For geeks and nerds, artists, writers, philosophers, politicians and scientists alike: the creation of new worlds and new universes has been a key element of science fiction and fantasy. This subreddit is about sharing your worlds and discussing the many aspects of creating new universes. Rules Please read our full rules click the button below. We have high standards for on-topicness, respect of other people and respect for creative effort. Found something violating the rules. Consider using our to get started. Remember to for lots of resources and tips on starting out. There is also a compiled via Discord. Chat Looking for more active discussion. Make sure to first worldbuilding on irc. Hive elves There's an elf queen that lays eggs, and from these the elves hatch. They are almost immortal, have low sex drives, are very much in tune with nature, and can communicate among themselves with pheromones. Every few hundred years, there's a Swarming. During a Swarming, a Queen will lay a series of eggs that hatch to be Princesses - Queens without their own hive. Each of these get a retinue of elflings - large, nasty, heavily armed and armored elf monsters that have more in common with a hook horror than they have with another elf. The elflings are the Praetorian guard of the Princess. They make their way to a new area, and occupy that by force of elfling arms. One of them mate with their Queen every year, and promptly dies. An elfling doesn't live for very long at any rate - perhaps a century or so. When the retinue is all used up, the Queen has in the meantime borne enough broods of 'standard' elves that the hive should succeed. Having found a new equilibrium with its surroundings, the hive quiets down again for a few centuries. And thus the Elf Wars cycle anew. The shorter lived races usually won't have anything but myths and legends about the elflings that swarmed generations back. But if a hive gets under a lot of stress, for instance by attrition through warfare, a Swarming may happen much sooner than a few centuries down the road. Spirit dwarves Dwarves are earth spirits given form through primordial clay. Fantasy race name generator you dig deep enough into the earth, you may find the clay left over from the Creation of the World. Sometimes, a spirit may inhabit the clay, and a new dwarf springs to life. They are mostly immortal, and very much in tune with stone and earth. When they die, they return to the clay they once were. But the spirits miss their friends, and thus the spirit dwarves dig far and deep - so that their friends may find a suitable clay body to inhabit. Wolfling elves When the moonlight hits the dancing swamp lights just so, the thin wall between dimensions may be breached, and the swamp lights can turn into wolfling elves. Mostly mist but also very real tooth and claw, they are ravenous hunters of anything that moves in the swamps they call home. When the moon wanes, the wolflings disappear. fantasy race name generator When there's a wolfling moon, it is better to stay indoors than it is to be caught unawares and unprepared in the marshes. Clockwork people Everyone has heard about modrons, inevitables, and other strange races or phenomena that are associated with the Plane of Order. Millennia ago, when the worlds were young, it was easier to cross to the Plane of Order. Sometimes, strange things happened, and those who returned were marked by what they had seen, experienced, and fantasy race name generator with. What tieflings are to the lower planes, aasimar to the higher, shades to the Plane of Shadow, and genasi to the elemental planes, the clockwork people are to the denizens of the Plane of Order. It skips generations, but when the stars are right and the planes align, a clockwork person may be born. They are much like their other planetouched brethren, but theirs is a cold and mechanical outlook on life, reflected in their very symmetrical and coldly beautiful bodies. Some have little wheels visible in their eyes, focusing and unfocusing the lenses that give them sight. Others have interlocking, metallic scales for skin that give them some added protection. Yet others bear other remembrances of their ancestry. There aren't many clockwork people, but those who are tend to work together, like so many cogs in a giant machine. Some whisper that there is a grander plan here, ages in the making, and that the Project nears completion. I think bees are amongst some of the most fascinating species in the real world, and more fantasy races should base themselves off a hive culture. Everything else about the hive elves is however glorious and perfect. Arkalds have broad shoulders and are seven feet tall. They come from the floating islands and can fly. They have thick talons for legs and are skilled with the arcane arts. Wargals: They are huge minatour like beasts with sharp teeth and twisted horns. I based these off of the Gw2 Charr race. This next one is a huge race with a combination of smaller sub races. I found the idea on the internet and pretty much