I've been working on the setting I'm going to offer with my rules mechanic I call Frontier, here's the intro for it and the species that are available in the setting. Hope it perks peoples interest, more will follow as I get it typed legibly.


Intro

It was the death of an age. For three thousand years man had denied magic and it’s promises of power. For countless generations ones might was proven with the point of a sword. Kingdoms rose and fell throughout all of Phoryan. Creatures thought to be born of magic were nearly driven to extinction. Life as the races of the world knew it would never be the same. It is not even written in the Tomes of the Kalantai how magic returned. Some think that it never truly left kept alive by devoted sects of sorcerers. Others felt it was the lust of greedy souls that drew it back out from hiding, feeding on their desire for power. Whatever the reason the signs are clear, magic has returned.

Welcome to the world of Phoryan, a land of ancient mystery. Throughout your travels you will encounter many things, from the Horse tribes of the Tyr to the mighty city of Gladsport. Many opportunities await you. Much of the world remains unexplored, forgotten by the sands of time, awaiting the ones who venture forth to reclaim its treasures and bring them back to those who would use them. The only thing that remains to be seen is how daring you are. Will you prove your worth with the strength of your sword? Or will you test your will against the temptations of magic? But remember Phoryan is not a forgiving world, it does not suffer fools for it is their bones that mark the way.


Available Races (please note that the only normal "Fantasy Race" available are Humans, the rest come from my silly imagination)

HUMAN-
Although there are many cultures of humans throughout the world of Phoryan only a few of the more largely populated ones will be discussed here. Although many of the species receive bonuses in the way of STATS you will notice that humans do not. Instead they receive cultural bonuses in the form of free skills to show a humans diversity and ability to adapt to their surroundings.

JAHNA: Jaw-nuh (canine humanoids)-
The Jahna essentially look like short stocky wolfmen. They have a moderately nomadic culture and are very tribal in nature. They are highly into trade and gambling. They have adapted to arctic, temperate and jungle like climates but find their climate of their birth the most comfortable. All Jahna names have an “uh” sound to the end as a sign of their passing into adulthood. Jahna are a very fun loving and social people. They are also very willing to adopt children not of their species. They’re merely considered to be hairless Jahna. It is not uncommon for orphaned human children to be raised as Jahna. Jahna have highly developed natural senses and begin character creation with a 2 in AWARE.

TRINO: Tree-no-
The Trino are a race of bipeds similar to sloth. They are mainly arboreal but are not unwilling to traverse land. Although they tend to use all four limbs when walking they are capable of standing on their legs alone. Unlike sloth they are very quick and agile species. They are capable warriors but tend to not pursue careers in magic. Trino begin character creation with a +3 in DEX and a +2 in SPD.

KAHARA: Ku-har-uh (humanoid)-
Tall humanoids very similar to humans but with very distinct features. Kaharans are very adept at magic especially being sorcerers. They also are naturally psionic, born with certain innate abilities. There are four distinct varieties of Kahara.

Kaharan-
The ruling classes of the Kahara, the Kaharans are the majority among their species.

Kalaran-
The spiritual caste of the species, the Kalaran differs slightly from others of their race being slightly smaller of BODY. Kalaran start at -2 Body and +1 INT.

Kaladan-
Warriors by birth, the Kaladan are the weapons of the Kahara species. Larger and stronger than the rest the Kaladan are bred for combat and war. They start with a +3 to BODY and a +1 to DEX. They often employ the arts of sorcery to aid in their fighting giving a +1 in WILL.

Kalantai-
One with the forces of magic, the Kalantai are the sorcerers and wizards of the Kahara. They have few equals in their abilities to control the energies that make magic possible. They begin with +2 to AWARE and a +3 in WILL. But have a -2 in END.

JINN: Gin (feline humanoid)-
The Jinn are a culture of mercenaries. With very few females born each year the females of their species rule the Jinn. Due to the highly volatile nature of males the female ruling council hire them out in large quantities to fight wars and use as guards. The Jinn are also highly renown for their bodyguards, known as Vaantri. Jinn are very skilled in many forms of weapons and are taught in their use from a very early age. They are also highly agile and begin character creation with a 3 in DEX and 1 in SPD.

GOLAN: Go-lawn (gargoyle humanoids)
The Golan are large winged and tailed humanoids believed to be the result of a magical pairing of humans and dragons. Golan live in small coastal cliff dwellings and are extensive fisherman. Due to their size Golan have extremely dense muscles making them exceptionally strong. Due to their remote settlements from other species Golan find it twice as difficult to learn magic, as it is a highly unfamiliar. They begin character creation with a +3 to BODY and a +2 to END.

