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Message: <blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 5981309" data-attributes="member: 2067">Interesting. I wouldn't go for the "weird biology" angle myself, but I tend to find antagonists a lot more interesting if they're relatable to the audience. I also like to work with the mythic depth in a thing rather than trying to redefine it, but that does certainly limit one's palette. In other news, I've had a think about what mechanics I might employ for my vision of orcs and gnolls. [sblock=Orc!]The mechanics in the playtest are pretty nice. Furious Charge is a good "RAARGH SMASH!" move that can intimidate players with a spike in damage, Death Strike is a great move to represent Tenacity, and Wounded Retaliation works with the idea of building up anger.Other possibilities:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Unquenchable: When the orc drops to 0 hp, it makes a Constitution save (DC 11) to avoid dropping unconscious. It must make this save each round it remains at 0 hp.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Lash Out: When the orc is hit by a melee attack, the person who hit it takes 1d6 damage as the orc retaliates.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Spiteful Rend: When the orc drops an opponent to 0 hp, it continues to savage the unconscious corpse. The opponent automatically fails its first death save due to the damage.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rancor: When the orc hits a creature who has been healed in this encounter, the orc deals an additional 1d6 damage, furious that they dare fight on.</li> </ul>[/sblock][sblock=Gnoll]The playtest rules are so-so. Pack attack is kind of a bland central ability for the gnolls, I think, though Demonic Frenzy and Feed on the Weak are not so bad....though they're also not so great. Demonic Frenzy is rather generic and Feed on the Weak is a little blatantly supernatural. Other possibilities:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Delight in Carnage: For every creature (enemy or ally) reduced to 0 hp in the encounter, the gnoll gains a +1 bonus to damage rolls. This bonus stacks.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Bleeding Wound: When the gnoll hits with an attack, the wound bleeds for Ongoing 5 damage. A Constitution save (DC 11) will stop the bleeding. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Torment the Vulnerable: When the gnoll attacks a prone creature, the creature takes an additional 1d6 damage. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Chew Toy: The gnoll can take a standard action to savage a creature that is currently dying. The creature automatically fails their next death save. </li> </ul>[/sblock]...there's probably other ideas, too, that's just kind of what I came up with in five minutes.</blockquote>

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