Monstrous Races as PCs: Creating Fun Party Dynamics and Quirky Characters

Been thinking about playing monstrous races as PCs in D&D.

I think I would most enjoy playing a monstrous race if it had a very special connection to another member of my party.

It would create a great built-in narrative, give my character some cool motivations, and make for some really fun interaction between players. Having such a cool character conceit would also help rationalize the choice to play races with such drastic drawbacks like not being able to hold things, speak, etc. And you’d have an automatic friend in the party. :) (Of course, all this is contingent on the other player wanting this too, don’t be an annoying dweeb and spring it on them without talking to them/your DM first and making sure it’s ok).

For example, you could play:

A wizard’s homunculus, who is either still very servile or a rebel who only sticks around because they don’t know what else to do in such a big, scary world…

A mimic whose favorite thing is to transform into a cloak or another worn or carried object, and ride around on/with one particular person, who is either glad for the company or only grudgingly allows it…

An animated sword/other weapon that belongs to a great fighter. The fighter already has a really cool magic weapon, and you’re constantly trying to show off and prove your better. Or another animated object that belongs to a particular party member (an ornate armchair, a bed, etc) that follows them around everywhere. If you’re a large enough piece of furniture, perhaps you could function as a mount or cart for the party. Imagine a large animated canopy bed tied up in the stable outside the tavern…Or perhaps the animated chair goes into the tavern with the party, posing as a regular chair and then pulling itself out from under drunks, causing mischief…

A wizard’s familiar (like an awakened cat, a pseudodragon, etc) who is unusually autonomous. Sometimes you do what the wizard wants, sometimes you don’t, but you always have a deep love for your wizard, and want them to succeed…

A scarecrow (or another evil spirit trapped by a magic user in a construct body). You follow the magic user who trapped you around and pester them to be freed, though if truth be told this body is much more fun than your regular spirit form, and you welcome the structure and purpose it gives you…

The shadow of one of the party members. Would make an excellent rogue. Most of the time you stick with your party member. Other times you detach and slink off to accomplish your own plans. It would be funniest if you were a very different shape and size than your party member’s actual shadow would be: perhaps a goliath has a tiny little girl’s shadow, or a gnome has the shadow of a dragon. People around you may or may not notice this discrepancy, depending on their passive perception…

A shield guardian, helmed horror, or awakened suit of armor that protects one particular member of the party. Perhaps you were assigned to protect that party member by their overbearing parent, and they see you as an unwelcome reminder of their family. Or perhaps you were separated traumatically from your last charge, and have found someone new to protect, swearing not to fail this time…

A shambling mound or awakened shrub or tree, awakened by a druid in the party. You follow the druid around fawningly, always friendly and helpful…

A ghost or spectre. Perhaps you were killed by a member of the party. Perhaps you were a close friend or lover of a member of the party, and can’t bear to be parted with them. Do they cherish the chance to see you again? Do they wish you would leave them alone, an awful reminder of their past?

A giant or normal sized animal pulled from a Bag of Tricks, or summoned by a druid. Having served your purpose, you were dismissed, but for some reason you remain, loyal to your party member…

A doppelganger obsessed with one member of the party. You shapeshift into that person every day, and try to copy their every move. You idolize them, and aspire to be just like them. Either they’re flattered by this attention, or find it extremely creepy…

What monstrous races do you think would be fun to play?

( Tyler Kamstra’s Monstrous Races PDF that can be found here is great, gives some great ideas and fleshes out the mechanics to turn monsters into PCs).

One of my PCs is a shield guardian, mechanically he’s a warforged with a few home-brew changes.

I actually have a Mimic character who acts as a cloak for the cleric of the party. It’s fun acting as a normal cloak, then getting a surprise attack in combat, plus they have to hit me before they hit the cleric, so it’s like a body shield for the healer.