The new races in racialtypes works, but only for monsters in toolset. The main problem is that you cannot modify the race GUI selection in the character creation and the subraces has no meaning in terms of engine.
The subrace field is just a text, it does not make you to be different race itself or give you different abilities, builder must script that from scratch in module. And both changing race or abilities is not possibly without engine hacks like NWNX.
So it usually works as this. A multiplayer module with NWNX support has a script in OnEnter where it checks race and what player typed into subrace. If race matches elf and subrace drow then the script will:
- remove elf ability bonuses
- apply different ability bonus
- perhaps do other stuff like changing the appearance or skin color
Other features such as harmed by a daylight are then scripted separately. This would be done in a OnEnter script for area or in player heartbeat script (default). It will again check the player race and subrace and if it matches to desired values then the penalty follows.
etc. but technically speaking there are no subraces, that only a text that will be showed instead of race in the character sheet for player - engine will however still recognize character as a member of the selected race and it does not make any changes itself just for being subrace. (There is few exception like that some spells or abililities might check the subrace field and if its vampire then they might treat player as if he were vampire - sunburst case. But these are single exceptions.)
Also, keep in mind that changing race with NWNX after character creation itself won't give the character racial feats of the new race nor it removes the feats of original race.
Madwack's suggestion works but its hardly a choice for a multiplayer server. But we don't know what are you working on anyway.