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

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I heard a theory that the main reason they "lost" to homo sapiens was less intelligence and more that they had fewer and small groups. Therefore their numbers took bigger hit from raids, disasters and interbreeding.

The theories have changed throughout the years. The most recent one I heard was that we didn't out compete them, we just absorbed them. There were more of us, so through generations of breeding, their genes were absorbed into the Homo Sapien species.

 

[Marandahir]

I heard a theory that the main reason they "lost" to homo sapiens was less intelligence and more that they had fewer and small groups. Therefore their numbers took bigger hit from raids, disasters and interbreeding.

Who lost?

I'm a descendant of Neanderthals, as are many of the people around me.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

If their thumb permanently sticks out at a right angle from their palm? Probably.

Whether we'd notice much else in the way of personality or how they think, I don't know. Most likely any differences could be attributed to culture rather than inherent nature.

I'd need to see a citation showing that their difference in hand shape was that extreme, but even if so, no, probably not. Or we would notice just like we notice if someone has an oddly long thumb. If they speak a language you know about, if not one you know, and walk upright, and have a human face, and wear clothes and want Starbucks, at most we are gonna wonder what happened to their hands.

Hell, people with 6 fingers exist, and most of the time we haven't assumed they were witches, much less that they werent human.

 

[Oofta]

I'd need to see a citation showing that their difference in hand shape was that extreme, but even if so, no, probably not. Or we would notice just like we notice if someone has an oddly long thumb. If they speak a language you know about, if not one you know, and walk upright, and have a human face, and wear clothes and want Starbucks, at most we are gonna wonder what happened to their hands.

Hell, people with 6 fingers exist, and most of the time we haven't assumed they were witches, much less that they werent human.

I did provide the link. I never said that people would automatically think they were not human, just that it would probably seem odd.

I just thought it was an interesting article and another indication that in many ways neanderthals were better adapted to one specific niche environment than we are. They were probably stronger and better at hunting and living off of the harsh environment that they adapted to which revolved largely around hunting mega fauna. It may well have been our ancestor's flexibility that gave us the edge.

Why does everything have to devolve into an argument and twisted allegations?

 

[prabe]

Why is everything have to devolve into an argument and twisted allegations?

WELCOME TO THE INTERNET

 

[FrozenNorth]

WELCOME TO THE INTERNET

Don’t you mean:
“WE DON’T WELCOME YOU TO THE INTERNET! BEGONE FOUL TROLL!”

 

[prabe]

Don’t you mean:
“WE DON’T WELCOME YOU TO THE INTERNET! BEGONE FOUL TROLL!”

ALL ARE WELCOME ON THE INTERNET ALL ARE WELCOME ALL ARE WELCOME WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

ALL ARE WELCOME ON THE INTERNET ALL ARE WELCOME ALL ARE WELCOME WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING

Well, this thread looks inviting!

 

[Scott Christian]

A world should feel big and diverse, and a galaxy more so.

I completely agree. It was a discussion on how locals would respond to people they may have never seen or even heard of. So I was pointing out that the cantina, that everyone notably notes as having a bunch of races, was there because of circumstance, and it wasn't peaceful.

But I definitely agree a world should be diverse and big. No doubt. Mysteries and wonders. But, if every race lives together, then the races become a homogenous culture. Outside of steep religious isolation, people that live together will share and begin to blend cultures. So in a metropolitan city the culture is the metropolitan city, not the races that inhabit it. That kind of makes the cultural elements of race inside the PHB null and void. Or not. Just food for thought.

 

[Micah Sweet]

It's funny that no matter how much the mechanics of the game don't support their assertions-- and to be crystal clear, they never, ever have-- the people who don't want "weird people" in their games always fall back on the idea that anyone who wants to play anything that wasn't core in the AD&D PHB (and... even then, sometimes half-orcs) is "powergaming" and not interested in playing a "real character".

And somehow, always, it falls back to the ideal solution-- if you can't just ban these people entirely from their games-- of having human civilization utterly spurn these characters, refuse to do business with them, and even suddenly transform from helpless commoners into high-level lynch mobs to drive these characters out of the adventuring party they're trying to ask for help. Despite what the monster description says about their trade relations, despite what the setting says about the community's position.

It doesn't matter if the DMG and MM say they trade with humans. It doesn't matter if they're not "Always Chaotic Evil". It doesn't matter if they canonically have a peace treaty with the neighboring kingdoms. The only thing that matters is that the DM doesn't like it, and isn't smart enough or brave enough to have a conversation with their players about why they don't want it in their games. If they don't like it, then the only reason anyone else must like it is for some kind of unfair advantage that has to be "balanced".

It's funny how it always works out that way.

While I'm certainly not saying that's fair of the the DM, or that the kind of passive-aggressive behavior you're describing is a good way to handle it, the fact remains that if the players insist on playing something the DM doesn't like, everyone's enjoyment of the game is reduced.