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Race based were-creatures for a high fantasy setting.


bigbywolfe

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Several different conversations (some of which I think were from this forum a while ago) regarding were-creatures in fantasy settings have been bouncing around my head lately. Some of the comments that sparked this particular idea included an assertion that were-rats were “stupid”, that in a fantasy setting with not only humans, elves, orcs, goblins, trolls, and gnomes but also “beast-men” like cat-folk, lizard-men, dragon-born, and bear-people that were-creatures were redundant, that someone preferred lycanthropy to be a curse/disease/or condition, not a sub-race/sub-culture, and an annoyance that humans seem to be the only race that regularly make appearances as were-beasts, undead, half-breads, et cetera.

 

What follows is not an actual setting idea, but something I think would be a fun/unique way to handle were-creatures in a high fantasy setting.

 

The only human were-creatures would be werewolves. No other races would have werewolves (which seems pretty standard) but humans wouldn’t have were-(insert animal here) other than wolves. So where does that leave were-rats and the rest? My idea is that every human-like race, including “greenskins” would have some type of were-beast. Maybe gnomes and goblins have were-rats. (Were-moles for hobbits?) A friend suggested orcs could be were-boars (some versions already have the tusks). If your elves have a slightly mysterious/Asian feel perhaps they could have were-foxes, the older, more powerful ones having more tails. Or if your elves are the “protectors of nature” type perhaps a were-form that incorporates plant life. If you have Warcraft style trolls (basically another type of “greenskin” like orcs and goblins instead of mountain/cave/ice/ et cetera trolls) they might be were-bats or were-bears depending on what physical attributes you picture them with. Dwarves? I’m not sure. Were-badgers perhaps? They’re sturdy, ferocious, and they burrow. To clarify, I’m not saying all goblins would be were-rats and all elves were-foxes, simply that that would be the type of lycanthropy available to their races. Whether lycanthropy is a curse, disease, or sub-race/culture would still be flexible depending on what the rest of the setting is like. Personally I picture this in a setting without a lot of other “beast-men” but that’s just personal preference.

 

So, what do you all think? Stupid? Interesting? Has it been done before and I missed it? Or is it brand new because it’s just daft? Comments, criticisms, questions, and suggestions are all welcome.

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Re: Race based were-creatures for a high fantasy setting.

 

I was going to read this as the title interested me.

But I can't see black text on a black background so I'm not gonna bother.

I might come back and highlight it later when I'm not feeling as cranky.

 

Some people have vision problems and set up the forum (or their browser) to a dark background with light colored text because it's easier to read than a blinding white background. Whatever you're doing is keeping my browser's add-on from displaying light colored text.

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Re: Race based were-creatures for a high fantasy setting.

 

I'm not "doing" anything. I never mess with the color settings. I did type it in a word processor so maybe that caused an issue when I copied/pasted but I can read it just fine and the text isn't light (not sure why you would think it was). It probably kept the black font from the WP, and since I leave everything on the default it looks normal to me since the default text color on the website is black. I'll try to fix it when I get to a real computer (typing this from my phone). Feel free to PM me ifyou ever notice a format issue with my posts.

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Re: Race based were-creatures for a high fantasy setting.

 

Nah, he's using the dark scheme of the forums and your cut and paste is pasting it black...possibly if you use the wysiwyg settings...rather than the default white print on the dark background it's dark on dark.

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Re: Race based were-creatures for a high fantasy setting.

 

Nah' date=' he's using the dark scheme of the forums and your cut and paste is pasting it black...possibly if you use the wysiwyg settings...rather than the default white print on the dark background it's dark on dark.[/quote']I thought that's what I said, though I don't know what a wysiwig is... So, any comments on the actual post?
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Re: Race based were-creatures for a high fantasy setting.

 

I like the ideas

 

 

I would go Gnome - weremole

Hobbit - weremouse? Rabbit?

