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danzibr
2011-02-28, 07:01 PM
I googled "gitp favorite race" and surprisingly got no relevant hits.

Anyways, so just yesterday I acquired Fiendish Codex II and saw Hellbred. I now have a new favorite race. Goliath is a close runner-up, and I have a lot I like (Githzerai, Githyanki, Kyton, Kobold, et cetera), but my current title of favorite has to go to Hellbred.

pres_man
2011-02-28, 07:03 PM
Orcs (including half-orcs) followed by dwarves. Yeah, Charisma is overrated. :smalltongue:

Vknight
2011-02-28, 07:06 PM
None I love them all.

But I think the Catfolk and other people with ears like that would be the ones I choose

Magic Myrmidon
2011-02-28, 07:07 PM
Elves, pretty much. Grey elves or frost elves to be exact, I think.

Dextrous and intelligent beings pretty much combine my two favorite stats into one race.

navar100
2011-02-28, 07:09 PM
Human - because they sucked in 2E while every other race got loads of benefits. I only played humans out of protest. In 3E humans rock! The extra feat and skill points cannot be overrated. The extra feat puts you ahead three levels in a feat chain or get a prestige class prerequisite feat out of the way or just do what you want. Not even a rogue can have enough skill points. For classes that get only 2 + Intelligence modifier per level, those extra skill points are priceless.

Admiral Squish
2011-02-28, 07:09 PM
Goliaths, probably. I generally tend to play big, strong characters, and they are basically the ideal for a physically fit character.

druid91
2011-02-28, 07:11 PM
Elans.

Mortality is for suckers.:smallwink:

LOTRfan
2011-02-28, 07:11 PM
Warforged (Robots; what isn't there to love?)
Dwarves (Tolkienesque, for the win!)
Halflings (I enjoy using them in more hobbit-like ways)
Kobolds (I enjoy playing the underdog)
Goblins (same as above)
Raptorans (I like how they did the flying mechanic)
Saurial (talking dinosaurs! :smallbiggrin:)

FMArthur
2011-02-28, 07:32 PM
None I love them all.

But I think the Catfolk and other people with ears like that would be the ones I choose

You sure you don't mean Anthropomorphic Cats? Or Tibbits? Or Cat Hengeyokai? I wonder just how many there are for this same character aesthetic... :smallbiggrin:

I have a lot of favourites...
Hengeyokai did anthromorphs right and made them both interesting and unique in gameplay.
Raptoran again were an example of a popular theme done right once after a million other attempts elsewhere.
Warforged are just plain cool, unique, and aren't disruptive of mechanical racial norms for use in real games, which may be a concern for people leery of a construct race.
Elans are basically the perfect eerie aberrant humans. You want someone to be 'not quite right' without looking different or just making another stupid undead, you pick an Elan.
Kobolds are just the epitome of an underdog race, and it's nice to see that they were given all sorts of cool toys to make the weakest of the weak into the strongest of the strong.

But...
I think Illumians take the cake for me. They are just really fun to build and play - none of the race's abilities are individually all that great, but it always has just the right ones to feel like a race fine-tuned to support exactly the type of caster you build it around. Also, their "psychology" page can be summed up as "Illumians are blatant, unrepentant powergamers", which is hilarious.

starwoof
2011-02-28, 07:39 PM
Warforged. Because its a robot and is immune to a million and a half things. They are awesome.

Githyanki. Their culture is badass, and they are badass, and their allies are badass. Plus they have access to the double scythe, which is a double scythe.

Hadozee. I just discovered these guys. They are flying squirrel gorilla men! SO COOL!

Dwarf. I like con and beards. They go together like maple syrup and burritos.

Hobgoblin. Super militant sneaky bastards with some really bizarre culture going on. Dying in battle is for cowards! Real hobgoblins rip out their own heart in a ritual to Maglubiyet!


SCREW CHARISMA.:smallbiggrin:

Geiger Counter
2011-02-28, 07:41 PM
changeling

LOTRfan
2011-02-28, 07:42 PM
Hadozee. I just discovered these guys. They are flying squirrel gorilla men! SO COOL!

Yeah, they're pretty cool. I think they actually originated in Spelljammer.

Halae
2011-02-28, 07:48 PM
Half-Ogre. I like these guys because they appeals to me as shunned by all walks of life, but can make up for it by being awesome. That, and mechanically speaking they are fairly insane, without being broken. Absolutely perfect.

drakir_nosslin
2011-02-28, 07:51 PM
Elan, or Warforged. Live forever? Yes please. And the Elan recreation process makes for awesome backstories.

starwoof
2011-02-28, 07:54 PM
Yeah, they're pretty cool. I think they actually originated in Spelljammer.

Yeah, they did. I was doing research about the because I'm planning to play one soon. They are really awesome.

Amphetryon
2011-02-28, 07:55 PM
Dwarf
Maenad
Hadozee
Killoren

Greenish
2011-02-28, 08:01 PM
For reasons I can't quite put to words, I've always had a soft spot for xephs. I'll go with them, but hobgoblins will get an honourable mention.

nedz
2011-02-28, 08:02 PM
Dwarf, but then I'm running a game where everyone is a Stunty :smallbiggrin:

Ravens_cry
2011-02-28, 08:03 PM
Half Orcs. Big Dumb and Brutish, or so everyone thinks. And usually they are right, but playing the exceptions is also fun. Plus their craggy faces are fun to draw, as well as is the challenge of drawing a sexy woman that doesn't look like a muscle-bound elf with tusks.
Elves. Haughty, erudite, the quintessential stuff upper lip Brit, but with pointy ears. That's fun. Fey, strange, alien, with a span of years that is just daunting to consider. That is also fun.
Dwarves.Solid, salt of the earth and born with bones, and guts, of steel, stolid to the core. Like half-orcs, they are as fun to play to expectations as subvert.
Gnomes: Magical scientists and engineers, I can work with that.
Halflings. Whether laid back home-bodies drawn into adventure or the sneakiest of thieves, or wanderlust or something else entirely, I like them fine. I don't care what anyone says though, if you're going over a glacier, you wear shoes, or at least foot wraps.
Humans.A good solid choice when you want to play something out of your usual range.
Warforged. I am a magical robot, learning how to be a person.
What's not to like?
Kender, a little salt, some herbs and a nice sauce, some basmati rice. . .

