As a writer and a lore nerd who geeks out over secondary worlds like they’re my morning coffee, it drives me up the wall that Dungeons & Dragons Online is skippin’ basic, iconic races and species for stuff like Dhampir that nobody asked for. I’m talkin’ races that are baked into D&D’s soul, not some obscure Ravenloft pull that feels like it wandered in from a waterworks fanfic.
When I first heard “Dhampir,” I legit thought it was a meme, like someone was trollin’ the forums with a fake race. Turns out, it’s a real thing from Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, a half-vampire species. But, like, hold up: is “vampire” even a species now? Is it? Its a race now? Somewhere out there are vampires hanging upsidedown in a cave raving on blood like vampire bats? Nah, it’s a state of being in a world full of bad writing. Present D&D pen and paper lore books are full of terribad writing.
I am a writer. Who do I think is a good writer? Tolkien. Look at Lord of the Rings, Sauron didn’t cook up a new “wraith race” with the Ringwraiths. Those were humans, cursed into servitude. Aragorn lays it down: “They used to be men.” Same with Strahd in Ravenloft, he was a living man, then got slapped with a curse by the Dark Powers. Callin’ Dhampir a 'race' feels like callin’ a werewolf a species instead of a blood-curse. Lycanthropy is a blood-curse. This whole new normal of bad writing creates stories hinged on false premises, and as a storyteller, that grinds my gears. Its lazy. Its dumb. Its cringe.
I get that D&D has flirted with this before, take Eberron’s shifters. They’re similar to lycanthropes, with some beastly vibes, but they’re not blood-cursed; they’re a distinct Eberron species with their own lore, tied to the plane’s primal magic, which ultimately is tied to the Draconic Prophecy. No blood curse, no full-moon fear. Shifters work because they’re native to Eberron’s worldbuilding. Dhampir? It’s just a vampire curse dressed up as a species, and it feels lazy. Its bad writing. This is not DDO's problem but D&D as a whole. D&D has a problem with some very bad writing.
Here’s what I’d implement for DDO instead, races that actually fit the setting:
Changelings and Kalashtar for Eberron: These are Eberron staples. Changelings, with their shape-shifting shenanigans, are perfect for intrigue-heavy campaigns in Sharn. Kalashtar, with their psionic dream-vibes, tie into the Quori and the Inspired. They’re iconic, flavorful, and players would eat ‘em up like a dragon on a gold hoard.
Duergar and Underdark Drow for the Forgotten Realms: Faerûn’s got that gritty underdark lore, with Duergar dwarves schemin’ in their grim forges and Drow causin’ chaos in Menzoberranzan. These races are D&D classics, rooted in Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes. They’d fit DDO’s vibe like a vorpal sword.
Githyanki for the Baldur’s Gate 3 crowd: Let’s be real BG3 is still poppin’ off across every metric, from Steam charts to X posts. Githyanki, with their astral-plane swagger and psionic powers, are a no-brainer to pull in that fanbase. They’re in Mordenkainen’s and have deep Planescape roots. Why pass on that hype?
Dhampir? I wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot polearm. It’s a niche Ravenloft pick that doesn’t fit DDO’s broader Eberron and Forgotten Realms focus. I’m still in disbelief it made the cut, but I guess nobody cares what I think. Y’all agree, or am I just wrong? Let me know. See ya.
