Animorph races I should add to my homebrew world?
Irda Ranger
First Post
Whichever ones you can make a convincing case for. Rather than "bear people", tell me about the Ursoi and their history and culture. Why do they wear those amulets?
Yaarel
He Mage
Because of the gene splicing, humanoid animals are the most plausible fantasy lifeform.
But they quickly become too many and overwhelming − and unappealing.
It is surprising, because almost all fantasy creatures involve a mix of animal blends. Werewolves involve wolf. Vampire involves bat. Christian angels have eagle wings. A dragon is simply a snake, but it is made monstrous by blending in other dangers − eagle, lion, sometimes goat or fish, and sometimes flames replace burning venom.
Potentially each animal blend can be cool. But think carefully about its archetypal resonance. Make each concept unique and dreamlike. What is it about a particular animal that is fascinating, mythological, magical?
By contrast, the assembly line approach where any zoo animal is available as an interchangeable product is uninspiring and ... yuck.
But they quickly become too many and overwhelming − and unappealing.
It is surprising, because almost all fantasy creatures involve a mix of animal blends. Werewolves involve wolf. Vampire involves bat. Christian angels have eagle wings. A dragon is simply a snake, but it is made monstrous by blending in other dangers − eagle, lion, sometimes goat or fish, and sometimes flames replace burning venom.
Potentially each animal blend can be cool. But think carefully about its archetypal resonance. Make each concept unique and dreamlike. What is it about a particular animal that is fascinating, mythological, magical?
By contrast, the assembly line approach where any zoo animal is available as an interchangeable product is uninspiring and ... yuck.
pogre
Legend
Well said. I would heavily involve the player wanting to play the animorph in this creative process too.
If you insist on using anthropomorphized animals, there are really only two ways to go...
1. EVERYONE is an anthropomorphized animal. There are no humans, elves or dwarves. No dragonborn or tieflings...well, I guess, maybe, there could be dragonborn. But just all tribes to civilizations of animal-people.
2. No more than 2. If you're using the PHB races, swap out two of the options for two animal-based races. The majority of "animal-people" walking around in the fantasy world are for NPCs, friendly -though generally not- or otherwise. Lizardmen, hyena-men, were-wolves-rats-bears-cats-etc-etc.. They're not meant to be PCs. So pick two options, give them an interesting story/place in the world, and add them to the player's choices.
Otherwise, and I think the largely preferred game/world/setting consistency, imhe and o, is to keep them exclusively monsters/NPCs and not allow them for PC races.
1. EVERYONE is an anthropomorphized animal. There are no humans, elves or dwarves. No dragonborn or tieflings...well, I guess, maybe, there could be dragonborn. But just all tribes to civilizations of animal-people.
2. No more than 2. If you're using the PHB races, swap out two of the options for two animal-based races. The majority of "animal-people" walking around in the fantasy world are for NPCs, friendly -though generally not- or otherwise. Lizardmen, hyena-men, were-wolves-rats-bears-cats-etc-etc.. They're not meant to be PCs. So pick two options, give them an interesting story/place in the world, and add them to the player's choices.
Otherwise, and I think the largely preferred game/world/setting consistency, imhe and o, is to keep them exclusively monsters/NPCs and not allow them for PC races.
Tales and Chronicles
Jewel of the North, formerly know as vincegetorix
Whatever you decide to add, please dont make them cute anime-like human with few animal traits to please furry lovers, those heritages should have a specific biology, history and lore. When you look at many attempts on homebrew websites, they look cheap and uninspired.
Ex:
Aonorro, the people-of-the-whales: A people of humanoid flying fishes who lives in the moisture in the clouds because they are intolerant to salted waters. The live by harvesting barnacles and lichens that grow on the head of giant flying whales and follow the whales herd across the skies, making them a nomadic culture. They worship the 4 Wind Princes and their worst enemy is the terrible Ranlada, a mystical tornado filled with fiendish sharks.
Ex:
Aonorro, the people-of-the-whales: A people of humanoid flying fishes who lives in the moisture in the clouds because they are intolerant to salted waters. The live by harvesting barnacles and lichens that grow on the head of giant flying whales and follow the whales herd across the skies, making them a nomadic culture. They worship the 4 Wind Princes and their worst enemy is the terrible Ranlada, a mystical tornado filled with fiendish sharks.
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