Why aren't there short, fat PC races?

Remathilis said:

Because gamers play RPGs to pretend they're something else?

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This!

Well, basically, it was decided that in 4E every PC was heroic. So all of the PC races have to look heroic. Short & fat isn't typically associated with heroic, so they're clearly out.

Short & fat isn't typically associated with heroic, so they're clearly out.

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True...but heroism doesn't exclude them, either. At least, not "adventuring" which could lead to heroism.

The aforementioned roly-poly Hobbits of JRRT. Friar Tuck was rotund. There were plus-sized kids in the Goonies and IT. Uncle Buck?

Even Volstagg of the Marvel Comics Asgardians occasionally does something heroic.

Sumo wrestlers? Burly lumberjacks and "Mountain men" of the American/Canadian West?

Nearly every character played by Sammo Hung?

There is also no shortage of tonnage on the villainous side...or even in the grey between.

Kubiak of Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Mongo from Blazing Saddles, Oddjob from Goldfinger.

This picture is due.

As a side note, even though the game isn't pudgy race friendly, the game is decidedly pudgy PC friendly.

RAW, you don't look at a PC's weight to determine his movement. Only encumbrance and certain supernatural effects really slow PCs down.

So Twee (the 85lb Elf Sorceress) could be outrun easily by Flab (the 400lb Monk) and Slab (the 600lb Barbarian).

Nymrohd said:

P.S. I do wonder however about how certain very well endowed female characters of D&D actually function in combat, especially with a bow. . .

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The ancient Greeks got it wrong again with the Amazons. From what I understand, breasts really don't interfere much with the use of the bow.

I can't say from personal experience, since I'm male, and not fat enough for it to actually be an issue.

maybe they can't use pudgy halflings because of copyright infringement with the movie and game licences?

I like the lawn gnome style better.

unan oranis said:

I like the lawn gnome style better.

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As a side note, if you pay attention to the text it's pretty clear that gnomes become lawn gnome like as they age.



I really don't think attractiveness is the issue here:

Goliaths - who btw seem to be default a bit thick - are covered in warts.
Tieflings got devil looks, horns, and tales. The high cheeck bones and svelteness work for them but not the otherwise overwhelming sense of wrongness.
Halflings have square ears, and, though fit looking, don't necessarilly got a lot going for them otherwise.
Shiters got the light fur and reverse tear drop extreme faces.
Half-Orcs got all kinds of issues.
Dragonborn - I get the scaly thing, but I don't know that that's a useful general argument and their heads and faces aren't built for attractiveness so much as robust alieness.


I could accept the Only Marathon runners need apply theory, but that runs in violation of the non-Martathon runner physiques who adventured in the past.

It could be that fatness is just a special case of a particulalry objectionable trait worse than all others, but that also seems unlikely.

So I'm guessing it's probably a combination of new conventional tropes in fantasy art abandoning the 'chubby fae trickster' trope and issues of 'adventuring physique' possibly mixed with some idea about social responsibility.

It's important to recognize that this isn't just to be laid at WotC's fault. They solicit art from a community that has its own cliches, tropes, and larger patterns.

Bold or Stupid said:

Less exciting than you thought.

As per request, no safe search

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I didn't mean in Images...

Dr. Strangemonkey said:

I could accept the Only Marathon runners need apply theory, but that runs in violation of the non-Martathon runner physiques who adventured in the past.

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Given that adventurerers have to travel long distances, sometimes skip meals, and are frequently injured, I would actually expect human PCs to regularly carry an extra 10-20 pounds. Just a little extra weight is protective. Certainly, the ancient gladiators were trained for bulk as well as speed.

Dr. Strangemonkey said:

I really don't think attractiveness is the issue here:

Goliaths - who btw seem to be default a bit thick - are covered in warts.
Tieflings got devil looks, horns, and tales. The high cheeck bones and svelteness work for them but not the otherwise overwhelming sense of wrongness.
Halflings have square ears, and, though fit looking, don't necessarilly got a lot going for them otherwise.
Shiters got the light fur and reverse tear drop extreme faces.
Half-Orcs got all kinds of issues.
Dragonborn - I get the scaly thing, but I don't know that that's a useful general argument and their heads and faces aren't built for attractiveness so much as robust alieness.

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I'm unconvinced. Have you looked at the gallery images for the PHB2 races?
They were extra-careful to make them all look attractive (especially the females).

IIRC, the designers even mentioned that's been a design goal in 4E. I think it was from the 'Races & Classes' preview books. I remember it being discussed here before the dragonborn boobs incident (it was about bearded female dwarfs, IIRC).