Different races that might be interesting to play?

Polls can be created by Patrons only (try-out for now)

Moderators: Forum Moderators, Active DMs

What races would you like to see added?

Cambion
8
7%
Half Celestial
16
14%
Avariel
13
11%
Alu-Fiend
7
6%
Half Elemental creature
9
8%
Variant Lycanthrope forms
31
26%
Others? Comment in forum
33
28%
 
Total votes: 117

Cerk Evermoore
Posts: 680
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2016 5:30 am

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by Cerk Evermoore » Mon Sep 11, 2017 10:48 pm

ActionReplay wrote:Myconids.
It's so true Myconoid arcane archer is the path to victory.

User avatar
High Primate
Posts: 800
Joined: Thu Sep 11, 2014 5:25 pm

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by High Primate » Tue Sep 12, 2017 2:24 am


How?

Being 'not a commoner' puts you in snowflake territory. Being able to cast spells puts you in snowflake territory. Having a stat greater than 14 puts you in snowflake territory. Every single PC is a special little snowflake who can only be considered 'mundane' in so much as it's one snowflake among thousands.

Except characters like this are everywhere in D&D, so they're not snowflakes, because by having 14 points in a stat or casting spells one is not making a pretense of being different than everyone else.
Some builds I've worked on (not recommended):
Charisma Battlecleric
"E-Dodge Brycer"

InTheFlesh
Posts: 135
Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2014 6:57 am

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by InTheFlesh » Tue Sep 12, 2017 2:42 am

I think they mean "in comparison to non-adventuring characters" where 10 or even lower might be the norm. I could be wrong.

User avatar
Mr_Rieper
Posts: 785
Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:01 am

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by Mr_Rieper » Tue Sep 12, 2017 2:47 am

None of these. I wouldn't want to interact with any of these races as DM NPCs, let alone play as one.

If you believe your character's race somehow adds something profound to their roleplay or memorability, you'd be mistaken. I find the "mundane" races to be more interesting than the special or unique variants. The most special or unique I'd be willing to go is half-elf.
CosmicOrderV wrote:
Sat May 11, 2019 4:55 pm
Be the change you want to see, and shape the server because of it. Players can absolutely help keep their fellow players accountable.

Seven Sons of Sin
Posts: 2184
Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2014 3:40 am

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by Seven Sons of Sin » Tue Sep 12, 2017 11:07 pm

Hunter548 wrote:
Cortex wrote:Less special, more mundane.
Although, I would like to play a ten thousand year-old angel.
Previous:
Oskarr of Procampur, Ro Irokon, Nahal Azyen, Nelehein Afsana (of Impiltur), Vencenti Medici, Nizram ali Balazdam, (Roznik) Naethandreil

User avatar
-XXX-
Posts: 2113
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2016 1:49 am

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by -XXX- » Tue Sep 12, 2017 11:28 pm

Githzerai/Githyanki

User avatar
Ambigue
Posts: 411
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2016 7:02 am
Location: Elsewhere.

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by Ambigue » Wed Sep 13, 2017 12:29 am

High Primate wrote: Except characters like this are everywhere in D&D, so they're not snowflakes, because by having 14 points in a stat or casting spells one is not making a pretense of being different than everyone else.
Except that exceptional, world-shaking, templated player-characters with unusual races are also everywhere in DnD. Forgotten realms alone has over fifty playable races and subraces. "Special snowflake" is built into the setting.

Honestly, I don't see how a guy with the ability to topple a giant, arm-wrestle a dozen kodiak bears at once, wield an enchanted sword able to make high-level demons explode in one hit, routinely slay elder dragons, stop time by reading a piece of magic paper, and visit the hells themselves as a way of mining rare gems and interesting treasure could ever be considered mundane. His being a former farmboy is as patently ludicrous as his being a plane-touched half-breed.

And that's fine. It really is. There's nothing really wrong with either version of that character.

User avatar
Opustus
Posts: 817
Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2017 9:07 pm

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by Opustus » Wed Sep 13, 2017 9:20 pm

Please, for the love of yo momma, someone design an Arelith-specific race!

