Related race ideas

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This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.

For unique race ideas see Race ideas.

This page represents the best efforts of the WoWWiki community to create a fact-based analysis of related species ideas on why races directly connected to other races as protospecies, protoraces, subraces, or subspecies unsuited to the race ideas page may or may not be included as a playable race as the World of Warcraft expands. Note that, though Blizzard currently appears to have a policy of choosing original and unique races, this page is no less legitimate than the above.

Important information

Legend

+ Lime green — strongly for

Must be cited.

+ Dark green — for

Must be cited.

? White — neutral, could influence either way

Also used for speculation and comparisons, that may have some support in lore or World of Warcraft game mechanics. Must be cited (must be proven to be relevant to the topic).

- Orange — against

Must be cited.

- Red — strongly against

Must be cited.

Grey — additional info

Used for observation or speculation related to the main point.

Qualification factors

If you think something on this page is inaccurate, please check the discussion tab before you change it yourself. Let people know you think it is incorrect, and leave your ideas and sources for your information. Together, we can agree on how feasible it is. Only add verifiable and cited information. If something is added that lacks a source and proper citation, it will probably be viewed as speculation and will be removed or demoted to the neutral "?".

Please use your common sense and stick to Humanoid-type sub-species of current playable races. If you are unclear as to whether a race belongs on this specialised page, open up a new discussion tab on the talk page; the race will either be reallocated to the future race ideas page or if it does not qualify for either page, will not be added.

In order to bulk out the page during construction without unneccessary delay, new subsections may be added without the prior receipt of majority consensus. However, it is required that you allow for peer review by creating a relevant topic here. This guideline will be subject to change as the page becomes more heavily edited.

Please discuss ideas on the talk page if you feel there should be other major changes to the main article, so the page does not become a battlefield for clashing ideas. If you do not follow the above, you may be prevented from editing.

Broken draenei

First seen in the Burning Crusade expansion

General

+ Male Broken draenei already have graphical support for utilizing equipment, armor (minus helmets) and weapons.

? Already utilize mounts, including Elekk and Talbuk. These creatures are also used by the draenei and Mag'har, however, and are not uniquely Broken.

? Females of this race do not currently exist in-game.

- Broken appear to be strongly tied to Outland, which has already been featured in WoW's first expansion.

- Do not currently possess their own distinct style of architecture/buildings (mostly identical architecture to draenei with some leather huts in the ruins).

Join the Alliance?

+ Kurenai faction already loyal to the Alliance.

Join the Horde?

- Between the Broken enslaved by Illidan and the Legion, and the Kurenai who are loyal to the Alliance, nearly all Broken in the game at this time are hostile to Horde players.

Dark troll

First seen in Warcraft 3

General

+ Assisted horde and alliance in battle of MT. Hyjal.

+ They have their own unique architecture.^[1]

? Dark troll speak Low Common.

? Hyjal, being an unused zone, could be a good starting place for the Trolls. It's big enough that it could even be split into 2 zones, and lead into Ashenvale.

? Do not currently exist in-game.

- Dark trolls are really tall race, clearly taller than even tallest of tauren.

Join the Alliance?

? Might have friendly ties to night elves.

Join the Horde?

+ Blood elves find the neutral races such as dark trolls of interest.^{A&HC 68, 71}

? Might have friendly ties to darkspeak trolls.

Forest troll

First seen in Warcraft 2

General

+ All versions can wear armor ingame.

+ Males have unique model.

? Forest trolls use several different styles of architecture. Reventusk share the same style as the jungle trolls of the Horde. Some in Lordaeron live within the architecture of ancient troll empires (which is similar to ruins found in Tanaris and Stranglethorn Vale). Others have their own style of architecture.

- The iconic troll abilities (Berserking, Throwing weapon specialty, and the famous troll regeneration) are already in use by Darkspear trolls.

Not really a problem, some races already share racial abilities.

Join the Alliance?

? There is possible motivation for the forest trolls to join the Alliance in order to mount an offensive against their mutual enemy, the blood elves.

- Most surviving high elves are members of the Alliance. Forest trolls have a extreme hatred for them.

They would probably also hate humans and their allies because of their assistance during the Troll Wars...

