Alternate Racial Themes

[Admiral Squish]

So, we all know the traditional views of elves, dwarves, halflings, and such. But I was thinking about it and I had some interesting ways to jumble up the traditions and give the whole thing a new feel. I was wondering how many of you have had similar things happen in your campaigns, and what some of your favorite mixes were.

Some of my own:
Japanese Dwarves.
Australian Drow (Underdark/outback)
Mongol Gnolls
Mayan Lizardfolk

[Xefas]

Egyptian Dwarves. Renowned for their craftsmanship and engineering with regards to very large decorative structures that serve no practical purpose. Value duty over personal feelings. Ancestor worship. Feed their workforce with a beer so thick it counts as food.

Ancient Egyptians and Generic Fantasy Dwarves have plenty of similarities, but enough aesthetic differences that it 'shakes things up' a bit. You'll never see dwarves wearing eyeliner anywhere else.

Roman High Elves. Posh, debauched, corrupt aristocracy that thinks it's better than you (and is). Highly disciplined, debauched, corrupt military that utilizes exceedingly advanced strategy and tactics for its age, and thinks it's better than you (and is). Slaves that are treated with a modicum more humanity than everyone else's slaves. Art, philosophy, and science way ahead of every other civilization in the world.

Romans and High Elves sound familiar to one another. (EDIT: Bonus points if you have Wood Elves as the tribes of Gaul :smalltongue:)

Humans as god-hunters. One of my favorite variations that I've used. Basically, they were created last of all races. They have the shortest life-span, and no inherent traits to help them survive. They were the trash of the gods, and weren't expected to live very long.

But they endured. They fought, tooth and nail, and carved out a respectable home for themselves in a world that had been populated by elves and dwarves that had been there for thousands of years, and who live hundreds of years themselves. The gods were never there for them, and that suited them just fine - they didn't need them. Now, to pay them back, they bribe, intimidate, or murder every other civilization that pays homage to the divine, as to turn them away from the faith. Once no one believes in the gods, the gods will cease to be, and they will have payed for their hubris against mankind :smallamused:.

[deuxhero]

Australian Drow


The underdark isn't full of massive venomous monsters all trying to kill you as is?


Really, I would prefer that rather that change existing races that entirely new ones that everyone hasn't stolen from Tolkien be made up.

[Marnath]

Gnomes as the dominant race instead of humans, against godless industrialist elves who just want to invade the rolling hills and woods and pave over them. :smallbiggrin:

[Elemental_Elf]

Some interesting combos I've done... Well I ran a whole bunch of Dwarves as Rednecks (accent, love of shooting varmints, i.e. the whole kit and caboodle).Gnome Jar Jars (does he count for this?). Japanese Halflings. Chinese Drow (vast matriarchal empire). Arabian Tieflings.



Mayan Lizardfolk

As an aside, the Lizardmen range of models from games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy game would be the perfect minis for this combo! :smallcool:

[Vorpalbob]

I once knew a guy who ran a campaign in which he Trekkified the races.

Elves were Vulcans
Gnomes were Ferenghi
Half-orcs were (duh) Klingons
Dwarves and Halflings were races I don't remember.
Humans were basically the Federation
And Drow were the Borg (dark elves controlled by a network of Illithids)

I know. :smalleek:

[Serpentine]

Humans, dwarves and to a lesser extent (mostly just cuz it hasn't really come up) orcs are pretty typical fare in my game. However, there is the ultra-conservative dwarven homeland that is pretty much stereotypically "fantasy dwarf", and also more easygoing non-homeland dwarves that tend to be miners, artisans/blacksmiths, or simple farmers.

Elves are also pretty standard, but also more variable. Like the dwarves, there's their super-elven homeland. These Arbour elves are very Tolkeinesque - tall, grand, mysterious, arrogant. They have a long-standing war with the ultra-conservative dwarves. However, some clans disagreed with some policies, and split off. Some went into the swamps and became feral xenophobic survivalists - the Bog elves. Others went into the fey forrests and became Sylvan elves, fluff-headed naturalists. Others have pretty much merged into the human nations. Drow are drow, pretty boring, but perhaps more redeemable than in other worlds.

Gnomes are also split up. Those in their homeland(s), the Goblin Isles, are like Carribean pirates. The isles are full of feuding city-states, with shifting alliances and constant backstabbing. Those not in the employ of an island as soldiers or privateers tend to become out-and-out pirates - and a gnome is always welcome on a pirate ship, as they tend to bring with them all sorts of nasty gadgets and gizmoes. Some are in the process of inventing Warforged, basically as "plantation workers".
Some gnomes went far north, into the Highlands, to start a colony in Clifftown. These are your typical tinker-gnomes. They're like the Goblin Isle gnomes, without the constant warfare. Generally amicable, tend to form a significant core of wizarding communities.
Other gnomes spread into other parts of the continent, and effectively became the (medieval-type) "Jews" of the area - moneylenders, businessmen and bankers, used by many people, trusted (perhaps unjustly) by few.

