D&D 5E What is the appeal of the weird fantasy races?

[Marandahir]

I'm bored with the limited number of cultures and peoples created from the core 4+their sub-options.

I'd much rather emulate something more akin to Chalmun's Cantina in Mos Eisley Spaceport from Star Wars.

Right now, I've been tinkering with a modified Zodiac to represent the 12 core deities, their animal spirits, and the people that reflect that. So Leonin, Gnolls, Orcs, Dragonborn, Aarakocra, etc would all live alongside one another in reference to a celestial hierarchy. It makes for a diverse and different setting.

 

[Charlaquin]

I'm bored with the limited number of cultures and peoples created from the core 4+their sub-options.

I'd much rather emulate something more akin to Chalmun's Cantina in Mos Eisley Spaceport from Star Wars.

Maybe an unpopular opinion, but personally I’m kind of bored of Mos Eisley Cantina worlds, or “fantasy kitchen sinks” or whatever you want to call them. Like, I totally get the desire for something more exotic than the same-old Tolkienesque fantasy fare. But I prefer a setting to be a bit more judicious with its milieu than you see in such kitchen sink settings.

Dark Sun is a great example of the kind of thing I’m looking for. There are some wild PC options in there, and even the traditional fantasy races that are present are different than how they’re usually seen. But it isn’t just anything goes. There’s a lot of stuff that just plain doesn’t exist on Athas. I’d much rather have a small number of really interesting options than a large number of options that are all over the place in terms of interest.

 

[Zardnaar]

I'm bored with the limited number of cultures and peoples created from the core 4+their sub-options.

I'd much rather emulate something more akin to Chalmun's Cantina in Mos Eisley Spaceport from Star Wars.

Right now, I've been tinkering with a modified Zodiac to represent the 12 core deities, their animal spirits, and the people that reflect that. So Leonin, Gnolls, Orcs, Dragonborn, Aarakocra, etc would all live alongside one another in reference to a celestial hierarchy. It makes for a diverse and different setting.

Is it 12 races only or anything goes?

That makes sense to me if you've tied them to your world.

Allowing players to pick whatever from 50 odd races or more kinda dilutes everything down for me.

Mostly I pick in mechanics, not the most powerful though otherwise I wouldn't make a halfling or goliath Fighter.

 

[Scott Christian]

I'd much rather emulate something more akin to Chalmun's Cantina in Mos Eisley Spaceport from Star Wars.

And in that cantina they threw Luke's droid out because, "We don't serve that kind here," and didn't like Luke because all he could do was stare at everyone because they were all so different. They were also thieves and murderers that had to rely on one another's acceptance, at least in the short term, because they all needed a place to hide out.
Then there was all the drinking, drugs and jazz. Not to mention a murder based off these people not accepting one another.

 

[Scott Christian]

Allowing players to pick whatever from 50 odd races or more kinda dilutes everything down for me.

Dilutes is a good word. Unless I've written all the logic out, and have origin stories, it feels off in my humble opinion.

 

[Zardnaar]

Dilutes is a good word. Unless I've written all the logic out, and have origin stories, it feels off in my humble opinion.

Yeah same. I like Midgard and it has some weird stuff in it.

But it's been built from the ground up to accommodate them.

 

[ccs]

Got called a fun Nazi for saying no Dragonborn, reason I said no is they stink mechanically.

Well that's a weird reason to say no to them as a DM.
I mean, a stock DB has slightly more going for it than the standard human mechanically. And you don't so no the Humans do you?
And now with Tasha's (haven't read it yet myself btw) I'm sure there's some way to tinker with the DB.

I think as long as they'd fit the world/story/setting/campaign etc I'd just shrug & leave it to the player to worry about their poor mechanics.
As in: "You're the one who wanted to play the crappy dragon guy...."

 

[Zardnaar]

Well that's a weird reason to say no to them as a DM.
I mean, a stock DB has slightly more going for it than the standard human mechanically. And you don't so no the Humans do you?
And now with Tasha's (haven't read it yet myself btw) I'm sure there's some way to tinker with the DB.

I think as long as they'd fit the world/story/setting/campaign etc I'd just shrug & leave it to the player to worry about their poor mechanics.
As in: "You're the one who wanted to play the crappy dragon guy...."

Default human doesn't get picked either, saw my first DB this year.

 

[zarionofarabel]

Hahaha! So many posts on this thread where people mention wanting to experience the world through the eyes of a different race, or some such thing. Yet there are virtually no threads on this forum, or any other, where there are really lengthy discussions as to what it must be like to live hundreds of years. Or what it would be like to be part demon. Or what it would be like to be like to live underground inside a mountain. Or what it would be like to...well...you get the idea.

People like playing characters of different fantasy races so they can get cool bonuses. Humans not very cleverly disguised with funny hats, nothing more.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

In my FRs, I usually make small document separating each race into Common, Uncommon, Exotic and Monstrous, depending on the region of the FRs we are playing. Each category as a limit of players, so I wont end up with 6 drows, 1 tortle and 1 Locatha.

(for 8 players at my table)
Common: no limit
Uncommon: 3 max
Exotic: 1 max
Monstrous: 1 max, comes with social stigmas.