This is a world inspired by Eberron. I have six core races, and need suggestions on what roles to cast them in. Here are the races:
Human
Elf
Dwarf
Gnome
Orc
Hybrid
Here's what has been decided so far.
All these core races have neutral as the average alignment with good and evil both being common.
A hybrid is someone born of more than one core race, such as a half-elf/half-human, half-human/half-orc, half-orc/half-elf, or what have you. They have more than one set of attributes do to the fact that any coupling of any two core races can produce a hybrid.
Elves are no more or less attracted to the wilderness than humans are, produce more spellcasters, especially sorcerers, than anyone else, and their ears are mobile, showing emotion like a cat's. They have a very wide range of possible hair, eye, and skin colors (many more than any other race), and stripes and spots are naturally occurring features (though not every elf has them). There are no drow, but there are individuals with the traditional drow coloring (which holds no meaning in elven society).
Dwarves are miners and smiths, though they do not actually live underground (even in a high fantasy world with prevalent magic, I just don't see the point in trying to live underground). They tend to live near their mines, and their society is highly lawful (Though it can be, and very often is, shockingly corrupt. Remember Dragon Age? It has some elements of that dwarven culture.). Dwarves are, on average, about a head shorter than a human.
Gnomes are medium sized, but just barely, and are usually slightly on the slim side. They are famous as tinkerers, scientists, scholars, and bards, and have a great affinity for both learning and experimentation.
Orcs are the most conservative race, and can be slow to accept change, though they are not primitive. They tend to prefer living in their own communities and are famous for their skill in combat and with divine magic. They tend to be willing to deal with and cooperate with other races so long as their traditions are respected, but they can be dangerous if crossed.
Nations tend to be multiracial, not ruled by and for one particular race.
Based on this information, does anyone have any advice for how to expand the roles of these core races?
Ever since I played Morrowind, I've kept in the back of my mind the possibility of giving a setting mystique by making one of the core races extinct. Human's not a good idea: elf might be interesting especially if half-elves with an ever-thinning percentage of elven descent are struggling to rebuild the lost race's culture. Twist the situation a little and the same might work for half-orcs (where did the orcs go? And is anybody sorry they're gone?) Dwarves were the ones used in Morrowind, to good effect since they left some truly spectacular ruins and artifacts behind when they left. Gnomes might be an interesting option for much the same reason. Extinct halflings might not have the gravitas that other races do, but they'd immediately set up the agents of their destruction as being really bad people. I mean, picking on an entire race of midgets? BAD MAN!
I like this idea. Perhaps I could apply it to most goblins? The small, primitive, savage goblins are all that's left of a once great empire of hobgoblins, bugbears, gnolls (which I am rewriting into goblinoids), and kobolds (also rewritten into goblinoids). The this empire was great (though the little goblins were only ever slaves), but now the kobolds, gnolls, bugbears, and hobgoblins are all extinct because the little goblins killed them all and most of their own number during and after a slave revolt. They still inhabit the ruins of this goblinoid civilization, as they are incapable of forming their own empire (they'd rather grab the idiot ball with both hands and fight each other and anything near them for no particular reason).
Ever since I played Morrowind, I've kept in the back of my mind the possibility of giving a setting mystique by making one of the core races extinct.I like this idea. Perhaps I could apply it to most goblins? The small, primitive, savage goblins are all that's left of a once great empire of hobgoblins, bugbears, gnolls (which I am rewriting into goblinoids), and kobolds (also rewritten into goblinoids).
That could be cool, especially if you give orcs a more established civilisation.
You could do so with a more 'exotic' race too, leaving more mystical ruins and artifacts. The world could have known an occupation of the githyanki, or the seas could have receded over an ancient kuo-toa empire before they were diminished to an underground dwelling, sticky and sickly race (to name two non-OGL races).
As for the role of the above races; Dwarves look like providers of primary (and secondary) resources and Gnomes a nations of engineers, architects and secular scholars (non-religious colleges/universities administered by Gnomes). Dwarves could hold military academies.
