Advanced Race Guide - Discussion

GlassEye · Jun 25, 2012

I like Grippli and Ratfolk (though I'm not too fond of the alchemist schtick for ratfolk). Catfolk are meh. If the mechanics weren't so stereotypical 'cat' it might be better. Landing on your feet and bad luck to cross the black catfolk's path? I think they could have done so much better if they had worked on catfolk culture rather than focusing on all the physical aspects of the race.

On another note: I thought the physical description of the Vishkanya was much better in the Bestiary 3 than in the ARG.

Scott DeWar · Jun 25, 2012

GlassEye said:
. . . . . *snip*. . . . .
bad luck to cross the black catfolk's path?
. . . . . *snip*. . . . .

cat folk witch with evil eye hex

mfloyd3 · Jun 25, 2012

This perhaps hijacks the thread, but the discussion here seems to assume that if races are approved, they should be retconned into the existing world. What about making the arrival of one or more races into an event? A war or natural disaster on a distant continent sends hordes of refugees of bizarre races to the shores of E'n. Or something similar happens in a deep, subterranean world and sends a similar group to the surface. Interesting possibilities, both for new characters and for GMs who want to tie their adventure to the action. And it adds an RP side to the novelty of the new races.

I thought I'd throw the idea out there. If there's interest, I'll volunteer to write up a formal proposal for the fluff surrounding the event after there's some agreement on which races are to be added.

Systole · Jun 25, 2012

I don't think the races are 'arriving' so much as 'being discovered by Venza.' To, me E'n seems to be having an era of exploration and rediscovery after the Time of Darkness, and the known world (according to Venza) covers less than a quarter of the actual world.

Twenty years ago, elves and dwarves were probably fairly rare sights in the city. Now they've got lizardmen and tengu and who knows what else walking around. So if a race of monkey-men show up at this point from some far-flung reaches, most of the inhabitants have learned to take it in stride.

GlassEye · Jun 25, 2012

I think that's an interesting idea that is worth talking about. (And mfloyd3-fluff is always good stuff.)

Qik · Jun 25, 2012

mfloyd3 said:
This perhaps hijacks the thread, but the discussion here seems to assume that if races are approved, they should be retconned into the existing world. What about making the arrival of one or more races into an event? A war or natural disaster on a distant continent sends hordes of refugees of bizarre races to the shores of E'n. Or something similar happens in a deep, subterranean world and sends a similar group to the surface. Interesting possibilities, both for new characters and for GMs who want to tie their adventure to the action. And it adds an RP side to the novelty of the new races.

I thought I'd throw the idea out there. If there's interest, I'll volunteer to write up a formal proposal for the fluff surrounding the event after there's some agreement on which races are to be added.

That's an interesting idea. In practice, I imagine we would do a combination of both - maybe once we've chosen the races to add to LPF, we can select one or two or a few for this 'event.' It just depends on what we end up with. For instance, I don't think Grippili really scream "dramatic entrance;" Vishkanya or Ifrit, much more so. I could imagine some mass of Ifrits emerging, previously unknown or only rumored, from the Living Sands of Rhat'matanis.

Also, Illi Esse would be a suitable place for the outsider races to make an appearance.

Systole · Jun 25, 2012

Qik said:
For instance, I don't think Grippili really scream "dramatic entrance;" Vishkanya or Ifrit, much more so. I could imagine some mass of Ifrits emerging, previously unknown or only rumored, from the Living Sands of Rhat'matanis.

You just gave me a great idea.

Qik · Jun 25, 2012

GlassEye said:
I like Grippli and Ratfolk (though I'm not too fond of the alchemist schtick for ratfolk). Catfolk are meh. If the mechanics weren't so stereotypical 'cat' it might be better. Landing on your feet and bad luck to cross the black catfolk's path? I think they could have done so much better if they had worked on catfolk culture rather than focusing on all the physical aspects of the race.

On another note: I thought the physical description of the Vishkanya was much better in the Bestiary 3 than in the ARG.

I haven't spent much time with the Ratfolk yet, but my initial reaction is a cringe. There's just something about people-sized rats walking around that seems way out of sync with the rest of the world to me. As always, that's a very subjective sense, though.

I found that some of the Uncommon races suffered from the two page limitation.

Systole said:
You just gave me a great idea.

Boy does that every make me nervous....

GlassEye · Jun 25, 2012

Qik said:
For instance, I don't think Grippili really scream "dramatic entrance;" ...

Grippli figured fairly prominently in the previous scene in the adventure I'm running so it's a bit late for a dramatic entrance for them anyway.

jkason · Jun 25, 2012

Qik said:
That's an interesting idea. In practice, I imagine we would do a combination of both - maybe once we've chosen the races to add to LPF, we can select one or two or a few for this 'event.' It just depends on what we end up with. For instance, I don't think Grippili really scream "dramatic entrance;" Vishkanya or Ifrit, much more so.

I've actually been working on some Vishkanya fluff as part of an integration / proposal, but figured it was early to throw that out there. It gives them what I think would be interesting positions in both Rhat'matanis and Heth. Maybe I'll post it here just for folks to comment on in terms of its good/bad fluff...

GlassEye said:
Grippli figured fairly prominently in the previous scene in the adventure I'm running so it's a bit late for a dramatic entrance for them anyway.

I wanted to XP this one, but apparently I haven't spread enough. The family running the lilypad were much fun.