[3.5/PF] Help with race selection

[Another_Poet]

Hi everyone. I am working on starting a new IRL high-fantasy campaign using Pathfinder. All the standard races will be available except gnomes because they're the bad guys (!).

I'm looking to add 3-6 more races as "standard" for the world and I would like advice on which ones. I have limited access to splatbooks but I can use crystal keep and google like anyone else. I did look at the homebrew races on this forum but there are a TON to go through. I am okay with using homebrew material.

I would like the races to be LA+0. I already have one LA+1 race I'll be adding, so let's keep the rest LA free.

Your favourites? Please provide links!

Edit: So far we have....
-Kobolds
-Changelings?
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[Apalala]

Ask your players if there's an exotic race they want to play as.

[Another_Poet]

I haven't recruited for it yet. I'm trying to have a collection of cool races available out of the gate.

[Set]

Slightly beefing up Goblins and Kobolds to bring them closer to Halflings, Dwarves, etc. and adding them to the pile could be fun.

The usual suspects would include Aasimar, Hobgoblins, Orcs and Tieflings.

Tweaking around slightly more powerful races, like Gnolls and Bugbears could also be fun, so that they are not quite over the top compared to Humans, Dwarves, etc.

To make things more exotic, adaptations of Eberron races like the Changeling and Warforged, or some sort of exotic races like a winged avian race or aquatic race could be cool. Both the bird-men of the Devil's Perch area of Cheliax or the Azlanti Gillmen create nice pretexts for avian / aquatic race options.

[Another_Poet]

Oh, I forgot about kobolds, they are in!

Are there stats anywhere for changelings? That sounds like an intriguing addition.

Still open to more ideas everyone.

[Zyme86]

One of the more odd first level races that I enjoy toying around with is the Jermlaine.

In my world I also spiced up the half-elves (always interesting).

[SlyGuyMcFly]

Oh, I forgot about kobolds, they are in!

Are there stats anywhere for changelings? That sounds like an intriguing addition.

Still open to more ideas everyone.

Changelings are from the Eberron Campaign Setting. While you're there, be sure to check out Warforged. Personally, I enjoy Tibbits (Dragon Compendium, IIRC) a good deal, but they are probably too niche for a 'main race' spot.

[Another_Poet]

I don't have access to any Eberron material.

Anyone have links to changelings or Jermlaine?

[DracoDei]

A whole thread of interesting low-to-no LA/Racial HD races, PC friendly races. Note that since those are for 3.5, rather than PF, you may need to drop some LA/Racial HD. For my own entry, the Mepholk, I recommend either dropping the racial HD, or allowing them the human +2 to any ability score EXCEPT charisma in addition to the +2 to charisma.

Note that the one thing that most of those races DON'T have going for them is simplicity... they are either chock-full of rich details*, or have very odd abilities** or both.

* I got into a bit of an arms race with the Guyr Adamantine's Gridolls regarding number of racial feats.

** From "I can nosebleed weapons.", to "I can go ethereal sorta... but not really", to "I have 6 arms.",... but the one that takes the cake is "I am a sentient patch of the color purple.".


If you use any of that, PLEASE tell the author how it works out.

Three final notes for my personal pitch:

1. Also note that I provided a BUNCH of example characters, ranging from a 1st level commoner to a 19th level monk, so that should help with character design.
2. If mortal races with an in-born disposition to evil do not exist in your campaign, you can drop the last tenant of Allurehn, assuming you are not going to be substituting her out for a different hearth-goddess.
3. If you really can't stand the complexity of the spray rules I can look up something simpler for you.

[AugustNights]

Raptoran are interesting Flying humanoids from Race of the Wild.

Otherwise I'd recommend down-playing LA +1 races, if you can, so they become LA +0.

[Draconi Redfir]

i like to play bugbears, usually they start with 3 levels in humanoid, but i just removed that and had them start at level 3 in whatever class they were.

i also got some undead races linked in my sig disigned for pathfinder, so you could check those out too.

[Lateral]

Warforged kick serious ass. +2 con, -2 wis/chr- an overall negative but overridden by A) their living construct status and B) their sheer epic value.

Other than that, I'll second Raptoran- LA 0 flyers would be broken, but gliding isn't, and it's not broken anymore at level 10. Flight makes for great squishy spellcasters- Protection from Arrows, and you're good to blast. ESPECIALLY if you take Improved Flight so you can hover. Also, you can reflavor Xeph- their Burst ability is Su, not Ps, so just remove their bonus 1 powerpoint and replace it with, I don't know, some cantrip as an SLA or something.

[The-Mage-King]

Illuminans. That is all.