D&D General What is the appeal of Tolkien fantasy races?

[Minigiant]

Not surprising, since the global and broad (not universal!) appeal of Tolkien doesnt expand on those things.

Anansi - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

For example.

Yes. The spider people in my homebrew are based on Anansi tales and thus are less evil poisonous killers and more jealous trickster jerks.

But Anansi tales are mostly only known to West Africans, Caribbeans, and African Americans. But the stories lacked a Tolkien. Neil Gaiman is good but not at his level.

 

[Voadam]

Yes. The spider people in my homebrew are based on Anansi tales and thus are less evil poisonous killers and more jealous trickster jerks.

But Anansi tales are mostly only known to West Africans, Caribbeans, and African Americans. But the stories lacked a Tolkien. Neil Gaiman is good but not at his level.

Sure, there are many different existing tropes you could go with for a spider people or person. Anansi trickster people, webs of intrigue spymasters, black widow femme fatales, noble heroes who think with great power comes great responsibility, creeping ambush hunters, trap laying killers.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Stories and myths outside of Scandinavia, Germany, and the British Isles
You have spiderpeople in West Africa. Nonmonstrous Nonevil Dragons in Asia. Talking rabbits and bears in the US. etc. All of thesehave tropes from their related mths and stories.

They just lack a Tolkien to alter and popularize them.
Elves and dwarves aren't special other than that.

We really should have Fox people, considering their prevalence in European folk lore, and how many people want to pretend to be Fox people...

Well, this is all part of why I’m making the game I’m making, where you can play as most types of critters from mythology, from trolls and ogres, to Fox people, to werewolves (mythological, and thus ranging over the full spectrum of good evil and indifferent), to Puca, and even vaettr who have manifested a true body and become temporarily mortal.

 

[Mecheon]

We really should have Fox people, considering their prevalence in European folk lore, and how many people want to pretend to be Fox people...

I mean, you got easy ready-made stuff with the European side and also the Japanese Kitsune and Korean Kumiho

Just, shapechanging is probably gonna be a thing for them

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I mean, you got easy ready-made stuff with the European side and also the Japanese Kitsune and Korean Kumiho

Just, shapechanging is probably gonna be a thing for them

Sure, and the changeling is almost there anyway. Add in the ability to take the shape of a single mundane animal, and it’s good to go.

 

[Bohandas]

There isn't much consistency on what catfolk would be like, at least not with as much depth or consistency. Google "fantasy books about dwarves" or "fantasy books about elves" and you'll get a tons. In most of them the cultures represented will be very similar.

Are there stories about cats? Sure. But what does Felix the cat have to do with The Pink Panther, the kzinti, thunder cats or tabaxi? They share an image, maybe a handful of characteristics if you squint.

Well, that and cat people are the exception to the rule.