Maat Mons
2020-12-13, 05:02 PM
I'm trying to come up with unorthodox variations on common D&D races. The laziest way to make a fantasy race is to rip off some real-world group, and then slap on fantasy elements. So that's what I'll be doing.
Feel free to post your own weird cultural reimaginings of classic D&D races ... or critique mine ... or both.
Viking Dwarves
I'm fond of the dwarven subraces from cold environs, Arctic Dwarves and Glacier Dwarves. The robust, stock build of dwarves seems very well suited to the cold. And icy winds would explain why they're so keen on growing beards.
There have been many cultures that dwelt in cold regions, but dwarves make me think of Vikings, probably because of the axes. Vikings were, of course, a seafaring people, but fortunately I already liked Seacliff Dwarves too.
Maybe dwarves could be the only iron-working race in the setting? Everyone else would have bronze at best? It would give me an excuse to rip of the name "Iron Isles" from George R. R. Martin.
But who would the dwarves plunder and pillage? Giants? Or just everybody? Make them the bad guys of the setting?
Grecian Orcs
Orcs have a bit of a warrior culture thing going. There were quite a few warrior cultures in history, but I choose to focus on the Spartans, because my knowledge of history is bad enough that they're the only ones I can name off the top of my head.
Now, orcs are traditionally portrayed as dumb brutes, but ancient Greece was a center of learning and stuff. So I think it would be fun to turn orc stereotypes on their head and do smart orcs. They'd keep their strength and athleticism. "Mens sana in corpore sano," and all that. Yes, I know that was Latin.
Of course it wouldn't be ancient Greece without the inhabitants being divided into citizens and slaves. I propose using humans as the underclass here. It would explain where all the half orcs are coming from. Though half orcs would probably necessitate a three-tier society. Orcs, who are citizens and get to vote and hold office. Hal-orcs, who are free men, because it would diminish orc-kind as a whole if someone even partly orc could be owned, but who can't participate in governance because there's no telling how much their human blood inhibits their cognition. And, lastly, humans, who obviously can't be trusted to do anything without orc supervision.
It would be kind of fun to do different orc subraces for different city-states. Maybe have bonuses to different mental ability scores, depending on whether that region is known for its mathematicians, philosophers, or orators.
Elves are the traditional enemies of orcs. And when I think of enemies of Greeks, I think of Persians, because of the movie 300. From what I understand, the Persian military favored lighter armor and skirmish tactics, as opposed to the heavy infantry and phalanxes of the Greeks. Lightly-armored, mobile warriors seems fitting for elves, so why not go with that?
Maybe just plop the orcs and elves down next to eachother, each occupying terrain that suits their style of combat more than that of their adversaries. Let's say, flat, open land for the elves, and mountainous terrain for the orcs. Does that match Persia and Greece? My geography is terrible. And then you can have humans live as the underclass in both regions, and explain why it is that it's only orcs and elves that keep cross-breeding with humans. (Because humans don't live anywhere else in substantial number, if that was unclear.)
So, Google says the social structure of ancient Persia was royal family > priests > nobles > merchants > artisans > peasants > slaves. Though Google also says that ancient Persia wasn't as into slavery as ancient Greece. So then the royal family, priesthood, and nobility would be purely elven. Half-elves be merchants, artists, and and other skilled professions. Humans would be peasants by default, but some would be slaves.
This would make the orcs more egalitarian with regard to other orcs that elves are with other elves. "Every orc is created equal," and some form of democracy. Whereas the elves have a strict hierarchy amongst themselves, and a monarchy. On the other hand, most humans would have more rights under elven rule.
Egyptian Kobolds
Kobolds have crocodile heads. Egypt has crocodiles. And reptilians are well-suited to deserts. Makes sense to me.
Plus, stereotypical movie Egyptian tombs are full of deadly traps.
Aztec Elves
Elves are supposed to be living in harmony with nature. It seems to me like metal is the antithesis of nature. So if any race is going to lack metalworking altogether, it's elves.
And who are everyone's favorite no-metalworking people? Meso-Americans!
Well, they're my favorite non-metalworking people.
Gnomes on the Bayou
The other day, I realized that D&D needs airboats. No, not boats that can fly. Boats with giant fans propelling them. And who else but gnomes would invent them?
And shotguns. If you have airboats, you need shotguns. That's just common sense. And who else but gnomes would invent shotguns?
