What are _____ like in your game?

[Old Man]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

 

So I've usually tended to assume that "Goblins" are a unitary species, perhaps called by different names in different languages, and possibly manifesting different cultures in different regions.

 

Hey, that's pretty good. Same species but over time have different appearance and culture. Just like humans!

[Old Man]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

The gibblets? *runs away really fast*

 

Better than me. I was going to say boobies.

[Lethosos]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

Better than me. I was going to say boobies.

 

Boobies are good, too... but it's a lot harder to catch the ladies, if you get my drift...

[Old Man]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

Oh' date=' I'd agree. The problem is, the perception of dwarves and elves is so heavily skewed by the D20/D&D juggernaut on one side and the swarming hordes of Tolkein/Tolkein imitators on the other side, that to make something unique out of them is (IMO) simply too much trouble. I'd use them if I *wanted* a D and D type fantasy world. But then if I did, I'd probably just save myself some time and buy the Ebberon or IK setting.[/quote']

 

Of course that also works in the GM's favor. The D&D/Tolkien elf/dwarf identities are so firmly entrenched in the popular mindset that if you do want to use the stereotypes, no work is involved. Eberron hardly even mentions the elves--they're there, but everyone understands what they're like. Far, far more time is devoted to descriptions of the Warforged, which if anything have even more angst and munckin potential than the elves do.

 

But I don't want that, so I decided to simply ditch the names and all the associated baggage that comes with them. If I want a unique fantasy take on dwarves, it's far easier (IMO) to call them something else. Which is, in fact, exactly what I have done

 

But then you have to take on the additional task of fleshing out those races and educating players who might not be inclined to be so educated. That's the downside.

[Cantriped]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

Hmm, we need a seperate thread just for dwarves I think.

[Blue Jogger]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

Humans and near-humans

 

In my game, Humans have the unique abilty to have guarenteed survival in areas of no-magic. Despite this amazing 0 point ability, there are very few completely humans in my game.

 

 

Elves

 

All the elves died out (or attempted to go to places with higher magic) about 60 years ago. Now that magic has returned, there is a number of seemingly human children who despite being 20 to 30 years old, have not progressed much beyond 5 physically.

 

 

Shorties (Kobolds, Goblins, Hobgoblins, Halflings etc)

 

For reasons best not explained, this is a strain of humanoids that surrived. They breed with just about anything humanoid under 3 feet and produce other Shorties. Because the race endures a high mortality (mostly from having 5 BODY and 5 CON), they have come to accept death magic as a way of life.

[Lezentauw]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

Humans and near-humans

 

In my game, Humans have the unique abilty to have guarenteed survival in areas of no-magic. Despite this amazing 0 point ability, there are very few completely humans in my game.

 

The funny thing, when I use to play AD&D, I would play a human about 75% of the time if not more. The rest of the group would play one of the demi-humans, and would get upset that I did not pick a race that had infravision or some such non-sense as that.

 

Once D20 came out, that group now play humans predominately. The removal of "multi-classing", and the addition of bonuses for humans must appeal to the power-gamer in them...

 

As for Hobbits, thanks but no thanks. I am not too crazy about gnomes either, but I do like to use Dennis McKennins (Spelling) gem-eyed folk.

[catsman]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

I ran a short live game where the players ran into an older "race" that was created by the dwarves. The where the Burloch Trinur (Bur-lock trin-or), A race of Stream powered constructs.

The where made to look like humans in full plate, the armor hiding the sturdy cog work inside. Often the armor was made of heavy bronze and Copper, leaving the inside to be made of accual steel. To keep going the would eat coal (the mouth would open, allowing them to dump coal onto there furnace bellies) and drink water (by a straw built into the mouth)

They where made during one of the great wars between the dwarves and the goblins. The original idea was that they would take the soul of a dying warrior (voluntary of course) and magically bind it to a piece of crystal which was then placed in the head of the armored body. The war passed but the Burlch Trinur remained.

As time passed they augmented their own armor with ornamental designs, identifying each individual. They also modified their bodies so that some would have built in weapons (steam blast here, Spiked Mace hand there and so on). Eventually the Burloch Trinur left the lands of the dwarves to find their own, and faded into legend. That is until the players found a store house full of broken/crazed/dysfunctional ones.

Out of the 100 they found 1 was still functional and sane. Rathingor the Stonehammer joined they players for a short while (but then the game closed)

[Kenn]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

At one point I was contemplating a setting without traditional demi-humans, but where the Neanderthal didn't die out, and basically filled the "orc"/"goblin" role. I would have also set an island out beyond something akin to the Wallace Line and have a race of "halfling" akin to Homo floresiensis. I considered researching other proto-human races to fill in the "elf" and "dwarf" roles.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

Besides my various Elf like races (detailed in the Elves thread). my campaign has a number of other races.

