RitualDeadlyf
Forget It, Shoot Me
As it says in the title... Go!
Other Best Fantasy Races and Why
- Thread starter RitualDeadlyf
- Start date
Willowmere
Baddest Leaf You'll Ever Meet
I personally am very partial to the more exotic fantasy races. Sure, elves and dwarves and vampires and such are fine and all, but they all feel like 'human-but-this', or are simply so widely used they kind of lose their uniqueness you know? Bring me the fun stuff! Minotaurs, ents, centaurs, even dragons. I know that the reason these aren't widely used for roleplays is because people want to roleplay as, well, people! It can also be hard to write something so different, so I also understand that.
But it's always such a delight to see when they are done right.
To answer the question properly though, my favorite of the standard fantasy races are dwarves- if we're going with the Tolkien-esque representation at least. There's something about alcoholic, bearded midgets that I find deeply amusing.
But it's always such a delight to see when they are done right.
To answer the question properly though, my favorite of the standard fantasy races are dwarves- if we're going with the Tolkien-esque representation at least. There's something about alcoholic, bearded midgets that I find deeply amusing.
Spoiled Bread
The Lord of the Uneaten
The magical midget mascot races. Runeterra has Yordle, Monster Hunter has Palico and Final Fantasy has Moogle. Things like that.
StrixDesmodus
Totally human, I swear!
I can't say I have a clear favorite, let alone a semi objective "best" because part of what I like about fantasy races/species is the potential for variation.
Still, here are some favorite general tropes
Still, here are some favorite general tropes
- Talking animals
- Shapeshifting into a singular, specific animal that varies by the individual
- Creatures that were once one thing, but became modified through magic or sci-fi
- Vastly varying vampires
- Mythical creatures with a true form that is alien to humans, but are able to take human form
- Mythical creatures that are forced into a human/mundane form, or that have lost their powers
- When a fantasy race's stereotypes are deviated from- for instance a kind, educated minotaur
Murdergurl
will turn your insides into your outsides
Pfft. Goblins, of course!
Universally widespread, and undeniably underrated. Goblins are the underdog of a great deal of fantasy settings. Oftentimes they stand just a few rungs over cellar rats in the fodder hierarchy. But their understated presence has so much potential to explore that I feel just eludes most people. Everyone is so busy being the hero, or even the epic villain, that they miss all the fun that can be had by scoping out the role of this understated race. Sneaky, greedy, and oftentimes cunning, goblins are the perfect race to mix into any scenario in order to bring about mischief and even humor. They aren't even limited to medieval fantasy.
I have made various goblin OCs, and had them as playable races in many group settings I've written. I've even made RPs where the whole notion was for the players to undertake the role of goblins belonging to the same clan. I have fit them into spacey sci-fi settings, prehistoric/barbaric settings, steampunk settings, fantasy horror, etc. You give me a window to fit a goblin into a setting, and I'll try to work them in.
Universally widespread, and undeniably underrated. Goblins are the underdog of a great deal of fantasy settings. Oftentimes they stand just a few rungs over cellar rats in the fodder hierarchy. But their understated presence has so much potential to explore that I feel just eludes most people. Everyone is so busy being the hero, or even the epic villain, that they miss all the fun that can be had by scoping out the role of this understated race. Sneaky, greedy, and oftentimes cunning, goblins are the perfect race to mix into any scenario in order to bring about mischief and even humor. They aren't even limited to medieval fantasy.
I have made various goblin OCs, and had them as playable races in many group settings I've written. I've even made RPs where the whole notion was for the players to undertake the role of goblins belonging to the same clan. I have fit them into spacey sci-fi settings, prehistoric/barbaric settings, steampunk settings, fantasy horror, etc. You give me a window to fit a goblin into a setting, and I'll try to work them in.
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Jannah
Barely holding on.
If we mean races besides humans then I'm going with elves. I like elves. I'm basic like that. However, some of the more bestial races are cool too.
Murdergurl
will turn your insides into your outsides
I love Drow (Forgotten Realms Dark Elves). I have a series of books by R.A. Salvatore (I think I spelled that right) about the Drow. The War of the Spider Queen series
nerdy tangents
One Thousand Club
So I like going outside of Eurocentric ideas of basic archetypes in fantasy (or alternatively bringing in more obscure versions of Eurocentric archetypes)
The reasoning for this is that life is diverse so it makes no sense for their to be one singular type of magical being in the same way it doesn’t make sense for their to be only one type of cat or one race of humans.
So diversity in general would be my go to favorite. But if we want to talk general race : I’m a massive fan of mers.
Again it’s mostly the diversity just about every country has their own variation and it’s really fun to work out how they can translate into a new setting.
