D&D 5E Access to Races in a Campaign

[discosoc]

I try not to restrict races, unless I get the impression that the person is just min-maxing or is angling to be the focus on the story by virtue of being an exotic race. But if someone wants to be a race that doesn't "fit" the campaign/region/setting/etc, I'll hear them out on why they want to do that before making a call.

 

[Shasarak]

Well my next campaign is going to be Spelljammer based so obviously it will be no restrictions smoke em if you have em as well as all the extra races.

But in a "standard" DnD game I do not really see any logical reason why a PC can not play a Unique race, except maybe in a restricted and low magic "theme" world.

 

[Mercule]

Spinoff: people's thoughts on rolled races? Arrange your stats as you see fit, but rolling randomly for race? For class?

Some people don't like to step out of their bubble, be it the bubble of weirdness or a bubble of normality. Sometimes weird isn't available, sometimes normal isn't available. But assuming everything is available, has anyone had their players roll randomly for their race? How'd it work out?

My one experience joining a group from a gamers-seeking-gamers post, rather than friends first, was a Shadowrun game that did just this. I never got a look at the tables, but we drew cards for our race. Actually, it was for the whole priorities system, for anyone familiar with the game.

I thought I was going to hate it, because I had a character concept in mind -- elven street samurai -- and drew high skills and attributes, but next to no resources and human. It seemed like a good group and a really wanted to play Shadowrun, so I went with the flow. Based on how everyone else came together, I ended up creating the "face" of the group. It was my first time taking that role and I would never have volunteered for it. The game turned out to be one of the most fun I've ever played and I stayed in touch with some of the guys for my whole college career.

It was a great experience that I would have missed out on if I'd been too invested in "my concept" or some such.

 

[Shasarak]

Of course. Would you include Wookies in Star Trek?

Yes, I would if someone wanted to play one. There is an awful lot of Universe for there to be no Wookies?

 

[Sunseeker]

Yes, I would if someone wanted to play one. There is an awful lot of Universe for there to be no Wookies?

Not that a wookie is conceptually any worse than all the yahoos who want to play a sentient bear.

 

[Marandahir]

Would you allow a Mog? Half Man, Half Dog!

 

[abirdcall]

Spinoff: people's thoughts on rolled races? Arrange your stats as you see fit, but rolling randomly for race? For class?

Some people don't like to step out of their bubble, be it the bubble of weirdness or a bubble of normality. Sometimes weird isn't available, sometimes normal isn't available. But assuming everything is available, has anyone had their players roll randomly for their race? How'd it work out?

- What did you roll?

- 37

- You are a Forest Gnome. You abhor violence and dance and play in the forest.

- Oh, oops, that was actually 73

- Oh, oookay, you are a Forest Troll. Your diet mainly consists of Forest Gnomes

- *happy grin*

 

[abirdcall]

Yeah, I'd be even less thrilled with random races than with random stats...and I really don't like random stats. It's all about putting together an interesting package, leveraging different story components and such.

I fail to see why random stats would preclude that.

In my current campaign we both rolled random stats in order and determined elements of our character's stories and personalities randomly.

It resulted in great and interesting characters.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

I fail to see why random stats would preclude that.

In my current campaign we both rolled random stats in order and determined elements of our character's stories and personalities randomly.

It resulted in great and interesting characters.

Because I absolutely, utterly despise being told what story to explore, especially by something without will or motive. I am quite open to suggestions from peers, in the extremely rare event that I don't have a concept already in mind. Suggestions are malleable clay, capable of being molded by other decisions and still leaving me as the principal author of the character.

Truly random stats, none of that wishy-washy "roll and assign" stuff (which is, now that I reread, precisely what you did--strict roll order, that is) deny me that agency. If I really wanted to play a caster, but have all mental scores in the 10-or-less region, I'm SOL. If I want to play an acrobatic Monk or Rogue and get an 8 Dex, I'm SOL. If I roll substantially outside the average of the rest of the party, for better or for worse, then I'm going to feel bad: if better, because my character will outdo and probably outplay the others noticeably, and I'll feel guilty despite having done nothing wrong; if worse, because I'll feel like dead weight holding the party back, and may feel resentful even though I know no one is "at fault" for the situation.

If I have a specific story I want to investigate, and I almost always do, I want to be able to determine it myself. I hate the idea of throwing myself before the randomness of "ability roulette." Give me point buy any day of the week.

 

[Sunseeker]

- What did you roll?

- 37

- You are a Forest Gnome. You abhor violence and dance and play in the forest.

- Oh, oops, that was actually 73

- Oh, oookay, you are a Forest Troll. Your diet mainly consists of Forest Gnomes

- *happy grin*

While this is funny, this is actually one of the reasons I limit races. Even if I were to use a randomized system and include everything and the kitchen sink, there wouldn't be anything that would be inherently anti-party. IE: a race that abhors combat or a race that eats another race. Even if players are the exception and not the rule these sort of things just make combat difficult.