We all know the Neo-Tolkien races of D&D are loved, because they have years of exposure. But what about the vast plethora of other races and subraces that've come out of D&D over the years? Which ones do you like? Why do you like them?
Exotic D&D Races
Ayden Hall
Justin Wood
Forgot to post this for handy reference material; there've been a LOT of weird races in D&D over the years.
Ethan Carter
For me, a lot of races from 4th edition or that got themselves rewritten in 4th edition count.
For example, gnolls; these were basically hyena-man orcs for the first three editions of the game - playable, but not a lot going on. And no, Sociology of the Flind doesn't count, because it was never subsequently referenced. Then 4e came along and... wow. Gnolls in 4e have this awesome theme of being torn between Beast and Demon; neither side is exactly "nice", but one is a natural entity, capable of compassion, loyalty, friendship, whilst the other is nothing but madness and the urge to defile. The 4e version of the gnoll finally canonizes what many gnoll fans on Veeky Forums had always suggested, invoking many of the positive social aspects of hyenas to give gnolls an identity as primal, but not ignoble, humanoids who make a worthy addition to your setting.
Wyatt Nelson
Grungs are best race.
Change my mind.
Dylan Hall
No need, you are right
Christian Ross
Kobolds aren't really exotic anymore but I'd put them as my favorite. As for creatures not normally played I'd pick either a Doppelganger or spellscale.
Carson Jones
Tabaxi, and not because of the cat part.
I generally like the concept of a nomadic race of explorers that value knowledge above all else. The Aztec flavor also helps.
Also Lizardfolk and Thri-Kreen due to their very non-human outlook on the world makes them fun to roleplay.
Jace Long
I like my settings filled with all kinds of weird races, making it clear that not every race is equally common or represented. Leaving aside the memes, some races are by themselves plot hook generators in the hands of the right players, and in general, I think that players can pick from whatever they like.
To be fair, I don't do world-shaking worldbuilding; I always start small and make up things as we go. This solves all issues with monocultures, demographics and so on, simply because I don't care about figuring out all the world.
Justin Phillips
Alexander Wright
>World-shaking
I meant world spanning, but I'm a faggot phoneposter.
Carter Taylor
docs.google.com
Bug civ is best Veeky Forums homebrew setting.
Jaxson Edwards
I've gotten to the point where I don't even fill in the racial details of a setting until the players make character. Whatever races they happen to choose become the primary races of the setting.
Aaron Lopez
Demonfey
Nagpa
Diaboli
Vampyre's from Ravenloft
Dragonkin
Draconian
That literal race of bush baby flying squirrels from Greyhawk
Lupin
That race of twins who share the same soul
Logan Jones
If you like Vampyres, check out Ixalan and Zendikar's vampire races from the Plane Shift articles.
Christopher Thomas
Fuck off with you Blood elf Vryylocka shit, those faggots took the namesake of an already existing vampire type from Ravenloft.
Brandon Butler
Ironically, minotaurs benefited from 4e in the same way that gnolls had. They went from a race that was just generic savage beasts (though at least they shucked the "born of curses, all males who rape human women to survive" crap from AD&D) to a complicated, civilized race struggling literally against its own inner demons. It even made their old rivalry with the gnolls more meaningful, by making them better foils for each other; if gnolls are Beast vs Demon, then minotaurs are Man vs Beast.
Dominic Carter
Minotaurs benefited from 4e because the Dark Sun guide said "this writeup works for all the beast-headed half-giants" and then you could stop having a race of minotaurs.
Andrew Cook
I asked my DM if I could bring the Minotaur in the UA to the table and he said they’re just demonspwn now. It’s pretty stupid
Nicholas Perez
Yup.... that's how you do it.
Michael Evans
I thought 4e's reinterpretation of bladelings, their first PC writeup in any edition, was hands down awesome.
Leo Peterson
I don't understand the hate for dragonborn, I really don't.
Wyatt Hernandez
Bladelings were available for PCs in 3.X.
Adrian Carter
Anything not in 1st ed PHB is garbage and not allowed in my games.
Grayson Edwards
Anyone with an attitude like yours is human garbage and not allowed in my games.