Halflings are Spanish gypsies. They're traders and musicians and travelling thieves, fond of bright colours and hearty food and other people's trinkets. A halfling book of erotica, "Bilbo's Biggun", can be found in a surprisingly large number of bookshelves across the continent.

Did I miss anyone?

[Malfunctioned]

Let's see....


Elves: Paranoid, agoraphobic city dwellers with ADHD and a penchant for climbing.

Orcs: Peaceful farmers who are instinctively driven into a rage by elves. This often leads to accidental raids on cities.

Gnomes: A whole race of British WWII fighter pilots who's equivalent of cities and towns are giant metal fortresses built around lobotomised airwhales.

Halfings: Asian, mostly Japanese, since Halfling samurai and ninjas looks epic.

Dwarves: Cliff-dwelling, sea-diving hippies with house ties but no direct familial ones.

Humans: Mongrels made by magically blending the other races together, occasionally one may show features of the other races.

What do you think?

[Zaydos]

I typically stick to the Tolkien themes myself. I have had, though:
Elven merchant-sailors. Edit: Now that I think about it these might be Phoenicians.
Japanese dwarves (full of samurai).
Chinese elves.
Trojan (psionic) elves.
Native American werewolves (I blame Rage: the Werewolf Apocalypse)
Barbarian-savage dwarves.
Orcish astrologers.
Reptilian elves.
Mongol orcs (back story only as their empire fell once their version of Ghengis Kahn died)
LG elite-warrior elves Edit: These might be somewhat based on Troy as well.
Savage (psionic) swamp dwarves
Gnomes as swamp dwelling gypsies

Aztec/Mayan Lizardfolk exist in Warhammer.
I should put in Egyptian dwarves, I've had dwarves who worship Ra and desert dwelling dwarves who are often led by shaved death-priests but never Egyptian dwarves.

[Serpentine]

Oh yeah, I've got lots of Meso-American lizardfolk. That's kinda cheating, though, cuz I've based the whole continent on pre-colonial America(s), and basically dumped all the extra races there.

[DragonOfUndeath]

Australian Drow (Underdark/outback)


i resent that mate :smallfurious:, its hard enough dealing with all the steve irwin, kangas in the street, dusty road stereotypes without you adding in a similarity with lying cheating scumbags. us aussies are pretty stand-up blokes (and sheilas), just because we live so far away and are descended from convicts doesn't make us Drow.



im kidding i think it is a great idea for Drow to be in the outback with some mild refluffing :smallbiggrin:

[hewhosaysfish]

Gnome Jar Jars
:smalleek:

....


....


....

I hope someone made you suffer for that.

[Greenish]

Humans, dwarves and to a lesser extent (mostly just cuz it hasn't really come up) orcs are pretty typical fare in my game. However, there is the ultra-conservative dwarven homeland that is pretty much stereotypically "fantasy dwarf", and also more easygoing non-homeland dwarves that tend to be miners, artisans/blacksmiths, or simple farmers.That sounds much like how it's in Diskworld, what with the "city dwarves" and the "deep-downers".

[Serpentine]

Yeah, pretty much, except the "surface" dwarves have been around for centuries. And the dwarven homeland ("Hock Barrock" or something like that) has been completely quarantined from the rest of the world for a massive nation-equipping commission from a country that hasn't existed for nearly a hundred years, with travel outside being considered an extremely serious offense resulting in my character being exiled for following her brother out there and blah blah blah.

[Cyrion]

I've got Viking dwarves- keeps a lot of the traditional look, but dwarves who are oriented towards the ocean is a fun variation.

Gypsy halflings, arabic gnomes.

I still need to come up with a good theme for my elves.

[AslanCross]

Eberron has:

Haitian Elves
Mongol Elves
Swiss Dwarves
Hippie Orcs
Imperial Roman/Feudal Japanese Hobgoblins
Mesoamerican/Sumerian Giants
Australian Dragons
British Gnomes
Barbarian Halflings ON DINOSAURS (Civilized halflings are mafiosos)

[Altair_the_Vexed]

I alway make sure I have more than one culture per species.

I've got Roman / fascist elves Arthurian elves Guerrilla elves Surfer / mariner elves Scottish dwarves Russian dwarves Necromantic Setite dwarves Cavemen dwarves Assyrian dwarves Gypsy halflings Hobbit halflings Watership Down halflings And all the human variety I can manage

[Shenanigans]

Mongol Gnolls
I already like saying this out loud.

I've never done any of this, but I like the idea. Thanks for a fun thread!

[Admiral Squish]

Oh, I played a hawaiian halfling once. He was a paladin of freedom and rode a giant tortoise. Very laid back.

There was also a halfling who lived on an island with an extinct volcano whose caldera was a roc's nest. He was a ranger who rode a giant eagle and he worshipped birds.