Calmar
2011-02-28, 08:03 PM
Humans - They may appear weaker and less able than other races, they may cry and despair, they may die by the thousands, but in the end humans always emerge victorious.

Hobgoblins - "We are the fighting Hobgoblins! We slew the great warrior. We took the prisoners." :smallwink:

Githzerai - "In enduring grow strong." ~ With the fluff from Torment they are a profound and serious people, not just random dudes from the plane of randomness.

Lizardfolk - They are lizardy folks hailing from swamps, moors and flood plains. They are cool.

MachineWraith
2011-02-28, 08:07 PM
Elan: Can't beat immortality. Or aberration type, for that matter. It helps that I love psionics too.

Warforged: I love 'em. Just love 'em. Particularly warforged warlocks. Laser-blasting robots? Yes please! Even better as a melee warlock. Melee mecha madness!

Hellbred: The fluff is awesome, and the crunch is pretty tasty too. I once played in a campaign where all the players were dumbed-down vampires. Named my character Tythan the Twice-Damned, seeing as how he got screwed over on the whole redemption thing pretty hard by getting made a vamp.

I can't really decide between those three.

Edit: Almost forgot about my favorite little LA race, the Poisondusk Lizardfolk. They're small, but they still move at 30ft/rd, and they've got some spiffy bonuses. Can't help but to like them.

Greenish
2011-02-28, 08:12 PM
Hobgoblins - "We are the fighting Hobgoblins! We slew the great warrior. We took the prisoners." :smallwink:"We goblinoids are just like you humans, except our empire lasted eleven thousand years."

-Lhesh Haruuc

Lord.Sorasen
2011-02-28, 08:15 PM
Thri-kreen
Kalashtar
Orc
Muckdweller
Vanara
Raptoran
Warforged Scout.

Thurbane
2011-02-28, 08:17 PM
I'm partial to Half-ogres.

Honorable mentions to Hobgoblins, Lizardfolk, Karsite, Mongrelfolk, Underfolk, Dwarves, Ibixian, Catfolk and Arkamoi.

LOTRfan
2011-02-28, 08:17 PM
What are Karsites and Arkamoi?

The Oakenshield
2011-02-28, 08:20 PM
Dwarves have always been my favourite, and always will be!

I like DnD Dwarves, Warhammer Dwarfs, etc..., but my favourite are Tolkien's dwarves (as you can see in my username).

Halae
2011-02-28, 08:23 PM
I would like to add Hellbred to my favorites as well

MachineWraith
2011-02-28, 08:25 PM
I can't believe I forgot Thri-Kreen. The LA and RHD hurt, but, come on, four-armed mantis man!

arguskos
2011-02-28, 08:26 PM
Man, my favorites haven't even been vaguely hinted at! Just gonna list the top four.


Lumi: Floating head positive energy people. They've got RHD and LA, but it's reasonable LA (+2) and good HD (outsider's not half-bad). They make wonderful clerics, get a bunch of fun and fairly hard to acquire immunities, and are pretty decent all-around. Not amazing by any stretch of the imagination, but fun enough for me to call a favorite.
Dvati: Two bodies, one soul. What's not to love? Oh right, their mechanical confusion, how no one seems to know how they're supposed to work. I love 'em anyways though.
Diopsid: Four-armed bug people who can multi-wield weaponry. Wait, these aren't thri-kreen! :smalltongue: They have no RHD and only 1 LA. They have a corresponding weaker multi-weapon use, but that's fine, since they still can do awesome stuff with weaponry.
Synad: Three-faced psychics. There's nothing about that I didn't like.


Also, Karsies are from Tome of Magic (magic hating humanoids) and Arkamoi are members of the Ushemoi from MMV (spellcasters whose spells reinforce their later spells).

Thurbane
2011-02-28, 08:26 PM
What are Karsites and Arkamoi?
Karsites are a sub-race of humans from Tome of Magic. They have innate SR, and are unable to cast spells.

Arkamoi are the leader caste of the Ushemoi, a goup of Monstrous Humanoids from MM5.

LOTRfan
2011-02-28, 08:28 PM
Karsites are a sub-race of humans from Tome of Magic. They have innate SR, and are unable to cast spells.

Arkamoi are the leader caste of the Ushemoi, a goup of Monstrous Humanoids from MM5.

Thank you. The Karsites sound particularly interesting.

Amnestic
2011-02-28, 08:29 PM
I'm a big fan of Tibbits because, you know, KITTY!

Gonna join the other fans of Warforged too. Big hulking robots of awesome.

And...Human. Yeah, it's basic, but they're almost always a solid racial choice.

Zaydos
2011-02-28, 08:32 PM
Dragons.

Oh you meant as a player...

Well in that case:

Human: In 3.X only the feat and skill points are too juicy.
Dwarves: Love the fluff, love the stuff.
Dragons: Game mechanically... they have 3 too much LA on average, but they're dragons.
Elves: Anything but 3.X. I love the concept of elves, but they just didn't pull it off in 3.X.

