Down through the chimney with Old St. Nick
Breathing New Life into your Monsters
RangerWickett
Legend
This thread needed a good bumping. Especially now that 4e is out.
It occurs to me that changing stuff is a little more difficult if you have players who want to play those races.
For instance, doing a whole overhaul of elves, if you have a player that wants to play an elf. That means you have to get them to at least semi-buy into the elven culture.
Or, in my case, I want to overhaul Eladrin. But one of the PCs picked Eladrin.
Anyways, on to the breathing!
One thing I do want to do with regards to Tieflings is to get away from the "Uniform appearance". 2e had a more customizable ability. So I was thinking that Tieflings look different depending on the House or Bloodline they are from. The ones in the book art are one House, another has goat legs and cloven hooves, another is red skinned with a spade-tipped tail, etc.
For instance, doing a whole overhaul of elves, if you have a player that wants to play an elf. That means you have to get them to at least semi-buy into the elven culture.
Or, in my case, I want to overhaul Eladrin. But one of the PCs picked Eladrin.
Anyways, on to the breathing!
One thing I do want to do with regards to Tieflings is to get away from the "Uniform appearance". 2e had a more customizable ability. So I was thinking that Tieflings look different depending on the House or Bloodline they are from. The ones in the book art are one House, another has goat legs and cloven hooves, another is red skinned with a spade-tipped tail, etc.
demiurge1138
Inventor of Super-Toast
Oof. Where do I start? Lessee... I ran for about a year a homebrewed game that took place during the age of dinosaurs. Almost all of the sentient races were reptilian, so I had to tweak existing flavor quite a bit.
Kobolds: Kobolds are the Empire. They rule over the southern continent of Gondwana with an iron fist, collecting punitive taxes from their various vassals and conscripting them to fight their wars. Kobolds love bureaucracy in all its forms, and have a highly regimented society riddled with various minor officials. Kobolds are obsessed with genealogy, and keep rigorous track of their bloodlines. They are especially proud of devilish or draconic blood in their lineages, and marriages with fiends and dragons are often used to cement alliances between kobold families and their supernatural benefactor.
Kobolds hate the sun, and so live underground in vast artificial caverns. They raise a variety of fungus, vermin and giant subterranean lizards for food. Religion is of middling importance in kobold society--all kobolds pay lip service to Kurtulmak, their creator, but devote little attention to godly matters. The exception comes from worshiping deities not sanctioned by kobold society (Kurtulmak, various archdevils, Tiamat); these heretics are usually swiftly put to death.
Troglodytes: Troglodytes are a corruption of lizardfolk stock, the result of demonic influence and the genetics experiments of the serpentfolk. If the kobolds can be said to rule Gondwana(which they will often, and loudly, proclaim), the troglodytes are the counterpart rulers of the northern continent of Laurasia. Troglodytes are wasteful, savage and loving of filth, and much of Laurasia's once proud plains and forests now lie in ruin.
Troglodyte society, such as it is, is a violent theocracy. Conflicts between troglodytes are common, even welcomed, for a weak individual murdered is one less burden on everyone else. Demon worship is the state religion--most troglodytes passionately venerate Lagozed, as his immortal half-trog son is the undisputed Hegemon of all troglodytes. A recent trend has been towards a debased form of druidism, devoted to remaking the whole of the continent in the troglodytes diseased, corrupted image.
Lizardfolk: The lizardfolk live in mangrove swamps, island chains and marshes throughout both continents, and in the vast network of islands and shallow seas between them. Lizardfolk are shamanic, druidic, tribal people, with no interest in conquering continents or spreading their religion. Lizardfolk generally want to be left alone.
The god of the lizardfolk, Semuana, is essentially the personification of natural selection. Its only tenet is "survive and multiply", which the lizardfolk take to heart. Lizardfolk have no dietary taboos, consuming other sentients and even committing cannibalism with impunity. Lizardfolk are also intensively competitive amongst themselves, yet despite this ambition, they have no desire to expand their territory beyond their marshes and mangroves. Perhaps some ancient lizardfolk empire once existed, only to be destroyed by hubris and lost to memory.
