D&D General your favourite fantasy sapient?

[Mind of tempest]

Stout
Stoic
Loyal
Family/Ancestry
Tough, and Strong.
Beards
Miners
Crafters/Metallurgy/Jewelers.
Drinkers
Endure

and what exactly makes that so appealing to you?

 

[Scribe]

and what exactly makes that so appealing to you?

I didn't, I like my dwarves a bit darker.

That said, race design USED to use non-humans as a foil to humanity.

The point was to use these races as an exaggeration of human traits as a story telling device.

Stoicism, endurance, loyalty, these are traits which can be very appealing.

Just as some love hippy elves, all into love and frolicking, or, ones with a massive superiority complex.

It's the tropes, because they actually say something.

'Short, fat, has a beard.' Doesn't really say anything.

 

[Jack Daniel]

#1 is merfolk. Unusual, mysterious, a variety of folkloric portrayals ranging from dangerous and fey and to playful and benevolent. That they're found in all mythologies worldwide, but they figure with especial prominence in Irish folklore, is particularly appealing to my Irish-American sensibilities.

#2 is orcs. Orcs are cool. That is all.

#3 is centaurs. But it's gotta be the JRPG lance-bearing, fully-armored knightly centaurs rather than the tree-hugging, outsider-hating, hippie-dippie centaurs. The former are badass; the latter are dull and played out.

 

[Scruffy nerf herder]

your favourite fantasy sapient type what is it and why?
we have all heard of those who pick elf above all others, the dedicated teifling player or those who seem to just love dwarves
tell me what you love about their base lore and what you make to enhance it?
this is for both fantasy races as well as those monsters who have culture and goals
I would share my own but I lack one hence I ask of others that I can't answer on my own

There's not even a competition. Illithid Mindflayers and their whole society (Elder Brains, Alhoons, all that sweet goodness) have captured my imagination as a player and DM since before my uncle began freaking out about Y2K, lol. They never got old.

They're weird, like super weird. They're social, tricky, can even be affable if they're using e.g. Alter Self, but there's no question about it: they are classic monsters. Any time I've explained, e.g. the brain gobbling, the brutal sociopathy and despotism of the Elder Brain, etc., my players have been simultaneously repulsed, fascinated and even enamored by these guys.

The Lovecraft vibes from the Far Realms species are comfort food to me. For me any campaign at some point needs that classic, pulp horror, that time where the weirdness dial is cranked all the way up and everyone can relish in the fantastical part of fantasy.

 

[Lanefan]

I've had phases where I've been a big fan of:

Hobbits
Dwarves
Drow (as opponents)
Humans
Elves

Further, our games in general have gone through phases where one species gets played a lot for a while. There was, for example, something of a Hobbit age; then the Gnome era (may it never come again!), and currently I think we're in the Part-Orc period. Elves have always been popular.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

As far as player races are concerned, I’ve always been partial to more monstrous ones like Thri-kreen, Kenku, Tortles, Lizardfolk, Dragonborns, Yuan-Ti, and Kobolds.

Dragons however are my favorite sapient creature to use and explore in my campaigns.

 

[J.Quondam]

Flumphs.

 

[cbwjm]

I'm a fan of the various races in dragonlance. The sea elves with their ability to become a dolphin or sea otter, Irda, kender (I know most people seem to hate them, but I love the little scamps), dwarves. I am one of those people that tends to lean towards playing human though. But then again, thinking about it, I've only played one human in the games that I've been able to play recently so maybe that's changed over the years.

 

[Mallus]

Undead teleporting caveman, ie the T’lan Imass from the Malazan Book of the Fallen series.

Note: may be only example of type.

 

[Mind of tempest]

As far as player races are concerned, I’ve always been partial to more monstrous ones like Thri-kreen, Kenku, Tortles, Lizardfolk, Dragonborns, Yuan-Ti, and Kobolds.

Dragons however are my favorite sapient creature to use and explore in my campaigns.

aside from pure spectacle what makes dragon interesting?

Flumphs.

now that is a rare answer what is so interesting about them in your opinion?

I'm a fan of the various races in dragonlance. The sea elves with their ability to become a dolphin or sea otter, Irda, kender (I know most people seem to hate them, but I love the little scamps), dwarves. I am one of those people that tends to lean towards playing human though. But then again, thinking about it, I've only played one human in the games that I've been able to play recently so maybe that's changed over the years.

what is an irda?

I've had phases where I've been a big fan of:

Hobbits
Dwarves
Drow (as opponents)
Humans
Elves

Further, our games in general have gone through phases where one species gets played a lot for a while. There was, for example, something of a Hobbit age; then the Gnome era (may it never come again!), and currently I think we're in the Part-Orc period. Elves have always been popular.

what makes the drow work well as opponents?