Setting with no humans (or other fantasy races)

[pawsplay]

It was not a slip of the tongue. I am referring to the elves in the slogan, "No Elves." To expand the concept further: the reason Talislanta stands apart is not because a game should not have elves in it, but because Talislanta offers something different. I am sorry what I wrote has led to a misunderstanding on your part.

 

[Starfox]

The Elric RPG (Previously Stormbringer) from Chaosium has an interesting take on races. There is a plethora of origin locations, but with three exceptions, these are all humans with regional variations. Only these regional variations are huge . the difference between the people of two human nations is a lot greater than that between your typical fantasy races. And the three nonhuman races are similar enough to humans they they are also covered by the regional differences - just with a note in the text that they are, strictly speaking, not humans.

Yes, this is kind of racist (even if all of these people were basically indo-european, even the nonhumans, so its not a conventional racism issue), but I still find it an interesting and refreshing view of things.

 

[Aeolius]

Since 1998, my campaigns have been predominantly devoid of core races available as options for PCs. Granted, since 1998 my campaigns have been set primarily underwater. PCs must have a natural swim speed and be able to breathe underwater without the use of magic. Mind you, aquatic elves are always an option.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

That's silly, if you ask me. If they never play humans, what does it matter if they're there or not?

I know...I'm quoting the same thing again!

Herobizkit, your post actually inspired me to post anew in this thread:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/genera...tshell-adventures-sentence-9.html#post4924863

Check out post #180.

 

[Ferret]

Wow, that's a lot of responses!

So people really think people won't like it? I will have to 'knock up' some races and see what people think? They'll be very human like, but not human.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I'd love to know what races were in the first draft.

It is my recollection from talking with Troy that the original races appeared throughout the first book of the Prism Pentad. I recall that the Bazraags (became half-giants in the redesign), Nikaals (became elves in the redesign), Tareks (became mul in the redesign), and Jozhals (not sure what was substituted for them). There were others but I was never told. I have suspicions that gith were in the proposal.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

I think that for a lot of people (myself included, to some extent), "fantasy" means elves, dwarves, hobbits and humans plus magic plus monsters.

For some, I suspect that a setting lacking those elements (or most of them) feels more like sci-fi or something. Not saying it's not possible to pull it off (see examples given!), but I think that's what you're up against. Depends on the players!

 

[Andor]

Mechanical Dream is the only published fantasy RPG I know of that doesn't use any of the 'standard' fantasy races (ala D&D) or reskinned versions of them. Skyrealms of Jorune, Talislanta, and Tekumel a plethora of 'non-standard races' in addition to humans or variations of humans and re-skinned versions of the other 'standard' fantasy races.

Off the top of my head World Tree also lacks the standard races (including humans) although they make a point of the ease with which you can bring some in since the world is pretty porous wrt other dimensions. Isn't there also an rpg for the world of those mouse books? Redwall or somesuch? Oh and Bunnies and Burrows.

Wow, that's a lot of responses!

So people really think people won't like it? I will have to 'knock up' some races and see what people think? They'll be very human like, but not human.

It depends on your audience. If you are looking to publish, then yes you will be limiting your market. If you are making something for your own use make whatever you want and then run it by your players. I've seen group that would embrace a concept like that with both arms and others that would look at you like a german sheperd that just heard a funny noise. I don't know which camp your players would fall into.

And if want a world without humans, have a world without humans. Humans with green eyebrows and a taste for mustard beer aren't fooling anyone.

 

[jdrakeh]

Off the top of my head World Tree also lacks the standard races (including humans) although they make a point of the ease with which you can bring some in since the world is pretty porous wrt other dimensions. Isn't there also an rpg for the world of those mouse books? Redwall or somesuch? Oh and Bunnies and Burrows.

I hadn't thought about placing anthropomorphic characters in this category, as anthropomorphism is quite literally the practice of attributing human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings. The characters of Bunnies & Burrows, Mouse Guard, Iron Claw, et al. don't look like humans, but in all other regards, they very much are human.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The difference is, though, that people probably know going into a Mouse Guard campaign that there are no humans.

Telling people you're playing D&D campaign- or any other RPG that does have humans in its default setting- and then tell them there are no humans? They might feel that there has been a bait-and-switch.