D&D 5E (2024) The 10 Species in "Your Ideal 2024 PHB"

[Shiroiken]

Human
Aasimar
Dwarf
Elf
Genasi
Gnome
Half-Elf
Half-Orc
Halfling
Tiefling

I feel the "descendant" races of Goliath and Dragonborn just aren't as interesting as the half-races.

 

[dave2008]

Great! I think I have the definitive list:

Human
Dragon
Kaiju
Dragonkin (dragonborn, half-dragons, etc.)
Lizardfolk
Serpentfolk
Turtlefolk
Crocodilianfolk
Dinosaurfolk
halflings

 

[GuardianLurker]

Great! I think I have the definitive list:

Human
Dragon
Kaiju
Dragonkin (dragonborn, half-dragons, etc.)
Lizardfolk
Serpentfolk
Turtlefolk
Crocodilianfolk
Dinosaurfolk
halflings

{Looks askance} You just put the Halflings in there so the Kaiju would have something to step on, didn't you?

 

[dave2008]

{Looks askance} You just put the Halflings in there so the Kaiju would have something to step on, didn't you?

Something to ride on the shoulders of all the reptile folk!

In my children's 4e campaign one player was a halfling and liked to attack while riding on the back/shoulders of his dragonkin friend. I couldn't deprive the PHB from having that kind of synergy!

 

[Blue]

I have no problems adding things that aren't in the book, so my ideal PHB will be one with a low barrier to entry (ease of understanding) and high "fantastical" (options besides the mundane) for new players, hopefully covering as many archetypes as possible.

Because of that last part, I'd specifically call out reskinning without mechanical change for some of them, so I'll list the base flavor [/and possible additions].

I would also be clear up front that different settings will have different ones available - this is a master list.

• Human - with multiple subraces including Merfolk and Hobbit. (In my ideal, there's no lawsuit-happy estate, and no therefore trying to make up a new niche needed)
• Elf - with Half-Elf as a subrace, since they definitely seem to be more elf-y than human-y.
• Dwarf
• Half-Ogre [/Goliath/Half-Giant/] - Firbolg[/Wheel of Time Ogier] are one of the subraces. Note these are actually sized Large in my ideal PHB.
• Shifter - various subraces for different lycanthrops, and one for Changlings.
• Genasi - subraces for elements
• Emissaries - outsiders, with subraces for Tiefling, Aasimar, Genie, Faerie, and a few prominent others.
• Animalfolk - subclasses for Catfolk, Wolf[/Dog/Canine]folk, Lionfolk[/Tigerfolk], Turtlefolk, Centaurs, and maybe Sharkfolk or Harefolk.
• Dragonborn
• Golem[/Warforged] - Start with calling the Golems to set expectations of those who haven't played, plus break the Eberron-specific role that they had that isn't true in all settings.

I'm torn on having both Shifters and Animal-kin, even though trope-wise they fill different backgrounds and motivations. Because I could use that space - it's missing some traditional mundane "bad-guys" like Orcs/Half-Orcs, and Goblins which seem to have caught on in the some current fantasy zeigheists.

Much as Halflings are one of my favorite races, in terms of picking them to be adventurers they don't differ much from humans except in their size and related characteristics, so putting together "The Age of Men" works.

Oh, and lumping Centaurs with the Animalfolk may be going too far mechanically for a subrace, though theme-wise it's okay. If I had a few more, I could do a centaroid race with subraces for Centaurs, Wemic, and others. But with Shifters and Animalfolk on there for 20% of the PHB races, I wanted to keep the others for other feels.

 

[Stormonu]

Let's see....my current homebrew PHB has

1) Animalfolk*
2) Dragonfolk
3) Dwarf
4) Elf**
5) Gnome
6) Half-elf
7) Half-orc
8) Hillenfaey
9) Hellchilde***
10) Human
11) Mageborn
12) Returned
13) Titanborn****

Scratched through the three that would take me down to 10. Guess I could work with that.

* Would cover aarakockra, aranea, centaur, haregon, leonin, lizardfolk, loxodon, lupin, minotaur, owlin, tabaxi, tortle, yuan-ti and just about every other animal-headed race

** Would cover High, Gray, Wild, Drow, Eladrin and Half-elf

*** Would cover aasimar, tiefling and shadar-kai

**** Would cover goliath, genasi and triton

Maybe I should turn Half-orc into "Goblinoid" to cover Orc, goblin (Small), hobgoblin (Medium), bugbear (Large) & norker (Wild)

and expand Hillenfaey to not only cover halflings, but gnomes and maybe fairy as well. I think I'm set, and the only thing I can see missing is maybe the gith races, and those might be a form of mageborn...

 

[Greg K]

Human
Dwarf
Elf
Halfling
Deva
Fey (Gnome, Goblin, Kobold, Sprite)
Goliath (without the temporary growth ability)
Lizardfolk
Orc
Shifter

As for Half-Dragon, Half-Elf, Half-Ogre,Half-Orc, etc., I would do them as feats that must be taken at first level.

 

[Scribe]

Human -> Aasimar, Tiefling, Genasi

Elf -> Wood, Drow, Astral
Dwarf -> Mountain, Hill, Duergar
Orc -> Grey, Red

Goblin
Halfling

Dragonborn - Chromatic, Metallic, Gem
Goliath - Giant

Half-Elf -> Per Elf
Half-Orc -> Per Orc

 

[Minigiant]

1. Colossus
2. Dragonborn
3. Dwarf
4. Elf
5. Forged
6. Human
7. Hybrid
8. Planar
9. Smallfolk
10. Wildkin

Colossus are orcs, goliaths, and firborgs.

Hybrid covers all mixed species. You choose 2 traits of the other 9

Forged are Warforged, Awakened homunculi, or autogomes

Planar are Aasimar and Tieflings

Smallfolk are halflings goblins and gnomes.

Wildkin are your beastfolk.

 

[Argyle King]

Human
Elf
Half-Elf
Dwarf
Lizardfolk
Tabaxi
Grippli
Gnome
Halfling
Half-Orc