What are your favorite races except the usual human-elf-dwarf-gnome-orc-halfling?

Also, avoiding the most usual myths (minotaurs, centaurs, etc.) if possible.

Explain a little about them if you can.

Could be from D&D, other game or even other media.

I like thri-kreen, and the green Martians that inspired them too.

I like Talislanta's "clone warriors" but I fail to remember their names.

I like the "almost lizardfolk" people from Tékumel and Dark Sun.

Ravnica's Vedalken are cool too, and for "animal" races I like Loxodons too.

(I started thinking about this when trying to replace Carcosa's races for something more interesting but not Tolkien or Greek inspired).

Human! nyah-haa-haa-haaaaa!

I played a Gnoll for 2e. Brought him out of retirement for a TSR event at GenCon.

Played a Xixchil for Spelljammer. Wanted to play a Rastipede (Spelljammer Vrusk) but the way they were written just did not jibe with me.
 
Would have been playing a Dragonborn/halfdragon for 3e eventually. But the DM burned out on DMing.
 
For 5e its been mostly back to Human with occasional forays into Kenku. Was going to try Harengon for a special campaign but the DM flaked out and never happened.

Call me boring, but I usually play Humans (shrugs.) I find my variety in their background and personality.

Beyond that, quite a few not-quite Human 'races' (IE Undead, Clones, Androids/Replicants, Human variants.)

I've played some robots.

My longest running 3.0/3.5 character was a Half-orc.

But yeah, despite enjoying aspects of lots of fictional races, and enjoying roleplaying them as NPCs, I inevitably play Humans. I am quite a Human Supremacist by real world nature, so that might be part of it. We're ffaaarrr from perfect, but I get pissed off at the constant putting down of our species by misanthropes.

For D&D, my best nonstandard was dragons.  I ran an all-dragon campaign with homebrew rules for about a year.  It was a blast.

The first character I ever played was Phoebus from Rogues Gallery so I've got a bit of a fixation on Lizardmen.

I do like the Kelibor from Star Ace: telekinetic, party animal, polar bear guys in Hawii shirts.

Greetings!

Well, some of my favourite races--beyond the usual--are probably as follows:

(1) Elephant Humanoids
In my world of Thandor, I have developed the Elephant-Humanoid race into two main branches--a primitive, tribal-based branch that live across the savannahs and forests of the southern continent of Arthanda, and a civilized branch that lives in the sub-continent of Sindhu. The Sindhu Elephant people live in highly organized tribes, though they are more urbanized and advanced than the Arthanda Elephant people. Both groups of Elephant people are renowned as warriors, but also possessing great magical abilities. The Sindhu Elephant people are skilled engineers and crafters, as well as being talented in Cleric and Wizard magic. The Arthanda Elephant people are more nature focused, and have Shamans, as well as Bards. The Arthanda Elephant culture is generally inspired by East African cultures, such as Numidia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and the Massai. The Sindhu Elephant people are inspired primarily by the Mauryian and Gupta Empires of ancient India.

(2) Wolf Humanoids
In Thandor, I have Wolf Humanoids. Again, there are two primary branches--though they are based differently than say, the Elephant people. The Wolf people have their primary culture, which is primitive and tribal, and which is focused on living throughout the northern forests and up in the snow-covered mountains. They are inspired chiefly by the Germanic, Slavic, and Norse cultures. The second branch, infamous for their dark grey or black fur, are a group of Wolf people tribes that have broken off from the main tribal culture. The second culture has willingly mixed and interbred themselves with demons, and are thoroughly devoted to darkness, and serving the Dark Gods. They live in scattered tribes across the far north, and have also mastered ship-building, sailing, and sea travel. They are feared sea-raiders and marauders. The more normal cultural group are devoted to nature deities, and are generally benevolent. The primary culture often allies with various Elf kingdoms and human tribes, though occasionally also embraces war amongst their neighbors, whether they are Elves, Humans, or whatever else. The Wolf people are proud, warlike, territorial, and possessive, so conflict can easily develop amongst their neighbors. The primary culture, however, is intensely loyal, noble, valiant, and honour-driven--so they are often sought as allies and friends by others.
 
(3) Lion Humanoids
In Thandor, the Lion people are divided into two primary cultures--an urban, civilized culture, and a primitive, tribal culture. The urban, civilized culture generally dwell amongst sophisticated, urban city-states. When such individuals are not living amongst their own city-states, they congregate in neighborhoods amongst foreign peoples and communities, such as Humans. The urban Lion people are renowned for their skills as warriors. They are also well-known for Wizards and Clerics. Urban Lion people are inspired by the cultures of Rome, Carthage, and the Arabs. Tribal Lion people live in the wilderness, the savannah, and jungles. The tribal Lion people are fierce warriors, as well as rugged Rangers. They have Bards, Shamans, and Witches. Tribal Lion people are loosely inspired by the East African Massai tribal culture, and the African tribal cultures of central and southern Africa, such as the Nigerians and the Zulu.