Also, there was a hippie halfling who was eternally stoned on a pipe and rode a brixashulty.

[Ravens_cry]

Egyptian elves. Think their land is the best land, and no land is better, as the world evolves around them.
Assyrian Dwarves. They already got the beards, and they are famed warriors. Mix some Hittite for a people with a strong technological advantage.

[Elemental_Elf]

Oh, I played a hawaiian halfling once. He was a paladin of freedom and rode a giant tortoise. Very laid back.

There was also a halfling who lived on an island with an extinct volcano whose caldera was a roc's nest. He was a ranger who rode a giant eagle and he worshipped birds.

Also, there was a hippie halfling who was eternally stoned on a pipe and rode a brixashulty.

Win, win, win! All three of those are awesome! :smallbiggrin:

[Xefas]

Oh, I played a hawaiian halfling once. He was a paladin of freedom and rode a giant tortoise. Very laid back.

That's Bad. Ass.

I'm totally logging this idea away for later use.

[Shenanigans]

Oh, I played a hawaiian halfling once. He was a paladin of freedom and rode a giant tortoise. Very laid back.

I also love this idea...I could totally see a tiny little ukelele involved...bard maybe?

[ArcanistSupreme]

I make it a point to have half-elf hippies in all of my games (what else are they good for?).

Dwarves are impossible to distinguish by their voices alone, as they all have oddly similar ultra-deep voices. Gender makes no difference.

Gnomes are also typically from a country called Gnumbler (pronounced guh-num-blur). They all have squeaky voices and British accents.

One time when I was sick of a friend rolling up halfling rogues all halflings (no exceptions) had been rounded up and forced to live within the borders of their small nation because of a political snafu with the surrounding nations. Halflings found outside of these borders would either be arrested and deported or executed on sight. Kind of a jerk move on my part, but it was pretty funny at the time (even he thought so).

One day I will run a game with super posh half-orcs.

[Greenish]

One day I will run a game with super posh half-orcs.http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3337/3479363374_0e029da983_b.jpgPosh 'nuff?

[Eldan]

Let me see what I remember from old games...

Steampunk Dark Elves. While the entire world was mostly medieval stasis, the dark elves lived in their Walking Manors, vast but elegant constructions of stained glass (mostly green) and gothic spires of black metal, powered by hordes of slaves from the lesser races below. The dark elves lived in endless, corrupt debauchery, while their warforged maintained the manors and supervised the slaves.

Arabian cloud Gnomes. In this world, gnomes were an ancient legend no one had heard of for millennia, except for single incidents which could never be really verified. In truth, the gnomes, using their mastery shadow magic and their friendship with the djinn had created flying cities, part invisible, part hidden in eternal cloud formations.

Mongol Orcs: not that much of a change, really. The orcs ride across the northern steppes as small family clans, mostly herding and hunting. Several clans belong to the same tribe, and will help each other in their internal feuds. Once a century or so, a powerful warlord, with the backing of their prophetic shamans, will unite several tribes and lead them against the dwarves. Which is the reason the dwarves have such massive fortresses.

[ArcanistSupreme]

Posh 'nuff?

Close, but there also need to be more powdered wigs involved. Think eighteenth-century French royal court. Monocles may or may not be involved.

[Marnath]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3337/3479363374_0e029da983_b.jpgPosh 'nuff?

This is now my favorite picture ever. What class is that halforc?

[Ignition]

Most of the "standard fantasy races" that appear in my stuff are either mutated humans - due to ecological disaster or the meddling of another race - or non-existant as they are typically presented.

Examples! :

-Fae are creatures like satyrs, pixies, etc., along with Elementals and various other 'stock' mythical creatures like six-legged horses and so on are lumped into an all-encompassing "nature spirit" archetype; however, their bizarre alien physiology is such that their bodies essentially turn into radioactive waste when they die. Also, they're all capricious jerks, to put it kindly, who enslaved a third of the human race for awhile.
-The Dwarves are essentially a hivemind of ants the size of bears, made of what looks to be clockwork, and powered by furnaces which use the aforementioned radioactive fae leftovers as fuel. They are created by a sentient factory deep underground.
-Elves are humans who got infused with the aforementioned radioactive fae leftovers and granted superpowers that drive them varying degrees of insane. These powers can be passed down through bloodlines over several generations, but like any other trait, doesn't always manifest, even if it is carried down through the family tree. Oh, and a third of the "real" human race wants to kill them on sight for being blasphemous half-breeds. They have legal rights like "real" humans, but the Kill On Sight people aren't all that understanding.
-Ogres/Orcs/Giants/Etc. haven't really come up due to geography and politics, but I've got some ideas about them being humans mutated into hulking monstrocities by a similar process as the Elves.

