D&D 5E What is the appeal of the weird fantasy races?

[Snarf Zagyg]

I've known too many elfophiles to believe it's close to universal.

Hell, 4 of my last 5 characters have been either elves or half-elves; I blame the joy that is the Elven Accuracy feat.

There are only two tragedies in life; one if not getting to play the race one wants, and the other is playing an elf.

 

[Gammadoodler]

There are only two tragedies in life; one if not getting to play the race one wants, and the other is playing an elf.

Sounds like something a bard would say.

 

[TwoSix]

There are only two tragedies in life; one if not getting to play the race one wants, and the other is playing an elf.

True enough, my life would have been much brighter if they had just renamed that feat "Halfling Precision".

But getting to roll 3 dice when you have advantage? I just can't quit you!

 

[reelo]

Shhhh, @Neonchameleon. Halflings have the Tolkien Stamp of Approval, so, therefore, they are completely and utterly normal in and expected in a D&D game. Any criticisms of how various races make about as much sense as a cardboard hammer will summarily be ignored by those who abide by Tolkien Standards and Practices.

Shame that the early D&D writers weren't more into Lewis than Tolkien. Then we'd be reversing the argument right now.

Actually, I wouldn't mind ditching Halflings in favour of Gnomes. I always found Halflings to be kind of bland, and Gnomes a lot more interesting. To the Elves the forests, to the Dwarves the Mountains, to the Humans the plains, and to the Gnomes to foothills. For each race 1-2 "antagonist races" and that's all the sentient species a world needs.

 

[SkidAce]

Got rid of halflings in favor of gnomes back in the 80s.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Got rid of halflings in favor of gnomes back in the 80s.

What's even the difference? This is a good reason for getting rid of some of the races; if you put them all in the same setting there is just so much overlap.

 

[Gammadoodler]

Seems like halflings could just be half-dwarves.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

True enough, my life would have been much brighter if they had just renamed that feat "Halfling Precision".

But getting to roll 3 dice when you have advantage? I just can't quit you!

The importance of that 3-dice roll advantage is a notion that came into favor during one of the many frenzied, drug-fueled pro-elf orgies that occasionally dot the excesses of the worst of the D&D culture; but everyone should understand that the experiment would churn up this kind of hangover; a whole subculture of frightened elf-players with no faith in anything and a vacant stare as they stumble between the 10,838 various subraces of elf.

 

[TwoSix]

Seems like halflings could just be half-dwarves.

In one campaign I ran, the only original races were humans, elves, dwarves, and gnomes; stout halflings were gnome-dwarf hybrids, and lightfoot halflings were gnome-elf hybrids; both races quickly became more numerous than their original ancestors.

 

[TwoSix]

The importance of that 3-dice roll advantage is a notion that came into favor during one of the many frenzied, drug-fueled pro-elf orgies that occasionally dot the excesses of the worst of the D&D culture; but everyone should understand that the experiment would churn up this kind of hangover; a whole subculture of frightened elf-players with no faith in anything and a vacant stare as they stumble between the 10,838 various subraces of elf.

My next campaign is going to be called "Requiem for an Arvandor", the only race choice is Black Tar elves.