Way too much ground to cover here: http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/C ... :Creatures
Characters: all poor babies suffering from neglect

User avatar
High Primate
Posts: 800
Joined: Thu Sep 11, 2014 5:25 pm

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by High Primate » Wed Sep 13, 2017 9:29 pm

Ambigue wrote:
High Primate wrote: Except characters like this are everywhere in D&D, so they're not snowflakes, because by having 14 points in a stat or casting spells one is not making a pretense of being different than everyone else.
Except that exceptional, world-shaking, templated player-characters with unusual races are also everywhere in DnD. Forgotten realms alone has over fifty playable races and subraces. "Special snowflake" is built into the setting.

Honestly, I don't see how a guy with the ability to topple a giant, arm-wrestle a dozen kodiak bears at once, wield an enchanted sword able to make high-level demons explode in one hit, routinely slay elder dragons, stop time by reading a piece of magic paper, and visit the hells themselves as a way of mining rare gems and interesting treasure could ever be considered mundane. His being a former farmboy is as patently ludicrous as his being a plane-touched half-breed.

And that's fine. It really is. There's nothing really wrong with either version of that character.
You're not considering context. Within Arelith, having high-level abilities is normal. The server's had high-level characters for a long, long time, and it has set a baseline of normalcy. Being able to dish out huge critical hits or cast WoB does not make you special.

For Alu-fiends to suddenly spring up everywhere would be immersion-breaking, because they are special in that half-demons are not common in Arelith the way huge crits or WoB spells are. Moreover, I gather that a lot of people would play Alu-fiends to feel special, and this would likely detract from the quality of the server, because it would be a very superficial and vapid kind of special that comes at the detriment of good storytelling.
Some builds I've worked on (not recommended):
Charisma Battlecleric
"E-Dodge Brycer"

Tryn Dralar
Posts: 143
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2017 9:56 pm
Location: Texas

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by Tryn Dralar » Wed Sep 13, 2017 10:48 pm

Cortex wrote:Less special, more mundane.

User avatar
I Don~t Feel Like Dancing
Posts: 41
Joined: Sun May 21, 2017 10:14 pm

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by I Don~t Feel Like Dancing » Wed Sep 13, 2017 10:49 pm

Minotaurs for the UD. Spark the war between the children of Baphomet and Yeenoghu!

Sab1
Posts: 1269
Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2014 8:44 pm

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by Sab1 » Thu Sep 14, 2017 1:39 pm

I have always wanted to play a minotaur. I have always had the belief that the best way to get races to work together is add more races. One complaint, especially in the UD, always was drow stick together, goblins hang together etc. Well more races out there the harder it is for say Drow to hang out. Always seemed to me the best way to make races work together to make it so its harder for one race to be dominant.

I say more common races and no special races or you will end up with two dozen celestials like what happened with dragons.

User avatar
Durvayas
Arelith Supporter
Arelith Supporter
Posts: 2207
Joined: Sun May 31, 2015 6:20 am

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by Durvayas » Sat Sep 16, 2017 5:50 am

Lythari as a greater reward would be a neat addition to the elvish subrace repetiore.
Plays: Durvayas(deleted), Marco(deleted), Hounynrae(NPC), Sinithra Auvry'ndal(rolled), Rauvlin Barrith(Active), Madeline Clavelle(Shelved)

User avatar
Urch
Posts: 377
Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2014 12:32 pm
Location: Mordor

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by Urch » Sat Sep 16, 2017 9:39 pm

Xvart
For only $1 a day you can sponsor someone with chronic altitis.

Another day, another Doug.

Black Wendigo
Posts: 663
Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2014 4:09 am

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by Black Wendigo » Sun Sep 17, 2017 2:08 am

Minotaur

User avatar
Lorkas
Posts: 3903
Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2014 3:14 pm

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by Lorkas » Sun Sep 17, 2017 6:13 am

I would add a good giant race, for a Greater Award, to be a sort of match with the ogres of the UD. Voadkyn (CG, can -polymorph to an elven appearance) or firbolg, both somewhat naturey-based.

Voadkyn might be better since they can take the appearance of an elf and therefore could possibly interact a little more readily with other PCs on the surface.

User avatar
Ork
Arelith Gold Supporter
Arelith Gold Supporter
Posts: 2488
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2014 8:30 pm

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by Ork » Sun Sep 17, 2017 12:27 pm

Minotaur would be badass.

