Settings without humans [Archive] - Wizards Community

Settings without humans [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
unrepentantweed
11-22-07, 09:14 AM I've never run a setting where there were humans simply didn't exist. I know that mechanically it shouldn't be a problem, but...
Thoughts, stories on such experiments.
Xiuhcoatl
11-22-07, 11:35 AM Well, in a true form, you'd need some other race be the baseline, then. Humans are great for settings because they are average in everything.
CryoSilver
11-22-07, 11:40 AM Humans are my favorite race to play as; I just can't say no to that bonus feat.

But if they don't exist, you'll need a new "dominant race." I'd say resist the urge to have an "elf nation, dwarf nation, etc" setup, too, because that's hard to believe.
Illithid00
11-22-07, 02:21 PM Well, to start, you'd have to get rid of half-orcs and half-elves. You'd need to make a new dominant race (kobolds anyone?), but other than that, I don't see a real problem with it.
The Ubbergeek
11-22-07, 02:58 PM The top powers would be like, Elves, Dwarves and an humanoid nation (or two), using default races. That's one sure thing.
Salla
11-22-07, 06:09 PM You wouldn't necessarily need a 'dominant' race. It's entirely possible that the civilized races mingle equally in a more cosmopolitan setting.
Finfreeze
11-22-07, 07:03 PM I never really saw the need for humans in fantasy or sci-fi worlds. I also don't think you need a clear "dominant race" at all. Just take some creatures, shake them up, and go for more organic distributions.

I've always liked the simple "hay suddenly we're all different creatures now" approach. Pass it off as the effects of magic and have everybody be some freaky being. Kinda like Disgaea 2, where humans became a wide variety of demons, ranging from giant moths to catgirls to plant people to people with third eyes and horns to zombies and ghosts (despite retaining intelligence and free will and never dying). Certainly different from the typical "elf nation, dwarf nation, orc nation, hobgoblin nation" stuff.

Making it so that you have no real "norm" race would certainly change things up, and not necessarily in obvious ways.
BananaB
11-22-07, 10:18 PM I'm currently playing a campagn where there are no humans in existance. There is nothing different than any other campagn. We did have to change the half-orc and half-elf. I am a half-orc half-dwarf (me own version of this combo) and i' loving it. I don't even notice that anything is different at all. No "dominent" race is needed, we have certain areas occupied by mostly certain races, like in any other campaign, just none of these areas are occupied by humans. My DM has also invented some races of her own to help fill out the worl a little, not that its needed, but its still cool. I personally don't like campagns where all you ever see is humans, this is a nice break from that and is definately fun to play.
solandras
11-22-07, 10:40 PM I once played in a setting without humans. Basically it had all creatures going around and (mostly) seeing themselves as equals. So in an average city you'd see halflings, dwarves, orcs, elves, goblins, trolls, thri-kreen, etc. It was pretty cool. They mostly banded together because the threats of dragons were too high and so they stood a chance as a unified front.

In my own campaign though I have humans but also a huge goblinoid population. The goblinoid population is the majority with humans coming second. Seeing as the the goblins, bugbears, and hobgoblins breed to quickly (and have a low life-expectancy) they ended up taking over huge amounts of land and their empire is the biggest and stongest in the world.
1 ton ghost
11-23-07, 12:35 PM well alright then.
nothing wrong w/ that as you're not the first to attempt it.
Hell, even in traditional campaigns, it's not like it's not been done. pretty much any Underdark campaign, you're not going to find many, or even any humans (apart from inconsequential slaves) in alot of enviorns which is pretty much your "entire world" if your drow, duergar, etc.
aquatic ones...humans have this nasty tendency of drowning. same thing as above.
but, of course in both these examples, just the cognizance of humans existing to the referenced races/examples might be enough to screw things up.
you could try a Shangri-La/Brigadoon scenario. they might just be ignorant of the outside world where humans exist. of course, this doesn't last for long usually in tragic fashion...