My particular favorites are Hawaiian mermaids, water horses, and enchanted moura (which are only kinda sorta mermaids).
The reasoning for this is that life is diverse so it makes no sense for their to be one singular type of magical being in the same way it doesn’t make sense for their to be only one type of cat or one race of humans.
So diversity in general would be my go to favorite. But if we want to talk general race : I’m a massive fan of mers.
Again it’s mostly the diversity just about every country has their own variation and it’s really fun to work out how they can translate into a new setting.
My particular favorites are Hawaiian mermaids, water horses, and enchanted moura (which are only kinda sorta mermaids).
Pokeking
Member
Hmm. Interesting question and I'll try to answer as best as I can as it applies to me.
Overall, I would say werewolves. I enjoy contemplating their blended lives. Not human and not wolf either, but marshalling the resources and appearances of both.
In a true fantasy setting, I like minotaurs. For me, they are seen as a proud warrior race by others. However, there's more to them than just fighting.
Overall, I would say werewolves. I enjoy contemplating their blended lives. Not human and not wolf either, but marshalling the resources and appearances of both.
In a true fantasy setting, I like minotaurs. For me, they are seen as a proud warrior race by others. However, there's more to them than just fighting.
Jet
Uncultured
Human
Steve Jobs
Died of ligma
Vampires because it's a good thing whether or not they suck.
A Sparkling Zombie
Meep
Half-orcs! They're green men with tusks, and that makes my gay heart sing. 
But also because they're caught between a race that was corrupted or created to be evil, at least when running with any of the popular lore that exists for orcs, while also being burdened with the mind of another race. While I don't always employ that trope for a half-orc, it is kinda a gray area, and my brain likes those.
But also because they're caught between a race that was corrupted or created to be evil, at least when running with any of the popular lore that exists for orcs, while also being burdened with the mind of another race. While I don't always employ that trope for a half-orc, it is kinda a gray area, and my brain likes those.
Idea
The Pun Tyrant
In most settings I have available, I like to not ban things unnecessarily, so in my most commonly used settings and on D&D I tend to allow as much as possible in fantasy races. I think there are a lot of interesting ones, but since for the most part my favorites are those I like to play, those are the ones I will focus on in this reply.
Specific Fantasy Races
Basics:
Humans aren't really a favorite of mine per say, but they still get an honorary mention here because I end up having to make them a lot. The reason is simple, the vast majority of available images, particularly in my preferred style (anime/anime-esque) are human in appearance. As I like to use images, this creates a tendency. It's a similar reason as to why I started primarily playing female characters.
That being said, there are some more classics I enjoy, like beastkin/beastfolk, particularly of the kemonomimi kind. Dog and wolf people are my primary go-tos here.
Fairies/pixies are also occasionally a common choice.
Magically or Psionically-gifted Races
There are a few types of races that will heavily differ in their depiction or even which races they belong to in a given setting, but they nonetheless have some common attributes that to me are just really appealing. This one falls into that category, races which are simply innately powerful/skilled/gifted with magic or psionics. Mindflayers, alladin-esque genies or derivations thereof, certain types of elves... To me magic is the cornerstone, the essential element of what makes fantasy fantasy. Magic isn't limited to just wizards casting spells, a dragon breathing flames or even the entire existence of, say, elves can be something that I would consider magic, in its total disregard for the rules of our reality. Magic opens the door to so many possibilities in fantasy that it is one of my major reasons to love the genre, and therefore races that really enable me to explore it fully are right up my alley.
Shapeshifters:
Not the "I can turn into an animal" type of shapeshifter, but the "I can be anyone" type of shapeshifter. Includes things like Changelings or sometimes Slimes. Shapeshifting is one of my favorite powers, and these are plain made for it.
Artificial:
One of the things I've come to love most in fantasy races in recent times is artificial ones. Whether this means the race was some kind of object before becoming its own thing, or more commonly, that they were a specifically created race. Homunculi, automatons, golems, living dolls, some types of hybrids/chimeras, mutants, living metal or cursed/possessed objects all fall into this category. Their artificial nature is something I love to explore, whether they began as such or they became as such, and they sometimes enable me to play certain types of characters that might otherwise be inviable in the setting.
Specific-Flavored:
There are a few races which I quite love playing with, but only in relatively specific flavors of them, usually inspired by the kind of media I consume. Anime in particular has a way of informing my view and preferences on these races, the vampire race and the dragon kin type of races.
Werewolves/lycanthropes for me also fall into this category despite having a bit more variance. I am generally almost exclusively on either the kemonomimi types of the halfway hybrid types, none of this humans with whiskers or full wolf stuff. Further, usually depending on the tone, werewolves will either be an often feral but controllable state, permanent or otherwise (usually in the halfway types) or in a more light-hearted/comedic RP they'll pretty much have built-in doggo behavior.
