D&D (2024) No Dwarf, Halfling, and Orc suborgins, lineages, and legacies

[Paul Farquhar]

It's a man with an extra eye in their forehead. It's classic Asian mythology People have eyes.

Anyways that's what art is for.

Aside from art, how do you explain them to your players? Are they well-versed in Asian mythology?

What I'm getting at is that these days most D&D players are fairly casual, and don't spend hours studying rulebooks. When they choose a species, they are generally basing their idea of that species on pop culture stuff picked up outside of D&D. So cat people are popular because most people know what a cat is like, and so on. If the player can't get a clear idea of what a species is like based on prior knowledge, they are unlikely to choose that option.

 

[Yaarel]

1) Easy
2) Horny

Regarding "2)", it begs the question of why or how beast-human blends can be sexualized.

Today, catfolk are popular.

But beastfolk are a pervasive archetype.

I have no personal interest in "furries". But then. I like werewolves. I dont sexualize them, but they do seem resonant. I have seen other artists sexualize them.

In Norse contexts, it astonishes me that despite the centrality of shapeshifting into animals, the animals themselves arent considered a "nature being" (vættr). The reason appears to be, humans and other animals are perceived as the same nature being, and the boundaries between humans and other animals are fluid.

This anthropomorphizing animals is in every culture in every period. Even the Bible has many examples of human-animal blends.

 

[Yaarel]

The gnomes could be a nations of geniuses hidden in the forests and mountains producing the tech that would eventually bring the world into the next age.

A humansize Gnome would be somewhat a Norsesque Dwarf.

 

[Yaarel]

Because Tolkein is a black hole and most of us are deeply unoriginal and make settings like bad fanfic or kids smashing action figures together.

this would explain why I have been looking for an option my my speed and never found one.

The difficulty with innovation is finding others in order to form a community that is dedicated to the SAME innovations.

If the community succeeds, it becomes a new normal and a new "boring".

 

[Mecheon]

why are people so boring then?

I mean, you say boring. I can tell you, lot of folks aren't

Such sights I've seen....

It's a man with an extra eye in their forehead. It's classic Asian mythology People have eyes.

I wouldn't really say Tien from Dragonball is classic mythology, even with Dragonball's popularity (RIP Akira Toriyama). He's more one guy who can do that

If I was delving into that I'd get something more along the lines of the Monkey King and bring Vanara back, as that's an easy archetype

 

[FrozenNorth]

In my opinion, if gnomes and halflings started playing a more visible role in the game, maybe people would want to play them more. Mr. "reluctant hero" halfling doesn't exactly get a lot of motors starting. And gnomes just aren't getting much traction.

“Mr./Mrs. Reluctant Hero” is also an archetype that can be profoundly obnoxious in game. Shame that it is a traditional halfling archetype.

 

[FrozenNorth]

I think dwarves are super one note. They're gruff Norse-Scottish miner-warriors, and perhaps artisans. I think expanding that artisan bit to allow gnome style tinkering would broaden their concept. This is basically how it is in Warhammer.

They’re also super religious.
And super tradition-bound.
And extremely clannish.
And stubborn and unwilling to forgive.
As artisans/miners, they have an affinity with fire and earth.
There are frequently portrayed as prone to greed.

Seems they have quite a few notes actually.

 

[Corinnguard]

It's a man with an extra eye in their forehead. It's classic Asian mythology People have eyes.

Anyways that's what art is for.

Well there is Combustion Man from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Combustion Man Hehe. I could see a Bard writing up a song called 'Combustion Man' at this point.

 

[Remathilis]

Because people aren't as creative as they think they are and if the individual is, there is a lot of pressure to milk the familiar to make a guranteed buck.

Like it would be interesting if someone built a setting where humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, gnomes, orcs, dragonborn, tieflings, and goliaths were all at their heights after centuries of rebuilding from a feindish or undead calamity. The dungeons being the lost cities, strongholds, and caves of the recuperating evils in the far borderlands and unclaimed inner wilds.

The gnomes could be a nations of geniuses hidden in the forests and mountains producing the tech that would eventually bring the world into the next age.

The halflings being he neutral breadbaskets that fuels the armies of internal struggle.

The orcs could be vicius crusaders hoping to clear out the growing evil.

The dwarves splintering due to the lost books on their traditions and overreliance of the memories of the old.

Kickstarter when? [emoji6]

 

[Corinnguard]

Kickstarter when? [emoji6]

I second this!