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

[Zardnaar]

In short you're telling me that every wizard who tries their hand at something approaching robotics is stupid and careless. And that magic only works in very specific ways and ways that shut down player ideas. And they work in those ways because you, the DM, who has absolute control, has decided they do that.

This all tells me that what you're looking for is excuses to say no. Me, when I DM I'm looking for excuses to say yes - and even more than that excuses to say "Yeeeesssssss..." with an evil grin.

As I have pointed out I DM more than I play and even when I'm a player there are more other players at the table than there are DMs. I have also in my time only ever once run into a player where the problem was player entitlement*. I can think of a number of bad DMs I've played with
where the problem was DM entitlement and the DM deciding that they should control as much as possible on both sides of the screen to the detriment of the fun of the players.

* This is not the only potential problem of course.

Warforged might exist but you don't get to play one.

There's the old hidden menace trope (Drow were this once upon a time).

On my world I think it's Tritons and Velkadins from Ravnica book.

 

[prabe]

They chose the theme.

They picked the concept. I gave them a list of 5 options (including anything goes).

Just in the interest of fairness, about how much time passed between the players' choosing the theme/concept and their asking about those concepts?

 

[Gammadoodler]

Just in the interest of fairness, about how much time passed between the players' choosing the theme/concept and their asking about those concepts?

Please say seconds...please say seconds...

 

[Zardnaar]

I am already a DM for newcomers. That's why the Saturday campaign has

• Power Rangers
• Paladins that act like 90s Wrestlers
• The Ginyu Force
• Bardic College of Rap
• Way of the Breakdancer
• Griots
• The Plane of Neutrals
• Blue Eyes White Dragons (mixed color dragons)
• Reverse Vampires

The Paladins trash talk alit, swear, insult you, hot you over the head with a chair and throw you off the top of a cage?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I am already a DM for newcomers. That's why the Saturday campaign has

• Power Rangers
• Paladins that act like 90s Wrestlers
• The Ginyu Force
• Bardic College of Rap
• Way of the Breakdancer
• Griots
• The Plane of Neutrals
• Blue Eyes White Dragons (mixed color dragons)
• Reverse Vampires

I think I could play such a bard or breakdancer...’cause I basically have!

 

[Gammadoodler]

The Paladins trash talk alit, swear, insult you, hot you over the head with a chair and throw you off the top of a cage.

We get it, they're paladins..

 

[Zardnaar]

Just in the interest of fairness, about how much time passed between the players' choosing the theme/concept and their asking about those concepts?

Probably a week or two.

I have a group chat on messenger, usually do a session 0. Details are normally hashed out on that along with roll call each week.

After mum died I bought the Midgard books but didn't run anything for a year. I think I gave them these options.

Greece
Vikings (Midgard)
Egypt (Midgard)
Generic FR
Generic Midgard

 

[prabe]

Probably a week or two.

I have a group chat on messenger, usually do a session 0.

After mum died I bought the Midgard books but didn't run anything for a year. I think I gave them these options.

Greece
Vikings (Midgard)
Egypt (Midgard)
Generic FR
Generic Midgard

So, long enough they could reasonably forget--depending on how busy their week was--but not long enough to obviously need a reminder. Or--as I think I remember--they could have decided to try to play outsiders (in the sense of not belonging in/to the setting).

 

[Zardnaar]

So, long enough they could reasonably forget--depending on how busy their week was--but not long enough to obviously need a reminder. Or--as I think I remember--they could have decided to try to play outsiders (in the sense of not belonging in/to the setting).

Pretty much. For current game I said PHB plus Eberron, yuan ti ask for anything else.

Next games going to be PHB plus whatever you can physically carry as I'm carrying to much stuff each week.

Probably get a loose leaf binder and print the extra races. Probably just run RotF as a bonus game the next theme game will be.

Eberron
Vikings Midgard
Greece/Theros
Generic
DM original

Pick one.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I've introduced several people to D&D as well. They never once questioned what races were allowed once I gave them the option. I don't see any correlation between curated vs kitchen sink and adding new people to the game.

The players deserve a DM who will run the type of game that will be enjoyed by everyone at the table including the DM.

So just because new players don't question the DM, that means they will never be interested in exploring concepts other than what was "pre-approved" for DnD?

Because @Minigiant 's point is that people new to DnD might have been inspired by other fantasy works. Maybe they enjoyed a Hengeyokai character from a novel they read, and are interested in exploring that concept by finding a DnD race that matches closest to that concept. Just because they never questioned that you wouldn't allow it in the game, doesn't mean that they aren't going to be interested in it at some point.