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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Viktyr Gehrig" data-source="post: 2072939" data-attributes="member: 9249">I agree that the proliferation of anthropomorphic animal races is a little silly-- particularly poorly developed or all-too-human varieties, which I'm most of us can name a half-dozen of.However, when they are well-developed, clearly alien (even if in minor ways), and non-stereotypical, they can be a great addition to a campaign world. Other people have mentioned them as a bad example, but the Thri-Kreen are what I'd consider the best example of a well-done anthropomorphic. They have a distinct culture, distinct mindset, and abilities that tie into the fact that they are not human... Thri-Kreen of Athas was one of the defining books in Dark Sun, so good that I've included Thri-Kreen in nearly every other project I've worked on.The Dromites in the XPH are another good example of a well-developed anthro, though they're another insectoid race. Their sexlessness, and the combination of insectoid hive hierarchy with democratic principles is intriguing, especially since they elect the persons responsible for all of their reproduction. If their caste system were further expanded, or their cities described, they'd easily be on-par with Thri-Kreen or Skaven as an awesome race.There are other areas where anthropomorphics aren't so bad. Lizardfolk have suffered from a lack of definition in 3e, and in most campaign settings, but their treatment in Spelljammer made them far more interesting. Bullywugs and Sivs are both indistinct, but the rivalry between the two frogmen species can be a base for interesting development-- though I typically try to avoid an excess of humanoid sentients. Include the Grippli in a three-way frogman culture war, and you could have a fascinating campaign element, as long as your world featured swamps prominently.The important thing is to make sure that anthropomorphic races aren't just humanoid animals, but are distinct races in their own right.</blockquote>

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