I think this a correct intention but an incorrect execution. While the Elves, Dwarves and whatnot have become associated much more with the Tolkien strain of fantasy, I don't think that Sword & Sorcery or Weird Fantasy is served by losing demihumans entirely - rather, it needs the right demihumans. Certainly the presence of elves and co. signals to the player or reader a certain genre or style, but the presence of races that are not human is not the sole possession of a specific subgenre.Crawl! wrote:For DCC RPG to fit the S&S mold, the removal of demi-humans (such as elves & dwarves) is the first obvious step.
Instead, it seems to me that the right thing to do is to include different demihumans. I think race-as-class still works admirably here; those nonhumans who are found on the path of the treasure-seeker are less likely to come from the more specialized and specific strains of society, and will tend towards the "standards" of their race.
I would propose a swap out, then; certain races, like amphibian-people dear to Bobugbubilz, or Lankhmar ghouls, would replace dwarves and elves. Alternately, those classes could be reconfigured flavor-wise; a sword-and-board wielding humanoid comfortable with the underground and desirous of wealth? No need to be a dwarf, it could be a race of rat people who hoard things below the earth.
Thoughts on my ramblings?