D&D General A Setting with Only Small Races/Species?

[Tonguez]

because small just means short in DnD theres really no need for a different setting for races/lineages that are just under 4 feet tall (I acknowledge being short can make things inconvenient and challenging for shorter people but not to the point of being a gameable challenge imho)

there have been settings and source books for Tiny characters - which is where interesting things happen.
A game that gets played entirely under the floorboards and in the walls of a standard human street

 

[ProfessorDetective]

I haven't, but I would play in such a game. Heck, you've got me considering running such a game.

I probably wouldn't remove all medium races form the setting, though. Maybe form the starting area but if the pcs travel across the sea who knows what they'll find. I would probably include giants, though, an really play up the size difference.

And yes small planetouched are in.

I was kind of thinking of running it on Bloomburrow's rules: you are part of the designated list of races, even if you're from "outside". Elves get gnome'd, Orc's get goblin'd, Humans get halfling'd, Mind Flayers get Gnome ceremorph'd, etc. Just why that is can be a major mystery for planeshopping parties.

That was part of the inspiration: most races have a smaller parallel (except dwarves, apparently. Not sure what to do with them. Rock Gnomes?).

 

[Tonguez]

That was part of the inspiration: most races have a smaller parallel (except dwarves, apparently. Not sure what to do with them. Rock Gnomes?).

Dwarfs parallel to Goliaths, in small world the stay the exact same size as their normal world

 

[ProfessorDetective]

because small just means short in DnD theres really no need for a different setting for races/lineages that are just under 4 feet tall (I acknowledge being short can make things inconvenient and challenging for shorter people but not to the point of being a gameable challenge imho)

there have been settings and source books for Tiny characters - which is where interesting things happen.
A game that gets played entirely under the floorboards and in the walls of a standard human street

Yes, a classic Wainscot Society. Love those, as well.

By the way, my cut off for "small" was about three foot. Four and up was medium (which is why I excluded dwarves). I may have misremembered the official ranges.

 

[Marandahir]

Dwarfs parallel to Goliaths, in small world the stay the exact same size as their normal world

This was my thought; especially since Dwarves have elemental parallels too (Azer, Galeb Duhr, Eisk Jaat, Strom Burz, etc). Dwarf is just the Hill Giant equivalent.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I’m puzzled. I like short races, but isn’t part of the fun dealing with larger species? Paraphrasing, if everyone is short, no one is.

Well, it depends on the mix of shorties included, but an all-halfling campaign has a very different vibe than a mixed ancestry or all-human campaign does, even if they're still fighting owlbears and such. The halfling (or gnomish) culture makes a big difference, the same way an all-dwarf or all-elf campaign would likely have a distinct feel.

 

[jmartkdr2]

I’m puzzled. I like short races, but isn’t part of the fun dealing with larger species? Paraphrasing, if everyone is short, no one is.

Assuming we're sticking worth already-small races, and not just making everyone small:

1. You'll constantly be referencing race during roleplay, so it'll stay relevant. Players won't forget "gnomes and kolbolds are small." (note that short elves would break this, so it's important to stick to existing small options.)

2. Monsters, presumably, are still the same size, so relatively bigger. An owlbear is a lot scarier when it's two size categories bigger. This is especially true if you stick to already large stuff.

At least that's how I'd expect it to go at the tables I play at.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Now I am thinking in the "Household" setting by Two Little Mice, but that is a special case.

Of course you can do it, but let's remember small PC species were designed mainly for stealth classes. Who will be the tank? the dwarf, I guess.

 

[ProfessorDetective]

Now I am thinking in the "Household" setting by Two Little Mice, but that is a special case.

Of course you can do it, but let's remember small PC species were designed mainly for stealth classes. Who will be the tank? the dwarf, I guess.

Dwarves are medium size, at least in 5E. I'm using WotC's rankings for this.

As for the tank: Stout Halflings? Maybe Rock Gnomes?

 

[ProfessorDetective]

Assuming we're sticking worth already-small races, and not just making everyone small:

1. You'll constantly be referencing race during roleplay, so it'll stay relevant. Players won't forget "gnomes and kolbolds are small." (note that short elves would break this, so it's important to stick to existing small options.)

2. Monsters, presumably, are still the same size, so relatively bigger. An owlbear is a lot scarier when it's two size categories bigger. This is especially true if you stick to already large stuff.

At least that's how I'd expect it to go at the tables I play at.

Exactly. A lot of the wonder comes from the juxtapositions. Great place to flex, if you're a properly descriptive DM.