No new races can be DK?

[Tehr]

All problems are easily solved by having the Allied Race be resurrected at level 55 (or hell, start them at level 20) at the graveyard near each faction's Embassy by Mograine, have him monologue for a bit about the Ebon Blade, and at the end have him initiate the DK starting zone for you where you play as one of the named DKs in the current Acherus (which one depends on the spec you selected, such as "Marksopp the Tireless" as Unholy, "Ericus Deathbringer" as Frost, and "Minerva Ravensorrow" as Blood). If they wanted, they could even use the three DKs in the Argent Tournament in Icecrown ("Crok Scourgebane", the NPC who assists you in ICC, "Zor'be the Bloodletter", and "Illyrie Nightfall").

Mograine can say something like "To truly appreciate the depth of our duty to <faction name> and Azeroth as a whole, <player name>, you must first understand the adversity we have overcome in our service to this world. Let me know when you are ready, and I will show you the story of <one of the named Death Knights I mentioned>,".

It would allow them to keep the current DK starting zone but also keep it aligned with today's lore.

Canonically, Death Knights are limited to races that were commonplace prior to Wrath of the Lich King, creatures Arthas himself could logically have raised from the dead, which is why Goblins and Worgen were added to the roster (because they still had in-story reasons to cross paths with the Scourge prior to Cataclysm - Goblins were common neutral NPCs and Worgen were hostile NPCs in Scourge lands, before the Forsaken reclaimed Silverpine).

Pandaren, Nightborne and Highmountain Tauren were in seclusion until long after the Lich King was slain; while you could make the case that one or two may have left their homelands and ended up where Arthas could find them (as in the case of Gravewalker Gie), the truth is that expanding the player roster to include them would mean an upswing in thousands of players choosing those races and making them no longer "rare" (itself a big part of why we don't have High Elves, since Blood Elves canonically outnumber them 9:1).

There's a loreful exception for Arthas being able to raise Nightborne and Highmountain Tauren, even assuming their seclusion was absolute. According to Alex Afrasiabi, the Creative Director of World of Warcraft, "Lich King subjugated valkyr and converted them to servants of the Scourge. As opposed to creating brand new ones." (source) As such, Arthas would most certainly have known about and been able to turn any of the denizens of the Broken Isles without ever setting foot there (since he can use the Val'kyr to resurrect them).

There are TONS of ways you can justify these new races being Death Knights, Blizzard likely just doesn't care enough to put in the effort.

[Leviatharan]

There's a loreful exception for Arthas being able to raise Nightborne and Highmountain Tauren, even assuming their seclusion was absolute. According to Alex Afrasiabi, the Creative Director of World of Warcraft, "Lich King subjugated valkyr and converted them to servants of the Scourge. As opposed to creating brand new ones." (source) As such, Arthas would most certainly have known about and been able to turn any of the denizens of the Broken Isles without ever setting foot there (since he can use the Val'kyr to resurrect them).

... Except that 1) even if that were true, the Val'kyr were probably intercepted on their way to collect souls from the various Northrend Vrykul colonies (and while the Broken Isles were common knowledge he obviously made no effort to breach them), and 2) that's bull anyway since we literally see him create Svala Sorrowgrave.

[Tehr]

... Except that 1) even if that were true, the Val'kyr were probably intercepted on their way to collect souls from the various Northrend Vrykul colonies (and while the Broken Isles were common knowledge he obviously made no effort to breach them), and 2) that's bull anyway since we literally see him create Svala Sorrowgrave.

Sure, Arthas can create Val'kyr in the game, but the guy I'm quoting is literally the guy who decides these things. None of what we think matters, but you're welcome to broach the subject with him and become the next Red Shirt Guy (notice that on the panel it's Alex Afrasiabi and Chris Metzen that are answering the questions).

Anyway my point was that there's always a way you can justify anything you want.

[tankbug]

Why can't people accept that no lore makes this and that impossible? Even if Blizz says "it's not going to happen because of X", they might later say "...or so everyone thought!" when they make a new exp where they want to implement the feature. Lore is changing all the time, things develop, the world progresses. We're always travelling to new places and befriending the locals, so exchange of knowledge and skills is a very natural consequence. Things that are lost may be rediscovered, we can even go back in time to get it. If you don't want pandas to become death knights because they weren't around when Arthas was doing his things, that's your preference, but it doesn't break all logic that they could become DKs, there's always an explanation.

