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

[Ruin Explorer]

I'd be shocked if goblins replace halflings, they're pretty iconic to D&D. Sure they overlap in being small and kind of sneaky, but goblins are kind of the grittier, more neutral/evil choice for sneaky characters. Like how the half-orc is for fighters/barbarians.

I actually agree but I think it's quite a narrow thing. Half-Orcs are an interesting thing to mention because I think they're one of the more "vulnerable" races in current D&D, as they have a less distinct identity and hit less archetypes. Halflings are just barely iconic/popular enough to keep blocking Goblins. Goblins, in general, are seen as more mischievous than outright evil, note, especially among younger players (in my experience), and double-especially among people whose primary experience of Goblins comes from sources other than D&D (where Goblin-type races are wildly more common than Halfling-type ones).

I think they'd already have replaced Gnomes with 5E if it wasn't for the fact that Gnomes are kind of the only clear "Smart guy" archetype in modern D&D (Elves sorta hang around there but it's not been primary thing since 2E High Elves/Grey Elves really).

I think going through the races of D&D and exploring their archetypes would be entire thread of it's own, but certainly I would say the most vulnerable 5E race for replacement is Half-Orc, closely followed by Gnome, more distantly trailed by Halfling. I think Half-Orcs could be replaced in the PHB by Goliaths or Warforged or a number of other races (including actual-Orcs) and there would be very little outcry - indeed I suspect such a replacement would please more people than it upset.

Half-Elves should, in theory, be vulnerable, because basically they don't do anything humans and elves don't do and the half-race thing isn't like, particularly attractive in and of itself, but they're wildly popular, and have been since at least 2E, and sort of carved out a schtick of "The key benefits of Elf plus flexibility and a lack of elven cultural baggage!"/. that you get to pretend your superhuman, great-looking, long-lived self is "trapped between two cultures" and thus some sort of implausible "underdog" despite their manifest advantages is just gravy.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Maybe WotC could publish a "Race Compendium" or "Races of Legends" with a compilation of most popular no-core PC races and with optional lists of racial traits for all. This would allow to play a gnome druid or an orc shaman. But then we would need the ultimate list of classes, and this will a lot of time.

 

[Li Shenron]

Well, if those are really common to many settings then I would understand putting them in the PHB, but I am a bit surprised they are...

Which settings regularly feature Goblins, Deep Gnomes and Aasimars? Just asking because I don't know. I guess Goblins are in Eberron but I don't think they were in the original book in 3e. Aasimars in Planescape of course. I don't think Forgotten Realms really counts because it has almost everything you can think about...

In general I think a D&D PHB should focus on races that are essential to a few main settings, not just races that have an appearance in lots of them. In fact, if it wasn't for the decision to include stuff from all editions PHBs in 5e PHB, I don't think we would have gotten Tiefling and Dragonborn.

Additionally, you have to consider 2 more potential problems:

- if you include something in the PHB, you better prepare for supporting it in other supplements regularly, or face the "why no love for class/race X?" criticism

- if one race has different takes in different settings, you'll have to reprint it anyway (I'm thinking about Goblins here, there's a huge difference between Tolkien-goblins and Warcraft-goblins, and different settings base their version on one or the other. In 5e you can maybe get away with 2 subraces, but still...)

 

[gyor]

A beginner box would be humans-only.

No, they contain more then that.

 

[gyor]

Well, if those are really common to many settings then I would understand putting them in the PHB, but I am a bit surprised they are...

Which settings regularly feature Goblins, Deep Gnomes and Aasimars? Just asking because I don't know. I guess Goblins are in Eberron but I don't think they were in the original book in 3e. Aasimars in Planescape of course. I don't think Forgotten Realms really counts because it has almost everything you can think about...

In general I think a D&D PHB should focus on races that are essential to a few main settings, not just races that have an appearance in lots of them. In fact, if it wasn't for the decision to include stuff from all editions PHBs in 5e PHB, I don't think we would have gotten Tiefling and Dragonborn.

Additionally, you have to consider 2 more potential problems:

- if you include something in the PHB, you better prepare for supporting it in other supplements regularly, or face the "why no love for class/race X?" criticism

- if one race has different takes in different settings, you'll have to reprint it anyway (I'm thinking about Goblins here, there's a huge difference between Tolkien-goblins and Warcraft-goblins, and different settings base their version on one or the other. In 5e you can maybe get away with 2 subraces, but still...)

If a playable race keeps being reprinted, it's a sign it's essential.

And of course FR counts, it doesn't have everything, just nearly so.

Goblins as playable appeared in VGTM, GMGtR, and ERftLW. And if we get more MtG settings for D&D they could be reprinted even more. That suggests that yes they are essential to a lot of settings. And I say this as someone who is not a fan of D&D Goblins (I prefer Bugbears and some none D&D Goblins). It's just practical. And they appear as villians in almost every single classical D&D setting, except Athas.

