As I read my way through the posts I got aware that there are at least two major paths or views of each race.
It might be a good idea and a great improvement on flexibility to add two sub-races/paths/views/cultures/themes for every race.
A short summary of what I read so far:
Elves - the arcane and the nature path
Dwarves - the gruffy and the
Gnomes - the tinkers and the fey
(Half-) Orcs - the brutal and the moderate barbarians
My Proposals:
Humans: While humans might be excluded for a reason I like the destinction between:
Imperials (explorers and founders of great empires) and Barbarians (adapted to the harsh wilderness, survivalists)
Elves: as said above.
Dwarves: Mountain and Hill Dwarves. Mountain Dwarves the traditionalists and the reclusive gruffy type. Hill Dwarves the more open and friendly ones.
Halflings: Make them Hobbits and Kender.
Orcs: Savage Tribes or noble Barbarians
Gnomes: While I see that they have to remain for compa.-purpose, I always find them either in the Hill Dwarves or the Hobbits.
Personally I dislike the whole subrace concept that is so prevalent. In my view High Elf, Grey Elf, Wood Elf and Wild Elf are cultural and ethnic differences not racial differences. Same with Mountain Dwarf and Hill Dwarf.
If one changes the stat block for those then each human ethnic stock should have different bonuses and penalties and that opens the very messy door of what bonuses does mixed ethnic human get. What bonuses would you give a slavic human? a celtic human? a latin human?
The only subraces i dont really have a problem with are those like the Drow, Duergar and Gith races....these races split from their origin species a very very very long time ago whereas the hill and mountain dwarves still regularly interact and often are found living next to each other.
I would not mind appearance differences between the subraces...Wild Elves being darker skinned, Mountain Dwarves being taller, etc etc. But I dont want to see changes in "subraces" beyond cultural, ethnic and language.
-Weylin Stormcrowe
Of course, the SRD already has stats for several subraces, which would be easy to add:
Gray Elf
Taller and grander in physical appearance than others of their race, gray elves have a reputation for being aloof and arrogant (even by elven standards). They have either silver hair and amber eyes or pale golden hair and violet eyes. They prefer clothing of white, silver, yellow, or gold, with cloaks of deep blue or purple.
Gray Elf Traits (Ex)These traits are in addition to the high elf traits.
* +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength.
Wood Elf
Their hair color ranges from yellow to a coppery red, and they are more muscular than other elves. Their clothing is in dark shades of green and earth tones to better blend in with their natural surroundings.
Wood Elf Traits (Ex)These traits are in addition to the high elf traits, except where noted.
* +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence.
* Favored Class: Ranger. This trait replaces the high elf’s favored class.
Deep Dwarf
These dwarves live far underground and tend to be more standoffish with non-dwarves.
Deep dwarves are the same height as other dwarves, but leaner. Their skin sometimes has a reddish tinge, and their large eyes lack the brightness of those of their kindred, being a washed-out blue. Their hair color ranges from bright red to straw blond. They have little contact with surface dwellers, relying on hill dwarves or mountain dwarves to trade goods for them.
Deep dwarves speak Dwarven and Goblin, and occasionally Draconic or Undercommon.
Deep Dwarf Traits (Ex)These traits are in addition to the hill dwarf traits, except where noted.
* Racial bonus on saves against spells and spell-like abilities increases to +3.
* Racial bonus on Fortitude saves against poisons increases to +3.
* Darkvision out to 90 feet.
* Light Sensitivity: Deep dwarves are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
Forest Gnome
They are the smallest of all the gnomes, averaging 2 to 2½ feet in height, but look just like regular gnomes except with bark-colored or gray-green skin, and eyes that can be brown or green as well as blue. A very long-lived people, forest gnomes have an average life expectancy of 500 years.
Forest Gnome Traits (Ex)These traits are in addition to the rock gnome traits, except where noted.
* Pass without Trace (Su): A forest gnome has the innate ability to use pass without trace (self only, as a free action) as the spell cast by a druid of the forest gnome’s class levels.
* +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against kobolds, goblinoids, orcs, and reptilian humanoids.
* Automatic Languages: Gnome, Elven, Sylvan, and a simple language that enables them to communicate on a very basic level with forest animals (this replaces the rock gnome’s speak with animals ability). Bonus Languages: Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Goblin, Orc. This trait replaces the rock gnome’s automatic and bonus languages.
* +4 racial bonus on Hide checks, which improves to +8 in a wooded area.
Tallfellow
Tallfellows are somewhat rare among halfling folk. Tallfellows are 4 feet tall or more and weigh between 30 and 35 pounds. They generally speak Elven in addition to Common and Halfling.
Tallfellow Traits (Ex)These traits are in addition to the lightfoot halfling traits, except where noted.
* +2 racial bonus on Search, Spot, and Listen checks. Like an elf, a tallfellow who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check as though actively looking for it. This trait replaces the lightfoot’s +2 bonus on Listen checks.
* Tallfellows are less athletic than lightfoot halflings and do not have a racial bonus on Climb, Jump, and Move Silently checks.
Deep Halfling
These halflings are shorter and stockier than the more common lightfeet.
Deep halflings are about 2½ tall and weigh between 30 and 35 pounds. Deep halflings speak Dwarven fluently.
Deep Halfling Traits (Ex)These traits are in addition to the lightfoot halfling traits, except where noted.
* Darkvision out to 60 feet.
* Stonecunning: Like dwarves, deep halflings have a +2 racial bonus on checks to notice unusual stonework. Something that isn’t stone but that is disguised as stone also counts as unusual stonework. A deep halfling who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a check as though actively searching and can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A deep halfling can also intuit depth, sensing the approximate distance underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.
* +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks and Craft checks that are related to stone or metal.
* Deep halflings are less athletic than lightfoot halflings and do not have a racial bonus on Climb, Jump, and Move Silently checks.