Races of YOUR World

[S'mon]

My homebrew already disallows gnomes & halflings as PC races; losing half-orcs would be no great loss. Not sure about allowing dragonborn or tieflings though; although I do have cambion/half-demon NPCs. My setting is humanocentric and the 'race' info is all about humans:


Ean Races
Most PCs are humans from urban or civilised rural cultures. Rare non-human PCs may be created with GM approval; the most common inhumans in human society are half-elves, half-orcs, female elves, and hill dwarves. There are very very few halflings or gnomes, most people regard them as semi-legendary, like the faerie. Heights in parantheses are for adult males, human females average about 4" shorter.
There are two major strains of 'northern' human, the Cimri and Narish. Each has several sub-groups.

Heartlander (5'8"): The dominant race of the Overkingdom of Imarr are the Imarran Heartlanders, with fair to olive skin and black or brown hair, eyes commonly brown, frequently blue (predominantly Roman-style culture, physically similar to Italian). Language: Imarran Common
Doskani (5'8"): black hair, brown eyes (similar to Spanish), among whom female warriors are common. The Doskani have a macho culture, Doskani knights are noted for their bravery and code of chivalry. Doskani warriors of both genders are often accompanied by a body-slave who serves their needs. Language: Doskani (dialect)
Colladi (5'9"): The native people of Colladel, they have brown, red or fair hair, blue eyes common (similar to Gaelic Irish), the area bordering the wild Sorganzorro marshes to the west is predominantly Colladi. A Cimric people. Language: Imarran Common
Bretanian (5'9"): similar to Colladi (French-Celtic culture), homelands were conquered by the Makyan tribes ca 2732 YE and mostly exiled or reduced to serfdom. A Cimric people. Language: Bretanian (dialect)
Do Chakan (5'9"): The Chakkan plains are a melting-pot of ethnicities, including Makyan, Mongali, Bretanian/Cimri, Albine colonials (dark hair, tall, fair complexion), Imarran Heartlander, etc. Native Do Chakkans tend to slim and fair, with red hair common. Language: Imarran common, Chakkan (dialect)
Unusual human ethniticies and those from the fringes of civilisation include:
Sorgani (5'6"): The native tribal people of the Sorganzorro marshes and Coast Range mountains, they typically have black hair, high cheekbones, dark tan complexion and a short, stocky build (similar to Slavic, culture similar to Amerindian forest tribes). Blond hair from interbreeding with the Nari is not uncommon in many Sorgani clans. The Sorgani are closely related to the Suomi, the pre-Narish people of Imgart proivince. Language: Sorgan.
Norse (Narish) - feudal Narish Imgarters (6') (Teutonic & Finnish) and Trafalgic Norse vikings (6'2"), (Norse mythos), blond, brown or red hair, blue eyes. There are savage Norse tribes in the high Yurons who are ethnically identical but culturally much more primitive, eg not keeping slaves, treating women as equals, etc... Thrinians (6') from across the great ocean are culturally and physically similar, but with a predominantly high-feudal knightly culture based on the worship of Thrin. Many Imgarters in remote areas show the tan complexion and high cheekbones indicative of Suomish ancestry. Language: Trafalgic Norse, closely related Imgart Narish.
Northwoodsmen (5'10") (Crisan) are similar to the Norse/Narish, and closely related, but mixing with Cimric blood means they are somewhat shorter; brown hair and ruddy complexions are common (similar to Anglo-Saxon). Language: Imarran Common
Rigerian (6') - fair-skinned, mostly black-haired & blue eyed mountain barbarian tribes, revere Crom (N). A Cimric people. Language: Rigerian (Cimric)
Duskmoon Mountain Barbarians (5'10") - fair skin, black, brown or red-haired barbarians live on Vantouche's eastern border. The Hawksmen are strongest. A Cimric people. Language: Common, Old Cimric. Sunrissmen (5'10"): The semi-civilised men of the Sunriss Confederacy are tall, of mixed Cimric & Narish blood, with some Imarran.
