Experiences with Rakshasas

[Crust]

Why should they have penalties?

For the same reason that we have left-handed scissors.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Now, each one has a very specific thing that willslay them instantly. Usually a crossbow bolt imbued with some spell (or spells) but not always.

That's a cool idea! Finding out the particular vulnerability could be like discovering a demon's true name. Makes them much more interesting (but problematic if you're fighting a whole whack of 'em).

 

[Sejs]

For the same reason that we have left-handed scissors.

Minor comfort?

Now I imagine if they had their own culture such that they produced their own goods (and let's face it, they're fiends, they probably don't) then they'd be made in a way to cater to their own particular physiology, the same way that a predominantly left-handed culture would. But without that, they'd learn to use what's available. Sure they'd hold a pen differently, or their fighting style would look noticibly different from ours, but that's not the same thing as assigning a penalty to trying to perform an action.

But the same can be said for any race with similar but slightly variant body structure. Would you give a thri-kreen similar penalties to those you'd give a rakshasa?

 

[lukelightning]

I'm glad they got rid of that stupid "blessed crossbow bolt" thing and replaced it with DR/good and piercing. Before,the DM had to let the players know that a rakshasa was around, to give them an opportunity to get the crossbow bolts.

 

[Gold Roger]

The whole point about the backward hand thing is that it isn't awkward for them. They can use they hands without problems even though they shouldn't be able to do so. It's a minor version of the non euklidian horror.


I love Rakshasa, they are so full of potential.

My only advice from actual gameplay is, that they are either pretty much invulnerable, or as good as dead.

hat makes them perfect as villains for an ill equiped mid level group, where it first shows them up, but is stopped/uninterested in killing them. They have a classical bond villain mentality, so "inescapable deathtrap"tm comes in handy here. Then the PC's have to research it, equip themself and hunt it down.

But from what I've heard, equiped PC's can turn stock Rakshasa's into paste quite easily, so I guess it's good when they know it too and always have some tricks prepared and really fear non-SR spells and pointy holy stuff.

 

[shilsen]

But from what I've heard, equiped PC's can turn stock Rakshasa's into paste quite easily, so I guess it's good when they know it too and always have some tricks prepared and really fear non-SR spells and pointy holy stuff.

Emphasis on "stock rakshasas". But there are other kinds. Oh yes, precious, there are...

 

[Crust]

I wouldn't necessarily assign penalties across the board to the rakshasa. The game designers didn't include penalties (whether because of a desire to save paper, a desire to avoid thinking about it too deeply, or to make a reference to some literary monster/figure), so why make things more complicated? It's just that the reversed hands don't make any sense to me at all, and that's that. We have to assume the rakshasa can function normally in a setting dominated by "normal hands." I imagine a rakshasa who lives and functions around humans or elves or orcs or even fiends, most of which have "normal hands," would find things quite frustrating: opening doors, writing things down, using forks and knives, shaking hands, clapping, etc. etc. Not impossible to accomplish, but frustrating.

And consider the confusion of a rakshasa assuming the form of a being with "normal hands" (which is most every humanoid being in any one crystal sphere). That could be incredibly frustrating to get used to. Conversely, if I could change shape, and if I were to take the form of a rakshasa, the reversed hands would be near-maddening to have to deal with without practice...

...or one could just follow the RAW and forget the whole thing. It's not a big deal. Just something to think about.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I miss them being killed by blessed crossbow bolts (as cheesy as that is for a monster of their ability level).

 

[shilsen]

I miss them being killed by blessed crossbow bolts (as cheesy as that is for a monster of their ability level).

Man, I hated that rule. I'm okay with it if your PC's name is Rama and the blessed bolt is on a longbow and happens to be called the Brahmastra, but other than that - hell, no!

 

[szilard]

The Rakshasa suspect that they are characters in a game, and they are rules lawyers.

-Stuart