Eladrins, Tieflings, Dragonborn Too Far Outside Standard Fantasy?

[ArchAnjel]

How many of you feel that races such as Eladrins, Tieflings, and Dragonborn are too far beyond the scope of standard fantasy fare to be included as base races? Personally, I can't think of a single classic fantasy story that involved eladrins, tieflings, or dragonborn and I resent them being included in the core races.

As a GM, now I have to explain which parts of the PHB I am excluding wholesale and I really shouldn't have to do that. The PHB should include the core elements that most if not all standard fantasy stories would include. I think races such as those belong in splatbooks where they are not automatically assumed to be already a part of the game.

And I understand that there's not much we can do about it now, but I'm just wondering how many others feel the same way.

 

[Alikar]

Why not? People have been including an excluding things from DnD since it came out. If you don't like the Dragonborn or Teiflings then don't include them. Your players shouldn't need anymore explanation than they don't exist. Personally I don't like Teiflings, but they are easy to fit into my campaign world with minimal effort. If no one plays one then they won't even show up. That simple.

 

[Cadfan]

Not me.

The PHB should include the core elements that most if not all standard fantasy stories would include.

I read a LOT of fantasy novels. More than is strictly healthy, I'm sure.

And dwarves/elves/halflings/orcs are NOT "standard fantasy." You find them in two types of fantasy. 1) Homages to Tolkien, and 2) Homages to Dungeons and Dragons.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I think they all have their place either in standard fantasy and/or D&D fantasy.

Eladrin = Any fantasy dealing with Fey Folk

Tiefling = Any fantasy dealing with cursed/beings who made pacts with devils/demons.

Dragonborn = D&D fantasy is full of various Dragonborn-style races. I have also seen (especially after books like Dragonlance (thanks to Draconians)) a surge in ordinary fantasy with such races.

Also with 4e, there doesn't seem to be splatbooks that bring in new things like races and classes. Splatbooks seem to be mainly for expanding on material. So the PHBs are where they go.

It also is they are races that really are used quite frequently. Eladrin have taken the magical Elves and Fey, Tieflings have been widely used since 2e and Dragonborn have always existed and been used frequently in various forms.

 

[TwinBahamut]

I have seen more fantasy creatures in the same vein as the Dragonborn than I have seen traditional elves and dwarves. The may be not be common in some places, but in other places they are more than common enough.

Also, I didn't even realize that some people had a problem with Tieflings or Eladrin honestly...

To be blunt, you would have a lot more trouble finding any kind of Halfling or Gnome in fantasy than you would trying to find good parallels to Dragonborn, Tieflings, or Eldarin.

 

[DonAdam]

There have been multiple types of elves since Tolkein. All they did was give them a distinct name rather than an adjective.

I mean, the teleport thing is part of the default setting flavor, so I can get not understanding that, but eladrin have been with us since the Fellowship stepped into Lothlorien (if not Rivendell).

 

[Blackeagle]

Personally, I can't think of a single classic fantasy story that involved eladrins, tieflings, or dragonborn and I resent them being included in the core races.

It seems to me that many of Tolkien's elves, particularly Elrond and Gladriel, are more Eladrin than Elf (in 4e terms).

As a GM, now I have to explain which parts of the PHB I am excluding wholesale and I really shouldn't have to do that.

Speaking as someone who's planning to exclude all the non-human races, along with the divine power source and it's associated classes, most magic items, and probably a lot of other stuff from my homebrew, I have to say I don't have a lot of sympathy here.

 

[mach1.9pants]

To be blunt, you would have a lot more trouble finding any kind of Halfling or Gnome in fantasy than you would trying to find good parallels to Dragonborn, Tieflings, or Eldarin.

That is sooo true. Halflings/hobbits are in Tolkien and (some DnD) books. Gnomes, as in DnD trickster illusionists? Never even heard of one outside of DnD.
I want more, interesting different races. The only thinkg that annoys me about races in the PHB is there are not enough! So I have to wait a year or so for more ...

 

[Rechan]

What qualifies as "Standard fantasy"? Conan? Tolkien? Both are way more low-magic than D&D has ever been. No fireballs or cones of cold in Conan, nor in Tolkien, and magical items are rare, not the barrels of +1 weapons you can get in some adventures.

Are the fantasy novels coming out now "Standard"? I'd say in most "Standard fantasy" novels, the main characters (if not 99% of non-enemy NPCs) are human.

Speaking as someone who's planning to exclude all the non-human races, along with the divine power source and it's associated classes, most magic items, and probably a lot of other stuff from my homebrew, I have to say I don't have a lot of sympathy here.

What he said, except I'll likely be ditching Dwarves, Elves and Halflings.

 

[Korgoth]

Speaking as someone who's planning to exclude all the non-human races, along with the divine power source and it's associated classes, most magic items, and probably a lot of other stuff from my homebrew, I have to say I don't have a lot of sympathy here.

Sword and Sorcery stuff? Start a thread about it! I'd like to hear what you're doing.