PLACTOID-
Plactoid are a race of shape changers. Capable of taking the form of nearly any object they have encountered of their size. They are capable of taking on larger forms but it is more of a shell than a solid transformation, as they do not have the mass to fully take on the form. Their normal appearance is that of a large pink blob. Plactoid require a large intake of food, especially sweets. In order to power their body for transformations. Their food intake is roughly three times that of other human and larger species. If a plactoid is not continually changing their need for food lessons to a more normal amount. Plactoids have a transformation pool based upon their BODY to regulate transformations to show how often they can change before needing to eat and rest. Plactoid have one distinct disadvantage in that if they spend too long in one form they may forget how to return back to their normal state.

VAILON (sentient plants humanoids)-
The Vailon are strange race in that they aren't animals but sentient plants. Although plants, they are not immobile, having a roughly humanoid form. They communicate to other species through a small whole on the head portion of their bodies in which air is pushed through to create a whistling like speech. Their other senses are regulated through membranes located on the sides of their heads that monitor sound, temperature, as well as heat. Vailon communicate in a telepathic method with other members of their species and make good psionicists, although sorcerers are rare among them, They are also not known to be practitioners of magic or to have a faith in any particular god. Although tall, the Vailon are not particularly strong or fast. They begin character creation with a -1 in END, and a -1 in SPD. But they do begin with a +2 in AWARE and a +1 in WILL. The Vailon are also exceptionally good at molding natural materials into weaponry, armor, and other needed equipment.

The Hive Mind

Isolates-
Normally all Vailon are connected to the Hive Mind and are an extension of it's will but on occasion that tie is broken creating what are known as Isolates. Isolates are Vailon that have been severed from the Hive Mind and have taken full control of their abilities and have full freedom of will. Isolates do however tend to suffer from this separation and receive a form of mental instability. They begin character creation with a +2 to WILL but a -1 to INT due to mental instability.

Traka-
Traka are a slave race of the Vailon. They are a relatively small mammal species that resemble armadillos. They perform a large portion of the manual labor needed by the Vailon. Although small the Traka are relatively slow and begin character creation with a -2 in SPD, but gain a +2 to END due to the armored shell that covers their body also storing unused nutrition. This shell also acts as a natural 2d10 armor.

BASKAN (reptilian)-
Baskan are a species of solitary reptiles, very similar to dragons, except in the fact that they walk upright dragging their tails behind them. Though solitary they are not antisocial. Baskan are highly adept at wizardry, though have trouble when it comes to sorcery. They are not a highly nimble race physically though are highly intelligent. They start character creation with a -2 in DEX and a -2 in SPD but have a 2 in INT.

SLAVANTRA (small iguanalike humanoids)-
The Slavantra are a very small reptilian species. Then often are renowned clerics having never forgotten the old gods, although this generally causes them to suffer distrust from other races. They are also highly adept sorcerers. They are highly intelligent and forceful creatures gaining a 2 in INT and a 2 in WILL to begin character creation.

SKREEL (locust type, genetically related to Kree)-
Unlike their cousins the Kree, Skreel prefer to settle in an area near as many natural resources as possible. They are creators and inventors, their pursuit of knowledge is unparalleled by any other species. Although not known for their fighting prowess the Skreel are not incompetents in a fight. Having nearly as formidable natural weaponry as the Kree, Skreel will always fight when cornered. They can be quite accomplished wizards or sorcerers if they desire. Skreel have 2d10 blade like portions on their primary arms and receive a +2 in AWARE and MECH but receive a -2 in END.

NASKO-
Nasko are a small underground species. They are highly skilled in digging and mining. They resemble scaly moles with large eyes. They are capable of bipedal motion but find it uncomfortable, preferring their hunched quadruped gait. They have highly tuned senses but their eyes are sensitive to harsh light. They are slightly obsessive with their projects and find sorcery difficult. They begin character creation with a -2 in WILL.

MILEIN-
The Milein are a dragon species similar to the Baskan except that they have six limbs in a centaur like body. They are scaled where as the Baskan are leathery skinned. Milein are not nearly as tall as the Baskan but are similar in length to an Ilema. Milein are highly skilled warriors and are not as skilled in wizardry. They are more a social species than the Baskan, but tend to be slightly cautious of outsiders. Milein begin character creation with a +4 in BODY but a -3 in SPD and a -1 in DEX.