 

My setting is cross dimensional in origin, similar to Feists Riftwar saga or something from Moorcock. The basic premise is that this worlds is one that many of the originally earth based Tuatha De Dannan Sidhe fled to after they were conquered by the Formorians. The brought along human allies and many of their more magical brethren, such as creature of Faerie. There are Norse elements as well... in my backstory, the Vanir (Gods of the Elves) of norse myth are one and the same with the Tuatha De Dannan. They fought a war prior to the coming of the Formorians (The Children of Chaos and Old Night, whom the Norse call by many names, but who are predominantly what they would call Jotuns) and reached an accord/alliance. When the Dannan Sidhe fled Earths plane, many of the Vanir worshipping norsemen came with them. As such, while the northerners follow gods recognizable from Norse myth, you don't see any of the usual Asa-gods such as Odin or Thor. As the centuries passed, additional refuges from Earths Otherworld drifted in at various points, each bringing with them small bands of followers who have influenced cultural and technological drift.

 

Additional backstory. The Sidhe, seeking a new home, had very specfic requirements for a new plane to inhabit. It had to be a dimension where, much like earth, there were two almost overlapping planes of existance, an Otherworld with thin planar barriers, and a "real world" that echos the otherworld but is a more mundane place, with a greater quantity of chaos in the metaphysical balance (needed for the Sidhe to reproduce effectively... long story)

 

Anyway... Races...

 

Humans, of course. I have many "human" racial package deals to give humanity some variation. Northerner, Firstmen (essentially similar to Tolkiens Dunedain), Darklanders, Hillclans, Llrondran (very similar in feel to the Granbretanians from Hawkmoon), Drune, Easterners, etc... I'm pretty sure I'm missing some, but I'm not gonna dig out my notes.

 

Fae. The Otherworldly servants, creations and friends of the Sidhe. many are intelligent personifications of natural elemnts or locations in the Otherworld, able to take form as a discreet entity in the "real" world. Most earth based mythological non evil critters fall into this broad heading.

 

Natives. These are the various races who inhabited this new plane of existance before the coming of the Sidhe and their human allies. they are the only races capable of harnessing the native form of wild magic that exists in this plane. My campaigns main "dwarves" fall into this category (There actually are more traditional norse style dwarves among the fae but they are few in number)... the Seroli, who are short statured, dark eyed,wild haired, beardless, carnivorus, xenophobic crafters of strange artifacts. The various anthropomorphic races (felines, reptilians, and insectoids) are also native races.

 

Formori. These are my "dark" races. Spawned of the elder Formorians, the lasser formori are all children of chaos and as such are essentally mutants. Many names are used to descibe them, but they are essentially descriptive categories rather than races in and of themselves. Goblins are small formori. Ogres are big ones with mostly mamillian traits. Trolls are big ones who tend to wards reptillian or amphibian traits. Most "monsters" are formori.. the nature of chaos in my game is such that many of the non sterile formori, as well as the chaotic "elves" can breed with just about anything... any genetic incompatibility is replaced with wildcard genetic factors, leading to weird mutations and chimerical beings.

A few of the more common mutations can become stable if the population becomes isolated. The best examle of this are the Ardach, a race orginially counted among the formori as a kind of ogrish being (half giants, package deal wise) who rebelled against their masters and formed their own culture, one strictly predicated on a philosophy of spartan living and strict cultural military style discipline. Due to the tennets of their battle religion, Ardach hire themselves out as mercenaries to other races.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

I ran a short live game where the players ran into an older "race" that was created by the dwarves. The where the Burloch Trinur (Bur-lock trin-or)' date=' A race of Stream powered constructs. [/color']

The where made to look like humans in full plate, the armor hiding the sturdy cog work inside. Often the armor was made of heavy bronze and Copper, leaving the inside to be made of accual steel. To keep going the would eat coal (the mouth would open, allowing them to dump coal onto there furnace bellies) and drink water (by a straw built into the mouth)

They where made during one of the great wars between the dwarves and the goblins. The original idea was that they would take the soul of a dying warrior (voluntary of course) and magically bind it to a piece of crystal which was then placed in the head of the armored body. The war passed but the Burlch Trinur remained.

As time passed they augmented their own armor with ornamental designs, identifying each individual. They also modified their bodies so that some would have built in weapons (steam blast here, Spiked Mace hand there and so on). Eventually the Burloch Trinur left the lands of the dwarves to find their own, and faded into legend. That is until the players found a store house full of broken/crazed/dysfunctional ones.

