Re: Dwarves, Elves and Hobbits Need Not Apply!
One word: rishathra. I've always been fond of using some of the "Known Universe" species, with some modifications to make them more balanced for use by PCs. The Kzin make for decent badguys, but like Klingons, someone will want to play one, so you've got to have some flexibility. Maybe not all of them are devoted to subjugating all other races. Rather, like humans, they have a variety of cultures which span the gap between gregarious and friendly and deeply hostile.