there orcs. There's Trolls which are the big brute one with thick skin. There's also Goblins which are small and sneaky,there Gorgons which are in the middle between trolls and goblins. Gorgons are the smartest out of all of them and they are much less tribal. You might consider composite beings, things that take symbiosis to a whole new level. Their life cycle begins as a fist sized crystal. It slowly grows into surrounding materials altering and animating them to form a body. They are not native to the planet, having arrived on a meteorite. This new Core will share similarities with the original and even retain impressions but not memories of its previous life. When the Core meteor fell there was a tremendous fantasy race name generator of destruction. fantasy race name generator Survivors combing through the destruction found strange glowing crystals. They were very hard and seemed to grow, resisting gem-cutting attempts. Eventually they were sold and traded and shipped across the world. Some were destroyed, but most were thrown away since it was hard enough that it needed to be shattered on an anvil. Great confusion followed in the months afterwards. The Core grew in the wild and refuse heaps, and forgotten store-rooms. What is more interesting is that there are some words and phrases that only the Core understand, having no analog in this world. Some Araxi have limited precognition. These Araxi are the nucleus of their society. Medium sized, with four spindly legs, and two sets of arms. The primary set of arms each has a hand with two fingers and two opposable thumbs. The secondary set of arm is lower and smaller than the primary. They only only equipped with three nimble digits that are well suited for web-weaving. Araxi can slowly spin their own webs; most members of the race only produce strong non-adhesive silk. Traditionally, a town will be visited at least once a year by an araxi caravan. Typically it is related to the harvest of the year or the weather, but occasionally they will provide more dire predictions, such as an abandoning of the settlement or a possible invasion of hostile forces. It would seem that araxi silk would not be in high demand, but they tend to use their silk for practical reasons and only rarely create decorative objects; combined with the tendency for the araxi to avoid cities and large towns, this leads to a strong market for araxi silk fabric in the cities amongst the upper class. They had thick reptilian skin and a tortoise-like shell on their back, the shell worked a bit like plated armor and couldn't, unlike tortoise, be hidden in. Despite their skin, they weren't incredibly smart; they were a simple race. Hunt, eat, birth child, teach child to hunt, continue hunt, eat, hunt, eat, die. That was the way they existed, and most of their lives went. Sadly, their hunts got into human territory and the simple race started to get employed as mercenaries. So, now a simple hunter race became cannon fodder. So they are now a soldier race, just breeding a constant supply of soldiers. Their greed has led them to do terrible things and have been the root of all evil for generations. They are typically tall and slender with grey skin and maroon eyes. They are skilled in many jobs and therefore make up the bulk of the labor force. However they don't have a country or region to themselves as they are so greedy it cannot be maintained. It is unknown how they breed as there has only ever been a male Stoneheart. This leads intelligent men to believe they are asexual. Lots of fantasy has boiled down to a handful of races that have been overdone a million times, humans, elves, dwarves, hobbits and occasionally making humanized version of real world animals minotaurs, lion people, elephant people, etc. Consider dropping the idea of humanoids all together. Very rarely have I seen an alien race as different form a human as a jellyfish is, and jellyfish actually share a planet with us. They aren't alien at all, but they are more alien than what most of sci-fi shows us. I was playing around with the idea of an alien race that looked a bit like a jellyfish with the legs of an insect. Despite their physical similarity to humans, they have little emotion or drive, do not establish complex social structures, do not need to eat or breathe, and are resistant to temperatures that would kill a regular human. They exist because when the previous universe was obliterated by Raxis, the unresolved souls of that universe were shredded into a kind of spirit soup and precipitated into bodies on this world. In other words, each Eternal is a conglomerate of pieces of many ancient souls. I've drawn a lot from different global mythologies; Jinn A magical species, standing about a head taller than the average man, and in most regards having human features. Scattered throughout the race are oddities such as leaf shaped ears, small horns, and a spattering of skin colors in red, blue, and yellow. Their bones are blackened, and fire is not only harmless to them, but a cultural