Mongali (5'5") - yellowish-skinned horse nomads (similar to medieval Mongols), invincible archers, they rule Do Chaka and the Forest of Angar. Ancestor worshippers. Language: Mongal.
Makyan (5'10") - bronze-skinned barbarian beast-worshippers, recently conquered Bretania. Revere Eiritha the Herd-Goddess and their tribal animals (similar to North American Amerindian) Language: Makyan.
Ankan (5'9"): Fair or red hair, blue eyes, strong build. Fierce barbarian-Celtic culture. Blue-eyed, fair-haired barbarians dwelling among the high peaks of the vast Ankan Range. Ethnically close to Beskarni. The Ankan clans bordering the Forest of Angar include many half-elves, the Angarin Sidhe. A Cimric people. Language: Ankan.
Pan Chakkan Highlanders (5'9"): The kilted tribal clans of the Pan Chakka hills are ethnically Chakkan (blue eyes, red, brown, or fair hair) but retain an ancient tribal culture similar to medieval Scots Gaels. A Cimric people. Language: Chakkan (dialect)
Heavenly Mountains Veridoran (5'5") - similar to Mongali in appearance, but fairer complexion and much more civilised. Revere Hawk and Crane, they are believed to originate long ago in far-off Veridor, and speak Veridoran (similar to Japanese). The people of the Sea of Dust (5'5") are mostly of mixed Heavenly Mountains and eastern ancestry.
Kartislander/Nubian (5'11") - black/brown-skinned native of tropical savannas, Kartislanders are descended from a mix of native Nubian and mostly-Imarran colonials. Other related Nubian tribes dwell in the rain forests to the south, some - the Horde of Julah - recently conquered the Van Karti's Land plains, establishing the Kingdom of Julah. Revere the Elemental Kings, especially Olorun, among other gods (similar to African). The Kingdom of Julah has a caste system, darker skin indicating higher status. Language: Imarran Common and Nubian.
Marrakeen (5'9") (Arabic), southern Dosk heights tribes (5'9")(Turkic), - dusky Southlanders, the Marrakeen are by far the most numerous. Language: Marrakeen and dialects.
Aryptian (5'8") - dark, hawk-nosed dwellers amongst the pyramids and ruins of their ancient civilisation (Egyptian mythos). Language: Aryptian.
Azcan (5'4") - mysterious copper-skinned race from the Southern jungles of the deep Mosquito River basin in the far south (similar to central-American Aztec), enemies of the Nubians. Language: Azcan.
Albine (5'11") - fair to olive skin, brown or (rarely) blue eyes, rangy build - the tall, dark-haired Albines are the former colonial rulers of Imarokia. The Albine Empire across the great ocean is falling under attack. Their culture resembles the medieval Byzantine Empire, and is probably the most technologically advanced on Ea. Albines live longer than most other humans, and are not Middle Aged until 50, Old at 75 and Venerable at 100. Language: Albine Common.
Rarely-seen human races from the far West include:
Tantoki (5'5") , from Simcist Tantok (similar to medieval Buddhist Thailand) who resemble the Heavenly Mountains people, Language: Tantoki, which is closely related to Veridoran.
Matushkan (5'7"), from Matushka (similar to medieval Hindu India), Language:Matushkan
Westerlanders (5'9")(mixed, including many of Trafalgic Norse Narish descent), feudal-medieval, cultures resembling east-European Kievan Rus, Lithuanian etc. Language: Westerland Norse (dialects).

From http://www.geocities.com/s.t.newman/Ea.htm

 

[Belorin]

One of the other games I play in a lot is Arduin and it has many races, the newest version has approximately 21 player races ranging from humans to centaurs and phraints (similar to thri-kreen, sort of).
So my player races for 4E would include;
Archon*
Centaur
Dragonborn
Drow
Dwarf
Eladrin
Elf
Gnome
Goblin
Halfling
Human
Kobold
Minotaur
Orc
Thri-kreen
Tiefling

