The only one that can pass for human is the Drow?

[CleverNickName]

Vorput is right. Mobs with torches and pitchforks, pretty much constantly.

 

[Stogoe]

Mobs with torches. And Pitchforks.

I don't understand the glee with which people put forth this idea. Is it really fun for you as DM to constantly harass your players about their characters? Wouldn't it just be better to ban 'goofy' races and be done with it? Is it Tolkien Fantasy V Other Fantasy raging?

I just don't see the fun value inherent in sending mobs after your players for picking non-Tolkien races. Maybe for a one-shot, but there's no way I'd put up with it in an ongoing campaign. You don't want me to play a Gnoll in your game? Just come out and say it already. Don't passive-aggressively snipe at me from behind the DM screen.

 

[CleverNickName]

I don't understand the glee with which people put forth this idea. Is it really fun for you as DM to constantly harass your players about their characters? Wouldn't it just be better to ban 'goofy' races and be done with it? Is it Tolkien Fantasy V Other Fantasy raging?

I just don't see the fun value inherent in sending mobs after your players for picking non-Tolkien races. Maybe for a one-shot, but there's no way I'd put up with it in an ongoing campaign. You don't want me to play a Gnoll in your game? Just come out and say it already. Don't passive-aggressively snipe at me from behind the DM screen.

Take it easy, we're all friends here. The OP was asking for "suggestions on how to take advantage of that against them." (emphasis mine) I was simply offering a suggestion...or rather, agreeing with someone else's suggestion.

In my game world, "torches and pitchforks" would be the immediate (and frequent) response of the local townfolk if a minotaur, a drow, and two half-dragons walked into town. Assuming they somehow managed to get past the Town Guard.

 

[Rechan]

I just don't see the fun value inherent in sending mobs after your players for picking non-Tolkien races. Maybe for a one-shot, but there's no way I'd put up with it in an ongoing campaign. You don't want me to play a Gnoll in your game? Just come out and say it already. Don't passive-aggressively snipe at me from behind the DM screen.

You have to realize that some players want that attention. They choose those races for those reasons.

People intentionally play "Dark, conflicted characters", you know, the "Brooding, good-aligned character of an evil race" trying to "overcome prejudice". THey can't really get that without some extreme prejudice.

I do agree that sometimes it's passive-aggressive. However, any time I've wanted to play a monstrous race, the DM usually responds "People in town aren't going to treat you nice." It's what you accept on the onset. Granted, I don't anticipate pitchforks and torches.

A sidenote to this, any time you have a monstrous PC who is part of an adventuring company that do various exploits, the neighboring towns should hear of the party's reputation, should hear about the mosntrous PC's actions, and accept them. Sure, if the group moves to a whole new area, some suspicion should be had (naturally). However, if you save SuspiciousTown from the zombie army, SuspiciousTown should at least give you some grudging respect.

 

[Starglim]

I don't understand the glee with which people put forth this idea. Is it really fun for you as DM to constantly harass your players about their characters?

There's no need to assume it's a constant thing.

It's a challenge for the party to overcome based on the choices that they made. In the first couple of sessions, the party will either seize control of the village and rule by fear (probably not) or hole up until the DM provides them with a way to gain the trust of the townsfolk as 'their' tough monster mercenaries who can protect the town from the worse things outside.

It might play not unlike the arrival-in-the-village scenes in The 13th Warrior.

 

[Rechan]

There's no need to assume it's a constant thing.

To be fair, just before Stogio's post...

Vorput is right. Mobs with torches and pitchforks, pretty much constantly.

Emphasis mine.

With that said, I propose we avoid this line of conversation further. It might very well thread-jack from the OP's intention.

 

[Rechan]

In my game world, "torches and pitchforks" would be the immediate (and frequent) response of the local townfolk if a minotaur, a drow, and two half-dragons walked into town.

So I take it in your gameworld, Dragonborn aren't a common and recognized race?

What is a half-dragon?

 

[CleverNickName]

So I take it in your gameworld, Dragonborn aren't a common and recognized race?

What is a half-dragon?

We run a 3.5E game, so no. There are no dragonborn. Half-dragon is a template that you apply to base creatures in 3.5E, to represent a draconic heritage.

This template also gets applied to a Dragon Disciple at 10th level.

 

[Rechan]

We run a 3.5E game, so no. There are no dragonborn. Half-dragon is a template that you apply to base creatures in 3.5E, to represent a draconic heritage.

I was sort've trying to imply that half-dragons don't apply in 4e, so "What's a half-dragon" is rhetorical question. Half-dragons are not the proper analogy to Dragonborn.

Point being, Dragonborn are in the 4e PHB as a legitimate race. Therefore, unless the DM declares at character creation "These guys are rare" or "These guys are just not trusted in town", it'd be like a 3e DM having half-orcs or dwarves met with pitchforks and torches without informing the players when they made their characters that those races are distrusted or rare (and therefore distrusted).

No harm, no foul (ergo the smilies). Just sayin'.

 

[CleverNickName]

I was sort've trying to imply that half-dragons don't apply in 4e, so "What's a half-dragon" is a valid question from that mindset.

Point being, Dragonborn are in the 4e Core Rules. Therefore, unless the DM declares "These guys are rare" or "These guys are just not trusted in town", it'd be like saying Half-Orcs or Dwarves are not let in town.

Sorry, I have the unfortunate habit of assuming that everyone plays the same edition of the game that I do, unless specifically stated otherwise. And my sarcasm detector has been broken for years.

I wasn't trying to be snarky; I thought you genuinely wanted to know what a half-dragon was. And I wasn't trying to be hateful or disrespectful when I said that the townsfolk would go bonkers if a party of monsters showed up in town. It was an honest answer.

But you are right. I suppose "torches and pitchforks" would be the knee-jerk response of a lazy (or mean-spirited) DM. Here's another option, with a little more thought behind it...

-----

The party runs into the Village Idiot first thing. As a crowd gathers, the simpleton loudly assumes that the heroes are all members of a traveling theatrical group. "You all must be here for the festival," he would say, "for the historical re-enactment of the famous War of the Dragonlands!" Slowly, everyone within earshot begins to nod their heads in understanding.

"That explains the terrible makeup!" a woman exclaims.

"And the funny clothes!" chimes in a little girl.

"And you must be the fabled Demon Prince of Northwood!" says an old man to the tiefling.

"Seriously, that makeup is awful," the woman continues. "The worst I've seen! It's so obvious you aren't a real dragonborn!"

The crowd pushes and shoves, all but dragging the heroes to the fairgrounds and onto a stage. They have no choice but to give the drunken, excited crowd what they want...so they put on a horrible improv comedy act. Skill challenges for everyone, and hilarity ensues.

But in the middle of the performance, a *real* monster attacks: a renegade ogre! The party of heroes acts quickly and saves the day. The crowd never realizes it is a "real" battle, they assume it is all part of the act.

The crowd goes wild! Free drinks abound! And from that day forth, the heroes are constantly heckled and cheered by their new "fans," who constantly want their autographs, want to go on tour with them, make fun of them for "never taking their makeup off," and always want to know when the next show is scheduled.