Shadowsoul

Re: Never Built a follower before need assitance Then I would suggest leaving most of its characteristics at base but otherwise give it the benefits of the 'Tiny' package. It should still be strong enough to damage enemies and by dint of being a big black bird of sorcerous aspect it shouldn't loose too much presence. FREX 8. Easily Hidden. +6 to Concealment (12 Active Points); Self Only 30. Hard to Hit +6 DCV 12. Hard to Percieve. +6 to Stealth. Disadvantages. -5. Less Impressive. -5 PRE -18. Short Legs. -9" running. (1" minimum). -5. Weak. -5 Strength. -10. Physical Limitation - Tiny. The total cost of this modified size package is 12 points. (Or 50 points out of 60 with an extra 38 points gained from disadvantages if you prefer). Either way you have 48 points left to play with. Then I suggest adding some or all of the following, modified to your taste of course. 14. Bird Flight: Flight 6", x4 Noncombat (17 Active Points); Physical Manifestation - Wings (-1/4) 6. Beady Eyes: +3 Sight Perception. 10. Witchsight: Detect Supernatural Beings 11- (Mystic Group) 5. Claws and Beak: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1 point (1/2d6 w/STR) 7. Claws of Immaterial Rending: Deadly Blow: +1d6 (Only Against Spirits Or Spectral Beings) 5. Bond: Mind Link , Human class of minds, One Specific Mind Total Powers Cost = 47. I've already mentioned some possible skills. Occult knowledge or knowledge of spirits and Voodoo are also good skills here. Other possible Disadvantages include the inability to speak human languages, a disturbing aura, reduced Con, (because it's so small), reputation - Bird of Ill Omen and of course Social Limitation - "It's Just a Dumb Animal! Ignore it." How much these are worth is up to you. Does that help at all?

Re: Never Built a follower before need assitance If it's built on 60 points then it can't be a normal crow surely. It's got to have overpowered characteristics or extra skills or supernatural abilities. If the original character just want's a pet crow who can do a few tricks I would have thought it wouldn't need that many points. But anyway a follower is built just like a normal PC, there's no trick to it. I guess you start with the basics, if, (like me), you don't have the Bestiary to work from then you have to give it Flight, a very weak HKA (Claws and Beak, it could also have a 'frenzy' attack in which it claws and pecks away like mad, counts as low powered HKA with Autofire 2), and the various advantages and disadvantages of its size which you can find in the main rulebook; i've never measure a crow but I assume it would be Miniscule, or possibly Tiny. And unless it can speak human languages or its master can speak crow then you probably want to give it mind-link and/or telepathy. If it's a follower then you might not want to worry about giving it animal intelligence since crows are very clever creatures. http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38389&highlight=crow+build It would help if you could tell us what kind of character this crow is following and what they would find useful. A mage might want to use it as a conduit to cast spells with or it might just possess all sorts of occult knowledge. A scout or in fact any canny player might want to use it for reconaissance so extra Perception and perhaps some uncanny ability like magesight. Then there's mutations. An assassin or warrior might want to give it ridiculously large slashy claws or normal claws equipped with a poison gland. These are of course entirely dependent on the crow's intelligence and purpose but potential skills are Stealth, Concealment (only for finding interesting objects), Flight Tricks/Acrobatics, Lockpicking (tricky but not impossible with claws and a beak), Eavesdropping, Lip-reading, Mimicry, Shadowing and Teamwork (distracting the PC's enemy's in combat so he can get a blow in). Or it could just aid and abet it's master more directly. Perhaps it possesses levels of Luck and has the power to lend them to its master in times of peril. Or it can use some simple buffing spells.

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group... An as yet unnamed PC in my Black Powder Fantasy Game spoke these gloriously Pulp words while escaping from the villanous occupant of a deep sea cave during the latest session. "You underestimated us octopus-man!" Which sounds quite sensible compared to his earlier comment upon leaving the presence of the general who employs the party. "Yes and now I shall tally-ho."

Re: Nature + Fire = What? So what's Fire+Death? That's gotta be pretty spectacularly nasty.

Re: Revamping old campaigns Any kind of magic at all? Then. Chronomancy. Blood magic. Sanguinomancy? Entropomancy. Shadowmancy. Ice magic. Gelumancy? Spirit Walking. Alchemy. Mystical smithing and/or crafting.

Re: Irresistable Half-Dwarves I second the QM, Muls are indeed a good start. They have a distinctive look, particular identity, (gladiators), and they are hard as nails. Another possibility is to give them acces to a unique type of magic or supernatural ability. In the novel Winterbirth the only magic enncountered are the mystical/psychic abilities of beings which are cross breeds of human and another race referred to as 'Forest Wights'. So perhaps the combination of Dwarf and Human also unlocks some hitherto inaccessible form of sorcery or power. Forge Magic? Some new twist on Spirit magic? Or perhaps in a magical version of the genetic accident that makes Ligers so much bigger than either Lions or Tigers, (they don't get any growth inhibiting hormone from either parent), some Half-Dwarves lack the spiritual/magical component of their bodies that keeps their form constant, thus those few who survive will be shapeshifters. Perhaps the Human's impulsive nature combined with a Dwarf's usually slow-boiling rage creates a berserker or at least someone who must keep a very tight rein on their fiery inner rage. Or you could just give them a cool or powerful society. I expect that Half Dwarves would make excellent Roman legionaries. Huns and Mongols would be fun as well. Even something more exotic like Egyptians or Mayans. On a side note. Fantasy half-breeds are usually fertile. What happens when you get a Half-Dwarf + Half-Elf pairing? Another, more likely possibility is the inevitable consequence of Orcs capturing Elven females, those kids would look very odd.

Re: Why horses? Cool pic. And it reminds me of a question. Are you going to start posting your campaign log again? Go on, you know you want to.

Re: Old races, new tricks. Added a new race that I thought up some time ago. The Bone Elves. In italics as before. I have some other races from various books and settings that I will probably post tomorrow. I seem to remember seeing a Feline race somewhere that used Bone Magic similar to that which I envisioned for this race, (though I can probably trace my version back to a character in the Sword of Truth series who used bones as a focus for her magic). Anyway, who was it that came up with that race? I'd like to have another look at your ideas of Bone Magic to see what I can, well one might say steal but I prefer 'be inspired by'.

