D&D 5E What Nonstandard/Untraditional Races do you wish would return?

[Satyrn]

Now on topic. Nothing comes to mind for me. I've never leaned towards a non-standard race in all my time playing.

Though I guess I'd say I want something Maztica themed for racial choices. Like desert dwarves and jungle halflings.

 

[cbwjm]

I wouldn't mind a primer for 5e Dragonlance, we have the minotaur race already from a UA though I'm not sure if it needs any tweaks. I find we don't really need Kender since we have lightfoot halflings which I think are a good stand in, although I might include them gaining the sleight of hand proficiency as a standard for the race.

If playing with draconians in the age or mortals (or an evil war or the lance campaign), dragonborn don't quite fit even though they are called out in the PHB as being draconians in the dragonlance setting. I think that draconians are unique enough that they could be their own race rather than subrace. I probably wouldn't even include the death throes ability in their budget since turning to stone or dissolving into acid isn't when you die isn't much of a bonus.

Irda would be an interesting addition and the sea elves would also need to be included (I know, people are tired of elves, but I like them and I'd want the dragonlance sea elves included), it could be that they just have a shapeshifting ability added to the sea elf that came out in a UA a while back. The Kagonesti I'd probably just make wood elves although they may be better served by the Grugach subrace in the elven subrace UA.

 

[QuietBrowser]

So, apparently, Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes is going to feature PC races in it, as the high-level counterpart to Volo's Guide to Monsters. With that in mind, are there any planar races that folks hope to see return? We know for a fact that Shadar-kai will be in it, and that means Eladrin and/or Gith have a decent chance of coming along for the ride.

Personally?
* Bladeling: In the World Axis cosmology, bladelings are the former servitors of the God of War, having been his original worshippers during the Dawn War, and whilst some still retain their traditional allegiance, most broke away from him in a rage after he abandoned them in favor of the goblinoids. They've got a distinctive flavor and it would be really nice to bring them back after 4e made them playable. Plus, in 4e, it's theorized that bladelings may stem from the same racial stock that were turned into the Gith, so that's another reason.
* Hellbred: A sort of Revenant/Tiefling hybrid, the Hellbred are repentant souls of devil-worshippers who have been given a second chance to fight for the sake of their souls. That's a really strong dark fantasy race, and one I'd love to have official support for.
* Rogue Modron: It's pretty much the most iconic Planescape race that isn't a Gith or a Planetouched. Plus, the Modron March is kind of a war by Law on the Great Wheel, so it does sort of fit the theme of the book.
* Playable Fey: Across the editions, we've had Sprites, Pixies, Hamadryads, and Satyrs as PCs, so it'd be really reassuring to have a fey PC race or two just to know that the Feywild's not going to be shoved aside for the Great Wheel of old.

Those are my kneejerk thoughts. We've kind of had all of the recognizable/famous planar PC races already...

I wouldn't mind a primer for 5e Dragonlance, we have the minotaur race already from a UA though I'm not sure if it needs any tweaks. I find we don't really need Kender since we have lightfoot halflings which I think are a good stand in, although I might include them gaining the sleight of hand proficiency as a standard for the race.

If playing with draconians in the age or mortals (or an evil war or the lance campaign), dragonborn don't quite fit even though they are called out in the PHB as being draconians in the dragonlance setting. I think that draconians are unique enough that they could be their own race rather than subrace. I probably wouldn't even include the death throes ability in their budget since turning to stone or dissolving into acid isn't when you die isn't much of a bonus.

Irda would be an interesting addition and the sea elves would also need to be included (I know, people are tired of elves, but I like them and I'd want the dragonlance sea elves included), it could be that they just have a shapeshifting ability added to the sea elf that came out in a UA a while back. The Kagonesti I'd probably just make wood elves although they may be better served by the Grugach subrace in the elven subrace UA.

Fun fact; Irda were one of the original unique PC races (not counting the Kender and Tinker Gnomes, who are more like halfling & gnome variants) in the very first Dragonlance campaign setting book for AD&D, so bringing them back would be fitting.

Also, I agree that the Deep & Shoal Elves would be a good return if they brought back their racial ability to transform - add in the Deep Elves(?) innate spellcasting ability, which reinforces their "aquatic high elf" theme, and they're really a lot more interesting than the standard "you're an elf who can breathe water" aquatic elf.

 

[QuietBrowser]

So... I really don't like doing this, but I'm desperate: bumping this in hopes of figuring out where to go from here.

 

[AmerginLiath]

I’m the rare sort apparently who liked the Illumian from 3.5 and is curious how their sigil and glyph abilities would translate to 5e.

 

[QuietBrowser]

I’m the rare sort apparently who liked the Illumian from 3.5 and is curious how their sigil and glyph abilities would translate to 5e.

Huh, I'd forgotten all about the existence of the Illumian; what did their abilities give them in 3e?