In The question of Race, or nature versus nurture I looked at races in Dungeons and Dragons, starting with BECMI and AD&D, and then moving onto 5e. With the sensibility around racial predeterminism, Wizards brought out Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything and included a section on varying the underlying cultural racial attributes of a character.
In The Question of Race part 2 – comparisons I looked at the standard races from the Players Handbook to try to compare them. The question of race part 3 – Volo’s Guide to Monsters, as the title suggests, compares the playable races from Volo’s Guide to Monsters.
This post looks at the playable races from Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica and Mythic Odysseys of Theros (which have quite a bit of overlap), and because Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft only has three playable races, it throws them into the mix too.
As a reminder, my ratings split racial attributes between genetic and cultural depending on whether Tasha’s Guide allows them to be swapped about, and scores the different attributes as follows:
- Ability score increase: +1 point per increase
- Proficiency: +2 points for skill, +1 points for double proficiency specific cases, +1 if light weapon, light armour or tool, +2 if martial weapons, medium or heavy armour
- Language: +2 points per language
- Speed: +1 per 5′ over 30’/-1 per 5′ under 30′
- Spellcasting: +1 for cantrip only, +2 if additional at #3 & #5
- Darkvision: +2 for 60′, +4 for 120′
- Resistance: +2 per attribute
- Disadvantage: -2
- Other special attributes to be scored similarly
Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica
Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica adds the Centaur, Goblin, Loxodon, Minotaur, Simic Hybrid and Vedalken.
Centaur
Centaurs are the quintessential merging of human and horse.
- Genetic: fey, medium size, age teens-100, speed 40′ (+2), charge (+2), hooves (+1), powerful carrying (+1), difficult climbing (-1) – total +6-1
- Cultural: Strength +2 (+2), Wisdom +1 (+1), proficiency in one of Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature or Survival (+2), additional language Sylvan (+1) – total +6
Potential: genetic +6-1, cultural +6 = total +11
Goblin (Ravnica style)
This is identical to the goblin from Volo with a bit more colour.
- Genetic: small size, age 8-60, speed 30′, darkvision (+2) – total +2
- Cultural: Dexterity +2 (+2), Constitution +1 (+1), extra damage to larger (+1), Disengage or Hide as bonus action (+2), additional language Goblin (+1) – total +7
Potential: genetic +2, cultural +7 = total +9
Loxodon
Loxodons resemble humanoid elephants.
- Genetic: medium size, age 60-450, speed 30′, powerful carrying (+1), natural armour (+1), trunk (+1), advantage on checks involving smell (+2) – total +5
- Cultural: Constitution +2 (+2), Wisdom +1 (+1), advantage on saving throws vs being charmed or frightened (+2), additional language Loxodon (+1) – total +6
Potential: genetic +5, cultural +6 = total +11
Minotaur
- Genetic: medium size, age not specified, speed 30′, horns (+1), goring rush (+2), bonus shove (+1) – total +4
- Cultural: Strength +2 (+2), Constitution +1 (+1), proficiency in Intimidation or Persuasion (+2), additional language Minotaur (1) – total +6
Potential: genetic +4, cultural +6 = total +10
Simic Hybrid
Simic hybrids merge the qualities of certain animal species with human, elf or vedalken.
- Genetic: medium size, age teens-80, speed 30′, darkvision (+2), animal enhancement (+4) – total +6
- Cultural: Constitution +2 (+2), one other ability +1 (+1), additional language Elvish or Vedalken (+1) – total +4
Potential: genetic +6, cultural +4 = total +10
Vedalken
Vedalken are tall, blue-skinned and ingenious.
- Genetic: medium size, age 40-350/500, speed 30′, partially amphibious (+2) – total +2
- Cultural: Intelligence +2 (+2), Wisdom +1 (+1), advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma saving throws (+2), enhanced proficiency in a skill and with a tool (+5), additional languages Vedalken plus one other (+2) – total +12
Potential: genetic +2, cultural +12 = total +14
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
Mythic Odysseys of Theros lists playable races Human, Centaur, Leonin, Minotaur, Satyr and Triton.
Human
Humans in Theros are the same as humans everywhere.
