Greg Stolze: Forums

Inspired by this thread, I was wondering how you would handle different species/races in ORE.

Personally, I can see two different ways of doing it.

The first way is inspired by the D6 Star Wars RPG by West End Games. Basically, each species had different minima and maxima for their attributes, and a "special power." The special power is what the species was known for. For example, Wookies had a Wookie Rage ability, while Ewoks had a Perception bonus while following their nose, and an aptitude for jurry-rigging with base materials.

This could be done pretty easily with Reign, but could cause some problems when it came time to "price out" the races. I mean, we could just grab some stuff from Wild Talents, and use their pricing scheme, since it's another ORE game. But I'm looking for something a bit more centralized to Reign.

So my second idea is to make an esoteric discipline for each race. Make 'em a bit cooler than the standard disciplines, but they're only available to members of that race. Maybe throw on a stat bump, to round things out.

For example, everyone knows that Elves are fleet of foot, excellent archers, perceptive SOB's, and tree-huggers. So an Elven esoteric discipline might look something like this:

1 - Increased movement
2 - Reduction of perception difficulty
3 - Extra damage with bows/more archery dice
4 - Bonus to interacting with animals
5 - Squashing movement-related rolls while in forests

I don't know...what do y'all think?

TBP

I'm working on Ardwin right now -- a REIGN mini-setting with six traditional fantasy races and no humans. Some have unique abilities, others just get various boosts. There are some disadvantages thrown in there too. But I'll probably write race-specific paths too. Have to see how the space works out.

-G.

I would also go with "racial discplines". It would really be an adaptation of the concept of "racial paragon classes", actually (look it up if you don't know about it).
Depending on your race, you could invest experience into unlocking your natural potential.

But you could also use the One Roll character generation table, and simply bias them. It could something small like replacing one of the 10 columns by a Racial advantages column. it's a perfect place to award a skill bonus, a natural stat increase, etc. Writing it in line with other columns would solve the cost fairness issue.
Or you could make one entire table per race, where the columns are biased towards roles that are typical to that race (a lot of magic and tree hugging for elves, lots of metal work and deer drinking for dwarves, etc).

I wouldn't personally give anything like (+1 to this, -1 to that) for free, though. It's one thing to mention stereotypes of a race, it's another to enforce those stereotypes by mechanically forcing the hand of the player. Maybe elves are known for being agile and avoiding brute force. But if my player wants to play an unusual elf, known for his bulk and brawn, why not?
Why stiffle creativity with an unecessary burden?

And if they decided to pay something really different (like a minotaur race or something), then I'd probably only force them to buy a level or two in their race, whose cost would match the natural advantage compared to other races.
(ie, you'd have to invest a dice or two in the "Minotaur" column, no choice, to pay for your natural strength and bulk).

I definately wasn't thinking of giving anything away for free. To continue the Elf analogy, I was thinking of having it cost X points to be an elf. Being an elf gives you +1 Coordination, and the first 2 boni of the racial discipline. The cost to be an elf would be the cost of the +1 Coordination, and the two levels of Elf Discipline.

I'm AFB right now, so I don't know what the total points cost is, sorry.

I'm thinking this way so it's a bit more points-heavy to choose a race, as opposed to just the 1pt for the beginning of Elf Discipline, and it makes you feel more "elvish" to have that Coordination bump.

Although, your argument holds merit, philippe, that you should be able to stray from stereotypes if you want. And having a cheaper cost to be an Elf might convince more people to play different races.

I'll think on it and get back to you.

TBP

I have been modifying the Star ORE just for home use with my family. Looking at the races... currently, I am using the pick a race, it costs a significant amount version. I do find the esoteric discipline idea favorable. Could you find a happy medium: cost to be an elf... cost more (esot) to be more elf-ish as was stated. Personally, I am a human-preferred kind of guy. It is ok with me if someone wants to deviate to a different race, but it is going to cost you. In my personal setting, with the age of my kids, and the simplicity of play... even when I have allowed other races, they are run like funny looking humans. None of my players change how they play based on race. Good or bad, that is where we are at. And we enjoy what we do... that is the important part.

BTW: I would love to see Greg's ideas on Sci-Fi rules. Even settings aside.

Continuing the esoteric races idea, I'd say make each race cost 3 points. For that, you get the first 2 disciplines. After that, if you want to be more "elfish" you'd pay more points for the higher level disciplines. So, to be a master elf, that's a total of 15 points spent on being an elf.

The only down side is making an discipline for each race.

TBP

Okay, here's what I've been doing for Ardwin.

