Ratfolk

SEE ALSO...

Despite how much /tg/ doesn't like to admit it, when it comes to designing non-human races to fill a setting, if an author doesn't go for the "rubber forehead" angle - "human, but X", ala the elf, the dwarf, the halfling, the orc, etc - then usually their go-to for race design is the "humanoid animal" angle.

Catfolk and dog-people, such as D&D's Lupins and Gnolls, are the most common races of this variety to show up, but other races do occasional rear their heads. One of the most common of these uncommon variants are the Ratfolk; humanoid rats (or, more rarely, mice).

Basic Traits

Ratfolk are, like most tabletop furry races, colored by their bestial basis and perception of that race in common culture. So, at the least, ratfolk tend to be shorter-lived than humans, but produce large families. Because of the rat's general negative symbolism in Western culture as a filthy, swarming, disease-spreading pest, ratfolk are usually a "bad guy" race; they tend to be dirty scavengers if not outright evil, often of dubious intelligence, prone to diseases, naturally scheming and/or treacherous, and generally unpleasant. Needless to say, this slots them heavily into the "obvious bad guy" niche.

Ironically, those who have actually studied rats usually report that most of these traits are pretty much wrong. For example, rats are fastidious groomers, very social, and quite emphatic.

Prominent Ratfolk in /tg/ Media

The most obvious and well-known of Ratfolk in anything related to /tg/ are the Skaven, who are dark fantasypunk takes on pretty much everything about the "evil ratfolk" standard depiction.

Ratfolk appear as a Titan-spawned evil race in the Scarred Lands setting.

Ratfolk appear as a benevolent race of traders and merchants in the Pathfinder setting. Their Wicked Fantasy counterparts, the Rodduns, have more of a noble gangster vibe.

Nezumi are one of the only two non-hostile non-human races in the Legend of the Five Rings universe, the other being the Naga. They are characterised for being heavily resistant to Taint and for having a more practical outview than the honorable-to-the-point-of-stupidity not!Japanese humans. The Crab clan, which shares their practical outlook, has a standing alliance with them that's survived several editions, and severe punishments await any dumbass that shows up with one of their heads instead of a goblin's, as they've just demonstrated a stupid inability to distinguish between friend and foe.

Ratfolk vs. Kobolds

Since ratfolk tend to be given the role of "small, stupid, swarming, low-threat monstrous humanoid", the same role classically given to Kobolds, it's not unheard of for ratfolk to either replace kobolds or to be given their name.

For example, in the Warcraft setting, kobolds are dim-witted ratfolk miners with an obsession with candles and characterized by their broken "English". Hence the infamous meme, "You no take candle!"