The movie Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has been an exciting development for fans of the tabletop game, who are now anxious to see the Forgotten Realms translated to the screen. While the film features various D&D classes, however, it seems to be lacking in race variety, as its main party includes only humans and one telling.
Humans, along with halflings, gnomes, and elves, are common choices for D&D characters not only because they are featured in lots of fantasy media, but because they are in the 5th Edition Player's Handbook. For players seeking out some of the game's more unusual races, these are some options outside of the PH that offer unique abilities and make for interesting characters.
Aasimar
Volo's Guide To Monsters
Created as a counter to tieflings, aasimar are a human-based race that have the blood of celestials. They are a great race to play because they offer various interesting subraces, which can lead to lots of creative character backgrounds.
For a classically good-aligned angelic being, players can choose the protector aasimar, which includes the trait Radiant Soul that allows the character two angelic, functioning wings. However, players leaning outside the norm can choose the scourge or fallen aasimar, for a character that is morally grey or even evil. Each aasimar subrace also gives a different ability score increase, and receives their powers from different sources.
Genasi
Elemental Evil Player's Companion
For players looking for a character that is visually cool and unique, genasi are a popular choice for a D&D race. These elemental humanoids can be one of four varieties: air, fire, earth, and water, and have physical characteristics correlating to their element.
Gensai are also highly customizable. Each subclass, or element, has different ability score increases and traits, so the player can choose from a variety of elements depending on what stats and features they would prefer, along with what they want for their character visually.
Loxodon
Guildmaster's Guide To Ravnica
Dungeons and Dragons offers a variety of races based on real-life animals, and one of the most notable of these are loxodons, which are a humanoid elephant race that shares the wisdom and solidity of their real-life counterparts.
One of the benefits of playing a Loxodon is their trunks, which no other D&D race possesses. In-game, a Loxodon can use their trunk for many things such as grasping, lifting, and even snorkeling. Unsurprisingly, it allows them the advantage on any ability check involving smell.
Kenku
Volo's Guide To Monsters
Another of the great animal races are the kenku, which are small, flightless, humanoid birds, often resembling crows. Critical Role fans might recognize this race because of Kiri, a young kenku girl who is voiced by Matthew Mercer.
Because of traits such as Expert Forgery and Kenku Training, kenku are popular for players who wish to build sneaky, thief characters, particularly within the rogue class. Players are also drawn to this race because of their unique challenge in role-playing. Kenku can only speak in the range of words or sounds they have heard before, due to their Mimicry trait. While it's a great race, many DMs would caution a very new player to try a different one to get their sea-legs so to speak.
Eladrin
Mordenkainen's Tome Of Foes
Eladrin are a specific type of fey elf that can take on characteristics of the four seasons (summer, autumn, spring, and winter) in coloring and mood. A single eladrin is not limited to one look, however. A player can change their eladrin's season as frequently as once per long rest.
Eladrins can shift for various reasons, like a change in mood or match their surroundings. This creates a fun and unique game function that leaves room for player creativity, as well as the option to test different traits. Each season provides different benefits, whether involving the Fey Step ability or personality traits, leaving the player of an eladrin never bored.
Changeling
Eberron: Rising From The Last War
Changelings are one of the best playable races because of one remarkable trait: the ability to shapeshift. Though their base form is white-skinned and muted, they can change into any being they've ever met as long as they share the same humanoid features.
Changelings offer endless possibilities for gameplay and work for any alignment. Whether protecting their true identity to keep themselves from being harmed, or using deception to steal or sneak into prohibited places, players can use the changeling's Shapechanger trait to not only explore their own character's depth but others'.
Goliath
Volo's Guide To Monsters
The goliath race is a good fit for players seeking a character that is indomitable. Goliaths look similar to humans but stand at a shocking seven to eight feet. They get advantages in both constitution and strength ability scores.
While goliaths don't have much visual distinction outside of their size, they offer many statistical bonuses in fortitude. These include the trait Stone's Endurance, which includes the ability to shrug off an injury, or Powerful Build, which provides aid in lifting and carrying capacity.
Tabaxi
Volo's Guide To Monsters
The tabaxi are another popular animal race, this time taking the form of humanoid felines. They are a good race to choose for any lovers of cats, as they have fun feline traits such as an endless curiosity and are known for fleeting obsessions. They are also a good choice for those building a character rooted in strong dexterity.
Tabaxi make great agile characters because of their Feline Agility trait, which allows for doubled speed, along with claws that allow them to climb. Lovers of the tabaxi will be happy to know they are set to make Honor Among Thieves.
Warforged
Eberron: Rising From The Last War
There is not a D&D race quite like the warforged. This is a race popular with players wishing to stray from classic fantasy into steampunk, as warforged are robot-like automatons. First introduced into canon as mindless soldiers, these beings have developed sentience and feelings.
Because of their heavy lore in the D&D universe, the warforged backstory offers a lot of good starting points for character creation, such as why a particular character became an individual. On top of that, warforged have many in-game bonuses, like natural armor, a resistance to poison, and they do not have to eat, sleep, or drink.
Kalashtar
Eberron: Rising From The Last War
Kalashtar are a fascinating race because in of physical traits, they hardly differ from a human. Their specialty, however, comes from their connection to the dream realm and its spirits that guide them.
While visually not unique, kalashtar are distinctive because they have the ability to speak telepathically, which is a significant in-game trait. Their broad connection to the dream world is also a benefit, as it leaves a lot of room for a player to develop an interesting backstory.
