D&D 5E What is the appeal of the weird fantasy races?

[dave2008]

I'm not @Monayuris and I'm not speaking for them, but I find the less humanlike races harder to make as actual fictional people--there's just too much of a gulf between them and me. I find it easier to do with more humanlike characters--and yes, I find it easiest to do with humans. That's not a judgment on people wanting to play what they want to play, just my preference for what I play.

I don't understand the bolded part. What is an actual fictional people. Isn't that basically an oxymoron?

Why does there need to be a gulf? I am reminded of a story by director Ang Lee tell a story about working with his writer on Eat, Drink, Man, Women. The writer (who is Jewish) was trying to write a story about an Asian (Chinese?) family. Lee kept complaining that it didn't feel like an Asian family time and time again. Finally, the writer gave up and wrote about his Jewish family and Lee said he nailed it, he perfectly captured an Asian family.

The point is there are more similarities than differences. I thing that would generally be true of any sapient humanoid PC, unless you wish to make it otherwise.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Well that doesn't track. I grew up on Sesame Street and Eureka's Castle, and have no clue what Daniel Tiger even is, but I'd certainly rather play monsters than kill them, and I can't imagine what about any of those shows encourages anything other than living peacefully alongside those who are very different from ourselves.

Daniel Tiger is an animated series set in Mr. Roger's Land of Makebelieve.

Me <-- Gen Xer with a small child

 

[Oofta]

Huh? There are lots of monsters on Sesame Street and to a one they’re good people. Maybe Oscar is a bit of a grouch, but nothing about the show would suggest killing him would be a good thing. Sesame Street is all about the love and tolerance.
...

Wow. I mean, really? Cookie monster is a good guy? I mean, "monster" is right in the name. If you actually ate as many cookies as he did you're health would be at risk! Evil and insidious, I can only imagine that he was secretly funded by insulin manufacturers and diet companies looking at future revenue.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

In fact ever since 4e, Tieflings literally are humans indelibly marked by their culture’s demonology.

Yeah, basically.

But also kinda not. They’re the descendants of such people, but they aren’t necessarily human. And that matters when telling a story.

Daniel Tiger is an animated series set in Mr. Roger's Land of Makebelieve.

Me <-- Gen Xer with a small child

well that sounds absolutely delightful.

 

[Charlaquin]

Yeah, basically.

But also kinda not. They’re the descendants of such people, but they aren’t necessarily human. And that matters when telling a story.

Well. The implication is that there’s probably some fiend mixed in there, sure. But also, the child of a human and a tiefling is always a tiefling. I suppose you could interpret that in different ways, but my reading has always been that tiefling isn’t so much a “race” (whatever that means in a D&D context) but rather a number of cursed human bloodlines. In fact, in my own home setting “tiefling” is kind of a derogatory term. Technically the proper term would be Turathi, though many would prefer to avoid the association with their Turathi heritage, leading to an effort to reclaim the term tiefling.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Well. The implication is that there’s probably some fiend mixed in there, sure. But also, the child of a human and a tiefling is always a tiefling. I suppose you could interpret that in different ways, but my reading has always been that tiefling isn’t so much a “race” (whatever that means in a D&D context) but rather a number of cursed human bloodlines.

I don’t want to get into the semantics of all that. Tieflings are distinct as a story element from a culture of humans that people believe are cursed by diabolatry.
That’s really all I care about.

 

[Charlaquin]

I don’t want to get into the semantics of all that. Tieflings are distinct as a story element from a culture of humans that people believe are cursed by diabolatry.
That’s really all I care about.

I don’t really agree with that assessment. In fact, that description pretty precisely summarizes tieflings as I’ve understood them and as I present them since 4e.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

But also, the child of a human and a tiefling is always a tiefling.

Well that explains the exponential increase of the tieflings in recent years!

 

[Charlaquin]

Well that explains the exponential increase of the tieflings in recent years!

Yeah, their place in the 4e PHB 1 actually fit their place in the setting perfectly. Unfortunately, not many people read too deeply into the lore.

 

[prabe]

I don't understand the bolded part. What is an actual fictional people. Isn't that basically an oxymoron?

I was getting at the difference between as personalities and as bundles of stats and abilities. Coming up with a personality and backstory for a character is easier if I understand them better. Keeping it concise is more difficult with the longer-lived races, as well.