I hate cat-people, dog-people, lion-people, etc

[woodelf]

Says the person with the 'Woodelf' handle

Strangely enough, that's a non-gamer, non-geek, real-world reference (to my physique), and has nothing to do with RPGs. I just borrowed the appelation that someone else applied, when i first needed a handle, lo those many years ago. I've never played an elf in D&D (or any other RPG), nor do i expect i ever would. In fact, as a GM, when faced with an NPC whose race isn't determined, i don't think i've *ever* picked elf. I was never enamored of elves in D&D, for whatever reason.

 

[woodelf]

Incidentally, "anthropomorphic" means "man-shaped."

Has someone used it in any other way in this thread, and i missed it?

 

[I'm A Banana]

I'm not much interested in animal hybrids as major races. I don't see any reason to hate them, but they don't greatly appeal to me.

I think the problem comes in when they are *major races*. Anthropomorphic beasties should largely be the category of "unholy unnatural monster thing," not "buddy with a sword and cliche powers."

Historically, D&D has been pretty good about not having cliche animal-humans. In general. Gnolls aren't hyena-humans, they're savage humanoids with a pack structure. Minotaurs aren't cow-humans, they're bloodthirsty, god-cursed beasts who have a mastery of direction. Orcs aren't pig-humans, they're berserk barbarians who are filthy and greedy. Yak-folk are not yak-humans. Hell, even the Kenku aren't just bird-men. Aranea aren't just spider-humans. Merfolk aren't just fish-poeple. If a creature is a little bit animistic, it is a cosmetic thing -- the creature, the power, the unique society comes first, and then the animal appearance is applied on it. But these are monsters. They aren't people. They are unnatural beasts, abberations, created in no loving deity's image. They are things to fight against. Things you don't feel guilty killing if they try to kill you. They are *not* human. They are *sub*human.

Where the cliche comes in is when humans just get animal qualities laid over them and treated as equals. Blech. It's not hard to make a snake-human. It's hard to make a Yuan-ti. A *monster*. An adversary with it's unique society and structure. Cat-humans are a dime a dozen. Rakshasa, though...they're a class all by themselves.

 

[tarchon]

Has someone used it in any other way in this thread, and i missed it?

Oh, once or twice.

 

[A2Z]

Posh, I naturally purr and always have.

Humans do not naturally purr and neither do you.

And I do not consider myself a 'furry'. Although I have affected fur, tail, and claws online on occasion, it was not out of some goofy sexual kink.

Walks like a duck, talks like a duck...

But hey, I'm the sort who would actually walk around in leather boots, a blousy shirt, a cloak, and a sword on my hip (were that legal) had I the money for such clothing.

You must be Frank Costanza's lawyer.

Come on people! Furries get it on while pretending they're animals!! There is absolutely nothing good to say about it. Gaming has enough of a social stigma with trying to add freaky animal sex to it.

 

[Desdichado]

Now i'll have to dig a bit, and see if my recollection is correct. However, my recollection was that tehy came from somewhere in the Fertile Crescent/Middle East/Afghanistan area--you know, where yaks are a big deal. If you don't want to wait for me (and it's likely i'll forget before i get around to doing enough digging, since i don't have an appropriate reference handy), i'd (1) check Arabic, Persian, Afghani, or other similar mythologies, or (2) peek in Stith Thompson's Motif Index of Folk-Literature. Though, off the top of my head, i don't know how far it strays from Europe, so you might need a different motif index. Anyway, i'd expect any large college library to have a copy.

Yaks a big deal in the fertile crescent, Middle East and Arabic mythology? That's a new one, since they're only native (and as far as I know, haven't ever been imported) to a region that's hundreds of miles away.

 

[Wolv0rine]

Humans do not naturally purr and neither do you.

So that rythmic, rumbly baritone sound that comes out of my throat when I'm really happy is...?

And I do not consider myself a 'furry'. Although I have affected fur, tail, and claws online on occasion, it was not out of some goofy sexual kink.

Walks like a duck, talks like a duck...
Come on people! Furries get it on while pretending they're animals!! There is absolutely nothing good to say about it. Gaming has enough of a social stigma with trying to add freaky animal sex to it.

So you're implying that I "get it on while pretending to be an animal"? You're doing an awful lot of lumping there. While I don't like kick them in the head when they're not looking or anything, I don't tend to hang out with that sort on or offline, because it is a tad odd. And really, gaming hasn't had that much stigma on it for a fair number of years that we have to keep playing that card over and over. If you don't like anthropomorphic races, fine, but it's hardly the same thing.

 

[Desdichado]

So that rythmic, rumbly baritone sound that comes out of my throat when I'm really happy is...?

An affectation.

So you're implying that I "get it on while pretending to be an animal"? You're doing an awful lot of lumping there. While I don't like kick them in the head when they're not looking or anything, I don't tend to hang out with that sort on or offline, because it is a tad odd. And really, gaming hasn't had that much stigma on it for a fair number of years that we have to keep playing that card over and over. If you don't like anthropomorphic races, fine, but it's hardly the same thing.

I agree. I don't know that there's really any combining of furries and gamers in the general public's eye.

 

[A2Z]

So that rythmic, rumbly baritone sound that comes out of my throat when I'm really happy is...?

You pretending to purr. How about a challenging question now.

 

[Wormwood]

I agree. I don't know that there's really any combining of furries and gamers in the general public's eye.

I have two classes of friends, geeks and non-geeks (ie. my friends and my wife's friends).

My wife's friends have a dim undertanding of gaming, but have no idea what the hell a Furry is. They would think I was goofing on them if I described it.

I know this because my wife still thinks I was kidding when I described Cosplay.

edit: I realize that I could easily *prove* the existence of these subcultures with 5 minutes and Google. I don't simply because I don't want to suffer any sub-cultural backsplash. In time, I hope to be able to forget about them myself.