Non-stereotypical versions of PHB races

[gavagai]

A race that is *almost* immortal and otherworldly, said to have been descended from fey, may well be looking for 'the way back' to the immortality, innate magical prowess and otherworldly / extraplanar nature they have lost. The realms of faerie are closed to them, and so they entreat with fiends, with their casters and warriors ending up in some transitive PrC that allows them to become native Outsiders at the highest levels (like Fiend-Blooded or Acolyte of the Skin or Monk or Favored Soul).

Hungry for the power that they feel in their blood, and which they feel they have had stolen from them by the fey races that abandoned them to the material plane, they bargain with demons to re-empower their blood and reject the weak failings of flesh. Why demons? Easier to trick and steal power from. Devils are too tricky...

May I suggest Shadar-Kai for that theme? Had very good experience with them, and they come complete with strange items and background. I made them humanoid (elf) in my campaign instead of fey, but thats up to you. They may be a bit close to Mystaras shadow elves though.

 

[Mighty Halfling]

For trolls, use Fensirs from the Fiend Folio.
For goblins, use the Spriggan from the Fiend Folio.
Both of these humanoids have really interesting and unexpected abilities!
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Also, if your interested, check out my take on D&D humanoids in my blog.
And if you want a slightly changed half-orc, look here for my changes (which I've posted here on EnWorld a few times).

 

[Estlor]

demon-worshipping elves who aren't drow, shamanistic, animistic orcs who aren't necessarily evil

You might consider looking at the World of Warcraft book. Taurens might do nicely for the drow and the high elves may be useful for the elves (arcane magic is demonic in that setting and high elves are addicted to arcane magic). High elves have a LA+1 IIRC, so that might not do it for you.

and kobolds that are like miniature dragons, and aren't totally nerfed. Suggestions?

Maybe the Dracha from Arcana Evolved? You'd have to change them from Medium to Small, but that shouldn't take much work.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

Imagine a variant world where female dragons lay eggs all year round. If these eggs are fertilized, wyrmling dragons hatch out of them. If they are not, Kobolds hatch out of them, entire litters of Kobolds from a single egg! Each is the color of it's mother, and has the appropriate Dragonwrought feat for 'free.' These Kobolds are not fertile with each other, or any other Kobolds from the same mother, although they *can* be traded around like Pokemon with other female dragons, to help acquire a breeding population, or servants of different colors (sadly, their 2nd generation Kobold spawn will not be Dragonwrought, save in rare cases, having to buy the feat normally).

This I've got to steal, with this the association of dragons and kobolds makes perfect sense.

 

[Aramax]

In my world I replaced Hobbits(which I cant stand)w/Bandits,hobbit sized racoons
who are very curious and VERY destuctive.Natarl fur armor,plus 2 con,plus 1 dex,-2 st.

 

[Turanil]

Suggestions?

Unearthed Arcana has many race variants that you could use. Arcana Evolved too.

 

[AbeTheGnome]

UA's racial variants have no flavor. "Desert elves are just like regular elves, except they live in the desert and get bonuses to Fort saves vs. hot weather." "Water orcs are just like regular orcs, except they're blue and scaly and have a listed swim speed." Whoop-dee-doo. I haven't really checked out Arcana Evolved's races, but from what I can remember, they're all new. Interesting, but all new. I'm talking about taking traditional PHB races and flipping them on their heads: lawful elves that have nothing to do with the forest and nature, chaotic dwarves that have nothing to do with mining and the underdark, orcs that aren't stupid and evil, halflings that don't... well, that don't suck. Some good examples I've see so far are the Zil gnomes of Eberron and the Jerren halflings from BoVD. That's the kind of stereotype-shattering stuff I'm looking for!

 

[AbeTheGnome]

In fact, I see that the title to this thread doesn't really reflect what I'm looking for. I'm gonna change it.

 

[Pbartender]

...halflings that don't... well, that don't suck.

Consider Dark Sun halflings... Tribal pygmy headhunters that live in the jungles and are ferociously xenophobic of other races, especially the larger ones.

Technically, they aren't cannibals, since they don't eat other halflings...

 

[Bihor]

Gnome could live in city looking like giant anthills roule by a queen and each city are at war with each other.