D&D General How To Reconcile the Settings

[Nellisir]

What I tend to find weird is having multiple sentient species full stop. Earth has only ever had 2 sentient species (that I'm aware of) at a single time and now we're down to one.

It depends on how exactly you classify human species, but right now it's looking like around 100,000 - 50,000 years ago or so there were at least 5 human species concurrently. Us, Neandertals, Denisovans,Homo Floresiensis (hobbit people), Luzonensis. There are quite a few additional that are unclear/subject to debate. Denisovans are apparently divided again into 3 different populations. It all gets really fuzzy though; they've found one individual who is first generation Neandertal and Denisovan, (one parent from one group, the other from the other). They could hybridize with each other and with us (and did).

 

[Zardnaar]

It depends on how exactly you classify human species, but right now it's looking like around 100,000 - 50,000 years ago or so there were at least 5 human species concurrently. Us, Neandertals, Denisovans,Homo Floresiensis (hobbit people), Luzonensis. There are quite a few additional that are unclear/subject to debate. Denisovans are apparently divided again into 3 different populations. It all gets really fuzzy though; they've found one individual who is first generation Neandertal and Denisovan, (one parent from one group, the other from the other). They could hybridize with each other and with us (and did).

More subraces in D&D terms.

 

[Oofta]

Well sure, of course. It's just you've been kind of stating "It's not possible for a world to sustain many sentient species," which I think is easily refuted by actual population/species figures.

Also I found 44 different species of carnivores in Africa (many of which double as prey to other carnivores, but humanoids eat other humanoids so whatever). And yes, some of these are pretty similar species... but so are the various species of elves and goblinoids for example.

Category:Carnivorans of Africa - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Umm...I don't remember saying it was impossible. I think it's unlikely that there would be dozens of races. Heck I think it's unlikely that we'd have more than a handful simply because of our own history.

As far as the number of predators in Africa, I was listing larger species only.

 

[Nellisir]

But if we look at the carnivore niche, there's really not that much variety. Lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, wild dogs.

Well, if you boil it a little further, I think every large terrestrial carnivore currently in existence is a dog, cat, or bear...and has been for some time. Plus crocodilians and monitor lizards. And snakes. So....6. I mean, there's not a lot of variety in carnivores at that scale anyways.

Numbers go up a LOT in the ocean.

 

[Nellisir]

More subraces in D&D terms.

Like I said, it depends on how you classify species. The quoted author said 2, so that's either Neandertals & us, or they're considering dolphins or chimps or something. Either way, it's more than two.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Umm...I don't remember saying it was impossible. I think it's unlikely that there would be dozens of races. Heck I think it's unlikely that we'd have more than a handful simply because of our own history.

As far as the number of predators in Africa, I was listing larger species only.

It's just a really weird argument to make, that a planet can't create enough food to support multiple sentient species.

Now, if you really want to support the idea that multiple sentient species is unrealistic, just say that whichever race is dominant will hunt down all the others, so on until only one species is left. That's what we did to the Neanderthals after all, intentionally or not.

 

[cbwjm]

Like I said, it depends on how you classify species. The quoted author said 2, so that's either Neandertals & us, or they're considering dolphins or chimps or something. Either way, it's more than two.

I was thinking of neanderthals and us. I'd forgotten about the denisovans, I've only read a single article on them. Not even sure if I had heard of the others. Thing is, that is still only a relatively small amount when compared with DnD fantasy worlds. Even if you just stick to the players handbook races, you have more than that. I don't find it very realistic to include dozens of races but then, like I said, I will just shrug and go "It's fantasy."

 

[Legatus Legionis]

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[Zardnaar]

Alot of races in D&D were created not evolved. And their gods often taught them magic and other ways to defend themselves.

If D&D races existed on Earth odds are the forests of Germany and Poland wouldn't have been cleared and Switzerland would be a Dwarven redoubt.

 

[Laurefindel]

Personally I will play and run a variety of settings, the default expectatiin is roughly the phb sans Tieflings, Dragonborn and Drow.

Even then I'm not opposed to them existing they are just on the bottom of the heap for being cut in Homebrew.

I'm not exactly a purist either when it comes to old settings. I'm not opposed to adding things as long as they are not shoehorned in or don't fit.

For some settings such as FR anything goes even if your PC is from lands unknown. Shoehorning something in like dropping huge nation's if Dragonborn in a'la 4E.

(...)

And just because something exists doesn't mean players should have access to it. Drow are a prime example.

(...)

Generally less is more IMHO., for each phb race cut replace it with something else. Exceptions are settings like Eberron, FR, Spelljammer which lean towards anything goes.

I agree that less is more. But I disagree that everything has to go, even if it’s set in a setting where everything does go.

I usually play FR as my setting of choice, but my game typically has a much narrower focus.

So my Silver Marches is not a setting where everything goes. My Cormyr game is not a setting where everything goes. My « dwarven shield dwarves meet gold dwarves » game is not a setting where everything goes, even if in the meta-setting, everything does have a place.

The mood, atmosphere and themes chosen for a game have precedence over broad setting guidelines.