In need of Native American stand-in race

[One Tin Soldier]

I have a campaign setting based on Gold Rush era western america, and I need a race to take the role of the Native Americans. I was thinking about refluffing the Gith, but I wasn't sure if there might be something more suiting. (And since I have to run a session involving them tomorrow, I don't have time to dig.)

So Playground, do you have any suggestions? Official or homebrew is fine, as long as they're roughly equal to the standard PC races.

[Pokonic]

Well, now a days Orcs or Minotaurs are the prime choice, thanks to WoW. I say that Centaur are a good one, however.

[Lord Tyger]

Orcs work, although so do, you know, humans.

[Wyntonian]

Orcs work, although so do, you know, humans.

This.

Also, I like Goliaths.

[Pokonic]

What Tyger said. Why does one need a race for every single culture, anyway? Sometimes, yes, humans live in primitive places. Yes, shocking, I know.

[Keeindron]

Something that you could do if you want a whole new species for each culture is do some subraces. {Scrubbed}

[One Tin Soldier]

I am aware that I could use humans :smallamused:
My idea was that it would be a race that had actually appeared separately from humans and the other, more "standard" races.

Also, where can one find Goliaths?

[Pokonic]

.

Also, where can one find Goliaths?

Races of Stone. Fine book, realy. Nice if you play gnomes or dwarves, and nothing realy overpowered in it.

[One Tin Soldier]

Thanks!

The Goliaths are... completely different than what I had in mind, but they are also perfect for the role. Or at least for the mountainous regions.

Maybe I'll keep the Goliaths for the mountains, and Centaurs for the plains.

[Othniel Edden]

Coatls seem like an appropriate suggestion, and maybe Yaun Ti as well?

Oh, maybe the rememants of ancient world now extinct that have been suceeded by their Warforged, living out lives mimicing their creator species. For deserty regions maybe Raptorans (Races of the Wild) work? And for Rivery regions like the South maybe a fresh water version of Koa Toa or Lizardfolk have been forced on a trail of tears to a dry Oklahoma like region.

[Copper]

Orcs seems like it could run into a few unfortunate implications, if not handled delicately. I do like the idea of Yuan Ti though. For some reason I would go with raptorans (Races of the Wild).

[GodGoblin]

Orcs seems like it could run into a few unfortunate implications, if not handled delicately.

Such as? :smallconfused:

[--Lime--]

Templating an inherent intelligence penalty onto any ethnicity compared to another is always going to be a tad sticky in implications.

[GodGoblin]

Templating an inherent intelligence penalty onto any ethnicity compared to another is always going to be a tad sticky in implications.

All depends on the gaming group I suppose, I think with most the thought probably just wouldnt occur, in one of my campaign worlds the Dwarves have a renaissance Spanish theme but I its hardly implying that Spanish are uncharismatic!

But this style discussion may be bordering on breaking forum rules and simply derailing the thread, back on topic I quite like using Goblinoids as whole for Native American stand ins, because it has a range of actual races sharing a common theme and culture.

[Steward]

I think couatls would be great if no one is going to play them.

[paddyfool]

Wild Elves, perhaps?

Overall, though, I'd back human. You could vary what different groups of humans get slightly with optional level 1 background feats which only people from specific backgrounds get access to, to represent what those groups are stereotypically meant to be good at.

[Copper]

Such as? :smallconfused:

Well, orcs are usually characterized as being dumb savages who can't read and are uncivilized, which are actual stereotypes attributed to Native American people. It's different having dwarves as Spaniards, I believe because being uncharismatic has never been a hurtful stereotype of Spaniards in real life.

Again though, if you make the orcs very different from stereotypical orcs or make their culture very different from actual Native American tribes (while still having them serve that role) you could probably get away with it. It's just a tricky line to walk.

[BRC]

In my Western-ish setting, I used Elves as the native-american stand in, but that didn't really come up. Otherwise Halflings could work.

Also, Have a Hobgoblin version of the Pinkerton Detective Agency, and a western fantasy setting without Dwarven Rail Barons is a western fantasy setting that needs some Dwarven Rail Barons.



Edit: Maybe Elves for the forests, Centaurs for the plains, and Goliaths for the mountains.

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff: Locked for review.