What info you NEED to know about races.

[Raelifin]

I'm getting ready to start writing the races chapter of the Phaedoras Campaign Setting and I just thought I'd collect some ideas on what sort of things you need to know about races/cultures.

I've thought up:

Alignment

Physical Desc

Organizations and Settlements

Fashion

Stats (Duh)

Power Groups

Spirituality


Events & Rituals

Language

Then I usually just add random tidbits that I think are important but don't fit in any of the categories.

Added:

Relations

[Kalos Mer]

I generally include diet, but I operate on the assumption that the variations are significant.  (IE, Elves feast on things which are different from humans in more than just the seasoning.)

I also try to include how they are perceived by outsiders.  (IE, everyone in my campaign world thinks of Gnomes as great inventors even though they aren't particularly.)

I don't suppose that either of these are strictly what you "NEED", however.

[CYMRO]

When it comes to alignment, if it is a player race, then I default the alignment to TN.  

[Raelifin]

Kalos: Diet is good, but it will most likely be included in a more in-dept desc of the race.

Relations are important. I'll add that.

Cymro: If you alow player to play orcs, would you change their society? If you played elves in middle-earth would you then make them flawed? The standard alignment of a race/culture does not dictate what a player must choose, but instead is a basic representation of the average citizen.

[CYMRO]

Cymro: If you alow player to play orcs, would you change their society? If you played elves in middle-earth would you then make them flawed? The standard alignment of a race/culture does not dictate what a player must choose, but instead is a basic representation of the average citizen.

Yes.  Since orcs are a standard player race in Altvogge, their society there fits my concept of orc, not the Tolgax stereotype.
The "average" citizen, in a society is not represented by thoughts of alignment philosophy, but by just trying to make it day by day.  Hence societies default to TN, in my opinion.    

[Kalos Mer]

You don't think it's possible for societies to have evil tendencies?  Or Lawful, Chaotic, whatever?

[Numinous]

indeed, in a society with a strct government, the entire race may have a predisposition towards lawful...  Or, with a nomadic race, such as stereotypical halflings, a chaotic nature is possible...

[CYMRO]

You don't think it's possible for societies to have evil tendencies?  Or Lawful, Chaotic, whatever?

I think societies are not bounded by the personal alignment system.  Do not all societies view themselves as moral and lawful and good?
Societies rarely do things.  Individuals and governments do things.

indeed, in a society with a strct government, the entire race may have a predisposition towards lawful... Or, with a nomadic race, such as stereotypical halflings, a chaotic nature is possible...

I Strict government does not make for lawful behavior in the D&D sense.
And nomadic societies tend toward the D&D definition of lawful, i.e. traditional.

[Numinous]

Ok Cym, that's the last time I try to debate alignment...  Rule #1, never debate smething you don't know about, as it only makes you annoying...  I am now officially bowing out of this thread until further notice, whn i might be of use...  

[Raelifin]

I am creating another thread on the meta board for the topic of morality. Let's keep this thread about races.  :D

[CYMRO]

I am creating another thread on the meta board for the topic of morality. Let's keep this thread about races.  :D

Well, one big question that answers many of the others is how mixed is your CS?
Do the races live in isolated enclaves, or is the setting "cosmopolitan"?

In my own CS, almost no race lives in a vacuum, so many of those initial questions you ask are more nationalistic or even continental considerations, rather than being strictly racial questions.

[Raelifin]

Yeah, that's why I also keep using the word "culture" when on this topic. However, I often see the "races" chapter discuss these things, so I followed the precident.

[Raelifin]

Gender Roles?

[Túrin]

Only if they are different from the (human) norm in your setting.

[Raelifin]

Yeah, I think I'll keep Gender Roles in the non-essential section.