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

[tvknight415]

For the core, I'd go dwarf, elf, halfling, human. Keep it there. If you had to include half-elves, I'd be fine.

for the first players supplement, I'd add gnomes, plus most races that are half-X (aasimar, tiefling, half-orc, half-elf, half-vampire, half-dragon, etc.). I'd also include racial variants (drow, duergar, etc.).

Everything else would be in a much future supplement, or just as a quick entry in the monster manual.

 

[Weregrognard]

Regardless of how I personally may feel about any particular D&D race, I think the 5e PHB should have all the races published in every edition's core book or PHB, if only to keep everyone happy.

I think the races should also be classified as something like "common" (ex. human, dwarf, elf, halfling), "uncommon" (gnome, half-elf, half-orc), and "rare" (dragonborn, tiefling), with the caveat that a particular race may not exist in a DM's world, and thus, might not be available for play.

I'd also like elf and eladrin to be merged back together. While the split was a logical one, I think it creates confusion, particularly with new players.

 

[CleverNickName]

I would like to see only Human, Dwarf, Elf, and Halfling races in the PHB.

Everything else belongs in a supplement or Monster Manual, in my opinion.

 

[tuxgeo]

Centaur, Dragonborn, Drow, Dwarf, Elf (includes Eladrin), Gnome, Halfling, Human, Pixie, & Tiefling

(Just to be different.)
Yes, I voted "Other" for Dwarf; that seems to be the default, there.
I left out all of the "Half-" races: those can be included with feats or themes or templates or their 5E equivalents.

"Centaur" because they are classically depicted as teachers of men; so they're capable of being good: they're not purely monsters.
"Pixies" because we need a Tiny race -- just because.

I'm gratified that Shardmind and Wilden are doing so poorly.

 

[steeldragons]

For the poll, I basically went with all of the things in my hombrew setting (with "other" for dwarves, half-elves, satyrs and a coupla other things).

For the books, I sincerely hope they organize as follows:
"Classic" Game Module: Human, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling
"Legacy" Game Module: Gnome, Half-Elf, Half-Orc
"Exotic" Game Module: Dragonborn, Tiefling (I'd include Aasimar as well since, why should half-demon/devil guys be "normal/common enough for play" but half-angel guys aren't?), and [lamentably] Drow (folks just luv'um and as much as I wish it weren't so, Drizzt did kinda make them PCs forever more...if a DM allows it.)

The caveat that the races presented in the books are subject to DM approval/setting consistency. That's a MUST! The arguments "it's in core so you have to let me" really need to go away. But that's a playstyle preference thing, not a "Race" thing.

I'm cool with the explanation/categorizing of them as "Common/Uncommon/Exotic-Rare" if that works better for people.

I also find myself in agreement with those that say "If you can be an Elf or Half-Elf then why not be able to a FULL Orc or Half-Orc."

I think the full Orc is long overdue as a core PC Race. Now, I myself do have orcs just traipsing about in human or other colonies/"civilized" areas. But other people might or want to. So, ya know, cool.

So, going on the assumption that we'll see 10-12 races as "core" in a full fledged PHB, my money's on:
1) Human
2) Half-Elf
3) Elf (Eladrin/Elf split needs to go away. Call 'em Grey Elves or "Star Elves" or "Fey Elves" or whatever. But they're just Elves, dammit! Have options for a "High Elf" and a "Wood Elf" with optional sidebar for whatever other sorts you like or put it in the next book or PC options under the MM "Elf" entry.)
4) Drow (again, unfortunate, but a reality)
5) Half-Orc
6) Orc (ideally)
7) Dwarf
8) Gnome
9) Halfling
10) Dragonborn
11) Half-Planar ("Outsider", whatever you want to call them, to include Tiefling AND Aasimar. Genasi? To the back of the bus. We have a page count to maintain! You can be in the next "set" or a Racial Expansion supplement or People of the Planes book or something)
12) Up for grabs. I'd like to see a Winged/avian race. But a felinoid (Tabaxi perhaps?) or Lizardmen (though there's already the Dragonborn, but a "normal" reptilian and a "bruiser" draco-reptilian might provide a nice dichotomy for beginner play) could work just as well.
OR, a "giant/Half-giant" race as several have expressed an interest in. Not a bad idea. Goliaths/Half-Giant/Half-Ogre/Firbolg...or even Minotaurs for the "Large[-er than humans] hits hard" race would work just as well, I guess...I could get down with a "big bruiser" (bigger than orcs or dragonborn, anyway) race in the starting book.
OR something completely new, never been considered core before. Phanatons anyone?! Or Vulpin-oid? Volpinids? Whatever, anthro-fox-people.

