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Message: <blockquote data-quote="steeldragons" data-source="post: 8147407" data-attributes="member: 92511">42. It is always the answer.BUT, it wasn't on the list so I'm going with 12.The way I sees it, 12 species gives you infinite options. Each species can have various "sub-species" and innumerable different cultures that can be fluffed from one horizon to the other and cover any fantasy base you want. My own campaign world uses the following general list:COMMON/BASIC RACES to choose from:Humans: 8 distinct cultures/ancestries. Elves: 1 PC default, 2 more "uncommon" PC types. 2 more "rare" if the DM is feeling generous. 6 total types.Dwarves: 1 PC default. 1 more "uncommon PC option. 2 more "rare" types if the DM wants. Count the irretrievably evil Derro (my world doesn't have/use Duergar) as a "dwarf" type as my world's lore does, and that's 5 dwarf types.Halflings: 1 common  default (hairfoot), 1 "uncommon" PC option (tallfellow equivalent). 1 NPC only "evil/dark halfling" type. So there's 3 more.Satyrs: just one kind for PCs. There are 2 special (that's "SPEE'-see-ahl", not "SPEH'-shul") variants not available to PCs.Uncommon/"Expert" Races:Gnomes: 1 PC option. 2 rare options more prone for NPCs ("deep gnomes" and earth elemental-gnomes). 2 rare evil subtypes. 5 subspecies total.Half-Elf: Either the usual "half0human/half-elf" heritage or "humans" of an ancient realm that was originally an elfin land and enough elf-blood courses through the population that a "human" from that land can, in fact, possess the half-elf traits (while looking entirely human).Horken: Half-Orc/Hobgoblin replacements. Heritage can be the engineered slave/solider self-sustaining species or usual "half-human/half-orc" or "half-human/half-horken" options.RARE/"Advanced" Races:Zepharim: feather-winged humanoids, think Thanagarians (in look, not culture. Cultures are very different...Well, the males. Female zepharim, actually, are very like Thanagarians. Winged Amazons, basically...or Valkerie with their own wings), not aarakocra.Jerali: felinoids who skew a bit more "Thundercats" than "tabaxi/rakasta/catfolk" (again, in looks, not culture). 5 sub-species, but all found among one culture. I don't need to find a place in the continent for "lion folk, and panther folk, tiger folk, lynx, leopard, cheetah,..." ad infinitum. There is a felinoid species. Take on the sub-species traits of whichever one you like.Centaurs: Pretty homogenous, culturally, really. And while they may travel just about anywhere (thus being eligible to become a PC), their origin territories are fairly contained, unlike other playable species that might be found living collectively in at least a few, if not many, places (Though there are rumors in the great grasslands of a dark-skinned zebra-striped variant.).Lizardmen: the mutated people of an ancient human [reptile demon-worshipping] civilization, long forgotten. Now, while most existing lizardfolk have devolved to fairly primitive subsistence tribal culture. They are not inherently evil and have a capacity to learn (with some difficulty) the tongues and ways of the setting's goodly peoples. A select few are born with some mental drive of curiosity and wonder -genetic throwbacks, perhaps- with a capacity for a limited array of PC classes.Sprites: dragonfly-winged 2' tall (fae beings who continue to inhabit the setting's Material plane) are on the proverbial "table," though I've never seen one played at an actual table.So, with a list of 13 "races"/species, I get to 32-35 conceivable options for PCs...Populating the world with varying cultures of the same, not so many, peoples...And leaving me with up to 5-10 potential "haven't used/come up with them yet" slots for other species (or divergent/unknown cultures and civilizations) players might want to use...if a DM will allow.42.</blockquote>

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