Andion Isurand
2011-02-28, 08:33 PM
Intelligence

1. Sun Elf (with or without Arctic Template)
2. Arcane Gnome from Dragon 291 (with or without Arctic Template)
3. Aleithian Dwarf from online (without Arctic template)


Intelligence+Charisma

4. If it can be done... Magic-Blooded Otherworldy Lesser Planetouched (Cansin - chaotic planetouched - from Dragon 297)

5. Magic-blooded Primordial "Lesser" Half-Giant
(...prefer to avoid Incarnate Construct negative LA stuff)

6. Venerable Dragonwrought Desert Magic-Blooded Kobold (w/ variant racial traits)
(...without Spellhoarding Loredrake Sarrukh shenanigans)

Antonok
2011-02-28, 08:37 PM
Whisper Gnomes or Halflings. I like my near invincable small annoyances.

hotel_papa
2011-02-28, 09:12 PM
Warforged - Immortal robots built for combat with Transformers-like naming conventions.

Tibbit - Was that a ca- WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SENATOR!?!?

Changeling - As long as Hayden Christiansen doesn't auto-pass his perception check, you're all good.

Talenta Halfling (Barbarian) - As tall as a toddler. Can bench a small car. Rides a velociraptor.

Gammorean - "I killed a Jedi, once." What? You?! How? "I hit him really hard with an axe. Then he tried to get away... ran fast. Got into his spaceship. So I hit his spaceship really hard with an axe.

Twi'lek - Achuuta.

CycloneJoker
2011-02-28, 09:30 PM
Warforged: Specifically, a Factotum. I can play Data!
Synad: Play it like you have DID(Multiple personalities). Fun.
Primordial Giant: "Hah, big dumb brute. Wait...Where'd he go, and why is there a fireball heading towards me?
Elan: Dude, flavor, you can't beat it.
AND Kobolds: Dragonwrought (but not loredrake or the like), 'cause you can play a dragon, and a be a sexy, sexy, old lizard

EDIT: Illumians: I have a full, 20 volume OED. What would you expect?

Ravens_cry
2011-02-28, 09:32 PM
I'm a big fan of Tibbits because, you know, KITTY!

Indeed, Kitty. I would rather play an Awakened Cat, but most DM wouldn't let that fly. I might be able to someday, I talked to a friend who DM's and he might allow it.

Lord.Sorasen
2011-02-28, 09:43 PM
I can't believe I forgot Thri-Kreen. The LA and RHD hurt, but, come on, four-armed mantis man!

Did they adopt thri-kreen to 4e as a race? They seem to stand alone as a race with both LA and RHD in 3.5 that people absolutely love anyway.

I forgot to add half-minotaur. It's a template, sure, but I find it tends to become the identity. that half-minotaur dwarf is not a dwarf. It's a short half-minotaur.

Oh! The Bhuka. I don't know if they're any good, but they are just a really cool take on desert goblins, I feel.

Otherworld Odd
2011-02-28, 10:26 PM
In order:
1.) Tieflings - I always seem to gravitate to these guys. Maybe because I play classes that benefit greatly from +2 dex and int (Pathfinder). Idk. Plus, I just like their flavor. Not fourth edition, however... I despise how they look in fourth edition...
2.) Elan - Immortal. 'Nuff said.
3.) Goblins - They're funny to play and have a lot of flavor among a band of generic adventurers.

Scarlet-Devil
2011-02-28, 10:35 PM
Elves are awesome. Hengeyokai are awesome. Tieflings and Aasimar are awesome. Mm, minotaurs are cool, drow are kind've cool ('cause I like jet-black skin)... I don't know, maybe Eladrin (not 4.0 version).

Edit: Angels in general are pretty smexy.

rayne_dragon
2011-02-28, 10:35 PM
Dragons are just too awesome not to mention.

Eladrin in 4e.

Thri-Kreen and Tieflings are kinda neat.

Elves in early editions were sometimes just too good not to play.

Anything snake-like is also very awesome to me.

Gamerlord
2011-02-28, 10:50 PM
Dwarves are the best.
Besides dwarves my favorite is kobolds.

slaydemons
2011-02-28, 11:07 PM
I like half elves they for some reason just make me smile they in normal soceity don't fit in aging too fast for elves but slow for humans they to me if odne right have that outcast feeling

Keeping with that feeling I like changlings as well they to me seem like no one like them in the true form so they put all sorts of disguises so people will like them its just how I see them

then Dwarves their awesome I do not see a reason to hate them

Lord.Sorasen
2011-03-01, 01:09 AM
Oh man I am terrible. I forgot... Somehow I didn't list my ultimate favorite race: the aasimar.

Kantolin
2011-03-01, 02:38 AM
Half-Orcs. I love orcs, and I love the feeling of being between.

I then love goblins for being underdogs. Half-Elves, Gnomes, and Dwarves fall in somewhere after that, but those are definitely the big two.

BiblioRook
2011-03-01, 04:45 AM
Regretably I haven't had much experence branching out trying out different races yet, I mostly just played Elves. I don't know, for a while I just gravitated to them.
I've always been really fond of the little folk; Halflings and Gnomes. I just haven't gotten around to actually being one yet.

I kinda like the fluff of Illumians, but I haven't really found much I can use with them mechanically. One day though, I will play a Beguiler Beguiler. :smallbiggrin:

Coidzor
2011-03-01, 05:21 AM
Man that's a tough one, picking a favorite.

I like goliaths and dwarves and changelings and illumians a fair bit... And I have a soft spot for steel dragons, kobolds, and muckdwellers. Muckdwellers are just adorable little oddballs because they're also a familiar option. Hellbred just sound interesting though I haven't looked 'em up, and despite never getting to use 'em or see 'em in play, I rather like the Gloura for no apparent reason.