Join the Horde?

+ Revantusks are aligned to the Horde, although they are not yet members.^{HPG #?}

+ They get along with Stonemaul as seen by the presence of Lard.

? Have already been faction.

? Most forest trolls hate blood elves for stealing their land. But it is not known what the Revantusk think of them.

That was also when the blood elves were high elves.

Ice troll

First seen in Warcraft 3

General

+ They have their own unique architecture.

+ All versions can wear armor ingame.

+ Have unique model.

? Enemy of the Scourge.

Join the Alliance?

+ Ice Troll mercenaries fought alongside Arthas (before he took up Frostmourne) and Muradin Bronzebeard.

+ Presence in starting zone of Dun Morogh.

- Historic feud with Dwarves.

Join the Horde?

? Have no special hatred of the horde.

Half-elf

? Speak Common and Thalassian as primary languages.

? At least one half-elf, Ielephia has learned the unique language Elven (though she is dead), and because Half-elves learn new languages as wanderers, its possible that more than handful has learned to speak it.

+ Well established lore.

? Half-elves are rare. ^{APG 11}

? Do not currently have own model. Kalecgos has unique half-elf model, but its wide use is questionable. Old, masculine blood elf model (not pre-2.0.1) that had nearly human like features, could be used (at least as its base) as half elf model.^[2]

? Do not currently have own capital, but having them share a capital with the humans or blood elves in Stormwind/Silvermoon would actually work quite well lore wise.

? A struggle with personal identity and occasional discrimination leads many half-elves to a life of wandering and adventure. ^{APG 11} This is unlikely that they would estabilish a capital, required for a playable race, but also makes them great adventurers, as all PCs are.

Join the Alliance?

+ The half-elf race is already a member of the Alliance^{APG #?}. heritage places them in the Alliance at both sides, and many served in the First, Second and Third Wars. Most half-elves live in Stormwind, Theramore, Duskwood, Redridge Mountains, and Elwynn Forest. Most humans have accepted them into society. They have always been accepted by dwarves and gnomes.^{APG 11, 12}, ^{APG 12LoC #?}

? Night elves opinions of them is unknown.

? Interacial breeding is generally frowned upon by human and elven society. Half-elves usually suffer bigotry from both their elven and human parents. The elven parents would often abandon their children. ^{WRPG 48A&HC #?APG #?} However, as high elves aren't playable this isn't much of a factor.

? Humans are jealous of half-elves' extended life spans. Night elves are suspicious of their high elf heritage. High elves see them as proof of their race's weakening blood. ^{APG 11}

Join the Horde?

? If the race of half-elves continues to suffer nothing but misfortune, they might decide that the Horde is the only place for them.[...] It is said some sometimes find a home within the towns of the Horde. ^{WRPG 180 APG 133}

? May have co-operated with the Horde in war earlier because some of them are members of Theramore.

Half-ogre

First seen in Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne

General

? Half-ogres are a race of orc and ogre ancestry, though due to Warcraft races' curious genetics any child of a half-ogre is also entirely a half-ogre. The race is called "mok'nathal" in Orcish, and many belong to the Mok'Nathal Clan^{CoH 97} (which also includes non half-ogres) or work independently; As well as the half-ogre race with human ancestry, the half-human half-ogres.^{HPG 7}

? Can be druids, which may create unbalance between factions.

? Many half-ogres are independent "neutral heroes" beastmasters, choosing no specific sides or act as mercenaries to the highest bidder (or offering help to those that show them honor & respect).

- Fit poorly lore-wise with any expansion not related to Outland, which has already been done. It is doubtful the half-ogres will have another chance at becoming an expansion race.

- Rexxar states that he is the 'last son of the Mok'Nathal' implying that they are a dying clan. Although there is the Mok'Nathal village in Outland, their numbers are likely too small for them to become a significant force. However, not all half-ogres are members of Mok´nathal.

- They don´t have their own model.

-Numbers too low to support player population. There only around a couple of hundred on Azeroth, and likely less in Outland.^{HPG 156}

Join the Alliance?

? Some of these independent half-ogre beastmasters were "neutral heroes" in The Frozen Throne, siding with anyone willing to pay them.

