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<blockquote data-quote="Dannyalcatraz" data-source="post: 5977810" data-attributes="member: 19675">Assume, for a moment, that I am a human being.From past experience, I can tell you that my past peak strength was about 14 in D&amp;D terms.&nbsp; Some of that was a natural gift, but I had to work at it to get it that high.&nbsp; Had I continued to work at it, who knows?Much the same could be said of other gifts I have.Any species has natural variation within it, and even things we take for granted may be absent.&nbsp; All mammals have hair...except those with allopecia.&nbsp; All humans have 2 arms &amp; legs from birth...except those that don't. Bad nutrition can stunt growth.Further, some species can change radically over time.&nbsp; Certain fish, for instance, can change gender. Mnot all do- it only happens under certain circumstances, and then, only to a few members of the community.&nbsp; Some creatures experience additionsl changes to their physiques if and only if they attain alpha status within their communities- stronger muscles, thicker hides, etc.- a process that starts when they challenge for leadership, but only completes if they win.What the racial levels do is take certain aspects from being absolutely ineherent and move them to being cultural or potential benefits.&nbsp; Two Minotaurs may have the same potential for growth, but the one who is bookish and becomes a Mage may never develop the massive muscles of his warrior cousin.&nbsp; A Githezerai raised away from his people and their home environs may never develop the preternatural grace and Psi-like abilities of his kin.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Dannyalcatraz, post: 5977810, member: 19675"] Assume, for a moment, that I am a human being. From past experience, I can tell you that my past peak strength was about 14 in D&D terms. Some of that was a natural gift, but I had to work at it to get it that high. Had I continued to work at it, who knows? Much the same could be said of other gifts I have. Any species has natural variation within it, and even things we take for granted may be absent. All mammals have hair...except those with allopecia. All humans have 2 arms & legs from birth...except those that don't. Bad nutrition can stunt growth. Further, some species can change radically over time. Certain fish, for instance, can change gender. Mnot all do- it only happens under certain circumstances, and then, only to a few members of the community. Some creatures experience additionsl changes to their physiques if and only if they attain alpha status within their communities- stronger muscles, thicker hides, etc.- a process that [I]starts[/I] when they challenge for leadership, but only completes if they win. What the racial levels do is take certain aspects from being absolutely ineherent and move them to being cultural or potential benefits. Two Minotaurs may have the same potential for growth, but the one who is bookish and becomes a Mage may never develop the massive muscles of his warrior cousin. A Githezerai raised away from his people and their home environs may never develop the preternatural grace and Psi-like abilities of his kin. [/QUOTE]

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