I love goblins and lizardmen. Goblins because deranged little dudes running around is always a blast. Lizardmen because alligator people with melee weapons are the way I wish dinosaurs evolved instead of being birds.
K’chain Che’malle. Fricken’ dinosaurs with fricken’ sword arms.
Yes. This pleases me.
I know it makes me super basic but… dragons. I know, it’s not inspiring. But I must add a caveat. I prefer that they are intelligent, on par with or surpassing humans in intelligence and willing (if reluctantly) to interact with them. Game of Thrones dragons are cool and all but they don’t really do it for me in the same way as, say, the dragon from Dragonheart.
If a dragon is looking down on us magic less short lived specifies as trash what is the point? I want my dragons innately magical in strange ways, clever and older. I enjoy a rampaging dragon but even better if they are doing it on purpose
Basic is good. In fact I asked this question because I wanted to get a “vibe check” on what people thought was iconic.
Probably dwarves - they’re not that exotic but I really vibe with them… for something more out there I’m a big fan of Yuan-Ti, they have spectacular lore and it’s always tickled me that their most human-like form is basically considered low-born while the pure bloods are full on snakes.
Dwarves definitely take the cake for me though, big beards, stout, egalitarian, sometimes greedy - but always devout craftsfolk. As a big gender non-conforming man with a bigger beard and an intense love of my craftwork, I really vibe with them.
… I am a dwarf, and I’m digging a hole Diggy diggy hole, diggy diggy hole
I love dwarves too. If I had to pick another race it would be the Nac Mac Feegle from Discworld.
I couldn’t even understand the text I was reading at first when they talked, but once I figured out the accent I loved reading them. Plus the only thing they’re afraid of is lawyers.
I love the classic elves and dwarves as fantasy races. They don’t give a shit about our human centric concepts of gender roles. Dwarf women have large beautiful beards and elf men wear long flowy clothing with their long scented hair.
their most human-like form is basically considered low-born while the pure bloods are full on snakes
Wait, what ?
Snake people is a decent answer, but dwarves are not typically considered monstrous.
Interesting use of terms. In Discworld Dwarven society, being lowborn would be a good thing and while being high born is only one step below surface dweller. The dwarves are ruled by the Low King (or Queen). The lower you are, the deeper you are in the mine, and the more rich and important you must be.
I feel like Beholders are the product of some nightmare fueled fever dream. They fascinate me endlessly.
Fun fact, fever dreams are how beholders reproduce
Do biblically accurate angels count?
Sure.
Weeping Angels
Skaven yes yes.
The PCs. The party are the real monsters in any campaign. That old woman hoodwinked is out of 2gp. KILL HER.
“It turns out it’s man.” -Futurama
Absolutely a legitimate answer.
I’ve always loved dragons in fantasy genres, specially intelligent talking ones that are on the mcs side.
Also like slimes and love when fantasy worlds play around with different types of them
I have a tiny little idea bumping around my head for a setting where dragons are not only intelligent but are the apex species. I think it’d be cool to base them off solitary predators like bears, jaguars, etc, as it means they would hate cooperating but would grudgingly do so if necesaary.
I just have a soft spot for Warcraft-style orcs. Something about their seemingly brutish nature and deep sense of honor. I also just like their visual style, be it the race, their fashion or architecture.
First gen Pokemon? Or is that cheating?
Not really a race or a fantasy setting. Think more in lines of trope that could be applied across multiple settings (kobolds, orcs, tengu, etc).
Okay, you consider it a cheat answer, that’s fair. But, just for the record, pokemon is a fantasy series. And the pokemon are a race of monsters.
But for a more typical answer, I’d go with either dragons cause they’re usually powerful and intelligent and can fly or warcraft’s taurens cause they’re like a hippie version of a minotaur. Strong and intelligent but with an affinity for nature. A tauren druid being a very fun combo with tons of versatility.
Direwolves or similar sentient beasts that otherwise exist in our world (owls and foxes are common tropes for this too)
The idea of something that is basically what we know from our world but with increased stats and communication is really cool
Parshendi, if they can be called a monster race.
Having completely different forms they take for specialization depending on task is fascinating. And I love the way rhythm is baked into their being so innately, how every Parshendi can hear the same rhythms and attune them to express or mask emotion.
Elves. They’re basically a cross between the 1% and the most insufferable celebritity influencers imaginable. Having a murder-hobo license to burn down their superiority complex is the best solution imaginable.
I love Goblins as well so I always make mine Pathfinder inspired so they will be green with a big head who love fire and general chaos instead of orange like dnd goblins. They are always fun since they like to straddle the lines between disgusting, cute, destructive and helpless. I know my players always will befriend them so I like to put a lot of them in there.
I also like to treat them like cockroaches or fruit flies who breed very fast and can adopt to any conditions. So there will be strange variations based on where they live. Mud goblins, fire goblins, moss goblins who just have small physical adaptations to better fit their habitat.
