Think Tank: Oddball Races...

[Nyaricus]

So, I am getting back into my campaign creation stint with my players, and my request this time is some oddball new ways to use a variety of races in my campaign setting. My players and I want some off-beat, odd, weird, whimsical and generally crazy races with new, interesting background that are not atypical of them. We want somehting new, and completely different, and are looking for suggestions.

Some ideas my players (and myself) have thrown around are: [some more thought-out than others]:

• Orcish Necromancers have a vast desert empire in the far south.
• Dwarves are all psionic, and usually evil. They live deep undergroung in thier fortresses.
• Beguiler Spriggans living in weird mushroom forests.
• Halflings are like carnivourous rabbits - they breed like cray, and are canaballistic.
• Ibixians are a barbarous plains-dwelling folk who have had a recent schism in their faith [Orcus and a nature god]
• Chitines are an alien race from the depths of the earth, well-versed in magical lore.
• Lidra are a short and golden-skinned fey, infused with the elemental power of lightning. They favour the druid class.
• Pakkai are a race of deft cat-people who live alongside humans in their cities. They are quick and intelligent fighters, and are accomplished duelists.
• Kobolds are a wiry race of survivors living oin the fringes of the land; they worship dragons as gods and obtain power from them.
• Hadozee are a wanderlust-taken ship monkeys who have skin-flaps under thier arms which enable them to glide a short distance.
• Kruppi are a race of xenophobic, sorcererous frogmen who are pushy to the point of exasperation.
• Thri-Kreen are a serene race of hunter-gatherers who roam the beaches, occansionally trading with other races, but often stiking to themselves.
• Vanara are a race of peaceful, spiritual holy-chimps who live in vast tree-cities.

That's about all we have for now. Basically, we are looking for any interesting ideas for new ways to use old races, new races in general, and a way to fit in some of the new classes from the complete series and PHBII.

Any sort of weird niches will do - we want to throw out all the sacred cows and make somehting completely different. Sure, it's going to be weird, but that's the point

So, EN World, whatcha got up your sleaves?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Change the favored class of the kobold to dragon shaman or dragonfire adept (Dragon Magic).

 

[Sejs]

Elves are the reincarnated souls of the dead, given a second chance. They're not properly mortal like the other races, which is why they can't sleep and age so slowly. As the years pass, memories of their previous life fades more and more, despite their attempts to keep them fresh each night with their trances. Elven society has a predeliction toward wizardry as a result of a great number of elves trying to understand the hows and whys behind the mystery of their rebirth. Elven mages in particular are focused on the fields of divination, conjuration, and necromancy.

 

[Sejs]

Yuan-ti are the children of an Outer God that communicates thru dreams and brings a message of peace and love from beyond time and space. Their poison (and distilates thereof) has wildly halucinogenic qualities that they claim expands the mind and is the key to universal harmony. They have ministers that walk amongst cities like serpentine krishnas, and temples in odd (and not always remote) locations of 'geo-stellar significance' Yesssss.. join us in brotherhood... love and bliss and comfort... one of us... one of us...

 

[Sejs]

Goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears arn't just part of the same category, they're actually the same race. Originally hailing from an advanced techno-magical civilization from ages long since past, hobgoblins and bugbears were just goblins that had been selectivly bred to be soldiers/peacekeepers and laborers respectivly. But then the Gray Plague came and destroyed their minds, turning culture into savagery and robbing the goblin rulers of their psionic power. The fall of the empire was neither merciful nor quick, and the plague lingered on for generation after generation. It's only in recent memory that Blues have begun to re-emerge amongst their population, though their significance has long been forgotten.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

The Malquar are a species of sentient octupus that came from the sea, and now have adapted to live even outside of water. They have 4 long and 4 shorter tentacles. The long tentacles are strong and are used for walking/jumping, swimming and climbing, while the short tentacles are used to manipulate devices. The Minquar might or might not be highly psionic.

The Valul are a species of sentient jellyfishes. A cataclysmn has forced them to leave their home (the deep sea). They are normally unable to live outside of water, but they used their powerful psychic abilities to create a ectoplasmic shell that protects them from harm just like the skin of a human. Most Valul have adapted a humanoid shape to better conduct negotations with them.

 

[Sejs]

Gnolls? Furry romans - togas, aquaducts and all.

 

[Sejs]

Trolls arn't actually a proper race at all - they're the victims of a 'healing sickness' gone terribly, terribly wrong. They're predatory and ravenous as the infection needs a steady supply of nourishment to keep itself going, twisting the host's body and mind over time to better suit its own needs.

 

[Nyaricus]

Damn, I love it when EN World comes to my rescue

Hmm, elves as undead? I like. There was a templte at LA+0 or +1 for it someplace.... I'll have to look into that. Actually, I could cimply change orcs to be demonbinders [that wa another option] and see if it could work that way....

That Yuan-Ti twist is kinda cool, especially with those temples... Reminds me of that Steven Ericson book where they uncover the remains of a burial chamber under city hall in that one city [it's in Memories of Ic, IIRC]. Cool, I think I'd liek to fit that in....

Malquar sound cool, adn I recall seeing a race of octopus-men on a website someplace [Farland, or somesuch?] that were really cool. Hmm, I'd love to work in something like that

I also like the idea of the halflings once having a great empire which has now fallen. Not sure If I'll use the rest as a plot device (me and my group really wants dwarves to be the evil psionic baddies) but the concept is cool

Thansk for the great suggestions thus far, I love think tanks on EN World

 

[Nyaricus]

Gnolls? Furry romans - togas, aquaducts and all.

lol, that's TOO funny I thnk I'm .sigging that