Quote Originally Posted by Schwann145 View Post
Every setting has it's baggage, and that baggage is what gives it character. A group full of "exotic" characters will get strange looks in the Realms, and different strange looks in Greyhawk, and yet different strange looks in Eberron, and no strange looks at all in Planescape.
+10.
I think I'd be more inclined towards this argument if those people were actually interested in roleplaying as said exotic races. But in several decades of ttrpg gaming, the kenku player I mention above is the very first time I've seen anyone even make the attempt.
Instead, it's just a long history of "human with horns," or "human with a tail," or "human with scales." Not at all different from your mention above of, "human but pointy ears," and "human but stocky," just the list of, "but with..." features has grown some.
(To be fair, I've never seen anyone try to play an Elf or a Dwarf as anything other than "human but..." either. That's also a big disappointment of mine. They're not human, they shouldn't be played as human.)
+1. My wood elf monk in a campaign some years back tried to lean into her elven-ness in play, but the campaign was kinda short lived thanks to RL taking our DM from us.