Alternative racial rules

[tecnowraith]

What would be a good way to do d20 rules for allowing to players to choose racial features? Like for muantants or robots: johnny want to have four arms instead of two at character creation and other features.

Any thoughts?

 

[Severion]

D20 future has mutants (i think 4 arms is an option) the only place i've seen robots as PCs is Arsenal by Perpetrated Press.

 

[DMH]

Other than Gamma World (which I do not suggest for this), the only point build for races I have seen is in GR's Advanced Player's Manual. You can either wait until the print form is out (34 bucks) or buy it now as a pdf at rpgnow for 17 bucks.

 

[Starglim]

What's the in-game explanation, and how do you want it to work? Depending how the PCs get all these wacky mutations (an infinite number of playable races in the setting for some reason, a magical or environmental mutagen, perhaps a magical or technological method for characters to change their own bodies) you could apply various balances: fractional Level Adjustment, drawbacks, a prestige class, feat or experience cost to gain the new ability.

 

[Macbeth]

The Iron Born in the book of Iron Might might fill this nitch. You choose a package of abilities for each one, allowing for some variations (though nothing quite so dramatic as 4 arms, if I recall correctly).

 

[Afrodyte]

The Dawnforge CS has an idea they use like paragon traits or talents or something, and they are pretty interesting.

 

[tecnowraith]

Well, if you look at the new animated movie "ROBOTS" coming soon, you see a lot variant models, some will have multiple limbs, other will wheels or hover jets for legs, some will have head with one or multiple eyes or visors. just some many "component" to the robot body. i would to have rules that you choose which body part you can "install" at character generation and still keep it at +0 ECL.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Pick up a copy of Four Color to Fantasy and allow them to choose 8 Hero points' worth of abilities for their race. If you need to, apply limits to what powers may be taken.

Humans come out to about 7 points in my reckoning. Eight if you count FC: Any as a power.

 

[tecnowraith]

What's the in-game explanation, and how do you want it to work? Depending how the PCs get all these wacky mutations (an infinite number of playable races in the setting for some reason, a magical or environmental mutagen, perhaps a magical or technological method for characters to change their own bodies) you could apply various balances: fractional Level Adjustment, drawbacks, a prestige class, feat or experience cost to gain the new ability.

I like them to choose at character generation, the world would be magical, technological and just plan wierdness. Most woull be born with the mutations and others could get them later on. I do not want LA for the races, plain and simple so that is out. Not sure If want to a feat system or prestige class, its been done alot with other rules.