From a human standpoint, which of the playable races in D&D has an alien perspective? And how is this reflected in game play?
That question's answer changes from setting to setting; it isn't consistent. For an example from one specific setting, I'll raise you Dhakaani goblinoids.
Rising from the Last War unfortunately didn't go in too much depth about this, so I'm not sure how strictly canon any of this is anymore; this is more the way Keith Baker personally presents them.
Once, the continent of Khorvaire was dominated by the Empire of Dhakaan. Goblinoids from the underground Kechs who can trace their lineage unbroken back to this empire hold an instinctual bond with each other that can be roughly described as eusocial.
From this Dragonshard:
Heirs of Dhakaan said:
One of the major differences between the Dhakaani and the other goblinoids of Khorvaire is the degree of interracial cooperation within a clan. Among the Ghaal'dar and the Marguul, the strong rule the weak. Leadership is founded on fear, and the weaker races hate the stronger tyrants.
Among the Dhakaani goblinoids, this is not the case. Each species has a role to serve in society, and each embraces this role. The hobgoblins rule not through force of arms but because the goblins and bugbears respect their ability to maintain structure and discipline. The strength of the bugbears is turned against the enemies of the clan. These racial roles are examined below.
And from Keith Baker's personal blog:
Dragonmarks: Goblins said:
So the first step in differentiating goblins and orcs was the idea of orcs as passionate and chaotic, with goblins being practical and more lawful. But there’s another thing that distinguishes goblins: multiple subspecies. There are at least three goblin subspecies – goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears. There could easily be others that were around in the age of Dhakaan and have died out on the surface, goblin subtypes humans have never seen. To me, this is a fascinating aspect of goblins that’s rarely explored in any depth. It reminds me of eusocial species like ants, bees, and naked mole rats – and in such species, the different subspecies all serve a particular role within their society and work together.
Dhakaani goblinoids work together with levels of coordination and efficiency unseen in other races. While they do not have a telepathic hivemind or the pheromone communication systems of hive insects, they nonetheless live, work, and fight less as individuals but more as parts of a greater whole. Each Dhakaani, no matter goblin, bugbear, or hobgoblin instinctually knows their place in the world and their relation to other Dhakaani, and serves that role to the best of their ability not just out of obligation but as their self-fulfillment.
At their very base level, they are not motivated by individual survival but by the common good. Dhakaani culture revolves around the virtues of duty and honour -- in their tongue,
Muut and
Atcha, the responsibilities that are expected of them and the personal glory that comes from exceeding expectations
. While other humanoid races and cultures may hold these virtues in high regard, for the Dhakaani it is the ingrained in the basest of their biological drives. It's stronger than simply love for their fellow man, yet not so strong that it robs them of free will and moral agency. But it is strong enough that it once united an entire race and empire as one, prevention the evils of corruption and ambition that plagued other empires from taking hold in the Dhakaani Empire.
The city goblins that were once enslaved by the humans of Khorvaire, and the Ghaal'dar and Marguul clans that currently rule the nation of Darguun do not share these traits. The interspecies bond that once united them was broken long ago by the daelkyr when they invaded Eberron from Xoriat. While the daelkyr ultimately lost the war against the Empire of Dhakaan, they placed a curse on the goblinoid people, driving them into madness and internal conflict. No longer did
Muut and
Atcha hold any meaning for them, and from that point the goblinoids that remained on the surface turned against each other, shattering their empire in but a few generations and leaving them easy pickings for human settlers and conquerors from Sarlona. Only the Dhakaani clans that fled underground and sequestered themselves in the Kechs were able to escape this fate. In the thousands of years that followed, each Kech turned to its own path and own culture; the Kech Sharaat hone their martial skill while the Kech Volaar instead focus on keeping the bardic traditions of their people alive. But they never forgot the glory of the empire they once held, nor the fact that they are strongest not alone but together.
The Dhakaani see the city goblins, the Ghaal'dar, and the Marguul as corrupt abominations, with many, though not all Dhakaani Kechs advocating for their eventual extermination. As well, they see the humans that have colonized Khorvaire in their absence as defilers that must be pushed aside if Dhakaan's glory is ever to be reclaimed. Currently they watch from the shadows and test each others' mettle to see which Kech is worthy of leading the rest. If the Dhakaani can reunite under one emperor, they will then turn their blades towards the rest of the world, which has little idea of how much force the Dhakaani can bring to muster.