by them currently is a mushan. As it turns out, there are some mushan mounts in the game, such as the Son of Galleon mount shown here:
There are a few other mushan mounts usable by players currently in the game, so it wouldnât be too difficult to edit them to be more unique for Saurok. It really depends on where playable Saurok come from and if there are any mushan habitats nearby, as I have a hard time imagining these beasts swimming for long periods of time with the Saurok traveling off Pandaria seeking another continent to live on.
If anyone knows of any other beasts Saurok use as mounts in-game, please let me know.
Ideas for Jokes
We try not to have beef with the Tauren, but sometimes it becomes a high steaks battle.
Of course we Saurok are smarter than we look! We learned how to speak from the wisest of our brood. We call them âThe Saurus.â
I had a bone to pick with a Forsaken once, but we ended up just ribbing each other. We both found it very humerus.
Looks can be important, but sometimes we just have to scale back some.
Saurok Rogues are invaluable. They really know how to monitor.
Be careful in Orgimmar when the dinner bells ring. The roads will consist of saurus wrecks.
Members of the Horde keep asking us where the best place is to get mount and home insurance. I have no idea why!
Ideas for Flirts
I can show you just how full of âdino mightâ I am.
Did you know our mating is done tongue in cheek?
I can whisper sweet nothings, but I might talk your ear off.
If you can take a lickinâ, Iâll keep on tickinâ.
I assure you, I donât suffer from âreptile dysfunction.â
Closing Thoughts
Saurok have a very uphill battle in terms of making them playable, but it is far from impossible. As stated before, a lot of lore and creativity would have to be implemented to make them work. That said, a good story is possible with them becoming playable, and I feel like it would add a lot to the game to finally get a playable lizard man race.
That said, I do want to state again that this thread is a work in progress, and will have stuff added to it as I do more research and more ideas are brought up.
I look forward to future discussions! Again, please be respectful towards others here. ^^
Like my work? Interested in playable Horde Ogres? Why not check out my other megathread, The Unofficial Stonemaul Playable Race Discussion megathread:
An official Ogre/Saurok Partnership will be forthcoming. More info soon!
