If any of you have played Dungeons & Dragons, you might already know some or all of the basic races.
That list of races can be found in the Player’s Handbook, which include the classic dwarf, elf, halfling, human, dragonborn, gnome, half-elf, half-orc, and tiefling. Bu there is more than just those nine. If an elf doesn’t sound feylike for a person, why not play as an actual fairy for once? So for today, if anyone wants to play in the body of an animal for once, I have just the suggestions for you. The list is in alphabetical order. Enjoy!
PS: If you want to learn more about strange races, go to this D&D Beyond Website to see some quick overviews of many races!
1. Aarakocras are everywhere and no stranger to D&D
These bird-like humanoids are famous in D&D for their looks and good alignments. These avian humanoids originate from the Elemental Plane of Air, which is how they adapted wings for flight purposes. They are the first monster you see in the (current) Monster Manual. They can attack with their talons and can a total of five of them can do a dance that summons an air elemental! They make very good in Dexterity, so they make good monks, rangers and rogues! Just remember not to call them “birdbrains”, that’ll probably ruffle their feathers…
2. Harengons are anything BUT the Easter Bunny
If any of you D&D veterans are looking at this cuddly humanoid and wonder “They added bunnies as playable characters in D&D? I’m completely outdated in the community!”, you’re not outdated. This race is completely new to D&D. In fact, the current edition of D&D (5e) is their debut in the community! These furry newbies are from the Feywild, and have a good amount of agility with them. The special thing about them is that they have a small but prestigious streak of luck in their blood, which came from the magic of their homeland, which is helpful for the entire party. This race is very adaptable for many jobs, soyou can make them any race you want, just like humans!
3. Kenkus are nothing to say “Nevermore” about
If there were any races to feel sorry for, one definitely has to be the kenku. A long time ago, these raven- like humanoids used to have wings. However, their master (whose identity is lost to their memory), finding out that most of them were using their abilities to beg for money, striped them from their wings and made them beg on the streets for the rest of their lives due to their greed. Even though their wings are lost, kenkus have a very iconic ability that helps them mimic sounds and phrases they hear perfectly and use them to communicate. From making the sound of coins jingling to beg for money to mimicking the roar of a lion to scare enemies away, they are very useful in traveling parties. For best experience, the best jobs for kenkus are mainly rogues and bards.
4. Kobolds are famous and iconic for their craftiness
These small, dragon related humanoids are vey iconic or their craftiness and trap setups, despite their low intelligence. Like some other monsters in the dragon category, kobolds are cheerful and mischivious creatures, making schemes like staking themselves up and dressing in a trench coat in a hilarious attempt to pose as a dragonborn or half-dragon. Despite their weaknesses, they are extremely powerful in large numbers, like goblins and bullywugs. They also have a Draconic Roar that gives an advantage to attack rolls against the enemies that hear the roar, which dragonborns don’t have! They make good rogues, bards and rangers.
5. Lizardfolk are kobolds with the ability to adapt in water
If you think that playable reptilian monsters stopped at kobolds, you are wrong. Lizardfolk are solitary creatures that live near water. They usually hate outsiders, also usually only doing things that are needed to survive in their situations, making most of them neutral aligned. They can hold their breathe for up to 15 minutes, and are very strong in nature. However, they aren’t very bright or charismatic, even though they DO have some wisdom. Because of their strong stature, they make good barbarians, fighters and even paladins sometimes!
Part 2 is coming next week with a lot of more animal races!
– Nova S