Goblin - wererat

Orc - wereboar

Elf - love the fox idea for the exotic...or tiger for forest lords

Trolls could be tigers if you go fox elves

Dwarves - werebadgers

? - werebears

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Re: Race based were-creatures for a high fantasy setting.

 

I thought that's what I said' date=' though I don't know what a wysiwig is... So, any comments on the actual post?[/quote']

 

sorry! I got interrupted when I was posting on your ideas.

wysiwyg is "What you see is what you get."

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Re: Race based were-creatures for a high fantasy setting.

 

Several different conversations (some of which I think were from this forum a while ago) regarding were-creatures in fantasy settings have been bouncing around my head lately. Some of the comments that sparked this particular idea included an assertion that were-rats were “stupid”, that in a fantasy setting with not only humans, elves, orcs, goblins, trolls, and gnomes but also “beast-men” like cat-folk, lizard-men, dragon-born, and bear-people that were-creatures were redundant, that someone preferred lycanthropy to be a curse/disease/or condition, not a sub-race/sub-culture, and an annoyance that humans seem to be the only race that regularly make appearances as were-beasts, undead, half-breads, et cetera.

 

What follows is not an actual setting idea, but something I think would be a fun/unique way to handle were-creatures in a high fantasy setting.

 

The only human were-creatures would be werewolves. No other races would have werewolves (which seems pretty standard) but humans wouldn’t have were-(insert animal here) other than wolves. So where does that leave were-rats and the rest? My idea is that every human-like race, including “greenskins” would have some type of were-beast. Maybe gnomes and goblins have were-rats. (Were-moles for hobbits?) A friend suggested orcs could be were-boars (some versions already have the tusks). If your elves have a slightly mysterious/Asian feel perhaps they could have were-foxes, the older, more powerful ones having more tails. Or if your elves are the “protectors of nature” type perhaps a were-form that incorporates plant life. If you have Warcraft style trolls (basically another type of “greenskin” like orcs and goblins instead of mountain/cave/ice/ et cetera trolls) they might be were-bats or were-bears depending on what physical attributes you picture them with. Dwarves? I’m not sure. Were-badgers perhaps? They’re sturdy, ferocious, and they burrow. To clarify, I’m not saying all goblins would be were-rats and all elves were-foxes, simply that that would be the type of lycanthropy available to their races. Whether lycanthropy is a curse, disease, or sub-race/culture would still be flexible depending on what the rest of the setting is like. Personally I picture this in a setting without a lot of other “beast-men” but that’s just personal preference.

 

So, what do you all think? Stupid? Interesting? Has it been done before and I missed it? Or is it brand new because it’s just daft? Comments, criticisms, questions, and suggestions are all welcome.

 

As a were-badger myself, I refuse to be a dwarf. (though, i do hate being tossed)

 

Note: actually that would make sense as badgers like to burrow.

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Re: Race based were-creatures for a high fantasy setting.

 

I like the ideas

 

 

I would go Gnome - weremole

Hobbit - weremouse? Rabbit?

Goblin - wererat

Orc - wereboar

Elf - love the fox idea for the exotic...or tiger for forest lords

Trolls could be tigers if you go fox elves

Dwarves - werebadgers

? - werebears

 

Trolls could be werebears. Big and angry.

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Re: Race based were-creatures for a high fantasy setting.

 

I was going to read this as the title interested me.

But I can't see black text on a black background so I'm not gonna bother.

I might come back and highlight it later when I'm not feeling as cranky.

 

Some people have vision problems and set up the forum (or their browser) to a dark background with light colored text because it's easier to read than a blinding white background. Whatever you're doing is keeping my browser's add-on from displaying light colored text.

Was wondering about the font and presentation as well. Filtered it through Notepad, to get any Formatting Information out:

---Start Original---

Several different conversations (some of which I think were from this forum a while ago) regarding were-creatures in fantasy settings have been bouncing around my head lately. Some of the comments that sparked this particular idea included an assertion that were-rats were “stupid”, that in a fantasy setting with not only humans, elves, orcs, goblins, trolls, and gnomes but also “beast-men” like cat-folk, lizard-men, dragon-born, and bear-people that were-creatures were redundant, that someone preferred lycanthropy to be a curse/disease/or condition, not a sub-race/sub-culture, and an annoyance that humans seem to be the only race that regularly make appearances as were-beasts, undead, half-breads, et cetera.

