D&D 5E What Races for the 5E PHB

[Mengu]

Big Brute - Half-orc, or Half-ogre, or Goliath, or Half-giant (don't really care which, half-orc is fine for me) + Mountain Men

Gruff Immovable Object - Dwarf

Sneak/Charmer - Halfling + Urban Men

Archer/Nature - Elf + Merry Men (Woodsmen)

Arcanist/Bookworm - Eladrin + Scholar Men

Bad ass - Tiefling or Drow (or both) + Dirty Harry (not sure where I'm going with that, but there's got to be a bad ass human feature?)

Robot - Warforged

I think it's about time humans got more than 1 entry in the race section. Extra feat and skill are just too boring.

 

[Belorin]

Assimar/Deva
Dragonborn
Drow
Dwarf
Eladrin
Elf
Gnome
Half-elf
Half-ogre/giant
Half-orc
Halfling
Lizardman
Minotaur
Tiefling

To start with...

Bel

 

[delericho]

I'm hoping they go with a single Core Rulebook, which should stick to the 'big 4' of Human, Dwarf, Elf, Halfling to save space.

However, if they choose to go with the classic three-book model, then they should find space for all the PHB races of editions past: Human, Dragonborn, Dwarf, Eladrin, Elf, Gnome, Half-elf, Half-orc, Halfling, Tiefling.

Except that the Elf/Eladrin split was an utter disaster, and should be rethought. Eladrin shouldn't be the "high elf" stereotype. They should be the Feywild equivalent to Tieflings, Aasimar, or Genasi. And the artwork should likewise be changed to be much less 'elfy'. IMO, of course.

 

[avin]

Heh, I'm the first person to not pick Halfling. Go figure. First to vote for Centaur, though...

I also voted Hobbits away from my game, you know, just because people don't want Tieflings, Aasimar, etc...

 

[avin]

That aside, Human, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling. Anything else can get reduced writeups in the PHB, or be detailed in the monster manual or a supplement, or ignored. Let's get the basics right before throwing any of this other stuff in.

Let's hang classic on the highest tree, I say. It's 2012 already. (We are talking about preferences here).

It's a modular game and wants to embrace all editions playstyles. I'm pretty sure all editions PHB races will be in at DDN PHB.

 

[Grydan]

If it's been in a previous edition's PHB 1 (or equivalent), it should be in PHB 1.

Also the drow.

I am very firmly in the camp of those who believe that if this version of the game is supposed to be about unity, that any attempt or desire to exclude things that have previously been options at an edition's start is (to put it as mildly as I can) a very bad idea.

 

[Klaus]

Okay, so it's been getting hot and heavy over in Tiefling and Half-Orc should not be in the PHB. I don't think I've seen a poll for this, so I think it's time to draw one out and get a sense where EnWorld stands on this issue.

I've tried to include as many races as I can think of that either appeared in more than one edition, got a full racial write-up as a playable race or made it directly into the PHB, but I'm sure I'll miss a few. If there's any I left out, just put 'em in here.

Clarification: "eladrin" are "high/grey elves". What we call "elf" today are the "wood/wild elves" variety.

 

[Ahnehnois]

Let's hang classic on the highest tree, I say. It's 2012 already. (We are talking about preferences here).

It's a modular game and wants to embrace all editions playstyles. I'm pretty sure all editions PHB races will be in at DDN PHB.

I don't think the rest should be excluded. But I don't want to see pages-long write-ups for ten races, let alone the number in this poll.

I'd be quite happy with a races chapter on the basic four (or a couple more-the 3e PHB wasn't terrible), and an additional races appendix with another dozen races or more with short writeups, enough to play but leaving room for expansion. I don't want to see space wasted on races you don't need to play the game.

I don't think it's really an issue of modern vs old school. I think the percentage of human characters probably is and always has been a solid majority. Everything else is secondary-the options are merely becoming more dilute. But as long as we are human beings, the game will be built around humans.

 

[Hassassin]

In order of importance: human, elf, dwarf, halfling, gnome, half-elf, half-orc. (The last two could be themes or templates.)

Drow is an elven subrace, so it shouldn't take much space. I wouldn't mind aasimar or tiefling, but if the latter is there the former should be as well. (Omitting evil races I understand, but the opposite not.)

Dragonborn or Eladrin I can just ignore since they don't exist in my setting.

The others would see so little use I hope they won't waste the space.

Edit: Oh, if they want Eladrin in, they should rename them. I'd rather see the original Eladrin take the name back.

 

[Kingreaper]

I'd be quite happy with a races chapter on the basic four (or a couple more-the 3e PHB wasn't terrible), and an additional races appendix with another dozen races or more with short writeups, enough to play but leaving room for expansion. I don't want to see space wasted on races you don't need to play the game.

10 races=20 pages.

Given how much space is devoted to less important things in previous editions (150 pages for spells for example, or the inclusion of epic powers in 4e PHB1, when epic wasn't going to be properly supported... well, until PHB2 if we're charitable) I figure we can afford 20 pages of races in the PHB.



However, if you want a miniature, starter-book which only has the core four races and the core four classes, without huge spell-lists etc. I'm all for it.

Wouldn't buy it, unless I needed to introduce new players, but I could see the use.

One book of "Includes all the races and classes from all the PHB1s; all the options you'll want, etc." and one, far smaller, book that only includes the "core four" of each.