One of the biggest dissatisfactions with the Zandalar trolls is that they cannot be wizards.
Sauroks would have to have access to the warlock class.
I donāt see them as paladins butā¦
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Do you mean warlocks? Zandalari can be mages from my understanding, unless I am mistaken.
I do remember the kerfuffle that went on when it was first advertised they could be warlocks, with some vague idea that they couldnāt be paladins at first until later in the expansion. At some point, they changed their minds, removed warlocks from the class selection, and added paladins fully. Iām guessing Zandalari culture frowns upon practices of warlock related magic, similar to Magāhar Orcs since they kinda rejected Gulādan in WoD. Maybe weāll see Zandalari Warlocks if they add a new batch of race/class combos like they did in Cataclysm.
Saurok Warlocks sound very fitting in general and I imagine they wouldāve come across something warlock related overtime.
I donāt see much regarding Mogu dabbling in warlock magic, though apparently there is a Mogu Cultist card referred to as a warlock in Hearthstone, but it seems like Mogu being warlocks would be a thing. Itās why I figure that the playable Horde Saurok faction wouldāve come across warlock and mage related artifacts, likely from Mogu vaults, that would give them the knowledge to be those classes.
If anything, it would be a good way to either give Sauroks a necromancer class or a necromancer skin for warlocks, since Mogu necromancers are a thing. Likely, there would be some necromancer artifacts and tomes in those Mogu vaults that Saurok raided. 
I donāt really either, though Iām sure there are others that could make an argument for them. I see something like Zandalari Paladins being an exception to how people view Paladins in general, and I donāt see too many races doing something similar. Thatās just my own personal opinion, of course.
Iāll be happy if I get playable Horde Saurok that can be Warlocks and Death Knights at least. Priests would be great also to make a Shadow Priest, but Iād happily use that character idea if Sethrak became playable also. Hunters would be a given, and Iāve been tempted to consider a Saurok Survival Hunter.
Hopefully weāll see Saurok on the Horde side of that character creation screen someday! 
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Thatās true.
Like I said I think Iām just stuck on old lore sometimes. Lol
Yeah thatās another thing I run into as well with it.
Iād wantā¦
Warrior
Hunter
Rogue
Priest
Mage
Warlock
Druid
DK
Monk
Yes. Those.
Should be a thing for everyoneā¦
Give me a necromancer class blizzard!
Saurok for the Horde!
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In looking up some tabletop RPGās, I came across Starfinder, made by Paizo, the folks who created Pathfinder. One of the playable races within it is a Lizardman race called the Vesk, which I thought I would look at for some Saurok idea inspiration.
They were officially revealed on Paizoās website with some official artwork here:
https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo5ljo0?Unveiling-a-New-Starfinder-Race-The-Vesk
General information here:
https://starfinderwiki.com/sf/Vesk
Video that goes into their personality, some of their lore, gameplay information with some racial information, and some really neat artwork here:
Some of their notable racials:
Fearless- āVesk receive a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against fear effects.ā
In some ways, I could kinda see Saurok being resistant to fear, for better or worse. Especially if they get all RAWR in combat. Of course, I could see them causing others to fear them as well.
Low-Light Vision- āVesk can see in dim light as if it were normal lightā
This would be notable if WoW operated like Everquest 1, where different races had different types of visions. The only thing I can think of with regards to this would be Saurok having the ability to notice stealthed targets more easily via smelling with their tongue, though being able to see in dark areas with infravision would be neat if it could work within the context of WoW gameplay.
Natural Weapons- āVesk are always considered armed. They can deal 1d3 lethal damage with unarmed strikes and the attack doesnāt count as archaic. Vesk gain a unique weapon specialization with their natural weapons at 3rd level, allowing them to add 1ā1/2 Ć their character level to their damage rolls for their natural weapons (instead of just adding their character level, as usual).ā
With this line of thinking, I can imagine Saurok being able to utilize their teeth and claws if they were disarmed, though I donāt recall seeing disarming as an effect much in PvE Retail. Maybe in PvP, it could make someone consider whether they want to face a sword or razor sharp teeth and claws.