Set
2011-03-01, 05:30 AM
1st and 2nd edition, it was all elves, all the time. I moved from normal elves to gray elves or aquatic elves (or aquatic half-elves, to avoid the penalties for land-based adventuring, while retaining some swimming ability) as time went on.

The only time I wasn't playing elves is if we were deliberately playing funky races, in a 'monster campaign,' or in Spelljammer (and then it was Xixchil, Wemics, 1/2 Ogre Magi, Gnomish Giant Space Werehamsters, etc.).

In 3rd edition and Pathfinder, it's been human, pretty much all the time. I've never liked min-maxing or ability penalties, and playing a human means I don't have to start with anything below 10, and I get a free feat and some extra skills.

When funky races are allowed, I have a weakness for gnolls. I don't care if they aren't optimal for pretty much anything (particularly not the druids I tend to play them as), I just like the smelly brutes.

Eberron had a bit of an embarassment of riches. The changelings and the warforged were interesting to me, as were the daelkyr half-bloods.

The only 'Races of' race that held any appeal to me was the killoren, from Races of the Wild. Very neat backstory and flavor. Pretty much all of the others did nothing for me, except, in the Raptorans case, remind me how much I preferred the Aarakocra, Al Karak Elam, Psittae, Kenku, Tengu, and, yes, even Dire Corbies!

Mayhem
2011-03-01, 05:56 AM
From Lord of the rings I've loved orcs and goblins. Halforcs in that book were so creepy too( IIRC they were among those men that took over the shire and were Saruman's Uruk-Hai).

Recently I've found Xephs and Maenads to have really nice racial abilities, and I'd love to see them in a non-psionic campaign setting. I have no idea why there's so little love for these guys, I guess it's because they're from the expanded psionic handbook :smallfrown:. It's nice to see racial traits that aren't simply +x to stat y.

Halfdragons will always have a special sweet spot in my heart.

Morph Bark
2011-03-01, 06:28 AM
4. If it can be done... Magic-Blooded Otherworldy Lesser Planetouched (Cansin - chaotic planetouched - from Dragon 297)

There's an Otherworldly template? Where can I find it?

Thurbane
2011-03-01, 06:32 AM
There's an Otherworldly template? Where can I find it?
I thinks it's one of the cheesetastic feats from PgTF, turns you into an outsider.

Goonthegoof
2011-03-01, 07:14 AM
A little cliched, but my favourite race by a long shot has to be Dragons (all kinds, but blues would have to be my favourite). They're very, very common in western media and while they're usually big and scaly and flying d&d perfectly encapsulates what I always felt dragons should be- Always growing bigger, smarter, stronger and more powerful and above all never subservient to regular races. No 'dragon rider' crap, just a nasty pile of natural weapons that is so much smarter than you that if you're riding it you're probably an unwilling part of a scheme it thought of a couple of hundred years ago.

Ravens_cry
2011-03-01, 07:18 AM
A little cliched, but my favourite race by a long shot has to be Dragons (all kinds, but blues would have to be my favourite). They're very, very common in western media and while they're usually big and scaly and flying d&d perfectly encapsulates what I always felt dragons should be- Always growing bigger, smarter, stronger and more powerful and above all never subservient to regular races. No 'dragon rider' crap, just a nasty pile of natural weapons that is so much smarter than you that if you're riding it you're probably an unwilling part of a scheme it thought of a couple of hundred years ago.
Has anyone made of Council of Wyrms 3.5 update? LA - doesn't matter if everyone has got it.

Valdor
2011-03-01, 07:22 AM
Thri-Kreen all the way. There is just something so awewome about them that makes me squeal lol. Nothing beats turning one of these guys into a whirling frenzy of death

then my lesser favorites would have to be human, gnome, warforged and skarn

Greenish
2011-03-01, 07:34 AM
I love orcs, and I love the feeling of being between.Kinky. :smallamused:

Ravens_cry
2011-03-01, 07:49 AM
Kinky. :smallamused:
Nothing against you Greenish, but I read that in this guys voice (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJkHykGRXrw).
It cracked me up rather strongly.:smallamused:

BayardSPSR
2011-03-01, 07:58 AM
Mm, minotaurs are cool ... Edit: Angels in general are pretty smexy.

Oh no not that again...

Though you have a point about the angel thing.

Personally, though I do not play D&D, I am a human fan - partly due to experience with the Warhammer universes, where we're pretty much the weakest out of everything but we're still there. And you gotta admire our (RL) ridiculous endurance (something D&D gave to dwarves instead, who knows why).


Also, would it be wise to add the word 'fantasy' to the title? Y'know, to prevent a troll coming on and declaring their interest in, say, Asians, rather than a, say, Asian coming on and declaring their interest in trolls. I am being sarcastic; the forum we're in means there shouldn't be any confusion.

manyslayer
2011-03-01, 08:39 AM
Hadozee. I just discovered these guys. They are flying squirrel gorilla men! SO COOL!
Yeah, they're pretty cool. I think they actually originated in Spelljammer.
Yeah, they did. I was doing research about the because I'm planning to play one soon. They are really awesome.

Actually, they were adapted for Spelljammer from the Yazarian in Star Frontiers (http://starfrontiers.wikia.com/wiki/Yazarian).

They took all the main Star Frontiers races and made Spelljammer equivilents.


Anyway, my favorite race as a player is whatever meets my current character concept. I do have a soft spot for warforged, though.

Zaq
2011-03-01, 09:20 AM
Illumians. Hands-down, illumians. The fluff is awesome (I mean, they're literally made out of words! For a word nerd like me, that's awfully compelling), the crunch is awesome (unique and actually useful racial abilities? In my 3.5? It's more likely than you think!), and they fit perfectly with so many different character ideas. I love 'em.

