What are your core races?

[Mercurius]

Depends what you mean by "core."

If the core rulebooks, that is the (first) Player's Handbook, then I'm a bit of a traditionalist: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Halfings, and Gnomes; maybe half-elves and half-orcs. I feel like this sets the tone and tenor of "classic D&D."

If "published by WotC in the PHB or later supplement," then the sky's the limit. Individual DM's can decide what to use in their own campaigns.

 

[steeldragons]

Common [automatic options to all players, presence assumed -in varying size populations- in all "civilized" realms/starting locations]
Daelvar [Orea halfling]
Dwarf
Elf [Orea equivalent of "High"]
Human, local/regional Cultures I-III

Uncommon [automatic options to all players, backstory to explain presence/location recommended]
Centaur
Gnome
Human, distant [but still known to/heard of in the common world] Cultures IV & V
Lizardman
Satyr

Rare [by player request, DM approval, explanation/justification required]
Elf [Orea equivalent of "Wood/Wild"]
Half-Elf
Half-Orc
Human, secluded Culture VI
Jerali [Orea felinoid]

Very Rare [by player request, DM approval, explanation/justification required]
Human, isolationist Culture VII
Zepharim [Orea winged folk]
Most Other Monster Race Options.

Non-Option [agreements at individual tables to explain the presence of the following races could certainly be used to justify such characters, but they are not part of the official World of Orea PC race "make up."]
Aasimar [creature does not exist on the World of Orea.]
"Deva" [in the reincarnating "PC race" sense, creature does not exist on the World of Orea.]
Dragonborn [creature does not exist on the World of Orea.]
Elf/Drow [creature is wholly evil and depraved, by nature, -also restricted to Orea's underworld/-dark. DM's discretion for tables/games using evil PCs.]
Genasi [creature does not exist on the World of Orea.]
Kender [creature is indigenous to the setting of Dragonlance and, as such, does not exist on the World of Orea.]
Minotaur [creature is wholly evil and bestial, by nature. DM's discretion for tables/games using evil PCs.]
Thri-Kreen [creature -as a PC- is indigenous to the setting of Dark Sun and, as such, does not exist on the World of Orea.]
Tiefling [creature does not exist on the World of Orea.]
Warforged [creature is indigenous to the setting of Eberron and, as such, does not exist on the World of Orea.]
Pretty much any setting-specific race, extraplanar business, or undead [lookin' at you vampire slave-boys] is a big ole "No-Go."

 

[Shemeska]

The Kender in 5e thread got me thinking... what races do people think should count as core?

Say you were lead designer for 6e, what would your core races be?

Human
Half-Orc
Half-Elf
Elf
Halfling
Dwarf
Gnome
Tiefling (the classic 2e/3e/PF style in all their awesome diversity)
Aasimar
Genasi (with four subtypes for air, earth, fire, and water. Again the classic 2e/3e/PF style of elemental planetouched here, not the weird glowing lines on their skin-verging on tron outfit 4e version)

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Human, elf, dwarf, halfling.

Everything else is optional. I'm fine with half-elves, half-orcs, and gnomes in play, though I don't consider them part of the "core."

 

[Yora]

Well, for another edition of D&D, the choice would be obvious:

Human
Dwarf
Elf
Gnome
Half-Elf
Half-Orc
Halfling

Just as it has always been.

 

[lutecius]

What I'd expect in a first PHB (in that order):

- human (duh)
- high elf & wood elf (if they're different)
- dwarf (only for historical reasons)
- halfling (same reasons. one flavour's enough)
- half orc (because we need a big brutish race)
- gnome (more evocative small race than hobbit)
- half elf (but it could also work as a set of feats open to humans)
- dark elf (though it doesn't really have to be in the PHB)

I wouldn't mind other races such as tiefling, dragonborn or warforged if they didn't look so dorky and their fugliness wasn't plastered all over the books, like the tiefling and dragonborn were in 4e.
 
 
 
What we actually have in our campaign:

- human
- high, wood and dark elf (not "eladrin" or "drow")
- gnome/halfling merged into a single race (gnome)
- half orc
- the occasional 3e tiefling, aasimar & genasi (we don't call them that either)

Dwarves exist (as the gnome's hillbilly relatives), as well as many other humanoids, but no one plays them.

 

[Yora]

I also have human, wood elf, dark elf, and gnome, and I changed my orcs so much I don't call them orcs anymore, but stat-wise they are closer to half-orcs.
In addition, I also have lizardfolk as a major race.

Tieflings and genasi (Planescape-style) also exist, but only as individuals and not distinct populations.

 

[SkidAce]

Main "civilizations": (in population order)

Human
Human (Norse barbarian style)
Elf (standard)
Dwarf (above ground)
Gnome (forest)
Dwarf (below ground)
Elf (high)
Hobgoblin
Ogre

 

[Dungeoneer]

What we actually have in our campaign:

<snip>
- gnome/halfling merged into a single race (gnome)

Gnomelings?!

Poor halflings...

 

[LucasC]

Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Halflings - that's probably all that I would call my 'core' races but like others that have replied here, I try to let people play anything they want and find a way to make it work in the campaign world.

Other races meant for players such as gnomes, dragonborn, warforged and the like are easy as they just require finding a way to logically and meaningfully insert them into the game world.

More exotic ones, such as dragons, ogres, vampires, demons and angels have all been played from level 1 at our gaming table over the years.