Character generation rules

[tecnowraith]

I am wanting to have way to get rid off choosing multiple races and have a way to pic multiple racial features for a mythical race. Like having to the rules similar to mutants generations from Gamma World or Darwin's World but not be scientific but more mystica or D&Dish.

I am trying to explain it as best as I can. :\

 

[tecnowraith]

ok Let me try to rephrase the question.

Which is better for creating characters, make all new combine races of fantasy and horror or using a system where the players choosing racial traits from a list, being more freeform creation system? The later system would be similar to mutation rules from Darwin's World or Omega World but instead these mutations being from a scientific source they would come from a supernatural/mystical souce.

 

[tecnowraith]

Ok after completely re-reading the rules for BESM D20 I now see what I shaould have saw the first time.
How do you feel on BESM D20 for rules? Liske, dislikes or not sure?

 

[nHammer]

Personally, I think the more control(or is options a better word to use?) a person has in creating the character he invisions, the more enjoyment the player will get out of the game.

 

[haiiro]

I am wanting to have way to get rid off choosing multiple races and have a way to pic multiple racial features for a mythical race.

I think I see what you're getting it: you're considering using a "base" race with no abilities or features, and allowing your players to choose the ones that they want to have. Is this accurate?

If that's correct, then the main problem that I see is the fact that d20 racial abilities are pretty hard to balance -- even just within the core PHB races, I don't understand all of the decisions that were made by the designers. The only formal d20 system I've seen for creating new races is the one in Races of Renown: Aasimar & Tiefling, which allows you to design (theoretically) balanced planetouched races.

I guess my advice would be to categorize racial abilities, and then come up with a system whereby players choose from those categories. This seems like it would be easier to balance than just allowing them to pick willy-nilly. For example: lots of races get a +2 to checks with a couple of skills, so you could allow players to choose X number of skills to receive that bonus.

For the amount of effort involved, I'm not sure I see what the point of doing this would be. What are you trying to accomplish?

 

[Kae'Yoss]

It depends. In a vanilla fantasy game, I wouldn't care for a high mutation rate at all, I prefer to have a fixed set of races. If you want diversity, you can have subraces and templates.

 

[Umbran]

As usual - it depends upon what you want in your game.

A system where a player can pick or randomly generate racial traits has some benefits. This is, in essense, what most superhero RPGs use for character generation. It gives a lot of freedom.

However, it also pretty much ensures that the PC's race is not well-incorporated into the campaign world. In essence, if everybody is made up as a unique individual, there really is no such thing as "race" in the world. Nothing wrong with that, but it does crop out one large plot and flavor element that can commonly be used to good effect.