- Most half-ogres are members of the Horde. Half-ogres of the Horde would not side against their orc and ogre allies. However there are a few that have not joined the horde choosing to remain independent. Other half-ogres may even be half-human.^{HPG 6,7}

- Humans and draenei are the traditional enemies of orcs and ogres. The Alliance views all ogres as savages and enemies.^{HPG 28} It is unlikely that they would accept a hybrid of an orc and an ogre.

They may be willing to accept a hybrid of human and ogre. However, half-human half-ogres are products of ogre aggressions on human villages.^{APG 7}

Join the Horde?

+ The Mok'nathal Clan are already part of the Horde.

+ Most half-ogres have already joined the Horde. Thrall could probably call on many of the rest if needed^{APG 6}

+ A race descended from two current Horde races: orcs and ogres. The Mok'Nathal Clan aside, who says that the breeding has stopped entirely? ;)

Few orcs would willingly breed with the gigantic ogres.^{HPG 6} But still...

? Originally bred as violent shock troops, which would have power of an ogre with the intelligence and cunning of an orc, for a war that ended too soon. Because their ties to second war, Thralls new hordes opinion may be questionable. They are, though, nowadays mostly found in orc encampments.

High elf

First seen in Warcraft 2

General

+ Search for new homeland would be a good backstory for quests.

+ Well established lore. Current equipment and classes are applicable.

? Very few high elves still exist...High elf numbers are so diminished by the war and then by the desertion of the blood elves that the high elf race, and high elf society, no longer exists as a contemporary concept. They depend on the charity of the Alliance, relying more on it than it does on them. The remaining high elves are sadly too few in number to play a major role in things right now...^{APG 129, 131, 166} High elven population is possibly too low to support player population.

However, careful cross-referencing of data given by the RPG books, according to Brann Bronzebeard's official figures^{LoC 11LoM 4} in Lands of Mystery and Lands of Conflict, high elves have a population of about 25,720, with most living in Stormwind: much higher than his total of 9,958 Darkspear trolls (a playable race) left on Azeroth.

Also Wrath of the Lich King clearly shows that the high elf society has been regrouping, rangers from Outland has returned and the Silver Covenant has been formed by Vereesa Windrunner.

- Traditional capital of Silvermoon now in hands of the blood elves.

However, having them share a capital with the humans in Stormwind would actually work quite well lore wise.

- Their language of Thalassian is used by the blood elves.

The lack of interaction between the two races might enable a "Common" or "Orcish" dialect. Blizzard also toyed with the idea of the blood elves using sindassi in the BC alpha.

Join the Alliance?

+ A faction of high elves known as the Silver Covenant is already part of the Alliance.

? The High Elves could address the Alliance's higher amount of warriors than the Horde: similarly to the Blood Elves, they would probably not use warriors. However, this may make class choices too similar to those of the Blood Elves. However, both blood elves and high elves have warriors in both the RPG (Kin Lighteye) & mmo npcs lore, denying a lore based reasoning behind the choice of classes seen in WoW. High elves would less be less likely to have paladins as high elf paladins are rare. This would give some variation.^{WoWRPG APG 76}

- Night elves and high elves almost universaly distrust each other, sometimes this erupts into pure hatred.^{WRPG #?A&HC #?WoWRPG #?APG #?}

? According to the rpg it is possible for some high elves and night elves to overcome this distrust, a good example being in the town of Auberdine^{WRPG 193} Warcraft 3: Frozen Throne - night elf story line suggests at least possible for amicable relationship between some blood elves and night elves. Note Maiev & Tyrande's conversation with the blood elf Kael, also in Wrath of the lich king the Silver Covenant has allowed Night Elves to join their faction, and Fiora Longears is allowed to stay in Auberdine, and Strand of the Ancients high elven emmisaries are allowed to enter Darnassus, so relations may be improving.

This would most likely be represented by high elves and night elves starting neutral to each other (similar to how blood elves and forsaken start out neutral to the rest of the Horde).

The rpg also discusses a distrust between Ironforge dwarves, and night elves (although not nearly to the same extent) but this hasn't kept them from being playable.

Join the Horde?