*Archons are a race similar in origin to Tieflings in that they were human at one time and then were infused with angelic essence in order to fight an ancient evil that threatened the entire world. Back when the empires of the Dragonborn and Tieflings were at war and it seemed that they would destroy each other, a group of wizards began seeking power that would enable them to take advantage of this. In their search they made contact with beings from the Far Realms, they were instructed to gather an army and the beings from the Far Realms would empower it with a portion of their own power. This created an army of illithids that soon took control of the region and threatened to consume the world.
Nearby, the city of Archon was ruled by a patriarch of Pelor who prayed to his god for guidance in ridding the world of this menace. In response Pelor sent one of his angels to the patriarch, instructing him rally his people and he would grant them the power to defeat the aberrations. Pelor sent angels to meld with the humans granting them their power.
In a great battle most of both armies were destroyed, some illithids escaped to the Underdark and what few of the followers of Pelor were left were called upon to give up their angelic possessors, unfortunately the symbiosis was complete, the human hosts would die without them. Pelor considered this and granted the angels the ability to leave the human while leaving its energy behind. These Archons as the called themselves returned to their homes and families. A by-product of this was that any offspring of an Archon was born with certain angelic aspects, golden skin and silver eyes. As with Tieflings any Archon union produces Archon offspring and Archons seem to prefer their own race as mates.
The story needs some work still and I need to see the mechanics of player races before I decide what racial abilities to give the Archons.

Bel

 

[Mishihari Lord]

Meta-Version: It allows me to run the equivalent of planar adventures of journeying into increasingly weird and otherworldly islands (such as Bloodmoon Island, where the moon seems to weep blood at night, or the Cliffs of Insanity, whose obsidian-black surfaces are said to devour the souls of airship mariners who see their reflections in them) without needing to rely upon planes-hopping spells. Just climb aboard and airship and sail. The monsters get stranger and more terrible the farther out you go, and you never need to leave the Endless Sea to do it.

Nice. I'm going to have to try something like that.

 

[Zaruthustran]

Meta-Version: It allows me to run the equivalent of planar adventures of journeying into increasingly weird and otherworldly islands (such as Bloodmoon Island, where the moon seems to weep blood at night, or the Cliffs of Insanity, whose obsidian-black surfaces are said to devour the souls of airship mariners who see their reflections in them) without needing to rely upon planes-hopping spells. Just climb aboard and airship and sail. The monsters get stranger and more terrible the farther out you go, and you never need to leave the Endless Sea to do it.

Anything with the Cliffs of Insanity gets my vote for Cool Setting.

Seriously, your world sounds fun. Any plans on writing it up and posting online somewhere for others to enjoy?

 

[AZRogue]

I'll just be using default at first, since I want my first campaign to be as undiluted as possible so I can see what I like and what I want to change, and to feel comfortable enough with things to do so.

I may just change the racial descriptions, though, to fit what I have in mind. Fluff, but not mechanics.

Tieflings, for instance, aren't the result of mixed bloodlines in my campaign (I don't know what default is) but the result of a curse generations in the past. Lets me add an entire sub-section of tieflings trying to atone for their ancestors' crimes and another sub-section pissed off at the Gods who handed out the curse and out to get some revenge.

Dwarves, elves, humans, and halflings are pretty standard. I've only ever had two players choose a dwarf before. It's not popular at my table for some reason. Gnomes, never, and a halfling once, but he was chosen only for comic relief (Red Rain, the Rabid Rogue of Random Robberies and Ribald Retorts - <in a squeaky voice> "Cretin! Now you've brought THE RAIN! <sings like Axle Rose> Reeeeeeed Raaaaaaain, Reeeeeeed RAAAAAAAAAAAIN"). I won't make any changes right off the bat, but may later as I think of them.

Dragonborn are the mortal descendants of the custodians of the Uroboros. Created by Bahamut for the purpose, they served as his (the Uroboros') priests and guardians at the dawn of time, but were largely wiped out by the children Set, the Uroboros' child who hated his father and his relationship with Bahamut. The Yaun-Ti are Sets primary race and the enemies of the Dragonborn. Most Dragonborn make a pilgrimage once a generation to the Seven Temples of the Uroboros in search of the bronze discs that held the key to where the Uroboros slept, his body entwining the mortal, feywild, and the shadowfell and holding them together. They hope to return one day and take back up their positions as his custodians. They won't be able to look their creator, Bahamut, in the eye until they do.

