Races

It is true that Heroes come in diverse shapes and sizes but not every intelligent race is appropriate for a player character.
Your choice of race affects many aspects of your character. Fundamental qualities existing and pervading throughout your character's adventuring career. When making this decision, keep in mind the kind of character you want to play, as race influences reactions from others both in and outside your chosen species. In this way, race not only affects your ability scores and traits but provides cues for building your character's story and development arc. Each of the races includes information to help you understand the common personality, physical appearance, features of society, and racial alignment tendencies to help you think about your character and inspire thoughts to help you determine the character's background, moral identity, ideologies, and personality.
Humans are the most prevalent people in the world and comprise the most common stock from which are produced the typical party of adventurers is drawn from, followed by the many unexpected undertakings of Dwarves, Elves, and Halflings. There are also Half-elves, Half-orcs, Gnomes, Tieflings, Aasimars, Goliaths, and Dragonborn who are equally capable of risk-taking but far less common. The Drow, a subrace of elves, the elemental Genasai, and monstrous alternatives who reject their traditional roles such as Kobolds, Yuan-ti, and Tritons are the least customary of adventurers.
The following races, referencing where to find them, along with their in-setting counterparts, have been compiled here at the present time:

Aarakocra
Elemental Evil Player's Companion

Aasimar
DMs Guide & Volo's Guide to Monsters

Sequestered in high mountains atop tall trees, the aarakocra, sometimes called birdfolk, evoke both fear and wonder.

Aasimar are placed in the world to serve as guardians of law and good. Their patrons expect them to strike at evil, lead by example, and further the cause of justice.
VARIANTS:

• The Aasimar (DMG pg 286)
• Protector (VGM pg 105)
• Scourge (VGM pg 105)
• Fallen (VGM pg 105)

Bugbear
Volo's Guide to Monsters

Dragonborn
Player's Handbook

Bugbears feature in the nightmare tales of many races; great, hairy beasts that creep through the shadows as quiet as cats.

Dragonborn look very much like dragons standing erect in humanoid form, though they lack wings or a tail.

Dwarf
Player's Handbook& Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

Elf
DM's Guide, Player's Handbook, & Unearthed Arcana

Bold and hardy, dwarves are known as skilled warriors, miners, and workers of stone and metal.
VARIANTS:

• Hill (PHB pg 20)
• Mountain (PHB pg 20)
• Duergar (SCAG pg 104)

Elves are a magical people of otherworldly grace, living in the world but not entirely part of it.
VARIANTS:

• Avariel (UA: Elvin Subraces)
• Dark (PHB pg 24)
• Eladrin (DMG pg 286)
• Grugach (UA: Elvin Subraces)
• High (PHB pg 23)
• Sea (UA: Elvin Subraces)
• Shadar-kai (UA: Elvin Subraces)
• Wood (PHB pg 24)

Firbolg
Volo's Guide to Monsters

Genasi
Elemental Evil Player's Companion

Firbolg tribes cloister in remote forest strongholds, preferring to spend their days in quiet harmony with the woods.

Genasi carry the power of the elemental planes of air, earth, fire, and water in their blood.
VARIANTS:

• Air (EEPC pg 9)
• Earth (EEPC pg 9)
• Fire (EEPC pg 9)
• Water (EEPC pg 9)

Gnome
Player's Handbook & Elemental Evil Player's Companion

Goblin
Volo's Guide

A gnome’s energy and enthusiasm for living shines through every inch of his or her tiny body.
VARIANTS:

• Forest (PHB pg 37)
• Rock (PHB pg 37)
• Deep (EEPC pg 5)

Goblins occupy an uneasy place in a dangerous world, and they react by lashing out at any creatures they believe they can bully.

Goliath
Elemental Evil Player's Companion

Half-Elf
Volo's Guide

Strong and reclusive, every day brings a new challenge to a goliath.

Half-elves combine what some say are the best qualities of their elf and human parents.

Halfling
Player's Handbook & Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

Half-Orc
Player's Handbook

The diminutive halflings survive in a world full of larger creatures by avoiding notice or, barring that, avoiding offense.
VARIANTS:

• Lightfoot (PHB pg 28)
• Stout (PHB pg 28)
• Ghostwise (SCAG pg 110)

Half-orcs’ grayish pigmentation, sloping foreheads, jutting jaws, prominent teeth, and towering builds make their orcish heritage plain for all to see.

Hobgoblin
Volo's Guide to Monsters

Human
Player's Handbook

War is the lifeblood of hobgoblins. Its glories are the dreams that inspire them. Its horrors don’t feature in their nightmares.

Humans are the most adaptable and ambitious people among the common races. Whatever drives them, humans are the innovators, the achievers, and the pioneers of the worlds.
VARIANTS:

• Skilled Variant (PHB pg 31)

Kenku
Volo's Guide to Monsters

Kobold
Volo's Guide to Monsters

Haunted by an ancient crime that robbed them of their wings, the kenku wander the world as vagabonds and burglars who live at the edge of human society.

