D&D General Words which replaced "race" in fantasy games

[Corinnguard]

why is "Everel is of the Elven Ancestry" better than "Everel is of the Elven Peoples"?
is it just personal preference on euphony?

In my case, it's probably personal preference of euphony. Elven ancestry sounds more appealing to me than elven peoples.

Edit- I suppose another reason why I am not into the word species here is its' definition in biology. Ancestry, Heritage, Lineage, Folk and Kin are cultural terms and just sound more appropriate.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

In my case, it's probably personal preference of euphony. Elven ancestry sounds more appealing to me than elven peoples.

In French, folk and people is the same word, we've be using it for a while now and I find it quite elegant.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Species is my favorite term for it. It makes it clear that these playable creatures are all completely unique and not closely related to each other. They're as far apart as an elephant and a fish, and not just ethnic groups of the same species.

 

[Tonguez]

Species is my favorite term for it. It makes it clear that these playable creatures are all completely unique and not closely related to each other. They're as far apart as an elephant and a fish, and not just ethnic groups of the same species.

species isn't as useful as that however - a whole lot of hybrids exist eg Lion and Tiger are both different species yet they can breed successfully, so nope Species doesnt tell me if elfs, dwarfs, humans and orcs are unique at all.

 

[Cordwainer Fish]

Lion and Tiger are both different species yet they can breed successfully

No, they can't - the hybrids are sterile. And if they could then they would be the same species, because that is how the word species is defined.

(Yes, I know ring species exist.)

 

[Tonguez]

No, they can't - the hybrids are sterile. And if they could then they would be the same species, because that is how the word species is defined.

(Yes, I know ring species exist.)

female ligers have produced offspring with both lions and tigers

 

[Frozen_Heart]

No, they can't - the hybrids are sterile. And if they could then they would be the same species, because that is how the word species is defined.

(Yes, I know ring species exist.)

Not all hybrids are sterile, and it's far more complex than that. It's just that the most famous hybrid (mules) are almost always sterile.

Many hybrids such as ligers are sterile for one sex, but fertile for the other. In mammals it's usually male hybrids which are infertile, and females which are fertile. With birds and reptiles it's the opposite.

And many other hybrids are completely fertile, and the parents don't interbreed simply due to behavioral barriers. Coyotes and wolves, brown and polar bears, and many species of whale fall here.

Nature isn't a perfectly neat set of rules.

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

The past few posts display why I am not a fan of "species" as a term for race. It further introduces a scientific mindset to a fantasy game.

I don't wish to derail this conversation, but the past few posts were just a good example. Further replies and comments can be posted here.

 

[Charlaquin]

By itself, peoples sounds okay. However, it sounds a bit odd when you pair it up with elf, dwarf, etc. The Elven Peoples, the dwarven peoples. It has to be a word that plays well off the tongue like ancestry or heritage.

Well you’d drop the s in that case. Elves are one people. Elves and dwarves are both peoples. It’s like how they have in the past been called races collectively, but you wouldn’t say “the elven races,” you’d say “the elven race.”

 

[Charlaquin]

Species is my favorite term for it. It makes it clear that these playable creatures are all completely unique and not closely related to each other. They're as far apart as an elephant and a fish, and not just ethnic groups of the same species.

I don’t agree they should be so distantly related. Moreover, that the term species calls to mind the distances of these groups’ phylogenic relationships is a huge part of why I dislike it so much for this purpose. It’s a fantasy setting where these beings were created directly by the gods, modern phylogeny shouldn’t be applicable.