Aasimar are essential IMHO for the Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Nentir Vale, and possibly other settings, appear in Eberron, and fit into more like Greyhawk, Spelljammer, and others. Plus they are connected in a way to Tieflings and Genasi traditionally, as the Planetouched races. Aasimar are very important in FR, they are not just another race. They are living Gods in FR in the form of Aasimar, they are important to nations in the Old Empires region, there is a Aasimar Priest of Mask who helped bring Mask back, a city of Aasimar in Gates of the Moon, and their is of course traditional odd ball Aasimar. And more.

Goliaths are important to FR and Nentir Vale and in the form of Half Giants Athas.

Genasi are important to Faerun, Athas (4e), Planescape, Nentir Vale.

Shifters are important to Faerun, Nentir Vale, and Eberron obviously.

 

[gyor]

I actually agree but I think it's quite a narrow thing. Half-Orcs are an interesting thing to mention because I think they're one of the more "vulnerable" races in current D&D, as they have a less distinct identity and hit less archetypes. Halflings are just barely iconic/popular enough to keep blocking Goblins. Goblins, in general, are seen as more mischievous than outright evil, note, especially among younger players (in my experience), and double-especially among people whose primary experience of Goblins comes from sources other than D&D (where Goblin-type races are wildly more common than Halfling-type ones).

I think they'd already have replaced Gnomes with 5E if it wasn't for the fact that Gnomes are kind of the only clear "Smart guy" archetype in modern D&D (Elves sorta hang around there but it's not been primary thing since 2E High Elves/Grey Elves really).

I think going through the races of D&D and exploring their archetypes would be entire thread of it's own, but certainly I would say the most vulnerable 5E race for replacement is Half-Orc, closely followed by Gnome, more distantly trailed by Halfling. I think Half-Orcs could be replaced in the PHB by Goliaths or Warforged or a number of other races (including actual-Orcs) and there would be very little outcry - indeed I suspect such a replacement would please more people than it upset.

Half-Elves should, in theory, be vulnerable, because basically they don't do anything humans and elves don't do and the half-race thing isn't like, particularly attractive in and of itself, but they're wildly popular, and have been since at least 2E, and sort of carved out a schtick of "The key benefits of Elf plus flexibility and a lack of elven cultural baggage!"/. that you get to pretend your superhuman, great-looking, long-lived self is "trapped between two cultures" and thus some sort of implausible "underdog" despite their manifest advantages is just gravy.

You could fold Half Elves and Half Orcs into humans like Pathfinder 2e does.

Anyways here is FRs city of aasimar:

Selûnarra

Selûnarra, also known as Opus in Loross, was a Netherese enclave whose patron was Selûne. The city's population escaped the phaerimm and Karsus's Folly by the grace of Selûne in the Year of Sundered Webs, −339 DR. Unlike many of the other enclaves of ancient Netheril, the arcanists of Opus...

forgottenrealms.fandom.com

 

[Li Shenron]

If a playable race keeps being reprinted, it's a sign it's essential.

No. It's just a sign they are useful in those settings. Not even necessarily "essential" as PC races in all those settings, and certainly not "essential" in the core.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

If a playable race keeps being reprinted, it's a sign it's essential.

That's just too simplistic. You have to look at why it's it's being reprinted, if it's popular with players (rather than DMs/setting writers, who often have odd ideas about "cool" races), what archetypes it covers, and whether it's actually popular enough to displace other PHB races. That's your bar.

 

[Marandahir]

Cutting out Gnomes, Bards, Barbarians, Monks, Druids, Half-Orcs, Sorcerers and Monks from the 1st PHB is one of the many contributing factors for why 4e is looked down on. I know that every one of those did come back in PHB2 and PHB3, but by then the damage was done.

I loved 4e, but I entirely agree with this statement.

There's a reason 5e included Warlocks and Tieflings and Dragonborn. No PHB cuts.

(Battle Master Fighter was SUPPOSED to represent the Warlord character archetype, but since then we've also had Banneret with a different take…).

Maybe WotC could publish a "Race Compendium" or "Races of Legends" with a compilation of most popular no-core PC races and with optional lists of racial traits for all. This would allow to play a gnome druid or an orc shaman. But then we would need the ultimate list of classes, and this will a lot of time.

This would be great, but remember that AL only allows PHB+1. There's a reason the "main" expansion books (Volo, Xanathar, Mordenkainen) focus on EITHER Races or Classes. Setting Guides dabble with a bit of both, so you can get some weird and interesting combinations, but when it comes to +1, in general, you're either using PHB Races + expansion classes, or PHB classes + expansion races.

 

[Coroc]

...

So Goblins, Deep Gnomes, and Aasimar should be in the PHB, possible other races as well.

But as being absolutely optional and campaign dependant. Or are the FR fans cool now with a Goblin promenading the market in Waterdeep? I would expect a torch and pitchfork mob, because maybe farmers have lost their relatives to Goblins.