D&D 5E criteria for new races to be added to the PHB

[Kobold Avenger]

IF they were a inexpensive paperback rulebook for, say, $10 sitting on the shelf of your local store, then yes. The Beginner's Box and Essentials Kit sorta do and are probably the best entryway to D&D.

But as they are presented at this time, no. To my mind, the Basic Rules do not serve that purpose adequately.

They definitely should have a $5-$10 book with staples for the Basic Rules, and they should make it more visible on their website, and to Search Engine Optimization. But that's on them. The point is that the PHB is already of the "2nd tier" of the game. Now I get they do want people shelling out $40+ to get a book, but the PHB is already a "But wait! There's more!" already.

D&D 5e is sort of a F2P game in terms of video games, and the PHB, DMG and MM are the DLC.

 

[MGibster]

I'm of the opinion that a PC's race rarely has any significant influence on how the game is played. Does it really make a difference if a PC is a Goliath versus a Half-Orc? I would prefer it if player races were tailored to the setting. Aasimar, Tieflings, and even Half-Orcs don't make sense in every setting. Personally I'm not too keen on Dragonborn in the main book. I'd prefer if they stick to the basic races: Human, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling, and maybe one or two others.

 

[Marandahir]

I'm of the opinion that a PC's race rarely has any significant influence on how the game is played. Does it really make a difference if a PC is a Goliath versus a Half-Orc? I would prefer it if player races were tailored to the setting. Aasimar, Tieflings, and even Half-Orcs don't make sense in every setting. Personally I'm not too keen on Dragonborn in the main book. I'd prefer if they stick to the basic races: Human, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling, and maybe one or two others.

That's heavily biased toward traditional settings, though (by that I mean, Greyhawk/Blackmoor/Mystara/Dragonlance/Forgotten Realms/Middle-earth). Those are in the Basic Rules and the Starter Set.

It's also biased against later editions of the games. PHB should satisfy folks to build characters from their previous editions relatively easily. Tiefling and Dragonborn were in 4e PHB, so they needed to be in 5e PHB to allow those player's to rebuild without waiting until, say, Volo's Guide to Monsters, to make that core character a thing.

 

[Garthanos]

I am actually the opposite. I would prefer the PHB be to have only a few races (4-5 max) and then it should soon be followed by (or published at the same time) a "Complete Races" splat book that has all the races. So in the neighborhood of 50-60 races. The PHB is for those you just want to get started, then every option under the sun is in the supplement.

And Gnome lovers unite with others who were disenfranchised with change and burn your edition to the ground.... oh sorry already happened

 

[Tallifer]

Okay so playable Goblins stats have appeared in 3 different books, 3 or more settings, possible with more to come. Bugbears, Hobgoblins, Goliaths, have appeared twice. Deep Gnomes stats have appeared 3 times. Playable Aasimar have published twice (although with different stats), they have gotten mentions in Wayfarer's Guide, Volo's Guide, the DMG, the SCAG.

If you keep reprinting a playing race or subrace or they keep popping up in multiple settings in a playable context, it's a sign that they should have been put into the PHB in the first place.

To me, it is simply a sign that WotC should stop wasting customers' money and reprinting stuff in different books. Each book should have fresh content.

 

[Hussar]

@gyor - first off, I 100% agree with you.

But, as this thread shows, it's never going to happen. When even stuff as popular as dragonborn are still considered "weird", your chances of getting large numbers of non-Tolkien races in the PHB are very, very close to zero. Gamers are far, far too wedded to tradition and will go absolutely beserk if WotC dared to suggest that anything other than the AD&D PHB races were actually part of the D&D experience. I mean, tieflings have been in the game for decades and people STILL think they're too weird for the DMG.

Heck, upthread, someone said lizardfolk are too weird for the PHB.

Personally, I'm utterly baffled by it, but, there you go. You can't have what you want because.... say it with me now...

 

[bedir than]

To me, it is simply a sign that WotC should stop wasting customers' money and reprinting stuff in different books. Each book should have fresh content.

WotC should not operate under the assumption that the only people they should serve are completionists and diehards.

 

[delphonso]

In an argument for reprinting races - not everyone buys every book, so presumably they can pick a book which covers the races their players are interested in, alongside a setting.

The other extreme would be not reprinting, but printing several books to require collection (or piracy).

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I'm of the opinion that a PC's race rarely has any significant influence on how the game is played. Does it really make a difference if a PC is a Goliath versus a Half-Orc? I would prefer it if player races were tailored to the setting. Aasimar, Tieflings, and even Half-Orcs don't make sense in every setting. Personally I'm not too keen on Dragonborn in the main book. I'd prefer if they stick to the basic races: Human, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling, and maybe one or two others.

I know that most players I know under the age of 30 would have skipped past dnd if the phb only had the core 4 races.

IME, race matters a great deal in actual play. A Goliath and half-orc are almost never roleplayed the same, and Goliath players are eager to use Powerful Build, while half-orc players enjoy either playing into or against type with menacing and savage attacks.

The two are as different IME as humans and dwarfs.

 

[gyor]

@gyor - first off, I 100% agree with you.

But, as this thread shows, it's never going to happen. When even stuff as popular as dragonborn are still considered "weird", your chances of getting large numbers of non-Tolkien races in the PHB are very, very close to zero. Gamers are far, far too wedded to tradition and will go absolutely beserk if WotC dared to suggest that anything other than the AD&D PHB races were actually part of the D&D experience. I mean, tieflings have been in the game for decades and people STILL think they're too weird for the DMG.

Heck, upthread, someone said lizardfolk are too weird for the PHB.

Personally, I'm utterly baffled by it, but, there you go. You can't have what you want because.... say it with me now...

Even if there is 100% practical value to it? I mean I'm not suggesting adding every possible race, I have an 100% logical, practical, unbiased criteria that can be applied race by race to see if it makes sense to put them in the PHB. Surely tradition is not the only criteria that should decide this, but practical benefical improvements to the game and the improve effiemcy and duplication should have an impact too.

And lets be honest even the traditional PHB races are only Tolkienist in only the most superifical ways.