[Deleted]

All problems are easily solved by having the Allied Race be resurrected at level 55 (or hell, start them at level 20) at the graveyard near each faction's Embassy by Mograine, have him monologue for a bit about the Ebon Blade, and at the end have him initiate the DK starting zone for you where you play as one of the named DKs in the current Acherus (which one depends on the spec you selected, such as "Marksopp the Tireless" as Unholy, "Ericus Deathbringer" as Frost, and "Minerva Ravensorrow" as Blood). If they wanted, they could even use the three DKs in the Argent Tournament in Icecrown ("Crok Scourgebane", the NPC who assists you in ICC, "Zor'be the Bloodletter", and "Illyrie Nightfall").

Mograine can say something like "To truly appreciate the depth of our duty to <faction name> and Azeroth as a whole, <player name>, you must first understand the adversity we have overcome in our service to this world. Let me know when you are ready, and I will show you the story of <one of the named Death Knights I mentioned>,".

It would allow them to keep the current DK starting zone but also keep it aligned with today's lore.

This is actually the first good idea in years regarding new races for dks. It would allow players to still play the starting zone (as a memory), but have the newer races start their leveling somewhere else. Despite people hating on pandarens/elves/etc, I think everyone is free to play whatever they like. In lore there is absolutely no reason for Acherus to not raise and train pandarens, or void elves or highmountain taurens.

[maccajoe]

This is debunked within the game's own lore... in Legion DKs could raise others to be DKs, demonstrated in their class hall campaign. There is a Pandaren DK as well.

Yes but that Pandaren DK is not a player DK so no its not debunked. YOu could easily make a case for having a dark iron or a Zandalari around the time of the LK but a void elf, high mountain or a nightborne? Yea no thanks jeff. Kultiran human maybe...Draenor orc no

[Piz813]

Let's not forget they altered the lore to go back in time 30 years on another planet in an alternate timeline... then said it never happened or some shit like that.

They can make allied race DKs

[Tehr]

Let's not forget they altered the lore to go back in time 30 years on another planet in an alternate timeline... then said it never happened or some shit like that.

They can make allied race DKs

Better yet, look at the bullshit they pulled to make it so Night Elves could be mages in Cataclysm.

[Deleted]

snip

Can you please post this on the official Forums?

Best idea i´ve read so far.

[Tehr]

Can you please post this on the official Forums?

Best idea i´ve read so far.

Okay I posted it.

https://us.battle.net/forums/en/wow/topic/20761786265#1

[chase_the_mofo]

dark iron dwarf DK would be the only thing that would bring me to this shitfest of a game

[Venziir]

There's a Tauren in the DK Order Hall named "Trag Highmountain", so I don't see a reason why DKs can't be Highmountain Tauren in the lore. Seems like a shame that Blizzard would limit us so heavily on the new races.

Trag isn't a Highmountain tauren though. He's a character from the Sunwell Manga which was released during TBC. He was turned undead by accident, and went to confront the Lich King.

- - - Updated - - -

Better yet, look at the bullshit they pulled to make it so Night Elves could be mages in Cataclysm.

How was that bulltshit in any possible way? It was litterally just a bunch of night elf mages, who went into Darnassus, and after a bit of a struggle with Maiev and Jarod they were accepted into the Alliance and started training new mages - tadaah.

[Zorish]

while VE and Lightforged race CAN be stretched to that - HORDE race can't be (except zandalari). Reason?
VE can be BE before the exile. The question is really lorewise - what will happen if undead (or risen) elf was infused with void? Will it controll him? yes? no? maybe? will it sever connections of his soul and body (look wiki about souls of the undead) or what?

Lightforged. Yes they can be stretched (like draenei choose to become Lightforged after training). But not with DK (or shaman). They are literally infused by the Light. It will either turn them to paladins, or pile of ashes. Look on what was about to happen with Illidan. Light can't normally be neighbour with death, fel and void. They are too "dirty" for it.

As for horde - you not became Nightborne or Highmountain.
At least we didn't saw it in current times. IN TEORY! JUST IN TEORY! you could be NE (i am... probably not agree with it. NE suddenly turning his back to Tyrande and Co, putting tatoos on him and etc... and more - he is DK... sounds REALLY confusing).
For Highmountain? Their horns were blessing from the Cenarius because of Eche'ro. I really don't know what tauren (normal) could do that Cenarius will do the same for him (okay - we've done enough, but well - again this will require different quests for them).

And people. Be realistic. We know that only DK who were raised by lore - the Four. For "troops" we are have NO CLEAR CONFIRMATION that they actually were raised. Blizz could do this so we will have "expendable" troops for missions and resources sink. Only thing that we know is Korgaz . And while we raised Horsemen. who are few... i am not quite sure that Aliance and the Horde (okay sylvanas maybe not so) would be happy to see it. Imagine - how you recovered corpse of your father/brother/wife/son... and he was taken by the DK and raised in undeath. Not pleasant view eh for common people eh? nah okay - we could ASK if they wanted to be raised. But even after that Ebon Blade will go overboard (especialy after invading paladin class hall)

[Tehr]

Trag isn't a Highmountain tauren though. He's a character from the Sunwell Manga which was released during TBC. He was turned undead by accident, and went to confront the Lich King.