I also like dwarves, but man, illumians are so much cooler.

I confess that I'm kinda pissed that illumians got turned into items (uncraftable consumable items at that!) in 4e. Doesn't stop me from fluffing my human as one, of course, but still.

olthar
2011-03-01, 09:38 AM
Elves - besides being fun to roleplay, I play in a game that uses 1st edition versions of many spells. One of those is Haste. I.E. You get another full set of actions this round with the penalty of 1 year of life. For a human this is essentially a life penalty, especially since this is a low magic world, which means fountains of youth and similar things tend to not exist.

starwoof
2011-03-01, 09:39 AM
Actually, they were adapted for Spelljammer from the Yazarian in Star Frontiers (http://starfrontiers.wikia.com/wiki/Yazarian).

They took all the main Star Frontiers races and made Spelljammer equivilents.


Anyway, my favorite race as a player is whatever meets my current character concept. I do have a soft spot for warforged, though.

I did not know that. Very cool.

Lord Loss
2011-03-01, 09:42 AM
Gnomes and Kobolds tie for first as my favorite race. I also quite like Hellbred (I got FCII for my birthday alongside Tome of Magic and SC and I've been itching to throw the Hellbred into my game).

Senator Cybus
2011-03-01, 10:09 AM
Being as I am the anthropocentric type, I nearly always go for Human (extra feat + skill points FTW!) or a half-human type - in order of preference, Tiefling, Half-Elf or Mul.

An honourable mention for Beholders, though. Powerful, alien and based on a pun, what's not to love? :smallbiggrin:

Psyborg
2011-03-01, 12:18 PM
Elan: A) You know those people- humans as apparently normal as you- who nonetheless seem...not quite normal? Yeah, them. The fluff is great- just a touch of transhumanism and the slight alien-ness of psionics, without being at all out of place in any DnD world you'd care to name.
B) Plus, their fluff gives you a perfectly valid reason for playing a pale-skinned redhead regardless of what the DM says the local demographics are, and (being half Irish myself) I appreciate that.
C) At low levels, playing a psionic class with a good manifesting stat (or, even better, a Heart Shaper with access to Sleeping Goddess [for a few more PP and the wonderful lvl1 stance Battle Mantra]), and with some of the feats from Complete Psionic and Dreamscarred Press' Races of the Mind: Elan, you can be absurdly difficult to kill- "You take...21 damage." "I expend five PP and take 1."- and still remain combat-useful even after losing absolutely all your gear. Yes, this has happened to me- we were in Eberron; my character was an archaeologist and historian who'd been excavating ruins (and surviving excavating ruins) in remote areas of Khorvaire for...several centuries. He was underwhelming in combat, but he only failed one save for his entire career, and was only 11 HP short of actually surviving the Tomb of Horrors. (Nobody actually did- nobody ever does if the DM's running it right- but he came pretty darn close.)

Illumian: For all the reasons that have already been said, plus the fact that their Final Utterance racial trait is probably the funniest, most useless, and absolutely the coolest thing ever to see print.

Thri-kreen: A) You're an enormous, four-armed mantis with a mouth that opens sideways and your own language that most races can't speak without magical aid or polymorphing into a bug. B) +30 to Jump checks. That is all.

Halfling: All of them, but especially Talenta Plains halflings, from Eberron. Because...y'know...pet velociraptor. That racial feat, "Dinosaur Wrangler"- it doesn't get any better than that. (Well, until you replace the velociraptor with a fleshraker, cast Venomfire, and take 2d6 bludgeoning damage from a thrown DMG.)

Amurion
2011-03-01, 12:47 PM
Quicklings are fun little guys, 120ft movement, invisible if standing still and a +14 to dex. Who cares if they are venerable when they are 15 years old. By that time you would have seen almost as much as any other race simply based on who fast you are.

Gnaeus
2011-03-01, 01:01 PM
Marrulurk. You are a gnome assassin with great stats and some handy specials with the added + of looking like Anubis. For precision damage, I accept no substitutes.

Darth Stabber
2011-03-01, 01:25 PM
Humans - Feat+skills unbeatable for the LA (ie 0)

Elan - Bonus Powerpoints, immortality, random immunity to a couple decent spells, what effectively amounts to free powers. CHA is for suckers

Warforged - Every body loves teh robots. And they keep saying warlock, but my warforged rogue says "Bite my shiny metal @$$".

Lupin - No stat mods, and couple cool abilities (quasi-scent and bonuses to ride/ride always class stand out). If only they got a bite attack. There should be a feat for that (they have the wolflike mouths, why not).

Daftendirekt
2011-03-01, 01:37 PM
Hengeyokai
Raptoran
Bugbears and troglodytes(even though they've too much LA/RHD to play effectively in 3.5, I like their flavor and their look. Super badass.)
Elan/Sun Elves (I love extremely long-lived races
Whisper Gnome (besides the fact that they're, IMO, the absolute best small-sized race mechanically (not counting cheesy kobolds) they're ninjas by their very nature. Also, srs gnome.)

Hirax
2011-03-01, 01:45 PM
It looks like most of mine have been posted on the first page, instead of sifting through the other pages I'll give a shout out to Uldras (Frostburn) and Minotaurs (Dragonlance variety with no LA or RHD) as being a couple of my favorites. And though costly from a levels standpoint, I still love lycanthropes, all my favorite back stories are for my lycanthrope characters.

RayGallade
2011-03-01, 01:51 PM
Just from 4E:

Warforged: Well, as everyone has already said, they're robots. Who wouldn't want to play as one?

Doppelganger/Changeling: Because nothing screams Bard to me more than these guys.

Eladrin: Just cause I like to make teleporting Wizards.

