Other Races as Core...?

[Gallo22]

Other than the norm, what other races to you think should be core or do you like to use as core.

I personally always thought the Kenku was a good race to use as core.

 

[Mokona]

Other than the norm, what other races to you think should be core or do you like to use as core.

All the Medium size humanoid races of ECL +2 or less.

 

[WayneLigon]

Shifters would be a nice core addition.
The Giants from Arcana Unearthed.
The Spirit Folk from OA, flavor-changed a bit into 'People of the Hills' or 'People of the Sea' or something.
Gnolls. I've always liked gnolls.

 

[Umbran]

I think, in overall design terms, the core rules should include whatever things they think make a good "standard" for D&D - that goes not just for races, but for magic systems, combat options, and so on.

Things like shifters, warforged, and kenku, however cool they are, are not really "standard" fare. They're a bit weird, may present extra balance issues, and are less likely to be a conceptual fit with the majority of game worlds. For these reasons, I'm not sure the list of core races really needs expansion. It already covers the basics.

 

[Nifft]

My dream team:

- Humans
- Changelings
- Elan
- Warforged
- Tieflings
- "Giants" (from Arcana Evolved)
- and maybe Mojh (from Arcana Evolved) + kobolds

All races would be Humans, things humans turned themselves into, or things humans made.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Gallo22]

All the Medium size humanoid races of ECL +2 or less.

Not a bad idea!

 

[Aust Diamondew]

Kobolds should be a core race!

 

[Stormborn]

I think, in overall design terms, the core rules should include whatever things they think make a good "standard" for D&D - that goes not just for races, but for magic systems, combat options, and so on.

Things like shifters, warforged, and kenku, however cool they are, are not really "standard" fare. They're a bit weird, may present extra balance issues, and are less likely to be a conceptual fit with the majority of game worlds. For these reasons, I'm not sure the list of core races really needs expansion. It already covers the basics.

I agree with this up to a point. I think the heroic tolkien-esque races are well represented but the "dark" races only have the half-orc in the core. I would like to see a more playable goblin and some other more monsterous humanoid species such as lizardfolk, a half-giant, and possibly hobgoblins. They need not be a strong component of a default setting, but making them available as playable races wou, I think, fit well in the core rules.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

I think, in overall design terms, the core rules should include whatever things they think make a good "standard" for D&D - that goes not just for races, but for magic systems, combat options, and so on.

I agree with this; my only caveat is that in this case, it's the "good" that's in question, not the "standard."

Things like shifters, warforged, and kenku, however cool they are, are not really "standard" fare. They're a bit weird, may present extra balance issues, and are less likely to be a conceptual fit with the majority of game worlds. For these reasons, I'm not sure the list of core races really needs expansion. It already covers the basics.

But that assumes a standard that hasn't changed.

We have the races we have because Gary Gygax felt it economically necessary to include a nod to Tolkien in his homage to Howard, Lieber et al. They aren't present because they "are" fantasy. They aren't present because they originally "were" D&D. And while LotR has remains well-regarded, its extreme popularity at the time D&D was taking off was, in essence, a fad, much as D&D itself would be a few years later; both remain, both are still partaken of, both are still popular and well-regarded in their fields, but they aren't out there in the mainstream in quite the same way.

Now, to be fair, the fairly recent LotR movies have re-cemented elves, dwarves and halflings in the popular imagination, so it's probably BACK to or near (or even above) those levels. Although, I get the impression that has faded somewhat already.

Elves and dwarves and halflings are pretty thin on the ground in the rest of popular fantasy.

Visual media? Harry Potter elves are entirely different, and those stories are very human-focused. The Chronicles of Narnia have plenty of talking animals and mythological creatures, but no 'D&D/Tolkien humanoids.' I gather from its previews that Eragon doesn't have any humanoid fantasy races; someone who stomached the film can confirm or deny this. Certainly in anime most fantasy has few or no examples of D&D/Tolkien humanoids.

Games? Final Fantasy hasn't had any such races for well over a decade now, and since it pretty much dictates the path taken by console RPGs, they, too tend to be VERY human-focused. Most MMORPGs, being basically D&D clones, do still have them, and they're integral to Warcraft by way of Warhammer.

Books? I've already addressed ones with major motion pictures; other famous ones don't look any more favorably on the D&D/Tolkien races. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell? Faeries are the only 'fantasy race.' A Song of Ice and Fire? Humans only, aside from purely antagonistic undeadish types. Niel Gaiman and China Mieville certainly have their share of fantasy sentients, but neither uses the 'usual suspects.'

In other words, the Tolkienesque races are too videogamey!

Seriously, though, what claim do the current PHB races have to being "core," aside from the fact they currently are? One could easily claim that warforged, for example, deserve a slot just as much - legendary inspiration (golems), bedrock literary inspiration and film inspiration (Frankenstein, many robot stories), modern literary inspiration (the Remade and the sentient machines in Bas Lag), and game inspiration (Castlevania knight armors, created being 'soldiers' in several Final Fantasies). That's at least as many relevant sources as, say, halflings, who are pretty much exclusive to D&D and Tolkien and put in a very minor appearance in warhammer.

 

[frankthedm]

Things like shifters, warforged, and kenku, however cool they are, are not really "standard" fare. They're a bit weird, may present extra balance issues, and are less likely to be a conceptual fit with the majority of game worlds.

Agree on those.

In order of most wanted

Half ogre
Centaur
Lizard man
Goblin
Ogre
Orc
Minotaur