Poll: How do you feel about new PC races?

Satin Knights · May 2, 2012

Well, I had a good idea, but I shot it full of holes myself before I even started writing. Here it is anyways.

2 DMC: Be the first of a bestiary race. Once the race is introduced and the background is set, others can also create characters of the same race after a (1-2) month delay. A full wiki writeup is part of the duty of being the first.

6 DMC: Be the first of an Advanced Races Guide race. Create the race, set the background, and all that jazz. Then, eventually your cousins start moving into the neighborhood. Again the race would open to others to play after the first is in play for (1 or 2) months.

It limits the ARG 'design' to only those that GM. Those that want to do their own design have a clear path to get there. They step up and GM a game or two. If the ARG character is also the third, it would cost 12 DMCs.

The problem is that except for DC, jackslate45 and Mowgli, all the other GMs have already created their third characters and would need to retire one to bring a new one in.

This idea slows the entry of new races, but maybe too much. Once they are in play for a while, the race becomes equal opportunity for all. It also encourages the retirement of active characters. Well, unless we bump the character limit for GMs to four. :angel:

Qik · May 5, 2012

Satin Knights said:
Well, I had a good idea, but I shot it full of holes myself before I even started writing. Here it is anyways.

2 DMC: Be the first of a bestiary race. Once the race is introduced and the background is set, others can also create characters of the same race after a (1-2) month delay. A full wiki writeup is part of the duty of being the first.

6 DMC: Be the first of an Advanced Races Guide race. Create the race, set the background, and all that jazz. Then, eventually your cousins start moving into the neighborhood. Again the race would open to others to play after the first is in play for (1 or 2) months.

It limits the ARG 'design' to only those that GM. Those that want to do their own design have a clear path to get there. They step up and GM a game or two. If the ARG character is also the third, it would cost 12 DMCs.

The problem is that except for DC, jackslate45 and Mowgli, all the other GMs have already created their third characters and would need to retire one to bring a new one in.

This idea slows the entry of new races, but maybe too much. Once they are in play for a while, the race becomes equal opportunity for all. It also encourages the retirement of active characters. Well, unless we bump the character limit for GMs to four.

One of my concerns in enacting an idea such as this would be to maintain the approval process: I wouldn't like to allow the inclusion of a specific PC race without the possibility of discussion first.

Also, I see the issue of whether to allow the construction of one's own race as distinct from allowing preexisting races: while I haven't followed the ARG playtest much, my initial thought is that I would be hard-pressed to allow the making of a race in LPF. The ability to cherry-pick racial abilities just strikes me as too rife for exploitation.

GlassEye · May 5, 2012

I agree with you, Qik. We have specifically disallowed things that bring new, complicated mechanics to the table (such as Words of Power). I see the race creation to be a similar thing and it would certainly make it onto my 'Exclude' list.

jkason · May 7, 2012

Ditto others on adding 'custom build' race rules to LPF. I think they're probably a good tool for folks building their own homebrew, but not a good fit for a living world.