- All remaining high elves are utterly disgusted by the blood elves. They consider the lengths to which the blood elves have gone to be completely insane, and seek to distance themselves from blood elves as much as possible.^{A&HC #?WoWRPG #?APG #?}

- Also a large faction of High elves called the Silver Covenant directly opposes the horde and the blood elves despite the restoration of the sunwell.

Leper Gnomes

First seen in World of Warcraft

General

+ Leper gnomes already have graphical support for utilizing equipment, armor and weapons.

+ The Leper Gnomes are considered their own race, mutated from their gnomish cousins according to Monster Guide. They have been given their own "racial traits" & culture in the book.^{MG 84, 85} Albeit they are more like simply irridated Gnomes.

+ Graphics for females already exist in-game.

+ Tigole mentioned that they definitely have more plans for gnomes...^[3]

? Leper gnomes currently have reskinned gnome model. If they become playable, they will likely get new model like high and bloodelves.

? The leper gnomes continue to fight the troggs in Gnomeregan. This could be motivation to join either side.

- Recently, leper gnomes are in the company with Dark Iron dwarves. Leper gnomes have undertaken diplomatic missions to the Dark Iron dwarves. Many theorize that Thermaplugg is attempting an alliance between the two underground races, in an attempt to strengthen his own forces and finally defeat the troggs. With the exception of the Dark Iron dwarves, they regard all other races as intruders and quickly put them down.^{MG 84}

The Forsaken used to work for the Dark Horde, but abandoned it when they joined the Horde.WoWRPG 166

-Leper gnomes as a whole suffer from an intensely paranoid xenophobia, fearing that other races seek to encroach upon their territory. Thus, few leper gnomes ever leave Gnomeregan or interact willingly with a foreign race.^{MG 85}

-The leper gnomes racial language is Gnomish, the languages already used by the Alliance gnomes.^{MG 85}

But this could be changed in the same way as Forsakens and Blood Elves do not speak common.'

- They inhabit Gnomeregan, which is too close to Ironforge to be a capital city, and is already featured as an instance.

Their leveling zone and capital will most likely be (if ever added) in separate instanced zone.

- Leper Gnomes are insane, due to the irridation. The poisoning that twisted their bodies caused perverse madness. While individuals among them may seem saner than others, all are irrevocably twisted. This madness leads them to attack anyone who isn't a leper gnome^{MG 84} They also program their robots to attack anyone who isn't a leper gnome as well.^{MG 21} The only exception is Dark Iron dwarves.^{MG 84}

Being insane is not barrier becoming playable race, some forsakens are too insane. (see:Augustus for example)

- Their leader, Sicco Thermaplugg, is featured as a raid boss.

Sicco Thermaplugg could be killed in lore, giving the leper gnomes a reason to find a new leader.

-They are Chaotic Neutral, which means they only care for those that are in their group.

Join the Alliance?

- True gnomes, are considered their worst enemies, in their minds. They are whom they blame for their current existence. They regard High Tinker Mekkatorque as a demon, and his followers not much better. A leper gnome never associates with a regular gnome, preferring to kill or torture them rather than to work with them.^{MG 84}

? There are gnomes in the Alliance trying to find a cure for leper gnomes seeing them as being only sick. Although a cured leper gnome would be a true gnome.

Join the Horde?

? Leper gnomes are found in Silvermoon (with no explanation). A possible leper gnome is also found in Undercity, Ganoosh.

? Could ally against their common enemy, the Gnomes.

? Forsakens may help leper gnomes find cure to their sickness.

- The Horde has a teleporter that allows to raid Gnomeregan, the Horde interacts with Gnomeregan in the quest Quest:Rig Wars, goblin Nogg asks you to steal Thermapluggs papers. This involves killing Sicco Thermaplugg for the combination to his safe. Many other leper gnomes that get in the way, and are hostile to the Horde. The horde also kills the leper gnome's allies the Dark Iron dwarves, obtaining Nog's ring.

Raiding gnomeregan when leper gnomes are known to be hostile to all intruders, and killing their leader, many of their kind, and their allies isn't likely to get on the good side of the leper gnomes.

- Seems unlikely that they would be accepted due to the fact that they are indeed a subrace of Gnomes, if they look and act different.

