Fantasy Races: Hungry for Creative Races and Racial Traits

[Thanee]

Was going to say... Check out Talislanta, but others have done so already.

Well, doesn't hurt to say it again, or does it?

Check out Talislanta!

Bye
Thanee

 

[Severion]

Have youy considered mining "Savage Species" for ideas. Looking through the "anthropomorphic animal" section i got an idea for a nasty humanoid bat race that would rapidly supplant the local goblin population.

 

[Brother MacLaren]

Here's an idea:
Five thousand years ago, during the War of the Iron Ogres, the human tribe known as the Orcs were on the verge of being wiped out. In desperation, they called upon dark magics and forgotten gods to fill them with the power of Rage - not only their warriors, and not only for brief periods of time, but every man, woman, and child, to be used as often as needed. For their survival, they sought to tap the hidden reserves of strength located deep within each of us.
Their rituals worked. Some god or demon increased the Orcs' power, and through their strength they managed to stave off the ogres. In the course of this alteration, their appearance changed as well.
Success had its price. The Orcs lost the ability to control the rage. The slightest provocation could send any Orc - even the children known as "goblins" - into a killing frenzy, attempting to slaughter anything that is not an Orc (and, sometimes, even those that are). The tribe descended into barbarism and savagery.
Half-orcs are not human/Orc hybrids, but rather those clans that have some retained some marginal ability to control their rage. Half-orcs may still enter into mindless killing frenzies when wounded or outraged, as Orcs do, but they receive a Will save to control it.

Loosely inspired by the Incredible Hulk as well as one of that character's inspirations, the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

 

[celt]

Nekolin: A race of nomadic cat people, they have strong senses of pride, honor, and are a bit materialistic (some mildly greedy, some wantonly). Basically, they love the finer things in life and have some pretty big egos.

I'm constantly hovering around the idea of some cat people. I didn't like any of the ones in Mythic Races and I'm still pursuing something that really makes them stand out. I can see you emphasing the apparant vanity of cats to good use here in your description. I need a trait that gives "cat people" even more ooomph.

Merlane: At one time, it was believed the merlane were human/merfolk crossings, but now they are thier own race. They have feat, can breathe air and water, and are peaceful, serene and shrewd diplomats/negociators/traders between the land and surface worlds.

I initially considered a water-based race but I can't get away from the Aquaman feeling that they give me (I also sell comics). The whole "wait till I catch you in some water, THEN we'll see who's laughing!" thing puts me off. I'm pretty sure this indicates a failing on my part.

Grasslings/Grass Nymphs: These dimulative humanoids are rumored to be part fey, part plant (grass). They are free spirits, inquisitive, and prone to hiding from anything bigger than them. They are exceptionally quick runners, able to cross a plain of grass in mere hours.

This is the one I'm most attracted to in your list. There's something interesting you've got going here. There's a race in Mythic Races called Tremen that have some of what you're describing but definately less frail. They're a sort of manifestation of nature's desire to understand what these PEOPLE THINGS are doing crawling all over the place.

Orgallion: These humanoids are thought of to be ogrish brutes, but nothing can be farther from the truth. They are large, hard working hulks that love drinking, sports, athletics, and displays of strengh. Generally, they are peaceful until provoked and put more emphasis on strength, not smarts.

Steering away from strong races. I appreciate the wedding of a sort of playfullness with strength but strength is such a huge stat in the game that I'm afraid to lead with it. I can almost hear a good half of all gamers saying "Now I'm sure I wouldn't want to play in celt's game!" Clearly I'm a nutter.

Vassal: Long ago a powerful necromancer-king infused his subjects with potent necromantic magic and vampire blood. The result was a race or near-humans, gifted with heightened senses, improved restistances and combat prowess, but weak against necromancy magic and opressed into submission by thier dark lord.

The main thing I got out of this is the idea of someone in particular creating a whole race. Not a god, but a certain powerful someone. That seems workable.

If you want full write ups, e-mail me and I'll send them to you. (any or all).

You're very generous. I may take you up on that as I start nailing down the specifics of where I'm going. Thanks very much for taking the time to show me your ideas. I got a real kick out of reading them.

 

[celt]

Races of Evenor I and II are available at RPGNow. You can take a look at some freebies at:

http://www.silverthornegames.com

I'll head there right away, look at the samples, and with any luck for both of us: buy them immediately. I'm always looking for a good reason to buy something at RPG NOW. Love their service and the idea in general.

 

[celt]

A race of human monks that can phase through solid stone (think Relg from the Belgariad, complete with emotional hangups).