With magic as their ally, elves could be less dependent on other races, except perhaps for food-stock and prime materials (humans and dwarves respectively?). They could be explorers and guides, although I'd see the hybrids/metis better suited for that role. Elves could simply be providers of arcane magic, perhaps holding monopolies on residential protection spells and intercity divinatory communications/trasportation.
I could see orcs providing an elite warior-caste, whereas the rich and powerful would have their own host of orcish bodyguards.
As for humans, they are harder to fit into a role. Traditionally, they are set as the 'glue' that binds all these other nations together, but you may want to aim for something less cliché (although I still find this 'role' quite fitting).
'findel
Ever since I played Morrowind, I've kept in the back of my mind the possibility of giving a setting mystique by making one of the core races extinct.I like this idea. Perhaps I could apply it to most goblins? The small, primitive, savage goblins are all that's left of a once great empire of hobgoblins, bugbears, gnolls (which I am rewriting into goblinoids), and kobolds (also rewritten into goblinoids).That could be cool, especially if you give orcs a more established civilisation.
You could do so with a more 'exotic' race too, leaving more mystical ruins and artifacts. The world could have known an occupation of the githyanki, or the seas could have receded over an ancient kuo-toa empire before they were diminished to an underground dwelling, sticky and sickly race (to name two non-OGL races).
As for the role of the above races; Dwarves look like providers of primary (and secondary) resources and Gnomes a nations of engineers, architects and secular scholars (non-religious colleges/universities administered by Gnomes). Dwarves could hold military academies.
With magic as their ally, elves could be less dependent on other races, except perhaps for food-stock and prime materials (humans and dwarves respectively?). They could be explorers and guides, although I'd see the hybrids/metis better suited for that role. Elves could simply be providers of arcane magic, perhaps holding monopolies on residential protection spells and intercity divinatory communications/trasportation.
I could see orcs providing an elite warior-caste, whereas the rich and powerful would have their own host of orcish bodyguards.
As for humans, they are harder to fit into a role. Traditionally, they are set as the 'glue' that binds all these other nations together, but you may want to aim for something less cliché (although I still find this 'role' quite fitting).
'findel
I like humans as the catch all glue race.
I see elves and orcs as both being warrior races, with elves having an affinity for arcane magic and far more sorcerers than any other race and orcs an affinity for divine magic and far more oracles than any other race. However, elves mostly live alongside humans and orcs have their own communities.
To be truthful, it's elves in this setting that give me trouble. I just can't seem to find a role for them. Humans, orcs, gnomes, and dwarves all seem to be coming together nicely and hybrids differ from each other so much that the race has no real role, each hybrid depending on it's parents for it's place in the world, but the elves confound me. What do they do that makes them different from arcane humans?
To be truthful, it's elves in this setting that give me trouble.
Orcs and elves as two warrior-castes would work, especially if you put them as two rivaling (yet not openly hostile) warrior-people.
You could also shake things up a bit and have the elves as the young race 'on the rise' whereas the proud orcs are declining and set in the old ways of their past. Arcane magic could be the 'new' thing. As a young race, elves may not have yet find their role so to speak and until recently were only a feral people (your description of elves would even support that).
'findel
To be truthful, it's elves in this setting that give me trouble.Orcs and elves as two warrior-castes would work, especially if you put them as two rivaling (yet not openly hostile) warrior-people.
You could also shake things up a bit and have the elves as the young race 'on the rise' whereas the proud orcs are declining and set in the old ways of their past. Arcane magic could be the 'new' thing. As a young race, elves may not have yet find their role so to speak. Until recently, elves could have been a feral people (your description of them would support that).
'findel
I love this idea. A ton. You no idea how much. Thank you a great deal. It'll work perfectly.
I love this idea. A ton. You no idea how much. Thank you a great deal. It'll work perfectly.
glad I could help.
let us know how it turns out.
'findel
I've got more for the gnomes. They are famous for dragonette breeding. This is important because dragonettes are commonly used as beasts of burden and cavalry mounts (yes, this world has what could be called dragon cavalry, as dragon cavalry is awesome), so those who are good at breeding the beasts have a very important role.
Dwarves, meanwhile, are incredible engineers and architects. They aren't as scholarly or experimental as gnomes, but what they build lasts.