Firenewts: The firenewts are an odd offshoot of lizardfolk blood, native to the large volcanic island continent of Surtsey. Despite their adaptations to the heat, firenewts still love the water, and most of their settlements are on the coast (this is also probably due to Surtsey being a barren desert of obsidian shards and ash fields). Firenewts eat mostly fish, although they grow some crops on what ashy soils are wet enough to be fertile. They are a mercantile people, trading metal goods and gems coughed up by the volcanoes for wood to build more boats.
Firenewts are among the most democratic of the races, having a parliamentary system complimenting a mostly powerless monarch. Firenewts as a whole are often irreligious, but a growing influence on their society is the Order of the Black Flame, a cult devoted to Bazim-Gorag, a slaad lord of fire imprisoned under the island whose rage is responsible for much of the volcanism on Surtsey.
Thri-kreen: One of the few races native to Gondwana untamed by the kobolds, the thri-kreen are mortal embodiments of chaos. The basic unit of society is a nomadic extended family, but thri-kreen often come together in conglomerations that treat the trappings of society as one huge game in which all of the rules change constantly. The only standard is that one thri-kreen (usually the strongest, the smartest or the best hunter) each year assumes the role of "Grand General", the only position of authority, who dictates the rules that society will operate by for a time.
Thri-kreen are violent, being both carnivorous and convinced that they are the only truly intelligent life. They raid settlements and caravans of other races for both food and goods, and will often "trade" by stealing goods they want and replacing them with useless rocks, garbage or even items deemed offensive by the culture in question. A thri-kreen will never willfully harm another thri-kreen, but other races are fair game. They are skilled at crafting crystal into weapons and are often psionically gifted.
Ogres: Dubbed "big-bigs" by the kobolds, ogres were until recently thought to be nothing more than mythical monsters. Recent expeditions into deep within the earth, however, have discovered that ogres do exist and are easily exploited by the more intelligent, magically gifted kobolds.
Ogres are large insectile creatures with four arms (I used the insectile template from Savage Species on my ogres). Their society is crude and primitive, with a rough hierarchy of "might makes right". Ogre morphology is highly unstable, and alpha ogres, perhaps infused with magic by the fear and beliefs of their lessers, often mutate. Both male and female alpha ogres grow sharp teeth and horrible rending claws, but male alphas gain amazing regenerative properties, whereas female alphas gain magical powers and skin like iron.
(I used insectile trolls for male alphas and insectile annis hags for female alphas).
Kobolds: Kobolds are the Empire. They rule over the southern continent of Gondwana with an iron fist, collecting punitive taxes from their various vassals and conscripting them to fight their wars. Kobolds love bureaucracy in all its forms, and have a highly regimented society riddled with various minor officials. Kobolds are obsessed with genealogy, and keep rigorous track of their bloodlines. They are especially proud of devilish or draconic blood in their lineages, and marriages with fiends and dragons are often used to cement alliances between kobold families and their supernatural benefactor.
Kobolds hate the sun, and so live underground in vast artificial caverns. They raise a variety of fungus, vermin and giant subterranean lizards for food. Religion is of middling importance in kobold society--all kobolds pay lip service to Kurtulmak, their creator, but devote little attention to godly matters. The exception comes from worshiping deities not sanctioned by kobold society (Kurtulmak, various archdevils, Tiamat); these heretics are usually swiftly put to death.
Troglodytes: Troglodytes are a corruption of lizardfolk stock, the result of demonic influence and the genetics experiments of the serpentfolk. If the kobolds can be said to rule Gondwana(which they will often, and loudly, proclaim), the troglodytes are the counterpart rulers of the northern continent of Laurasia. Troglodytes are wasteful, savage and loving of filth, and much of Laurasia's once proud plains and forests now lie in ruin.
