Brainstorming Beautiful "Orcs" and "Goblins"

[Kaodi]

I am a big Eberron fan. Inspired are great, but they suffer slightly in one regard; that they are more of a high level threat.

 

[Squire James]

If you are going to have such a race, it is almost required that they have some odious social habit that evokes a stronger negative reaction than their beauty would a positive reaction. Otherwise, humans would accept them, and would probably not remain "evil" by human standards for long.

Even in the "secret evil" scenario, the secret pretty much has to be some odious behavior, or they would generate very little drama or excitement (no worse than the 100 humans in that jail over there). Given how beauty is somewhat over-valued in human society, it almost has to be something like cannibalism or genocide complex for the evil to "stick".

It's probably easier to declare elves and/or dwarves evil and go on from there...

 

[Kaodi]

Even in the "secret evil" scenario, the secret pretty much has to be some odious behavior, or they would generate very little drama or excitement (no worse than the 100 humans in that jail over there). Given how beauty is somewhat over-valued in human society, it almost has to be something like cannibalism or genocide complex for the evil to "stick".

I think genocide might be the goto behaviour, or maybe sacrifice. In the idea I expounded upon above, I think it would definitely be a case of, " There is this group of people living nearby who at any moment may bug out and decide to kill everyone here. "

 

[Loonook]

A good try, but personally I am not feeling it. Cannibalism might be shocking when it is a familiar good race doing it (i.e. Dark Sun's cannibal halflings), but as bad races go, it is pretty par for the course. Also, as was pointed out to me several times, skinny and dextrous has kind of been done as well.

(Edit: Also, in regards to humanity: yes, it could describe them, but if we stopped there we would not rectify the imbalance in D&D races.)

Why not just make them into the next step from Spartans?

I was just reading this article
and thinking about your hypothesis. Around this I was thinking about two of the concepts: the Tasmanian Devil and the Shark.

The race reproduces at a rate much higher than would normally be expected by population norms... And there's a reason. The race matures physically quicker than it does mentally. The young are the size of a muscular ten year old by the time they are three and are used by their adult members as laborers for the next few years to supply their crops. Many individuals believe these laborers are actually a whole different race, as the population treats them as a slave race.

Juvenile: +2 Str. They have their Adult Strength, but all other skills are treated as children. They are frail beasts of burden, but they are used for their skills. They are Medium size by inches, but are useful in the field.


The young are sent into tunnels beneath the ancient cities to see who could survive. Years are spent in the tunnels, surviving off of lichen, detritus, and other children. The process separates the weakest and less intelligent.. And explains why there are never children seen among the race. Young Adults come out of the tunnels pale, wan, and hungry... They are rewarded with a life supplied by their younger brethren's toils as they are tutored and formed into their adult forms.

Adult Stats: As Pathfinder Humans.

What? Why would you do this? Because some will survive for reasons others would never understand. Intimidation, survival, an ability to disable the traps set around the complex/make traps, climbing, sneaking... There are plenty of reasons for such an individual to survive.

There are no reasons for extreme stat boosts in the population.

Slainte,

-Loonook.

 

[Kaodi]

Drow kind of already do the " kill your siblings " schtick as well.

The mating article has put me in mind for something else though... Perhaps they are the real humanoid equivalent of 3e's dragons, in the sense that they have a bizarre mating ability that lets them crossbreed with all sorts of creatures. Their sin is bestiality and an accompanying "progenitor of monsters" motif. The core race is exceedingly beautiful, but their mixed offspring are often ugly, bizarre, and freaks.

 

[Loonook]

Drow kind of already do the " kill your siblings " schtick as well.

The mating article has put me in mind for something else though... Perhaps they are the real humanoid equivalent of 3e's dragons, in the sense that they have a bizarre mating ability that lets them crossbreed with all sorts of creatures. Their sin is bestiality and an accompanying "progenitor of monsters" motif. The core race is exceedingly beautiful, but their mixed offspring are often ugly, bizarre, and freaks.

So fratricide is out but bestiality/monstecest is okay?

Alright... I'm out. Have fun with that.

Slainte,

-Loonook.

 

[Kaodi]

So fratricide is out but bestiality/monstecest is okay?

I never said fratricide was unacceptably bad. I said it has been done. Two entirely different things.

 

[GSHamster]

Another idea is to take elves, maybe knock off the pointed ears, and add something that differentiates themselves. Maybe wings.

Then just go with the standard cold and cruel, but the fact that they have wings will be enough that the resulting culture and society will be very different than elves.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I never said fratricide was unacceptably bad. I said it has been done.

Out of context, this sounds like awesome BBEG dialogue.

 

[Loonook]

I never said fratricide was unacceptably bad. I said it has been done. Two entirely different things.

So has xenophilia to create monsters... In fact it is one of the oldest tropes. My idea actually gives you an option for multi-tiered lifeforms that aren't flashy... because evil isn't stat-based.

Slainte,

-Loonook.