Animal Race: The Untamed

[XavierWyldefyre]

OK, I've had this idea running around in my head for months now and am finally going to just post it in here.

What I'm proposing is a race from a MMO game called Perfect World. They have a race in it called the Untamed which are pretty much a race of anthropomorphic animals. What makes them "special" is that they take the form of an animal. In the game it's either a tiger or a fox, but as this is HERO we can expand that some, cant we? ;)

I'll put down more of my ideas as they come to me, but I would like to see what the rest of you think, especially if you're familiar with or play Perfect World yourself.

[Killer Shrike]

Check out Keith Curtis' Savage Earth setting; anthropomorphic animal sentient races are prominent.

[XavierWyldefyre]

I took a look at that, and it has some pretty interesting ideas in it which I'll probably use myself for how my anthro critters became anthro's. I'm wondering though, how many things have changed with the 5th Edition HERO Bestiary? I have the 4th Edition one, but am curious.

I ask because it'd be useful to have the info on the animal types, as well as needing to know how much work I'll need to do with updating information.

[Killer Shrike]

Wait...do you mean you want anthropomorphic "furries" playable races, or do you mean you want people to play animals with sentience?

[Curufea]

I think he means they are some kind of were creature. Retaining some animal traits in humanoid form (the Japanese/Chinese predilection for tails and ears at least) and being able to transform into an animal

[Killer Shrike]

Ah. Here is a "wulfwaren" Race package from my San'Dora setting; they are lycanthropes:

Wulfwaren (http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/Content/RacePackageDeals/Human/HumanWulfwaren.aspx)

Oh, and for that matter, here is a Lupin race package I did by request for someone at some point; they are humanoid wolfmen:

Lupin (http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/Content/RacePackageDeals/Humanoids/Lupin.aspx)

[XavierWyldefyre]

Anthropomorphic in this case refers to human like animals, so yeah furries pretty much.

As for them being Were-Creatures, not so much... The Animal form is a sort of spiritual power from what I gathered, just not one that's limited to the mystical types of that race.

[Ghost Archer]

So, will you be limiting your Barbarians to male and Venomancers to female? How about skyrays for the Untamed and those neat swords for humans. Of course, we elves already have wings.

[Ghost Archer]

Seriously . . . I think it is fairly simple to create the three races. Don't think of an Untamed as an animal rather just another character with fur. Your best bet would probably be a mutli-form then make up some package deals to simulate the various powers. As I am not familiar with playing an Untamed, I couldn't offer much in the way of ideas to represent their varied skills but I wouldn't think it would be very difficult.

Off hand, I'd think a Barbarian would have a high STR, CON and BODY with a fair DEX and a straight 10 INT and EGO. Being a huge, hulking tiger-wolf-panda man might increase PRE considerably.

For a Veno, more even STR, CON, BODY, INT and EGO with extra COM for the cute factor. (If you still use COM)

Elf archers, serious DEX, moderate STR, base BODY and CON and maybe an increase for INT and EGO if you want to use more magic.

Clerics, Moderate STR and major INT for all the magic, base DEX, BODY and CON.

Wizards, same as clerics while blademasters would be a lite version of a barbarian with a little veno mixed in.

The animal forms of the Veno and Barbarian would just be a multiform. While you could use Bestiary, you would probably have to modify things for a better fit but it would give you someplace to start.

GA

(Cufaen, lvl 60 archer, Sanctuary)

[XavierWyldefyre]

So, will you be limiting your Barbarians to male and Venomancers to female? How about skyrays for the Untamed and those neat swords for humans. Of course, we elves already have wings.

Actually, I would have the Barbarians AND Venomancers be both male and female. I'd also make it to where there would be more than just a tiger for an animal form. Those are my two biggest (only TBH) problems with the untamed. The gender thing should be self explanitory, though the animal form would be to suit the animal base. A wolf untamed should turn into a wolf in beast form etc...
As for the classes, I think I'm going to do my own thing with them. I'm not one to try and take a game and port it directly into the system, though I definitely will take the flavor and make it here. So I'm thinking the Barbarians would be likely to be divided up into the fighter types (prolly Barbarian and Heavy Fighter packages), the Venomancers are just Wizards that specialize with status effecting magics (poisons and the like), then again, there may be a case for there being a druidic venomancer type as well (seeing as from what I can tell they have alot of wood based attacks).
Some other things I'm thinking of using are definitely ranger and scout types, as well as shaman types (seems to fall in rather well with the concept). As for the flying mounts and swords those are just Followers and Vehicles respectively. And I agree that the Beast form would be a Multiform.

As for the humans and Winged Elves, those are really pretty self explanatory, even the Untamed would be fairly simple (I was thinking of taking the appropriate animal race package). The Multiform would probably be something that'd be bought later (still toying with that). The big snag is finding the material to get the animals to base the forms on. I have access to the 4th Edition Bestiary but am unsure how much 5th editionizing I'll need to do with it. Anywho I believe I'm done rambling now. Until next time.

(Riyuzuki, low level Blademaster...Heaven's Tear)

[pruttm]

I ask because it'd be useful to have the info on the animal types, as well as needing to know how much work I'll need to do with updating information.

I would think that for your purpose, a general write-up from either book would be a good enough springboard to help you start building a humanoid version of some sort of animal.

Heck, I'd probably do google searches and learn about the animal that way and then do the build. These days the Internet has way more info then a typical build of a living thing would have.

Pete