Out of the 100 they found 1 was still functional and sane. Rathingor the Stonehammer joined they players for a short while (but then the game closed)

 

Cool idea. It might be stolen for my Llrondrans

 

At one point I was contemplating a setting without traditional demi-humans' date=' but where the Neanderthal didn't die out, and basically filled the "orc"/"goblin" role. I would have also set an island out beyond something akin to the Wallace Line and have a race of "halfling" akin to Homo floresiensis. I considered researching other proto-human races to fill in the "elf" and "dwarf" roles.[/quote']

There is a whole thread dedicated to this idea from a while back. It's workable and pretty cool. Of course, I LOVED 13th Warrior

[Lucius]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

 

the nature of chaos in my game is such that many of the non sterile formori, as well as the chaotic "elves" can breed with just about anything... any genetic incompatibility is replaced with wildcard genetic factors, leading to weird mutations and chimerical beings.

A few of the more common mutations can become stable if the population becomes isolated.

 

 

 

This sounds remarkably like how I handle Trolls...

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary is pestering me

[Kenn]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

The funny thing, when I use to play AD&D, I would play a human about 75% of the time if not more. The rest of the group would play one of the demi-humans, and would get upset that I did not pick a race that had infravision or some such non-sense as that.

 

Once D20 came out, that group now play humans predominately. The removal of "multi-classing", and the addition of bonuses for humans must appeal to the power-gamer in them...

 

As for Hobbits, thanks but no thanks. I am not too crazy about gnomes either, but I do like to use Dennis McKennins (Spelling) gem-eyed folk.

 

Is this the group you and Savinien frequently regale me with stories about?

[Markdoc]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

Most "monsters" are formori.. the nature of chaos in my game is such that many of the non sterile formori' date=' as well as the chaotic "elves" can breed with just about anything... any genetic incompatibility is replaced with wildcard genetic factors, leading to weird mutations and chimerical beings.[/quote']

 

This sounds remarkably like how I handle Trolls...

 

And, strangely enough, pretty much how I handle the fae, who include both "elf types" and "dwarf types" as well as "giant types" and "troll types" as well as "dire beasts".

 

It's one of the nice things about fantasy games in the Hero system. I tend to use far more unique monsters. So for example the players in my game recently fought a giant "star-worm tentacally thing". That is very likely the one and only of its kind. There will, to be sure, be other giant wormy things and also things bedecked with tentacles in their future. But they will also be unique, so I don't have to worry about breeding or "the ecology of the Beholder" or similar such nonsense.

 

cheers, Mark

[Lucius]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

And, strangely enough, pretty much how I handle the fae, who include both "elf types" and "dwarf types" as well as "giant types" and "troll types" as well as "dire beasts".

 

It's one of the nice things about fantasy games in the Hero system. I tend to use far more unique monsters. So for example the players in my game recently fought a giant "star-worm tentacally thing". That is very likely the one and only of its kind. There will, to be sure, be other giant wormy things and also things bedecked with tentacles in their future. But they will also be unique, so I don't have to worry about breeding or "the ecology of the Beholder" or similar such nonsense.

 

cheers, Mark

 

 

Oh, you still have to worry about how the creatures came to be and how they fit into their world. But, like the slayers of the chimerical monsters of myth, your players can feel they have defeated a unique challenge no one has overcome before, and that no one will have to face again.

 

And when the dying Beast of the Green Tower warns them that it will be avenged by its brother, they may realize they'll have to face, not just a bigger, stronger version of the same thing (with the same weaknesses) - but maybe a creature they'd never even recognize as being related.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary denies being related to Lucius Alexander

[Markdoc]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

Oh' date=' you still have to worry about how the creatures came to be and how they fit into their world.[/quote']

 

Not really - except in the most abstract of senses. The giant star worm tentacally thing came riding a beam of light down out of the sky (happens all the time!). A hero locked it in a hole long ago. Recently someone inadvertantly let it out, since when it has been eating everything in the vicinity. It is after all, a monster and in most cases, an analysis of what it is doing and why simply isn't necessary.

 

Why, after all, was the sphinx besieging Thebes? If there ever was a known reason, no-one saw fit to record it. Personally, I think it was there for the same reason as the giant star worm tentacally thing in my game: so the heroes could kill it.

 

Other monsters will have specific backstories and reasons for being: but I already know most of them won't (at least not beyond a two sentence description).

 

cheers, Mark

[Cantriped]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

Mmmhm, Tenticaled monsters from out of the depths... the other vaguly purple meat.

[Lucius]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

 

Why, after all, was the sphinx besieging Thebes? If there ever was a known reason, no-one saw fit to record it.

 

I've always wondered about that.

 

Okay, _I_ would still worry about where they came from and how they fit into the world.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary calls me a worrywort.

[Markdoc]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

I've always wondered about that.

 

Okay, _I_ would still worry about where they came from and how they fit into the world.

 

Where did they come from?

 

It's like that scene in Lord of the Rings, where Gandalf tells Frodo that someone "meant" for Bilbo to find the ring and that Frodo in turn was "meant" to have it. He's quite right, of course. The author meant Bilbo to find the ring and he meant Frodo to get it.