Re: Nature + Fire = What? I would probably call this Water + Fire. But how about Acid? The magic of Life Energy would be all about motion and heat, playing with people's energy levels or body chemistry to affect their emotions or damage them somehow. Spells would include a NND Killing Attack that just raises the core temperature of the body, but you could also cloud the senses or make people high, give someone extra stun or end (feeding them extra energy) or take it away. A cool little spell could be called Scales of Energy, drains End from an opponent and pulls it right into you or an ally. It wouldn't be able to heal people but it could give them temporary Body and Stun which keeps them going but vanishes after the fight, at best you could speed up the natural healing process and give someone Regeneration for a while. You could also have spells of Frenzy or whatever but I guess you don't want to stray too far into the territory of Madness. Otherwise I agree that you should post the list, we're all firing shots into the dark here.

Re: Nature + Fire = What? Most if not all of these could be created with different combinations but I'll have a go anyway. Smoke? Oil/Coal? Fury/Rage? Madness? Blood? Love/Passion? Life Energy? As in the heat or energy within a living being.

Re: Urak Hero. Not quite sure what you mean, but I've edited it a bit. Is that better?

Hi everyone. I recently found one of my old computer games and managed to complete it. I was thinking about the setting and thought it would be amusing to convert it to Hero. And I thought that I might as well inflict the fruits of my labours on you guys. The game is Lords of Magic, it was intended to be a curious hybrid of Lords of the Realm and Heroes of Might and Magic 2. If you want to know more for some reason then. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lords_of_Magic Basically the game is set in the magical realm of Urak which is split into Eight realms, each one attuned to a particular alignment. These include the classical elements as well as Chaos, Order, Death and Life. Each alignment is a culture unto itself with an attached religion and school of magic and another alignment that they are opposed to. The point of the game is to take control of an elemental lord of one of the alignments and destroy Balkoth the lord of Death. As in Heroes units are divided up into Champions and soldiers. There are many races in Urak, some appear only as a single champion type while others make up entire alignments and even spill over into other elements. I found the idea of Urak functioning as an actual society quite interesting. Alignment is everything in Urak, it affects not only your culture but also your potential military and magical abilities and even the type of terrain you can survive in. After alignment the next most important themes are adventure and war, the alignments have been battling it out for centuries and almost every race has a martial tradition and will teach anyone with an interest in wandering or violence the ways of war. Since the population is really quite small, bandits and monsters roam all over the realms and it is possible to gain incredible power through battle the line between a large adventuring party and a small army is nonexisten in Urak. Also the arts of stealth, thieving and kidnapping are accepted by the elemental lords and their followers because they are so useful in the interminable wars between the alignments. In this battle obsessed world a group of adventurers could just as easily find themselves sacking an enemy city as cleaning out an ancient dungeon but for those inclined that way there are plenty of abandoned temples, ruins of civilisations past and present and deep foreboding caves to explore. I have now completed the list of Urakian races. Many of these races are listed in Fantasy Hero but most are culturally or even physically distinct from the standard Hero racial packages. I have used a mixture of in game lore, actual unit stats and the afore mentioned standard Hero packages to hammer out these races. I will soon write up and add the alignment packages which act as cultural packages, for now I have included some very brief notes to help explain the racial descriptions. It is worth mentioning that the RPG version of Urak that I envision is 'post Balkoth'. I.e. the Lady of Water, (my favourite alignment), has killed Balkoth the Lord of Death and banished his dark god Golgoth. Under the reasonably enlightened rule of the Empire of Water Urak has settled into a more peaceful and tolerant place. But this newfound unity is tenuous and there are plenty of renegades and criminals roaming the countryside in search of rapine and other amusements. There are also a great many monsters who were summoned during the conflict and still remain to trouble the inhabitants of Urak. Not to mention Death worshippers and other malcontents who seek to overthrow the new order. A couple of notes on races and alignments. Although I have noted which alignment or alignments each race is traditionally associated with this simply means that they have settlements or colonies in the appropriate realm. It is thus not impossible for a Dwarf to worship Order or an Amazon to worship Air, but they will be unusual and will have to have done some travelling away from their original home. In the original game it is quite possible to conquer or 'liberate' the settlements of other alignments and use them to train troops of other alignments. And so one must assume that the lures of adventure, wealth and power can cause Urakians of one alignment to serve the Lord of another. Thus it is quite possible for followers of multiple alignments to fight alongside one another, particularly in my setting in which theoretically all alignments are supposed to be getting along with each other. Finally I should point out that these packages represent adventurers or soldiers of these races, anyone who desires it will have been trained in the martial skills of their race as a matter of course but peasants out in the fields will not have CSL's. Anyway. Here are the alignments and races. Water. Considered to be one of the goodly alignments Water’s worshippers combine aquatic abilities with well balanced strengths and skills. Although at home on the water and adept with all kinds of boats the worshippers of this element actually make their homes on land. Fire. A destructive and dangerous alignment which has sometimes found common cause with the Golgothans of Death. Its realm is a barren and rocky place filled with volcanic fires and streams of lava. Earth. On Urak the powers of Earth are considerably darker and more savage than in most settings and they are placed amongst the ‘Evil’ alignments. Earth in Urak is focused solely on rocks and soil, any nonsense with trees is left to the Elves of Life. Air. Nominally one of the ‘good’ alignments. The peoples of Air are reclusive when at peace but are also quite happy to defend their mountainous realm or conquer the lands of others when the mood takes them. Order. The most positive and ‘good’ alignment apart from Life. The armies of Order stand for justice and defence of those who can not defend themselves, they are knights and heroes straight out of a chivalric fable. Chaos. Wild, savage and unwashed as they are the followers of Chaos are rarely welcome in other realms, which does nothing to deter them from roaming in search of battles in order to feed their unending hunger for violence. The realm of Chaos is a great steppe filled with dangerous creatures. As you may have guessed they are considered evil. Life. Some might call them sissy but the followers of Life are the most compassionate, dedicated and pleasant beings on the face of Urak. They dislike spilling blood but will fight with