Using races differently from stereotypes
- Thread starter Ringan
- Start date
Nyaricus
First Post
In one not-so-serious, no-holds-barred, kitchen-sick-esque world that I am creating, Dwarfs are all Psions and have a natural affinity with Crystal, which they eat like other races might candy (or a meal, depending on variety). Did I mention they are all incrediably depraved and evil? Yeah, they are 
(Favoured Class: Psion)
Orcs are highly religious, psuedo-AEyptian, demon-binding necromancers of a great southern Empire. They are ruled by a divinely-chosen Priest chaste (sp?) and are LE generally. They are also the most formidable slavers in the known world. (Favoured Class: Dread Necromancer, or Summoner [Wizard Specialist UA Varient])
Halflings are dinosaur-riding savages who are ritual canibals and moon worshippers. They live in a vast plains area and have little good relations with the other goodly races. (Favoured Class: Ranger or Barbarian)
Thri-Kreen are wandering contemplatives who many ages ago had their homeland destroyed by high-magics of some long-lost empire. They seek to find their "Atlantis" on the many beaches of a great archipelago their inhabit. They trade with many folk for small items and are conpetent warrios in their own right. (Favoured Class: Scout)
Chitine are a race of reserved, greedy traders who are masters in magic and coinage. They fight dwarves for control of the underdark, seeking out gold to further their vast trading empire, and magical secrets buried underground long ago by one of the Creator Races. (Favoured Class: Wizard)
Elves are simply another anme to call "fairies".
Gnerls are beatial, 3 foot tall Gnoll-kin who have jaws which can snap as hard and fast as a crocodile's and whose mouths can stretch as far as a snake's. They live in small tribal villages, which regularily war upon other Gnearl villages, human cities, et al. (Favoured Class: Barbarian)
Toucou's are a race of sentient bird-folk similar to toucans. They are shy, but benevolent, and are well-versed in ancient lore and are very religious in their own right, worshipping a pantheon of various rain, lightning and weather deities. (Favoured Class: Archivist)
Puibo's are a race of cat-people who aredaring, aristocratic cat-folk. They are dashing swordsmen, coy speakers and always one step ahead of the game. They generally inhabit human cities, either right beside humans in "parliment" (can't think f a more fitting word for that right now) or in the undercity, in theives guilds. (Favoured Class: Duelist or Rogue).
That's about all I have for now, but hope that gives you some ideas
cheers,
--N
(Favoured Class: Psion)Orcs are highly religious, psuedo-AEyptian, demon-binding necromancers of a great southern Empire. They are ruled by a divinely-chosen Priest chaste (sp?) and are LE generally. They are also the most formidable slavers in the known world. (Favoured Class: Dread Necromancer, or Summoner [Wizard Specialist UA Varient])
Halflings are dinosaur-riding savages who are ritual canibals and moon worshippers. They live in a vast plains area and have little good relations with the other goodly races. (Favoured Class: Ranger or Barbarian)
Thri-Kreen are wandering contemplatives who many ages ago had their homeland destroyed by high-magics of some long-lost empire. They seek to find their "Atlantis" on the many beaches of a great archipelago their inhabit. They trade with many folk for small items and are conpetent warrios in their own right. (Favoured Class: Scout)
Chitine are a race of reserved, greedy traders who are masters in magic and coinage. They fight dwarves for control of the underdark, seeking out gold to further their vast trading empire, and magical secrets buried underground long ago by one of the Creator Races. (Favoured Class: Wizard)
Elves are simply another anme to call "fairies".
Gnerls are beatial, 3 foot tall Gnoll-kin who have jaws which can snap as hard and fast as a crocodile's and whose mouths can stretch as far as a snake's. They live in small tribal villages, which regularily war upon other Gnearl villages, human cities, et al. (Favoured Class: Barbarian)
Toucou's are a race of sentient bird-folk similar to toucans. They are shy, but benevolent, and are well-versed in ancient lore and are very religious in their own right, worshipping a pantheon of various rain, lightning and weather deities. (Favoured Class: Archivist)
Puibo's are a race of cat-people who aredaring, aristocratic cat-folk. They are dashing swordsmen, coy speakers and always one step ahead of the game. They generally inhabit human cities, either right beside humans in "parliment" (can't think f a more fitting word for that right now) or in the undercity, in theives guilds. (Favoured Class: Duelist or Rogue).