EIKO (Amphibious humanoid)-
The Eiko are a simple species that live in coastal waters and swamps. They very rarely seek out for greater wealth than what is necessary to survive. They excel at being sorcerers and the use of elemental magic, especially those that deal with water. Eiko are capable of traveling over land but must attempt to keep their skin moist to avoid severe drying and cracking which can lead to debilitation is not taken care of. Due to their aquatic life Eiko are not as strong as other species but they are extraordinarily agile and start with a +4 in DEX.

KREE (insectoid, praying mantis, traders and scavengers)-
Traders of life and goods the Kree are some of the greatest scavengers and traders in the world. Kree are human sized creatures resembling rather large insects (think praying mantis). They are capable of sustained flight and have extraordinary sight but have rather fragile but quick bodies. They have projections along their arms that can act as weapons doing 3d10 of damage. They begin character creation with a -2 in END, but have a +2 to AWARE and SPD.

ILEMA (hexapod mammals, explorers and scientists)-
The Ilema are a hexapod species resembling six legged elongated bears. Although capable of standing up on their rear four legs they prefer to stand upon all six for comfort if it is for a long period of time. They are generally solitary though are known to travel in-groups. There are fairly skilled combatants and have some working knowledge of magic. Ilema are usually well experienced travelers and can be found wandering nearly anywhere in the world Ilema gain a +3 in END and AWARE but have a -2 in SPD and DEX when beginning character creation.

R’SHE (feline humanoid)
R'she have no ancestral links to the Jinn whatsoever. Which is part of their mystery. No one knows where they came from for sure. It is believed that they are magically created race that never fulfilled its purpose. What is known is that the R'she are highly adept at being sorcerers. They have no known culture and are drawn towards one another when the need for mating arises. They are not particularly known for their fighting prowess and said to be highly shy creatures when confronted by beings they do not know. R'she begin character creation with a +3 in WILL and a +1 to AWARE for slightly heightened senses.

OTAN (aardvark humanoid, farmers, and ecologists, non-aggressive)-
Resembling aardvarks in appearance with their long snouts and large eyes and ears few species take the Otan seriously. Even with their pacifist ways the Otan are not to be taken likely. They are well versed in the ways of magic and are not unwilling to defend themselves when pressured. Although not naturally endowed towards combat they are capable as well as having highly acute senses. The Otan begin character creation with a +3 in AWARE and WILL but have a -2 in SPD.


The descriptions are still basic at the moment but will be fleshed out more as I go along. Also I feel the artwork to follow as I get them done will help describe them better visually.

In my following posts I will go into charcater creation and rules. Enjoy!

Sylus

Two thumbs up for not going for the usual clichéed fantasy races. Seriously, if I see one more game with elves dancing around in a magical forest wearing tights or dwarves burrowing in a mine singing about gold I'm going get angry. Very, very angry.

- Pasi Juhani Backman

Lots of races. How much development do you plan to put into each one? Are the races simply metaphors, or do you want them to each to be a different expeience in play. I guess what I'm getting at, is how much of the "man in rubber suit" effect are you willing to accept?

Mike

I plan on giving as much detail on each race as possible. there will be insights on culture,preferred environments and the like. i hope the artwork will help elleviate the "man in the rubber suit" tendencies most games have. I use the term humanoid merely as reference to relate that a species walks upright on two legs and generally doesn't have more than two upper limbs. i use it as a descriptive so that people can easily relate when there isn't a visual depiction people can view such as artwork. I do want each species to be a different experience in play so that it broadens the whole game play experience for everyone involved.

Sylus

Is there a reason why game system material is embedded in the description of the character races? It would seem easier to keep these details separate, if the system changes or the races change.

Is there a reason why game system material is embedded in the description of the character races? It would seem easier to keep these details separate, if the system changes or the races change.

Hi Sylus,

I like the different races. Are they all available as PCs?

You seem to be going for a high fantasy feel with this and I think that is cool. I would extend that to other parts of the game as well, particularly the setting and most particularly in the regions these races live in and/or originated.

Have the Vailon inhabiting the overgrown ruins of an ancient city, perhaps that once belonged to the beings that were responsible for their creation/cultivation. Have the Nasko be artists and sculptors of unparalleled skill with the walls of their caverns decorated with hauntingly beautiful bas-reliefs that few surface dwellers have ever seen. Have the Trino weave the branches of their trees into a huge, web like forest canopy so they can move about without touching the ground.

