Player race 'pantheon' from world to world

[Matthias]

If the writers at Wizards are taking requests here (or there's somebody here who likes the idea), I'd like to see every 4E campaign world adopt the following design rules:

1. At least one PHB player race is missing from the world (it might be extinct or simply never existed)
2. At least one non-PHB race takes their place as an official playable PC race.

I find that having the same set of races appearing in every campaign setting is trite ... it's like having the same five actors playing the main characters in every movie you want to watch. They could all be fantastic performers but you want some variety, yes?

As an example, 4E Dragonlance might be missing tieflings as a PC race but have kender (and gnomes) in their place. 4E Dark Sun might lack eladrin but have one or more of its classic alternate races instead.

what do you think?

 

[Matthias]

To add to the above post...

I know some campaign settings do "race swapping" already, or bring in new races to supplement the standard ones...

I've seen an anecdotal complaint or two concerning the new 4E races, complaints that now tieflings and dragonborn and eladrin will have to be accommodated in already-well-established settings (FR etc.) where they had never, ever existed before as a major race. Is there going to be a convoluted and dramatic means of having them show up out of nowhere and populate the setting, or will there be some historical revisionism and pretending these new 4E races have always been around and that we just never noticed them...?

Personally, I don't really see the point in forcing tieflings and dragonborn into every last WOTC setting that will be made or updated for 4E. The composition of the 'pantheon' of player races is as much a part of the flavor of a setting as its deities and unique monsters. Is it really necessary for all of them to appear in FR or other settings (except maybe for "there's room for everybody" Eberron)? Should every setting have the exact same set of 'core' deities plus a few? Why not leave a few of these core PC races out?

 

[VannATLC]

I don't particularly mind about new settings, but I'm inclined to agree regarding the ret-conning of new races into establised settings.

 

[mattdm]

1. At least one PHB player race is missing from the world (it might be extinct or simply never existed)

Done! It's the gnome. HTH.

 

[Matthias]

Gnomes and half-orcs don't count.