Anthropomorphic Animal PCs!

[renau1g]

I made an anthromorphic cat fighter (inspired by watching Shrek 2, I'll shameless say) with weapon finesse, two weapon fighting, and keen unholy weapons for the BBEG one campaign and he utterly wrecked the party along with his minion the fire giant.

I also made a white tiger monk for a savage species game, but it only lasted 3 games or so, but he was a lot of fun to play.

EDIT: Note that both of these characters were quite ruthless and not 'furry, cute or otherwise Disney' animals, but the cat had been sacrificing villagers to try and bring his 'master' back into the world and the tiger monk was LE, as was the rest of the party, and had no qualms about killing those who questioned him.

 

[Foundry of Decay]

The campaign world I've created and base adventures out of features a few 'critter' type races that are allowed in play. Outside the standard trope of the odd Lizardman, Dragonborn, or 'tauric type character I've got a few races that I've been slowly building histories to over the last... Oh, 20 years or so (Good lord I feel old).

Lorrnath: Equinal in nature. Subraces include a 'northerner' breed much akin to ancient Viking society in ways. Generally a plains people in the central continents and adaptable to almost any environment. Often hired as bodyguards or other mercenary types simply due to their size and stature and the fact they tend to work beyond human endurance limits.

Javarran: Lupine in nature. Subraces include the Khulvarri (Civilized) and the Khavijas (Primal). In general the Khulvarri are the ones who interact with societies more often since they've built up a surprisingly successful empire around themselves. They often treat their more primal (and larger) cousins, the Khavijas, with disdain or outright bigotry since they cling to old beliefs in ancestors and spirits, and refuse to accept the Khulvarri trope of Gods and 'Destined Race' theory.

Those are, for the most part, the only other critter races in my campaign. I find that for myself, too many subtypes and animal types dilutes the world. I do the same with monsters as well, and cut back on just how many varied humanoid races of monsters exist. With too many critters, things start becoming a bit too far into the Narnia category and I'm aiming for a more gritty world. Add to the fact that Its hard enough for me to keep straight the things about the races already in the game too

I've been toying with bringing in the Kenku from 3e as a playable race in my games as well (we run 4e), simply because I really liked the racial history of them, and see a lot of character potential in them.

So, that's the critter/anthro's we use. I don't use the term 'furry' simply due to it being, from what I understand, a genre unto itself (Akin to fantasy, sci-fi, anime).

 

[AngeltheTechrat]

The campaign world I've created and base adventures out of features a few 'critter' type races that are allowed in play. Outside the standard trope of the odd Lizardman, Dragonborn, or 'tauric type character I've got a few races that I've been slowly building histories to over the last... Oh, 20 years or so (Good lord I feel old).

Lorrnath: Equinal in nature. Subraces include a 'northerner' breed much akin to ancient Viking society in ways. Generally a plains people in the central continents and adaptable to almost any environment. Often hired as bodyguards or other mercenary types simply due to their size and stature and the fact they tend to work beyond human endurance limits.

Javarran: Lupine in nature. Subraces include the Khulvarri (Civilized) and the Khavijas (Primal). In general the Khulvarri are the ones who interact with societies more often since they've built up a surprisingly successful empire around themselves. They often treat their more primal (and larger) cousins, the Khavijas, with disdain or outright bigotry since they cling to old beliefs in ancestors and spirits, and refuse to accept the Khulvarri trope of Gods and 'Destined Race' theory.

Those are, for the most part, the only other critter races in my campaign. I find that for myself, too many subtypes and animal types dilutes the world. I do the same with monsters as well, and cut back on just how many varied humanoid races of monsters exist. With too many critters, things start becoming a bit too far into the Narnia category and I'm aiming for a more gritty world. Add to the fact that Its hard enough for me to keep straight the things about the races already in the game too

I've been toying with bringing in the Kenku from 3e as a playable race in my games as well (we run 4e), simply because I really liked the racial history of them, and see a lot of character potential in them.