-Each race has some advantages and disadvantages. The more advantages you have, the more (or greater) your disads are going to be. Sprites have loads of advantages: They can FLY, they're beautiful, they're hard to hit. But they also have the most significant disadvantages. They're frail, they're weak, and they take extra damage from iron. Gnomes, on the other hand, have fewer advantages (they're a little hard to hit because of smaller size), but their weakness can be easily avoided (they get seasick).

-Each race can buy magical abilities particular to their blood. Sprites can shape light through glammer. Gnomes draw strength from the earth. No matter where they were born or how they were raised, they can learn these abilities. There are five of these, ranked as an Esoteric Discipline (kinda) though I'm thinking of setting it up so that you can just buy them as advantages without needing prerequisites. Hm.

-Each CULTURE has specific abilities they can buy, based on their values. So if you're raised in a dwarf mine, no matter what your parents were, you can learn tunnel fighting tricks and you instinctively take really good care of your tools. If you're brought up in a town full of goblins, you're going to be a good swimmer with a frank, obstreperous manner of speaking that makes some people think you're a real jerk but leaves others regarding you as just an asshole. Again, these are currently set up as an EsDis, but more and more I" thinking of having them be just plain ol' Advantages.

-G.

I did something similar for fantasy races for the Freeport NWOD game Liam ran. I just created ethnic merits which people could buy for their PCs while embellishing that ethnic cocktail of mixed heritage port cities are so famous for.

Liam has been thinking of running Freeport with REIGN which means overhauling this system. It should be okay.

FANTASY ETHNIC MERITS for the Storteller System

SS Fantasy GM Liam made a clever deconstruction of the typical fantasy races. Instead of separate categories, he threw them all into the same family tree, all divergent in the evolutionary sense.

He says this feature is inspired by Shadowrun’s races. I also compare it to REIGN’s fantasy races which have been re-catalogued as purely national analogues. I just like this human-centric racial idea because it is nifty and I feel it almost wants a greater exploration of heritage and diversity than, say, a mere Half-Elf race. This collection of “people” follows the essential idea of what if humans were as genetically divergent as dogs.

As a system of a single root race coloured with modular traits, ethnicities can be blended with each other in a plausible and game-sensible way. Each pure strain ethnicity or race costs six merit points (see below). I suggest giving ten merit points to players at character creation. All the ethnic merits or reduced cost merits can only be bought at character creation.

This Tolkien-esque fantasy reconstruction is what I remember and understand of Liam’s ideas. I had to fill in gaps with my own assumptions. This fantasy system is built on the back of the Storytelling System game as it appears in World of Darkness. The World of Darkness rulebook was used and no other. Everything not in the rulebook is mine and my doing (except the obvious other game references).

Basics on Dwarfs, Elves, Goblins, Humans, Orcs and Hobs
Dwarf includes gnomes and halflings as cultural versions *– but not different Dwarf sub-races. Halflings are pastoral dwarfs from the plains and farms, gnomes are dwarfs integrated into foreign cities. Beards for all three are the player’s choice.

Elves are vaguely Eastern in origin in this fantasy set-up. All the elfin sub-races are also just cultural colours not genetic specie. A dark elf may be just that not a cave-dwelling sociopath with neuroses from having an abusive, domineering mother-figures. It seems these elves grow at the same rough rate as the other races. Elves may have longevity through magic, exceptional immune systems and mitotic fidelity, or maybe do not age visually as other ethnicities. It is not known at this stage.

Goblins are a form of pygmy orc, that’s it. Read orc below.

For ease, plain humans are considered the racial average for all other races. Humans are created as instructed in World of Darkness except with ten merit points. Humans are also function as the raw, racially-neutral template when buying a race or mix-matching your hob.

Orcs are divergently evolved Neanderthal humans. They have more testosterone than other races but their brains are better equipped to control the emotional aspects. They are large, stocky, and feral. Initially primitive many are adapting to city life.

Hobs are the mixed people which feature different ethnic features. This doesn’t mean being black or white, Asian or Latino. Those are cosmetic features applicable to all races. If you complain about some sort of vague racial purity (A dwarf-elf-orc hob is impossible and will never, never, never happen, know this: 1) the game takes place in a notorious pirate city which is, as port cities were, libertarian and uncaring, and 2) that’s my entire explanation, and 3) either go away or read on).

New Merits
The idea behind using merits is, well, ubiquity. They help individualise and specialise a character far more than a single splat can. The idea of Ethnic Merits is mine while Reduced Cost Merits is Liam’s. Rather than lose one idea, I resolved both together. There’s also payout merits. They aren’t revolutionary, just old-style flaws with a new name.