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
unrepentantweed 11-22-07, 09:14 AM	I've never run a setting where there were humans simply didn't exist. I know that mechanically it shouldn't be a problem, but... Thoughts, stories on such experiments.
Xiuhcoatl 11-22-07, 11:35 AM	Well, in a true form, you'd need some other race be the baseline, then. Humans are great for settings because they are average in everything.
CryoSilver 11-22-07, 11:40 AM	Humans are my favorite race to play as; I just can't say no to that bonus feat. But if they don't exist, you'll need a new "dominant race." I'd say resist the urge to have an "elf nation, dwarf nation, etc" setup, too, because that's hard to believe.
Illithid00 11-22-07, 02:21 PM	Well, to start, you'd have to get rid of half-orcs and half-elves. You'd need to make a new dominant race (kobolds anyone?), but other than that, I don't see a real problem with it.
The Ubbergeek 11-22-07, 02:58 PM	The top powers would be like, Elves, Dwarves and an humanoid nation (or two), using default races. That's one sure thing.
Salla 11-22-07, 06:09 PM	You wouldn't necessarily need a 'dominant' race. It's entirely possible that the civilized races mingle equally in a more cosmopolitan setting.
Finfreeze 11-22-07, 07:03 PM	I never really saw the need for humans in fantasy or sci-fi worlds. I also don't think you need a clear "dominant race" at all. Just take some creatures, shake them up, and go for more organic distributions. I've always liked the simple "hay suddenly we're all different creatures now" approach. Pass it off as the effects of magic and have everybody be some freaky being. Kinda like Disgaea 2, where humans became a wide variety of demons, ranging from giant moths to catgirls to plant people to people with third eyes and horns to zombies and ghosts (despite retaining intelligence and free will and never dying). Certainly different from the typical "elf nation, dwarf nation, orc nation, hobgoblin nation" stuff. Making it so that you have no real "norm" race would certainly change things up, and not necessarily in obvious ways.
BananaB 11-22-07, 10:18 PM	I'm currently playing a campagn where there are no humans in existance. There is nothing different than any other campagn. We did have to change the half-orc and half-elf. I am a half-orc half-dwarf (me own version of this combo) and i' loving it. I don't even notice that anything is different at all. No "dominent" race is needed, we have certain areas occupied by mostly certain races, like in any other campaign, just none of these areas are occupied by humans. My DM has also invented some races of her own to help fill out the worl a little, not that its needed, but its still cool. I personally don't like campagns where all you ever see is humans, this is a nice break from that and is definately fun to play.
solandras 11-22-07, 10:40 PM	I once played in a setting without humans. Basically it had all creatures going around and (mostly) seeing themselves as equals. So in an average city you'd see halflings, dwarves, orcs, elves, goblins, trolls, thri-kreen, etc. It was pretty cool. They mostly banded together because the threats of dragons were too high and so they stood a chance as a unified front. In my own campaign though I have humans but also a huge goblinoid population. The goblinoid population is the majority with humans coming second. Seeing as the the goblins, bugbears, and hobgoblins breed to quickly (and have a low life-expectancy) they ended up taking over huge amounts of land and their empire is the biggest and stongest in the world.
1 ton ghost 11-23-07, 12:35 PM	well alright then. nothing wrong w/ that as you're not the first to attempt it. Hell, even in traditional campaigns, it's not like it's not been done. pretty much any Underdark campaign, you're not going to find many, or even any humans (apart from inconsequential slaves) in alot of enviorns which is pretty much your "entire world" if your drow, duergar, etc. aquatic ones...humans have this nasty tendency of drowning. same thing as above. but, of course in both these examples, just the cognizance of humans existing to the referenced races/examples might be enough to screw things up. you could try a Shangri-La/Brigadoon scenario. they might just be ignorant of the outside world where humans exist. of course, this doesn't last for long usually in tragic fashion...