I guess what I'm saying is try to make each setting unique and interesting and give the place a reason why it is like that, or vice-versa---design a unique setting and then explain how a race evolved or came to inhabit it. Above all, don't be afraid to go over the top. I'll second the notion that we've all seen enough elves, dwarves and halflings. Misguided's Children of the Sun had a really good take on them recently but I think that had more to do with the beauty of the overall setting. In general though I think those races should remain in the pages of D&D and LotR.

But back to Frontier, it looks promising so far. Keep on it.

Pete

Hey Pete,
Thanks, your actually not far off from how I envisioned the species you mentioned being. Yes all the races are meant to be PC's and I will be adding as much information to their descriptions as possible. I hope to keep the high fantasy feel as much as I can and I hope to get the beginning portions of character creation up soon.

Sylus

Here's an example:

HUMAN-
Although there are many cultures of humans throughout the world of Phoryan only a few of the more largely populated ones will be discussed here. Humans are diverse and adapt to their surroundings.

JAHNA: Jaw-nuh (canine humanoids)-
The Jahna essentially look like short stocky wolfmen. They have a moderately nomadic culture and are very tribal in nature. They are highly into trade and gambling. They have adapted to arctic, temperate and jungle like climates but find their climate of their birth the most comfortable. All Jahna names have an “uh” sound to the end as a sign of their passing into adulthood. Jahna are a very fun loving and social people. They are also very willing to adopt children not of their species. They’re merely considered to be hairless Jahna. It is not uncommon for orphaned human children to be raised as Jahna. Jahna have highly developed natural senses.

TRINO: Tree-no-
The Trino are a race of bipeds similar to sloth. They are mainly arboreal but are not unwilling to traverse land. Although they tend to use all four limbs when walking they are capable of standing on their legs alone. Unlike sloth they are very quick and agile species. They are capable warriors but tend to not pursue careers in magic.

KAHARA: Ku-har-uh (humanoid)-
Tall humanoids very similar to humans but with very distinct features. Kaharans are very adept at magic especially being sorcerers. They also are naturally psionic, born with certain innate abilities. There are four distinct varieties of Kahara.

Kaharan-
The ruling classes of the Kahara, the Kaharans are the majority among their species.

Kalaran-
The spiritual caste of the species, the Kalaran differs slightly from others of their race being slightly smaller.

Kaladan-
Warriors by birth, the Kaladan are the weapons of the Kahara species. Larger and stronger than the rest the Kaladan are bred for combat and war. They often employ the arts of sorcery to aid in their fighting.

Kalantai-
One with the forces of magic, the Kalantai are the sorcerers and wizards of the Kahara. They have few equals in their abilities to control the energies that make magic possible.

JINN: Gin (feline humanoid)-
The Jinn are a culture of mercenaries. With very few females born each year the females of their species rule the Jinn. Due to the highly volatile nature of males the female ruling council hire them out in large quantities to fight wars and use as guards. The Jinn are also highly renown for their bodyguards, known as Vaantri. Jinn are very skilled in many forms of weapons and are taught in their use from a very early age. They are also highly agile.

GOLAN: Go-lawn (gargoyle humanoids)
The Golan are large winged and tailed humanoids believed to be the result of a magical pairing of humans and dragons. Golan live in small coastal cliff dwellings and are extensive fisherman. Due to their size Golan have extremely dense muscles making them exceptionally strong. Due to their remote settlements from other species Golan find it twice as difficult to learn magic, as it is a highly unfamiliar.

PLACTOID-
Plactoid are a race of shape changers. Capable of taking the form of nearly any object they have encountered of their size. They are capable of taking on larger forms but it is more of a shell than a solid transformation, as they do not have the mass to fully take on the form. Their normal appearance is that of a large pink blob. Plactoid require a large intake of food, especially sweets. In order to power their body for transformations. Their food intake is roughly three times that of other human and larger species. If a plactoid is not continually changing their need for food lessons to a more normal amount. Plactoid have one distinct disadvantage in that if they spend too long in one form they may forget how to return back to their normal state.

VAILON (sentient plants humanoids)-
The Vailon are strange race in that they aren't animals but sentient plants. Although plants, they are not immobile, having a roughly humanoid form. They communicate to other species through a small whole on the head portion of their bodies in which air is pushed through to create a whistling like speech. Their other senses are regulated through membranes located on the sides of their heads that monitor sound, temperature, as well as heat. Vailon communicate in a telepathic method with other members of their species and make good psionicists, although sorcerers are rare among them, They are also not known to be practitioners of magic or to have a faith in any particular god. Although tall, the Vailon are not particularly strong or fast. The Vailon are also exceptionally good at molding natural materials into weaponry, armor, and other needed equipment.

