The Katara

[orsal]

What about Lizard men though? They're in the SRD, and they're definately more lizard like than man like.

From your proposal:

The Katara are a race that traces their origins to smaller wild cats, though scholars debate which ones in particular. They generaly look like fairly large house cats that stand on their hind legs, and have opposable thumbs. Unlike their wilder feline cousins, the Katara do not have claws, nor are their teath as sharp as their wilder bretherin. Katara fur comes in a variety of colors and patters, and stripe or spot patterns are usually distinctive of a particular clan.

Described generally as like cats, only like men in specifically enumerated ways. Is there any text in any source you know that describes lizardfolk analogously?

Again, I read in the proposal that they are cousins of cats, although no family relationship to any humanoid race. The only hint that they are more akin to elves or humans than to cats is the humanoid type. Note that Jdvn1, reading your text, got the picture of cartoon-like anthropomorphized animals. You subsequently clarified that you intended something a little different, but the clarification didn't work its way into the text of the proposal itself. If this proposal is adopted, those later posts aren't going to be copied into the "approved content" thread. Only the proposal itself will be, and that will shape the way future LEW players understand the race.

So, I have two suggestions:

(1) Change the description so that instead of enumerating humanlike features, you enumerate catlike features. Then, if I read that, I'm going to visualize the creature by grafting those features onto a humanoid form, not the other way round.

(2) Change the origins. An idea: the Katara are a race of humanoids who traditionally worship (maybe were created by?) a cat-god(dess?) This deity would need to be fleshed out a little, but would be the creator of all things feline, and as patron of this race would have endowed them with feline characteristics. (IIRC, the decision was made a while ago not to have racially exclusive deities, like Moradin is to dwarves in Greyhawk, but it's OK to have deities with affinities for certain races, like Chennet is to dwarves in LEW.)

And yes, their newness might dominate for a bit, I don't think it will much more than any other new culture will. Look in the tavern now.

What I see there is fascination with foreign cultures. If I meet someone in the Red Dragon Inn who clearly doesn't get the etiquette of my society, and has his own sense of etiquette that seems totally bizarre to me, I'm going to be curious. Who is he, where is he from, what is that land like? Even minor biological differences could be treated similarly. But if a cat walking on his hindlegs comes up to me in the bar, I'm just going to conclude that I had much too much to drink. That applies whether or not I notice the opposable thumbs.

The level of strangeness to aim for is exactly the level that provokes what's been happening in the Red Dragon Inn recently. I think this proposal, as currently written, goes way beyond that.

I think it can be fixed, however, and I don't have any issues with the cultural aspects of the proposal.

 

[Bront]

Trimmed for relivence

Again, I read in the proposal that they are cousins of cats, although no family relationship to any humanoid race. The only hint that they are more akin to elves or humans than to cats is the humanoid type. Note that Jdvn1, reading your text, got the picture of cartoon-like anthropomorphized animals. You subsequently clarified that you intended something a little different, but the clarification didn't work its way into the text of the proposal itself. If this proposal is adopted, those later posts aren't going to be copied into the "approved content" thread. Only the proposal itself will be, and that will shape the way future LEW players understand the race.

So, I have two suggestions:

(1) Change the description so that instead of enumerating humanlike features, you enumerate catlike features. Then, if I read that, I'm going to visualize the creature by grafting those features onto a humanoid form, not the other way round.

I think it can be fixed, however, and I don't have any issues with the cultural aspects of the proposal.

Ok, so a better (and better worded) Description needs to go in. Was the second one that I described them work a bit better? I still like them being decendants of cats, though,. In this deeply magical world, perhaps they were some ancient Wizard's creation cross between a cat and a primate, and this is what evolved.

Anyone who can write a better physical description can do so. I've sort of done it (The most recient one

Obviously, facial features will be a bit cat like, and they will have a tail (not prehensile, benifits already included in skill bonuses.), but perhaps they have a more humanoid build if that's the big issue (broader shoulders, a more dicernable waist, ect).

I do see a need for a Kataran God. And I can work on that. Probably just a minor god. I'll figure out the domains and ideas.

I'll try to amalgimate things to put in the official proposal. If anyone else sees something that didn't get added but should, please let me know (Quoting it would work).

I'm glad you're willing to work with me on this Orsal. And glad you can see them in the world in some form. Let's make them interesting and a unique race that's fun to play and will be an interesting addition to LEW.

I'll gather info and put it togeather and update the proposal tonight.

 

[Jdvn1]

How much like this would either of you be okay with?
http://wizards.com/dnd/images/row_gallery/86632.jpg

 

[Bront]

I saw their heads to be a bit more cat-like, but otherwise it's good.

 

[Jdvn1]

I saw their heads to be a bit more cat-like, but otherwise it's good.

Me too, but I think this might be a good compromise.

 

[GnomeWorks]

I like the picture!

Seriously, though, that gives me a much clearer picture of what the Katara look like (which only makes sense...). Any qualms I had with approving this race are allayed, and I don't foresee any issue with the antropomorphism that was mentioned earlier - it is quite apparent that they are humanoid, but they also have certain features that make it clear they are not one of the other races (they resemble elves, but have facial hair... etc).

 

[Jdvn1]

I was looking for pictures and starting to draw a couple of my own, and thought, "... I should probably check on the WotC site, it'd be a lot easier..."

For the record, that's two yeses, an issue about how they look, and an issue about cleaning up the wording.

 

[Bront]

We have one No though, which means we technicaly need 2 more Yes votes, or we need to convince Orsal to change his vote, and I know he's waiting on the cleanup.

I might not be able to clean them up till this weekend. I'm not sure where the wording is confusing, but I'll try to look at it and fix it.

 

[Jdvn1]

... Oh, you're right. The yellow helps. Then again, I got KO's, so. Does there have to be three 'Yes's or three more 'Yes's than 'No's?

 

[Bront]

Three more yes's than no's