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

[Charlaquin]

As long as they acknowledge they are just playing humans not so cleverly disguised with funny hats, I'm fine with players playing Non-Human PCs. I eluded to that fact in everything I posted.

You describe them as “not so cleverly disguised” as if dawning a clever disguise was the intent, at which they were unsuccessful. But the point isn’t to create a convincing deception, it’s to speculate about how a certain set of exceptions to one’s experience might feel.

 

[Charlaquin]

Agreed. However, when speculating on what a Non-Human mind might be thinking I have absolutely no frame of reference. When speculating on what a different Human mind might be thinking I have all of human history and literature and academia to inform my frame of reference.

You only ever have your own mind and your own experience as a frame of reference. Literature, history, and academia can certainly inform your speculation, but it can do so about any imaginary exception to your experience. Sure, we don’t have any immortal people to compare to, but we know how we feel about mortality, and as such we can imagine how we might feel differently about it if we had a different relationship to mortality. Will what we come up with be accurate to how an immortal person would feel? It doesn’t matter, because the point isn’t to portray an immortal person with absolute accuracy (which would be impossible anyway.) The point is to learn something about ourselves by contrasting our actual experience with an imagined different experience.

The only story worth telling is the human heart in conflict with itself. All roleplaying is an attempt to live out that conflict.

 

[zarionofarabel]

You describe them as “not so cleverly disguised” as if dawning a clever disguise was the intent, at which they were unsuccessful. But the point isn’t to create a convincing deception, it’s to speculate about how a certain set of exceptions to ones experience might feel.

If I said "cleverly disguised with funny hats" would it make you feel better?

My original post for reference...

I have no idea. In fact I still have no idea what the appeal of playing any other race is. We are humans and that's all we can be. To me anyone playing a different race is just a human not so cleverly disguised with a funny hat. Mostly it's just an excuse for mechanical bonuses.

If you wish to continue to argue these points with me please read what I have already posted, the responses to it, and my responses to those, etc. until you reach this post.

Apologies, but I tire of repeating myself.

 

[zarionofarabel]

The only story worth telling is the human heart in conflict with itself. All roleplaying is an attempt to live out that conflict.

Case in point!

 

[Charlaquin]

If I said "cleverly disguised with funny hats" would it make you feel better?

No, because that still frames it as an attempt at donning a disguise, which is not the point. The point is to explore the human experience, by speculating about exceptions to it. It is not an attempt at deception or imitation, but at introspection.

I have no idea. In fact I still have no idea what the appeal of playing any other race is. We are humans and that's all we can be. To me anyone playing a different race is just a human not so cleverly disguised with a funny hat. Mostly it's just an excuse for mechanical bonuses.

Yes, I know, I did read that post. Since you admit you do not understand the appeal (and this lack of understanding is further evidenced by your reference to it as a disguise), I am attempting to explain the actual appeal to you.

 

[zarionofarabel]

No, because that still frames it as an attempt at donning a disguise, which is not the point. The point is to explore the human experience, by speculating about exceptions to it. It is not an attempt at deception or imitation, but at introspection.

Yes, I know, I did read that post. Since you admit you do not understand the appeal (and this lack of understanding is further evidenced by your reference to it as a disguise), I am attempting to explain the actual appeal to you.

Would it make you feel better if I said it was...

...donning a costume?

...playing a role, like how an actor in a movie plays a role???

...pretending to be a Non-Human when in actuality they are just a Human playing a game of pretend and just want to be able to say they are have purple skin and tentacles though they will continue to act and think and feel they way a Human would despite obviously not looking like a human???

...playing a Human wearing a very fancy hat???

...because they like having particular mechanical bonuses in a game of pretend???

I feel as though we are talking past each other.

 

[zarionofarabel]

No, because that still frames it as an attempt at donning a disguise, which is not the point. The point is to explore the human experience, by speculating about exceptions to it. It is not an attempt at deception or imitation, but at introspection.

Yes, I know, I did read that post. Since you admit you do not understand the appeal (and this lack of understanding is further evidenced by your reference to it as a disguise), I am attempting to explain the actual appeal to you.

Again...

If you wish to continue to argue these points with me please read what I have already posted, the responses to it, and my responses to those, etc. until you reach this post.

Apologies, but I tire of repeating myself.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

...playing a role, like how an actor in a movie plays a role???

...pretending to be a Non-Human when in actuality they are just a Human playing a game of pretend and just want to be able to say they are have purple skin and tentacles though they will continue to act and think and feel they way a Human would despite obviously not looking like a human???

Wait, are you saying that in roleplaying games people are just playing roles? That it is not real?

 

[MGibster]

Wait, are you saying that in roleplaying games people are just playing roles? That it is not real?

I've seen Mazes and Monsters. I know it's real.

 

[zarionofarabel]

Wait, are you saying that in roleplaying games people are just playing roles? That it is not real?

I know it's not real.

The implications of this thread are that Players are playing Non-Humans for reasons other than mechanical bonuses, or so they can do something other than disguise themselves with funny hats.

I say this is impossible as we are Humans, and we cannot be Non-Humans.

Other posters implied that this is not the case, that they can indeed be Non-Humans.

Sorry you came into an argument at the half way point and failed to understand what I was saying.