How to avoid Furry Fandom?

[Bubbalicious]

I think there's one way to do what I think you are trying to do. Let me see if I have this straight.

1) You want these to be actual species occuring naturally.
2) You don't want them to be the product of long-ago acts of bestiality by Humans.

As you have put it, it's impossible. But you're thinking about it wrong. Don't think in terms of half-Human half-animal, but think in terms of Human-like animals.

We have a race in our homebrew world that is not a hybrid, but extra-planar in origin. Basically, on another plane of existence, panthers (in this case) evolved in a way parallel to the evolution of apes to man in our world. They are not part Human, but entirely separate.

If you want ape-like "sort-of-humans", the evolution could be slightly different physically from our own world, so that your races retain a little more of their animal appearance than we have retained from our ape ancestors.

Have a world where several animals evolved to walk upright, harness fire, use tools, develop language, etc. You could even (in a sort of nod to "Planet Of The Apes", have one species be stronger (like Half-Orcs), one species be more agile (like Elves) and so on. Even better, have one species be better scientists, another be master traders, another be artistically gifted, etc.

Basically, have fun with it. But remember... if you're going to make a new world, then MAKE A NEW WORLD!!! Removing it a little further from our reality gives you the flexibility to set WHATEVER RULES YOU WANT!!! After all, you are the GM!

 

[mhacdebhandia]

C. S. Lewis begs to differ.

If he were alive, I imagine C. S. Lewis would be surprised to see the uses to which his anthropomorphic animal characters have been put by furry fans and fanfiction writers.

As children's books, I wouldn't be surprised if reading the Chronicles of Narnia was a formative experience for many furries - sex-obssessed or otherwise.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Um... I care what the players think about it, and before I expose the idea to them, I want to make sure it doesn't fall flat.

Unless your players are part of furry fandom already, you're not trying to avoid them. Your thread title is confusing.

 

[Illirion]

Avoid making anthropomorphic animals, make them anthropomorphic plants instead. You are far less likely to encounter someone who thinks they're a pine tree. If this does spawn a group called "Barkies" or something, you're on your own.

Sorry to drag this off topic for a bit, but...

Man, that would be SO FRICKIN' AWESOME!

Cheers,
Illirion.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Please make sure that Grandma doesn't get offended by any of the conversation here, or I'll have to close the thread.

interwyrm, I wouldn't have thought that your players would even have thought of the problem you postulate when you're setting up a campaign - and if they *did* think about it, then you are the only person that knows them well enough to talk to them about it and make it clear what your setting is and isn't about.

Regards

 

[Sound of Azure]

Nuke 'em from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

 

[Lalato]

I say, go with Shifters from Eberron. I think it fits with what you're trying to do.

--sam

 

[Kid Socrates]

I think you'll be fine, really. There are plenty of games out there that don't have this problem, be they conventional tabletop RPG (World of Warcraft's Tauren) or video game (Fire Emblem's laguz). Just talk to your players. Communication solves most every problem.

 

[interwyrm]

Please make sure that Grandma doesn't get offended by any of the conversation here, or I'll have to close the thread.

interwyrm, I wouldn't have thought that your players would even have thought of the problem you postulate when you're setting up a campaign - and if they *did* think about it, then you are the only person that knows them well enough to talk to them about it and make it clear what your setting is and isn't about.

Regards

You're probably right, and I'm probably just being overly cautious. Regardless, I've gotten all I need to from this thread, so I won't be checking it anymore.

Thanks, Enworld!

 

[BOZ]

Avoid making anthropomorphic animals, make them anthropomorphic plants instead.

you inspired me! http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=184737