impressive resolve to defend themselves and rid Urak of evil. Death. The ultimate expression of evil on Urak. Even the most savage of the elemental lords fear the triumph of Death. Hailing from a nightmarish realm of scattered bones and withered spires of rock Death worshippers wreak terror and slaughter throughout the realms. Faerie. The Faeries of Urak stand about three to three and a half feet tall and possess the constitution of a song bird. Unsurprisingly not enamoured of close combat these fragile beings rely on their agility and their wings to keep out of trouble. They live in hidden villages amongst the mountains of the Air realm and thus have fallen under the sway of the Storm Giants, serving as best they can as scouts, slingers and thieves. Thus the closest thing to a Faery military institution is the great Thieves Guild of Air which demands complete loyalty from its followers, which is a necessary method of keeping these changeable and easily distracted creatures from wandering off in search of amusement. -3 Str +3 Dex -3 Con -2 Body +1 ED. Characteristics Cost = -3. Flight 6", x4 Noncombat (17 Active Points); Physical Manifestation (Wings; -1/4) Easy to Hide: +2 with Concealment (4 Active Points); Self Only (-1/2). 3. Hard to Spot: +2 with Stealth. 4. Small Target: +2 with DCV. 10. Powers Cost = 31. WF: Sling. Skills Cost =1. Physical Limitation: Small (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing). -5. Total Cost = 24. Barbarian. There is no race on Urak that is more populous than the Barbarians and only the Golgothan Dark Elves can match their thirst for battle and destruction. They make up the entirety of the forces of Chaos, barring some magically summoned warriors, and much of the armies of fire also. Often poor, ever savage and seeing no greater glory than the battlefield Barbarians are perpetual raiders and invaders. Offence is everything to these warriors and they tend to disdain armour and even defensive manoeuvres such as parrying as weak and unmanly Order tricks. They have also traditionally disdained the use of ranged weapons and only the lowest of their warriors, the despised Curs, are so without honour as to hurl stones or heavy branches at their enemies before closing in for glorious combat. Strangely these warriors are capable of tenderness which is most often displayed towards the semi-domesticated feline beasts that hunt near their camps; these range from the small wildcats who serve as advance scouts to the huge plains tigers whom Barbarian chieftains ride into battle. Although they can display great skill in the attack a true Barbarian is likely to concentrate his CSL’s into increasing damage wherever possible. Animal Handler (Equines, Felines) 11- +2 With one type of weapon from the following list. Club, Hand-Axe, Mace, Hammer, Pick, Longsword. (Two point skill levels). TF. (Equines, Great Cats). WF: Axes, Maces, Hammers, and Picks, Blades, Thrown Rocks. Skills Cost = 11. Total Cost = 11. Archon. The closest Urakian equivalent to a normal medieval society the Archons worship Order and prize honour, justice and law. They are the only race of Order but they are a reasonably populous people and the discipline of their armies is unmatched throughout the world, furthermore there is no armour on Urak which can match that of Archon manufacture. In perfect harmony with the sturdy Archon warriors are the Wizards of Order whose spells are mainly intended to strengthen and protect their allies. The ranks of the Archons are further supplemented by trained war-dogs if unparalleled loyalty and great intelligence. The military leaders of this people are all drawn from the order of Paladins who swear to protect the innocent and advance the cause of their people wherever and whenever possible. Animal Handler (Canines, Equines) 11- +1 With a weapon type from the following list. Sword, Crossbow, Polearm. (Three point skill level). TF. (Equines). WF: Blades, Crossbows, Off Hand, Polearms and Spears, Two-Handed Weapons. Skills Cost = 11 Total Cost = 11. Lizardfolk. Although they resemble lizards these Water Worshippers are actually amphibious creatures who are as at home beneath the waves as above them. Some strange aspect of their physiognomy allows them to survive in both fresh-water and sea-water, presumably a magical legacy of the gods of the sea. As though in imitation of their Amazon rulers Lizardfolk females are larger and more aggressive than the males, they are the footsoldiers of Water, brave and hardy fighters as they are. Unlike the Amazons, however, Lizardfolk males also participate in war but have traditionally served as missile troops as befits their calmer natures and weaker frames. A lugubrious people capable of great savagery against their enemies the Lizardfolk appear to be an insular and unfriendly people but they are for the most part good of heart and are quite capable of kindness and friendship. Lizardwoman. +2 Str. +2 Swimming. Characteristics Cost = 4. WF: Blades, Polearms and Spears Skills Cost = 2. Cold Blooded. +5 PRE (5 Active Points); Only for resisting Presence Attacks (-1). 2 Scaly Skin: Armor (1 PD/0 ED). 2 Life Support (Expanded Breathing, Underwater). 5 Powers Cost = 7. Total Cost = 15. Lizardman. +2 Swimming. Characteristics cost = 2. WF: Blades, Sling Skills Cost = 2. Cold Blooded. +5 PRE (5 Active Points); Only for resisting Presence Attacks (-1). 2 Scaly Skin: Armor (1 PD/0 ED). 2 Life Support (Expanded Breathing, Underwater). 5 Powers Cost = 9. Total Cost = 13. Amazon. A Water worshipping matriarchal culture who prize martial prowess, discipline and loyalty. In fact Lizardfolk make up the majority of the armies of Water but the leaders and elites are drawn from the superbly trained ranks of these deadly warrior women. However, Amazons are not above mixing subtlety with force, just as their chosen element can manifest as a raging sea or a gentle rain, thus they train some in the ways of stealth and diplomacy and others in the mystical rituals of Water worship. Nonetheless the most iconic image of an Amazon is that of the mighty Warleader astride a great Alqua Bird bringing death to her foes. Amazon men work in the fields and fisheries or as craftsmen, labourers and servants. They leave the noble arts of hunting, magic, beast taming, diplomacy and war to their women, because they know what’s good for them. Denied any martial training at all an Amazon male would effectively have no racial package deal and would thus be a normal human. Animal Handler (Equines, Riding Birds) 11- +1 With a weapon type from the following list. Dagger, Sword, Spear, Trident, Throwing Knife. (Three Point Skill Level). TF: Equines, Riding Birds WF: Blades, Off Hand, Polearms and Spears, Sling, Thrown Knives, Axes, and Darts Skills Cost = 13. Total Cost = 13. Storm Giant. Storm Giants are an ancient and long lived race, descendants of even mightier titans who have now thankfully vanished from the world. Standing fully twice as tall as the lankiest human these Giants tower over all but the mightiest creatures of Urak. They have lost much of the power of their ancestors and now only their mages can command the wind and storms but they are still an awe inspiring sight for they move like the wind and strike with all the power of a lightning bolt. The Storm Giants were never a numerous people and so they have gathered many servants to help guard their mountain homes, from Faeries and Elves to the mighty Eagles that nest in the highest peaks of the Air realm. +8 Str. + 8 Con. +6 Body. Characteristics Cost = 36. WF: Axes, Maces, Hammers, and Picks, Blades, Two-Handed Weapons Skills Cost = 2. Heavy: Knockback Resistance -3" 6. Life Support (Extended Breathing: 1 END per Minute; Longevity: 800 Years). 