Another interesting aspect of the Vesk is regarding sexual dimorphism between male and female Vesk. Taken from the wiki I linked:
āFemale Vesk are bigger and have brighter, more colorful scale patterns than male Vesk. They otherwise have similar features and body types. Scientists argue that these features once helped them attract mates and produce strong offspring, and scale vibrancy continues to be seen as a sign of health and beauty.ā
Something of interest to keep in mind for female Saurok. They could have brighter and more colorful scale patterns as a difference between them and male Saurok. Something I think may be in a few RL reptiles also.
The Vesk are pretty interesting and have quite a bit of complexity, which is a thing Saurok could have with their own lore and personality since there is a lot to work with in their backstory. Iāll be keeping an eye out for any thing of interest regarding them and will also seek out artwork to share for Saurok idea inspiration in the future.
Seems like we have quite a few lizardmen races traveling the universe through space. Hopefully, weāll have some Saurok traveling Azeroth as champions of the Horde someday! 
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This. Warlock. 
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Itās too bad WoW kobolds canāt be this neat. Figured Iād share some pictures of D&D kobolds though given they do look like lizard people.
So weird how thereās tons of variations in these things, but I like the lizard forms the best. I think they canāt be lizards anywhere else due to copyright.
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If I recall correctly, Kobolds in D&D were originally a canine type of race before changing at some point to smaller lizard guys. Itās likely a reason why Everquest 1 has Kobolds as a dog-like creatures. Itās somewhat how I always imagined Kobolds until I saw them portrayed as lizards at some point when I saw some D&D sessions being played online. I do recall seeing Kobolds in different types of media having completely different looks, so maybe different people had different interpretations at the time. Wouldnāt surprise me if copyright did become a part of it at some point, though.
Although they seem to be designed as jobbers for adventurers to beat up, if designed creatively, they can actually do some serious damage. I think one example given is from the Counter Monkey videos on YouTube, where you could give Kobolds some crossbows that could do some decent damage over time, if I recall correctly.
Thanks to the 5e book, āVoloās Guide to Monsters,ā you can roll up a Kobold character of your very own. You can see some general info and racials here:
Kobold General and Racial Information on a D&D Wiki
Another variant of Kobold from Unearthed Arcana has them tied with draconic abilities as well, which includes a roar and striking enemies with their tail.
The following taken from this D&D Wiki:
-
Draconic Legacy. The kobold connection to dragons can manifest in unpredictable ways in an individual kobold. Choose one of the following legacy options when you select this race:
- You have advantage on saving throws to avoid or end the frightened condition on yourself.
- You know one cantrip of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for that cantrip (choose when you select this race).
- You can make unarmed strikes with your tail. When you hit with it, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
-
Draconic Roar. As a bonus action, you let out a draconic roar at your enemies within 10 feet of you. Until the end of your next turn, you and your allies have advantage on attack rolls against any of those enemies who could hear the roar. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
They seem like a race I would roll up a character of, both for a bit of fun and also as a bit of a challenge. They look like a lot of fun to play and even roleplay as.
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I rather like Kobolds, but Iād love my Saurok even better!
Though like Fallyn says above I wish our Azeroth Kobolds were more dragon like.
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Yeah I donāt like Azeroth kobolds at all, I will admit x.x
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In dnd I often make communities of Kobold hiding in sewers, caves, severing dragons and such.
Really enjoy them there.
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There are so many species of reptile/lizard races in MMOs/RPGs/D&D that are appreciated by gamers, that even in these other media, ways were eventually created for gamers to use them.
It remains for Warcraft to do the same to delight its audience.
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Wanted to wish everyone a happy Halloween for those who celebrate it! 
Here is a video someone did of decorating their reptile room with a creepy Halloween theme:
With regards to Sauroktober, Iām hoping next year Iāll be able to think of some more things to do for it. Hopefully by then, Iāll be employed and have a steady schedule so I can maybe do something like an in-game event or so by then. But in the meantime, Saurok support goes all year round, so Iāll be continuing to do that!