Totally Guy
2011-03-01, 02:07 PM
I like humans because most of my favourite fictional characters are human.

Westley from the Princess Bride,
Indiana Jones,
Locke from Lost,
Doctor House,
Mal from Firefly,
Batman.

As well as loads of notable figures from real life!

classy one
2011-03-01, 03:09 PM
Mechanically I'd say humans and synad, but for the most part, I love all Eberron races.
Humans' extra feat and skill make them ideal for any class.

Synad: gaining extra actions, big bonus on saves, second highest PP bonus, and rerolls all at level 0. Just plain great. Oh and they have fancy hats.

Kalashtar: mindlink is so underrated IMO. These guys get a rediclous amount of PP as well making them ideal for a low PP class like psywar.

Changeling: alter form is just so nice whether you are a polymorphing freak (warshaper) or a sneaky bastard. The idea of a changeling wearing layers of clothing and taking on several personas is just RPing gold.

Warforged: been mentioned a dozen times. Robots= cool

Fluff-wise
The Gith races. Hands down the best back story and culture.

Githyanki: war mongering skinny yellow guys that wield silver swords, ride red dragons and live on dead gods. A combination of martial, arcane and psionic might, each one had to kill a mind flayed to be considered an adult. Just plain bad@$$.

Githzerai: contemplative and serious, these guys combine hand to hand combat with psionics. Masters of time a space, they tame the chaos of Limbo as easily as most mortals breath.

Kobold-Bard
2011-03-01, 03:17 PM
Elves: because Dwarves suck!

Elan: Immortality without shenanigans. Nice.

Averial/Raptoran/Winged Human: People, except you can fly. I like. Plus wings are sexy.

CockroachTeaParty
2011-03-01, 03:48 PM
I'm partial to Azurites, the incarnum-infused humans from MoI. I like them because they have shortened lifespans, and are infused with intense conviction. They have to do AS MUCH AS THEY CAN, as FAST AS THEY CAN, because their candle is on a short, short fuse.

Oddly, that's why I'm not as big a fan of elves, elans, and undead. Immortality, to me, would breed patience, paranoia, and the habit of simply outlasting problems or obstacles through waiting. For a game like D&D, I want more action, and there's nothing an azurite hates more than waiting.

Hellbred are pretty cool. Anyone else seeing a fatalism trend? Being doomed, but fighting the good fight anyway just to spite Baator is pretty badass.

I like half-ogres, because Powerful Build is for pansies.

My favorite race though is easily, and boringly, humans. 90% of my characters are human. Write what you know, right?

Psyren
2011-03-01, 03:49 PM
I googled "gitp favorite race" and surprisingly got no relevant hits.

Anyways, so just yesterday I acquired Fiendish Codex II and saw Hellbred. I now have a new favorite race. Goliath is a close runner-up, and I have a lot I like (Githzerai, Githyanki, Kyton, Kobold, et cetera), but my current title of favorite has to go to Hellbred.

I do like Hellbred myself, if only because they let me thumb my nose at the alignment system. :smalltongue:



I think Illumians take the cake for me. They are just really fun to build and play - none of the race's abilities are individually all that great, but it always has just the right ones to feel like a race fine-tuned to support exactly the type of caster you build it around. Also, their "psychology" page can be summed up as "Illumians are blatant, unrepentant powergamers", which is hilarious.[/list]

Pretty much this

Traveler
2011-03-01, 03:53 PM
Goblin: Because they are the other underdog who didn't get a large part of a "Races of" book.

Hobgoblin: Like the standard goblin, but less underdog and more awesome.

Varag-Fast, strong, non to bright. For when you want to play a brute.

Thri Kreen- It's been said already. Mantis Warriors. What's not to love?

Warforged: This too has been said. Who doesn't want to play as a robot (though I think there has to be a better way of putting it)? Plus I like the fluff of an entire race that is building a culture from scratch.

SurlySeraph
2011-03-01, 04:07 PM
Duergar. All the dwarven goodness, but with the work ethic, sullenness, and grudges dialed up to 11. I especially like that they're an LE race that doesn't use slavery much, because a) they were slaves to the illithids and are still angry about it, and b) slaves don't work as hard as the duergar themselves do. They've got an evil, hopeless, joyless society that actually makes sense, an established protocol for rebels that's smarter than the drow approach (just tattoo him so everyone knows he's an outcaste and kick him out), and mechanically speaking can be worth the LA.

Planetouched. That's not a single race, but I really like "humans, but with something more" types, whether the core ones or obscure ones like Death-Touched and Zenythri. Also Wisplings, which are tiefling halflings, because they're double thieves.

sims796
2011-03-01, 07:55 PM
Very new to the whole D&D scene (never played Pen & Paper, but played the CRPG's though, hoope to pnp eventually), do in my limited experience, I definatley have to go Elves, when they aren't haughty. Moon Elves, or Wood Elves.

But not Kebler Elves. Hate those little ****.

CycloneJoker
2011-03-01, 07:56 PM
Quicklings are fun little guys, 120ft movement, invisible if standing still and a +14 to dex. Who cares if they are venerable when they are 15 years old. By that time you would have seen almost as much as any other race simply based on who fast you are.

What book is this from?

Yukitsu
2011-03-01, 08:50 PM
Imaginary people. At that point race starts to fade from relevancy.

dark.sun.druid
2011-03-01, 09:10 PM
In terms of mechanics, (and it's a template, not a race, but still), I have got to give props to the Dragonspawn. With a level adjustment that varies on color, you can get one to fit pretty much any ECL campaign. Also, their breath weapon, while less damaging, is usable every 1d4 rounds as opposed to a Half-Dragon's 1/day. They cast spells as first level sorcerers (not very useful in high-level campaigns, but it can qualify you for some prestige classes that you otherwise would have to multiclass to get into). They also gain a fly speed and natural armor, and they do damage to creatures around them when they die. They also get a couple of natural attacks, for those times when you're thrown into an arena without any weapons or armor.

