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KoyukiTei13
2016-06-16, 12:17 AM
I have a question for the Playground: How many subraces should a single base race have at the maximum, and should it be limited to generic umbrella-covered subraces to prevent fiddly detailing, or a combination between the two?

Example:
Airran (umbrella-term for persons who can fly/glide)
-Royal (wings for arms)
-Common (wings and arms)
-Lesser (flightless birds, gliders, augmented/bionic flight etc.)

OR

Airran (umbrella-term for persons who can fly/glide)
-Birds

Birds of Prey
Songbirds
Waterfowl

-Mammalian

Bats
Sugar Gliders

-Draconic

Dragonborn, Winged
Dragonborn, Glider
Half-Dragon

-Celestial

Angel
Aasimar, Winged

-Fiend

Tiefling, Winged
Tiefling, Glider
Devil
Demon, Assorted

-Augmented

Grafted Wings
Alchemical Mutations

ShiningStarling
2016-06-16, 02:49 PM
The only true answer is that it is up to you. However, there can be more subraces than there are separate stat blocks. For instance, if I had a tribe of magically inclined dwarves, they might have some different Racial characteristics, or they might just have a different favored class. If I then said that there were 2 main skin types of these magical dwarves, and that they hate each other, etc, they probably wouldn't have different stats, even though one group may see themselves as distinct from the other.

What it boils down to is that there can be as many subraces as you like, but if you think that some are similar enough to share stats, then simply note the different types in your fluff text.

Hope I helped :D

Nilmuto
2016-06-18, 12:14 AM
I find it depends on one (or more) of the three Cs.
Climate, Culture, and Conflict.

If a large group of say... Elves, live underground for 20+ generations, they adapt.
If that same group rebels against the old ways, and find a new source of magic/ and gods, their mindset changes,
If that group is in nearly perpetual warfare, they would change how they raise their youth.

Bam! Drow~

There is also the genetics route.
Born from Angles? Wings maybe? Halo? Maybe Healing? Maybe Holy Flames?
One of those would show up, and if say a Winged Aasimar mated with another Winged Aasimar, their child has a higher chance of getting Wings verses the other traits.

All and all, it is up to you! If you can state why this group is slightly different then the rest, then I'm fully game.