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Does anyone allow players to use races like tieflings and celestials in Ravenloft?

I think that these races aren't suited to Ravenloft, most of the time. They just don't fit in with the kind of campaign setting that Ravenloft is. Also, I think that these races tend to be used by power gamers who want the extra power and who aren't going to bother to flesh out the character. So, unless if the player is up to the challenge of playing the character well, I wouldn't allow it. Its like playing a paladin imo.

Any other races you wouldn't allow?

It's like with any class, race or alignment. If the player isn't up to the task of role playing it well I suggest that they try something different. A player might be able to play a tragic celestial who has a good back story really well, but their performance as Hans the baker's son may leave something to be desired and vice versa.

Just because it is unusual doesn't mean it cannot be. However ECLs play part in what I let players start with.

It depends. In 3ED, tieflings and aasimars aren't that powerful. And both would have an hard time in Ravenloft, like a paladin as you mentioned (which I allow in my games).

I tend to be reticent about halflings/kenders (except in Sithicus). Last time I sent PC's through a Darkonian halfling town, I felt it was so out of place in RL.

Gnomes ... never liked 'em personally.

People may be tired of hearing this, but I had a centaur PC at one point in my games. I've also allowed a hag PC, and if you include my current epic game, I've allowed a saint, a gold dragon, and would have allowed much more had any of my PC's been interested.

If the player's up to the task, I let them play as they wish. If they're not up to the task, I consider finding someone else to play with. My RL games are for mature players*, and while some catch on quick, some don't and that learning curve can be brutal for everyone involved.

*--by "mature" I mean "mature," not "people who want lots of sex and gore because they're finally old enough that nobody can legally stop them." Sad how some "mature" labels cater to immaturity.

Here are the races I've banned so far from being played in my games:

Any of the Races-Gone-Horribly-Magically-Mutated in the Forgotten Realms (Avariel, genasi, half-drow). I mean, it's okay for races to be unique, but to have them too diversified by Toril's supersaturated magic is too much for Ravenloft. However, I have allowed such races as the Deep Imaskar and that half-tree race (starts with V, but I forgot the name).

Any monsters classified under the Van Richten's Guides.

If a player wants to play a character from a non-standard (i.e. - those not listed in the PHB, etc) then I will listen to their reasons and argument, but if it overbalances the party then I do not allow a character from that race at that time. However, I may allow them later if the race will no longer overbalance the party at a later date.

With a decent backstory, I'm open to discussion, but I start way far away and have to be "discussed" closer to the table before we can even start the proceedings. My players understand that my RL is human-centric, and they're mostly ok with that. I've got several humans, a human with a minor fey bloodline, and a half-vistani. I would let a caliban in with no problems. I would allow an aasimar or teifling with proper backstory and disguisable deformities before I'd go to the standard elves, dwarves, halflings, and gnomes. They appear from time to time as NPC's, but I prefer to keep them foreign and "other" and out fo the party.

Heck, we've got the Gentleman Caller spawning kids like it's going out of style, apparently. If anyone played a tiefling in my game, I KNOW who his fiendish ancestor would be. And gramps would definately take an interest in him.

The one thing that's been asked for and I had to flatly deny was an Imp. (he wants it because it's kewl!). Actually, I didn't flatly deny it. I said, "your next character can be an imp when this one dies." Now I just have to keep his character alive indefinately. Or if he dies, say: OK, you're an imp, you're the familiar of a grumpy old lich named Azalin. He's caught you messing up his lab again. He ain't happy. Roll initiative... A few rounds later... OK, who's you're next character?

I think Tieflings and Aasimar and other related plane touched would work great in Ravenloft, especially the former.
Think about it, a dark child drawn to evil and the shadows of the soul. Fighting against their tainted bloodline and forever struggling against their inner nature. Always having to hide their 'deformities', possibly even from their closest friends...
Aasimar would be harder but still doable.

Other races with ECL and fantastic abilities I would be more hesitent with, such as Gensai or drow. Templated races such as half-dragons and the truely fantastic are right out.

I think I would allow any character race as long as it had human morals. I would, for example, allow a goblin character as they have a set, if rather skewed, value of right or wrong that can be exploted in a gothic sence. Even lizard men and some fey creature can be used this way.

On the other hand i would flatly so no to a player wanting a Thir-keen or Beholder-kin character as thier moral system is far too alien for any of Ravenlofts horrors to even give then the slightest shudder.

I have had a number of races wandering around. I have even allowed an ogre... As so many have said here it is about backstory and the player character. I am willing to allow just about any race as long as the player reacts as he/she should.

I have to agree with Gonzoron as RL is built on human culture... anything else will be shunned or stoned. Play with caution.

I refused to let someone play an aasimar in one of my campaigns, but it was primarily because his backstory was so horrendously twinked and poorly planned out (he'd been living in Il Aluk with his celestial mother for years, and Azalin never noticed a thing . . . and that's not even getting into the fact that he personally survived the Requiem, and that Van Richten saw him as a surrogate son ). I'd be up for allowing them in future if the backstory was really, really good, but that's kind of biased me against aasimars.

Tieflings are another matter entirely, although again, I'd have to trust the player. But with a good enough player, there's so much angst there to be harvested . . .

Charney wrote:I tend to be reticent about halflings/kenders (except in Sithicus). Last time I sent PC's through a Darkonian halfling town, I felt it was so out of place in RL.

What about an "afflicted" kender?

Here are the races I would not allow:

Too powerful- things like Ghosts (because of incorporeality) and Vampires (the standard D&D Vampires at least- I'm working on my own +1 ECL Fledgling template).

Too alien and mystery-ruining- things like full-blooded Vistani (ruin the mystery of the setting- though I would allow Darklings and Mortu), Kuo-Toa and Illithids.

Too high-fantasy- things like Orcs and Minotaurs.

Tieflings and Aasimar, though, are perfect for Ravenloft due to it's emphasize on the struggle between good and evil.

I think--in line with most of y'all--that it's more a matter of how you play than who you play. I like a humanocentric Ravenloft style, myself, but being an orc, goblin, drow, aasimar, tiefling or what have you offers some interesting possibilities.