Troglodyte society, such as it is, is a violent theocracy. Conflicts between troglodytes are common, even welcomed, for a weak individual murdered is one less burden on everyone else. Demon worship is the state religion--most troglodytes passionately venerate Lagozed, as his immortal half-trog son is the undisputed Hegemon of all troglodytes. A recent trend has been towards a debased form of druidism, devoted to remaking the whole of the continent in the troglodytes diseased, corrupted image.
Lizardfolk: The lizardfolk live in mangrove swamps, island chains and marshes throughout both continents, and in the vast network of islands and shallow seas between them. Lizardfolk are shamanic, druidic, tribal people, with no interest in conquering continents or spreading their religion. Lizardfolk generally want to be left alone.
The god of the lizardfolk, Semuana, is essentially the personification of natural selection. Its only tenet is "survive and multiply", which the lizardfolk take to heart. Lizardfolk have no dietary taboos, consuming other sentients and even committing cannibalism with impunity. Lizardfolk are also intensively competitive amongst themselves, yet despite this ambition, they have no desire to expand their territory beyond their marshes and mangroves. Perhaps some ancient lizardfolk empire once existed, only to be destroyed by hubris and lost to memory.
Firenewts: The firenewts are an odd offshoot of lizardfolk blood, native to the large volcanic island continent of Surtsey. Despite their adaptations to the heat, firenewts still love the water, and most of their settlements are on the coast (this is also probably due to Surtsey being a barren desert of obsidian shards and ash fields). Firenewts eat mostly fish, although they grow some crops on what ashy soils are wet enough to be fertile. They are a mercantile people, trading metal goods and gems coughed up by the volcanoes for wood to build more boats.
Firenewts are among the most democratic of the races, having a parliamentary system complimenting a mostly powerless monarch. Firenewts as a whole are often irreligious, but a growing influence on their society is the Order of the Black Flame, a cult devoted to Bazim-Gorag, a slaad lord of fire imprisoned under the island whose rage is responsible for much of the volcanism on Surtsey.
Thri-kreen: One of the few races native to Gondwana untamed by the kobolds, the thri-kreen are mortal embodiments of chaos. The basic unit of society is a nomadic extended family, but thri-kreen often come together in conglomerations that treat the trappings of society as one huge game in which all of the rules change constantly. The only standard is that one thri-kreen (usually the strongest, the smartest or the best hunter) each year assumes the role of "Grand General", the only position of authority, who dictates the rules that society will operate by for a time.
Thri-kreen are violent, being both carnivorous and convinced that they are the only truly intelligent life. They raid settlements and caravans of other races for both food and goods, and will often "trade" by stealing goods they want and replacing them with useless rocks, garbage or even items deemed offensive by the culture in question. A thri-kreen will never willfully harm another thri-kreen, but other races are fair game. They are skilled at crafting crystal into weapons and are often psionically gifted.
Ogres: Dubbed "big-bigs" by the kobolds, ogres were until recently thought to be nothing more than mythical monsters. Recent expeditions into deep within the earth, however, have discovered that ogres do exist and are easily exploited by the more intelligent, magically gifted kobolds.
Ogres are large insectile creatures with four arms (I used the insectile template from Savage Species on my ogres). Their society is crude and primitive, with a rough hierarchy of "might makes right". Ogre morphology is highly unstable, and alpha ogres, perhaps infused with magic by the fear and beliefs of their lessers, often mutate. Both male and female alpha ogres grow sharp teeth and horrible rending claws, but male alphas gain amazing regenerative properties, whereas female alphas gain magical powers and skin like iron.
(I used insectile trolls for male alphas and insectile annis hags for female alphas).
Kesh
First Post
The recent Dragon magazine article on Gnolls really covered how I picture them for the most part. I add a few small touches to emphasize the slave culture of evil gnolls, and the "caught in the middle" predicament of the (now) unaligned gnolls, but the article hit the nail on the head.
