Set |
Races under consideration (might be more, going off the top of my head);
Core - Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Half Elf, Half Orc, Halfling, Human
Bestiary - Aasimar, Drow, Drow Noble, Duerger, Goblin, Hobgoblin, Kobold, Merfolk, Orc, Svirfneblin, Tengu, Tiefling
Bestiary 2 - Changeling, Dhampir, Fetchling, Grippli, Ifrit, Oread, Sylph, Undine
Bestiary 3 - Catfolk, Ratfolk, Vanara, Vishkanya
Dragon Empires - Kitsune, Nagaji, Samsaran, Wayang
Inner Sea Bestiary - Android, Ghoran, Lashunta, Monkey Goblin, Syrinx
Qadira companion - Suli
Inner Sea World Guide - Gillmen, Strix
Thematically, I like the Gillmen, because they are so tied into the setting, with the 'sunken degenerate Atlanteans' motif. Owen had some creepy outtakes regarding them that didn't make it into the Absalom book on his blog, back in the day.
For a mixture of an interesting visual and some interesting mechanics, probably the Tengu, and, most recently, the Android.
For not-currently-a-playable-race-option, it's always been Gnolls.
Non PF favorites include the Spelljammer Xixchil, Eberron Changeling and Daelkyr Halfblood, 3.5 Halfling, Freeport Civilized Serpentfolk/Valossans, Scarred Lands Charduni Dwarves, Arcana Unearthed Verrik, Hamunaptra Gnolls/Anpur and Aquatic Elves from many settings.
None of the Bestiary 2 races really work for me. They feel like they were filling 'half-this' and 'half-that' quotas. (Well, barring the grippli, obviously, but I've never been a fan of frog-people anyway, whether they be called grippli, slaad or boggards.)
Ed-Zero |
Ghoran (I think that's their name, from Inner Sea), the plant people. It's a fantastic way to get blanket immunities right from the start. Mix with Alchemist (Everything you do is "All Natural" haha) to get a couple more. Make your own clones? NP! Make a simulcrum/Rip your own skin off (forgot the name of the ability) of yourself with the Alchemist, have it plant a seed of itself and in 2d6 days you have another way to get a cloned character. The only downside is having to be in the sun for a bit every day or take con damage.
Also, any race that gets burrow/earth glide (make your own), just too fantastic of a ability.
Might just have to make my own plant/construct race that can burrow and doesn't need the sun.
tbok1992 |
I personally like the Tiefling, as not only can I make it work decently for any class, but the options available for physical characteristics is so vast, that I can feel my imagination tickled pink.
You don't have to tell me bub. I based my Tiefling Wizard's physical features fluff-wise on an ice devil. I just wish there were more feats to support that mechanically.
Also, I adore the Wayangs, because the idea of a race inspired by Asian shadow puppets is such a cool and unique idea. It's a shame they're not legal to use In Pathfinder Society. Speaking of which, why is that?
Also, a bit off topic, but does anybody else think that the Samsarans seem suspiciously close to 4e's Deva, minus the Aasimar influence?I know they're based on the general concept of reincarnation, but the specific way they do it makes me wonder...
MMCJawa |
Races under consideration (might be more, going off the top of my head);
Core - Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Half Elf, Half Orc, Halfling, Human
Bestiary - Aasimar, Drow, Drow Noble, Duerger, Goblin, Hobgoblin, Kobold, Merfolk, Orc, Svirfneblin, Tengu, Tiefling
Bestiary 2 - Changeling, Dhampir, Fetchling, Grippli, Ifrit, Oread, Sylph, Undine
Bestiary 3 - Catfolk, Ratfolk, Vanara, Vishkanya
Dragon Empires - Kitsune, Nagaji, Samsaran, Wayang
Inner Sea Bestiary - Android, Ghoran, Lashunta, Monkey Goblin, Syrinx
Qadira companion - Suli
Inner Sea World Guide - Gillmen, StrixThematically, I like the Gillmen, because they are so tied into the setting, with the 'sunken degenerate Atlanteans' motif. Owen had some creepy outtakes regarding them that didn't make it into the Absalom book on his blog, back in the day.
For a mixture of an interesting visual and some interesting mechanics, probably the Tengu, and, most recently, the Android.
For not-currently-a-playable-race-option, it's always been Gnolls.
Non PF favorites include the Spelljammer Xixchil, Eberron Changeling and Daelkyr Halfblood, 3.5 Halfling, Freeport Civilized Serpentfolk/Valossans, Scarred Lands Charduni Dwarves, Arcana Unearthed Verrik, Hamunaptra Gnolls/Anpur and Aquatic Elves from many settings.