In terms or RP value, I will have to go with Illumians. The whole symbols-floating-around-your-head thing is amazing. They also have abilities that complement the strengths of almost any caster, as well as sneak-attack builds. Their detailed society section makes for great material when writing backstories, and the fact that there are many different kinds of cabals means that you can make an Illumian fit nearly any build you want to. In this way, you can nicely mesh a well-optimized character build with a great backstory and tremendous amounts of RP potential.

Nerocite
2011-03-01, 10:41 PM
Kuo-toa are one of my favorite races. Interesting abilities, able to breathe underwater, and they're frogmen. What's not to love?

Seth62
2011-03-16, 01:46 PM
Drow all the way and anything related thought there both ECL 10 Drider, draegloth.

I also like the DIABOLUS from dragon magazine and the ghost elves also dragon magazine.


ELVES ALL THE WAY!!

Deathanyl
2011-03-16, 01:59 PM
Dragons.

Oh you meant as a player...

Well in that case:

Human: In 3.X only the feat and skill points are too juicy.
Dwarves: Love the fluff, love the stuff.
Dragons: Game mechanically... they have 3 too much LA on average, but they're dragons.
Elves: Anything but 3.X. I love the concept of elves, but they just didn't pull it off in 3.X.


What your DM doesn't let you play Dragons?... Darn I have whole campaigns set up for various Dragon races and there is plenty of existing published literature to bring in some awesome Dragon folk....

On a whole Depends on which type of Gnome and if they have innate psionics but being small, powerful in magic, and psionically gifted, think Yoda oh yeah...

(with out the ears.)

and for fiend races whats not to like bout Illithid, or brutes like Minotaurs :smallwink:

Eternal Drifter
2011-03-17, 11:59 PM
Favorite Race? Let's go with my top three:

3. Halflings:

Background: Miniature people, and still able to do a lot. Courage, sing, sneak away...
Game-Mechanics: 3.5 gives bonues to sneaking around, and can easily make these people the best theives around. 4.0 improves their luck, and they don't make bad bards, I hear.

2. Humans:

Background: Bland, simple, and... well... best of the best, and worst of the worst. A varied people, they are. Much like in real life. Of course, may be biased...
Game-Mechanics: 3.5 and 4.0 allow humans to go in any direction they choose, and be good in that direction. Want to sing? No problem. Steal? Go ahead. Cast spells? Fight with a sword? Cast divine magic? Still possible!

1. Kobolds:

Background: Scaly little lizards, said to be the decenants of dragons. Often the prey of low level adventurers in all editions, they have a reputation for traps... and, with enough effort, winning as the underdog.
Game-Mechanics: Very weak in 3.5, with several penalties to stats. What they do have going for them are useful though, helping them to play to their strengths. Bonuses to things relating to traps, and a fast move speed to get out of the way. 4.0 changes have made the Kobold worthy of a PC race. Pluses to all the skills thief-like types need, and an at-will power to help them as they wish. I'd say, among the best for the rouge class!

Edit: It should also be noted, I ran as a DM of a 4.0 group not too long ago with a campaign where players played as regular races and wound up with this exchange, relating to Kobolds:


Player 1, level 2: "Ha ha! Kobolds! They think they can run an empire! They think they can have an army!"
Player 2, Level 13 (11 Levels later): "The scary thing is: they can."

Silus
2011-03-18, 12:42 AM
Tieflings: Not sure what the draw is (Probably the horns), though the fact that I gravitate towards Dex based fighters may have something to do with it. Also, the backstory is always so fun to write up =D

Dwarf: Dude, it's a dwarf.

Humans: Free skills and a free feat? Yes please.

slimabob
2011-03-18, 01:26 AM
I prefer to play an elf or a half-orc.

If I'm feeling in the mood to be a rouge, I normally be an elf. When I want to kill things randomly, Half-orc barbarian all the way.

ZakRenning
2011-03-18, 03:06 AM
My favorites have ALWAYS been (Granted I haven't played long:smalltongue:)
Goblins: I just love the underdog/tragic hero/annoying guy feel of a character:smallwink:
Halfling: Same thing, whenever I play small races I become the annoying guy that manipulates the party by getting them to do what I want (Luckily my gaming group is very easy going and I get them into more fun/trouble)
Changelings: My knowledge of game mechanics is limited, I get bored with magic systems, so having a ton o' charisma and changing my form every city we go to can be very entertaining :smallbiggrin:

Andion Isurand
2011-03-18, 03:16 AM
The appearance of the Diaboli (Dragon Magazine 327) reminds me of the Draenai from Warcraft...

Kajhera
2011-03-18, 06:47 PM
Kobolds.

I also have a soft spot for elan, warforged, goblins, gnolls, whisper gnomes, halflings(ghostwise, jungle, strongheart), grey elves, half-elves, poison dusk lizardfolk, and orcs.

Road_Runner
2011-03-18, 07:16 PM
Raptorans, because flying is awesome (and I find non-human looking races repulsive :P)

Gensh
2011-03-18, 07:55 PM
A little cliched, but my favourite race by a long shot has to be Dragons (all kinds, but blues would have to be my favourite).

Who doesn't love blue dragons? They're like the B-movie villains of dragonkind. I mean, they practically have evil goatees, they definitely have the superhuman jawline, they can mess with people's heads using illusions, and when things get serious, they breathe lightning, of all things.

Warforged, being robots, are a close second, with sharakim the not-orcs for third.