Payout Merits
Some Merits are Payout Merits. Technically they’re weaknesses, handicaps, and characteristic foibles which can be bought at character creation only. Payout Merits payout additional Merit points for having them. Yes, you get extra merit points for having them.

Short (2- or 2-point Ethnic Payout Merit) – Dwarf, Goblin
You are shorter than most races. You are Size 3 for the three-point buyout and Size 4 for the two point buyout merit. Short reduces both Speed and Health scores.

Primal Motivation (3-point Ethnic Payout Merit) - Orc
Your mind has trouble differentiating reaction and thought. The friction generates the fire of confusion. Your mental rolls are retarded (10s don’t reroll and 1s cancel successes one for one).

Cold (3-point Ethnic Payout Merit) - Elf
Your emotional range is too rarefied for ordinary social banter like the thin air at the top of a mountain. Your social rolls are retarded (10s don’t reroll and 1s cancel successes one for one).

Favour Attribute (3-point Merit)
This merit applies to all nine Attributes individually, and it can be bought more than once, but each is applied to a separate Attribute. You start with two dots in the favoured Attribute and the sixth dot, not the fifth, costs two points. For ease these are the Favoured Attributes for the races: Dwarf, Stamina; Elf, Wits; Goblin, Dexterity; and Orc, Strength.

Hale (3-point Ethnic Merit) - Dwarf
Sevens count as successes with stamina-based rolls.

Knotted Flesh (3-point Ethnic Merit) - Orc
Sevens count as successes with strength-based rolls.

Whipfast (3-point Ethnic Merit) - Goblin
Sevens count as successes with dexterity-based rolls.

Stonewilled (3-point Ethnic Merit) - Elf
Sevens count as successes with resolve-based rolls.

Tactical Intuition (3-point Ethnic Merit) - Elf
Sevens count as successes with wits-based rolls.

Enduring (3-point Ethnic Merit) – Dwarf, Goblin, and Orc
You do not suffer the -3 dice pool penalty for damage and you recover and heal from damage as if you rolled an extra success.

Combined Ethnic Merits for each race
Dwarf Merits: Enduring, Favour Stamina, Hale, and Short (2 or 3 with Fleet of Foot 1 for free, no prerequisite needed – if you want gnomes and halflings).
Elf Merits: Favour Wits, Stonewilled, Tactical Intuition, Cold
Goblin: Enduring, Favour Dexterity, Short (2 or 3 with Fleet of Foot 1 for free), and Whipfast
Orc: Enduring, Favour Strength, Knotted Flesh, and Primal Motivation

The Hobelf and the Half Elf
Each ethnic merit set (deducting for the single payout merit) is six points. Technically this leaves you with one Merit point left over unless the GM gives three bonus points. Humans just get ten Merit points for fairness.

Each of the four merits also paint ethnic features at roughly 25% of the total race. Since you have to take the ethnic payout merit (and get the freebie points), you or the GM chooses one of the three Attributes which is retarded (in a pinch, the most useful first, down to the least useful).

Hobdwarfs: Short and the Size and Speed Dilemma
If your hob choice is Dwarf with Short, the first point of Short penalises either Size or Speed, not both.

Racially Reduced Merits
Some merits referred to in the World of Darkness book are also highly appropriate for the melange of combo races. If you are playing a hob you can buy one of these merits at the reduced costs for every Ethnic merit you have for that race. You may freely ignore the payout merit and pay for the ethnic merit costs your self and choose the right number of racially reduced merits.

For example if you have one ethnic merit from dwarf, elf, and orc each, you can choose one cost-reduced merit from each of the dwarf, elf, and orc lists.

The merits in parentheses tell you either the new cost or the reduced prerequisites. Additional explanations follow.

Dwarf
Iron Stamina (1 or 2) the 1 and 2 points are as effective the 2 and 3 dots
Iron Stomach (1)
Strong Back (1) adds two dice not one
Toxin Resistance (2)

Elf
Ambidextrous (2)
Eidetic Memory (1)
Fresh Start (1) no prerequisite
Natural Immunity (1) adds three dice not two
Striking Looks (1 or 3) 1-point adds one die and 3-points adds two

Goblin
Fast Reflexes (no prerequisite) +2 or +3 Initiative points, respectively
Iron Stomach (1)
Quick Healer (2)
Toxin Resistance (2)

Orc
Brawling Dodge (no prerequisite)
Danger Sense (1)
Giant (2)
Quick Healer (2)
Striking Looks (2) add two dice for intimidating social rolls only
Toxin Resistance (2)
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