I have a few small issues with playing some of the races. It doesn't stop me from playing them, but it does sometimes give me pause.
Tieflings. --there's this dark devilish thing about them. They got their "condition" from the hells. They have horns and tails and glowing eyes. The problem I have with them is that all the refugees are tieflings. This creates two small issues for me.
1. They're all from Elturel. If I'm a tiefling, heck, part of me wants to have some connection to all these other tieflings. I feel like the odd tiefling out here.
2. And they way the tieflings are presented, as non-fighting refugees who are victims of their time... takes away from that dark devilish angle. Instead of using hellish rebuke or thaumaturgy, they're super domestic and all about cat doors and laundry. I feel like a group of tieflings like this, who had been to hell, who have been traveling and fighting to survive, would have grown more ... dangerous seeming by this point. I mean, I think they should be grimy with worn clothing. Injuries and blood soaked bandages, and angry fire burning behind both their eyes and their words.
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Dwarves, Halflings, Gnomes.
1. I'm just not a fan of the shorter races, in general. I don't mind them as companions, I suppose, but I don't generally gravitate toward them as my main character.
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Githyanki. --I love them. One of the best, by far. Except...
1. Lae'zel exists. Don't get me wrong, I love Lae'zel. She's absolutely one of my favorite characters. But she represents the githyanki so well that it makes me feel like I don't have much to add, if that makes sense.
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Half-elf. --I like them. I like the way they look. I like what they have to offer. But I do have a couple small issues.
1. I get the feeling that half-elves feel judged, like they don't belong anywhere. Not fully human, not fully elf, so there's this sort of pain associated with their existence. Which is fine, except they also got a plus two to charisma. Leaving me thinking, wouldn't they be more popular around town than less? These are enormously and naturally charismatic individuals, but they're generally sulking and feel alienated? It doesn't click for me.
2. And now that everyone has the same floating stat adjustment, they're just weaker versions of elves, right? "Yes, could I please play an elf, but um, could you drastically reduce my lifespan and take away some of the things I start with?"
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Elf. --I'm okay with them, but I do have a couple of small hangups.
1. The elves feel so cliched to me. Just in general, I mean.
2. I tend to play male characters, and while I really admire all the work Larian did to give them unique mannerisms, they end up coming across as a touch to effeminate for my taste.
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Dragonborn. --they look amazing!
1. The romance scenes feel strange to me. Kissing a dragonborn? I know people say that dragonborns nuzzle with the heads or something, but I'm guessing that's not something the game will factor in, and frankly, I'm not sure I want to go around giving a muzzle nuzzle.
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Half-orc. --I'm not really against them, but if I had to point to an issue with them, it would be...
1. They're somewhat monstrous. Sometimes I just don't want that monstrous look, you know?