The following is not an exhaustive dissertation on the subject. Rather it’s a brief observation of a grand subject.
Tolkien actually started it, I believe, by humanizing orcs and goblins. Sure they played the role of evil in his books, but they were intelligent, sentient beings.
They were a portrayal or depiction of the total depravity or lack of goodness which men can so easily exhibit which some world leaders of Tolkien’s day poignantly proved.
As a picture of this evil Tolkien used orcs, goblins and other foul beasts whereas his picture of the good guys came through men and elves, dwarves and hobbits. Evil creatures were just as intelligent and advanced as their good counterparts. They wore armor, used steel weapons, made fire and for all intents and purposes lived lives just like those they fought against save they were always evil.
Fast forward to Star Trek and Star Wars and we see the creation of all manner of sentient beings to populate the “monster” lists; lizard men, insect men, snake men, aliens, etc. The next progression comes from Arneson, Gygax and Dungeons & Dragons. We see half-orc characters appear and the beginning of a goodness in these formerly evil beings arises.
Fast forward again and we see frogmen, catmen and rabbit folk appear and the humanization of the monster community takes new forms.
Now there’s literally dozens of creatures which role players can take as characters while many other former monsters of ancient times, i.e. goblins, bugbears and trolls are just as intelligent and advanced as humans.
The word monster has lost it’s definition. It’s become far too gray and muddled.
Mystic Days has attempted to return to the time when monsters were monsters and goblins, hobgoblins, ogres and trolls didn’t dress in chainmail and carry swords, but were actually monstrous in every definition and existed to kill and destroy that which was good through bloodthirsty cunning and the cruel weapons of claw and fang.
Monsters are monsters in Mystic Days. If you want monsters with armor and fire-forged weapons you need look no further than humans, elves and dwarves for these characters just as people in the real world can be as evil as any monster of mythology.
Let the monsters be monsters and let players run characters from a handful of different character species.
In Mystic Days this is one of many ways we strive to differentiate our game from the countless other games on the market.