Kobolds are typically timid and shy away from conflict, but they are dangerous and vicious if cornered.

Lizardfolk
Volo's Guide to Monsters

Orc
Volo's Guide to Monsters

Lizardfolk possess an alien and inscrutable mindset, their desires and thoughts driven by a different set of basic principles than those of warm-blooded creatures.

Orcs live a life that has no place for weakness, and every warrior must be strong enough to take what is needed by force.

Tabaxi
Volo's Guide to Monsters

Tiefling
Player's Handbook, Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, Unearthed Arcana: Fiendish Options & That Old Black Magic

Hailing from a strange and distant land, wandering tabaxi are catlike humanoids driven by curiosity to collect interesting artifacts, gather tales and stories, and lay eyes on all the world’s wonders.

To be greeted with stares and whispers, to suffer violence and insult on the street, to see mistrust and fear in every eye: this is the lot of the tiefling.
VARIANTS:

• Diabolic Subraces (UA:FO pg 1-2)
• Abyssal Subrace (UA:TOBM pg 1-2)
• Feral (SCAG pg 118)

Tortle
The Tortle Package

Triton
Volo's Guide to Monsters

What many tortles consider a simple life, others might call a life of adventure. They are nomad survivalists eager to explore the wilderness.

Long-established guardians of the deep ocean floor, in recent years the noble tritons have become increasingly active in the world above.

Yuan-ti Pureblood
Volo's Guide to Monsters

Minotaur
Unearthed Arcana: Waterborne Adventures

The serpent creatures known as yuan-ti are all that remains of an ancient, decadent human empire.

Living in an honor based society where strength determines power in both the gladiatorial arenas and in daily life the ferocious minotaurs are equally at home on both land and sea, ranking as the most able, dangerous, and arogant adventurers in the world.

^{Much of this section, by necessity, ties into the Dungeons and Dragons Role Playing Game by Wizards of the Coast. Any non-original material that is found herein remains under the ownership of the originating author and is not intended to violate any laws. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of any person, living or dead or undead, real or fictitious, male or female, religious or atheist, bald or full head of hair, stubbled or fat-bearded. No people or animals, other than the author's sanity, were harmed in the creation of this article. Please wash your hands after going to the washroom. For entertainment purposes only.}

The Players Guide

Mortal Races

• Goliath: Gigan “Mountain Men” of Hauth & Perracia
• Half Elf: Aelfvir "Short Tips" of Caledon
• Half Orc: Orkvir "Half Hordling" of Maugulakh
• Halfling: Kaen "Hobbledehoy" of Kaendaloth
• Human: Ffolk "The People" of the Known Realms
• Shifters: Therionvir "Animal People" & "Beast Men" (No Homeland)

The Fey Races

• Centaur: Aurvir "Horse Elves" of Caledon
• Dragonborn: Dracovir "Dragon Men" of Ethigond
• Dwarf: Homunculi "Grillf" of Grililath
• Elf: Aelfeayr of Caledon
• Firbolg: Feneri "Caretakers" of Ethigoviel
• Gnome: Nom "Bantam Smiths" of the Underrealm
• Kitsune: Volpevir "Fey Fox" of Lungshi and Kaendaloth
• Lizardfolk: Lacertavir "Lizard Men" of Eraussi
• Loxodon: Elephantinum "Elephant Men" of Tobat
• Tabaxi: Cattusvir "Cat Men" of Lungshi
• Tortle: Illeturture "Turtle Men" of Eraussi

The Shadow Races

• Bugbear: Boggebogi "Greater Goblins" of Maugulakh
• Changelings: Penates (No Homeland)
• Goblin: Bogill "Lesser Goblins" of Maugulakh
• Hobgoblin: Gobelinus "High Goblins" of Maugulakh
• Kobold: Cobalus "Dragon Rats" of Ethigond

The Paranormal Races

• Aarakocra: Aeritum "Bird People" (Paracia)
• Aasimars: Heros "Divine Blooded" (No homeland)
• Genesai: Elementiorem "Elemental Blooded" (No Homeland)
• Gith: Zerthos "The Lost" (No Homeland)
• Kalashtar: Somnium "Nightmare Cursed" of Sevaythien
• Kenku: Pazuku "Rekrok's Host" of Paracia
• Minotaur: Asterionaur "Aurs" or "Bull Men" of Dannor
• Orc: Orcneas "Hordeling of Orcus" of Maugulakh
• Tiefling: Asdroku "Blood of Asdrodeus" (No Homeland)
• Triton: Marevir "Sea People" of Platicia
• Warforged: (No Homeland)
• Yuan-ti: Schtherusvir "Serpent People" of Eraussi & Lungshi