5. Reach: Stretching 1", Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (7 Active Points); Always Direct (-1/4), no Noncombat Stretching (-1/4), No Velocity Damage (-1/4). 4. Powers Cost = 15. Physical Limitation. Large. -5. Total Cost = 48. Fire Giant. It seems that these giants have fallen farther than their cousins of Air because although the greatest amongst them can look a Storm Giant in the eye the smallest of them barely tops eight feet. However, this is small comfort to the enemies of Fire as they face immensely strong warriors capable of chopping a man in half with a single swing of sword or axe. Born amidst primal fires and ancient lava springs these giants are frenzied and destructive but are not so murderous as to turn away followers, thus they command large armies of those Barbarians who found the worship of Chaos to be not quite violent enough for their taste. Perhaps more than any other race on Urak Fire Giants are bonded to their alignment and they heartily despise the climates of other realms; but if Fire calls them to fight somewhere beyond their homeland then they will answer with fanatical and brutal enthusiasm. +10 Str + 6 Con. +6 Body. +4 Running Speed. (Long Legs). Characteristics Cost = 42. WF: Axes, Maces, Hammers, and Picks, Blades, Two-Handed Weapons Skills Cost = 2. Heavy: Knockback Resistance -3" 6. Life Support (Safe in Intense Heat, Longevity 800 Years). 5. Reach: Stretching 1", Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (7 Active Points); Always Direct (-1/4), no Noncombat Stretching (-1/4), No Velocity Damage (-1/4). 4. Powers Cost = 15 Disadvantages. Large. – 5. Total Cost = 54. Dwarves Urakian Dwarves are the warriors of Earth and in keeping with the somewhat dark nature of that alignment they are brutal in battle and quite eager to spill the blood of their enemies. They are rather contemptuous of ‘surfacers’ and do not tend to be particularly merciful towards. They are not cruel however and do not fight without a purpose. One redeeming quality of this race is their protectiveness towards other Earth races and many a Halfling or a Gnome has had cause to be grateful to their larger cousins. There are one or two clans of Dwarves who worship Fire, strangely these seem to be less truculent than their Earthen cousins, most serve the Barbarians of Fire as servants and lackeys but a few train as Thieves or Scouts. Although they do not possess a tradition of martial skill to equal that of the Archons or Amazons Dwarven troops are considered almost the equal of Golgothan warriors due to their incredible strength and hardiness. +4 Str. +3 Con. +2 Body. +2 PD. +4 End. +4 Stun. -1 Running Speed. (Stumpy). Characteristics cost = 20. WF: Axes, Maces, Hammers, and Picks, Blades, Two-Handed Weapons. Skills Cost = 2. Total Cost = 22. Halflings. The Halflings of Urak are not much different from the Hobbits of Middle Earth. They worship Earth but are nowhere near as bloodthirsty as their Dwarven cousins, preferring to farm and thus feed both themselves and their protectors. Most Halflings are excellent farmers and cooks due to their prodigious appetites. However some are made of sterner stuff and serve the lords of Earth in the noble profession of Burglar. -2 Str. +2 Dex. -2 Presence. -2 Running Speed. (Little Legs). Characteristics Cost = -2. WF: Bows, Blades. Easy to Hide: +2 with Concealment (4 Active Points); Self Only (-1/2). 3. Hard to Spot: +2 with Stealth. 4. Small Target: +2 with DCV. 10. Powers Cost = 17. Physical Limitation: Small (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing). -5. Psychological Limitation: Always Hungry (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing). -5 Total Cost = 12. Gnomes. Standing at 2-3 feet tall Gnomes are the smallest fully sentient race on Urak. They make their homes deep within the caverns of Earth, their mother and venture up into the dangerous surface world only when absolutely necessary. These little people are not warlike by nature but they are very wise and possess an unmatched knowledge of their parent element. Thus Gnomes have traditionally served as the mages of Earth and many a foolish enemy has failed to recognise the arcane power held within their tiny bodies until too late. Like the stones they study Gnomes have a slow and steady attitude to life, never rushing anywhere and taking everything in stride. -3 Str. -5 Presence. +8 Intelligence. -3 Running Speed. (Tiny Legs). Characteristics Cost = -6. Easy to Hide: +2 with Concealment (4 Active Points); Self Only (-1/2). 3. Hard to Spot: +2 with Stealth. 4. Small Target: +2 with DCV. 10. Powers Cost = 17. Physical Limitation: Small (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing). -5. Total Cost = 6. Elves. A merry and light hearted people when at peace Elves are nonetheless serious and focused when at war. Their gentle hearts and easy natures have lead most of them to worship Life although some Elven colonies exist in the realm of Air. Being a fey and magical race Urakian Elves touch the earth lightly and move upon it with eerie speed and inhuman grace. As a race bound closely to Life Elves dislike the cold steel weapons of other races and prefer the warm touch of living wood from their forest homes from which to fashion staves or bows to smite their enemies, some might suggest a certain squeamishness about spilt blood also motivates this choice of equipment. Although they ride and train some of the finest and fastest horses on the face of Urak the greatest steeds of this people are the mighty Leaf Raptors. These saurian beasts are cunning and intelligent predators but have a special bond with their Elven masters and will only strike on command. +2 DEX. +2 Running Speed. (Fleet Footed). Characteristics Cost = 10. Animal Handler (Equines, Reptiles) 11- WF: Bows, Clubs, Staffs TF: Equines, Leaf Raptors Skills Cost = 7. Charming +3 PRE (3 Active Points); Only for Interaction Skill Rolls (-1). 1 Powers Cost = 1. Total Cost = 18. Dark Elves. Throughout all the wartorn ages there has been no monster, beast or army as terrifying to the inhabitants of Urak as a band of Dark Elves on the prowl. They served Golgoth the murderous god of Death and in his name they brought pain and destruction to all the realms of the world and defiled every single one of the Great Temples. Dedicated to the arts of murder and taking a delight in slaughter matched only by the most frenzied of Barbarians they were deadliest warriors in all the realms. However, some Dark Elves grew weary of joyless days filled with slayings and dark sacrifices; they turned their back on Death in favour of serving the comparatively gentle alignment of Earth where there skills as cavalry soldiers were put to good use. Those who remained in service to Golgoth and showed incredible martial prowess were gifted with mighty lizard steeds to carry them into battle and devour their enemies. Now that the Arch-Demon Balkoth has been slain by the Lady of Water and his dark master Golgoth is banished the Dark Elves are a broken people. Some still practice a shadow of their deadly religion but others have followed their brethren into the arms of Earth or serve in the armies of Water; others simply live as bandits and wait for the end to come. Whatever their actions all Dark Elves are tarred with the same brush and treated with suspicion and fear by most other races. +3 STR. +2 DEX. Characteristics Cost = 9. Animal Handler (Equines, Reptiles) 12- +1 with OCV WF: Common Melee Weapons, Javelins and Thrown Spears. TF: Barrens Lizards, Equines. Skills Cost = 13. Fearsome: +3 PRE (3 Active Points); Only for Presence Attacks (-1). 1 Powers Cost = 1. Social Limitation: Dark Elf (Frequently, Major, Not Limiting In Some Cultures). -10 Total Cost = 13. I'm pretty sure all these figures add up but if anyone notices anything amiss then please point it out.

