D&D 5E Do you restrict racial choices in your games?

[NaturalZero]

I build a default setting with a certain set of races in mind, but I'm open to players coming up with some world building lore if they want something off-menu. I'd never bother to incorporate halflings in a base world, for instance, but if you really wanted to run one we could come up with something.

 

[Yardiff]

Looks like restricted racial choices just might be more popular.

 

[J-H]

Yep.
For all the debate about the Tasha's optional rules (which I do not like), it looks like they don't even apply in a typical game for about 3/4th of the people who voted in this poll... and should probably be left out of white-room optimization discussions as a result.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Except the poll result implies a different loadout for every campaign, so how would you know if Tasha's rules are in effect or not?

 

[cbwjm]

You wouldn't know if the Tasha's rules are in effect, that's what a session 0 or campaign sheet is for. Every campaign could be different, especially if the setting changes with each campaign run.

 

[Umbran]

For all the debate about the Tasha's optional rules (which I do not like), it looks like they don't even apply in a typical game for about 3/4th of the people who voted in this poll... and should probably be left out of white-room optimization discussions as a result.

So, the data doesn't say that. The data says that 70%+, races are restricted. That doesn't tell you if the GM is going to allow Tasha's rules.

It would seem to me that having Tasha's rules in place makes it much easier to get players on board with restricting race choices, because it doesn't impact their class choices so much.

 

[CleverNickName]

Looks like I'm in the solid (very solid) majority: I present a list of races that the players are allowed to choose from. "Anything goes" doesn't really suit my style.

 

[Emerikol]

I like to create worlds that have a distinct flavor. I find players that are unwilling to bend on their racial choice are usually not looking for what I offer to begin with and thus I am not going to make them happy. I have no special antipathy towards any race specifically so it varies what I might or might not include. I do on occasion play with lots of races and other times I'm more exclusive. It really is dependent a lot on the design of the world. I play with players that care about GM's who do world design. I also usually get some feedback before embarking on designing an entire world.

 

[Gorg]

I do. PHB and campaign specific only. Actual player character races. They don't get to use the Monster Manual as an auxiliary players handbook...

I had to do this, just to reign in some of the abuses of the rules. Particularly the "powerful races" rules. Some of these folks were serious power gamers, verging on munchkins. (this was/is a group of friends, not a purpose built gaming group) Some of the wilder ideas posed serious problems to both game balance and versimilitude.

 

[TwoSix]

Yep.
For all the debate about the Tasha's optional rules (which I do not like), it looks like they don't even apply in a typical game for about 3/4th of the people who voted in this poll... and should probably be left out of white-room optimization discussions as a result.

That doesn't say that at all. I voted for the majority option, and will use the Tasha's optional rules.

The majority vote is simply saying that they'll restrict an option if it violates the milieu of their setting, but there are plenty of voters who voted for that while also acknowledging that their settings of choice are pretty open to almost anything. That was certainly what I was voting for.