[any D&D] Race to terrain connections: how would you complete this list?

Shipyard Locked · September 25, 2014, 08:17:57 AM

Drawing from D&D's history, if you had to choose one emblematic race to represent each terrain type, what would you pick and why?

Dwarf --> Mountains
Elf --> Forests
Halfling --> ?
Human --> any and all? Plains?
? --> Desert
? --> Underdark
? --> Frozen lands
? --> Seas and rivers
? --> Swamps

jibbajibba · September 25, 2014, 11:01:27 AM

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;788501Drawing from D&D's history, if you had to choose one emblematic race to represent each terrain type, what would you pick and why?

Dwarf --> Mountains
Elf --> Forests
Halfling --> ?
Human --> any and all? Plains?
? --> Desert
? --> Underdark
? --> Frozen lands
? --> Seas and rivers
? --> Swamps

You would want different races for this to work.
Cat people for the plains
Lizardmen for swamps
Merfolk for seas and rivers
Yeti for frozen lands
Aren't dwarves underdark maybe an orc

LibraryLass · September 25, 2014, 11:07:47 AM

Dwarf --> Mountains
Elf --> Forests
Halfling --> Plains
Gnomes --> Foothills
Dragonborn --> Desert (on the basis that their 4e culture came off as sort of pseudo-Persian, and I think a fanmade version I once saw for C&C was also desert-based. My other choice would be goblins, not sure why but it feels right.)
Drow or Mind Flayers --> Underdark
Orcs --> Frozen lands
Humans --> Seas and rivers (well, the surface/shore at least)
Lizardfolk --> Swamps

languagegeek · September 25, 2014, 12:34:32 PM

I always think of Orcs as desert people. Don't know where I got that from.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;788501Drawing from D&D's history, if you had to choose one emblematic race to represent each terrain type, what would you pick and why?

Dwarf --> Mountains
Elf --> Forests
Halfling --> rolling grassy hills
Gnomes --> forested hills
Settled Human --> the boundary lands between the terrain types
Steppe Nomad Human --> Plains
Orcs --> Desert
Goblins and their ilk --> Underdark
Dunno, I'd have to make up something. --> Frozen lands
kuo-toa, sahuagin --> Seas and rivers
Lizard men --> Swamps

Rincewind1 · September 25, 2014, 12:40:50 PM

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;788501Drawing from D&D's history, if you had to choose one emblematic race to represent each terrain type, what would you pick and why?

Dwarf --> Mountains
Elf --> Forests
Halfling --> ?
Human --> any and all? Plains?
? --> Desert
? --> Underdark
? --> Frozen lands
? --> Seas and rivers
? --> Swamps

Halfigs -> Hills
Lizardmen - Desert
Drow - Underdark
Gnolls - Frozen Lands
Gnomes - Seas and Rivers
Fimirs - Swamps

The Butcher · September 25, 2014, 12:58:13 PM

Quote from: languagegeek;788541I always think of Orcs as desert people. Don't know where I got that from.

Fox News?

*ducks*

Opaopajr · September 25, 2014, 05:13:51 PM

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;788501Drawing from D&D's history, if you had to choose one emblematic race to represent each terrain type, what would you pick and why?

Aarakokra --> atop Mountains
Dwarves --> within Mountains
Elves --> atop Forests
Goblins/Kobolds --> under Forests
Halfling --> any civilized
Human --> All
Thri-Kreen --> Desert
Myconid --> Underdark
Giants --> Frozen lands
Sahuagin --> Ocean & Seas
Yuan-Ti --> Rivers & Lakes
Bullywug --> Swamps

JeremyR · September 26, 2014, 08:36:26 AM

Halflings would likely live in slightly hilled areas, like the Ozarks.

Gnomes would be in the smaller mountains, like say the Appalachians.

apparition13 · September 26, 2014, 09:47:09 AM

Dwarf --> Mineral rich regions suitable for mining, (so mines:)).
Elf --> Elven woods; natural looking but environmentally engineered forest.
Hobbits --> Bucolic hills
Halflings --> Cities (they remind me of Borribles).
Human --> River valleys and coasts (boats and ships are their special thing).
Thri-kreen --> Desert
Gnomes and Drow --> Underdark
nothing specific --> Frozen lands
Lizardmen --> Swamps
Centaurs --> plains/steppes/savannas

RPGPundit · October 01, 2014, 12:35:43 AM

Orcs are Badlands, more than just 'desert'.

And for humans it should be CITIES. And "settled places". Our defining characteristic is that we take control of our environment and radically reshape it to fit our interests and priorities. We don't do "nature".