Okay, say that for your next game you were going to limit your players to a custom list in terms of race, selected from any WotC or Paizo source. What would your list be?
For example, I am considering running a game where all of the PCs would be planetouched - Tieflings and Aasimars from the MM, Elemental Genasi from Monsters of Faerun (with the 3.5 update), and the Anaxi, Cansin, and paraelemental genasi from Dragon 293 (with some minor personal updating).
Okay, say that for your next game you were going to limit your players to a custom list in terms of race, selected from any WotC or Paizo source. What would your list be?
It depends on two things: the power level and the theme of the adventure. For a high-powered, good vs. evil game I might allow Aasimar, Archons, Eladrin, Guardinials, Half-Celestials, Half-Dragons (metallic only), Sanctified creatures (BoED), etc (or Demons, Devils, Half-Fiends, Liches, Rakshasas, etc on the other side). For a low-powered, gritty game I might restrict them to PHB races (or even a sub-set of them). For a game that focuses on the planes, the Planetouched races, some of the Bloodlines (UA), and even "monster" races like the Githyanki and Githzerai could work, depending on the average party level and background/tone/setting.
As a rule of thumb, I'd limit the level adjustment of the race to no more than 1/3 to 1/2 of the ECL. Otherwise, they're too fragile for the encounters they'll face.