The Hive Mind

Isolates-
Normally all Vailon are connected to the Hive Mind and are an extension of it's will but on occasion that tie is broken creating what are known as Isolates. Isolates are Vailon that have been severed from the Hive Mind and have taken full control of their abilities and have full freedom of will. Isolates do however tend to suffer from this separation and receive a form of mental instability.

Traka-
Traka are a slave race of the Vailon. They are a relatively small mammal species that resemble armadillos. They perform a large portion of the manual labor needed by the Vailon. Although small the Traka are relatively slow. Covering their body is a natural armor which stores unused nutrition.

BASKAN (reptilian)-
Baskan are a species of solitary reptiles, very similar to dragons, except in the fact that they walk upright dragging their tails behind them. Though solitary they are not antisocial. Baskan are highly adept at wizardry, though have trouble when it comes to sorcery. They are not a highly nimble race physically though are highly intelligent.

SLAVANTRA (small iguanalike humanoids)-
The Slavantra are a very small reptilian species. Then often are renowned clerics having never forgotten the old gods, although this generally causes them to suffer distrust from other races. They are also highly adept sorcerers. They are highly intelligent and forceful.

SKREEL (locust type, genetically related to Kree)-
Unlike their cousins the Kree, Skreel prefer to settle in an area near as many natural resources as possible. They are creators and inventors, their pursuit of knowledge is unparalleled by any other species. Although not known for their fighting prowess the Skreel are not incompetents in a fight. Having nearly as formidable natural weaponry as the Kree, Skreel will always fight when cornered. They can be quite accomplished wizards or sorcerers if they desire. Skreel have blade-like portions on their primary arms.

NASKO-
Nasko are a small underground species. They are highly skilled in digging and mining. They resemble scaly moles with large eyes. They are capable of bipedal motion but find it uncomfortable, preferring their hunched quadruped gait. They have highly tuned senses but their eyes are sensitive to harsh light. They are slightly obsessive with their projects and find sorcery difficult.

MILEIN-
The Milein are a dragon species similar to the Baskan except that they have six limbs in a centaur like body. They are scaled where as the Baskan are leathery skinned. Milein are not nearly as tall as the Baskan but are similar in length to an Ilema. Milein are highly skilled warriors and are not as skilled in wizardry. They are more a social species than the Baskan, but tend to be slightly cautious of outsiders.

EIKO (Amphibious humanoid)-
The Eiko are a simple species that live in coastal waters and swamps. They very rarely seek out for greater wealth than what is necessary to survive. They excel at being sorcerers and the use of elemental magic, especially those that deal with water. Eiko are capable of traveling over land but must attempt to keep their skin moist to avoid severe drying and cracking which can lead to debilitation is not taken care of. Due to their aquatic life Eiko are not as strong as other species but they are extraordinarily agile.

KREE (insectoid, praying mantis, traders and scavengers)-
Traders of life and goods the Kree are some of the greatest scavengers and traders in the world. Kree are human sized creatures resembling rather large insects (think praying mantis). They are capable of sustained flight and have extraordinary sight but have rather fragile but quick bodies. They have projections along their arms that can act as weapons.

ILEMA (hexapod mammals, explorers and scientists)-
The Ilema are a hexapod species resembling six legged elongated bears. Although capable of standing up on their rear four legs they prefer to stand upon all six for comfort if it is for a long period of time. They are generally solitary though are known to travel in-groups. There are fairly skilled combatants and have some working knowledge of magic. Ilema are usually well experienced travelers and can be found wandering nearly anywhere in the world.

R’SHE (feline humanoid)
R'she have no ancestral links to the Jinn whatsoever. Which is part of their mystery. No one knows where they came from for sure. It is believed that they are magically created race that never fulfilled its purpose. What is known is that the R'she are highly adept at being sorcerers. They have no known culture and are drawn towards one another when the need for mating arises. They are not particularly known for their fighting prowess and said to be highly shy creatures when confronted by beings they do not know. R'she have slightly heightened senses.

