D&D 5E Am I no longer WoTC's target audience?

[Tallifer]

If a player just needs the race for a mechanical benefit, I urge him to refluff it to fit in more. A tiefling can be a human Drew Barrymore fire starter.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Campaign aren't going to be distinct if each setting allows an array of goofball PC races.

At least Tieflings aren't Kender. Think that race is owrma banned in everything twice on Dragonlance and Spelljammer

Actually they might work on Spelljammer. Ban em just in case.

I’m talking about within the specific setting. The settings themselves should offer enough that’s different without really having to rely on PC race to make a huge difference.

So, within Greyhawk, having a party that’s made up of non-human members that are typically considered evil might serve as a nice change of pace from the typical Greyhawk party.

Maybe each is an outcast from their own society and they’ve banded together as a kind of makeshift family. They’re wandering mercenaries doing the jobs no other groups are willing to do.

Or maybe their one of Iuz’s groups of specialists, sent out to raid tombs in search of artifacts to strengthen his cause.

I mean... the possibilities seem pretty wide open.

 

[Fenris-77]

You can always forge a narrative to fit a group of players. Both the ideas above sound pretty cool and would both be games I'd have some interest in running or playing in. What I don't want, however, is to pitch a more traditional GH game, and end up with that party. Not because the party is somehow bad because it's not GH standard, but because in GH that group will be great in a very different kind of story than the one I want to help tell.

I'm not going to tell people what to play, and I'm generally quite flexible, but I do have some expectation that the players will show some buy-in to whatever the pitch was for the game and plan characters accordingly.

 

[hawkeyefan]

You can always forge a narrative to fit a group of players. Both the ideas above sound pretty cool and would both be games I'd have some interest in running or playing in. What I don't want, however, is to pitch a more traditional GH game, and end up with that party. Not because the party is somehow bad because it's not GH standard, but because in GH that group will be great in a very different kind of story than the one I want to help tell.

I'm not going to tell people what to play, and I'm generally quite flexible, but I do have some expectation that the players will show some buy-in to whatever the pitch was for the game and plan characters accordingly.

Yeah, absolutely! I expect that most actual games where people are interacting in a friendly way to play a game won’t get as confrontational as an online discussion where people give their opinion and then dig their heels in for the rest of the conversation.

I think that any game is likely going to have expectations...and everyone may be aware of them. My point is that sometimes, changing those expectations up can result in something different and refreshing.

And as far as the setting itself, I feel like this makes more sense as a table decision. There’s room in Greyhawk for all these races. If there’s no room for some in a particular game and the participants are all aware of that and cool with it, then that’s awesome. It’s easier for a group to remove some options than it is to add them.

Edited to add: I meant to include this with my post. I personally almost always play humans. I feel like the diversity of the human race pretty much has things covered as far as roleplaying goes. Elves and dwarves don’t really feel as distinct from humans....they just seem like people with one exaggerated quality...aloof and gruff.

So I get it. But I also kbow my players like to play different kinds of characters so I stopped worrying about it so much.

 

[Zardnaar]

I’m talking about within the specific setting. The settings themselves should offer enough that’s different without really having to rely on PC race to make a huge difference.

So, within Greyhawk, having a party that’s made up of non-human members that are typically considered evil might serve as a nice change of pace from the typical Greyhawk party.

Maybe each is an outcast from their own society and they’ve banded together as a kind of makeshift family. They’re wandering mercenaries doing the jobs no other groups are willing to do.

Or maybe their one of Iuz’s groups of specialists, sent out to raid tombs in search of artifacts to strengthen his cause.

I mean... the possibilities seem pretty wide open.

Different type of campaign. Evil campaign in evil lands sure, but that's not the normal campaign type.

I've run Drow campaigns before. Situations like that it's fine but you're not walking into Hommlet with your circus band of oddities.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Different type of campaign. Evil campaign in evil lands sure, but that's not the normal campaign type.

I've run Drow campaigns before. Situations like that it's fine but you're not walking into Hommlet with your circus band of oddities.

It depends. I’m not specifically saying an evil campaign, though you could go that route.

The characters could start off in Nulb, though. Or maybe they’re outcasts from the moathouse or the Temple itself.

Maybe they really have to work extra hard to win over the people of Hommlet. Maybe the people of Hommlet are desperate enough to accept any help they can get. Maybe you can have Rufus and Burne vouch for one or more of the PCs.

Or you could just change some details in Hommlet. Maybe some of the heroes from Emridy Meadows were non-humans and so the people there are more accepting.

I mean, it’s make believe. Sure, some restrictions may make sense and may help the story. But to adhere to them blindly out of some misplaced sense of fidelity to the fiction is odd.

 

[Zardnaar]

It depends. I’m not specifically saying an evil campaign, though you could go that route.

The characters could start off in Nulb, though. Or maybe they’re outcasts from the moathouse or the Temple itself.

Maybe they really have to work extra hard to win over the people of Hommlet. Maybe the people of Hommlet are desperate enough to accept any help they can get. Maybe you can have Rufus and Burne vouch for one or more of the PCs.

Or you could just change some details in Hommlet. Maybe some of the heroes from Emridy Meadows were non-humans and so the people there are more accepting.

I mean, it’s make believe. Sure, some restrictions may make sense and may help the story. But to adhere to them blindly out of some misplaced sense of fidelity to the fiction is odd.

I think things should be internally consistent. It doesn't really matter what a setting is trying to do as long as it makes sense for that setting.

Monster races on GH aren't that usual. By monster I mean anything that's not a human or demihumans or similar in appearance.

The way Drizzt got treated in Sojourn is what I would expect. Not pitchforks and burnings although things could go that way I suppose.

Barely tolerated in border regions is about the best you can hope for IMHO.

Exceptional PC's might be able to change that if they're famous for good deeds and/or hire bards to spread stories of them.

 

[Tallifer]

I find it preferable as a dungeon master to run in a looser campaign setting (or refluff it as such), because restrictive campaign settings are very rarely popular with the majority of players, and I want to play with a variety of other people.

 

[Fenris-77]

Exceptional PC's might be able to change that if they're famous for good deeds and/or hire bards to spread stories of them.

Toss a coin to your Witcher...

 

[Zardnaar]

I find it preferable as a dungeon master to run in a looser campaign setting (or refluff it as such), because restrictive campaign settings are very rarely popular with the majority of players, and I want to play with a variety of other people.

I like variety. If players don't want a restricted game though I wouldn't try and force it.

I gave my new players a choice between Midgard Vikings/Egypt/Magi tech, Greyhawk and FR and they picked Egypt theme.

If I ran gritty old school GH with randoms I would advertise it as such and point it out session 0.