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Message: <blockquote data-quote="howandwhy99" data-source="post: 5613672" data-attributes="member: 3192">It may be something of a joke, but species exist through at least a small degree of inbreeding. Interbreeding between species is possible to the degree each shares reproductive compatibility with the other.In a fantasy game where interbreeding is important, begin with a solid idea of what you mean.  Here's the wikipedia link for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species" target="_blank">Species</a>, for a start.D&D doesn't really use race to refer to race like we do for humans.  Sub-races (like all those elves who breed like rabbits <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> ) is probably more appropriate, but it is uncommon enough for human races to be differentiated in RPG settings and that's for the best IMO. In terms of interbreeding between the intelligent or sentient races in a campaign world (i.e. PC races), I suggest working out a genealogy.  I mean, this will be fairly long term historically speaking, but it should include branches from common ancestors.  Dwarfs and elves may share a common one (though you may not want to tell them).  Half-races are pretty easy. If the races are "genetically" compatible due to common ancestry, or however you account for their make up in your game, then they can breed young together.  Perhaps you even want to come up with percentages of offspring genotype (being your own Gregor Mendel).My own system and maps are, of course, a puzzle for my players to figure out for themselves, so I won't post them. But D&D has some fairly built-in racial types what with monsters by name, type, humanoids, demi-humans and all.EDIT:Gygax already thought of this stuff long ago.  Human and demi-humans and humanoids share some eerie similarities.  Then there are all those goblinoids out there. And then, when you think about how Ogres are really a type of Giant, one can suss out that he had formally or informally a genealogy in mind.Don't forget about "unnatural" species formation too.  Demons have crazy amounts of interchangeable parts from the DMG appendix. Plus, the rationale that Magic-Users have been experimenting with creating monsters for many years is supposed to explain a lot of the goofier creatures (owlbears anyone?)If you don't go strictly fantasy, non-organic species formation is also possible given hard AI sentient machines (now that's a Mac vs. PC commercial I'd like to see).</blockquote>

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