(5) Chaanda
In the world of Thandor, the Chaanda are a race of beautiful humanoids, roughly 6 to 7 feet in height, that are very urban, sophisticated, and advanced. The Chaanda live in large, fortified towns and cities. The Chaanda have bright, lemon-yellow coloured skin, black hair, and various colours of eyes. The Chaanda have pointed ears, long limbs, and are graceful and athletic. The Chaanda are highly skilled at virtually any profession, though they are most famous for their Wizards, Clerics, and Witches. They are highly skilled in craftsmanship, and mercantile endeavors. The Chaanda live in the deserts, mountains, and coastlands of Madera. The Chaanda culture is inspired primarily by the ancient Persian culture, as well as Pontic Greek culture, nomadic Turks, and the hybrid-culture of the Kushan Empire.

(6) Chebari
In the world of Thandor, the Chebari are a race of lavender-coloured Humanoids, generally appearing much like humans, though with a set of curving ram-horns on their heads, and goat-like eyes. The lavender-coloured Chebari are also a race of Hermaphrodites. The race, as a primary culture, is sophisticated and urban, being centered on wealthy city-states and small kingdoms. When not living independently, groups of Chebari live in Chebari neighborhoods amongst humans and other races. The Chebari are highly skilled in magic, music, and art. They have many Clerics, Wizards, Bards, and Witches. The race is infamous for embracing a culture that is depraved and decadent. The Chebari have very high fertility rates, and eagerly supplement this natural attribute with drugs, herbs, magic, as well as eagerly embracing the institution of slavery. The Chebari maintain enormous populations of slaves, often raised from birth in multi-generations of servitude. The Chebari culture is inspired by a hybrid-culture of Sumerian and Babylonian cultures, as well as some ancient Egyptian and ancient Pheonician influences.

So, there we go! Some of my favourite races that are more or less beyond the norm. I have designed them each to have a more or less "stereotypical" culture that can be referenced, though also some dramatic, as well as subtle differences amongst the sub-cultures. Such dynamics are informed by economics, geography, technology, as well as climate, environment, politics, religion and spirituality.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

I like humans, they're so cool i wish they were real.

More seriously, im a big fan of the Lizardmen from Warhammer Fantasy they just scratch an itch for me.

Unfortunately my usual favorites are the humans, elves, and rarely dwarves in most game. I did once pay a game using that ACKS Players Companion book to make some custom races and based it around Darkstalkers (in the background theres suppsoed to be a bunch of power players vieing for control of the Demon Realm but since its a fighting game it never comes up) and we had a party of a succubus, a vampire, a yeti, some kind of manta ray fishman and a gargoyle. Unfortunately we only played for a bit but that was really fun.

I like turtle people.  I've been influenced by TMNT.

Quote from: BadApple on January 14, 2024, 04:08:14 AM
I like turtle people.  I've been influenced by TMNT.

Humans are the best!

Quote from: Grognard GM on January 14, 2024, 04:18:42 AM

Quote from: BadApple on January 14, 2024, 04:08:14 AM
I like turtle people.  I've been influenced by TMNT.

Fuck 

Ok, you got me

Thanks for all the ideas!

Nothing against humans, BTW. If I'd keep ANY usual races, it would certainly be humans... dwarves and Halflings SCREAM Tolkien to me, but elves are so varied that they could work...

SHARK, I like the Chaanda and Chebari, its the type of stuff I'm looking for.

I like elephant people and turtle people too.

Lizardfolk are great too. In one of my settings I called them squamati.

Kenku are nice too, they aren't exactly bird-people since they can't fly. They have lots of cool unique traits.

Oh, I have one bird people to add! The cupendiepe! They are humans with bat-wings and use axes. Some eat corn, others prefer blood, but they aren't necessarily evil.

Githzerai could work too. And goliaths/half giants are great.

I love Darkstalkers!

Maybe playing the characters as races could work if you make them less iconic... Vampires, witches, medusas... could work.

Goro from Mortal Kombat and the Zabrak and Twilek from Star Wars could work for me too.

Talislanta has LOTS of interesting races too.

A Triton, might be fun to roleplay?  A land based campaign, with water somewhere around.  Not just underwater, the whole time.

Tritons have a lot of versatility in D&D 5E, to offer to an adventuring party.  Can breathe air or water.  Resistance to cold.  Darkvision.

Quote from: BadApple on January 14, 2024, 04:08:14 AM
I like turtle people.  I've been influenced by TMNT.

Good natural armor, but turtle is not for me.