Re: [banestorm] Djinn Lands Plot Seeds Ah but do the villains know that? It can be quite hilarious when NPC's underestimate the PC's. Happened a couple of times in my campaign. My favourite was when I had a Highwayman accost the stagecoach my party was riding in. I've actually posted it before but I'll mention it again because it amuses me. He told them to stand and deliver. There was a moment of shocked silence and then a hail of lead smashed him from his horse. Then they massacred his minions and dragged his bleeding body into town to be hanged. While it's good to challenge players I think that it is great fun for them to be allowed to demonstrate to some fool just how hard they are and just how bad an idea messing with them is. But that's just my opinion.

Re: [banestorm] Djinn Lands Plot Seeds One particularly convoluted version of the 'sacrificial goat' idea. The Sheik in question wanted to see precisely who his enemies and friends were, or just lure his enemies into a trap. So he faked his own death to find out who would try to avenge him and who would try to pounce on his holdings. He doesn't want to fight a war with any particular faction so framing the PC's is a nice neutral option. If one of the Sheik's enemies took him out they might have framed the heroes as a bonus so that they could have a hold over him. The real killers will offer to clear the PC's names, (or bribe everyone to forget them anyway), in return for certain favours. Really weird idea but I'm writing this under the influence of fatigue and raw coffee. They may not remember the incident but in fact it was the PC's! They were being controlled by some kind of spirit or demon for its evil purposes and have now been discarded. Or have they?

Re: Designing Sword Schools I found this on the net after a friend mentioned it to me so I can't speak to its perfect historical accuracy. However, there is a Wikipedia article which seems pretty convincing. Barton-Wright is not mentioned in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography site but his name did turn up in a google book search in a book that has clearly been sanctioned by them. He could well be too obscure a character to have warranted his own article although the DNB is very extensive. More conclusively I have found a book http://www.lulu.com/content/138834 A forum. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/Bartitsu_Forum/ And even a Hero Conversion. http://www.philm.demon.co.uk/RPGs/Brttsu_H.htm I'm pretty much as convinced of its authenticity as it is possible for someone trained as an academic historian can be without going through the primary sources/evidence myself.

Re: Designing Sword Schools Just remembered something someone told me once. It's not especially relevant to sword schools but if you are going to design some Victorian martial arts you really should look at this. http://ejmas.com/jnc/jncart_barton-wright_0200.htm

Re: Designing Sword Schools I am running a campaign called Age of Reason myself, although it is Georgianesque rather than Victorianesque. I did do some research on early modern swordfighting. These might come in useful. http://www.aemma.org/ http://www.thearma.org/ A few more thoughts. In a Fantasy setting where the garde was used heavily it might be justifiable to have versions with sword breaker attachments, (basically a refinement of the spikes). A pair of these, plenty of muscle and some blocking and boxing moves would qualify as a martial art in itself. Particularly good against proper rapiers because being hexagonal they would be comparatively easy to grab with an armoured fist, so long as you can move quick enough to avoid getting that fist run through. Perhaps an art for orcs, ogres, dwarves and other brutal types. I believe that there is a Dwarven Axe Mastery art in the Complete Martial Artist. Also, don't quote me on this but I believe certain styles were associated with particular nationalities; although period also played a big part. Fighting with sword and dagger is associated with the Italian styles I believe. While an English swordsman developed a less showy and more practical art that did indeed involve wrestling moves and a less 'chivalrous' approach to what was fair and what wasn't. The Spanish had a type of soldier called Rodeleros, (admittedly this was around the 16th to 17th century), who fought with longswords and bucklers. Don't forget the various ways that pistols could be thrown into the mix by a military swordsman. Swords with hilt pistols for example. Also pistol bayonets, I have an NPC who fights with two pistols that have stiletto spikes attached to them, when she runs out of bullets she breaks out the martial arts. This is fantasy after all, style over sense!

Re: Old races, new tricks.