Hope everyone has a fun, safe, and happy Halloween! As always, Saurok for the Horde!
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Happy Halloween folks! Fun fact: My OC dressed up as his Dungeons & Dragons kobold in a book I wrote! The lizard version of kobolds of course. Reminds me of Sethrak! I hope to meet some friendly lizard men in our Dungeons & dragons campaign sometime 
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Patch 9,1.5 hit Retail recently, and with it the ability to solo queue for Island Expeditions, in which you can encounter some Saurok there!..well, as enemy mooks, but still!
If youāre interested in how to solo queue for Island Expeditions, Wowhead has a guide here:
Iāve talked some about the Saurok tribes you run into on the Island Expeditions. From what I remember, the following tribes are found there:
Of interest is seeing Saurok have Rogues, Priests (that donāt use actual Priest abilities), and Shaman that like to throw water, among a few other things of interest.
A post I went over these two tribes and things of interest involving them can be found here:
Despite being more or less jobbers for Island Expeditions, itās actually important to note these clans for a few reasons. Most notably is that we see Saurok that are seafaring in some way, whether itās swimming or using ships, having left Pandaria at one point. We know the Deepscale Tribe was able to leave when the mists around Pandaria were lifted, so it likely just makes it easier for Saurok to leave Pandaria to seek their fortune elsewhere.
Thus, a neat storyline possibility, although not the only storyline possibility of course, of the playable Saurok faction having left Pandaria and settles somewhere. Maybe itās some place weāve been before or maybe itās a new continent. Regardless, the world (of Warcraft!) would be their oyster!..though I donāt recommend they try to eat that.
Iāll have to give solo Island Expeditions a go sometime and see if I learn anything more from these Saurok in person. Admittingly, I never did Island Expeditions at all during BfA. I heard many a horror story of how people were kick-happy and the usual āGOGOGO!ā mentality, so I opted to hold off unless it was needed for any allied race unlocks (which it didnāt, thankfully).
Always a good thing to have more Saurok research opportunities!
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Speaking of Island Expeditions, didnāt blizzard say that they hinted at future lore or something? I hope that wasnāt dropped given the active saurok in those islands!
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This gives me hope that in a world revamp weād have a chance to see the Saurok for players to use.
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I did a quick search and couldnāt find much information on that sadly. Iāll have to search some more to see if I can find an exact quote, but it would be neat if they did that since there are all kinds of races and such that make up Island Expeditions that would be interesting to learn more about:
Seeing Saurok appear several times in BfA and that Saurok spirit makes me hope that Blizzard has Saurok on their minds. I mentioned this before, but I think seeing Kulātirans and Zandalari in Legion had people speculating about future expansions, which they were both a big part of and became a playable race.
Of course, to be clear, seeing Saurok appear doesnāt mean much in the way of them becoming playable, but I can still dream of seeing them become a playable Horde race!
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So while browsing Amazon US, I came across a āReaper Lizardman Shamanā miniature. It comes unpainted, but the image on the product page is painted, as shown here:
Looks neat, doesnāt it? I wanted to share this image for general Saurok idea inspiration, and in particular because of the bone mask and the skull belt the Lizardman Shaman is wearing. Iāve been keeping an eye out for examples of bone armor, as I feel like that is a fitting theme for Saurok to develop armor, weapons, tools, and other items from the bones of their prey.
Anyway, just something cool I wanted to share. You can never have too much Lizardmen related stuff for Saurok idea inspiration!
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So this isnāt Saurok specific, but I came across a really neat art piece on DeviantArt that shows off most of the beast related races in WoW (aside from those in WoD and upward). It was created by the user named āweremagnusā and was uploaded to DeviantArt on August 2nd, 2016.
āBeastfolk of Azerothā by weremagnus on DeviantArt
You can find a list of all the races in the art piece in the descrption. The Saurok in here is in the bottom right, going RAWR!