 

What follows is not an actual setting idea, but something I think would be a fun/unique way to handle were-creatures in a high fantasy setting.

 

The only human were-creatures would be werewolves. No other races would have werewolves (which seems pretty standard) but humans wouldn’t have were-(insert animal here) other than wolves. So where does that leave were-rats and the rest? My idea is that every human-like race, including “greenskins” would have some type of were-beast. Maybe gnomes and goblins have were-rats. (Were-moles for hobbits?) A friend suggested orcs could be were-boars (some versions already have the tusks). If your elves have a slightly mysterious/Asian feel perhaps they could have were-foxes, the older, more powerful ones having more tails. Or if your elves are the “protectors of nature” type perhaps a were-form that incorporates plant life. If you have Warcraft style trolls (basically another type of “greenskin” like orcs and goblins instead of mountain/cave/ice/ et cetera trolls) they might be were-bats or were-bears depending on what physical attributes you picture them with. Dwarves? I’m not sure. Were-badgers perhaps? They’re sturdy, ferocious, and they burrow. To clarify, I’m not saying all goblins would be were-rats and all elves were-foxes, simply that that would be the type of lycanthropy available to their races. Whether lycanthropy is a curse, disease, or sub-race/culture would still be flexible depending on what the rest of the setting is like. Personally I picture this in a setting without a lot of other “beast-men” but that’s just personal preference.

 

So, what do you all think? Stupid? Interesting? Has it been done before and I missed it? Or is it brand new because it’s just daft? Comments, criticisms, questions, and suggestions are all welcome.

---End Original---

 

How about a generic theme, with specialistations by environment:

Plain elves: Cheetah

Wood Elves: Puma

Tropical Elves: Black panther

 

When you use that, you propably have to figure out "why" it happens this way. It can't really be that it devolutionizes, as that would make humans Were-Apes.

Maybe these are the common "spirit animals"? Or these are the holy animals of the god who created that species? Maybe all the sentient species were formed from animals, the same way the Myrmidons were fromed from Ants?

If the last one is true, could there be subraces of Elves, Humans and the like, based on wich animal they were formed from originally? I.e., there are Myrmidon-humans (Ant), the Fenris-humans (Wolfes), the Monkey-humans (Monkeys), ...

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Re: Race based were-creatures for a high fantasy setting.

 

The Fantasy Trip said that Lizard Men who got lycanthropy (a magical disease) became "dinosaurian."

 

Lucius Alexander

 

A were-palindromedary

 

Hmm, I kind of always thought of Lizard Men as dinosaurians in a sense. I'll have to think on this.

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Re: Race based were-creatures for a high fantasy setting.

 

Totem animals are what I'd go for as well.

 

Of course channelling totem animals is generally considered a good thing by cultures who revere them. Hunters and warriors draw upon the attributes of their totem to get skill and strength.

 

How does this work with Lycanthropy as a disease/curse? Perhaps some/all races in the setting have turned away from the old ways, (worshipping animal totems), and lycanthropy is caused by the animal spirits cursing their former children or trying to regain control of them through possession. Or perhaps lycanthropes are people that try to return to an older, more natural form of magic that is in tune with nature.

 

Alternatively, some DARK FORCEtm could have corrupted the animal totems so that what was once a benevolent or neutral form of magic has become twisted and evil.

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Re: Race based were-creatures for a high fantasy setting.

 

First and foremost, I'd think about what you want role you want lycanthropes to play. Is it a disease? A Curse? Something that PCs would/could willingly take? Or strictly for monsters?

