Favourite non-standard PC race

[Danzaver]

Kobolds. Plain and simple.

Best player race in 2nd ed, kept a real edge in 3rd ed by having 30ft movement despite being small sized (plus natural armour AND size modifier) even though they lost their wonderful 'attacked last' special rule.

...best of all, despite being so awesome and super cool (and related to dragons! I mean, c'mon! ...and have you ever read the 2nd ed adventure "Dragon Mountain"..? It will change the way you run combats involving Kobolds), what DM would ever impose a penalty for playing one (other than your standard NPC - and sometimes PC - xenophobia)... in fact, they may even reward you for taking what they see as a penalty! Suckers XD

*thinks fondly back to his kobold paladin he made when they finally decided that any race could be paladins*

Good old Ooglin Ratlicker. The only character who ever got experience for killing the ambience.

[SoD]

Chitines. A spider-like four armed web spinning small sized monstrosity with 3 racial hit dice and a +2 level adjustment. I just can't get over them, at first level (ECL 3, we got rid of the hit dice), I made a trap worth 2000 gp. He was a paladin as well, albeit it with a -4 racial penalty to charisma...

[Morty]

Goblins. Despite them being sword-fodder in all gaming systems and settings, I'm fond of sneaky little buggers no matter what I play. And D&D gives them halfway decent stats- not as good as those of elf or dwarf, but tolerable. Next campaign I play, I'll intimidate/bribe DM to let me play a goblin. Possibly goblin paladin on Worg.

[ALOR]

I'm partial to kolbolds, orcs and shades.
In 2e I allowed a kolbold to start taking levels in paladin. The shock on the other PC's faces when they finally figured out he was a Paladin was just pure win.

[Tyrael]

even though they lost their wonderful 'attacked last' special rule.

This intrigues me and I wish to learn more.

[MagicPrime]

I like the catfolk from Races of the Wild and the Aasimar, but I don't know if they will still be a non-standard race in 4e after the first couple PHB series come out.

[Danzaver]

Goblins. Despite them being sword-fodder in all gaming systems and settings, I'm fond of sneaky little buggers no matter what I play. And D&D gives them halfway decent stats- not as good as those of elf or dwarf, but tolerable. Next campaign I play, I'll intimidate/bribe DM to let me play a goblin.

Do you read the "Goblins" webcomic? It is really inspiring to myself, who also loves the sneaky, misunderstood, killed-in-droves races. I'd love to do a goblin or kobold monstrous campaign.

But despite being weaker in MM stats, kobolds are still better in base numbers as PC races I reckon.

Woo for the little fellas!

[Morty]

Do you read the "Goblins" webcomic? It is really inspiring to myself, who also loves the sneaky, misunderstood, killed-in-droves races. I'd love to do a goblin or kobold monstrous campaign.

Of course I did. But I liked goblin even before then.

[Danzaver]

This intrigues me and I wish to learn more.

In the player's option expansion to 2nd ed, they released rules for Kobolds as PCs - they had a rule called "Attacked last" which basically meant that unless they had done something really impressive, kobold PCs were never attacked by anything with more than animal intelligence as long as there was another target available.

In WoW terms, that is "Enchant Self - Aggro Reduction". Brilliant.

[bosssmiley]

Hobgoblins: the LA cursed Prussians of D&D.
"Einz, zwei, einz, zwei. Turn zer vheels ov industry..."

[alchemyprime]

Cactacae from Dragon 352. A beautiful issue that no body picked up.

Sure, they were LA +2, but to be a WALKING CACTUS I would take it.

I also liked the khepri. A race that had a good reason for there being more women PCs then men: the men were naturally born without an Intelligence score. The men are Vermin and the women Humanoid (Khepri). Fun, eh?

I also like dromites and giff.

[RTGoodman]

I also love kobolds - one of my favorite character was Iothgix, a Half-Dragon Kobold Warrior//Paladin of Tyranny in an all-kobold semi-gestalt (i.e., one side of your progression had to be an NPC class) game.

As far as my very favorite, though, that has to go to the Goliath. I love the "big mountain nomad" flavor, and Powerful Build is always fun!

[Tengu]

In the player's option expansion to 2nd ed, they released rules for Kobolds as PCs - they had a rule called "Attacked last" which basically meant that unless they had done something really impressive, kobold PCs were never attacked by anything with more than animal intelligence as long as there was another target available.

In WoW terms, that is "Enchant Self - Aggro Reduction". Brilliant.

Ugh. That is soooo AD&D, and not in a good way, that I won't comment on it because I don't want to derail this thread into another edition war.

Cactacae from Dragon 352. A beautiful issue that no body picked up.

Sure, they were LA +2, but to be a WALKING CACTUS I would take it.

Do they happen to look like that?

Spoiler

Show

As for me, I think that'd be either psionic half-giants, or dromites. The first ones since I like the idea of a slightly large humanoids, proud with much larger weapons, and goliaths are too cheesy (and I don't mean mechanically, though goliaths are very strong for their LA, probably even too strong), being basically the cliche "proud barbarians from the mountains in the north" turned into a new race instead of a group of humans, the second ones because that dromite in boots and gasmask is simply awesome. Let's see if I can find the picture.

