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AtlasSniperman
2014-11-17, 08:17 PM
Hey guys,
So i'm designing a campaign world, and in flicking through races I noticed that there tends to be some archetypical races.
Namely that in the following examples there are Small, Medium, and "big"(sometimes large, mostly just BIG mediums) races, that have similar physiology and recognisably connected Psychologies. Can anyone else think of trinities like these?

Halfling > Human > Goliath [Humanoid(Human)]
Goblin > Hobgoblin > Bugbear [Humanoid(Goblinoid)]
Kobold > T'Kel > Lizardfolk [Humanoid(Reptilian)]

Valefor Rathan
2014-11-20, 08:21 AM
I feel like gnome > dwarf > ogre? Giant? I don't know enough about the mythos though.

AtlasSniperman
2014-11-20, 02:37 PM
I feel like gnome > dwarf > ogre? Giant? I don't know enough about the mythos though.

Thats an interesting idea, Gnome> Dwarf does seem to evoke the image that they may be part of a trinity; both races considered "small" for their size bracket, both reknowned for their craftsmanship and living underground. With gnomes being happy, and dwarves being surly, I reckon the final step we are looking for is a Large creature often called Medium(or medium called large), known for it's crafting ability, bad temper and penchant for living underground.

[[Will edit this post when I find such a race]]

Valefor Rathan
2014-11-21, 08:46 AM
I feel like this is moving into Pokemon turf lol.

AtlasSniperman
2014-11-22, 03:51 AM
I feel like this is moving into Pokemon turf lol.

Haha, for some it might :)

Tovec
2014-11-22, 02:59 PM
See to me I find it isn't usually a trinity (at least in my workings). It is more often a duo. Sometimes that duo is two duos which makes it a trinity, kind of, but yeah I see duos.

The gnome - dwarf duo is a great example here for me. I don't use goliaths, I've never heard of T'Kel.

When I went through my creatures (monsters and races) I realized I had a lot of broken descriptions so I've also done some recategorization. For example, bugbears are 'giant' goblins (for me). I realized I didn't need hobgoblins and orcs, as they were, so I redefined hobgoblins as half-orcs and half-goblins; instead of tall goblins or half-goblins half-humans as others seem to make them. But again this is a duo.

I pair my races in similar ways. Elves and orcs (both tall). Gnomes and Kobolds (both tiny). Dwarves and goblins (both short and unrepresented by the talls). All are good and evil duos. At neutral I add in humans and halflings, which I consider a duo too. I'm currently working on a region of my world that is (primarily) catfolk vs. snakefolk [needs a better name, I'll admit] - another duo. In that same region I have two races of invaders, humans and trolls.

Then again the duo-ness (duality I guess is the correct term) might reflect more on me. I enjoy dual natures and I've worked that into my planes, my gods, my alignments, and even my creatures. At the same time I still allow for third options, but I make those third options when the first two don't fit - hobgoblins as a third between orcs and goblins, who I say might team up. Or minotaurs, who might hate both the cats and the snakes. But that wouldn't be a real trinity any more than fire vs. water, and then adding in darkness or something.

Just my two cents/cp.