Hmm, sorry. That was too much information. I guess I've given more thought to those two races because they are the most different. It gave me the idea of a "defending the Uroboros" aspect to the Epic part of the campaign though.

 

[Captain Tagon]

I'm going to use all the races in the PHB. However, if the fluff isn't too hardwired into the mechanics for each race, they could be seeing a lot of cultural and cosmetic changes.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

if the fluff isn't too hardwired into the mechanics for each race, they could be seeing a lot of cultural and cosmetic changes.

If the racial fluff is hardwired so much it prevents cultural and cosmetic changes then the edition is a failure. Because it will eliminate the ease of homebrewing that has been a key feature of D&D for more than 30 years.

 

[Cobalt Meridian]

I'm been running my homebrew world for years now and the race selection hasn't greatly changed. With 4th ed. I'm taking the opportunity to update some of the lesser used areas to be "home" for the new races.

The game world is one that does not have a "static" size, it changes over millennia from being approximately Earth-sized to it's present size which is nearly the same as Mercury. This causes continual "land grabs" as the various races try t hold on to what they have. Some nations disappear as the world shrinks, to reappear thousands of years later when the world expands, so providing a continual source of ruins and strange artefacts for adventurers to discover

My selection is:
Human - rulers of a slowly dying Empire that covers 6 nations, besieged on all sides by non-human races that want their land. Humans are one of the oldest races on the world and are currently the dominant one.
Dwarves - the artisans of the world. Their long life span enables them to master any craft they decide upon.
Gnomes - small feral fey creatures that inhabit the dark forests. Ruthless and cunning, masters of traps and guerilla warfare. Often employed for their skills as hunters.
Ogres - peaceful agrarian race of large humanoids that, if provoked, have foul tempers. Often used as "shock troops" by various armies.
Constructs - a race of artificially created humanoids intended as front-line troops for races that can no longer provide their own people for wars. The Constructs were given life with the souls of those who couldn't reach the afterlife and are constantly striving for redemption.
Pixies - tiny winged fey, masters of magic, forced out of their home beyond the "green veil" by the capricious Elves.

So, NO HALFLINGS, NO ELVES!
Instead there are;
1 Large humanoid type
2 Medium humanoid types
2 Small humanoid types (Dwarves are counted as "small")
1 Tiny humanoid type

The planet is also the scene for an "secret war" that is occurring between Elves who like in a different realm beyond the "green veil" and Drow who live in a mirror-image realm beyond the "Shadow veil" (I've used this idea for about 15 years so I've not nicked it from the 4th. ed fluff in case you were wondering).

With 4th Ed. I'm expanding the list as follows;
Dragonblood - a race of reptilian humanoids that were once the slaves of Dragons. They now run a slaver guild that specialises in providing "warm-bloods" to the highest bidder. Essentially Dragonborn.
The Children of Orcus - a nation that was once human now cursed for that all their children for a thousand generations will bear the "marks" of Orcus (horns, tail, red skin). This nation is striving to prove their appearance do not equate to evil. Essentially Tieflings.

Which nicely just adds 2 Medium sized humanoids to the choices

 

[S'mon]

I reckon if I run 4e I'll set it in Wilderlands - it has Points of (Murky) Light, it has Dragonborn (Orichalans), it has Tieflings (Demonborn). It's almost like the 4e developers copied it.

 

[Jackelope King]

Anything with the Cliffs of Insanity gets my vote for Cool Setting.

Seriously, your world sounds fun. Any plans on writing it up and posting online somewhere for others to enjoy?

I can't resist a good reference, what can I say?

But in terms of writing up the setting and releasing it, I have plans to do so. It likely won't be released for D&D directly, but it should be d20-ish enough to get the job done (and the flavor should be easy enough to extract and reconstruct in 4e if the designers do their jobs right, which by all indications they are).