Being a fan of unusual and interesting fantasy races I have been inspired by the monocultures thread to ask the Hero community - What weird races have you come across? I'm hoping to gather together some interesting ideas which might inspire myself at least and hopefully others to rethink old races or come up with new characters. So if you have created, played or encountered a unique race, strange subrace or a new twist on an old race such as the dinosaur riding halflings of Eberron, then please share with us. Even races that people have read about in sci-fi or fantasy fiction are acceptable. For that matter if you come up with a new twist on an old race on the spot then please post that as well. I'll start the ball rolling with a few examples and then update the list as I get the time or recall something. Elves The Touel'alfar http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_DemonWars_Saga Called Elves but standing around the height of a dwarf and with wings like a pixy. They live in a small hidden kingdom since they lost around 4/5ths of their population fighting a great Demon bent on conquering the world. They practice an especially deadly martial art involving swordplay and acrobatics. They teach this art to a chosen few human rangers but are otherwise highly secretive and paranoid, for a ranger to teach the Elven sword dance to another carries a sentence of death. Bone Elves Another one of mine. Probably inspired by Warcraft's Blood Elves as well as a desire to have Elves who were 'good' but not 'nice'. A bit long I'm afraid but it all seemed shorter in my head. Bone Elves are a people born of war and war is the eternal state of their lives. Centuries ago the free peoples of the world were menaced by the vile forces of the Ilkarrian Empire, these dark conquerors practiced all the Black Arts and increased their ranks with undead, demons and terrible war machines of bone and flesh. The High Elves were foremost in the battle against the invaders and one regiment broke through the enemy's defences and penetrated to the heart of the Empire, hoping to disrupt the enemies supply lines and perhaps raise a resistance amongst downtrodden inhabitants of this cursed land. They found only desolation, all but a few scavengers had been slain, inducted into the Empire's ranks or both. The Elves encountered many Ilkarrian soldiers and monsters however and they fought with desperate strength to survive and gain victory, yet every day seemed darker and hope itself began to fade from the hearts of these lost Elves. At some point the armies of the free proved victorious and the broken remnants of the Empire's armies began to flee back into the devastated wasteland that had once been their home. The remnants of the lost Elven regiment either misinterpreted this influx of new foes or were now beyond caring. Sickened to their core by the horrors they had encountered and the destruction wrought on the earth they now lived only to destroy the dark hordes that assailed them. The Elves appeared little different from their foes by this point, blood spattered spectres with rusted and battered weapons who arose with the dawn to begin the killing once again. Finally, as they fought their way through the Boneyards of Harak, the Elves gave in to despair and their last surviving mage enacted an ancient and terrible ritual. Harak was a place where the giant bones of ancient beings once slumbered peacefully but these relics had been torn from the earth by the Necromancers of Ilkarr to serve as raw materials for the Empire's mystical war machines. The High Elves, perhaps learning from their Wild Elf scouts, turned to a more ancient magic, cleaner than the powers of Ilkarr but every bit as vicious. The ritual drew upon the titanic remains scattered all about the Elves bound every surviving warrior to fight until his last breath and granted strength and ferocity such as few of the Sylvan race had ever known. Renewed and affirmed the Elven warriors arose and all around them the ancient bones sang, acknowledging the purity and savagery of their purpose and granting them wisdom that was old and terrible. From these bones and those of their enemies the warriors fashioned new weapons, magically invested spears, daggers and arrows that hungered for the blood of evil doers and struck with murderous force. Thus armed the Bone Elves began their dark crusade and yet they had not foreseen an end to their enemies, they were not prepared to survive the consequences of their final desperate action. The Iltkarrian Empire has long vanished into the mists of history and the wasteland its rulers created is being reclaimed by nature. But some monsters still roam this scarred land and the descendants of the original Bone Elves still hunt them. A curious side effect of the ritual has made these Elves far more fertile than their cousins and their population has grown considerably since their creation, this bounty is balanced by the brutal and often brief nature of a Bone Elf's life. Bound like their predecessors to the war against evil these Elves pursue their duty with an obsession that passes the threshold of madness, there is little pleasure in their lives other than the destruction of evil doers. Although some hints of culture remain, such as the haunting music of bone flutes and harps made of beast-gut, the Bone Elves are for the most part a tribe dedicated to killing, only their choice of target makes them one of the 'good' races. Utter savages the Bone Elves care little for hygiene and are happy to adorn themselves with grisly trophies of their hunts alongside powerful charms carved from their favoured element. Their Shaman have lost the ways of Elven Sorcery and instead practice primitive magics that utilise items of invested bone. As the wasteland fades and its monsters grow weak many Bone Elves have begun to venture beyond it in search of more prey. They remember their pledge and do not attack those they judge to be good but their mad and murderous mien has won them few friends. Other Elves in particular fear this people as an example of how far they can fall, they see a people that have lost all joy except in killing and are doomed to a nightmarish existence until death releases them. The Bone Elves do not care. They stalk the world in search of evil to destroy, their grinning, blood spattered faces made all the more disturbing by the immortal beauty that lies beneath the marks of war. Orcs Bodyguard of Lightning Orcs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orcs:_First_Blood Similar to the better known Warcraft Orcs but lacking any kind of demonic infection. They are large, well muscled and alien of feature but not especially ugly or deformed. They are a natural race coming from their own homeworld. Savage and ruthless in battle these Orcs are nonetheless honourable and capable of compassion and love. They do not seem to have much truck with magic and prize strength, wisdom and cunning. The main army of Orcs in this setting is made up of soldiers sold by the Orc clans to the evil Queen Jennesta Dwarves Dark Sun Dwarves http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Sun The Dwarves of Athas, a post apocalyptic fantasy setting in which most forms of magic drain life energy from the land. Completely hairless and with prominent, heavy bones they are especially strong and tough, even for a Dwarven race. They seem to have no interest in living underground but are instead defined by their need for a Focus. Each Dwarf must have a purpose in life, although it is possible to change it, this is their Focus. Failing a Focus causes great mental anguish and the souls of Dwarves who betrayed their focus are doomed to become undead banshees for all eternity. Powries http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_DemonWars_Saga Enemies of the Touel'alfar and part of the evil hosts assembled by the Demon Dactyl. Based on the murderous red-caps of folklore rather than the miners and makers of Nordic myth. Not pleasant people, they wear brown leather caps that they stain red by dipping them in the blood of those they kill, (humans usually), veterans can thus be distinguished by the dark crimson colour of their headgear. While they do not seem to be as lethally well trained and wonderfully courageous as their goodly counterparts in other settings they are very tough and extremely difficult to kill with blunt force, (very high racial con and PD). I don't recall them living underground and they gather in great numbers unlike the usually dwindling Dwarves of standard settings. Anthros Ock-Ock My attempt at cute lizardmen. Forest and jungle dwelling, warm blooded saurians. They have the size and mindset of halflings although with less interest in stealing. Experts with thrown weapons. All Ock-Ock possess telepathy and some manifest more powerful Psychic abilities such as telekinesis or the ability to become invisible by forcing people not to see them. Those who live in forests are culturally similar to Native Americans while the jungle dwellers are closer to Amazonian tribes. They are friendly and curious for the most part although not incapable of evil. Aurian's Great Cat's. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/f/maggie-furey/Not actually anthropomorthic in shape, in fact they are big cats matching the size of a lion but more agile and with black coats. These cats possess human level intelligence and communicate through telepathic mindspeech. They are matriarchal and are usually ruled by the strongest and most ferocious female. The old or politically undesirable are traditionally outcast to become the desperate scavengers known as Chuevah. A savage and territorial race regarded as demons by the humanoid Xandim and hunted for their fur by the avian Skyfolk. By the end of the events of Artefacts of Power however they have been slightly civilised and are ruled by a cat chosen for her wisdom rather than her strength, there may also be some slight hope for male equality as well. Shapechangers Xandim. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/f/maggie-furey/Seemingly a normal enough race of southern horse nomads the Xandim have a strange secret. They possess the ability to transform into horses. They use this ability for travelling, warfare, (with some Xandim riding their transformed brethren), and ritual. The challenge for leadership of the clans is carried out in horse form. This race is not completely footloose, they have a great citadel carved out of living rock where supplies for the winter are stored, the old and infirm can rest and the entire people can take refuge in if some calamity threatens them. Like all the races in the Southern continent of Maggie Furey's 'Artifacts of Power' world they are somewhat xenophobic and distrustful of strangers. They are also superstitious and somewhat given to mob rule. Some individuals do defy these norms and befriend strangers however and the race as a whole is not evil, just insular, ignorant and justifiably nervous of the hostile races that surround them. Unique Lirin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_of_Ages A humanoid race but longer lived, perhaps 200 years or so, they are distinguished by angular features and a slightly fatalistic attitude to life. The Symphony of the Ages setting links music and the 'science' of naming to elemental lore and magic. Lirin appear to have strong ties to song and to the associated magical art of Naming, (True Name Magic), in fact their Singers were apparently given the task of recording world history pretty much since the time when history first had meaning. Lirin come in various flavours, the most common being green skinned forest Lirin who form a large and unified kingdom called Tyrian. Other Lirin groups include the incredibly rare Liringlas or Skysingers; blue skinned wanderers who greet the day with song at dawn and use the same method to wish it farewell in the evening. Flikkermen. A race of slavers who live alongside humans in the world of The Red Wolf Conspiracy. Flikkerman have large ears and clammy frog-like skins. They're strangest feature however is the electrical charge that runs through their translucent bodies. Flikkermen can control this charge at will and use it to make themselves glow at varying intensities and with a touch they can channel enough electricity into a target to stun them, a kind of natural taser. I do not know at this point if Flikkermen can perform lethal attacks with this ability. As a side note although Flikkermen are portrayed mostly as ruthless and greedy slavers who make their money from capturing and selling children there is one recorded instance of a Flikkerwoman dedicating her life to healing dying human children. So it would seem that they are not inherently evil although this could just be the 'Drizzt Effect'.