[Ajadea]

Off the top of my head from a campaign setting:

Steampunk Magitek Psionic Theocratic Dark Elves
Look, to even survive down underground, you basically need to get your head out of the Medieval Stasis idea. To summarize, fey with strong PLAs wielding blades of resonating crystal and supported by the only god(dess) in the setting who's existence is confirmed. Males favor Cloistered Cleric rather than Cleric, but both males and females have Psion as a favored class.

They believe that a potent drink made with fermented spider-venom and mushrooms brings visions of the past. It works. They believe red or purple blades make wounds that don't stop bleeding quickly. Because for them, it's true. They believe that women are more in tune with their god(dess) than men, but men are closer to the drow psionic field. This is TRUE (men have more PP and Mind Thrust as a PLA, women have Augury as a SLA and Empathy as a PLA). They believe that the soul is in the heart, and if the heart is not cremated, the soul is trapped forever inside. If the heart is consumed, the soul is destroyed. This too, works. Their racial psionic field actually created an intermediate deity from belief. They're that powerful.

Dwarves with Lightbulbs

As the modern human analogue, dwarves in this setting not only have SR/PR equal to 'Insane', they have to cast through their own spell resistance/psionic resistance. Basically, they can't be mages reliably. They compensate with guns, dynamite, cameras, guns, telegraphs, ATVs and did I mention the guns?

They can certainly hold their own in this magical time, though. They interact with enough magical creatures who can spell-cast anyways. Kobolds especially. Kobolds provide magic, dwarves provide technology. +1 flaming/shock/whatever guns are not uncommon. And do a lot of damage.

They elect their leaders out of the communities based on merit, community leaders in turn can get elected to become the Deeplord of the Dwarves. Also, they're trying to invent computers.

[Greenish]

This is now my favorite picture ever. What class is that halforc?I don't rightly know, I came upon it while searching for a different picture.

They believe that a potent drink made with fermented spider-venom and mushrooms brings visions of the past. It works. They believe red or purple blades make wounds that don't stop bleeding quickly. Because for them, it's true. They believe that the soul is in the heart, and if the heart is not cremated, the soul is trapped forever inside. If the heart is consumed, the soul is destroyed. This too, works. Their racial psionic field actually created an intermediate deity from belief. They're that powerful. That sounds kinda like warhammer (40k) orks. They believe, among other things, that vehicles painted red go faster, and because they believe, it works.

[Admiral Squish]

Aztec/Mayan Lizardfolk exist in Warhammer.

They do? I've only ever heard about 40k stuff, so I didn't know.

[Eldan]

Yup. All of south and middle america is lizardfolk territory.

[Nero24200]

I've got an Iron Heroes setting where races such as Elves and Dwarves are actually just human/fey hyrbids created to act as spies for the Fey realms, with their racial differences (such as dwarves being short, elves living long) being oversights or flaws in their creation.

[Christopher K.]

Anyone here read the book City of Ember? I based a variant of gnomes off that concept, where they lived in a city with superior technology that they didn't understand and that they constantly repaired, but it was gradually breaking apart from the wear-and-tear of everyday life.

[Admiral Squish]

Anyone here read the book City of Ember? I based a variant of gnomes off that concept, where they lived in a city with superior technology that they didn't understand and that they constantly repaired, but it was gradually breaking apart from the wear-and-tear of everyday life.

Kinda reminds of of autochton, or however it's spelled. From Exalted.

[Ajadea]

That sounds kinda like warhammer (40k) orks. They believe, among other things, that vehicles painted red go faster, and because they believe, it works.

That's more or less where I got the idea.

Except they're underground fey, not berserking plant-creatures.

[Siosilvar]

I have heard the idea of Roman dwarves tossed around. No ideas quite yet on what I'm going to do for my campaign setting.

[lightningcat]

I just thought up having aztec lizardfolk for my campaign a few weeks ago, and now I find out that Warhammer has been doing it for years. I really thought it was an original idea, but I think I'll use it anyways.

[Serpentine]

I think I don't understand Warhammer. They have lizardfolk? :smallconfused: Or are Warhammer and Warhammer 40k different things, with the former being more like D&D sorta?

[hamishspence]

Warhammer 40K was, at least at first, nicknamed "Warhammer in space"- and one of the main differences, was no lizardmen as an official army.

There was an ancient race called the Slann, implied to be connected to the Warhammer Slann.

In the Necron Codex, it has a suggestion- use Lizardman armies to represent the Slann and their minions- but it still requires the players to make up their own rules for them.

Warhammer is a lot like D&D in many ways- but a bit grimmer. It has it's own adventuring party rules system (Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay).

If you have the time to spare, TV Tropes describes it pretty well:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay

as well as its parent setting.