So, that's the critter/anthro's we use. I don't use the term 'furry' simply due to it being, from what I understand, a genre unto itself (Akin to fantasy, sci-fi, anime).

I.. tend to use the term "furry" interchangeably with anthropomorphic. Except that it annoys me when people refer to fur-suiters as "furries". .. (fur-suiters are those freaks from that CSI episode.. Ugh..)

I generaly think it's a concept that really only works well, visually, in art. But once again, there are many art styles, and that's the same for any kind of fantasy being, not just half-animals.

 

[Ace]

I think anthros are cool and am fur tolerant (I have a lot of fur friends for some reason) In fact I had cat people in my RPG's before there was anime in the US to speak of.

That being said my players and most of my DM's dislike them with a passion so I don't get to use them much.

I have played Slanzaar (a jaguar-panther man) at one point, I've had a few "animal touched" races as well -- they look human but have animal traits (think Dark Angel) and I'd like to play an Otterman or a Hadozee (Glider ape) at some point

 

[ProfessorCirno]

One character I loved having was a werebear. The character stemmed from a conversation in which we discussed the hilarity of were-bears always being Lawful Good, with alignments such as "Chaotic Couldn't Be Arsed," "Lawful Lazy," and "Neutral hungry with favored enemy: Honey" thrown around. Eventually, I decided to make a were-bear paladin who would be the laziest paladin ever! I later refined it to paladin-monk specifically to make "Defeat you with my BEAR HANDS!" jokes.

And I don't think I was ever called furry once, despite remaining in hybrid or animal form far more then I did in human form.

 

[AngeltheTechrat]

I think anthros are cool and am fur tolerant (I have a lot of fur friends for some reason) In fact I had cat people in my RPG's before there was anime in the US to speak of.

That being said my players and most of my DM's dislike them with a passion so I don't get to use them much.

I have played Slanzaar (a jaguar-panther man) at one point, I've had a few "animal touched" races as well -- they look human but have animal traits (think Dark Angel) and I'd like to play an Otterman or a Hadozee (Glider ape) at some point

Yeah.. Rakasta NPCs were present throughout almost our entire old BECMI campain, before we switched over to 2E when it started up while I was in highschool. We had various good aligned lycanthropes about, and Spelljammer races, and thought it was terrific when Mystera joined 2E, and we got so many races like that back, now actually playable. That was well before any of us had regular computer access (college years) and found out "furries" was even a "thing". So I it's always agrivating when the "furries" stigma wrecks my enjoyment of anthropomorphic characters.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Yes, OP, I love furry PC races.

I can't say I know any furries IRL, but anthropomorphic animals, lycanthropes, and other furry races have always had a big role in fantasy, so why not in RPGs?

 

[AngeltheTechrat]

Yes, OP, I love furry PC races.

I can't say I know any furries IRL, but anthropomorphic animals, lycanthropes, and other furry races have always had a big role in fantasy, so why not in RPGs?

There are no furries in real life. It's people who think there are that are the crazies ruining it for everyone.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

One character I loved having was a werebear. The character stemmed from a conversation in which we discussed the hilarity of were-bears always being Lawful Good, with alignments such as "Chaotic Couldn't Be Arsed," "Lawful Lazy," and "Neutral hungry with favored enemy: Honey" thrown around. Eventually, I decided to make a were-bear paladin who would be the laziest paladin ever! I later refined it to paladin-monk specifically to make "Defeat you with my BEAR HANDS!" jokes.

And I don't think I was ever called furry once, despite remaining in hybrid or animal form far more then I did in human form.

Oh, I almost forgot: His primary method of dealing with evil would be to bite them, inflict them with lycanthropy, and then wait a few days while they involuntarily become lawful good

 

[Nymrohd]

Oh, I almost forgot: His primary method of dealing with evil would be to bite them, inflict them with lycanthropy, and then wait a few days while they involuntarily become lawful good

Conversion by bear? So cool!