The Highmountain clan was a single clan in the War of the Ancients, let by Huln Highmountain (and other Chieftains before him). Huln united the tribes to fight against the Burning Legion, and when Cenarius blessed him, the three other Tauren tribes that fought alongside his own also received the Blessing of Eche'ro (which is why all of the tribes have the antlers).

While it's likely that there were some Tauren that did not fight alongside Huln in Aszshara when he was granted the Blessing of Eche'ro (and thus did not receive the antlers), it's highly unlikely that members of his own tribe would not fight with him. Instead, it's far more likely that the only reason Trag Highmountain does not have the Horns of Eche'ro is because he's an established character and the antlers thing is a relatively new retcon. If the Blessing of Eche'ro had always been a thing, there would be quite a few Tauren throughout the world with antlers instead of horns.

This explanation, of course, relies on assumptions, but even assuming that the Highmountain tribe that Trag is a part of split from the tribe that Huln was a part of prior to the War of the Ancients and that all of what I've said above is untrue, it's also possible that some Highmountain Tauren left the zone of Highmountain either after Gul'dan and his warlocks raised the Temple of Elune (Tomb of Sargeras) 25 years prior (lore-wise, not real-time) to Wrath of the Lich King, or when Illidan and his crew went to the Broken Isles to get the Eye of Sargeras and were pursued by Malfurion, Tyrande, and a shitload of Night Elves 5 years prior to Wrath. All of this shit happened in the RTS games (it was either WC:O&H or WC2 when Gul'dan raised the Tomb, and it was WC3 when Illidan et al. visited).

Regardless, there are plenty of ways it can be justified with or without a retcon.

How was that bulltshit in any possible way? It was litterally just a bunch of night elf mages, who went into Darnassus, and after a bit of a struggle with Maiev and Jarod they were accepted into the Alliance and started training new mages - tadaah.

How is that different from a bunch of Death Knights, who went into Thunder Totem/Suramar, and after a bit of struggle with Mayla and Thalyssra they were accepted by the Allied Races and started raising new death knights - tadaah?

Night Elf society is completely against all forms of the Arcane, because their use of Arcane power pre-War of the Ancients is the reason the Burning Legion was able to locate and then invade Azeroth. After the Sundering, the use of the Arcane was essentially banned (that's why Malfurion imprisoned Illidan, because Illidan created another Well of Eternity within Hyjal), and the entire Night Elf culture transitioned to Druidism. The Night Elves literally caused the Sundering by using Arcane magic. It's no more of a stretch to say that the various Allied Race leaders could be convinced to allow the resurrection of some of their greatest champions than it was to have the Night Elves of Teldrassil allow Arcane-users into their capital to train others.

The reason I think that it's bullshit is because it's once again Arcane magic that causes the Burning Legion's invasion of Azeroth at the Battle for Mount Hyjal in TBC, because it's the Well of Eternity that Illidan created (mentioned above) that allowed the Burning Legion portals to anchor themselves to Azeroth and draw power. I don't think it's likely that a race that isolated themselves from the rest of the world and changed their entire culture for 10,000 years would then suddenly forget the dangers of the Arcane and allow in new mages three years later.

[Teech]

"Zandalari Troll Classes - Warrior, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Shaman, Mage, Warlock, Druid. They currently don't have Monk listed."

RiP Zandalari DK dream

[Deleted]

RIP to the zandalari and rip to us getting anything new lmao... gg blizzard!

[Zorish]

sad but true. look's like DH and DK will be forgotten till WotLK 2.0 and BC 2.0

[Lucrece]

RIP to the zandalari and rip to us getting anything new lmao... gg blizzard!

Hopefully they change it.

Imo Blizzard is just being lazy and doesn't want to design decaying DK faces and pallid skin colors for the new races. They've always been super stingy with new art.

[imf39]

RIP to the zandalari and
rip to us getting anything

[Kagthul]

We, as Deathlords, have raised the 4 horsemen. Which means we are still able to raise new DKs. The only inconsistency would be the starting zone and story. But that is easily addressed with an alternate scenario for all new races. Would be a nice and breath of fresh air to the DK starting story.

Noo...

you, as the Deathlord, channeled Bolvar's power to raise the Four Horsemen.

There is no evidence of any kind that shows that the Ebon Blade can make new Death Knights without Bolvar's power. And even then, ONLY the Deathlord seems to be able to do this, and ONLY when Bolvar wants him/her to do so.

The guy who recruits new DK troops never says he is raising new DKs. For all we know, he's rounding up stray/disenfranchised DKs from Northrend or something.