D&D Race You Hate the Most

[prosfilaes]

Unusual, powerful, and newly invented races belong in supplements or as campaign setting design choices left STRICTLY up to the DM to allow as he sees fit. Words like "standard", "generic", and, "default" when applied to choice of races that are appropriate for inclusion in a Players Handbook simply do NOT allow for dragonborn, drow, eladrin, tiefilings, half-giants, undead, lycanthropes, aasimar, githyanki, warforged and many others.

Neither golems nor angel- or demon-touched are rare themes in fantasy; in fact, they may be more common then some form of hobbit. One commentary on "fantasy heartbreakers" noted that earlier versions all had catfolk, and newer versions had "dragonfolk". Eladrin is just another name for elves that have showed up in not only fiction but most older versions of D&D.

Undead and lycanthropes are not really appropriate for D&D, IMO, at least not as basic races, but I'll note that vampires and werewolves have been among the most popular races in books, movies and on TV, and I'd bet if you added up all the races people have played in all RPGs, they'd beat gnomes for popularity. (For some reason I don't understand, zombies' popularity in media hasn't translated to people wanting to play them in game.)

 

[Incenjucar]

A variant of werecreatures would really work fine in D&D, the fiction just doesn't play with the idea much. It's not like players shapeshifting into an animal or taking on bestial characteristics is even unusual in D&D, unless DMs are banning Wild Shape and nobody told me.

 

[Lanefan]

If the system doesn't influence whether or not a game is fun, this thread has no purpose. Options are a big deal for the people who want those options, and they're often meaningless to people who do not want those options. Options allow for more people to find the option of their choice.

5E needs to make money. The people who want certain options have money. If it fails to provide those options, they will fail to provide that money.

Flip side: if the system provides a whole pile of options people don't want yet are still expected to pay for in order to get the bits they do want, that might not work out so well either.

Lan-"I've spent most of my adult life learning how best to kill these things and now you expect me to run with one in the party?"-efan

 

[Incenjucar]

Flip side: if the system provides a whole pile of options people don't want yet are still expected to pay for in order to get the bits they do want, that might not work out so well either.

Even those options you don't personally use can be inspiring.

I certainly have no use for elves, dwarves, or halflings, nor wizards, paladin, or clerics. I don't care for any of those, and haven't since I started playing the game in 93, but they still give me plenty of ideas.

 

[Doug McCrae]

For some reason I don't understand, zombies' popularity in media hasn't translated to people wanting to play them in game.

They're not pretty.

 

[Sunseeker]

Flip side: if the system provides a whole pile of options people don't want yet are still expected to pay for in order to get the bits they do want, that might not work out so well either.

Well, that depends on how we define "people". If 20 people don't like dragons, but 200000000000000000000000000000000000000 do like them, which group do we listen to? The answer is obvious, the 20 who complain the most.

But in issues that are closer, 20 people like tieflings, 25 people don't like them. Is the margin close enough to warrant putting them in or leaving them out? I don't think there's a good answer.

 

[Minigiant]

(For some reason I don't understand, zombies' popularity in media hasn't translated to people wanting to play them in game.)

Well most of them in the media are brainless or full of so much rage/hunger they can't function in social settings. People ony like playing talking animals.

 

[Leatherhead]

(For some reason I don't understand, zombies' popularity in media hasn't translated to people wanting to play them in game.)

I thought about this for a moment, then I remembered the Forsaken from World of Warcraft. There are tons of people out there who play as "zombies." Heck, back before the Blood Elves came to the Horde faction, they were the most popular "bad" race.

But then again, I believe the more recent media fascination with zombies is due to the fact you can shoot them in the head without any moral backlash.