[Eldan]

Basically, back in the 80s, Games Workshop published White Dwarf, a gaming magazine, and Warhammer, their own fantasy setting, which detailed a kind of alternate earth, where a fantastical version of the holy roman empire fought against the demonic forces of chaos, armies of orks and other generic fantasy threats.
Then they found out that selling miniatures was much more profitable. They made Warhammer Fantasy into a miniature wargame, White Dwarf into their private product catalog in magazine form and made a lot of money.
Someone then had the idea that Scifi was popular. Their first game there, if I remember correctly, was Space Hulk, in which Space Marines fought aliens on abandoned ships. From there, they made a full setting, which transported most of the Warhammer Fantasy armies (i.e. the empire, chaos, orks, elves and so on) into space. That was Warhammer 40k.

[Yora]

Gnomes as the dominant race instead of humans, against godless industrialist elves who just want to invade the rolling hills and woods and pave over them. :smallbiggrin:

It's actually really not that easy. I have spend some time creating new races and was really proud at what I've made, but a few days later I realized something similar has been done before. :smallbiggrin:


I just thought up having aztec lizardfolk for my campaign a few weeks ago, and now I find out that Warhammer has been doing it for years. I really thought it was an original idea, but I think I'll use it anyways.
This. :smallbiggrin:

[Greenish]

That's more or less where I got the idea.

Except they're underground fey, not berserking plant-creatures.Ah, but we can make connections:
WH orks = mushrooms = RQ dark elves, so orks = dark elves. :smallcool:

[panaikhan]

I once refluffed the races for a campaign of mine.
Elves were a lost, ancient race responsible for the artifact-level magic found dotted about the planet.
Distant decendants of these were the 'Halflings' (basically PHB Elves), striving to regain their lost ancestry.
The Dwarves were basically like tinker-gnomes that got it RIGHT.
The Hobbits (PHB Halflings) were ... hobbity.
The Half-Elves were basically evolved humans (and the dominant race)
Humans were mostly barbarian clans, but contained most of the planet's Druids / Shamans as they were the closest to nature.

[Marnath]

It's actually really not that easy. I have spend some time creating new races and was really proud at what I've made, but a few days later I realized something similar has been done before. :smallbiggrin:


This. :smallbiggrin:

Whats not easy about it? Roll up your npcs as gnomes instead of humans. I didn't claim it had never been done before.

[Zaydos]

Whats not easy about it? Roll up your npcs as gnomes instead of humans. I didn't claim it had never been done before.

Yeah but then you have to deal with gnomes. There is no greater torture I kid, I like non-tinker gnomes

[Yora]

Gnomes are awsome, except when you play Dragonlance. But then there's also Kender, which are much worse.

[Zaydos]

Gnomes are awsome, except when you play Dragonlance. But then there's also Kender, which are much worse.

Read the white text :smalltongue:

[Lhurgyof]

So, we all know the traditional views of elves, dwarves, halflings, and such. But I was thinking about it and I had some interesting ways to jumble up the traditions and give the whole thing a new feel. I was wondering how many of you have had similar things happen in your campaigns, and what some of your favorite mixes were.

Some of my own:
Japanese Dwarves.
Australian Drow (Underdark/outback)
Mongol Gnolls
Mayan Lizardfolk


I remember my friend playing a dwarven fighter ("samurai") that was racist against the kender in the party. "Dirty Kender, they lack will of warrior."

[Serpentine]

Pah. One of the best characters I've ever had the pleasure of playing alongside is a tinker gnome through and through - complete with Craft (gadget) and a couple of newly-aquired ranks in Craft (prank).

[Zaydos]

WoW ruined tinker gnomes for me... or my WoW obsessed friends did. Tinker gnomes work in small numbers, but they're a powerful spice put too much in and you overpower the flavor.

[Slinkyboy]

Yup. All of south and middle america is lizardfolk territory.


Man... I once had entire CAMPAIGN built around the PC's exploring a new continent populated by lizardfolk whose cultures were based on Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas. The whole thing seems incredibly passé now.

On another note, I've also done:
a tropical island chain with Polynesian lizardfolk
pueblo dwelling gnomes
Basque/Catalonian dwarves
Inuit dwarves
swamp gypsy halflings

[dsmiles]

Here's my take on the races I use in my current (4e) campaign world:

Humans: A fallen empire with a primary Japanese influence with a little Chinese Dynastic thrown in for flavor.
Elves: Tribal, xenophobic tree-dwellers (a la "Valley Elves" from old-timey Greyhawk).
Dwarves: Industrialized steampunk, with the typical Scottish accent.
Orcs: Very plains-dwelling Native American (I'm looking at you Warcraft III) with few established 'cities.'
Beastman Empire (Dragonborn, Wolfen, Ferrire, Minotaur): Primarily Pre-Caesar Rome with the Ferrire (being cats and all) providing a mild injection of Egyptian flavor.
Goblins: Stereotypical mad scientists (steampunk) living on the fringes of society anywhere they can.
EDIT: Drow: Instead of being banished to the Underdark, they were banished to a barely inhabitable moon, after which Lolth was slain by Great Cthulhu (by 'slain' I mean 'eaten'), and now they're all mad (MAD I TELL YOU!!!).

