| ZanderX |
01-15-2003 05:22 AM |
Here are some ideas for races and how they could work on Kingdoms and such. I think it's all pretty good.
Courtesy of the hairy, smelly Canadian ratman we all know and love.
Quote:
Races
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At character selection, a player should be able to choose a race. These races have their own distinctive look, and different physical attributes, but with their own downfalls. This adds a feeling of diversity besides, "Different hair color, different head, etc."
Players should also have to select a head at the start and stick with it. This will add more immersiveness, as it would be incredibly odd to see an orc with a human head, or a human with an orc head, it just doesn't make sense.
Each of the races start out in their respective home cities. The cities can be moved around if the locations are disliked. If I left out any of the cities in the writing, contact me and I'll give you the names that I think up of.
Anyways, on with the races:
(Graalian)
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Graalians are the closest you can get to, "middle of the road." Graalians are one of the elder races. Legend has it that they sailed from the far west towards the Graalian continents we now know today.
Graalians originally started out in the new lands as unrefined savages, living in the cold and frozen reaches of the Antora mountain range. After several small civil wars, some of the most intelligent of the early Graalians moved Eastward and developed several small towns and villages. Trading soon became prosperous, and they have ended up as what we know today.
Graalians have no innate strengths, and no innate weaknesses. They are a strong, hardy, all-around-good fun loving folk, that know both war and peace. They can be good, and they can be evil. A man once said that Graalians are as diverse as the lands that encompass them. Graalians typically start off in the epicenter of the Graalian world, Bomboria.
BONUSES:
-No innate bonuses.
WEAKNESSES:
-No innate weaknesses.
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(Skaven/Ratman)
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Skaven, or ratmen as they are often rudely called, are not evil, more than they are misunderstood.
It began in the very early days of Graalian settlement, when the demon Agaeulf rose and turned those who were in poverty or outcast into what they really were: Rats. Hideous, humanoid, rat-like creatures. The Graalians rejected these ratmen, and cast them aside into the wilderness. After 2 Civil Wars and an incredibly large war with the humans, the skaven are now living in New Talim, situated along the shore of the Dustarian island. New Talim is a horrid place, a mere shadow of what the empire of Favon was once. Scantily clad slaves of other races prance around on the stages of the bars and taverns that litter the streets, and filth is all around.
Skaven are similar to Graalians, but not entirely like them. Unlike Graalians, Skaven have enhanced reflexes, as well as enhanced speed and stamina. They also have a small resistance to cold. They are, however, physically weak in that they have low strength and constitution. These make them excellent rogues or archers. Ratmen are not inherently evil, although they do take part in some despicable trades. In the past, skaven disallowed the practice of magic, but their current ruler is incredibly lax, leaving the way open for skaven sorcerers.
BONUSES:
+1 to Dexterity
~Gains skill, "Reflexes" which allows them to dodge blows easier, not in effect while wearing any armor equal to or greater in weight than standard Plate Armor.
+5 to Resist Cold
WEAKNESSES:
-1 to Constitution
-1 to Strength
-1 to Charm
-5 to Resist Armor
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(Orak)
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Smelly, rude, and green, Orak's excel in being ruthless and unquavering. They typically have large, pointed ears, green skin, and hooked teeth used to rip open meat and flesh, as well as any number of piercings on their face.
Orak's are said to have come from the dark places within the world. Some say that they were the twisted perversions of Elfars, who, after losing all touch with nature, were robbed of their Elfar beauty and became hideous beasts. They are now mostly outcasts of the modern world, using very few technological advancements and instead relying on attacking neighboring cities. Their current location appears to be in the darker and more twisted forests of Astri, hiding in their massive stone fortresses.
Oraks are, naturally, stronger than your average race, and can suffer painful blows easily. However, their massive bone structure makes them poor in movement based skills. They also tend to not tolerate Elfar, which oftentimes forces them to stay away from Elfar cities.
BONUSES:
+2 to Strength
+2 to Constitution
+20 to Resist Armor
WEAKNESSES:
-1 to Wisdom
-1 to Intelligence
-1 to Dexterity
-2 to Charm
~None of their classes, except for Alchemist and Sorcerer, start out with literacy.
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(Elfar)
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The fairest of all the races, Elfar are directly connected with the nature, in which they believe that all power can be derived. But do not be mistaken: Elfar do not desire power, rather, they wish for relative peace in the world, which they constantly seen as disrupted by races like Graalians and Oraks.
No one is quite sure how the Elfar came to be, but some speculate that they are the very essence of nature, that have been shaped to form a sentient being. Their culture is rich and diverse, spreading thousands of global years. They make both beautiful jewlery and magnificent structures. Elfar structures can be seen almost anywhere, some that have had their meaning lost in time.
Elfar are the race that has the greatest connection to nature, and fully embraces this. They have high intelligence, wisdom, and power, but, being born from plantlife, are weak and frail, like a twig or a leaf. They take the long road around an Orak stronghold, but are not completely rejected by the skaven, although they are seen as, "goody good elfars" and, if given a chance, would not hesitate to make themselves a few gold richer off of the corpse of an Elfar. The Elfar themselves live high in the tree cities of Astri.
BONUSES:
+1 to Intelligence
+1 to Wisdom
+1 to Power
WEAKNESSES:
-2 to Strength
-1 to Constitution
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(Dwarev)
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Stout, but short men that live underneath the earth, the Dwarevs are a gruff race that spends their days mining forever to uncover rarer and more powerful materials to build their weapons and armors out of.
Despite their constant new development of weapons and armor, Dwarves are a race that is not actively involved in wars. They keep a distant relation with the Elfar and are often in contact with Graalians. There are often rumors that they have had some involvement in skaven affairs, but surely, that is just hearsay.
Dwarevs are quick, yet also muscular. They can also see unaided in the dark, without torchlight. On the downside, they're aren't the most intelligent of beings, but are far higher in terms of mental capacity than Oraks. However, dwarves are not the prettiest of all beings. They are seemingly neutral to everyone. The dwarevs used to live in the magnificent city of Asgard, but were driven out to live in the mountain city of Thamudain after the D******, a ruthless, coniving group of Wyrems invaded Asgard. Many foolhardy adventurers and treasure seekers often journey into Asgard, in search of the legendary chainmail coat made out of Smithonium, the strongest metal on Graal.
BONUSES:
+1 to Strength
+1 to Constitution
+1 to Dexterity
WEAKNESSES:
-1 to Intelligence
-1 to Charm
-1 to Wisdom
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