Uncommon Races for a Wilderness Campaign?

[Palanan]

I'm sketching out a campaign in which the PCs are part of the first exploratory forays on the fringes of a newly-discovered continent. They'll be adventurers in the historical sense of the word, signing on with a would-be colonial power to make their fortunes in the great unknown.

But the great unknown will have its own cultures and long-standing polities, which the PCs will only gradually realize are just as ancient and sophisticated as their "home" civilization. In the new continent, it's the PCs who are exotic and unpredictable--intruders at best, usurpers at worst.

I'd like the players to have the option to choose standard character races--elves, dwarves, halflings, etc.--while still giving the new world a sense of the unknown and unexpected. I'm looking for native races which are somewhere between uncommon and obscure, appropriate to a wilderness setting and with variety enough to populate a continent.

So far I'm thinking killoren, hybsils, and possibly kenku, but there's room for plenty more. What else would the Playground suggest?

.

[Kaje]

Lupins from DragMag Compenduim are wolf-people and would make a good analogue for woodland Amerindians. For plains Amerindians, I suggest taking the Minotaur of Krynn from the DragonLance Campaign Setting and reskinning them as buffalo-people instead of bull-people.

[Bullet06320]

the maztica setting from forgotten realms is based on this, its central American themed

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Kaje
Lupins from DragMag Compenduim are wolf-people and would make a good analogue for woodland Amerindians. For plains Amerindians, I suggest taking the Minotaur of Krynn from the DragonLance Campaign Setting and reskinning them as buffalo-people instead of bull-people.

Thanks for the suggestions, especially the lupins--although I should clarify I'm not looking for direct parallels between fantasy races and historical native cultures. I'm more looking for oddball races which aren't often seen in campaigns, and which would work well in a wilderness setting--or which could be adapted, like the kenku.


Originally Posted by Bullet06320
the maztica setting from forgotten realms is based on this, its central American themed....

True, but Maztica is very human-centric. My idea for this campaign is that the humans will be striking out from the old world, together with their familiar allies, and the new world will have a nonstandard mix of quirky, uncommon races.

[Bullet06320]

kenku jaguar knights? lol
I see what your getting at, an area that has different races as the dominate races.
let me go peruse my books, see if I can came up with ideas in a bit for you

[Palanan]

So, looking through a few sources, I think volodni would be perfect here, and perhaps needlefolk as well.

Also, surface-living quaggoths. Not "evil cave bears" as they're presented in Monsters of Faerûn, but "tough tribal forest dwellers," maybe specializing in forested mountain heights.

What else should I throw into the mix?

[Bullet06320]

quaggoth could work, treat them like bigfoot, but with stone age tribal culture

anthromphic flamingos, u could have some real fun with various anthro's

zebranaurs, originally from one of the old 2nd edtion monster annuals, but just really centaurs refluffed with African themes

gem dragons if your into the psionics, half gem dragons aswell

a colony of banished or lost modron

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Bullet06320
[anthropomorphic] flamingos....

That's the first time I've ever had a flamingo suggested as the solution to a game question. I feel like I've been missing out.

:smalltongue:


Originally Posted by Bullet06320
zebranaurs, originally from one of the old 2nd edtion monster annuals....

I'd never actually heard of that one.

Sounds...odd, --but then that's exactly what I'm looking for.

:smallsmile:

[Sian]

Nezumi, Vanara and Korobokoru ... all from Oriental Adventures

[Metahuman1]

Goliaths, Spellscales and Raptorians form the assorted races of books are a good though here.

I also like the idea of using the assorted races from Magic Of Incarnum quite a bit.

[Bullet06320]

That's the first time I've ever had a flamingo suggested as the solution to a game question. I feel like I've been missing out.


I saw flamingos on TV and had a vision of anthropamorohic flamingos and thought it would be a good suggestion, lol, you never know when inspiration will strike