D&D as humanocetric ... or not?

[Zardnaar]

6. Any choice from a limited selection of curated races.

Basically the same as Zardnaar above, as I'm also running Midgard. The exception is that I'm willing to approve races from another source IF I think they fit the setting. Of our core party, two of the six characters are of races I approved - both from the Eberron book. One player wanted to make a Warforged; we decided he was a Gearforged of a new model (Warforged are in part made from darkwood - and in Midgard, darkwood equals Shadow Fey. Hehehhe….). Another wanted to make a Changeling; I decided those fit well with the Fey themes in the setting, and her character would essentially be a human of unknown parentage with unique powers... whose origin she's trying to discover.

Like I told a player the other day, as long as it fits the setting, I'll allow it. Midgard is pretty kitchen-sink, but there are some things that just don't fit because they simply don't exist - Half-Orcs, Drow, and Samurai for instance. But that said, 98% of the options in the core and Kobold Press books work fine.

Drow exist on Midgard. They're almost extinct as the ghouls ate them.

I don't want one in Nuria Natal, if they picked the Zobeck option where the ghouls and vampires are the big bads sure

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I understand. People have been attracted to D&D (and RPGs) for all sorts of reasons, some of which can include roleplaying something that allows you to explore the fantasy of playing the other, some of which includes the ability to express yourself in a safe environment (rp'ing as the opposite sex, or more or a Corellon-type).

It's all good. Again, though, that self-expression can be achieved in a number of ways.

Can it? Are you certain?
Because no, for me, a human or “might as well be human” literally cannot allow me to explore some of the themes of otherness I want to explore in a world where I also fight ogres and dragons and fish people. It simply doesn’t work.

edit: it’s like being told to use a 5e spear as a long spear when I say I want monks to be able to use polearms. It doesn’t work. I can pretend dragons are real because nothing about the game contradicts the idea. But to suggest that I pretend that my weapon is a reach weapon, when reach weapons exist in the game and have a specific mechanic that models reach, and my weapon lacks that mechanic, is absolutely absurd. Every time I can’t attack someone over the shoulder of my buddy, I am reminded that my spear is about as long as a short staff.

 

[Charlaquin]

I think the curated list of race options is the best way to go. That allows the DM to create a campaign world that sits anywhere they like on the spectrum from humans only to humans don’t even exist. Set the expectations exactly as you like for your campaign. Obviously, discuss this with your players, make sure they’re actually interested in playing in the kind of world you’re setting up. But yeah, the curated list of options is a powerful tool, and in my experience sadly underutilized.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Tyler Do'Urden]

Drow exist on Midgard. They're almost extinct as the ghouls ate them.

I don't want one in Nuria Natal, if they picked the Zobeck option where the ghouls and vampires are the big bads sure

Well, as far as I'm concerned there are no Drow in Midgard. Play a ghoul or a shadow fey.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

You have to break free from the bonds that enslave you, my friend. Explore your themes as you want!

It’s okay to not really get where someone is coming from. Please don’t dismiss my POV as if I’m just not playing right, though.

 

[Zardnaar]

Well, as far as I'm concerned there are no Drow in Midgard. Play a ghoul or a shadow fey.

It's a throw away paragraph in one of the books.

The shadow fey are the Drow replacement.

DM might want to focus on shadow fey not a Drow survivor.

If you're playing a new setting the DM might want to push or spotlight the major races if that setting.

 

[generic]

I checked the option of being the bigger man because I can laugh at the big men who cry.

I say that because when it comes to my games and races available to players for characters it depends on the world in which I'm running the game.

Sometimes I allow free-range race options, sometimes I restrict one or more races, usually from the non-PHB sources. Other times I'll even restrict PHB race options like dragonborn and/or drow and/or tielflings just because they don't fit the milieu of that particular world or city/setting.

My thoughts exactly... except, I uh... chose option 6 to represent a near-identical pattern of thought.

 

[Tyler Do'Urden]

Yeah, I recall that one mention as well. I recall one of the designers (may have been Wolfgang) mentioning on the Midgard Facebook Group that the setting does not have Drow, so I just chalked it up to minor editorial error in a massive book (as earlier incarnations of the setting probably did have mentions of them).

Now, what does need fleshing out is the place of Duergar in the setting... they've been mentioned in many places, and have made appearances in modules as NPCs... but where are they as an organized force?

Of course, I plan to flesh that out myself...

 

[Coroc]

In my campaigns its context and theme what determinates what is allowed.

Take my version of Greyhawk e.g. it is humans gnomes halfelves halforcs and halfdevils (tieflings). I got my reasons because it is a bit like a 30 years war scenario, and the techlevel is quasi renaissance. Elves and dwarves are to remote, halflings are the nonadventuring folks which love to stay at home. Dragonborn do not exist there and will not in my version of greyhawk.

For other official settings adapted to my preferences:
Ravenloft: I prefer all human party here, maybe a halfling or maybe a gnome or a dwarf. maybe a halfelf.
No "monster"- PC races, and that might include elves. If there are nonhumans in the party then they have to be the minority, better maximum of one, best none.

Darksun: Human Mul Dwarf Elf halfling and if someone wants a challenge Halfgiant or Thrikreen. I do not want halfelves i nmy vision of Darksun and certainly no dragonborn, not even as Dray. Also i do not want flying saurials or aaracrocra. Tieflings not being there is selfevident, no abyss only the grey.

Planescape: Humans, Genasi, Aasimar, Tieflings, Modrons, Bariaur if soemone really wants one.

FR: in my take on FR i'd allow everything from PHB eventually even Dragonborn but no Drow.

Dragonlance: Humans Elves (Silvanesti and Qualinesti) Halfelves Dwarves (Hill Mountain and Gully) Kender Eventually Minotaurs (Reskinned halforcs) Eventually tinker gnomes but i am not sure about that.

Of all races in the PHB i dislike Dragonborn the most. They need a whole lot of retconning in nearly every established setting. A lizardman or even a troglodyte would be the better reptillian PC and easier to integrate.

I like drow. They are sexy, They are evil. They are cunning mobs. They are cruel. They are perfect for an all evil campaign. Other than that they are mobs.
Drow ( the evil mobs) are more, much more evil than some other evil mobs. Certainly they are more evil than orcs. They are on par with mind flayers beholders and vampires as i see it.
Some evil humanoids have a brute primitive way to be evil, drow are intelligent planned evil, for them it is a philosophy.
It is hard to convince me that races with a very narrow tradition like drow in FR produce individuals who are different. Check out the Drizzt novels. The process and experiences Drizzt has to go through to realize that the typical drow lifestyle is nothing for him, and, more important to survive in a drow city with this atttude.
There might be some more individuals like him but to have them run around in hordes is so unlikely.
D&D worlds have sometimes more prejustice than real world (unfortunately it does exist in real world also)
For common folks it is a natural protection to see in the drow only the monster which they knwo they usually are. Some folks might have heard of Drizzt and him doing good, but it is much more likely that they lost some friend or relative to a drow raid, and their reactions to other drow would not differenciate.