While theyāre not the only type of character I play as, I do like beast races in general. They can be really unique and offer a lot of flavor to a gameās world. Especially when you can mold their culture and take inspiration from the animals theyāre based on IRL. There can be quite a variety when different beast races are used.
Some of them are pretty popular in games. Lizardmen and Catmen races are your usual beast races you see, but others do come up and get popular. Vulpera are still really popular, for example, and Pandaren offer a very unique personality and culture that complements WoW very well. Frogloks were a really interesting race in Everquest, along with Ratonga in Everquest 2. You can really get creative with beast races in general.
Unfortunately, not all people are fond of these type of races, often saying they donāt want to see the character creation screen as a zoo. The thing is that I donāt usually see beast races as animals, but rather as the race with the culture and personality they were given. Sure, I have an affinity for Lizardmen in general and that is a reason I like them, but the character they are and the lore they have are reasons I generally like the majority of races in a fantasy world. I also think more options for character creation, the better.
I do think variety is a good thing in MMORPGās in general. Your typical humans, elves, dwarves, and the like are fine. I make characters of those races and enjoy playing as them. However, sometimes a bit more can really go a long way. Itās a reason I support many races to become playable, as itās a long term asset that can only help to make the game more interesting and really attract creativity for those who like those races.
Anyway, this is just a neat piece of artwork I wanted to share and also ramble a bit on. Beast races in general are neat, and Iām hoping to see some reptilian races on that character creation screen someday! 
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Iāve talked about Mogu having the ability to take spirits and using them for nefarious means, along with Mogu having Necromancers within their ranks. Iām wondering the possibility of them somehow finding a way to the Shadowlands, which is ripe with spirits and anima.
Access to the afterlife, a weird thing to type I know, at first glance seems to be restricted for the most part. However, it isnāt as restricted as you would think, given some Stormwind citizens have managed to arrive in Oribos alive:
Ignoring the issues of them being there in the first place, you have to wonder how they managed to get there. I assume the main portal to the afterlife is guarded, so someone had to gain the ability to send them there via a portal.
The main point of me mentioning this is the idea that if regular citizens were able to gain travel to the Shadowlands, then it stands to reason that there could be others ways there that other beings could figure out.
Mogu, as I mentioned, are fairly proficient with Necromancy and utilizing spirits in various ways. They also worked with a form of anima as well, when you can see in the Throne of Thunder (which may or may not be related to the anima we collect in Shadowlands).
Now imagine if a bunch of them managed to sneak into the Shadowlandsā¦not a very pleasant thought, is it? Iām assuming if they did manage to get there, it would be to steal a bunch of souls and maybe some anima for their own nefarious purposes and for power. I donāt really expect them to go there to reclaim the souls of any Mogu that died previously and went to the Shadowlands, though that could be a possibility as well.
Why mention this here? It seems like a potential way to bring back Mogu as a big antagonist again. When you combine what they can gain in the Shadowlands and any Azerite they gathered during BfA, I could see Mogu coming into power again, subjugating other Mogu clans in order to make a new empire, and then becoming a threat to the world (of Warcraft!).
In terms of Saurok, it brings back the idea of them being hunted down by the Mogu, likely with the Mogu viewing them as their own creation that needs to be put back in its place to serve them as slave soldiers again. I can see Mogu pride being in such a way that they would do this, and it gives a reason for a playable Saurok tribe to be open with working with and even joining the Horde.
Obviously, this would need some fleshing out, but while weāre busy with fighting the Jailer and his minions, I could see Mogu somehow sneaking in and gaining power in some way. It could be a good way to go from Shadowlands to whatever the next expansion is while having a connection of some sort, though Iām sure there are other directions you could go in general for the next expansion.
This is just an interesting idea I wanted to present regarding Mogu as an antagonist again. Iām sure it isnāt perfect, but it makes for an interesting storyline, in my opinion. There are also plenty of ways of introducing friendly Saurok, which is always a good thing!
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