D&D 5E Are humanoid mono-cultures being replaced with the Rule of Three?

[Democratus]

Elf kabab, elf sandwich, elf etoufe, elf gumbo, elf stew, elf barbeque....

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Elf kabab, elf sandwich, elf etoufe, elf gumbo, elf stew, elf barbeque....

Elf is the chicken of the Forgotten Realms. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it.

There's uh, elf-kabobs, elf creole, elf gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried elf. There's pineapple elf, lemon elf, coconut elf, pepper elf... there's elf soup, elf stew, elf salad, elf and potatoes, elf burger, elf sandwich. That- that's about it.

Oh, and the German Beer of Elves- Löwendräu.

 

[Sepulchrave II]

Oh, and the German Beer of Elves- Löwendräu.

Droy? They must be new.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Droy? They must be new.

What, you think Americans pronounce it the German way? Or do you think we pronounce it the way that we were told to?




Toll-KIN! KIN! KIN!

 

[Reynard]

No, that’s the opposite of what I’m saying, instead of more cultures and subraces, make the cultures themselves more diverse. Talk about cultures in terms of generalities instead of absolutes, and then be sure to actually show examples of exceptions to those trends.

Imagine trying to successfully describe the diversity of American (or British or Ethiopian) cultures in a 500 word entry in the Papers and Paychecks PHB.

 

[Marandahir]

Imagine trying to successfully describe the diversity of American (or British or Ethiopian) cultures in a 500 word entry in the Papers and Paychecks PHB.

I mean, there was a great youtube series from WIRED about the diversity of American accents, but it only scratched the surface. This is textbook material, which is great if you want to do the reading, but the PHB needs just a few lines for each to sketch a starting point for DMs. A campaign guide like SCAG needs a page for each, and a focused-Gazateer should have a chapter on each featured culture.

 

[J-H]

It's a lot of work. Going in depth on cultures might be a better topic for a web supplement. They can generate the content over time, and the people who care about it can read it.... the players who just want to go kill some goblins/orcs/trolls/etc. can ignore it without WOTC taking a risk on a $50 book that doesn't sell well.

 

[grimslade]

Imagine trying to successfully describe the diversity of American (or British or Ethiopian) cultures in a 500 word entry in the Papers and Paychecks PHB.

The problem is the WotC shorthand in the PHB of the cultures for drow and orcs are they are EVIL and the character, while different, must fight against their nature. It is also constantly reinforced in every subsequent mention of the orcs and drow of how decadent and evil they are, except a few plot-important characters and Bob's ultimate Mary Sue. Where are the mentions of hidden cults of Elistaeree or resistant members of destroyed noble houses? You don't need a dissertation on the myriad of cultures, but at least a mention of cultures that differ would be nice. It can replace the 'struggle against their nature' line.

 

[Marandahir]

The problem is the WotC shorthand in the PHB of the cultures for drow and orcs are they are EVIL and the character, while different, must fight against their nature. It is also constantly reinforced in every subsequent mention of the orcs and drow of how decadent and evil they are, except a few plot-important characters and Bob's ultimate Mary Sue. Where are the mentions of hidden cults of Elistaeree or resistant members of destroyed noble houses? You don't need a dissertation on the myriad of cultures, but at least a mention of cultures that differ would be nice. It can replace the 'struggle against their nature' line.

Tasha's shows a very different sort of Orc. So does Eberron: Rising From the Last War and Explorer's Guide to Wildemount.

But I agree, the PHB is in desperate need of a reprinting to errata out the racial language and formally adopt the Tasha model of lineages/ancestries.

 

[Charlaquin]

Imagine trying to successfully describe the diversity of American (or British or Ethiopian) cultures in a 500 word entry in the Papers and Paychecks PHB.

You don’t have to describe the full diversity of the culture. Just not talking in absolutes would be a big improvement.