That's about all I have for now, but hope that gives you some ideas
cheers,
--N
Herzog
Adventurer
For my new campaignworld (which I'm still developing, so in some way this thread is giving me nice insights!) I have introduced the following:
1. Post-Mage-War setting (think post-apocalyptic cold war), where most of the population of any race is wiped out (except dwarves, but see below).
As a direct result, racial prejudice has been put aside for those who can stomach it. Half-races are the norm, instead of the odd one out.
One player is already going to play a half-stonechild (effectively a second generation halfbreed, being 1/4 outsider), and i am planning to introduce mongrelmen at some point in the near future.
Most villages are composed of almost any race imaginable, and any race combination imaginable. (but, think playable races. No half-dryad half-dragons in my towns!)
2. Dwarves are the 'evil' race in my campaign. When the mage wars broke out, they retreated into the mountains, and offered their crafting services to any mage who would require it, as long as they would make sure the dwarves where left alone.
As a result, they are now seen as traitors by the 'common' people. (that is, everyone who is not currently a high level magic user who has locked him or herself in a giant tower)
1. Post-Mage-War setting (think post-apocalyptic cold war), where most of the population of any race is wiped out (except dwarves, but see below).
As a direct result, racial prejudice has been put aside for those who can stomach it. Half-races are the norm, instead of the odd one out.
One player is already going to play a half-stonechild (effectively a second generation halfbreed, being 1/4 outsider), and i am planning to introduce mongrelmen at some point in the near future.
Most villages are composed of almost any race imaginable, and any race combination imaginable. (but, think playable races. No half-dryad half-dragons in my towns!)
2. Dwarves are the 'evil' race in my campaign. When the mage wars broke out, they retreated into the mountains, and offered their crafting services to any mage who would require it, as long as they would make sure the dwarves where left alone.
As a result, they are now seen as traitors by the 'common' people. (that is, everyone who is not currently a high level magic user who has locked him or herself in a giant tower)
VirgilCaine
First Post
None of my elves are PC-able. Most are dead or undead.
The Orcs of my setting are amphibious, independent, spear-favoring, nomads. Some are integrated into demihuman culture, some retain their original culture.
Also, Giants (not to mention goblinoids and other humanoid races) are represented more by the often and less by the Evil of their alignment entry--Neutral and Good (Hill, Frost, Fire) giant and Ogre communities coexist with demihumanity.
The Orcs of my setting are amphibious, independent, spear-favoring, nomads. Some are integrated into demihuman culture, some retain their original culture.
Also, Giants (not to mention goblinoids and other humanoid races) are represented more by the often and less by the Evil of their alignment entry--Neutral and Good (Hill, Frost, Fire) giant and Ogre communities coexist with demihumanity.
hewligan
First Post
In the book I am writing, the elves are almost never seen - almost extinct. They are viewed by the humans as evil, as they were involved in a God war long in the past. They rose up against the Gods, challenging them, and were smitten. Their homeland was sunk beneath the waves in retribution, and the few remaining stragglers fled into exile, clinging on to the edge of existence.
The reality is a little bit different, of course.
I have blood elves, ice elves, Torachin (dying breed with a reverence for nature and seclusion), and Grugachi (deep forest dwelling - the most traditional of my four races of elf).
My dwarves live half above, half below ground. Even the mountain ones build cities on the mountains, so again, half above the earth, half below. They are consumate traders, and some of the human cities are built upon old trading cities that the diminishing dwarves have pulled back from.
There are no orcs.