 

Think about what your cultural aspects will be: as an example, in my last game, the "cultural bad guys" were "Sharkmen" (also called Destroyers). When the players first met them they just basically filled a generic monster slot - really big muscly guys who tried to kill and eat the PCs, on a semi-regular basis. As the game went on, the players discovered that they were part of a cult who worshipped "the Destroyer" - the personification of the concept that all life lived by consuming (literally or otherwise) other life and that the best thing was to be at the top of the food chain. The Sharkman form that the players encountered was actually something that was conferred on the cult's best warriors by a holy ritual, and which they could activate, making them stronger, tougher, more ferocious. The rest of the time they were human .. or humanish, anyway: over time they started taking on more and more sharkish qualities.

 

So to their own people, the Destroyers were heroic warriors: to everybody else, just monsters. That's a lycanthropic sort of thing, but different from your stereotypical werewolf. I don't have lycanthropes - as such - in my game, but I do have many varieties on human animal hybrids and some of those can shapechange, appearing as animal, human or a hybrid, depending on the creature. It can be involuntary or fully under control, again, depending on the creature. And how such creatures are seen, again, depends on the creature and on culture.

 

So I think the basic idea is fine: if that fits your game world. All you need now is a rationale: why do humans only spawn werewolves? Why do Orcs only spawn wereboars? etc.

 

cheers, Mark

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Re: Race based were-creatures for a high fantasy setting.

 

Totem animals are what I'd go for as well.

 

Of course channelling totem animals is generally considered a good thing by cultures who revere them. Hunters and warriors draw upon the attributes of their totem to get skill and strength.

 

How does this work with Lycanthropy as a disease/curse? Perhaps some/all races in the setting have turned away from the old ways, (worshipping animal totems), and lycanthropy is caused by the animal spirits cursing their former children or trying to regain control of them through possession. Or perhaps lycanthropes are people that try to return to an older, more natural form of magic that is in tune with nature.

 

Alternatively, some DARK FORCEtm could have corrupted the animal totems so that what was once a benevolent or neutral form of magic has become twisted and evil.

I had another idea for the Totem-Animal appraoch:

Nobody has [Racial Were-animal] as Totem animal. Those they get Lycantrhopy loose access to thier totem animal, but gain Werewolf Powers.

 

Another approach: Everyone has a totem animal and most can communicate with it (at a certain age, at least). But those poor that have [Racial were-animal] as Totem, are automatically "Lycantrophes". It's not so much a disease/infection, but a thing you are born with.

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Re: Race based were-creatures for a high fantasy setting.

 

I like the idea.

 

Markdoc made the point of needing to explain why only certain types of Lycanthrope are found in specific races, however with magic and divine intervention this does not have to be so important. How Magic interacts with different type of life can be an unknown and could be an interesting story/personal quest for players.

 

The lycanthrope in my current game were engineered by an ancient Mage using Chimera Magic for a war, his skill was such that the creations were genetically viable. He only used humans, for the simiple reason that slaves/serfs were human. The magic worked by altering the person's Aura(outer edge of Soul) and combining them with traits from a specific animal; Rats for spies & Assasins and Wolves for Guards for starters. Other changes were also made to the aura to enhance physical characters and regeneration. The changes to the aura imposed changes on the Body.

If a similair principle was used in relation to Racial Lycanthrope it could be explained that each races Aura was in a pattern that only allowed a specific animial traits to be bound to it. But with magic it could be just a easily said that the gods of each race chose a specific animal form to grant their chosen. If its a magical curse or disease it could simple react differently to different races.

 

Of course what is really interesting is if your world allows Half-Breeds. What Lycanthrope form would a Half Human-Elf have, or a Part Human, Dwarf and Orc possess. Is the Lycanthrope form a hybrid or will it be one of the parents. Of coarse the possibility exists that it could be a completely different form which no other race possesses, will all half-breeds have the same form or will it be random for each one.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Re: Race based were-creatures for a high fantasy setting.

 

Finally edited the initial post, hope everyone can read it now. Thanks for all the input so far, sorry I haven't participated more. Once I get my ideas a little more organized I'll have more questions and comments about what's been suggested.

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