Iām going to add this to my collection!
You are not alone! Your cause is worthy of support and I hope we can see sauroks as a playable race.
I donāt want to brag, but worgen is multi plant shape and multi task.
Iām going to add this to my collection!
You are not alone! Your cause is worthy of support and I hope we can see sauroks as a playable race.
I donāt want to brag, but worgen is multi plant shape and multi task.
For female saurok I feel like the best choice would be simply to use the male worgen skeleton and tweak the animations to be more feminine. The male worgen skeletonās posture is much more fitting in my opinion for a tailed race and retains a good bit of savagery aesthetic wise that I feel would be shared among both the male and female saurok. A tail in my opinion would look a bit awkward on the female worgen skeleton with their posture being so straight.
There is also quite a bit of hearthstone artwork of sauroks that can be found simply by googling āhearthstone saurokā. One of those is artwork for a female saurok (Iād share it for those who havenāt seen it, but Iām unable to post images) who seems to have a hunched posture nearly identical to the male saurok.
Also as for more inspiration for sauroks I feel like basilisks as well as crocolisks would be worth adding customization based on those two creatures. During the story told by lorewalker cho about the origins of the saurok the lizard shown seemed to be a basilisk. Though with the different types of saurok in the game itās obvious they used lizards along with basilisks and maybe even crocolisks. Would be interesting to see some crocodilian customization (since crocolisks are just fantasy versions of crocodiles) and basilisk based customization. Basilisks in particular could add some very unique customization seeing as some seem to have crystals growing from their bodies. Perhaps a saurok with a layer of crystalline hide over their back?
Perhaps even ability wise sauroks could have something pertaining to basilisks in-game? I donāt think a petrification type ability would fit quite well. Maybe a racial that causes them to AOE fear enemies close to them, or at least in front of and within line of sight of them playing off the whole idea of a basiliskās gaze. Something like this and a passive racial for underwater speed and longer underwater breath would be awesome.
Iām honestly happy to see others want Saurok as well. When creating this megathread, I was concerned that people wouldnāt take too kindly to it and was a reason it took me a long time to gather courage to make this megathread. Much to my relief, the majority of people have been supportive, and Iām very thankful for it. Even if the chances for playable Saurok might be low, Iāll still continue to show my support for them, for whatever it is worth.
This makes me wonder how the tail physics work for Vulpera, since they put tails on the male and female Goblins. Itās possible that something could be done to make it work, and would also give tails to Worgen for those that would like it as a customization option.
Of course, this assumes that playable Saurok would use both male and female Worgen models. Itās one of the possibilities, but not the only one they could go with.
I have that image linked in the first post, actually. I do need to update it with a direct link so it will show up, which my first post is in need of a revamp.
One of the early discussions was how female Saurok design should be more than just putting mammaries on them while showing off some female lizardman customization options in other games.
Hearthstone does indeed have a lot of great Saurok artwork, and the devs and art team do like Saurok a lot from what Iāve read. Theyāve also written some neat lore, such as them taking up residencei n UnāGoro Crater. Hopefully, Blizzard will take some of their ideas as inspiration to put in WoW, as Unāgoro Crater would work beautifully as a playable Saurok base.
Itās definitely something to consider. I imagine that with all the Saurok in the world, the Mogu likely gathered all kinds of lizards of different types. Itās a reason we see some Saurok with frills, for example.
If the Mogu used crocolisks, then itās likely weād see Saurok with six arms, which would be an interesting sight. if they did end up using basilisks, then I could see those specific Saurok using a petrifying gaze.
So far, Saurok seem to be of the same type of lizard in the game, but we could always see other lizard features as customization options. Theyāre always neat to think about and discuss when doing some reptile research.
A roar that briefly causes enemies to cower in an AoE would be neat. Iām not sure how balanced that would be, but I do like the idea.
On the subject of racials, I was thinking about one related to being hangry (hungry and angry). It could be something that increases haste and possibly crit chances. Again, Iām not an expert at balancing in PvE or PvP, but it would add some neat flavor in their play style.
I really like the ideas you posted. Thank you for sharing them!
More Saurok research to continue in the future!
Something slightly related to our scale friends.
Now that is an interesting mod for Skyrim.
That looks like fun! Itās like an Argonian on steroids.
