I hate cat-people, dog-people, lion-people, etc

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

I don't mind them when they're an NPC race and have a unique culture. But for some reason, it bugs me when they're a PC race. It also bugs me when they're animalistic for no good in-game reason.

For example, as much as I love AU/AE, the there's something about the Litorians (lion men) that I dislike. Having a race hat happens to look exactly like lions for no discernable reason harms the verisimilitude for me. However, the Sibbecai (anthro jackal/dog men) don't bother me at all, because they're actually magically-altered jackals given intelligence, raised to be a servitor race to the giants.

I love both races, but I agree that they look off. From the description and personality I think Litorians should look more bruised and business-like. As it is they do look very contrived.

 

[julius27]

Could you go into more detail?

Knowing quite a few furries, I have to say they're usually pretty cool people.

It's not that he isn't cool, I've been friends with him for over ten years. It's just that he can't have fun playing anything not furry, and when the group gets small, his creativity goes into the toilet. My favorite characters of his are: Trelan, from an alternate dimension stranded in the Spelljammer setting. He is a fox and an inventor. He got up to I think 12th level before we shelved that game from boredom. Then there is Samurai, a dog-boy in Rifts who is unusually independent and is given to fits of rage against Coalition reps. And Max, a werewolf in the World of Darkness who is a freelance commercial artist and a warrior for his tribe. He carries a glaive that is shaped like an oversized dakh tagh from Star Trek. Once, he plunged it into the top of a hellhound's skull, popped the prongs out, and spun it before wrenching it free. All of these characters were most interesting when the gaming group was over four people including the GM.

 

[Arcane Runes Press]

On the scale of lazy design, animal people don't even register as a blip.

Start a rant about "My orcs are different! They're honorable warriors!", or "My kobolds are awesome! They're clever enough to take down a 10th level party!", and then we'll be in business.

Patrick Y.

 

[GreatLemur]

Humanoid animals are a boring, lazy choice that RPG developers seem to be making more and more often, these days. And that's all I've really got to say about that.

 

[Boojum]

Put me in the middle camp. Like several other people have mentioned, I'm ok with animal-people if they have some interesting development beyond simpy being humanoids with traits borrowed from an animal. It's hard to get into the head of a truly alien race, and animals, along with familiar concepts like elves, dwarves, etc. can give you a sort of hook or shorthand way to communicate traits. Basically, I like animal people with some sort of interesting twist, but then I also prefer traditional races with some sort of twist as well.

 

[reanjr]

I am a big fan of thri-kreen, which are basically mantis-people. But they have a rich cultural milieu and their personality isn't much based on that of a mantis. But to each his own.

 

[reanjr]

Also, for the record, Minotaurs are NOT cow people, but rather monstrous humans cursed by the gods with a head resembling that of a cow. In any setting I've ever come across, suggesting to a minotaur that he or she is related in any way to cattle is a reliable way of seeing your insides on the outside.

Ummm... My memory is sometimes flaky, but wasn't the original minotaur tauric with a bull's head? And wasn't it begotten through the union of a human female and Zeus in the shape of a bull (making it half-bovine)?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

On the scale of lazy design, animal people don't even register as a blip.

Start a rant about "My orcs are different! They're honorable warriors!", or "My kobolds are awesome! They're clever enough to take down a 10th level party!", and then we'll be in business.

My kobold armies and I will punish you for that last remark.

 

[woodelf]

But yeah. I see where you are coming from. It is pretty bland to come up with cat people who are lithe and aloof. I really don't think I've ever used any of this stuff you mentioned, except for the odd Minotaur or 10. Do you include Gnolls as Hyena people, or are they OK?

My problem is with 2-D races that are (1) unoriginal, (2) shallow, and (3) bland. So, while the litorians and sibeccai of Arcana Unearthed disappointed me on the 1st point (the lion-people are nomadic individualistic warriors; the dog-people are doting servitors and highly urban/social), they defied flaws 2 and 3, being much more than that basic summary might imply.

However, D&D3E elves & dwarves fulfill all 3 points, IMHO, and gnomes, orcs, and halflings manage at least 2 of the 3. So, whatever i may think of unoriginal anthropomorphic-animal races, i'll still take them over what D&d3E gives me.

 

[Kesh]

I don't really care too much one way or another, although I'm slightly leaning towards "no thanks" to animal-people. Including gnolls, for that matter.

*growl*