Fallen Seraph
First Post
Well, for me. I simply inform my players "look at the stats", then afterwards once the world is figured out between us all, we discuss what both I as a DM could see that race being based off the stats and what the players want.
So fluff wise even with a player race they may look, act and be completely different then normal with just the stats being the same.
Oh and your mention of Gremlins from your old one. Reminded me of what I do with Gremlins, they are their own monster and they generally live in cities and cause all sorts of mischief in their packs. In some regards their considered, "vermin", much like raccoons, squirrels, pigeon , etc. just more nasty and intelligent.
Now for some of mine:
-It is very common for me to have Tieflings changes to happen not because of some cross-breeding but something that happens in the womb. For instance in one setting it is because of reality-fluxing and that altering the DNA-makeup of the child. In another it is because the nightmares the mother has influences the growth of the child and it takes on aspects of those nightmares (some truly nasty Tieflings to cause the birth of more take on the classic succubus/incubus role and will literally perch silenty on the chest of sleeping mothers and whisper nightmares into their ears).
I usually let players and in my NPCs as well go nuts with how mutated the Tieflings are. They can look almost human, they can look like a centaur with insectoid lower half, they can be half snake, have tentacles, etc, etc. Basically can go from someone wearing contacts to complete freak-show.
-It is a small change, but it actually alters a fair-amount of stuff. Aboleths do not just stay in lakes/bodies of water. It is quite common to see Aboleths use their slaves to create large aquarium contraptions that are carried by slaves/psychic will of the Aboleth, so it can control/look over areas on land. The influence is obviously from Dune with the tanks used to move Navigators around.
I have plenty more, but they are on such a individual basis hard to think up real specifics.
knightofround
First Post
I love the trolls-as-dragon-troops idea. That makes perfect sense for my campaign world where dragons genetically engineered 1/2 of the races on the planet.
This doesn't fall so much under recreating monsters, but I've tried to break racial stereotypes in my campaign world. Hobgoblins are lawful evil zionists who seek to regain their religious homeland. Halflings are recast as Braveheart-era Scotts, with the brutality of Dark Sun's halflings minus the cannibalism part. Dwarven society has an Egyptian tint to it; only the most noble and worthy Dwarves are permitted to live within the holy pyramids. Gnolls become the pacificistic, hippy race, whereas Wood Elves become the more primal forest creature. Eladrin are based off of Alexandrian-era ivory-tower Greeks, as a foil to Humanity's Rome. Dragonborn are a sophisticated, yet primal militaristic nation that tames nature and beasts for use in battle. Drow are redone as clan-like eastern plains people. Some clans putting a greater focus on honor, like samurais, and others on might, like mongols, and yet others on wealth, like ninjas. Half-elves are a unique race with Arthurian flavoring that pushes for a united-nations style world hegemony. Tieflings make infamous pirates and international bankers, and are widely persecuted in a way similar to the Jews in Medieval Europe. Kobolds are redone as British industrialists, and they absorb the Gnome's portfolio of tinkering with machinery.
Gnomes form a hidden, highly scientific nation state (inspired by Asimov's Foundation series). They could easily conquer the world if they wanted to, but they're not interested in such petty ambitions; instead, Gnome-kind faked their own xenocide in a Mournland-type event so they could secretly plot how to kill the gods themselves (in revenge for destroying their creators, the dragons) and rule the multiverse.