The overall theme of the world is a mild steampunk mixed with strong Lovecraftian horror. There are lots of things that can kill you, but you have guns (not that they will help any).

EDIT (again): If anybody likes these, feel free to use them, I never claim any rights to it as intellectual property. :smalltongue:

[Yora]

In my Bronze Age setting, elves are the only "high culture", losely based on ancient China and northern India, with some scandinavian esthetics for optical design.
With the exception of south american (duh!) lizard people and naga in the south, all other races are considered barbarians.
Humans have characterisitics of eastern europe and central asia, but are not a horse culture. Their society is mostly based on small farming villages that sometimes band together under a shared war chief in times of conflict and outside threats.
Kaas are a race of strong and tall humanoids that have some slight resemblance to bears, dogs, and cats, but are not true "animal people". They have a few cities/fortresses in the low mountains, but their society is mostly a very complex system of interconnected clan groups. While almost completely decentralized, there's a constant exchange of goods and information between the groups, with lots of alliances for mutual protection. It is somewhat based on my poor understanding of pre-colonial central africa and australia.
Gnomes blend characteristics of both dwarves and halflings and are taller than regular gnomes, but not as broad and heavy as dwarves. Though they highly value education and are well known for alchemy and metal working, they don't have any major cities and mostly live in villages right below the surface. Most villages are located in forests, and occassionally rocky hills, and gnomes spend a great deal of time on the surface, tending to their fields and herds. Despite their rather small number, gnomes control a major part of the metal production and trade business. However they rarely operate huge mines, but rather work in small mining communities with only a couple of dozens miners, that band together for the trade with other races. Gnomes are also the only race that can expect a reasonably warm welcome in settlements of elves, humans, and kaas, as they are not seen as a threat to anyone elses ambitions or safety, and their goods and knowledge about herbs and metals are always welcome. However, they are not especially known for making good weapons and armor, though there are some really well made gnomish blades out there.

[Admiral Squish]

These are all totally awesome, keep 'em coming!

[Eldan]

Not really an alternate theme, as they were still pretty similar, but:
Music obsessed Dwarves. The ancestral holy mountain of these dwarves, where they were created by their god, had a natural cave system through which the wind blew and produced sounds. Over hundreds of generations, the dwarves have slowly expanded and changed the system to produce any number of complex melodies depending on the weather. These days, only the greatest, most legendary dwarves who have proven themselves in the three fields of stonecarving, music and instrument building are allowed to change tiny sections of the system.
They believe the music to be the voice of their god, and their bard-priests spend their days sitting in specially prepared caves, listening to the music.

[Greenish]

In my Bronze Age setting, elves are the only "high culture", losely based on ancient China and northern India, with some scandinavian esthetics for optical design.Now I'm curious: what sort of "scandinavian aesthetics"? Longhouses and -boats, beards and axes, and fish preserved in ways one would prefer to remain ignorant of?

[Androgeus]

This is now my favorite picture ever. What class is that halforc?

He's definitely upper class.
Couldn't resist =P

[Yora]

Now I'm curious: what sort of "scandinavian aesthetics"? Longhouses and -boats, beards and axes, and fish preserved in ways one would prefer to remain ignorant of?

The idea is a "warring states" period, in which several small kingdoms are at odds which each other and all sides make heavy use of non-elven barbarians as mercenaries.
The center of each kingdom is a (relatively) large city with an even much more impressive palace, which is populated by a very distinct noble class. The noble families usually spend more time feuding with each other, than concentrating on fighting the other kingdoms. The palaces resemble chinese or japanese castles (though admitedly of a much later period) with low and flared roofs and many open walls with moveable boards to close them during night or cold weather. But instead of chinese dragons and lions, decorations follow more motives of northern europe, like horses, boars, bears, and swans, and designes often follow the shapes of conifer trees. Also skript is more runic than caligraphy.
Weapons, armor, and clothing follows more what is commonly found in east asian cultures, with lots of lamellar and scale, instead of chain or plate. However, colors are rarely red and gold, but more often follows a blue and green pattern. There is heavy use of materials like bronze, jade, and bamboo, but buildings very often use very large tree trunks for the basic frames for the walls and roofs, as well as colums and pilars decorated with carvings.

[Marnath]

He's definitely upper class.
Couldn't resist =P

Oi.:smallsigh:
I guess I deserved that. :smalltongue:

[Orrmundur]

Well, the world my group has been playing in has the elves and fey come from what is essentially the Confederate Deep South. The elves being more upperclass-ish whereas most fey are in 100% super redneck mode. Banjowielding bards and Rangers as rural law enforcement and yes, there is an elven Colonel Sanders.

Also, gnomes are vikings. Basically they are an entire race of Asterixes. Truly a force to be reckoned with.