fascination. The major cultural group has dictated a caste system among the djinni. Those born Marid are priests, scholars, and artists; those born Ifrit are soldiers and warriors; those born Jinn for whom the species is namedare farmers and traders; those born Jann are servants to the other three castes. There is the fifth caste, the untouchables known as the Shaytan, whom deal with the dead and undead as well as the disposal of human excrement. Djinni excel at magic, particularly fire magic, they have the ability to go unseen by humans, and a few have adapted the ability to shapeshift into different animal forms. Abatwa A diminutive species, no taller than 2 inches. They are a nomadic group that hunt from the backs of ants in the large plains. Though tribal, and technology behind a great many other civilizations the Abatwa have developed a knowledge of alchemy matched by few others. Their mastery of cures and poisons have caused them to be sought out by many of the large races. One must be warned however, the Abatwa do not take kindly to strangers and are known to kill their enemies with a single prick of a poison dart. Anansi The dark skinned fey of the tropic islands. A head taller than the average man, the anansi are human-like aside from their almost imperceptible thinness, their large almond shaped eyes, and angled features. The anansi are a proud people who have learned to handle conflict, not with swords and shields but with their silver tongues. It is said that an Anansi's voice and gaze can coerce a man to do anything, and befuddle what he already knows. They are notorious tricksters who excel in diplomatic roles and in espionage. A fiercely intelligent race, the Anansi are sought by many for their knowledge and wisdom. They are a long lived race who attribute their longevity to their ability to outrun death itself. Their culture as a whole seems to be fascinated with the Spider as their symbol. In turn they produce the finest spun silks in the land, enchanted with strings of fate and prophecy. A strong oral tradition has caused Anansi tales to be spread throughout the realms, and preserved in invaluable tapestries. The soothsayers in other cultures would be regarded as prostitutes, are in Anansi culture highly respected as masters of culture, with unmatched knowledge, local and fantasy race name generator. Soothsayers are the purveyors and acquirers of knowledge, using sexual charm and Anansi abilities to draw sensitive information from unwary lips. The Webspinners are the great liberators of the Anansi. The race is known for it's great distaste for slavery and bondage to a master, the Webspinners are highly trained, ninja like group, who are hired out, or act of their own accord to take down despots and wrongdoers. Soon the other islands followed except the Zwarthart group. On the coast of the main landmass the soil and weather proved harsh and caused many problems. The enormous forest that spans from the coast all the way to the mountains houses something unknown but few who venture more than a few miles in ever come back out. Those who do speak of meeting strange but friendly man like creatures who seemed to bear no ill will. Still people disappear regularly and it is officially forbidden to enter. When the colonists got further inland they headed for the broad pass between the mountain ranges. They discovered that the land beyond was far milder in climate and had far superior soil. Many people from the coast moved to the east and word of this land brought many new colonists. Bringing with them their trade and goods. A city was established between the mountains, near the first bridge across the river. This city flourished on the passing traffic from east to west and vica versa. At one point a tributary from the river was dug out so boats could reach all around the city and it's land. The coastal area was not all bad, in the north and south precious metals have been found and are being mined. Mostly it stays a unwelcoming place with harsh weather and difficult to traverse. This ofcourse attracts adventurers of all kinds. Bergmensen Mountain people : Gaunt, tall and covered mostly in coarse fur. Their faces have a bit of a goat like quality. On fantasy race name generator feet and hands they have hoof like nails. They walk almost solely on their toes and their clothing reflect that. They have their pants or wraps come down almost to their toes, often a protective patch of leather is sown below the heel. They prefer seclusion and don't interact fantasy race name generator with the other races in Roas Seo. Social structure is limited in their society; their deity dose not encourage this behaviour. The bergmannen don't take wives or families but instead drift around almost nomadic. Often these are comprised of a single large tent with multiple stories and rooms. Women are relatively high in social status and enjoy the privilege of protection of the men. Edit: De Mindon was formed by their deity, and has always been ambiguous with it's exact meaning. Since they