I love elves, if they're well-done, but I just don't see them as a fit with Arabian flavor. Same with all the other Tolkien races, really, without some heavy modification. (The kind of modification, incidentally, that turned hobbits into kender.)

I vote:

  • Aasimar
  • Lizardfolk
  • Half-Djinn
  • Goblinoid
  • Camelfolk


Some notes, even though I doubt anything except my raw voting will actually be considered:

Camelfolk should be a Large or Medium-with-Powerful-Build race, to add that element into the setting. But not especially savage like Races of Stone Goliaths. (PCs, of course, can act savage if they want.)

If goblinoids are out, then I'd want halflings instead as a Small race influence.

Either Half-Genies or Genasi must certainly make an appearance, but I don't see the need for both. I prefer Genies, so I voted for Half-Djinn. I might change my vote if Genasi (all four kinds) were going to be re-flavored as genie offspring, though.

Whichever elemental race(s) turn out, they should be counterparts of the Aasimar. I think it's quite clever to have that instead of the cliche Aasimar/Tiefling pairing. They wouldn't have to be hated rivals, since elemental humanoids aren't necessarily evil, but they would be rivals.