Can U Tell Demihumans Apart from Humans?

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Have you ever played in a game where there are a bunch of different races represented (at least in game terms), yet they all seem to act like humans? (Probably cuz they're played by humans). If so, and you want to do something about it, how would you go about it? Assuming you're the DM.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I figure out what makes them alien and cut out the human traits that would normally make it acceptable and human. I like having elves be more like the Fair Folk with a totally alien morality. That's relatively easily accomplished by having them not really "get" that humans are their peers, much like humans find treating animals differently than them perfectly acceptable and humane. If even a "good" elf finds a human life to be of substantially less value than an elf life -- and acts on it -- they pretty quickly become inhuman. I find dwarves and gnomes also lend themselves to this, as do humanoid races. Halflings, unfortunately, I'm pretty much stumped over.

(And, of course, demihumans always spell out "you." )

EDIT: If even a "good" elf finds a human life to be of substantially less value than an elf life -- and acts on it -- they pretty quickly become inhuman.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

If even a "good" elf finds a human life to be of substantially less value than an elf life -- and acts on it -- they pretty quickly become human.

Did you mean "substantially the same"?

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Problem is, I don't have the hooks necessary to make standard demihumans seem more non-human.

On the other hand, give me Lizardfolk or Illithid, Thri-Kreen (or Xixchil), and my fellow players will soon be questioning my humanity.

It's something I've noticed in a lot of RPGs-- there's simply no effort made to make the non-human races anything but humans in rubber suits. One of the best games/settings I've seen for this was Alternity/Star*Drive, with all of the roleplaying notes and portrayals of the aliens. (The fiction had a lot to do with this, as well. I need to work on my on-the-fly poetry, but I can finally roleplay a Sesheyan properly.)

 

[Turjan]

That's actually pretty simple. The elven player gets two pointy rubber ears sticked on, the dwarven player has to hold a 30 pound axe during the whole game, and the the halfling player gets his chair taken away so that sitting on the ground helps him with the right perspective. Makes for a great roleplaying experience .