OTAN (aardvark humanoid, farmers, and ecologists, non-aggressive)-
Resembling aardvarks in appearance with their long snouts and large eyes and ears few species take the Otan seriously. Even with their pacifist ways the Otan are not to be taken likely. They are well versed in the ways of magic and are not unwilling to defend themselves when pressured. Although not naturally endowed towards combat they are capable as well as having highly acute senses.

HUMAN
Humans have free skills.

JAHNA
Jahna begin character creation with a 2 in AWARE.

TRINO
Trino begin character creation with a +3 in DEX and a +2 in SPD.

Kalaran
Kalaran start at -2 Body and +1 INT.

Kaladan
Kaladan start with a +3 to BODY and a +1 to DEX. Those that use sorcery have a +1 in WILL.

Kalantai
Kalantai begin with +2 to AWARE and a +3 in WILL, but have a -2 in END.

JINN
Jinn begin character creation with a 3 in DEX and 1 in SPD.

GOLAN
Golan begin character creation with a +3 to BODY and a +2 to END.

PLACTOID-
Plactoids have a transformation pool based upon their BODY to regulate transformations to show how often they can change before needing to eat and rest.

VAILON (sentient plants humanoids)-
Vailon begin character creation with a -1 in END, and a -1 in SPD. But they do begin with a +2 in AWARE and a +1 in WILL.

The Hive Mind

Isolates
Isolates begin character creation with a +2 to WILL but a -1 to INT.

Traka
Traka begin character creation with a -2 in SPD, but gain a +2 to END and natural 2d10 armor.

BASKAN
Baskan start character creation with a -2 in DEX and a -2 in SPD but have a 2 in INT.

SLAVANTRA (small iguanalike humanoids)-
Slavantra gain a 2 in INT and a 2 in WILL to begin character creation.

SKREEL (locust type, genetically related to Kree)-
Skreel have 2d10 blade like portions on their primary arms and receive a +2 in AWARE and MECH but receive a -2 in END.

NASKO
Nasko begin character creation with a -2 in WILL.

MILEIN
Milein begin character creation with a +4 in BODY, but a -3 in SPD and a -1 in DEX.

EIKO
Eiko start with a +4 in DEX.

KREE
Kree have projections along their arms that can act as weapons doing 3d10 of damage. They begin character creation with a -2 in END, but have a +2 to AWARE and SPD.

ILEMA
Ilema gain a +3 in END and AWARE but have a -2 in SPD and DEX when beginning character creation.

R’SHE
R'she begin character creation with a +3 in WILL and a +1 to AWARE.

OTAN
Otan begin character creation with a +3 in AWARE and WILL but have a -2 in SPD.

Thanks Andrew,
I appreciate the explanation. I can easily see what you mean now. I will definitly keep it in mind when expanding the write ups for each of the species, unfortunately I posted what i had written down on my computer that wasn't random notes and random thoughts floating through my head. Thanks for the heads up.

Sylus

Another thing Sylus, if you haven't read Ron's Fantasy Heartbreakers article, you should. It outlines several pitfalls you might want to be aware of.

Pete

Demonspahn wrote: Another thing Sylus, if you haven't read Ron's Fantasy Heartbreakers article, you should.

Emily,
Actually your right on the money with your assessment. The settings for Frontier I'm designing are purposefully going to be made to give a setting that is detailed enough for a gm and players to get a feel for the world and having plenty of oppertunities for adventure if the blank for ideas. But I also want to still leave them vague enough in order for gm's and players to easily expand and incorporate their own ideas.

As for the species, yeah I fully intend in putting as much detail on them as possible like geography and politics as well as their interactions with other races. I definitly want these also to be as detailed as possible but not have them so static that people can't expand on them with their own ideas. I know it's a pretty large project to undertake but I think it will be worth it in the end. If any of you have any ideas that were sparked by the species descriptions please do share them. I'm always interested in peoples first impressions and the ideas that come from them.

Sylus

Then again, as has been discussed before: putting a lot of time into geography and politics might actually prevent people from easily playing your game because they fix too much.

Ultimately it's about how you envision the game to be played. So maybe this is a proper time to ask: How do you imagine it to be played? What are the characters suppsed to do? What does your average adventure look like?

Ultimately it's about how you envision the game to be played. So maybe this is a proper time to ask: How do you imagine it to be played? What are the characters suppsed to do? What does your average adventure look like?

Some things that I would be very interested in if I was playing or gming a campaign of your game would be how do all the different races fit together. Geographically, and economically, politically and regarding religion. This is probably a no-brainer, but all of those threads help generate plot. They also give the world a pulse that transforms it from random background color to elements that matter.

