I tend to care a lot about language and I try to match the tone and phrasing of the official content when I make homebrew creations. I'm creating a feature that allows a character to gain advantage when persuading others. I want to limit this to creatures like humans, dwarves, elves, etc.
My question is: Has the official content settled on a phrase to encompass all humanoid creatures of non-monstrous races? It's sort of the "playable races" of the game but not entirely 1:1 with that list. I've come up with "non-monstrous humanoids" but am very open to suggestions.
Non-evil humanoids? There is no language for it. You could specify the races or the language necessary for persuading but that might not be exactly what you're looking for.
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
Likely a simpler version is to keep calling them humanoids and change the monstrous humanoids where there are many options used in other settings like calling them collectively beastmen, beastfolk, monsters and similar (you can even make your own term for them).
I have found when you mention 'humanoid' most people initially envision the player races unless they really know otherwise, and it is always great to use a term that people from within the setting would use themselves. For example in Earthdawn people refer to the typical humanoid PC races as "Name-givers" as naming things is very important in Earthdawn lore.
I seem to recall that 1e AD&D used the term "demi-human" to mean elves, dwarves, halflings, etc. I'm not sure that was linguistically sound (or even that I'm recalling accurately). The best approach may be to simply list the folks you mean. I have no objection to "non-monstrous humanoid," by which I assume you mean humanoids who are not goblinoids, orcs, etc. Your players may assume some other meaning, wherein lies the rub.
Good luck.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Recently returned to D&D after 20+ years.
Unapologetic.
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I tend to care a lot about language and I try to match the tone and phrasing of the official content when I make homebrew creations. I'm creating a feature that allows a character to gain advantage when persuading others. I want to limit this to creatures like humans, dwarves, elves, etc.
My question is: Has the official content settled on a phrase to encompass all humanoid creatures of non-monstrous races? It's sort of the "playable races" of the game but not entirely 1:1 with that list. I've come up with "non-monstrous humanoids" but am very open to suggestions.
Thanks!
Non-evil humanoids? There is no language for it. You could specify the races or the language necessary for persuading but that might not be exactly what you're looking for.
Tooltips | Snippet Code | How to Homebrew on D&D Beyond | Subclass Guide | Feature Roadmap
Astromancer's Homebrew Assembly
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
Taking from the Elder Scrolls universe, they broadly characterize the sentient humanoids as human, mer (/elf), and beastfolk.
Likely a simpler version is to keep calling them humanoids and change the monstrous humanoids where there are many options used in other settings like calling them collectively beastmen, beastfolk, monsters and similar (you can even make your own term for them).
I have found when you mention 'humanoid' most people initially envision the player races unless they really know otherwise, and it is always great to use a term that people from within the setting would use themselves. For example in Earthdawn people refer to the typical humanoid PC races as "Name-givers" as naming things is very important in Earthdawn lore.
- Loswaith
I seem to recall that 1e AD&D used the term "demi-human" to mean elves, dwarves, halflings, etc. I'm not sure that was linguistically sound (or even that I'm recalling accurately). The best approach may be to simply list the folks you mean. I have no objection to "non-monstrous humanoid," by which I assume you mean humanoids who are not goblinoids, orcs, etc. Your players may assume some other meaning, wherein lies the rub.
Good luck.
Recently returned to D&D after 20+ years.
Unapologetic.