D&D General how did we end up with the thousand types of Bruiser?

[Vaalingrade]

Honestly, I've seen curated setting work, but it usually really is just the DM forcing their personal preferences on the players.

It goes the other way too: I've seen DM straight up say 'no humans' and make the players only pick from the weird races because they have some bent toward anti-humanocentrism. It's not about the world, it's about the DM and I think that's what irks a lot of people.

 

[MGibster]

Honestly, I've seen curated setting work, but it usually really is just the DM forcing their personal preferences on the players.

I typically let players pick whatever D&D race they want. It doesn't make much difference in actual game play whether they're a goliath, halfling, or elf so why not? I did limit the races available in Curse of Strahd to what was available in the PHB and I will fully admit it was due to my personal preference.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

You really don't have to know more than they used the same template (i.e. Vampire: the Masquerade, Mage: the Awakening, Hunter: the Vigil) for the names of all of their World of Darkness line of games. People building off their ideas and systems have made fan games using the template was well (Magical Girl themed 'Princess the Hopeful' and Mad Scientist-based 'Genius: the Transgression').

And of course lazy satirist like myself then had a field day with it and should be ashamed but aren't.

Satire: The Shaming.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Or alternatively they just don't think dozens upon dozens of humanoid races (playable and "monster" included) doesn't make sense. Like @billd91 I think there are too many variations of the same basic concept.

You do you, but it has nothing to do with "stretching the world-building muscles". I could create a campaign world that was a crossroads of the multiverse if I wanted to and it would make sense to me. I don't want to do that (and players aren't asking for it), so I don't. It's just a personal preference, nothing more.

look I am not trying to disrespect your 10 year home game, I see lots of things with similar hooks with dm closer to my age and it is mildly disheartening to see the young only will do the tried and true when the player market is anything but it likely ends in sadness pulse I have seen most of the interesting approaches for the core four so they just do not enchant me.

 

[Stormonu]

how did we end up with the thousand types of Bruiser?
we have dwarves, orcs and family, minotaurs, Dragonborn and whatever Goliath are plus whatever we had it past editions
why do we seem to end up with some many bulky folks made only to mash things?
what is the point each one has to set it apart from the others?
why even have more than one of these per setting?

let the discussion commence!

Because D&D 5E dropped the 23 variant elf races.

 

[Oofta]

look I am not trying to disrespect your 10 year home game, I see lots of things with similar hooks with dm closer to my age and it is mildly disheartening to see the young only will do the tried and true when the player market is anything but it likely ends in sadness pulse I have seen most of the interesting approaches for the core four so they just do not enchant me.

You can't please everyone and as a DM I don't try. I only concern myself with my own personal satisfaction with the campaign and my 6 players.

I don't see your point. Do some DMs run games you don't like? What's the solution? You force your opinion and preference on the person running the game? Don't like how it's done, find a different group or start your own.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Because D&D 5E dropped the 23 variant elf races.

yeah, what was with that could no one make a mystical race other than elves?

 

[Mind of tempest]

You can't please everyone and as a DM I don't try. I only concern myself with my own personal satisfaction with the campaign and my 6 players.

I don't see your point. Do some DMs run games you don't like? What's the solution? You force your opinion and preference on the person running the game? Don't like how it's done, find a different group or start your own.

look you are likely in a well-settled group you likely do not take on new players often right.
okay, imaging that a thousand less talented guys rip of your setting badly those are the guys that anger me as if they had a modicum of talent they would have made a different none copy world.

my other options are all everything with none cohesion at all with everything on offer and it is not for me.

so I have been looking into making something more to my taste which takes time not that I could dm if my life depended on it.

this answer your question?

 

[Oofta]

look you are likely in a well-settled group you likely do not take on new players often right.
okay, imaging that a thousand less talented guys rip of your setting badly those are the guys that anger me as if they had a modicum of talent they would have made a different none copy world.

my other options are all everything with none cohesion at all with everything on offer and it is not for me.

so I have been looking into making something more to my taste which takes time not that I could dm if my life depended on it.

this answer your question?

I'm sorry if you can't find a game that suits you, I truly am. However it's not the responsibility of the DM to cater to everyone at the table, much less everyone that could possibly join. If I tried to do exactly what 6 different people wanted, much less every individual that could possibly join my game, it would be a failure. Ultimately a DM has to be invested and excited about their game before they can get anyone else invested and excited about the game.

Wish I had a better answer.

 

[Vaalingrade]

So anyway...

Another reason for so many bruiser variants is because most monster bruisers are Large, but most designers recognize Large size as a pain in the butt to design PC abilities around and so have to make chibi-versions for PCs.