[Vaevictis Asmadi]

Myths are full of potential fantasy races that aren't often used: Urmahlullu (lion-centaurs), Girtablullu (scorpion-bird-human hybrids), Kinnari (similar to Greek sirens), Suparna (similar to the god Garuda), snake-shaped spirits of the dead, bizarre Egyptian dragons, Lamassu/Shedu, anthropomorphic griffins, Adaro (horned merfolk that fly in the sky), the flying Orang Bati of the Moluccas and Alan of the Philippines, unconventional therianthropes (weresharks, tanuki, were-hyenas, semi-undead land otter people, encantados/weredolphins, skatini/were-owls, etc.) . . . D&D does have write-ups for some of these, like lion-centaurs, lamassu, and some unusual therianthropes.



I started to develop a fantasy setting that I thought was fairly original, but compared to some of the stuff you guys have written (such as Celestial Ocean) the races are unfortunately rather unoriginal... the four main races are minotaurs, catfolk, underwater humanoids, and a dwarf-like race based on Philippine mythology. There are also minor races such as centaurs, talking dolphins, and dragons, plus various invading aliens, and the setting has no humans. I'm trying to develop some more unique races though, starting with Tikbalangs, which are hideously mutated minotaurs in my setting, and forest nymphs based off some half-deer and half-lion creatures in southeast Asian myth. My eventual goal is to increasingly draw elements from Indian, Southeast-Asian, Indonesian, and Philippine myth into it to get away from the overdone pseudo-European fantasy cliches that I started with.


Hmm, maybe I could replace the Centaurs with Urmahlullu or something.