Cool. I assume there will be many of these human cultures? Will there be many cultures for each of the non-human races as well?

A real pet peeve of mine is the assumption that humans in a world have many cultures, but other species have but one. It seems an unwritten assumption, but one with no other basis than "that's how D&D does it". Can we count on you to have more than one culture for species other than humans?

Mike

Can we count on you to have more than one culture for species other than humans?

Here's what I have for character creation, if people wouldn't mind taking a look at it and letting me know if they see any inconsistencies or can think of better ways to word things I would be greatly appreciative.

STATS are the values you put on your character to show physical characteristics. For Frontier STATS are rated in values of 1-10. With one being the lowest and ten being the highest. STATS are also divided into two categories, mental and physical. The STATS are;

INT, or intelligence. How smart your character is.
AWARE, or awareness. Your characters natural awareness, or how in tune he is with his surrounding he is.
WILL, or will power. Your characters ability to push on through adversity, their force of will.
MECH, or mechanical aptitude. This is your characters natural aptitude towards creating physical things and solving physical puzzles.
COMP, or compassion. This stat shows how compassionate of an individual our character is.
BODY, or physical body. Your characters overall body strength. Body is also relative to your species but the scale remains the same for rolling purposes.
END, or endurance. Your character physical fitness as regards to tone as well has how well they can endure physical hardship.
DEX, or manual dexterity. This shows your characters hand eye coordination as well as their agility.
SPD, or speed. Your characters overall physical speed. How fast they run etc.
ATTR, or attraction. “Boy you sure are purty.”

STAT points are created through several methods.


Method 1: Roll 9d10 rerolling 1’s and 2’s once, then distributes the Points amongst STATS on a 1-10 scale.

Method 2: G.O.D.’s may give a fixed STAT point amount.

Method 3: Roll 9d10 and place rolls as desired. Reroll 1’s and 2’sonce.

The average STAT for a human is between 4-5.
It is okay for characters to have higher than average STATS as they are considered to be above average to begin with. Aren’t all heroes?

Just a quick note on how the levels of the stats rate against one another.
1- Poor
2- Mediocre
3- Fair
4- Average
5- Average
6- above average
7- Excellent
8- Superior
9- Amazing
10- Legendary

Step 2: Body Points
BODY points are generated by taking the average of BODY and END multiplied by 10. All of the species have a different multiplier, referred to as the size modifier, to show their difference in size as compared to a human, some being equal. The size modifier is there to show how the different species relate to each other physically, because let’s face it, a race that averages over seven feet tall is probably going to be harder to take down than one that averages around three feet.


Step 3: Skill Points
SKILL points are generated by taking the average of INT and AWARE multiplied by 10. In other words, INT + AWARE divide by2 x 10= SKILL points. Skill points can be increased either at G.O.D. discretion or can be added to by taking the education skill x10 in extra skill points, also a G.O.D. discretionary rule.
Use of a background generator through the character creation process is optional. If you decide to use one it is best if background is done before generating skill points as background may effect skills.


Experience: Through game play characters tend to gain experience through their actions. Their rewards for this come in the form of experience points awarded to them by the G.O.D. With experience points, characters can increase their STATS, Skills, or even purchase new skills. These different areas have costs to show the difficulty in increasing them.
Beyond their general 1 point for 1 point cost, the experience point amounts for these different areas are;
STAT points: 10xthe level you wish to reach
Skill points: 5xthe level you wish to reach Please note that some skills have a learning modifier, which increases the cost of the particular skill. These extra costs are cumulative (or added together) not multiplied.


Lemme know what you think.

Sylus

Hi Jason,

I want to chime in with a "thumbs up" for the culture description. I first came across something like that with the old M.E.R.P. where not only Tolkien's human cultures were described in detail but the other races as well. I was pretty floored.

Pete


EDITED to say "not only"

Sylus Thane wrote: Method 2: G.O.D.’s may give a fixed STAT point amount.

I think you've mentioned that before Andrew and I was just curious if your player is offended by the presence of pantheon gods in a game? I just don't understand why the knee jerk reaction to something like this. I think it's kind of amusing personally, given the role and history of traditional GMs, not to mention the fact that most people I know would stubbornly refuse to call him that anyway, yet still be amused. IIRC, there was one game which called the GM the Bastard and that was pretty damn funny.