So aside from looking at real life lizards for inspiration, Iām also looking at fictional lizardman races. Since Iāve been in a Star Wars mood lately, Iām going to talk some about Trandoshans, their being a playable race in a previous Star Wars MMO game, and what aspects of them would fit for Saurok.
First some, some of their lore:
These guys may seem like angry Lizards, most of them tend to be mercenaries or bounty hunters with very little interest in things like friendship, but many of them actually function just fine in different planet societies and working with other species, with some even becoming Trandoshan jedi. They also lack tails of any sort.
Trandoshans worship the āScorekeeper.ā They awarded Trandoshans in their hunt with āJagannath points,ā which are used to determine a Trandoshanās place in the afterlife. While primarily awarded in hunting creatures and sentient species, the first video I linked mentioned that this isnāt necessarily the only type of hunt. As long as you were achieving betterment of yourself in some way, you were awarded Jagannath points.
In terms of racial features, they have infravision and also a form of regeneration (both of which the Iksar of Everquest have). They also have a really good sense of smell.
Trandoshans are also notable for being despised by Wookies:
And the most notable Trandoshan is Bossk, who you might remember from The Empire Strikes Back:
Now that Iāve linked to and talked a bit about Trandoshans, letās see what they were like in Star Wars Galaxies, where they were a playable race.
Star Wars Galaxies was previously the first Star Wars MMO game, which has some infamy for different changes to the game that wereā¦less than favorable. Trandoshans received the following types of skills in the game:
Regeneration
Creature Harvesting +10
Gloves/Shoes not visible (at one point not equipable in those slots at all)
Sadly, they are not playable in the current Star Wars MMO, āThe Old Republic.ā They also donāt really fit the criteria the devs have for playable races in that game, so the chances of seeing them as a playable race there are quite low.
So what ideas can we get from Trandoshans to implement in the concept of playable Saurok in WoW?
Letās start with personality. Saurok should maintain a form of savagery in their personality, but being savage does not mean being antagonistic or being a jerk. Itās similar to how Worgen can function just walking around in Stormwind and can be pleasant but are ferocious and bloodthirsty when in combat. Saurok could function similarly, assuming you donāt get between a Saurok and their drumstick to gnaw on for lunch, you could get along with them just fine without worrying about easily angering them.
On the subject of a deity, Iāve mentioned before the idea that a playable group of Saurok could worship a wild god that encourages hunting. This goes well with the idea of them eating meat, especially if they believe that eating the meat of your kills makes them stronger, and also would work well hunting Alliance should the Horde ever get into another war with them. Something like āThe Great Huntā would make for a fun micro-holiday, with the idea being a big feast for a deity-related celebration while there being a balance in not over-hunting.
In terms of racial ideas, we have the usual regeneration that most lizardman races have, and Saurok should also in my opinion, but the other aspects give some interesting ideas. Saurok having a sense of smell is an interesting idea, though other than innately having some forms of tracking, I donāt know how that could be implemented in game. Infravision is also a neat idea, sorta similar to how Demon Hunters sense demons, that could be used for beasts and humanoid race detection and also be a deterrent for stealthed enemies, like in PvP.
As for the creature harvesting skill, if we go with the idea that Saurok would have hunting in their society, they could loot extra meat or, if they skin, extra pelts and such from mobs or be able to loot specific types of items off mobs, like bones, for Saurok-specific crafting for things like bone armor or tools. Now, High Mountain Tauren do have a racial to look extra meat and fish, so there may be a way to make a Saurok version more unique.
Lastly, in terms of armor graphics, it is possible that playable Saurok would not have any shoe graphics. We see this with a few races, notably the recent Vulpera allied race does this, so it isnāt anything new. Although my preference is for there to have a foot graphic with armor, I can understand why it wouldnāt show up on Saurok player models or would just appear on their lower legs like with Tauren. On the bright side, it would make it easier when designing armor for them.
Trandoshans offer a few good inspiration ideas for playable Saurok. If anyone has any thoughts or ideas, please feel free to share it. I do plan to look at other lizardman races, in MMOās and other types of media.
More Saurok research to continue in the future!
While Iām not a big fan of trandossians Iāve always appreciated the lizard/reptile races in star wars having more predator prey viewpoints even in civilized places.
I would love to see Saurok retain that Bestival lizard brain.
Iāve finally dipped my toes into 8.3. Been so busy with work lately, and writing. Now that Iām taking a break from writing at least Iāve played a bit. Saurok are indeed seen in this patch, though thatās not surprising considering weāre in pandaland.