I don't know what to do with this phasing through solid stone thing. Bring the PC's to a village that has no doors? Then one of the PC's says "Mom!" as she walks through a wall? Then what? Tennis? Maybe the Belgariad reference (which I haven't read) brings something with it that I'm missing.

The Unspoken, a race of humans who remove their childrens' tongues as part of a coming of age ceremony before revealing a Great Secret.

This is pretty heavy duty. That better be one helluva secret. This idea might be working on me! Ok, tell me: What's the secret?

A human race that ages in reverse. Born in coccoons as old folk, eventually become halflings (to take a cool idea from above)

It's the Merlin race. I can't relate to what their lives must be like. What do they think about? Acquisition of wealth or power? Losing wealth or power?

Homeless. A race that seek the path to their true home. Wrapped in religious symbolism, clearly non-native tongue and clothing, favoured class Ranger. Considered mostly harmless by other races, have strange pacts with Elves and demons.

We have homeless in my town here. I had no idea they had pacts with elves and demons. That explains a lot. I'm leaning towards using some of what you say here be the backstory for my elves as, I believe, am181d suggested.

Make the Druid class a Race. It's members gain the ability to shapeshift, lose the spellcasting ability but gain advanced camouflage (hide, invisilibity, etc) as they age until they eventually lose themselves ot nature rather than die.

This is almost the classical myth surrounding the real life druids. The shapeshifting and blending into nature. I don't know if I'd want to turn them into a race, but I'll probably use them like a nature guild.

Blink Humans. Like the Blink halflings from Mythic Races, but....well......human. Mingle them in society and Fear Their Power. Enemy of the Displacer Humans. Mmmmmmm. Folks with tentacles growing from their shoulders. Yum.

LOL! I like the attitude here!

A race obsessed with chance. Desicions are made by rolls of special dice, lots of superstitons, high failure change for spellcasters but big unexpected bonuses too.....

I saw a luck oriented prestige class like this. I'm pretty sure it was in a major hardcover. It'd be kinda fun to have a very serious and mathematical race that is also very luck based because they're so SURE that they can control the odds. Sort of a living incarnation of a rabid gambler's delusions overlaid on Mr. Spock.

Thanks for all the ideas! Much appreciated!

 

[celt]

Here's an idea:
Five thousand years ago, during the War of the Iron Ogres, the human tribe known as the Orcs were on the verge of being wiped out.

I edited my quote of your post for brevity.

Great idea! I really like how thought out and intricate it is. You covered many of the questions that would get asked and tied it all together nicely. I hope I can pull all my stuff together so well.

 

[am181d]

I'm constantly hovering around the idea of some cat people. I didn't like any of the ones in Mythic Races and I'm still pursuing something that really makes them stand out. I can see you emphasing the apparant vanity of cats to good use here in your description. I need a trait that gives "cat people" even more ooomph.

For some reason, the sentence "They like to play with their food." keeps popping into my head. I have a vision of this really devious, mischevious warrior people just wandering the world, looking for people to mess with.

"It's not enough to beat a man. First you have to have your fun."

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

The Surathi are interesting. I came out of reading about them with the word "modularity" on my mind. I'd determined, though, that I don't want to do any half-breeds at all. I'm not totally sure why I'm heading this way but I kinda like the idea of this being all this and that being all that. Perhaps I have lingering Aryan tendancies?

Well, if you want to increase the Squick factor, how about portraying them as a sexually transmissable disease that warps the minds of the infected?

Think lycantrophes here - they can infect others with their disease by biting them, and infected people will be in a lot of problems unless their alignment matches with that of the were form. However, they can father or give birth to "true" lycantrophes - beings that are already born with the disease, and thus perfectly at home with it...

So having intercourse with a Surathi (any variety) will make you a thin-blooded if you fail a Fort save and give you the ability to develop psionic powers. However, your children might have a chance of becoming thin-blooded as well - or even "true Surathi" if both of their parents are infected.

Would this work for you?

 

[s/LaSH]

I'm beginning to leak details of my Twilight world to the Net, and just today I put up the Qor Demon. You can see them at http://www.talkaboutcomics.com/viewtopic.php?t=14778 on my comic forum (it further links to a picture).

If you're not that patient, here's a summary:

Qor demons were originally nomads in a Hell dimension. They're fairly typical demons, horns, wings, hooves, perhaps with more than a passing nod to the Gargoyles of the epynomous TV series. They're also laced with cybernetic circuitry and can generate electric current. A few centuries ago, a number of celestial wars forced them out of their home plane and into the mortal world, where they settled down and discovered that being nice was really quite fun.

I'll have more later...