I do have 2 races to replace them. One, the Narkash, are my key "evil" race, although they are not really traditionally evil as such, just intensely martial, loyal, and powerful. They have recently started to throw off their tribal shackles and have partnered with a human city-state, many moving in to positions of power within the church and army, and beginning a campaign of control of the northern dales. The Narkash are tall, olive skinned, quite handsome, with almost elven features, but much more feral, more muscular, generally with long braided dark hair. They are pretty darn fierce things!
Next up is the Herdak. These are my goblin race - they are found everywhere, but in small numbers. They are present in many human cities, often holding down the hard-labour jobs, such as harbour-workers. They are not evil, just willing to do what is required to survive and protect their own. They do a lot of smuggling, illicit trades, etc. The old Herdak races still live underground, in the mountains, and some have taken over old dwarven holdes. In some cases, such as in Iron Gate (a trade city), the Herdak are an integral part of the human city and the dwarves and humans deal openly with them. In others, the dwarves are their sworn enemies.
I have another subterranean race, the Urthak. They are psuedo-goblinoid in appearance, with thick hides, soft bellies, and large boneline clawing hands (for digging). They have natural plates of hide/armour on their heads, backs and shoulders. This protects them from falling rock (to a degree), and allows them to squeeze through sharp gaps without pain. They have huge pallid eyes, and have to wear dark goggles to go into the sunlight. They burn very easily in the sun, and tend not to like it. An ingenious, ancient race that the dwarves detest. They are slowly taking over dwarven holdes, due to their resourcefulness and slightly faster reproduction rate. They are cowardly alone (wisely so), but fight well as a group.
The humans are scattered, but powerful. Their true epoch passed a couple of centuries before, and they now are split across various city states and dales, acting as traders and farmers.
The reality is a little bit different, of course.
I have blood elves, ice elves, Torachin (dying breed with a reverence for nature and seclusion), and Grugachi (deep forest dwelling - the most traditional of my four races of elf).
My dwarves live half above, half below ground. Even the mountain ones build cities on the mountains, so again, half above the earth, half below. They are consumate traders, and some of the human cities are built upon old trading cities that the diminishing dwarves have pulled back from.
There are no orcs.
I do have 2 races to replace them. One, the Narkash, are my key "evil" race, although they are not really traditionally evil as such, just intensely martial, loyal, and powerful. They have recently started to throw off their tribal shackles and have partnered with a human city-state, many moving in to positions of power within the church and army, and beginning a campaign of control of the northern dales. The Narkash are tall, olive skinned, quite handsome, with almost elven features, but much more feral, more muscular, generally with long braided dark hair. They are pretty darn fierce things!
Next up is the Herdak. These are my goblin race - they are found everywhere, but in small numbers. They are present in many human cities, often holding down the hard-labour jobs, such as harbour-workers. They are not evil, just willing to do what is required to survive and protect their own. They do a lot of smuggling, illicit trades, etc. The old Herdak races still live underground, in the mountains, and some have taken over old dwarven holdes. In some cases, such as in Iron Gate (a trade city), the Herdak are an integral part of the human city and the dwarves and humans deal openly with them. In others, the dwarves are their sworn enemies.
I have another subterranean race, the Urthak. They are psuedo-goblinoid in appearance, with thick hides, soft bellies, and large boneline clawing hands (for digging). They have natural plates of hide/armour on their heads, backs and shoulders. This protects them from falling rock (to a degree), and allows them to squeeze through sharp gaps without pain. They have huge pallid eyes, and have to wear dark goggles to go into the sunlight. They burn very easily in the sun, and tend not to like it. An ingenious, ancient race that the dwarves detest. They are slowly taking over dwarven holdes, due to their resourcefulness and slightly faster reproduction rate. They are cowardly alone (wisely so), but fight well as a group.
The humans are scattered, but powerful. Their true epoch passed a couple of centuries before, and they now are split across various city states and dales, acting as traders and farmers.
DragonLancer
Hero
Drow are unseelie fey in my Aereth campaign, being based on the idea of children being stolen from the bed by the elves and taken to the fae realms, where they are raised and changed into more Drow.
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