Re: Catgirls (and Catboys) for Fantasy If these cat-people are going be common then it might well be worth having more than a few tribes with different cultures and slightly different characteristics. I'd base them on real breeds of cat although they don't have to keep the names of the original breed. Here's a few examples. Siamese. Elegant and cultured tribe hailing from the East and associated with courts. Perhaps they serve as diplomats and courtiers to Eastern potentates or form the ruling class of a particular nation. Also known to make good priests and magicians. Singapura. They come from the closest equivalent to Singapore that your world boasts. Or they could be the common class of the Siamese Empire. 4-5 feet tall but brave, adventurous and resourceful Wildcat, (as in the Scottish Wildcat which is more or less impossible to domesticate and has an attitude quite similar to that of a wolverine). They live in small tribes or families in fen or forest. Completely wild. Very savage, lethal in close combat, unsubtle, territorial, paranoid, dislike strangers, include a high number of berserkers. They're only likely to encounter civilisation if they take up the career of a mercenary, although some brave and unscrupulous types might try to capture them for use as gladiators. The main reason that these guys aren't considered 'evil' is because they don't tend to actively seek trouble. Shorthair. The 'normal' Western type. A city dwelling race descended from foreign cat-people such as the Siamese who interbred with the Wildcat tribes. They are tough but not incapable of civilisation. Retain some of the suspicion of their wild ancestors and tend to have various hideyholes scattered across the city. Reputation as suspicious characters. Turkish Van. No prizes for guessing where they originated. Large, tough tribe who wander more than most and are particularly noted for being explorers. This last fact may be because the Van do not share their cousins' fear of water and thus make fine sailors or fishermen. Egyptian Mau. A joyful but mysterious tribe dedicated to the service of certain gods. 'Everyone knows' that all Mau are priests or magicians but of course they come from all walks of life. Some live in human cities as advisors, others live in isolated communities and obscure holy places. Very fast on their feet, even more running speed than a normal cat-person. There are of course plenty more breeds to choose from, Norwegian Forest Cats would make a hilarious sub race, but this list must stop somewhere. More general stuff on a cat race. I would say that they would be highly individualistic, not incapable of working together in a society but each one doing their own thing and mostly interested only in their own friends and family. More self absorbed than selfish they are capable of empathy towards those they like. Cat-people often seem to have a code of honour but to me that does not seem to match the feline character. I would expect a cat's ethics to be highly personal and based more on affection and emotion than particular rules of conduct. Certainly they would have trouble with concepts of fair play. e.g. "Why should I warn him before I attack? He's bigger than me!" They would thus have difficulty with the laws and morals of other societies, applying them haphazardly if at all i.e. agreeing that it is wrong for someone to steal from them but not for them to steal from someone they dislike. They would probably be a playful race, enjoying various toys and things to pounce on or chase, some might be able to make a good living out of crafting such toys. Although a human who is too condescending about the whole thing i.e. starts waving a bit of string ib front of a cat-girl's eyes, could easily get into severe trouble. Since cat-people have natural weapons on both hands they are more likely to develop ambidexterous fighting styles, two swords, two daggers etc. They might even have flashy martial arts involving all four sets of claws and some acrobatics. Also they would have a slightly different view of casual fighting than humans do. Claws make punching difficult and possibly dangerous for the one doing the punching, scratching is much more natural. And a tavern brawl where everyone is fighting with a double-handful of little hooked daggers is quite a different prospect to the usual fists and chairs deal, protective fur aside. And since cats are innately cautious creatures it seems likely that they wouldn't indulge in casual fighting so easily. Thus there would be less of that kind of violence in a feline tribe. Domestic cats tend to hiss at each other rather than fight of course and it would be quite characterful for cat-people to do that but they might also duel with words rather than claws, whether screaming insults at each other in a pub or trading cunning little barbs in a palace. This could even be a Psych Lim - Will attempt to defeat foes with words and intimidation wherever possible. As for the rest, I'll agree with what several people have already said, watch a cat, then humanise it.