Evan Mitchell
That's pretty much how I do things now too. I like world building for fun, but I think the common Veeky Forums ideal of austically forging every detail of a setting is counterproductive to actually running and playing games.
Ethan Morales
Are there any races that have deer/goat skulls as heads with human-ish bodies?
Colton Ramirez
It was slightly different, so it was extremely hated back then. They make for cool character ideas now, and most people won't blink if you show up with a Dragonborn *Anyclass* now.
Satyrs and the like? Fauns?
Isaac Kelly
Because even your "awesome" picture of the dragonborn looks lame.
"if you want to play a dragon" was the reason for their existence. It's a race for 5 yr olds.
Lincoln Foster
Not him, but I guess that makes me a 5 year old. Fight me, faggot
Hudson Ortiz
>be an adult golden dragon
>be cursed by lich/god/whatever to the form of humanoid
>all magic powers lost
>horde is looted
>prayed for vengeance, to anyone that would answer
>Tiamat answered
>now Paladin of Tiamat
>still technically a golden dragon
>Bahamut is pissed
Tl ; Dr I love Dragonborn
Levi Nelson
Bahamut didn't answer the phone, why is he mad
Matthew Cruz
>That race of twins who share the same soul
They’re called Dvati. There are easily the best nonstandard race out there, though no game has ever done the stats right.
Jaxson Gray
I really loved the Wilden.
>he doesn’t know Eberron had friendly, playable Gnolls in 3.5
Eli Garcia
I think a cursed race that survived via rape is actually pretty cool and interesting compared to the 4e treatment they got.
Nathan Butler
What's a grung?
Luke Barnes
What were they like in Eberron?
This seems like a messed up discussion, and this is Veeky Forums, but doesn’t that just step into the Half-Orcs’ territory?
Lincoln Phillips
Eberron doesn’t have innate Alignment for mortals, and purposely tries to subvert a lot of the monstrous ones: orcs are druids amd farmers, the goblins had a great empire, and there’s an entire nation of “monsters” striving for political legitimacy, called Droaam. Gnolls are mostly found in Droaam, working as premier scouts and guides.
Gnolls used to revere demons, but a great gathering of them swore a pact against it, and ruthlessly hunted down their infernal kin; today, the demonic gnolls have almost completely beem destroyed.
Brayden Davis
We'll get Minotaur in 5E one day, the UA isn't bad but from what I remember they have a slight Aquatic theme that I feel is wasted outside most campaigns.
Austin Price
>Someone wants to play a fantasy thing in a fantasy game
>What a faggot
If I, like Solomon,...
could have my wish-
my wish... O to be a dragon,
a symbol of the power of Heaven-of silkworm size or immense; at times invisible.
Felicitous phenomenon!
Marianne Moore, 1959
Luke Hill
Cutesy frogmen
Andrew Brooks
Distinction is the minotaurs have no choice. Orcs are just jerks.
Brandon Ross
kys
Cameron Robinson
A race of beastfolk based on poison dart frogs, where they all have hallucinogenic poison on their skin, but both their poison and role in society are based on the color they are. Gold, the top of the social ladder, have a lite charm effect as their poison.
Isaac Jackson
Humans are the only way to go.
Stop wasting time with anything else.
Anthony Rogers
The Deva were really a great addition to the game. I get that aasimar have their niche, but I never really was that fond of them. I found devas to be far more interesting in their backstory and possibilities. Plus, Ecology of the Deva subtly brought back aasimar anyway as a new bloodline feat for deva descendants.
Eli Lewis
Late night bump
Gavin Sanders
Just use the Minotaur from Planeshift Amonkhet
Jacob Edwards
I actually liked Eladrin a lot more than I ever did the High Elves, in all honesty. They just felt stronger in basic concept.
Grayson Cooper
I've seen some edgy PCs, but this is ridiculous!
Brody Miller
>females have tits
I have every reason in the world to hate them
Jaxson Reed
Sure is 2008 in here.
Christopher Gray
They look fucking retarded
They act fucking retarded
They look fucking retarded
Their motives are fucking retarded
Being one dimensional is literally their thing
Did i mention that they look fucking retarded
Ian Richardson
>scaliefaggot:the race
If you want to play a cool monster you should just play lizardfolk.
