D&D (2024) The 10 Species in "Your Ideal 2024 PHB"

[Aldarc]

What are the ten "species" that you woul put in your ideal 2024 player's handbook?

Basic Ground Rules

• Number: There must be ten. No more. No less. So no "just the four Tolkien races" answers or cheats around that.
• Half-Species: If you feel that some half-species are distinct enough, then each one you list counts towards one of your ten. If you are fine with guidelines for mixing or creating your own half-species from available options, then that doesn't count towards the ten. It's like the unofficial 10.5th species.
• Lineages: Lineages (e.g., wood elf, high elf, drow elf, etc.) don't count towards the total ten, but if you feel so inclined to list them, try to keep them at a reasonable number.

It will be clear to everyone if you didn't read the rules.

 

[WanderingMystic]

Human
Elf
Dwarf
Halfling
Gnome
Dragonborn
Plane Touched (Asamar, Tiefling, Genasi)
Orc
Goblin
Goliath

 

[Gorck]

Human
Dwarf
Elf
Halfling
Gnome
Aasimar
Genasi
Tiefling
Orc
Tabaxi*

*I had a hard time deciding between Goliath and Tabaxi, but I can live without Dragonborn.

 

[el-remmen]

Human
Dwarf
Elf
Gnome
Halfling
Tiefling
Lizardfolk
Orc (or variant)
Fey-Touched (like a half-satyr or descended from a dryad, etc)
Hobgoblin

 

[WanderingMystic]

If they would have just done a plane Touched race with options for shadow, fey, elements super and lower I think that it would have been fine. While I like the alternate Tiefling options to me a plane Touched would have been a better use of space.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Human
Elf
Dwarf
Gnome
Sylph
Undine
Salamander
Aasimar
Tiefling
Sapient Animal

 

[Pedantic]

Human
Elf
Dwarf
Halfling
Goblin
Orc
Some variant of lizardperson
Warforged/construct
Centaur
Monstrous- some kind of non-thumb having, quadrupedal creature template.

I'd go the Fantasy Craft route, and make these kind of "base" types, with the option to spend your first feat for a specific, powered up variant, and I'd compress similar species into those paths. Gnomish is a halflng feat, "Draconic Heritage" is a feat anyone could take, you get dragonborn by putting it on a lizard person, etc.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Human
Hamadryad
Gnome
Sylph
Salamander
Undine
Hexblood (fiend/fae)
Ashura (Deva/Rakshasa)
Centaur
Minotaur

 

[KYRON45]

Smurfs
Gummi bears
Autobots
Monchichi
Mogwai
Whatever Goofy is
The alien from Enemy Mine
The Littles
Brown Jenkins
Invid

Honorable Mention: Smoofs

 

[Distracted DM]

Human
Elf
Dwarf
Halfling
Orc
Changeling
Warforged
Planetouched
Half-elf
Dragonborn

Planetouched covers aasimar and tieflings, plus others (thanks A5E).

Half-elves in my setting aren't genetically half- they're the human children that elves steal and leave changelings in their place. They and elves would be distinct enough to warrant their own entries.