In response to this thread, and a little bit of the Evolution thread.
D&D24 has ten ancestries, including tiefling and aasimar. D&D14 has nine, including half-elf and half-orc. Level Up has eight, not including any of the above as separate races.
So... you're writing the next PHB. It's your job to pick out between seven and twelve Ancestries to put in the core rules, and make the major players in the implied setting of the core rules. Your job isn't to appeal to the fans of prior editions, or to the widest possible audience-- your job is to pick the ancestries that you think will make the game most fun and interesting.
Rules:
You know I'm going to use all 12 slots, because I put the baroque in the broken.
I would probably be forced to include fewer ancestries if I had my wish and could implement race-as-class.
Cut it down to 7?
D&D24 has ten ancestries, including tiefling and aasimar. D&D14 has nine, including half-elf and half-orc. Level Up has eight, not including any of the above as separate races.
So... you're writing the next PHB. It's your job to pick out between seven and twelve Ancestries to put in the core rules, and make the major players in the implied setting of the core rules. Your job isn't to appeal to the fans of prior editions, or to the widest possible audience-- your job is to pick the ancestries that you think will make the game most fun and interesting.
Rules:
- No fewer than 7; no more than 12.
- All races have to come from D&D (any) or Pathfinder (any) material, but 3PP is allowed.
- Something has to count as "human" in the core rules.
- Subraces are free; bonus points if you include them in your summary.
- Half-races are similarly free. Just indicate which ancestries can produce them.
- If you want to take a couple of paragraphs to describe what your "implied setting" looks like and how your picks reinforce it... please, be my guest.
You know I'm going to use all 12 slots, because I put the baroque in the broken.
- Human - just plain human. However the human bonuses are defined in this edition, they improve with level.
- Dwarf - dwarves are miniature space giants. Hill, Frost, Fire, Stone, Cloud, Storm.
- Elf - dual axis-- per elemental school and terrain type. REAL ELFS GOTS TAILS.
- Gnome - no subraces, no smurfnibblers. Telepathic.
- Dromite - no notes.
- Gith - Githyanki, Githzerai, Gith'vyrik.
- Kreen - includes Thri-Kreen, Tohr-Kreen, and Xixchil.
- Goblin
- Hobgoblin
- Bugbear
- Kobold - subrace by dragon type, all the dragons
- CHEAT! - Warforged/Android. Subrace by chassis/plating.
I would probably be forced to include fewer ancestries if I had my wish and could implement race-as-class.
Cut it down to 7?
- Human
- Dwarf
- Elf
- Gith
- Kreen
- Goblin
- Warforged/Android