Christian Martinez
>I don't understand the hate for dragonborn, I really don't.
It's a form of autism, as you can see ITT.
Bentley Perry
Because they're fun and Veeky Forums hates fun.
Jaxson Bell
Yep. Lot of fuckwits out there. Lizardfolk aren't even remotely connected to dragons, and their "traditional" fluff is being a bunch of primitive bumblefucks lounging around in a swamp somewhere. Not even remotely the same thing.
Parker Martinez
>Lizardfolk aren't even remotely connected to dragons
That's a bonus seeing dragons in D&D
Tyler Martin
I know they're the edgiest race since (over?) bladelings, but still, the shadar-kai of the Nentir Vale always amused me with their weird blend of emo-goth apparel and cocky "live fast, die young" devil-may-care attitude.
Christopher Clark
Would rather be a primitive bumblefuck than a mary sue desu.
Henry Jackson
Here's an interestine one I created (sort of) for a game at one point. They are the skeksis, the evil bird creatures from the movie the dark crystal, however here their background has been tweaked to fit in with some D&D-ish world.
Skeksis
Average height: 7 to 11 feet
Average weight: Lightweight
Lifespan: 2,000 to 5,000 years, elongation possible
Sexes: Male and Female, females are extremely similar to males in appearance, only nude skeksis are possible to tell male from female
Reproduction: Product of hell’s natural cycles, born in torment pits from congealing soul sludge, no sexual reproduction possible
Social organization: Empire with an Emperor and sub-kings
Alignment: Usually some form of evil
Favored stats: Dexterity, Intelligence
Main physiological traits: Thin bones, long limbs, long beak, beady eyes, withered scale covered body, minimal hair, skin colors range from jet black to light gold, 10 fingers 10 toes
Attire: Mix of Elizabethan and Chinese traditional attire, usually as extravagant as it can possibly be
Habitat: City, Castle, Any lower plane, most areas of sigil, mazes, ruins, caves, underdark, blackreach, outer planes (very uncommon), Plane of elemental darkness (very uncommon), Plane of Elemental smoke (very uncommon)
Guilds: Usury Guild, Scribes Guild, Magicians Guild, Thieves Guild, Guilds of specialist mages, Blackguard’s guild (answers to the emperor), assassin’s guild, numerous crafts guilds, Bards Guild, Lockmaker's guild (actually a thieves guild)
Adventuring classes: Thief, Bard, Mage, Specialist Mage (necromancer, conjurer, summoner, illusionist, charmer, elementalist), Blackguard, Assassin, Alchemist, Noble
Average strength: 07-11
Average dexterity: 12-17
Average constitution: 07-12
Average intelligence: 14-19
Average charisma: 05-13
Average wisdom: 06-13
Average HP: 16-52
Tyler Davis
Firbolg.
There's something very satisfying about playing as a gentle giant and the race lends itself to that very well.
Owen Bailey
Changelings are cool, drow are cool, tieflings are cool, shifters are extra cool. I particularly like shifters as weird abberations that can occur among tribal humans or villages scattered along the raggedy edge of civilization. Something that the wild brings out in humans, or some echo of a primeval past, seen as a gift in some cultures and a curse in others.
I don't like the way dragonborn typically look, but I've found that they are a perfect fit mechanically for Rivellon's lizardfolk, which I adore.
Aaron Flores
I'm pretty much loving everything about the Tortles, except for the dumb-ass name?
Neat race with a bold and odd racial mechanic. And how often do you see STR/WIS bonuses?
Only thing I wish is they made the natural attack action a bite, instead of of a claw attack...
youtube.com
Joshua Allen
I always had a soft spot for dromites. Little psychic social insect people are fun.
Ryder Reed
I love Warforged and want to kiss them on the lips.
Carson Carter
I hate the dumb looking tentacle hair and the lack of tales.
Liam Lewis
There are less dumb looking reptilian races that were there first.
Even Doobies are less retarded looking.
Ian Walker
Really? Dragonborn are dumber looking than this? And yes, these both count; officially, that rainbow-painted aborigine is a Mystara lizardman variant.
Noah Robinson
I can't be the only one who wishes they'd bring back all of the kreen sub-species and not just the original Thri-kreen, right?