[Greenish]

Also, gnomes are vikings. Basically they are an entire race of Asterixes. Truly a force to be reckoned with.Asterix the Gaul wasn't a viking, though he met them in one of the albums (and taught them fear).

[Orrmundur]

I know but I couldn't think of a short, strong and dangerous viking character to name so he had to do.

[Zaq]

I remember one game long ago that had the dwarven lands as basically a caricature of Quebec, with the whole really insistent language-supremacy thing and peaceful-yet-strained relations with the surrounding area.

(Yes, I'm well aware that not all Québécois are actually like that, but I wasn't the one running the game, and it was pretty funny at the time.)

[dragonfan6490]

I know but I couldn't think of a short, strong and dangerous viking character to name so he had to do.

There's always Terry Jones' Erik the Viking.

Btw, SPAM

[Urpriest]

My Aegypt setting (yeah, unimaginative name, but I have an excuse!) has the following:

Insular West African Crossbow-Wielding Rhino Riding Gold Dwarven Merchants
Deinonychus-riding Wild Elf Bantu/Masai Mix
Time Traveling Victorian Gnomes
Jewish Aasimar/Devas (depending on edition, one game had an awesome half-jewish half-ogre paladin...named Gragstein)
Hobgoblin Dragon-Worshiping Persian Empire with Mongol Bugbear Minions
Minotaur Harem Eunuchs

Edit: Oh by the way, the excuse is that the place was named by aforementioned time-traveling gnomes.

[dsmiles]

My Aegypt setting (yeah, unimaginative name, but I have an excuse!)

You don't need an excuse, just look at the name of the original DnD planet: Oerth. Seriously, Mr. Gygax? Oerth?

[Greenish]

Insular West African Crossbow-Wielding Rhino Riding Gold Dwarven MerchantsInsular merchants? Those rarely go hand in hand.

Good going with the hobboes, by the way, they deserve an empire!

[Eldan]

Even worse when German-speaking gamers pronounce it with an Umlaut (Ö), in which case it's pronounced identically to Earth.

And I guess he meant Island-dwelling, not insular.

[Greenish]

And I guess he meant Island-dwelling, not insular.Ah, island-dwelling dwarves, great allusion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_dwarfism). :smallbiggrin:

[Eldan]

Ooh. Good one. I didn't even think of that.

So, there's only one type of dwarf, i.e. all dwarves are the same, because of reduced diversity on islands?

[hamishspence]

I thought islands tended to increase diversity rather than reduce it?

[Eldan]

Depends. Island biogeography is complicated and a lot of discussion is involved. In general, islands tend to have more endemic species, but the number of species found depends a lot on island size, distance from the next larger landmass, climate, ocean currents, local extinction events (i.e. islands with volcanoes erupting regularly have less diversity)...

[Admiral Squish]

In a hombrewed setting, I had dwarves as the masters of a horde of kobold and warforged slaves. They desperately fortified their tunnels to hold back a plague of vampirism that was spreading through their mountain homes.
Elves were a race of forest-dwellers who had a zealous hatred for anything that wasn't 100% natural.
Shifters were a xenophobic race who would execute any of their number who would dare to have any sort of relations with an outsider, in an effort to preserve the waning power of their shifter blood.
Raptorans were a race of fanatical game-wardens who watched over a genetically engineered system of crop-gathering.
Halflings were traveler-merchants. 1 out of every 5 halflings had the 'whisper blood' and was actually a whisper gnome, an elite spy.
Changelings were originally created as guinea pigs for a race of biomages to experiment on constantly.
Illithid (A weaker version) were bred as organic thinking machines, and the elder brains were nonsentiant until they reached a specific threshold of knowledge.
Oh, and gnomes were veterinarians, doctors, and engineers.

[Eldan]

Just thought of another one:
When Moradin made the Dwarves, the forged their souls from Adamantium, Black as the Earth and stronger than any material. And so, the soul of a dwarf can never be corrupted, and He was pleased with his work.
But the Greedy One saw Moradin's work, and he said: "I will forge my own dwarves, and they will be greater than Moradin's work". But he forged his souls from gold, and from silver, because their glitter pleased him. And so he made the Duergar, whose souls are soft and treacherous, and he was not pleased with his work.
When Moradin gathered the materials to make the bodies of his dwarves, the Greedy One saw him lay out Mithril, for movement, and Adamantium for strength, and he thought: "I will take those materials, so that his dwarves will be as flawed as mine." And he went to Moradin's forge, and replaced the bodies of the dwarves with flesh and bone.
And so, when the Dwarves came alive, they found that their bodies, while better crafted than those of elf and human and orc, were still soft flesh, and they lamented their fate. And this is why, to this day, all dwarves are dour and melancholy.
But when their power grew, they said to themselves: let us craft our own bodies, from Mithril, and Adamant, and powerful runes, so we can finally come closer to the perfection Moradin intended for us..."