Draconi Redfir
2011-03-18, 07:58 PM
i like Bugbears (Duh), i would say the other goblinoids, but I’ve only played a Goblin once.

And Choker >:)

Thomas Duskwind
2011-03-18, 08:50 PM
Well I like Lizard men(played on as a cleric), human, Asimar(my palidan is one), Kobolds because of Never Winternights and Deekin. Those are the races I truelly like

TechnOkami
2011-03-20, 02:29 AM
...I'm surprised no one's said Phaethon...

...though no, I don't have a favorite race yet. I just go with what seems cool or necessary for the concept I have at the time.

Wardog
2011-03-20, 08:31 AM
Elves: because Dwarves suck!
.

Elves cause cancer.


My favourites (not necessarily in this order):

Humans: because they are easiest to empathize with.

Orcs and half-orcs, whether Warhammer orcs (Orcs is made for fightin' and winnin'), Tolkein orcs (orcs is made for being cannon-fodder), or any other varient.

Dwarves, again, of any variety. At least in part because IRL, I'm short, tough, like ale, studied geology, and tend to find elves annoying.

Dragons. They're dragons. 'Nuf said.

Makiru
2011-03-21, 06:46 AM
Despite being contradictory to this entire thread, I really don't have a favorite race. Personally, I'd rather not play something so much that I get stuck in a rut. Although, if we just go with what I have played the most, it would be warforged. The thing is, I always want to try and play something different each time I go into a game, no matter the system. The realization that I've never played a gnome, dwarf, elf or halfling has spurred choices for later characters

Milo v3
2011-03-21, 08:29 PM
My Favourite is the noble and powerful Kobolds.

And I don't agree with people saying that they are underdogs. In many ways their alot better than the core races.

Followed by Murderers (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Murderer(Keran_Race))

Stallion
2011-03-21, 08:49 PM
Mongrelfolk. Because I love constitution, and I love being able to pass for nearly any race that commonly inhabits most lands.

Lhurgyof
2011-03-21, 09:54 PM
Yuan-Ti

Jozhal

Psurlons

Lord Raziere
2011-03-22, 09:12 AM
Who doesn't love blue dragons? They're like the B-movie villains of dragonkind. I mean, they practically have evil goatees, they definitely have the superhuman jawline, they can mess with people's heads using illusions, and when things get serious, they breathe lightning, of all things.



Zarakkan: "Hello, I'm Zarakkan, I'm a Blue Dragon. I like to invent things, fight for freedom and and pulls pranks on everyone, while your right I do love illusions, my hoard is one of books not gold and I do not live in a freaking cave. I hate caves, I have laboratory. A magitek powered laboratory."

Anyways my favorite races are dragons and catfolk. but I like orcs, dwarves and goblins as well.

Yora
2011-03-22, 10:34 AM
Haters gonna hate.

But I like elves.

Most elves that show up in fantasy works are awful, and the reasons many people hate them are mostly valid regarding the works of many writers. But I think they can be done right, and then it's awesome.

Same thing goes for gnomes.

Gensh
2011-03-22, 03:29 PM
Zarakkan: "Hello, I'm Zarakkan, I'm a Blue Dragon. I like to invent things, fight for freedom and and pulls pranks on everyone, while your right I do love illusions, my hoard is one of books not gold and I do not live in a freaking cave.

Now who said anything about living in a cave? Arbitrarily extrapolating from Draconomicon has yielded the conclusion that they were actually the ones who built the pyramids, possibly using the underdark races as additional labor during night hours. In any case, their ability to create and destroy water would make them political monsters in any desert-based civilization, so it wouldn't make sense for them to just hide underground and squabble with each other like the books say; they are Always LE, after all.

Lord Vampyre
2011-03-22, 04:33 PM
Fey'ri, it has the best of both worlds: Tieflings and Elves

Shadow Dragons have got to be my all time favorite race of dragons. Level draining your opponents has got to be the easiest way to win a fight.

BiblioRook
2011-03-22, 10:46 PM
Followed by Murderers (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Murderer(Keran_Race))

Haha, oh man, pity it seems to be homebrewed, otherwise I would definitely trying to play one of these.
Not only do I really like Corvids, but just the hilarious implications from their name alone would be worth it :smallamused:

Kyberwulf
2011-03-28, 04:06 AM
MURLOCKS!!!

MRLARGHGHAHAGHGHAR!!!!!



opps... wrong Thread? >.> <.<



but meh faorites are humans, Half Ogres,..

and anything with the Shade template added to it? (does that count?)

Draconi Redfir
2011-03-28, 04:10 AM
I think i'm gunna try rolling a Troll if my Choker gets killed off.
play the spore games

Amnestic
2011-03-29, 07:14 AM
MURLOCKS!!!

MRLARGHGHAHAGHGHAR!!!!!



There's never a wrong thread for murlocs.

http://cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/galleries/display/57/57156.jpg

Mmrrllrlrlrrggggglllrrrrllll!

BadJuJu
2011-03-29, 09:48 AM
Warforged, Dragonlance Minotaurs, Goliath, Human, and Hellbred.

grimbold
2011-03-29, 10:34 AM
orcs and dwarves are probably my favorite
however it depends on the class im playing
gnomes and humans can also be pretty cool

Wardog
2011-03-29, 12:46 PM
MURLOCKS!!!

MRLARGHGHAHAGHGHAR!!!!!


Aarrggg! Getemoff! Getemoff! Getemoff!

mootoall
2011-03-30, 07:56 AM
Half-Minotaur Azurins. The extra feat goes to Cobalt Charge, for that liiiiiitle extra boost to the übercharging. Those guaranteed two extra points really make a difference at the lower levels.