Bug Races:
Bug races are one of the few that I tend to enjoy more in a less human-esque appearance, and they were one of my longest-lasting interests when it comes to fantasy races. One of my main inspirations for perhaps the most common type of bug race I use were Mantid from Wow, as their not-quite-hivemind and the whole "heroes of the race preserved in amber until their services are needed once more in a period of crisis for the empire" was just so fascinating and (I felt) a tad underexplored that I ended up making kind of like it.
Ethereal:
I do quite enjoy me the mystical qualities and the drama of ethereal entities, namely ghosts. Other types of spirits or even quasi-divinities work for this as well, often with less the backstory drama of ghosts and more one based on how their spiritual nature affects and is affected by their personality and their relationship with people in general.
On the less spiritual side of things, there are the embodiments of magic, concept or some form of energy. For instance there a rip-off race from wow's ethereals (basically magitech-advanced mummies without a real physical body) or MTG's Aetherborn.
Gorgons:
I didn't have a broader category to classify this one under, so it's got it's own category cause I just kind of like this race. It may have the snakes for hair, but honestly what it really matters to me in a gorgon is the petrifying gaze.
Non-Humanoid:
If mythical creatures count in addition to the more humanoid races, then there's certainly a selection to add here as well. My favorite mythological creature is the hydra, with its several heads and ironic regeneration, plus the poisonous blood, it's just such a cool creature. Dragons are a classic as well, and Cerberi are multiple heads + doggo. Occasionally I might play some mystical/giant wolves too. Chimeras also tend to have an overlap with the artificial race thing, plus they often also have multiple heads, or at least cool mixtures of animal parts and possibly powers.
Broad / Relative Criteria
Sometimes the races I would prefer in the way I would prefer are just not available. That being the case, there are a few common criteria that I use to make my decision, though a race's own appeal my win me over or have a heavy influence in a dispute:
I also kind of like to take races and give them certain explanations, maybe with spins on the race through those (more often on slice of life type things or in my own settings). In one of my settings, for instance, vampire teeth suck out blood through a vaccum, but the vampire's bite itself can turn one into a vampire, depending on lineage. This both allows a character to weaponize vampire teeth by turning someone into a vampire in broad daylight, and to use as a double-edged tool to potentially save someone, say by draining poison out of their blood but turning them into a vampire in the process. In media some of the best examples I've seen include making vampiric hate of garlic just having strong senses or not entering a home unless invited to just be politeness.
Refusal Races
Off the top of my head, there's pretty much one type of race I categorically refuse to play, and that's demons. In my head demons are pure evil, and demons as just a generic race or even "good demons" are just a big personal pet peeve of mine. I don't want to play a race that's pure evil, but I don't want demons that aren't, hence I won't play demons.
There are a few others I tend to avoid, like brute races like orcs / ogres / trolls are usually not in my radar, and sea-based races (other than maybe sirens) also tend to be something I would avoid, but I am not as opposed to these as I am to demons by a long shot, they just tend to be lacking in terms of the competition.
Specific Fantasy Races
Basics:
Humans aren't really a favorite of mine per say, but they still get an honorary mention here because I end up having to make them a lot. The reason is simple, the vast majority of available images, particularly in my preferred style (anime/anime-esque) are human in appearance. As I like to use images, this creates a tendency. It's a similar reason as to why I started primarily playing female characters.
That being said, there are some more classics I enjoy, like beastkin/beastfolk, particularly of the kemonomimi kind. Dog and wolf people are my primary go-tos here.
Fairies/pixies are also occasionally a common choice.
Magically or Psionically-gifted Races
There are a few types of races that will heavily differ in their depiction or even which races they belong to in a given setting, but they nonetheless have some common attributes that to me are just really appealing. This one falls into that category, races which are simply innately powerful/skilled/gifted with magic or psionics. Mindflayers, alladin-esque genies or derivations thereof, certain types of elves... To me magic is the cornerstone, the essential element of what makes fantasy fantasy. Magic isn't limited to just wizards casting spells, a dragon breathing flames or even the entire existence of, say, elves can be something that I would consider magic, in its total disregard for the rules of our reality. Magic opens the door to so many possibilities in fantasy that it is one of my major reasons to love the genre, and therefore races that really enable me to explore it fully are right up my alley.
Shapeshifters:
Not the "I can turn into an animal" type of shapeshifter, but the "I can be anyone" type of shapeshifter. Includes things like Changelings or sometimes Slimes. Shapeshifting is one of my favorite powers, and these are plain made for it.