Re: modern fantacy story seed, needs quick grow fromula Some quite disturbing stuff could develop out of this. Players find the creche and have to prevent infected toddlers from slaughtering each other over who gets to play with which toy. The players rescue a store clerk. She proves very helpful, guiding them around the mall and offering to take them to the head of security's office so that they can acquire the master keys to every door and device in the place. When they reach this office the clerk locates the keys and picks them up, an observant PC might notice at this point that she is chewing something, (cursed bubblegum). Otherwise they only realise that something is wrong when she refuses to hand over the keys, or let the players near her in case they steal them. She thus reveals herself to have become infected by laughing insanely, screaming profanities at any player who tries to relieve her of her newly acquired 'present' and possibly hurling herself off something high if the PC's aren't careful or lucky enough to stop her. A very vicious version of baseball is being carried out in the sporting goods section. It seems to involve beating other players over the head with bats and stealing their baseballs. To one side a gang of demonic cheerleaders tear at each others clothes and hair, whatever they were originally fighting over has long been trampled into bits, (weak-willed male characters may have difficulty tearing themselves away from this spectacle). A restaurant or food shop could serve as a safe haven, not because it is uninhabited but because the infected within have gorged themselves until they can not move. Some shoppers were in the antique weapons store when the infection took over ... it got messy. One infected man got hold of the car which was the star prize in the Christmas raffle. Now he has a terrible urge to run over all those people who might steal his new toy, or he might just want to chase the PC's, because it's funny.

Re: Make a Zodiac based Magic System Perhaps this system could be embedded further into the game world? E.g. your sign forms a part of your true name so any adventurer is likely to be very cagey about their birthday in the hope of avoiding curses and the like. Are the manifestations of the zodiac active as gods or powerful celestial forces? At the risk of unbalancing the system slightly an astrolomancer will always have a specialty in that they get a slight power boost with their own sign's powers or perhaps can use it for a greater part of the year. People will always try to work round these limitations. So perhaps a few have developed the ability to create focuses that hold a very limited number of uses of a particular multipower or certain powers within it. A focus can be used at any time of the year but it is extremely difficult to make them. Special skill that always requires a high roll to succeed, a good chunk of time during the sign in question's ascendant month and perhaps the proviso that you can't do any other astrolomagic while creating a focus because you need to concentrate and charge your energies. Rare components would also be good. Perhaps if it takes a week of continuous effort to make one charge then you could never have a focus with more than four uses and only one of those for a particular sign in a particular year. The advantages for this are that you can have one or two spells around for emergencies, maybe to scare off folk who have caught you in one of your off months or weak periods or a power that is just very useful like flight or healing. It is possible to steal someone else's foci but you must make an astrolomancy roll to 'tune it' to your particular signature. After all, we wouldn't want the plebs to get their hands on these abilities. ... Would we? If you are continuing with the trine system then you might want to have a look at renaissance high magic/philosophy. Which regarded everything as interlinked, so - three signs per classical element, one humour per classical element, one organ associated with each humour, particular metals associated with particular signs, animals also. Everything is linked in a cascading chain of being. Thus a particular trine that is linked to fire and choleric humours will have aggressive and destructive effects and will manifest through particular metals. Wards and protective amulets will of course have to be made from the metals or materials that correspond to the correct sign.

Re: [six Ages] The First Age-Glories Another possibility would be to give them a powerful multiform ability as they mimic the form of the Lilim/Demon that shares their body. A character's different forms can have very different personalities and there is also the option of adding an 'accidental change' disadvantage linked to stresssful circumstances or mental weakness, i.e. a failed ego roll. This build would give a more distinctive flavour to the ability as well.

Re: TTA: Drakine Naming Conventions Depends on the culture you use for them. Don't know much about the Turakian age one. Presumably you could nick some ideas from city names and dragon names. If it's your own setting then just decide what flavour you want for them. East Asian? Aztec? Persian? Generic ancientness? Then look through appropriate history books. One other thing that I sometimes do is to come up with a name meaning, (since pretty much all names have one), then translate it into latin or something like that and maybe fiddle with the pronunciation a bit. Tolkien's Elvish might work quite well for that as well.

Re: Mythic Creatures as Eco-Terrorists? I can see a Gryphon filling this role perfectly. Winged cat might be cool as well. Possibly a somewhat reformed hell hound, if you can imagine such a thing. Faery, Sidhe and the like would be ideal as others have already mentioned. Sphinx. Manticore. Chimaera. Centaur. Anubite. Dragon. Obvious really that one, an Eastern Dragon with hurricane summoning abilities perhaps. Maybe an especially powerful representative of a certain normal species. A mighty animal hero or demi-god. Perhaps the original ancestor spirit of a particular species. A trickster like Anansi or Coyote would be good. Or. The Great White Wolf. The Cave Bear. The Heracles of Eagles. The Vorpal Bunny, (sorry), should probably leave it at that.