User avatar
Seekeepeek
Posts: 824
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2015 4:44 pm
Location: Denmark

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by Seekeepeek » Sun Sep 17, 2017 2:39 pm

Drider

JediMindTrix
Posts: 1190
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2015 6:35 am

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by JediMindTrix » Tue Sep 19, 2017 9:49 pm

I think Orc's are the only thing Arelith is really missing.

User avatar
Mr_Rieper
Posts: 785
Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:01 am

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by Mr_Rieper » Wed Sep 20, 2017 4:08 am

People would try to RP them like WoW orcs, though.

The honorable warriors who are strong but "not as bad as the other orcs". Basically, people would struggle to roleplay them as they are -- monsters.

The monster races need to be re-looked, I think. In games like Lord of the Rings Online, you can play as orcs and other evil creatures in special modes, and as far as I'm aware if you're playing as one, there's no mistaking it. The interface is different, for example.

Might help if something like that was done here, with a few subtle changes. Like the environment/weather checks being different if you're a monster, describing things in a different way.

So from "The weather is cold here. Best to wrap yourself up in something warm." becomes "There's a biting chill in the air that clings to your nostrils." or something like that. Basically, system messages and NPC interactions would have a darker or more bestial undertone to it.

Orcs would be great, but as far as I know, we have Orogs which are basically Uruk Hai. Orogs are supposed to be stronger, smarter and more superior than orcs in every way, including culture. It's a touchy subject that every half-orc always has at least one unwilling parent, and I wouldn't really trust that the majority of people are mature or tasteful enough to make them playable.
CosmicOrderV wrote:
Sat May 11, 2019 4:55 pm
Be the change you want to see, and shape the server because of it. Players can absolutely help keep their fellow players accountable.

MoreThanThree
Posts: 476
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2015 11:06 pm

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by MoreThanThree » Wed Sep 20, 2017 6:02 am

Werecats
Wererats
Weresharks
20 RPR GANG

Invader_Nym
Posts: 311
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2016 4:05 am

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by Invader_Nym » Wed Sep 20, 2017 6:04 am

MoreThanThree wrote:Werecats
Wererats
Weresharks
wereturtles

User avatar
Aero Silver
Posts: 137
Joined: Wed Jun 07, 2017 8:20 pm

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by Aero Silver » Wed Sep 20, 2017 7:00 pm

Mr_Rieper wrote:People would try to RP them like WoW orcs, though.

The honorable warriors who are strong but "not as bad as the other orcs". Basically, people would struggle to roleplay them as they are -- monsters.

The monster races need to be re-looked, I think. In games like Lord of the Rings Online, you can play as orcs and other evil creatures in special modes, and as far as I'm aware if you're playing as one, there's no mistaking it. The interface is different, for example.
I haven't seen a race whose stereotype is that way in Arelith. Is there one?

The description above fits perfectly with Klingons from STO. Militaristic, honorable, proud, despises weakness and incompetence, willing and ready to die for a cause, and mildly xenophobic. And yes, the Klingon (KDF side) interface is different in STO.

Generally, Duergars are highly unpleasant and too greedy to have any pride. Most Kobolds are too cowardly to have any principles. And drow are too preoccupied by self serving schemes. I am not going to discuss goblins and gnolls.

I can't think of a monster race that would act with honor if it was highly inconvenient.
P. S. I love gnolls and goblins, but playing a lawful one is uncommon.
All articles that coruscate with resplendence are not truly auriferous. Meaning: all that glitters ain't gold.

Cerk Evermoore
Posts: 680
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2016 5:30 am

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by Cerk Evermoore » Wed Sep 20, 2017 8:25 pm

Black Wendigo wrote:Minotaur
Maybe under medium reward. More large creatures for the Underdark.

User avatar
I Don~t Feel Like Dancing
Posts: 41
Joined: Sun May 21, 2017 10:14 pm

Re: Different races that might be interesting to play?

Post by I Don~t Feel Like Dancing » Wed Sep 20, 2017 8:58 pm

Cerk Evermoore wrote:
Black Wendigo wrote:Minotaur
Maybe under medium reward. More large creatures for the Underdark.
I don't believe there's a substantial size difference (in height) between gnolls and minotaur.

Post Reply