Quote:
Originally Posted by Mysterious Dark Lord v3.2
In many DnD-esque worlds, there are "races" like Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, etc. each one is assumed to have some racially-pure homeland and unique culture. This affects every aspect of worldbuilding such realities.
So let us remove that assumption ... What if these "races" didn't breed true?
Assume that there are ... let's say seven "races" in a fantasy world. But they are not "Races" - we'll call them "types" for now.
Any couple of the same Type has a 25% chance of producing offspring of the same Type as themselves, but a 75% chance of producing offspring of any one of the other six Types.
Any couple of two different Types has a 25% chance of producing a child of the same Type as one of the parents, and a 75% chance of producing offspring of any one of the other Types.
In this circumstance, Types lose the distinctions that make fantasy races. A large enough family can have all Types. A pair of Fraternal Twins could be an Elf and an Orc.
The concept of "Race" would have no biological component. Instead the definition of "Race" would be entirely cultural, much like people sometimes speak of "the German Race" or "the French Race". There would be no "Dwarf Nation" or "Elf culture" because there is no way to guarantee the next generation will have the same Type.
How would this affect the design of a typical fantasy milieu?
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It would be the same as an all-human campaign. Some of them would just have pointy ears, or be short, or rugose.