know no writing it has always been passed on by stories fantasy race name generator thus created various interpretations with some groups siding with one or the other. Surprisingly there are not much incidents concerning religion and a civil war has never happened as far as the humans know. Outside of that they have few rules and even fewer interest in them. Remarkably they never established a currency, all trading is done in the form of goods. They live in the forests and are sometimes found near settlements trying to steal or trick people out of their belongings. They are smarter then they look although often fantasy race name generator traditional and set in their ways. They form small nomadic groups, 20 on average. They survive by any means possible; often stealing from the humans in the continent. That said they are not evil in nature and human-woudman friendships are certainly not unheard of. Although often looked down upon. In the very rare cases of interspecies intercourse there have never been offspring. Woudreuzen: Although their names suggest they are related this could not be farther from the truth. Woudreuzen are massive omnivores with a slow and gentle demeanour but phenomenal stamina and strength. Most of them form a symbiotic relationship with the woudmannen, forming the muscle of the group. Woudmannen are being captured and trained for different purposes by humans at an alarming rate. At first the humans thought to train them as soldiers but this proved difficult and mostly unsuccessful; although the apex predator in it's natural habitat the woudreuzen are not very brave and quickly shy away from violent confrontations. This only sparked their use as slaves for hard labour and their numbers are declining rapidly, taking with them the woudmannen who are often killed during capture or unable to survive on their own. You have the homestead type, in which people live on their farmlands and just go out and work it. This was the norm in the American South because tobacco is the five season crop. There's the daily commute type, in which you live on a small subsistence farm usually run by the women of the house while the men walk off to larger lands that were probably too rich to waste on houses or just too wide for local ideas of community or common defense. These tend to belong to semi-pastoralists or cattle cultures, as you can graze them between the house and the farm or send the kids off with one while you take care of the other. These also to be popular with groups on unfriendly terms with neighbors, as it's easier to defend yourself if your neighbors are nearby. Lastly, you have the people whole live in dense cities right next to shared or densely-packed land. You'll see this most with rice, as you can't build under water but sure as hell can build on shore. Victory gardens for this group tend to be smallest, possibly because everyone wants to live as close to the rice as possible or because lakeside soil just isn't very good. Additionally, you have the pastoralists, who maintain small farms if any at all and tend to move around a lot. Far off, you have fishing towns that generally live similarly to the rice cultures above but are much more interdependent because, at least for oceanic fishing, you have a bunch of unrelated people sharing ships or at least motherships from which lone fishermen launch dinghies into storms. I should note that, with the exception of the fishermen, there were ethnic groups practicing all of these techniques close to my study abroad location in Rhotia, Tanzania. The farthest off lifestyle was the rice paddies of Mto wa Mbu, which, if memory serves, was mainly composed of Chaga from Uganda, who historically and still to a smaller extent, resulting in trees all over town raise bananas but had adopted the rice farming of the local ethnicity. There was also one guy trying to start a chocolate plantation on his land because he greeted my survey group when he came home from some sort of work requiring a giant machete. Edit: also, there were apparently hunter-gatherers around, but I never encountered any. Everyone called them the guys who speak in clicks. But in their arrogance they decided their great minds were too powerful for their simple bodies. The bodies healed evern the heaviest wounds within a couple of short hours. They had no need to eat, or drink. Esthetically, they were perfect, and they did not age. But in their meddling, they had mocked the maker. And the maker chose to punish them. Their perfect bodies lost all abilities of procreation. And then the world itself turned against them. Water burned their skins like acid, even a slight touch of wood would hurt them. The sun itself seemed to attack their eyes, making them nearly blind. And to survive, they, who had begun to lose all feelings of their own, had to pray upon the other races, sucking the feelings out of them to survive. Thus they hunted, and thus they were hunted, until only a couple hundred of them remained. That is my take on vampires in my world, basically.