Draenei Lost Ones

First seen in Warcraft 3

General

+ Draenei Lost Ones, despite being simply mutated draenei, have a distinctly different culture and social structure to their draenei relatives, presenting a wholly different class choice. They can even be druids.

- Lost Ones appear to be strongly tied to Outland, which has already been featured in WoW's first expansion.

- Blizzard and NPC's seem to imply that they are inherently inferior to other draenei and don't deserve to live.

- Draenei Lost Ones are hostile, with few exceptions. All notable lost ones were retconned, and now only few non-aggressive lost ones wander in Shattrath city as refugees.

But there may still be neutral lost one tribe.

Dark Iron dwarves

First seen in World of Warcraft

General

+ The Thorium Brotherhood shows that dark irons can work with others.

+ There are unexplored areas both east and west of the Burning Steppes that could be the location of the dark irons starting zones.

- Always chaotic evil.

- They worship Ragnaros.

Join the Alliance?

- Bronzebeards and Dark iron dwarves hate each other

...However, Moira's (unborn) half-bronzebeard half-dark iron child may give reason to peace and friendship at least with some dark irons.

Join the Horde?

? The Horde has had little or no recorded contact with Dark irons.

Vrykul

First seen in World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

General

+ They are a new race introduced in Wrath of the Lich King.

+ They have their own unique model.

+ They have their own unique architecture.

+ They have unique language, Vrykul.

? Ymiron could be killed in lore, giving reason to find a new leader.

? After the Lich King has been defeated, they may need a new ally.

- They serve the Lich King, and are hostile to everyone else.

- They are "giants" or rather half-giants approximately twice as tall as humans. There are very few doors that giants can fit through ingame.

Join the Alliance?

? Humans descended from them, so that might give them reason to join the Alliance.

- According to Anguish of Nifflevar, vrykul (or at least their king) hate their descendants, seeing them as "weak and ugly".

Join the Horde?

+ According to Anguish of Nifflevar, vrykul (or at least their king) hate their descendants, seeing them as "weak and ugly". So they may more likely join the Horde.

? Vrykul are somewhat of a barbaric race, and would fit well with most of the Horde. They also have similar honor beliefs and culture like orcs.

- They serve the Lich King, and are hostile to everyone else. This makes it unlikely that they will join the Horde.

Although this does not mean a rebel faction cannot arise.

Frost vrykul

First seen in World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

General

+ They are a new race introduced in Wrath of the Lich King.

+ They have their own unique model.

+ Some frost vrykul like the Hyldnir are independent and in great need of help since the scourge and giants are running rampant through their habitat.

+ They have their own unique architecture.

+ They have unique language, Vrykul.

- They are "giants" or rather half-giants approximately twice as tall as humans. There are very few doors that giants can fit through ingame.

- Most male Frost Vrykul are undead Ymirjar, and most if not all living ones are all female.

Wildhammer dwarves

General

+ Unique culture, history and lifestyle, different from normal dwarves: Gryphons, shamanism, and some druidism. Wildhammers also use tattoos that could be feature in character creation.

? Homeland and leader both reside in the Hinterlands which is already a higher level zone.

Their leveling zone and capital will most likely be (if ever added) in separate instanced zone.

? Have already been faction (removed in patch).

? Used to be neutral.

- Architecture is notably similar to any other dwarven structures

Join the Alliance?

+ Already part of the alliance

Join the Horde?

? Favor shamanistic magic which is part of the culture of most races of the horde.

Well, draenei practice shamanism, too...

- Already part of the Alliance and would most likely not side against their allies

Notes and other idea pages

• Previous suppositions about the Alliance new race for the Burning Crusade expansion can be found here.
• In-depth ideas:
  • Mok'Nathal ideas
  • Half-elf ideas by Noobi666.
  • Leper gnome ideas by Noobi666.
  • New WOTLK race Ideas by Tangycat.
  • Tigon Race Ideas by Tangycat.

References

v • d • e Speculative WoW content ideas Race ideas · Related race ideas · Class ideas · Profession ideas · Instance ideas · Zone ideas Expansion ideas: Northrend expansion ideas · Great Sea expansion ideas · Emerald Dream expansion ideas