The only thing I would be concerned about would be fundamentalists latching onto it as an example of how Satanically corrupting all roleplaying games really are but this usually depends on how high up the popularity radar the game gets---in general, the more money it makes, the bigger target it becomes. Look at D&D and now even Everquest in comparison to say, Sorcerer, a game where the players actually summon and control demons!

But I guess in all reality Jason, you _are_ going to offend some people right off the bat with that designation. Whether you care or not is a different story and ultimately comes down to who/what type of people you want to buy/play the game. If you intend the game for mature audiences then there shouldn't be a problem but a father who hears his teenage daughter referring to some pimple-faced boy as God might understandably be upset. :)

Pete

Demonspahn wrote: I think you've mentioned that before Andrew and I was just curious if your player is offended by the presence of pantheon gods in a game?

Yeah I could see how some people may get upset over it being referred to as that. A very religous friend of mine simply spelled it out when she said it. Gee Ohh Dee. Her father who was a priest actually thought it was highly amusing when he found out about all the work it involved. Of course I could always flip it around, turn it into the Director of Operations for the Game. Then whoever was running could be the almighty D.O.G. :)

Jason

Sylus,

The cultural description you posted looks good. Your educational background sounds like it is suited to writing a game with a richly-detailed world like this one. As Mike said, do avoid the old non-human mono-culture effect if you can.

I particularly like the inclusion of Compassion as a stat. I am curious about what kind of rolls one will make using it. The character generation seems straight-forward, and I didn't notice any inconsistencies, but it did make me think twice about what Ron said in the essay that was referenced earlier in this thread. The world you are creating seems like an interesting one to explore, I wouldn't want folks to get the idea that it's just another place to embark on level-advancing adventures.

What kind of adventures will your system support? What kinds of mechanics will you include to help people engage with your rich world?

--Emily Care

Andrew Martin wrote:

There's also no need for a special name, when a number of common names (games master, referee, controller, storyteller :) ) would do equally as well and would avoid offending any one.

The cultural description you posted looks good. Your educational background sounds like it is suited to writing a game with a richly-detailed world like this one. As Mike said, do avoid the old non-human mono-culture effect if you can.

I particularly like the inclusion of Compassion as a stat. I am curious about what kind of rolls one will make using it.

What kind of adventures will your system support? What kinds of mechanics will you include to help people engage with your rich world?

Like I said though, in the end it's more about what you want to do with the game than anything else, Sylus. It's _your_ game, you're putting the time, effort and most likely money into it, so if you want to do things a certain way you have every right to do so. Some people will think its funny but just don't be surprised when others take offense.

Sylus wrote:

I totally understand. I've often thought about what other term I could use that would equally express the effort and detail a person puts in when running a game but haven't found one yet. That and it's been around in my game group for so long, it's almost become second nature now. :)

Demonspahn wrote: Andrew Martin wrote:

There's also no need for a special name, when a number of common names (games master, referee, controller, storyteller :) ) would do equally as well and would avoid offending any one.

Well, I would disagree with the first part of that---if a game has a lot of religious overtones, satire, what have you, then I could see using the acronym for color (because it probably wouldn't be the type of game your friend played anyway).

OK, I'm terrible at judging a game mechanic by just looking at it, but I do have one suggestion about the stat names. I would change the term MECH to something else. It has connotations that seem to suggest a higher level of technology than what you have implied so far. I would say Craftsmanship if it weren't for the part about solving physical puzzles. And exactly what does that mean? What type of puzzle is there that can't be solved with just Intelligence?

And as far as adventures, I think (and correct me if I'm wrong E.C.) what Emily is asking is what do you envision the characters doing during an overall campaign. In other words, aside from the new races/cultures, what makes playing your game a different _experience_ than one would have playing AD&D? Is there an overlying theme (say, good vs. evil) worked into the mechanics or is it just another fantasy game world where parties of adventurers travel around, gain experience points and get tougher/stronger/better learn more magic, albeit with more glitzy classes and races?

Sylus Thane wrote: This one was probably poorly described. MECh has to do with a persons creative abilities. I've known lot's of intelligent people but they didn't have a creative bone in their body, and vice versa. It really aplies to the persons ability to create. I've thought of changing it but it's another one of those I wasn't able to find a better one.

How about Creativity? It seems to fit your description.

I've been meaning to come back to this one.

Sylus Thane wrote: I'd like to think of it being being varying levels of adventure. There will be multiple options for characters, either searching for abandoned ancient cities, or building up their own territories. Or they can play with the lure and seduction of magic. There should be any number of things people should be able to do.