[fendrin]

Hobgoblins. Simple, not overpowered, but totally ripped off by the LA +1.

I love having an ancient hobgoblin empire, usually oriental in theming, often destroyed or massively diminished in antiquity, or just far away.

Or Hengayokai (OA). Especially Hares. I had an NPC once, originally intended to be a humorous one-time appearance/plot advancement. He was hare hengayokai pirate (ranger/rogue, iirc) with a shark animal companion. so much fun he became a recurring character (sometimes ally, sometimes enemy...)

The party stole his magical ship (after spending most of a hilarious gaming session trying to figure out the command word to make it work... all sorts of piratey and nautical words being bandied about...) traveled to a far off continent in search of an enslaving wizard, only to find themselves wandering through feudal Japanese-esque hobgoblins. That was an awesome campaign... also featured a telepath that developed a phobia of mattresses after almost being killed by one, and a combat in which 3 lvl 1 pirates (rogues) almost TPK'd a 4 level 2 characters....

[Nerd-o-rama]

Goblins and Hobgoblins all the way.

[Tweekinator]

Going with the hobgoblins, myself.

[Lolzords]

I quite like Githzerai and Drow, Githzerai for the +6 dex and +2 wisdom plus inertial armour, and the Drow simply for roleplaying.

[Fax Celestis]

Dromites, shadowswyfts, and thri-kreen for me. Oh, and azurin.

[Admiral Squish]

Favorite nonstandard?

I have a lot of faves, in stages.

I got races of stone for my B-day, and I completely connect with goliath social structure and outlook. plus, I always enjoy playing big, beefy guys.

I also read about the Geruda, and I like their sense of justice and crime, their ultimate offense being the restriction of freedom to choose pretty much anything.

Warforged are fun because of all the possibilities they present, and the feeling you get when playing with them, of trying to break out of the mold that you were literally cast in, and their construct traits make them fun. No sleep means you can get so much done, and no need to breathe means who needs a swim check?

Changelings? Awesome, they can keep you guessing, their freedoms restrained only by your own intelligence.

Eberron halflings, also fun, if just for the fact that they ride FRIKKIN' DINOSAURS. I also like that they're hunters, rather than farmers and layabouts like other halfling variations.

[Curmudgeon]

I'll pick Aasimar for divine spellcasters and Sorcerers. They make a particularly good match with Favored Souls with their +2 CHA and +2 WIS -- exactly the stats that Favored Souls need for their spells. At LA +1 it's only 3,000 xp to buy that back, so it's a really good choice; normal characters need 16 levels to get a total of +4 in stat boosts.

[Tempest Fennac]

I like Lupins and Gnolls due to how they are both half-animal as opposed to being differently proportioned humans like the standard races.

[Jannex]

I like gloamings. They're the only Small-sized race that I can really get into playing.

Drow are fun, too, though I've never PCed one.

[Brawls]

Got to give some love to the Hobgoblins.

Last campaign was a war against a largely hobgob army (invading). this campaign is 5 years after the war and in territory disputed by the human and hobgob kingdoms. Being lawful neutral I get to play someone who admires aspects of both cultures (and boy is it pissing off my party members to not allow them to kill hobgob soldiers simply for doing their job, ransoming their armor and weapons back to them, etc.).

Brawls

[PollyOliver]

Favorite nonstandard?
I also read about the Geruda, and I like their sense of justice and crime, their ultimate offense being the restriction of freedom to choose pretty much anything.

I can't say that I've ever played a Garuda, but being a huge China Mieville fan, and loving the concept of Garuda society, I'd love to try it out.

As for races I have played...pixies are fun. Kobolds and goblins are a favorite as well.

[BobTheDog]

<--- Need I say more?

[Arioch]

<--- Need I say more?

I really, really hope that, in the far future, someone will be looking at this thread for some reason, and u will have changed your avatar to a penguin or something equally random.

[ColdBrew]

Whisper Gnomes. Like regular gnomes but better in every way.

[kamikasei]

I have a fondness for goblinoids in concept, but my personal favourites are probably changelings and elans. ...Or do they count as "standard" PC races, being merely non-core rather than having to resort to a "*** as characters" section or, gasp, the "Monsters as characters" general rules?

[EvilRoeSlade]

Centaurs are unstoppable.

[GimliFett]

Goblins. Despite them being sword-fodder in all gaming systems and settings, I'm fond of sneaky little buggers no matter what I play. And D&D gives them halfway decent stats- not as good as those of elf or dwarf, but tolerable. Next campaign I play, I'll intimidate/bribe DM to let me play a goblin. Possibly goblin paladin on Worg.

Seconded! I love gobs, even with the Charisma Penalty. Ozzgar the Wolf is a Scottish Ranger of the Stuart Clan in The Messengers. In a world without alignment restrictions, I love goblins more'n almost any other. 'Sides dwarves. Odd dichotomy, I know, but it's there nonetheless!