Just saying, if they can āredeemā mogu in some fashion, they can definitely bring in Saurok. Itād be such an interesting story to see a race rather recently created to blossom and such. We already see them working with other races via being pirates, so itās 100% possible.
It seems like a lot of lizardman races you see in media tend to be like that. Itās not a bad thing, but usually they get designed as antagonists, which disappoints me. Itās a reason that, in my opinion, Saurok should have some savagery in their personality but not be the kind to snap at their allies at a drop of a hat and should be able to interact with others without getting angry or violent.
A lot of this also has to do with my view of the Horde, where itās a band of races that have had hardships and banded together to support each other against a world that seems to be against them. Since Saurok were former slaves that fought against the Mogu for their freedom, I think theyād fit very well in that theme. Itās why if a tribe ever got to join, I want them to be all for being a part of the Horde.
Also on the subject of space-faring lizards, Star Trek does have a few lizardman races, with some playable in Star Trek Online. The most famous of them is the Gorn, which are interesting as they go from this:
To hulking brutes in Star Trek Online:
Maybe Iāll look at them and other lizard races in Star Trek Online in the future, but there are other lizardman races Iāll focus on for ideas first.
Indeed, though Iām still disappointed we canāt free the Esnlaved Clearscale to get them to help us against the evil Mogu clans. Still, I have some hope that there is a tribe out there somewhere that would be more open to the Horde and working something out with them to help each other out.
Another important point, given how evil and self-centered the Mogu, for the most part, were. If Blizzard can make a good clan of Mogu and turn mindless mooks like Gilblins into part of an interesting faction with unique personalities, Iām sure something could be done with Saurok.
Anyway, Iāll end this post by leaving this video of geckos to illustrate how content Saurok should be when feasting on delicious food:
More Saurok research to continue in the future!
So I had a fun idea that I tested out recently. I got my L120 Assassin Rogue a Glyph of Disguise, pick-pocketed that flexing Saurok in Freehold, took her to Orgrimmar, and tested out some emotes.
As it turns out, Saurok have quite a few animated emotes, all of which I think are the male Worgenās emotes. Not all emotes had animations however, such as there being no /dance animation of any sort. I also tested a few different mounts, and Saurok do not appear to be able to ride mounts.
On a similar note, I was toying with the idea of doing something similar to the Vulpera Foxtober events and gathering a few people with reflecting prisms to use on rogues that have Saurok illusions on to have a Saurok invasion of Orgrimmar for a photoshoot/march/etc. It would be used to show both support for playable Horde Saurok and also show that Saurok would fit quite well in Orgrimmar among the Horde. Sauroktober, perhaps?
If anyone is interested in doing an in-game Saurok related event or has ideas for one, please feel free to suggest some. I donāt expect a lot of people showing up if I did an event, but it would still be fun to take screenshots of and share them here for fun. Speaking of, I may take screenshots with my Horde Assassination Rogue as a Saurok in Orgrimmar and other places if I can think of screenshot ideas.
In the meantime, Iāll think of other things to test out with a Saurok illusion on my Rogue, just for fun. Maybe I should level my other Horde Rogue and see if because they use the male Worgen model, they might have a Heart of Azeroth animation. Doubtful, but it would still be neat even if it wouldnāt mean too much if they did have such an animation.
More Saurok research to continue in the future!
Well, I took some screenshots and made a tumblr account to upload them to and link them. Hopefully this works and the images show. Otherwise, Iāll have to figure something out.
In order to do this, I had my Horde Assassination Rogue get a Glyph of Disguise, which turns you into whatever you pickpocket for 5 minutes, then I had to hearth back to Orgrimmar and take pictures quickly before the effects wore off. Took about three trips, but it did work out. Anyway, here we are!
The Saurok Ambassador
A tribe of Saurok have sent an ambassador to visit Orgrimmar in hopes of joining the Horde. How exciting!
It appears the Saurok ambassador has accidentally hit a time paradox, confused as to why Sylvanas is there. He points at the text to show this while warning her that if the Saurok join the Horde, she will be regret what she has done! That Void Walker isnāt a fan of hers, by the way. He was trying to chase after the bouncing Warlock leaving the area. Such interesting members of the Horde!
The Saurok ambassador wonāt let a crazy dead elf ruin his day. In fact, he suddenly notices an interesting smell in the air. What could it be?
