What race can you not bring yourself to play?

[derelictjay]

Of the core PH races, I have a hard time picking an elf to play (And especially the drow). But even them I'll play from time to time if I can come up with an appropriate story, its just harder to come up with a fun background for an elf.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

In this and the class thread I've seen lots of questionible reasons for not liking something, but occasionally something gets posted that does not makes sense.

Why does it matter that search is cross class? Wizards can still use the skill, , it is just harder for them to get a really high bonus. It is an intelligence based skill and with the elven bonus it is doubtful one really needs to put many skill points into the skill for it to become useful.

I'm not trying to single you out here, lots of times I see people claim that because a skill is cross class for someone it makes it a useless skillw when that is obviously not true.

I think that he is saying that the elf does not play to the strength of the class. And as far as that goes, it is true.

Dwarf plays to the strength of fighter, most particularly in the armored 'tank' role.

Half-orc plays to the strength of barbarian (literally).

Halfling plays to the strength of rogues.

Even gnomes play more to the strengths of bards than elfs do for wizards. Elfs actually make better rogues than they do what is supposed to be their favored class. They fill the niche of 'fighter/wizard' poorly because of the con penalty, while they can use a longsword the odds are they won't like having to use it.

That said, I think that an elf makes a great rogue/wizard. The race not playing to the strength of the class means to my mind that the wizard is supposed to be the lower of the classes, not the highest, you can leave it at low levels while otherwise maxing your rogue, or make a sudden shift to wizard if you want to become an Arcane Trickster after playing a rogue for a while. This also fits my world view in regards to elfs, magicly inclined tricksters and silent rangers.

Myself? I do not love the gnome, though the switch to bard as favored class helps. Nor I do not love the halfling, and never really have. The half-elf fills me with ennui. But U have played all the races in the PHB. And not always to their strength. (Including Glaxxo the dworc, who's 5 charisma was explained as the inheritance of a dwarf mother and an orc father. Both of whom loved him...)

Dwarfs I like, and a dwarf paladin is something I really want to play some day.

The Auld Grump

 

[Akrasia]

I have always really hated humans. :\

But I guess that is just a case of real life infecting my game choices...

 

[Runesong42]

I'm not a big fan of Gnomes. I don't know why, I don't really have anything against them, but they just strike me as an unnecessary race. There are already halflings and dwarves, why do we need something that (to me) is basically a cross of the two? And try as I'd like, I don't think I'd be able to take a gnome PC of mine seriously. I don't care to run them as NPCs, as I end up thinking of them in silly terms, and I'm sure I'd do the same as a PC.

I feel the same way. Gnomes are my least favourite race. In one of my old friend's campaings, Gnomes were the natural result of mating between Dwarves and Halflings, ie the wee folk's half-elves. Made perfect sense to me, and I see no other reason why Gnomes even exist as is.

Half-Orcs are ok, but to me, they fall into the same sub-category as Drow - hated races that people forget to hate in-game.

It's hard to take Halflings seriously now that the Lord of the Rings is in movie form, but I've played a few here and there that I enjoyed. My fav would be Grant, my Halfling Barbarian/Priest. Oh yeah. He had a boar named Henry, which was his mount, and he used to strive to become a Knight. He even fell in with a Dark Elven "Cavalier" (yep, from good old 1st ed. Unearthed Arcana) and aspired to be just like him. He was a blast to play.

Lately, though, all I enjoy playing is humans. That'll change once I get my fantasy campaign in gear.

 

[RandomPrecision]

I prefer things that have a speed of 30, which rules out most short people. Personally, I really like the planetouched. Haven't done as many zenythri and chaonds, but I like aasimar and tieflings. Half-elves probably aren't my favorite speed-30 race, it seems a bit indecisive. I'll play a human or an elf, but I prefer to go all the way to one end instead of part of each. That being said, half-orcs are alright, except my DM's usually give me quite a bit of NPC flak for being half-orc. For all the racism and whatnot from the NPC's, I think I might as well be a full-blooded orc, and if I get an opportunity, go eat some townspeople to avenge my nearly-ostracized characters of the past.

 

[Jdvn1]

Most reptilian races, I can't play. They just seem odd.

 

[Gomez]

Half-Elf
I cannot find a good reason to run one. Ever!

 

[Haradim]

Gnomes: I prefer either Halfling or Dwarf, depending on my requirements. Don't really dislike the race; I just don't feel motivated to play with one.

Elves: Just don't like them, and the Elves in the games I play in (including PCs) do little to dissuade me from my opinion.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

An Arcanis gnome. Playing an ugly, twisted, and deformed creature as a matter of choice doesn't appeal to me. With all the roles in the world, why would I want to play the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Tiefling and Drow are close seconds. I suck up a level adjustment so that I can wear a leather trenchcoat and look cool with a katana. Yeah, that's an attractive picture. Now, Arcanis Dark-kin are a little different--mostly because I can see mechanical advantages that would induce me to overlook the angsty pseudo-goth poseur angle.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Half-Elf
I cannot find a good reason to run one. Ever!

Even if the characters mother was an Elf and father was a Human?