mayapuppies Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 Hello all, I am working on writing up some species for my latest setting and I was wondering how much and what kind of information (other than mechanics) are you looking for in the description of a race. I'm not concerned with cultural things, this is pure genetics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawnmower Boy Posted December 19, 2011 Report Share Posted December 19, 2011 Re: How much and what kind of information Oh, you know. Which DNA sequences synthesise which proteins. That kind of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted December 20, 2011 Report Share Posted December 20, 2011 Re: How much and what kind of information Well some of these have mechanical implications, but.... Appearance. Passes for Human? Passes for Equine? Big and scary with fangs and red eyes? Deceptively small and fluffy? Variations due to age, sex, caste, ethnic group/breed? Diet. Eats shoots and leaves? Eats, shoots, and leaves? A scavenger feeding upon carrion? A parasite feeding upon bloood? Consumes gold? Consumes princesses? Or one of those disgusting omnivores like Humans that eats almost anything? Tool use? Y/N Language use? Able to understand Human/Humanoid language? Able to speak? In short, how do they communicate among themselves and with others? Activity cycle. Nocturnal? Diurnal? Hibernates? Needs little or no sleep? Can be active any time? Sensorium. How do they percieve the world? Natural (or not natural) Enemies. A major component of the diet of dragons? Has organs extremely useful and valuable to wizards or alchemists? Scales treasured by armorers? Reproduction. Sexual? If so, sexual dimorphism? Details. Breeding season, or any time? Likely number of offspring, at once; likely number of offspring, over a lifetime? More than two sexes? Fission? Budding? Is each a deliberate construct? Reproduction by infection, like vampires or lycanthropes who transmit their condition via bite? Hivelike biology with reproduction restricted to a specialized caste? Are the young cared for, left to fend for themselves, eaten if they get in the way? Can they breed with anything else in the game world? If not cross-fertile, are they sexually compatible with anything else? Life Cycle. How long to reach adulthood? Average lifespan? Gregariousness. Complex interdependent hives? Solitary predators coming together only to mate? Congregate in packs or herds? Habitat. Aquatic, terrestrial, subterrannean, astral? Wide ranging (any land surface except glaciers, ice caps, high mountains) or restricted (tombs and crypts) or somewhere in between? Do they create structures to inhabit? Do they build towns or cities, or inhabit those built by others? Other biological or physiological notes. For example "Gargoyles are mixed lithovores, needing both meat and stone (or sand.) Some consume noble metals such as gold and silver because they have an intoxicating effect; shamans use these metals to enter trance states. Some become addicted, with eventual effects on mental and physical health, and sometimes the added degradation of consuming their own stools because the metals, while catalyzing the state of intoxication, are not metabolized. Alchemists sometimes purchase Gargoyle stools because of the small chance of recovering gold or silver from them." "Lizard Folk are immune to most diseases that afflict mammals, even rabies which is notable for the range of species it afflicts, but suffer increased penalties due to cold (see table.) Because their biology has both benefits and drawbacks it is not given a point cost and is considered 'special effects' of being a Lizard Folk." Lucius Alexander The palindromedary is a verbivore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Folded Posted December 20, 2011 Report Share Posted December 20, 2011 Re: How much and what kind of information Depends. If I'm the GM, give me lots of info, say 1,000 words or so. Basic info like Lucius suggests above, and some cultural stuff (if applicable), and an idea as to how the world around perceives them. If I'm a player, then limit it to what my character would know, which may include lots of misinterpretations, misunderstandings or downright lies from the community in which I grew up. All of this modified by my character's background, skills and racial/cultural history. Example (for players): Orksez is big greenie gize whut lovez ta plant axeses in human skullz an' eatz dere skinz. Example (for GMs): Orks (translates as "People"), are a race of humanoids with a complex social structure based on the presence of certain extremely limited natural resources necessary for Orkish survival. Typically seen as having a greenish cast to their skin, they range in coloration from dark brown to a mottled grey, with the green aspect primarily indicating youth and physical immaturity (i.e. pre-breeding age). As they require a diet high in copper (approximately 3x the human requirements), their ranges are generally limited to mountainous areas with high mineral content, leading them to pursue a nomadic herding lifestyle with a few permanent settlements in strategic locations built around trade in cupric sulfide, which is used as a spice similar to the way that humans use sodium chloride salts. Most interactions between humans (and other races) and Orks are considered to be responses by the Orks to invasions of their ancestral lands and a threat to these vital resources. Orkish politics are largely non-violent (as are most Orks, unless cornered). It is because younger Orks are the most common soldiers that the term 'greenskin' has become a popular pejorative amongst non-Orkish races. This is not to say that Orks are not aggressive in their youth, but will, for the most part, leave alone those they do not feel directly threatened by. There have been some in history who have perverted Ork culture in order to acquire a large army, but these persons have always, ultimately, failed to unite the Ork peoples as a whole. To those fortunate enough to attend one of their musical gatherings, the experience is one of primal beauty, with intricate percussion, voice, and woodwind performances, along with dancing said to encompass entire tribes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted December 20, 2011 Report Share Posted December 20, 2011 Re: How much and what kind of information I wrote up a set of papers with titles like "What Everyone Knows About Elves" (not 100% accurate) and "What Elves Know." Same for Dwarves, Goblins, etc. Lucius Alexander What Does Everyone Know About Palindromedaries? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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