But some #12.

Seems to cover all of the bases and give those of pretty much every any edition what they want (or at least some of what. Please, folks, can we keep in mind that regardless of the admirable aspirations of 5e as the "unifying game" no one is getting everything they want!)

Also note, this is for the FULL "Advanced" players' book. If there's a "starter box" and I sincerely hope there is, I'd be cool with just: Human, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling, Half-Elf, Dragonborn, Tiefling. Don't need more than 7 to get rolling (yes, I know you don't really need more than 4, but we're trying to be inclusive here and make people happy).

In that case, save the orcs, drow and others for the "Advanced" book.

--SD

 

[kitsune9]

Man
Man-Ape
Bird-Man
Lizard-Man
Fish-Man
Wolf-Man
Cat-GirlMan
Metal Man

Also, the classes should be Strong Guy, Fat Guy, and Genius.

I'm going to roll up a Man-Ape Fat Guy. I'll equip him with a long-sharp stick and metal hurt-blocking armor. I wonder how many gold-like coin pieces I'll get with the Fat Guy class?

 

[kitsune9]

For the books, I sincerely hope they organize as follows:
"Classic" Game Module: Human, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling
"Legacy" Game Module: Gnome, Half-Elf, Half-Orc
"Exotic" Game Module: Dragonborn, Tiefling (I'd include Aasimar as well since, why should half-demon/devil guys be "normal/common enough for play" but half-angel guys aren't?), and [lamentably] Drow (folks just luv'um and as much as I wish it weren't so, Drizzt did kinda make them PCs forever more...if a DM allows it.)

Great idea!

 

[Aeolius]

I'm going to roll up a Man-Ape Fat Guy.

I'll opt for the Man-Ape Genius. He is a master of Flung Poo.

 

[kitsune9]

I'll opt for the Man-Ape Genius. He is a master of Flung Poo.

Yeah, I thought about the Flung Poo theme for the Man-Ape Genius, but decided to pass on it.

 

[Invisible Stalker]

As many as possible. Use the old 1e typeface and you could fit twenty races in six pages.

If it was up to my players, D&D would have a half dozen distinct types of elves that all look like Orlando Bloom.

 

[Stormonu]

I cannot believe I left half-elf and dwarf off the list; well...half-elf I can understand (haven't had a half-elf player since I tried to run Dragonlance), but dwarf - they're my favorite race, with half-orc being a close second.

Oddly, though Dragonborn was late to the party, I've been wanting an "official" draconic race way back when I first started this game nearly 30 years ago.

I'd like to see half-races and plane-touched done as perhaps some sort of racial modification "feats". Something that adds a bit of flavor but not something that'd bea min-maxxer's tool. Like genasi as "half-elementals", aasimar as "half-celestials", teifling as "half-demons", the ability to make "half-dwarves", "half-elves", etc. - maybe even something like a half-dwarf, half-orc - y'know, a Dork.

 

[KesselZero]

I think the PHB really just needs the "classic" races, human, dwarf, elf, and halfling. I'm a big half-elf fan, always have been, but that's just me. Half-orc as well.

What I'd most like to see is a build-your-own-race module, with options for half-everything (why are the half-X races always other-half-human?) and even quarter-everything. So I could build a PC whose mother was half-elf-half-human and whose father was half-orc-half-dwarf (eww).

