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

[zarionofarabel]

Redacted to save space.

The whole working things down to what the player actually wants thing is what I do too. I just do it so the end result is they play a human that meets their needs. If they really have to play an actual Hutt, then I'm also with you in that it's simply a no go.

 

[Maxperson]

"You can be a Kryptonian. Use the human stats for race - the planet is orbiting a red sun, and/or has background magic (Kryptonians are vulnerable to magic, remember?) - such that they have no powers in this world."

Okay. If it has a red sun, sure. Other than maybe Darksun(can't remember), which official settings have red suns?

 

[Umbran]

Okay. If it has a red sun, sure. Other than maybe Darksun(can't remember), which official settings have red suns?

I am pretty sure not a single one of the official settings gives the spectral class of any of the stars in question. Several of them might question whether the object that gives light and life to the world is a "star" as you and I would call it. So, the GM is unlikely to be in any danger of conflicting with canon.

 

[MGibster]

"You can be a Kryptonian. Use the human stats for race - the planet is orbiting a red sun, and/or has background magic (Kryptonians are vulnerable to magic, remember?) - such that they have no powers in this world."

That's kind of like giving a player a giant space hamster and then miniaturizing it.

 

[Umbran]

That's kind of like giving a player a giant space hamster and then miniaturizing it.

The other option is, "Well, Kryptonians have a level adjustment somewhere in the high 40s. Come back with that concept when the campaign gets there. Until then, please find something appropriate for a 1st level character. Thanks."

 

[Maxperson]

I am pretty sure not a single one of the official settings gives the spectral class of any of the stars in question. Several of them might question whether the object that gives light and life to the world is a "star" as you and I would call it. So, the GM is unlikely to be in any danger of conflicting with canon.

I thought Dark Sun did give the color, and I'm pretty sure if I look up the Spelljammer lore, I will find out what color star Greyhawk, Dragonlance and FR have.

In any case, the point is that an overpowered PC will be denied, whether Kryptonian in a yellow sun or whatever.

 

[Umbran]

That's kind of like giving a player a giant space hamster and then miniaturizing it.

Sure. And when it gets back to space, it'll re-inflate....

 

[zarionofarabel]

The other option is, "Well, Kryptonians have a level adjustment somewhere in the high 40s. Come back with that concept when the campaign gets there. Until then, please find something appropriate for a 1st level character. Thanks."

So In other words...your character concept doesn't fit the campaign, try again?

 

[Gammadoodler]

No set number but somewhere between the phb and 20. I think I'm using 15 atm.

DEPENDS.
ON.
THE.
SETTING.

=== === ===

In all seriousness, though, maybe I could be convinced to cough up an actual number if someone could finally tell me how "no elves in my Game-that-Isn't-D&D campaign" is meaningfully different from "no elves my D&D campaign.

It depends on the theme and the setting. Mostly I find 3-4 nonhuman races is about thee limit of what I can work in and have it feel cohesive.

@Dausuul & @Zardnaar , thanks for the response. So, there is a range between y'all's "thresholds". I'm curious what happens when you begin to approach those. Is it something where you don't have a place in your world where any additional race would fit? or is it more of a tone thing? Or is it something else?

Basically what's the nature of the break you feel in your setting(s)?

@Jack Daniel , I believe this is the first I've interacted with you. "Tongue-in-cheek" is a bit different from open and rather aggressive condescension. And, as I mentioned to @Snarf Zagyg earlier, my curiosity is focused on what, in particular, it is that that breaks the setting, and how you know it's broken. I'm quite sure that number will vary for those in the thread that use such limitations.

As I've mentioned previously, while my personal preference is a game with more options, I do recognize the work that goes into dm-ing, so I'm disinclined to push outside of any set boundaries. I am interested in how they get set though.

As it relates to your question of what's the difference between no elves in one game vs. no elves in D&D, thematically, not a whole hell of a lot insofar as both games could easily run smoothly. That said, D&D is designed to incorporate racial diversity as part of it's core mechanics. Literally step 1 is choose a race. A subtraction from the pool is a subtraction. For games without that component to them, there is no subtraction, at least as it relates to 'official' races.

 

[prabe]

@Dausuul & @Zardnaar , thanks for the response. So, there is a range between y'all's "thresholds". I'm curious what happens when you begin to approach those. Is it something where you don't have a place in your world where any additional race would fit? or is it more of a tone thing? Or is it something else?

Basically what's the nature of the break you feel in your setting(s)?

I'm neither @Dausuul nor @Zardnaar but I'll tell you what the break is for my settings: it's where I start to lose (or think I'm starting to lose) track of what the races are, both mechanically and lore-wise (on my world).