This doesn't fall so much under recreating monsters, but I've tried to break racial stereotypes in my campaign world. Hobgoblins are lawful evil zionists who seek to regain their religious homeland. Halflings are recast as Braveheart-era Scotts, with the brutality of Dark Sun's halflings minus the cannibalism part. Dwarven society has an Egyptian tint to it; only the most noble and worthy Dwarves are permitted to live within the holy pyramids. Gnolls become the pacificistic, hippy race, whereas Wood Elves become the more primal forest creature. Eladrin are based off of Alexandrian-era ivory-tower Greeks, as a foil to Humanity's Rome. Dragonborn are a sophisticated, yet primal militaristic nation that tames nature and beasts for use in battle. Drow are redone as clan-like eastern plains people. Some clans putting a greater focus on honor, like samurais, and others on might, like mongols, and yet others on wealth, like ninjas. Half-elves are a unique race with Arthurian flavoring that pushes for a united-nations style world hegemony. Tieflings make infamous pirates and international bankers, and are widely persecuted in a way similar to the Jews in Medieval Europe. Kobolds are redone as British industrialists, and they absorb the Gnome's portfolio of tinkering with machinery.
Gnomes form a hidden, highly scientific nation state (inspired by Asimov's Foundation series). They could easily conquer the world if they wanted to, but they're not interested in such petty ambitions; instead, Gnome-kind faked their own xenocide in a Mournland-type event so they could secretly plot how to kill the gods themselves (in revenge for destroying their creators, the dragons) and rule the multiverse.
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I love using creatures in various ways, but really my favorite routes happen to be turning the more 'exotic' creatures into mundane forms of more 'common' races. Spriggans are all well and good as a creature (though they fit their mythological counterpart... poorly)... but when considered as a strangely altered goblin, halfling, or other Small humanoid it makes for an interesting setup.
Right now in my Modern game Halflings (and special types of them) are the major grunts of fey which would be considered the Spring Court. They hunt with the assistance of other fey-retyped creatures, and have some nasty abilities and trickeries. Halflings also serve as great bases for so many creature types that they seemed natural as a 'base race' for a large mystic culture. Frodo was nice, but having Jack of the Green in all of his finery bracing the PCs with his great wolfhound-cum-killing machine with a smile and a flick of the wrist provides for good times
.
Some of the interpretations appear in my Good Gaming articles... check them out (link in sig).
Slainte,
-Loonook.
Right now in my Modern game Halflings (and special types of them) are the major grunts of fey which would be considered the Spring Court. They hunt with the assistance of other fey-retyped creatures, and have some nasty abilities and trickeries. Halflings also serve as great bases for so many creature types that they seemed natural as a 'base race' for a large mystic culture. Frodo was nice, but having Jack of the Green in all of his finery bracing the PCs with his great wolfhound-cum-killing machine with a smile and a flick of the wrist provides for good times
.Some of the interpretations appear in my Good Gaming articles... check them out (link in sig).
Slainte,
-Loonook.
avin
First Post
Ok, in my first campaign I changed things a bit.
Humans, dwarves, orcs and dwarves were once the same race. Where they live and what they did for survive change them like Darwin's evolution. There was just one god, the difference was how each race approach from them.
Orcs lived on militaristic clans. They were barbarians with honor.
Ogres were related to orcs (as hobgoblins are to bugbears today). Dark grey skin, but far from stupid... they are big, smart and cruel.
No hobgoblins.
No halflings.
Gnomes were feys.
Goblins like the ones in Ultima Underworld II.
No "evil race" per se. This is something I find just silly.
Today I run Planescape games, so each orc is different...
I like Scarred Land approach on races. Their harpies is what I use.
Humans, dwarves, orcs and dwarves were once the same race. Where they live and what they did for survive change them like Darwin's evolution. There was just one god, the difference was how each race approach from them.
Orcs lived on militaristic clans. They were barbarians with honor.
Ogres were related to orcs (as hobgoblins are to bugbears today). Dark grey skin, but far from stupid... they are big, smart and cruel.
No hobgoblins.
No halflings.
Gnomes were feys.
Goblins like the ones in Ultima Underworld II.
No "evil race" per se. This is something I find just silly.
Today I run Planescape games, so each orc is different...
I like Scarred Land approach on races. Their harpies is what I use.
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