Speaking of modules, somebody said in one of the DDXP seminars that the tactical combat module will be in the PHB, so we know there'll be optional stuff in the core books. My guess is that the core books will end up being a small core system with a lot of space devoted to optional mods that cover the basic styles of play of various editions (a social interactions mod, a tactical combat mod, a skill challenge mod, and lots and lots of PC options mods).

 

[dmccoy1693]

I'm going to go controversial and say Human, Elf, Dwarf, and Halfling. Let everything else be optional. Few would argue that these are not a must. All others can be argued for or against but few will make any kind of argument against these.

Having said that, I think one of their first supplements should be a vast array of races including almost all of the above.

EDIT: And here I was thinking I was going to be alone. Glad to see others in agreement.

 

[MoonSong]

The Build-Your-race mod seems like a good idea, but I feel it isn't a substitute for races propper. I would like to see the PHB (yes just one PHB) havign the following races

the sacred cows (Human, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling)
the other races from 3e (Gnome, Half-Orc, Half-Elf)
The other races from 4e (Dragonborn, Eladrin, Tiefling)
One or two races new to the core (perhaps Kobold, Warforged or Drow)

 

[Sunseeker]

I'm going to go controversial and say Human, Elf, Dwarf, and Halfling. Let everything else be optional. Few would argue that these are not a must. All others can be argued for or against but few will make any kind of argument against these.

Having said that, I think one of their first supplements should be a vast array of races including almost all of the above.

EDIT: And here I was thinking I was going to be alone. Glad to see others in agreement.

I hate halflings and I hate dwarves. Why? Because halflings are almost never played as anything more than the "spunky sidekick" or the "joker" character who does nothing more than be silly and goofy and abuse the fact that they're short. Why do I hate dwarves? Because I've never met a player who didn't want to be the drunkest, smelliest, most Irish-parody dwarf in existence. While I enjoy some off-color humor, I despise racial and cultural stereotypes being used as a source of personal entertainment.

 

[Daztur]

I'd rather have core be a small boxed set than three books, so I just want the core four. I don't think I'll get my wish though and I'm OK with that

 

[MoxieFu]

I hate halflings and I hate dwarves. Why? Because halflings are almost never played as anything more than the "spunky sidekick" or the "joker" character who does nothing more than be silly and goofy and abuse the fact that they're short. Why do I hate dwarves? Because I've never met a player who didn't want to be the drunkest, smelliest, most Irish-parody dwarf in existence. While I enjoy some off-color humor, I despise racial and cultural stereotypes being used as a source of personal entertainment.

You know, there's just the off-chance that everybody else doesn't play that way.

 

[Hassassin]

You know, there's just the off-chance that everybody else doesn't play that way.

And that some others like to play that way.

 

[MoonSong]

And that some others like to play that way.

That's why having many options is important.

 

[Mokona]

Chris Perkins published some good poll results about races choices after he asked the question in his blog: Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (The Circus Is In Town)

Hey DMs: In your current campaign, do you impose any restrictions on what races a player can choose to play?
No - 1447 - 57.6%
Yes - 1066 - 42.4%
Total - 2513 - 100.0%

In your humble opinion, how many PC race options does the D&D game really need?
Hard to say. It depends on the campaign. - 941 - 35.0%
10 or less - 709 - 26.4%
No limit... the more, the merrier! - 566 - 21.0%
5 or less - 208 - 7.7%
15 or less - 197 - 7.3%
20 or less - 69 - 2.6%
Total - 2690 - 100.0%

Most DMs will let the player pick any race and, I suppose, the DM will adjust the campaign to accommodate. Or maybe PCs just get to live with the pain of their race choices if the race doesn't fit very well into the campaign world.

Given the popularity of "10 races" and "no limit" and "hard to say", I suspect we'll see all ten PHB races from throughout history in the 5e PHB. This would also match the poll results attached to this thread.

In alphabetical order:

Dragonborn lizard people
Dwarf
Eladrin
Elf
Gnome
Half-elf
Half-orc
Halfling
Human
Tiefling (a la Planescape)

A runner up vote from the attached poll goes to Catfolk. A race that didn't quite get as many votes as any of the above choices but was closest.