 

Why was the sphinx beseiging Thebes? So that Oedipus could defeat it thereby becoming a hero, thereby marrying the queen, thereby getting to bone his mom. The author decided it. If Oedipus had arrived in a sphinx-less Thebes, he probably would have gotten a job shifting amphora on the docks, married a fisherman's daughter and spent his spare time drinking and complaining about how his feet hurt. All a bit too postmodernist for me, really.

 

cheers, Mark

[Lucius]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

Where did they come from?

 

It's like that scene in Lord of the Rings, where Gandalf tells Frodo that someone "meant" for Bilbo to find the ring and that Frodo in turn was "meant" to have it. He's quite right, of course. The author meant Bilbo to find the ring and he meant Frodo to get it.

 

cheers, Mark

 

 

Really? I seem to recall reading that when Tollkein wrote The Hobbit, he had not yet decided to tie it all into the big epic he was working on, and when Bilbo Baggins found the Ring, Tollkein didn't know any more than Baggins did that it would turn out to be THE Ring.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

When I first saw a palindromedary, I had no idea how big a part it would play in my life....

[Markdoc]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

Really? I seem to recall reading that when Tollkein wrote The Hobbit' date=' he had not yet decided to tie it all into the big epic he was working on, and when Bilbo Baggins found the Ring, Tollkein didn't know any more than Baggins did that it would turn out to be THE Ring.[/quote']

 

Sure - at that point the GM (I mean, author) only meant to give away an invisibility ring. Later, of course he retconned it for a new bunch of players - errr, characters.

 

To be honest, however, I was really riffing on that lovely piece of text "the well-tempered plot device" http://news.ansible.co.uk/plotdev.html

 

cheers, Mark

[Curufea]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

Really? I seem to recall reading that when Tollkein wrote The Hobbit, he had not yet decided to tie it all into the big epic he was working on, and when Bilbo Baggins found the Ring, Tollkein didn't know any more than Baggins did that it would turn out to be THE Ring.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

When I first saw a palindromedary, I had no idea how big a part it would play in my life....

 

These days we call it reconning

[PhilFleischmann]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

So... Is anyone actually going to start a "What are Dwarves like in your game?" thread. Or one for any other race? Not that anyone has to. It seems quite apparent that the natures of Dwarves/Halflings/Gnomes/Humans/etc. are not nearly as controversial as the nature of elves. Elves seem to be the least "standardized."

 

In my game, the PC races are human, elf, dwarf, halfling, gnome, lizard-folk, and cat-folk. I am considering combining halflings and gnomes into one race, with only cultural differences separating them. This led me to the idea that all of the differences - cultural, polititcal, religious, etc. - between halflings and gnomes have their origin in one group wearing shoes and the other going barefoot.

 

Humans in my game are exactly as you'd expect: purple skin, wings, forked tail, dwelling far underground, three eyes, reproducing asexually, etc.

 

In addition to the more traditional giants, my campaign includes a race of good giants. I call them "mountain giants." They are loosely modeled on the big, dumb, friendly giants from Narnia. I just like the idea of the occasional friendly giant. "Twice the size, half the brains" the saying goes.

 

So here's my question: Does the idea that trolls regenerate come from somewhere other than deendee?

[Captain Obvious]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

So here's my question: Does the idea that trolls regenerate come from somewhere other than deendee?

 

That's the only place I've ever heard of it, other than some game sources that came after D&D and probably swiped it from them.

[Curufea]

Re: What are _____ like in your game?

 

The Hobbit is fairly traditional with Trolls - in that they are giants that turn to stone in daylight. That's quite folkloric.

Regeneration isn't AFAIK

Looking up the online Etymology dictionary-

 

troll (n.)

"ugly dwarf or giant," 1616, from O.N. troll "giant, fiend, demon." Some speculate that it originally meant "creature that walks clumsily," and derives from P.Gmc. *truzlan, from *truzlanan (see troll (v.)). But it seems to have been a general supernatural word, cf. Swed. trolla "to charm, bewitch;" O.N. trolldomr "witchcraft." The old sagas tell of the troll-bull, a supernatural being in the form of a bull, as well as boar-trolls. There were troll-maidens, troll-wives, and troll-women; the trollman, a magician or wizard, and the troll-drum, used in Lappish magic rites. The word was popularized in Eng. by 19c. antiquarians, but it has been current in the Shetlands and Orkneys since Viking times. The first record of it is from a court document from the Shetlands, regarding a certain Catherine, who, among other things, was accused of "airt and pairt of witchcraft and sorcerie, in hanting and seeing the Trollis ryse out of the kyrk yeard of Hildiswick." Originally conceived as a race of giants, they have suffered the same fate as the Celtic Danann and are now regarded in Denmark and Sweden as dwarfs and imps supposed to live in caves or under the ground.

 

[edit] O.N. = Old Norse