Plus, if you live on the Bayou, you've gotta watch out for 'gators. Specifically, kobolds with their 'gator-heads... and the 'gators they train as mounts. ... Those little buggers with their spearguns, swimming stealthily below the water's surface.
Feel free to post your own weird cultural reimaginings of classic D&D races ... or critique mine ... or both.
Viking Dwarves
I'm fond of the dwarven subraces from cold environs, Arctic Dwarves and Glacier Dwarves. The robust, stock build of dwarves seems very well suited to the cold. And icy winds would explain why they're so keen on growing beards.
There have been many cultures that dwelt in cold regions, but dwarves make me think of Vikings, probably because of the axes. Vikings were, of course, a seafaring people, but fortunately I already liked Seacliff Dwarves too.
Maybe dwarves could be the only iron-working race in the setting? Everyone else would have bronze at best? It would give me an excuse to rip of the name "Iron Isles" from George R. R. Martin.
But who would the dwarves plunder and pillage? Giants? Or just everybody? Make them the bad guys of the setting?
Grecian Orcs
Orcs have a bit of a warrior culture thing going. There were quite a few warrior cultures in history, but I choose to focus on the Spartans, because my knowledge of history is bad enough that they're the only ones I can name off the top of my head.
Now, orcs are traditionally portrayed as dumb brutes, but ancient Greece was a center of learning and stuff. So I think it would be fun to turn orc stereotypes on their head and do smart orcs. They'd keep their strength and athleticism. "Mens sana in corpore sano," and all that. Yes, I know that was Latin.
Of course it wouldn't be ancient Greece without the inhabitants being divided into citizens and slaves. I propose using humans as the underclass here. It would explain where all the half orcs are coming from. Though half orcs would probably necessitate a three-tier society. Orcs, who are citizens and get to vote and hold office. Hal-orcs, who are free men, because it would diminish orc-kind as a whole if someone even partly orc could be owned, but who can't participate in governance because there's no telling how much their human blood inhibits their cognition. And, lastly, humans, who obviously can't be trusted to do anything without orc supervision.
It would be kind of fun to do different orc subraces for different city-states. Maybe have bonuses to different mental ability scores, depending on whether that region is known for its mathematicians, philosophers, or orators.
Elves are the traditional enemies of orcs. And when I think of enemies of Greeks, I think of Persians, because of the movie 300. From what I understand, the Persian military favored lighter armor and skirmish tactics, as opposed to the heavy infantry and phalanxes of the Greeks. Lightly-armored, mobile warriors seems fitting for elves, so why not go with that?
Maybe just plop the orcs and elves down next to eachother, each occupying terrain that suits their style of combat more than that of their adversaries. Let's say, flat, open land for the elves, and mountainous terrain for the orcs. Does that match Persia and Greece? My geography is terrible. And then you can have humans live as the underclass in both regions, and explain why it is that it's only orcs and elves that keep cross-breeding with humans. (Because humans don't live anywhere else in substantial number, if that was unclear.)
So, Google says the social structure of ancient Persia was royal family > priests > nobles > merchants > artisans > peasants > slaves. Though Google also says that ancient Persia wasn't as into slavery as ancient Greece. So then the royal family, priesthood, and nobility would be purely elven. Half-elves be merchants, artists, and and other skilled professions. Humans would be peasants by default, but some would be slaves.
This would make the orcs more egalitarian with regard to other orcs that elves are with other elves. "Every orc is created equal," and some form of democracy. Whereas the elves have a strict hierarchy amongst themselves, and a monarchy. On the other hand, most humans would have more rights under elven rule.
Egyptian Kobolds
Kobolds have crocodile heads. Egypt has crocodiles. And reptilians are well-suited to deserts. Makes sense to me.
Plus, stereotypical movie Egyptian tombs are full of deadly traps.
Aztec Elves
Elves are supposed to be living in harmony with nature. It seems to me like metal is the antithesis of nature. So if any race is going to lack metalworking altogether, it's elves.
And who are everyone's favorite no-metalworking people? Meso-Americans!
Well, they're my favorite non-metalworking people.
Gnomes on the Bayou
The other day, I realized that D&D needs airboats. No, not boats that can fly. Boats with giant fans propelling them. And who else but gnomes would invent them?
And shotguns. If you have airboats, you need shotguns. That's just common sense. And who else but gnomes would invent shotguns?
Plus, if you live on the Bayou, you've gotta watch out for 'gators. Specifically, kobolds with their 'gator-heads... and the 'gators they train as mounts. ... Those little buggers with their spearguns, swimming stealthily below the water's surface.