Artificial:
One of the things I've come to love most in fantasy races in recent times is artificial ones. Whether this means the race was some kind of object before becoming its own thing, or more commonly, that they were a specifically created race. Homunculi, automatons, golems, living dolls, some types of hybrids/chimeras, mutants, living metal or cursed/possessed objects all fall into this category. Their artificial nature is something I love to explore, whether they began as such or they became as such, and they sometimes enable me to play certain types of characters that might otherwise be inviable in the setting.
Specific-Flavored:
There are a few races which I quite love playing with, but only in relatively specific flavors of them, usually inspired by the kind of media I consume. Anime in particular has a way of informing my view and preferences on these races, the vampire race and the dragon kin type of races.
Werewolves/lycanthropes for me also fall into this category despite having a bit more variance. I am generally almost exclusively on either the kemonomimi types of the halfway hybrid types, none of this humans with whiskers or full wolf stuff. Further, usually depending on the tone, werewolves will either be an often feral but controllable state, permanent or otherwise (usually in the halfway types) or in a more light-hearted/comedic RP they'll pretty much have built-in doggo behavior.
Bug Races:
Bug races are one of the few that I tend to enjoy more in a less human-esque appearance, and they were one of my longest-lasting interests when it comes to fantasy races. One of my main inspirations for perhaps the most common type of bug race I use were Mantid from Wow, as their not-quite-hivemind and the whole "heroes of the race preserved in amber until their services are needed once more in a period of crisis for the empire" was just so fascinating and (I felt) a tad underexplored that I ended up making kind of like it.
Ethereal:
I do quite enjoy me the mystical qualities and the drama of ethereal entities, namely ghosts. Other types of spirits or even quasi-divinities work for this as well, often with less the backstory drama of ghosts and more one based on how their spiritual nature affects and is affected by their personality and their relationship with people in general.
On the less spiritual side of things, there are the embodiments of magic, concept or some form of energy. For instance there a rip-off race from wow's ethereals (basically magitech-advanced mummies without a real physical body) or MTG's Aetherborn.
Gorgons:
I didn't have a broader category to classify this one under, so it's got it's own category cause I just kind of like this race. It may have the snakes for hair, but honestly what it really matters to me in a gorgon is the petrifying gaze.
Non-Humanoid:
If mythical creatures count in addition to the more humanoid races, then there's certainly a selection to add here as well. My favorite mythological creature is the hydra, with its several heads and ironic regeneration, plus the poisonous blood, it's just such a cool creature. Dragons are a classic as well, and Cerberi are multiple heads + doggo. Occasionally I might play some mystical/giant wolves too. Chimeras also tend to have an overlap with the artificial race thing, plus they often also have multiple heads, or at least cool mixtures of animal parts and possibly powers.
Broad / Relative Criteria
Sometimes the races I would prefer in the way I would prefer are just not available. That being the case, there are a few common criteria that I use to make my decision, though a race's own appeal my win me over or have a heavy influence in a dispute:
- Bizarre - I like weird. I'm curious and a bit of a contrarian sometimes, which are some guesses as to why I'm often simply drawn to whatever race I find most exotic (and it doesn't just apply to races by the way, powers and personalities and whatnot are often like this for me as well. It's one of the reasons why I really appreciate players who can play characters who are just playing the normal standard type, it helps to make that contrast and highlight the unusual aspects that I love). In fact, I often go out of my way to find some workaround to make my character a more exotic example of their species or even something approaching a whole new and/or unique species in the world and cast.
- Long-Lived / Immortal - I love the drama, wisdom and comedy that can stem from this. Plus the idea of living forever just appeals to me.
- Attributes - Or abilities/skills or whatnot, to be frank there are times when I just end up deciding the race based on stat block because my style of doing things ends up being dependent on having the right stats.
I also kind of like to take races and give them certain explanations, maybe with spins on the race through those (more often on slice of life type things or in my own settings). In one of my settings, for instance, vampire teeth suck out blood through a vaccum, but the vampire's bite itself can turn one into a vampire, depending on lineage. This both allows a character to weaponize vampire teeth by turning someone into a vampire in broad daylight, and to use as a double-edged tool to potentially save someone, say by draining poison out of their blood but turning them into a vampire in the process. In media some of the best examples I've seen include making vampiric hate of garlic just having strong senses or not entering a home unless invited to just be politeness.
Refusal Races
Off the top of my head, there's pretty much one type of race I categorically refuse to play, and that's demons. In my head demons are pure evil, and demons as just a generic race or even "good demons" are just a big personal pet peeve of mine. I don't want to play a race that's pure evil, but I don't want demons that aren't, hence I won't play demons.
There are a few others I tend to avoid, like brute races like orcs / ogres / trolls are usually not in my radar, and sea-based races (other than maybe sirens) also tend to be something I would avoid, but I am not as opposed to these as I am to demons by a long shot, they just tend to be lacking in terms of the competition.
