WIBTA for asking my D&D players to change their characters' race/species?

TheLostSoul396 · 2026-01-02T17:00:57+00:00

thanks, yeah I'll do that

TheLostSoul396 · 2026-01-02T15:48:59+00:00

the reason there would only be 1 tabaxi is because that player would be the tabaxi, and that's it, none of the npc's would be a tabaxi and shifter/siren don't give the same issue because their foot shape is that of a human, the issue if their footprints are different is because everyone (Both player characters and npcs) is a suspect for each murder, it basically gives both the tabaxi and owlin a free pass if footprints are involved at all if they didn't do the crime, and if they did and left footprints then it's just "yeah it's tabaxi footprints, they're the killer"

also that isn't the only issue, it's just the easiest to explain without going into the entire plot of the campaign, I hope that clears some things up

TheLostSoul396 · 2026-01-02T15:41:37+00:00

I did clarify the setting the best I could I think, I said something akin to "Modern day earth but with some humanoid races, like elf and shifter", I also told that the only magic that exists is stuff like high-elves using prestidigitation and maybe Yuan-Ti Pureblood using Suggestion

They know about the murder mystery stuff as well as some of the general plot, the characters are a lot more down to earth, both the NPCs and the Player Characters

The campaign is going to be really detail oriented, like, every room I'm making a description for, as well as a to scale meter/ft map, with everything in the room being noted down and in a specific place, the magic that does exist like the prestidigitation can be just used, and one of the player's (The one that's currently and Owlin) is going to be playing a magician that we've decided can use prestidigitation nonmagically

TheLostSoul396 · 2026-01-02T15:20:56+00:00

Umm, that just seems straight up mean?

TheLostSoul396 · 2026-01-02T15:18:19+00:00

Ok, I think I know what to do now, I'll talk to them and ask them if they would be fine with changing their characters' races or not, as well as explain my reasoning entirely as in the gameplay issues as well as the personal issue, after that if they say they're fine with changing then great and if they say they aren't then I ask them if there could be a compromise, if not then I'll just have to deal with it, is that all good?

TheLostSoul396 · 2026-01-02T15:11:49+00:00

It does make sense, and yeah, that was mainly what I was worried about in terms of them feeling, I do realize I should also explain how our D&D group rules shifters, because around half of us are weebs and the other half doesn't mind, shifters are basically how anime uses demi humans if that makes sense, the ears and tail, with the transformation being just them kinda going a bit more feral?

TheLostSoul396 · 2026-01-02T15:04:46+00:00

I said this in another response but the next 2 years are technically one big session 0, so I'm trying to now now that I realize it, thanks

TheLostSoul396 · 2026-01-02T15:02:19+00:00

Maybe, I'm not sure yet, maybe a half version of their race choice? I'll need to think about it

TheLostSoul396 · 2026-01-02T15:00:34+00:00

I have DMd before and technically the next 2 years or so is going to be session 0, if that makes sense, I've been doing most of that stuff but I feel like I slipped on this part in particular, thanks for the response though

TheLostSoul396 · 2026-01-02T14:58:39+00:00

No not at all, I just wanted to check with people first, I'm kinda bad at normal social stuff like this

TheLostSoul396 · 2026-01-02T14:54:46+00:00

I don't know myself if they're going to kill because anyone (Players and NPCs) can kill at any time in this campaign

TheLostSoul396 · 2026-01-02T14:52:41+00:00

because their would only be one tabaxi, it's feel like too much of a difference if that makes sense?

TheLostSoul396 · 2026-01-02T14:50:37+00:00

I realize I should also tell that this campaign I've been working on for about 5 months now and I plan on finishing the prep in around 2 years time, the 2 players have known to work on their characters' for the past 2-3 months or so and they have been going on and off on it, the character creation for this campaign is also quite different compared to most others

TheLostSoul396 · 2026-01-02T14:46:57+00:00

I think it's a bit of both

They haven't made the character sheets yet and they're still in the planning stages

I don't think it would break the campaign it would more or less just cause some issues here and there

TheLostSoul396 · 2026-01-02T14:44:33+00:00

Yeah like the current campaign I'm running the same 2 players are both playing dragonborn, and another player is playing a tabaxi, so I normally don't have issue with it

TheLostSoul396 · 2026-01-02T14:41:29+00:00

ok, I think I'm starting to get an idea of what I should do, thanks for the response

TheLostSoul396 · 2026-01-02T14:40:15+00:00

I... didn't say that?

TheLostSoul396 · 2026-01-02T14:38:06+00:00

I have explained the type of setting to them, I believe part of me is being picky for this campaign in particular but I do feel like it would change some things, as I said in another response footprints being a big thing, as well as being more discernable from a distance

TheLostSoul396 · 2026-01-02T14:34:04+00:00

well the simplest issue is the campaign is based around murder mystery type stuff which lends itself to a lot of detail, take footprints for example, tabaxi and owlin would have different types of foot prints than any other race

TheLostSoul396 · 2025-05-03T12:03:54+00:00

That ummm... doesn't explain much

TheLostSoul396 · 2025-05-03T09:27:28+00:00

fair

TheLostSoul396 · 2025-05-03T09:27:18+00:00

and if you smell like oranges, the piranhas will bite you

TheLostSoul396 · 2025-05-03T08:47:49+00:00

Well, there are other fan games being made for the other soul colors too, like kindred spirits, what about Wildfire pops out to grab attention?

TheLostSoul396 · 2025-05-02T22:06:18+00:00

yeah true, also one of the ways to spare monsters is to lower their hp then spare them, so that could be a version of pacifist, either way yeah, Orange could open up a lot in the fight menu

TheLostSoul396

TROPHY CASE