Standard Fantasy Races as anthro animals/beastfolk

If Beast Men played the roles of Standard Fantasy Races such as orcs, elves, gnomes, dwarves etc., which animals would they be?

Bird People would be pretty blatantly elves. Graceful, colourful plumage, a more efficient respiratory system than human beings, tetrachromatic vision that goes into the ultraviolet, a slender and lightweight but strong and agile frame, being the descendants of an ancient, long-gone predecessor race, and of course song. Birds have a higher neuronal density than mammals, which might make a sapient avian race more intelligent than humans. There's also the association of birds with magic and wisdom in general, such as in the practice of augury or gods like Thoth and Athena, and crows and ravens are often seen as symbols of trickery.

Birds are associated with angels, too, of course.

Orcs, trolls, or any of the big, more "monstrous" races could be reptilian or pachyderm-inspired. It could also be neat to see one of those with aquatic traits such as being a Shark Man, since aquatic creatures can get way bigger than land-based ones.

I think I saw one interpretation where the dwarves were mole-like due to their association with being underground; that could also lead to dwarves based on ants or worms or any other subterranean creatures. Gnomes could be subterranean if you go with the Paracelsus interpretation of them as earth elementals, or rodent-like if you think of them more as little garden or household pests. Ditto for goblins, or if you go with the more "technological" interpretation, they could be inspired by small monkeys, with little, dextrous hands.

And if you have The Fair Folk (faeries, nature spirits, nymphs, etc.) as separate from the elves, it could be neat to have these guys be insectoid. Butterflies, mantids, dragonflies, spiders, moths, bees, wasps, you name it. Maybe they even use glamours to hide their scarier aspects from unsuspecting humans.

I'm gonna assume you're talking about the species that aren't usually Half-Human Hybrids (as those tend to be obvious) Ahem

• Can see Fairies having an overall insectoid theme, butterflies specifically, but any bug or arachnid might work
• Dwarves could prolly fit the Mole Men type, as they are sometimes depicted as more subterranian folk
• Demons can range throughout the spectrum, but the most classic depictions could make the case for goats (especially given the whole Baphomet thing)
• Elves might be tricky, assume they aren't lumped in with fairies. Though an argument could me made for animals that rely on camoflauge a lot.
• Angels can work with Birds, as mentioned before
• Vampires obviously have a bat theme by default

Edited by MorningStar1337 on Aug 11th 2023 at 3:56:33 AM

I think elves would be cats or mustelids.

Are we counting humans as one of the Standard Fantasy Races, too? I could see the 'humans' being some kind of prey species like cattle, sheep, or equines of some sort, since these creatures are stereotypically considered harmless next to predator species (i.e. the other races) yet are very much not so. Or maybe rabbits, due to their reputation as Explosive Breeders (as they have short lifespans compared to the other races).

Or perhaps humans could be mammals in general, like Zootopia, with Elves being birds and Dwarves being reptiles.

Halflings=rabbits. Or at least some form of rodent.

Honestly, Orc = Pig-men and Kobolds = Dog-men already seems to be fairly entrenched in Japanese media.

For elves, as with Noaqiyeum, above, I might suggest cats: a species of lithe, elegant, and graceful beings, associated with the other world and the supernatural, and, well, bearing pointy ears.

For orcs, hmm... I've seen pigs or boars used for them, as I recall. Otherwise... maybe hyaenas? A species associated with violence, hunting in packs, and that in narrative could be swung either towards outright villainy or a "proud warrior race".

For dwarves, I do like the suggestions above of moles. But another idea might be honey badgers: a species that's small, and that's renowned for its tougheness, combat prowess—including the taking on of animals rather larger than itself—and borderline-berserker ferocity.

For humans, hum... Maybe dogs? A species with a strong social instinct, predatorial-omnivore diet, and high stamina.

Lizardmen also frequently fulfill a similar role to orcs.

Depends on what kind of orc. Wild boars are known to be fast breeding, aggressive, and destructive which is fine for a traditional tolkien orc. Or ork.

But if you want a more revisionist orc, then you're essentially looking at a bigger, tougher elf. So maybe a Lion.

I like hyeena people standing in for orcs. Scavenging pack-hunters with creepy laughter who, at first glance, seem to have no women, just a handfull of them that are Large and in Charge (I don't remember when people figured out that they weren't a One-Gender Race, but it took a while). That sounds pretty orky to me.

I can see wolves as an option for orcs, deepending on what flavor you want to go with, as they both have savage and noble stereotypes.

But then again they would prolly be lycanthropes by any other name at that point.

Can toad-people be a stand-in for orcs?

I mean, the character-traits are pretty similar alongside their appearances.

that can actually work.

I have to wonder which SFR would correspond best to snails the best?

Edited by MorningStar1337 on Aug 12th 2023 at 7:42:51 AM

The Merfolk?

Upper half human, lower half not. Potential for beautifully colored shells/tails.

Land-edition available.

Edited by Trainbarrel on Aug 12th 2023 at 8:28:20 AM

There are really only two types of orcs, either Tolkien or subverting Tolkien.

And tolkien orcs are mostly semi-animalistic beings to begin with. Beastfolk of almost all type are thus a natural fit for orcs.

If I may take a stab.

I do like a variety amount individual species like DND.

Elves- cats or coyotes, something with a mysterious presence in human mythology.

Dwarves- moles are an obvious choice, so maybe badger, Meerkat even or a sub race of foxes

Tolkien orcs- for a traditional orc Rats. Lots of weak but vicious mooks.

Blizzard orcs- either wolf or hyena.

gnomes- Rabbit or something small a fluffy.

Mice would be the 'average people.

I would like to find some way to add the vast family of mustelids in a way other the the villain of Redwall.