D&D Race You Hate the Most

[TrippyHippy]

I prefer to see 'Races' considered as a collective for each respective fantasy setting. The reason why Elf\Dwarf\Halfling\Human (and Orc) works is because they are all taken from one setting (Tolkien). You could look for symbolic connections pertaining to each of these, but the reality is that they are simply very familiar and immediately suggest a particular world and attitude, that players can build their imagination from.

When you add to these, then you inevitably create a feeling of diluting the feel of the world.

This is not to say that there can't be other Races to choose from (my view is that the game should be able to support any race from the Monster Manual as playable characters). It's just that I'd like to see them chosen collectively in the context of a world design. This can be done easily enough in setting books. For the core books, however, I'd just stick with the Tolkien races as default, and the suggestion that the DM can add more as she/he feels fit for his/her world.

 

[Aeolius]

Odd. "Winged folk/raptoran/etc." seems to be leading the pack, in regards to universal dislike (even more than kender?!?), yet no one has chimed into specify why they hate them?

I'd assume, just like aquatic races, they are considered one-trick ponies. Unless one plays in an aerial campaign or one that deals heavily with flight, they would not be seen as useful.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

How about none?

I picked Mul, because this is just a half dwarf and not a race, and for the same reason I do not consider half-anythings to be their own race and thus deeply dislike them described as such.

Mules and ligers say "hi."

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Odd. "Winged folk/raptoran/etc." seems to be leading the pack, in regards to universal dislike (even more than kender?!?), yet no one has chimed into specify why they hate them?

I'd assume, just like aquatic races, they are considered one-trick ponies. Unless one plays in an aerial campaign or one that deals heavily with flight, they would not be seen as useful.

Most of the races people hate tend to be especially attractive to the "look at meeeee, I'm a SPESHUL SNOWFLAKE!" players. Being able to fly in a standard campaign is about as special snowflakey as you can get.

 

[Lwaxy]

Mules and ligers are no races, they are mixes. People just make up fancy names for them to not have to spell it out all the time. "I'm feeding my horse donkey mix" is a bit annoying to say

As for flying characters... nope, not special. Get wizards with overland flights eventually, too. Not to mention those annoying teleports if all you want to run is a nice travel adventure

 

[Connorsrpg]

Where is the 'None' option?

Seriously. I like practically all races on that list. I wouldn't use them all in every campaign/setting, but I can always find a use or unique story for each of them.

Each new setting, I roll random races from a much larger list (inspired by 2E World Builder's guide) and then mash the results together and I enjoy the variety.

I certainly have no HATE for any of those races...yet.

 

[Minigiant]

[MENTION=95493]Tovec[/MENTION]

Why do I hate Human, dwarves, elves, and halflings?

1. Because WoTC like making them boring. Outside of cuture, they make them humans, stout humans, skinny humans, and short humans. Not until 4E did they kind of make them different races and only barely.
2. People use their inclusion to make D&D into LotR the RPG. D&D is not LotR with more dragons. If they don't get full on Tolkien, it's full on Norse or full on Celtic. People's minds get just as narrow as player who never roll non-class skills unless forced.
3. These races are naturally boring and you have to add stuff to them to make them interesting outside of class. No breath weapon. No eye beams. No transformations. No claws. No horns. No natural poisons. No tails. No wings. No glamours. No alternate movement modes. No plant control. No animal control. No invisibility. No teleport.

 

[thedungeondelver]

Kender: LOLZ HEY WHAT IF WE MADE HALFLINGS LIKE TOTALLY HATED TWINKS LOLZ.
Eladrin: You can keep your blink-elves to yourself, thanks.
Tieflings: Know what we call the offspring of demons and devils 'round here? EXPERIENCE POINTS.
Dragonborn: Cannot. Stand.
Warforged: Wow. Someone actually suggested "Iron golem" as a playable race...and somebody else OKed it. wow.
Thri-Kreen: "BUGS, MR. RICO! MILLIONS OF 'EM!"

So...those.

 

[TrippyHippy]

[MENTION=95493]Tovec[/MENTION]

Why do I hate Human, dwarves, elves, and halflings?

1. Because WoTC like making them boring. Outside of cuture, they make them humans, stout humans, skinny humans, and short humans. Not until 4E did they kind of make them different races and only barely.
2. People use their inclusion to make D&D into LotR the RPG. D&D is not LotR with more dragons. If they don't get full on Tolkien, it's full on Norse or full on Celtic. People's minds get just as narrow as player who never roll non-class skills unless forced.
3. These races are naturally boring and you have to add stuff to them to make them interesting outside of class. No breath weapon. No eye beams. No transformations. No claws. No horns. No natural poisons. No tails. No wings. No glamours. No alternate movement modes. No plant control. No animal control. No invisibility. No teleport.

"Boring" does not equate to a lack of kewl powers in my book. Powers do not equate to interesting either - I'm more interested in exotic cultures being represented and meshed into a believable game world.

These races were interesting when Tolkien wrote about them, evidently, as so many other fantasy worlds have copied them since. They could be said to be overused, arguably, but even second generation fantasy worlds (like WFRP for example), have found ways of making the stereotypes fun to play still. And they are instantly accessible and iconic, to new players at least.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

Reading that list I felt like there were maybe 25% of them that I didn't even know what the stank they were, another 25% which I kind of knew but wish heartily that I didn't, yet another 25% which weren't a very wise choice to formally allow as PC's regardless of their popularity, and the last 25% were rendered dull and uninteresting because over the last 10 years in particular game designers have ignored Gygax's warnings of 30 years ago and not just rolled over for, but played willingly (and stupidly) into players natural desires to be just that much more UBER than the guy in the chair next to them. Now get off my lawn.