None of the Bestiary 2 races really work for me. They feel like they were filling 'half-this' and 'half-that' quotas. (Well, barring the grippli, obviously, but I've never been a fan of frog-people anyway, whether they be called grippli, slaad or boggards.)
Add Changeling from one of the Carrion Crown AP's, and Kuru from the Shackles Campaign Setting book
mplindustries |
Ghoran (I think that's their name, from Inner Sea), the plant people. It's a fantastic way to get blanket immunities right from the start.
I'm pretty sure you don't get any plant traits without at least one hit die of "Plant." It's the same as how you don't get proficiency with all martial weapons for being an Outsider.
zergtitan |
I've always been fond of the kitsune. I play them whenever I can due to the fact I love thier friendly nature and the ability to shapeshift between fox, hybrid, and human forms.
I also give them a unique hybrid form inspired by anime. Yes I like anime.
My favorite character is a rogue with his 1000 tales and mithril rapier/longsword, along with his girlfriend a kitsune geisha/lotus bard and her duel fighting fans.
What an adventure.........good times.
Kerney |
None. I hate circus freak parties.
Although a one-off experiment with an android might be interesting.
I sometimes feel the same way, but only sometimes. When I run, I institute what I call a 'one Chewbacca rule', i.e. the first person who asks gets to be 'Chewie'.
Of course, an all circus freak campiagn might be interesting.
+5 Toaster |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Zaister wrote:None. I hate circus freak parties.
Although a one-off experiment with an android might be interesting.
I sometimes feel the same way, but only sometimes. When I run, I institute what I call a 'one Chewbacca rule', i.e. the first person who asks gets to be 'Chewie'.
Of course, an all circus freak campiagn might be interesting.
hah! my current campaign is literally based on a party of escaped circus freaks.
MMCJawa |
I pretty much will always go for the weird races, but sitting on the other side of the screen the I can appreciate that things are easier to run with less weirdos. My only "normal" character in the campaign I run is a Changeling witch...the rest of her party is comprised of a Kobold, Kitsune, and Nagaji
I would really like to play a Pathfinder gnome or a ratfolk...those are the races speaking to me at the moment.
Mikaze |
5 people marked this as a favorite. |
This is hard.
I will say for now that I love having a wide range of fantastic races. Some people say "circus freak world". I say "fantasy world full of fantastic people I want to explore".
Bring on all the nagaji and androids and skindancers and fetchlings and kobolds. I got room enough in my heart for all of 'em. :)
Threeshades |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
This is hard.
I will say for now that I love having a wide range of fantastic races. Some people say "circus freak world". I say "fantasy world full of fantastic people I want to explore".
Bring on all the nagaji and androids and skindancers and fetchlings and kobolds. I got room enough in my heart for all of 'em. :)
Exactly what i think.
Set |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
After years of Spelljammer and Star Frontiers and Gamma World (four armed mutant cyborg bear ftw!) and various super-hero games (where one PC is a robot, another is a sorcerer, another is an alien and another is a mythological god), I've never really had much of a 'cantina' problem.
Sometimes, the theme is important, and I understand that someone wanting to play a Werewolf, Mage or Highlander Immortal in a Vampire the Masquerade game is rollerskating uphill.
But in a fantasy D&D world that already *has* orcs, goblins, fey, anthros (gnolls, minotaurs, harpies, etc.), planetouched and half-dragons and half-this and half-that? It's like going to an all you can eat buffet and being told you can only have the rice.
That being said, I'm pretty much always gonna play humans. That extra feat is sexier than almost any racial ability I've seen. :)
Pepsi Jedi |
I'm actually the other way. To use your buffet analogy, If I'm at an all you can eat Buffet, I never ever ever eat the rice. I always eat the stuff I can't make/get at home.
I can't remember -ever- playing a human in Pathfinder, or D&D, Palladium, Rifts, etc.
I've never even rolled a human in World of Warcraft. lol.
That doesn't mean I go full out to extremes and play like, 'The color blue' or anything, but I -am- human. If I'm playing a fantasy game I'm going to play something I'm not every day of the week. Putting my mind into character into the strange or fantastical is how I roll.
I like Dwarves and Half orcs. I like --Pathfinder-- Gnomes. (Not others generally). My wife says I have a very dwarven aspect, even though I'm 6'2". lol The topic of this thread was the new races from the Advanced race guide, so I listed off some from there. But I do love Dwarves, Half orcs, and Gnomes as "base" Races of Pathfinder.
I can't say I even, ever considered playing a human. For me the CHARACTER, and the story and the fun, far far out weigh any game mechanics. As I've pointed out before I've had loads of fun playing a PC Pathfinder goblin. They're not what you'd deem masters of the universe in any stretch, but they are fun, and pathfinder has really made them deep. I like -that-. Stats are just paperwork.
