(Pratchett's Discworld) Creating a Carrot (human raised dwarf)

[Zzyzx]

Two questions:

1. Using D&D 3.x rules (and subject to DM approval), mechanically what what would you do to create a character that was a human raised as a dwarf (genetically human but culturally dwarf)?

I'm thinking she wouldn't get darkvision, but how about stonecunning? Not stability, but how about bonuses to appraise and craft checks?

And what happens to the bonus to skill points and the bonus feat?

2. Would you allow such a character in your games? Why or why not?

Background: Carrot Ironfoundersson (if I remember right) is a character in Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" series (highly recommended BTW) that is a human but was raised as a dwarf.

 

[Thanee]

I would probably just make a human as normal and choose appropriate skills and feats.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Bront]

As Thanee.

However, I might give him weapon familiarity with the dwarven Waraxe, but that's debatable.

It should be more a cultural thing. I've been trying to write up an Elven raised Dwarf (who shaves!) Wizard, and it was more an attitude than anything (Wine drinking, polite, forest dwelling)

 

[dvvega]

Previous posters have stated that it is a flavour thing and it is, however not completely.

I've actually DM-ed a Dwarf raised by Humans player in an old campaign.

What we did was seperate inherent traits (Genetic) from learned traits (Upbringing).

Genetic:
+2 CON/-2 CHA
Medium Size
Base Land Speed with Armour Ability
Darkvision
Stability
Skill Bonuses
Poison and Spell Resistance
Favoured Class

Upbringing:
Stonecutting
Weapon Familiarity
Orcs, Goblins, Giants Benefits
Languages

You could argue that the skill bonuses are results of training and I would agree IF the skills in question were Trained Only skills. However they're not and this leads to the assumption that they have the inherent ability to Appriase and Work Metals/Stone.

The same goes for Favoured Class. Dwarves just happen to be naturally good at fighting.

The Stonecutting, however, seems to be a Professional type of skill and so we classed it as Upbringing.

Now overall we thought that if he was raised by humans, the Upbringing traits would be replaced by equivalent Human ones - bonus feat and extra skill points. Bonus languages would be those of Humans, and they would lose their Weapon Familiarity and Combat skills versus certain types of creatures.

Not sure if its 100% balanced.

So to answer your question I would reverse the concept. For humans

Genetic
Adaptive Favoured Class
Movement Speed

Upbringing
Extra Feat
Extra Skill Points
Languages

Doesn't look like humans get much do they? However I would say that the ability scores changes for a Dwarf would be given to the Human since they would be living a Dwarvish life and perhaps be hardier than the average Human.

I would remove their bonus Feat and Skill Points, Limit their Language list as per a Dwarf, and give them the rest that is based on Upbringing. So they would lose Darkvision and ability with armour (they're too frail compared to a dwarf - this also explains the lack of saving throw bonus), but they would learn combat skills against the racial enemies and weapon usage.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Two questions:

1. Using D&D 3.x rules (and subject to DM approval), mechanically what what would you do to create a character that was a human raised as a dwarf (genetically human but culturally dwarf)?

I'm thinking she wouldn't get darkvision, but how about stonecunning? Not stability, but how about bonuses to appraise and craft checks?

Carrot had the ability to "detect gold" like real dwarves... hmmm... I'd probably go Thanee's way, but if the player insisted, I'd give them the non-genetic traits and remove the bonus feat.

 

[ceratitis]

he he he great books. just make sure he's orange... with a green top
Z

 

[Someone]

IIRC there was a general advice on that in the PHB, under "customize your character" in the alignment and deities section. It discussed the opposite case, a dwarf being raised among humans. For a human raised among dwarves, I´d make him lose the extra skill points, extra feat, and favored class, and get Stonecutting, skill bonuses, languages, AC and to hit bonuses against certain races, weapon familiarity, and favored class. IMO it´s a net los for the character, (unless he was planning to get Exotic weapon proficiency in Dwarven waraxe!)

 

[ceratitis]

i'd let him keep the bonus skill points... after the first level, or after he leaves the dwarfs which ever you prefer.
Z

 

[Glyfair]

That's one thing I always liked about Fantasy Hero (at least the original version) and thought would be nice to be brought into D&D. They separated the racial abilities from upbringing & the innate racial abilities into separate packages.

If you were a dwarf, but brought up by elves, you would buy the elf package for skills but buy the dwarf package for abilities. On the other hand, you could have a human brought up by dwarves just by buying the dwarf skills package.

 

[MarkB]

Just incidentally: It's Stonecunning.