Of course! The local butcher! āJackpot!ā proclaims the hungry Saurok ambassador! Luckily, he has enough funds to buy a bunch of meat for a delicious lunch!
The Saurok ambassador then cooks an awesome BBQ lunch using special Saurok recipies! He of course shares them with the members of the Horde nearby. The best way to make friends is through their stomachs, of course!
After a delicious and filling lunch, the Saurok ambassador decides to take a swim. Contrary to popular belief, Saurok swim just fine. They have iron stomachs as well, so they donāt need to wait after eating to swim!
The Saurok ambassador knows that Orcs respect strength, so he flexes his muscles to try and impress the leader of the Magāhar. Such a strong looking lizard!
The Saurok Ambassaor meets with the Vulpera, and is quite terrified of Nisha! There is no shame in this, however, as Nisha is one to be feared! Perhaps they will be on the same side one day and the ambassadorās fears will go awayā¦hopefully.
After a long day meeting others, the Saurok Ambassador decides to take a nap on a heat rock. Heāll be meeting with Ji Firepaw soon, and could use some beauty rest!
The Saurok Ambassador meets with Ji Firepaw, who runs the Hordeās embassy. He pleads with the Pandaren to allow his tribe of Saurok into the Horde, promising that they could offer a lot in exchange for being members. He also explains that his tribe of Saurok is different and more friendly than the ones Ji dealt with on the Wandering Isle.
The Saurok Ambasssador finishes his meeting, grateful for the chance to meet with Ji Firepaw. He is also grateful for you checking out his journey in Orgrimmar, and likely may have other journeys to help get his tribe of Saurok as members of the Horde. Let us hope his journeys become a successful one and that Horde Saurok become a reality!
That is all Iāve taken so far, but I will likely do more in the future as I get some ideas. Hopefully these images work and donāt become broken and unviewable.
More Saurok research to continue in the future!
Iām up for it. I donāt mind those dumb little foxes and donāt think thereās any thing wrong with snake people.
What are their relations like with the Alliance?
Very nice! Your efforts to put this together are much appreciated!
I am all on board for playable Saurok! I have been dying for a reptilian race in this game be it Sethrak, Dragonkin, Saurok! Still disappointed there has been none considered thus far
There arenāt really any relations with the Allianceā¦or the Horde, for that matter. I personally support Saurok as a Horde race as, in my opinion, they fit better there compared to the Alliance and would likely get along with the Horde races much better.
On a general note, I wanted to make another post on another RL lizard, and this time itās the green iguana, who shares some similar aspects of Saurok:
One thing Saurok and green iguanas donāt have in common is that green iguanas are apparently primarily herbivores, which was surprising to me.
Now interesting facts about these lizards include a few things of note:
They whip their tail as a form of defense. This ties into a racial idea of using their tail as a skill, be it a tail whip or tail spin to briefly stun or knock down enemies. If youāre a ferocious, angry lizard, youāre likely going to utilize all of your body in combat.
Green iguanas can break off their tail as a way to escape, and the tails do grow back over time. Now, I donāt expect Saurok players to want to drop their tail and go tailless for a certain amount of time, but this is another form of regeneration that most lizardmen races have in different forms of media. I do think Saurok should have a form of regeneration, preferably a passive racial skill.
Green Iguanas are also great climbers, which Saurok are as well in-game. Now, there really isnāt a wall climbing mechanic like in Breath of the Wild, though Saurok are known for climbing up cliffs and jumping up really high. Iām not sure how to really translate this into gameplay, however, but still something to note.
Green Iguanas are great swimmers and also can hold their breath for several minutes, roughly 30 minutes according to a web search. Another form of evidence that Saurok should be able to have good swimming skills and be able to stay underwater for a certain amount of time.
These are just a few interesting facts, and there may likely be more about green iguanas to inspire some ideas. Iāll keep an eye out if there is anything of interest with these lizards. Iām sure there are other kinds of lizards to look at as well for idea inspiration, both real and fictional lizards.
More Saurok research to continue in the future!
I would like to see a presentation for the Alliance as well. I think the Alliance could use something interesting, and Saurok are certainly that.
Iād take em. Iāll even volunteer to teach em to be Druids.
You have my full support Bagzak. Iāve wanted to play a Saurok since I first saw them.
Hmm. Yes I could see them adding a scaley race to the game. Iām sure the furries would appreciate it