- Genetic: medium size, age teens-100, speed 30′ – total +0
- Cultural: +1 to all ability scores (+6) or +1 to two ability scores (+2) plus a feat (+2) and proficiency in one skill (+2), one additional language of choice (+1) – total +7
Potential: +0 genetic, +7 cultural = +7 total
Centaur
Centaurs are the quintessential merging of human and horse, and are the same as in Ravnica above.
Leonin
Leonin are proud lion-like hunters.
- Genetic: medium size, age teens to 100,, speed 35′ (+1), darkvision (+2), Claws (+1), Daunting Roar (+2) – total +6
- Cultural: Constitution +2 (+2), Strength +1 (+1), proficiency in Athletics, Intimidation, Perception or Survival (+2), additional language Leonin (+1) – total +6
Potential: genetic +6, cultural +6 = total +12
Minotaur
Minotaurs are the classic (literally) bull/human hybrid, also reappearing from Ravnica – see above.
Satyr
Similar to humans with goatlike horns, pointed ear and furred lower bodies.
- Genetic: Fey medium size, age teens-100, speed 35′ (+1), darkvision (+2), Ram (+1), magic resistance (+2), extended leap (+1) – total +7
- Cultural: Charisma +2 (+2), Dexterity +1 (+1), proficiency in Performance, Persuasion and one musical instrument (+5), additional language Sylvan (+1) – total +9
Potential: genetic +7, cultural +9 = total +16
Triton
Tritons are sea-dwelling people, reappearing from Volo’s Guide to Monsters.
- Genetic: medium size, age 15-200, speed 30′, swimming speed 30′ (+2), amphibious (+2), resistant to cold and deep water (+2) – total +6
- Cultural: Strength +1 (+1), Constitution +1 (+1), Charisma +1 (+1), fog cloud/gust of wind/wall of water (+2), communicate with aquatic beasts (+1), additional language Primordial (+1) – total +7
Potential: genetic +6, cultural +7 = total +13
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Dhampir
- Genetic: small or medium size, speed 35′ (+1), darkvision (+2), don’t need to breathe (+2), spider climb (+2), vampiric bite (+3), dhampir hunger (-2) – total +8
- Cultural: ancestral legacy or proficiency in two skills (+4) – total +4
Potential: genetic +10-2, cultural +4 = total +12
Hexblood
- Genetic: Fey, small or medium size, speed 30′, darkvision (+2), eerie token (+2) – total +4
- Cultural: ancestral legacy or proficiency in two skills (+4), hex magic (+2) – total +6
Potential: genetic +4, cultural +6 = total +10
Reborn
- Genetic: small or medium size, speed 30′, resistance to poison and disease (+2), advantage on death saving throws (+2), don’t need to eat, drink or breathe (+2), don’t need to sleep and magic can’t put you to sleep (+2), long rest 4 hours (+1), past life knowledge (+2) – total +10
- Cultural: ancestral legacy or proficiency in two skills (+4) – total +4
Potential: genetic +10, cultural +4 = total +14
In review
So, adding all these new races in, how do all the different races fare?
| Race | Genetic | Cultural | Subrace | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dhampir | +10-2 | +4 | +14-2 | |
| Centaur | +6-1 | +6 | +12-1 = +11 | |
| Goblin | +2 | +7 | +9 | |
| Loxodon | +5 | +6 | +11 | |
| Minotaur | +4 | +6 | +10 | |
| Simic Hybrid | +6 | +4 | +10 | |
| Human | +0 | +7 | +7 | |
| Leonin | +6 | +6 | +12 | |
| Satyr | +7 | +9 | +16 | |
| Triton | +6 | +7 | +13 | |
| Vedalken | +6 | +4 | +10 | |
| Hexblood | +4 | +6 | +10 | |
| Reborn | +10 | +4 | +14 |
Again they fall into a similar range, although with exception of the Satyr these seem to be a bit less extreme with a range of +9 to +14 (compared to +7 for Humans to +16 for Elves and Dwarves), and again there’s significant variation between how the attributes split between genetic and cultural. I think it’s a bit cheeky how most of the races from Mythic Odysseys of Theros repeat races from other sources – the Leonin and Satyr being the only new races – but I suppose it gives people another way to get the Centaur, Minotaur and Triton.