And so, the Dwarforged were born. Silly name, I know, but it fitted. Dwarves who replace their bodies with metal mechanisms, because they find them inherently superior to flesh and bone.

[Admiral Squish]

Just thought of another one:
When Moradin made the Dwarves, the forged their souls from Adamantium, Black as the Earth and stronger than any material. And so, the soul of a dwarf can never be corrupted, and He was pleased with his work.
But the Greedy One saw Moradin's work, and he said: "I will forge my own dwarves, and they will be greater than Moradin's work". But he forged his souls from gold, and from silver, because their glitter pleased him. And so he made the Duergar, whose souls are soft and treacherous, and he was not pleased with his work.
When Moradin gathered the materials to make the bodies of his dwarves, the Greedy One saw him lay out Mithril, for movement, and Adamantium for strength, and he thought: "I will take those materials, so that his dwarves will be as flawed as mine." And he went to Moradin's forge, and replaced the bodies of the dwarves with flesh and bone.
And so, when the Dwarves came alive, they found that their bodies, while better crafted than those of elf and dwarf and orc, were still soft flesh, and they lamented their fate. And this is why, to this day, all dwarves are dour and melancholy.
But when their power grew, they said to themselves: let us craft our own bodies, from Mithril, and Adamant, and powerful runes, so we can finally come closer to the perfection Moradin intended for us..."

And so, the Dwarforged were born. Silly name, I know, but it fitted. Dwarves who replace their bodies with metal mechanisms, because they find them inherently superior to flesh and bone.

I think that part is a little messed up.

[Eldan]

Whoops. THat should say Human.

[Urpriest]

Insular merchants? Those rarely go hand in hand.

Good going with the hobboes, by the way, they deserve an empire!

I actually didn't mean island-dwelling. While insular might not be exactly the right term, the idea is that dwarven merchants travel the world trading their fine gold items, but the dwarven homeland itself is an impregnable fortress where no outsiders are permitted. Think of it like the Tlielaxu from Dune, but less horrifying. These guys are worldly, but they like their privacy.

And yeah, I think hobgoblins pretty much universally deserve empires. In this case they're supposed to function as sort of an unexpected apocalypse scenario: most Aegyptians think hobgoblins are disorganized barbarians and don't know dragons exist, so when the hobgoblin empire finally decides to conquer the lowlands no-one will be remotely prepared.

Edit: Oh also, Blue-Dragon Worshiping Ogre Mafia

[Greenish]

And yeah, I think hobgoblins pretty much universally deserve empires. In this case they're supposed to function as sort of an unexpected apocalypse scenarioApocalypse? More like the beginning of the Golden Age! :smallbiggrin:

[magellan]

Warhammer is a lot like D&D in many ways- but a bit grimmer. It has it's own adventuring party rules system (Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay).

If you have the time to spare, TV Tropes describes it pretty well:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay

as well as its parent setting.

OT, i know, but I have to.

I usually stay away from tvtropes, because it makes me groan. Should have this time too:


the original rulebook was often praised for its remarkably bug/exploit-free game engine.

I mean .... seriously.... what? Does this mean it doesn't crash? Am I supposed to say "Any good mods around"?

[Urpriest]

Apocalypse? More like the beginning of the Golden Age! :smallbiggrin:

...it kinda is, actually. The setting is ruled by a variety of dystopian theocracies, while the hobgoblin Khan is half-gold dragon. Hobgoblins ruling the setting would make almost everyone better off, though few would see it that way.

[Delusion]

Hobgoblins ride war-kangaroos.

Dwarves are obsessed with achieving immortality.

Thats pretty much it for me : /

[vicente408]

OT, i know, but I have to.

I usually stay away from tvtropes, because it makes me groan. Should have this time too:



I mean .... seriously.... what? Does this mean it doesn't crash? Am I supposed to say "Any good mods around"?

Meaning there are apparently few exploits and loopholes present in the core ruleset. The word "bug" for an unintentional error in the rules system (such as the infamous "monks aren't proficient with their fists") is a fine term to use, even if it's not dealing with something like computer code.

[Lord_Gareth]

I once ran a world with the following:

Elves
Insane adrenaline-junkies! Elves might have been the Firstborn, but they're also living proof that the gods screw up. Humanoid, beautiful by most races' standards, and gifted with incredible agility and sight/hearing, elves live to be nearly five hundred years old - five hundred years during which the sheer amount of memory and experience they must endure slowly drives them mad until they end up killing themselves (or numerous others) as a way to simply vent the stress. For this reason, Elves don't form their own societies - tried it once, and the haunted ruins are still killing idiots. Instead, they integrate into the societies of others, using more mortal races as a sort of reality check. These days, they regularly clean excess memories out of their mind in an attempt to only commit the kind of stupidity a sensation junkie does, as opposed to a schizophrenic sensation junkie.