Matrix Dragon |
Kitsunes are easily my favorite new race because I'm a big fan of the Japanese lore behind them. I like Tengu because I think they are hilarious. Besides that... I'd have to say Undines because of the Waterbender *cough* I mean Watersinger archetype.
Catfolk and Ratfolk are on my play list just because I'm a fan of beast races, but they are not as high priority as the other two.
I have to say that I hate 'circus freak' parties as well, and I think I would adjust what race I play in order to balance things out if we were playing a 'normal' adventure. If too many other players are running weird races then I'll probably run a human. If everyone is human or one of the core races, I'll probably play something more fun.
Orthos |
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I deliberately designed the most prominent races in my homebrew setting to be even half-and-half between "normal" humanoids (the standard six - with Half-Orcs flavor-wise replaced by just Orcs, but using the former's stats) and more monstrous, unusual races: bird-folk (mechanically similar to Strix but very different in flavor), wolf-folk (Lupin from Dragon Compendium), Naga (oriental version - humanoid torso, serpent tail replacing legs), Kobolds, Tengu, Ratfolk, a Satyr-like Fey PC race, and Yuan-Ti. Add on a Hobgoblin-run continent across the sea, homeland of goblinoids who have then spread across the world like wildfire, and toss in sprinkles of every other available race (and a few more homebrew) for flavor.
It seems utterly bizarre to me that in fantastical worlds made up of all sorts of weird creatures, all the "main heroes/main characters" and majority of big movers and shakers in history are humans, tall skinny humans, short stout humans, two variants of even shorter humans, or big bestial humans. And that the only exceptions to this are in ancient prehistory or are singularly influential and overwhelming creatures like dragons.
So yeah. Give me more races that aren't just "variant human". This is fantasy. Let's get fantastical.
RE: the actual question of the thread:
Kobolds Kobolds Kobolds KOBOLDS
Changelings
Dhampir
Duergar
Tengu
Strix
Samsarans
PS: I likewise have never played a human in a PnP campaign. I have played:
Illumian (closest I've gotten)
Killoren
Avanti (3.5 version of Gillmen, I guess)
Tiefling
Halfling
Kobold
Dwarf (Several)
Elf (once, will not repeat)
Duergar
Naga (my homebrew version)
Strix (PF's version)
Radiarch Eklesya |
Tengu is my pick, because it surprised me, but I'm working on making the look of my character more hawk-like. Who says they always have to look like a raven anyways?
Also a fan of the aasimar (especially the flexibility giving from both the ARG and Blood of Angels).
I've also got a race I'll be creating via the Race Creator, so that gets a vote too :)
mplindustries |
That doesn't mean I go full out to extremes and play like, 'The color blue' or anything, but I -am- human. If I'm playing a fantasy game I'm going to play something I'm not every day of the week. Putting my mind into character into the strange or fantastical is how I roll.
On the other hand, I want a familiar base so I can immerse in the character better. If my character is not at least human-like, I can't get into it because I have no idea what that might be like.
And while I am a human in real life, I am not a human in a fantasy world doing fantastic heroic stuff like slaying monsters and slinging spells, so I think it's different enough to be exciting.
Dale McCoy Jr President, Jon Brazer Enterprises |
Do I have to pick just one? Depending on my mood, it would be either the Seedlings and the Half-Faerie Dragons.
[/Shameless plug]
But if I had to pick a race that was not published by my company, I'd have to say the grippli.
Kerney |
Is it just me, or are Assimar and Tiefling starting to creep into the some definitions of core? I mean they look mostly human so they can blend in, are common in Golorian lore, and now allowed in PFS.
Like in the very far past, half elves were exotic and iffy, and then became 'core', are Tieflings and Assimar making that same transition?
Mikaze |
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Is it just me, or are Assimar and Tiefling starting to creep into the some definitions of core? I mean they look mostly human so they can blend in, are common in Golorian lore, and now allowed in PFS.
Like in the very far past, half elves were exotic and iffy, and then became 'core', are Tieflings and Assimar making that same transition?
They've been core in my heart ever since Planescape. Folks trying to redefine them as monsters or nonplayer races when they started as player races was one of the things that bugged the hell out of me during 3.x.
Pepsi Jedi |
I've considered Tiefling's core for some time. Assimar don't bother me.
However. I don't know how well they 'blend in' both are supposed to stand out, in their own ways.People just 'know' or 'sense' the otherworldly or demonic blood.
Not like Highlander where one gets with in 1000 yards and they look around for it, but more, if one walks into the store you're in, your eyes are drawn to them for some reason or another and you kinda know there's something 'weird' goin' on there.