Dusk's LL Racial Musings Thread
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Dusk's LL Racial Musings Thread
Dusk Raven Sat Jul 27, 2013 12:03 am
Pay me no mind, I'm just throwing out some ideas for some Living Legends races.
See, I have a rampant imagination, and at some point I just started designing races to potentially fit in a Living Legends homebrew setting. I figured, since I develop ideas better with comments, I would put my data up here. Thus, I present to you the races I've constructed thus far. And yes, some of them are based off similar races in My Little Pony.
Living Legends racial setup, 6 points + Expert Skill. Comments on balance are appreciated:
Humans
Bog-standard humans, the most common race in the land. While the least flashy of the races of the world, they are noteworthy for possessing many individuals of great adaptability and industry.
Naturally Skilled (2)
Humans gain an additional utility talent at character creation.
Champion of Humanity (3)
Whenever a human rolls a natural 19 using its Expert Skill, it treats the result as if it had rolled a natural 20.
We’re Just Good At This Stuff (1)
Choose a skill. You gain training in that skill.
The Forged
The Forged, as they call themselves, are rocklike humanoids with veins that glow like lava. Larger than humans, they prize endurance and industry, and they are capable of enduring incredible amounts of heat.
Fireborn (1)
The Forged cannot be harmed by any naturally occurring heat, including natural fire and lava (though magical fire blasts and similar can still harm them in combat). They are also capable of creating puffs of flame at will. These puffs of flame are identical to a torch in many respects and are capable of burning objects and lighting fires outside of combat just as a torch might. Puffs of flame are ordinary fire, they extinguish quickly without tinder.
Naturally Skilled (2)
The Forged gain an additional utility talent at character creation. You may take this racial trait multiple times.
Never Give Up (3) - Interrupt [3/Day]
Trigger - You fail a skill check.
Effect - Reroll the skill check.
Lokira
The Lokira are short humanoids with large eyes, often the only trait visible on their heavily clothed blue-grey skin. A tight-knit race, they tend to have a high number of mages amongst their number, and they as a whole are more inclined to magic than humans.
Magical Attunement (1)
Lokira have a faint ability to “see” magic, and can use perception to detect it, though this does not let them decipher exactly what the magic does - that requires arcane knowledge.
Herd Mentality (1)
Whenever an ally successfully aids you on a skill check, you gain an additional +1 bonus to the check.
Spellchild (4)
During character creation, a Lokira can choose one of its Magic talents. Once per day, the Lokira can use that talent without spending a Magic point.
Keraphon:
Aquiline predators and warriors, the Keraphon are a mighty and proud race hailing from the mountains. While stubborn and vainglorious, they are also capable of great courage and nobility.
Flight School (3)
Keraphon can fly with average maneuverability (you take -5 penalty to precision and brawn skills while flying). It takes practice to fly with grace and options for that appear in the utility talents.
Soar to Greatness (3) - [1/Day]
Trigger - You roll a natural 1.
Effect - You may treat the result as if you had rolled a natural 20.
Ghouls:
Ghouls are mysterious, feral humanoids that live in the darkness and underground. Their sizes vary greatly, for while adulthood comes sooner to these creatures, they never stop growing, and elder ghouls tower over the other races. They are known for their digging abilities as well as a knack for learning quickly.
Burrower (1)
You may travel underground through dirt, sand and similar loose materials at normal walking speeds. This leaves behind a tunnel, and you can tell approximately the direction and distance since you went underground (so you don’t get completely disoriented). Additional skill checks may be needed to move faster or travel through denser soil.
Herd Mentality (1)
Whenever an ally successfully aids you on a skill check, you gain an additional +1 bonus to the check.
Predestined (4)
After each extended rest you may roll three d20s. These die results are “stored” until you expend them when using the following talent., or until after your next extended rest (when they are replaced by the three new rolls).
I Make My Own Fate - Interrupt [3/Day]
Trigger - You make a skill check and dislike the result.
Effect - Treat the die as though you had rolled one of the stored die results. This expends the chosen roll. For example, if you rolled a natural 1 - you could trade it out for the natural 20 you were lucky enough to roll at the end of your last extended rest.
Gargoyles:
Beings of living mineral, Gargoyles may seem similar to the Forged at first thought, but are an entirely different kind of being. While rare, each Gargoyle is notable enough to be a hero in their own right. The presence of one seems to inspire its allies to greater deeds, and if needed they can suppress their natural luster, wrap their wings around themselves, and appear to be an ordinary boulder.
It’s Almost Like Flying (1)
You belong to a flying race but you’re not a peregrine falcon or anything. In fact… You kind of suck at it. You can fly with terrible maneuverability (you suffer a -10 penalty to precision and brawn skills while flying).
Frostborn (1)
Characters of your race cannot be harmed by any natural cold, including the temperatures found in arctic climates (though magical ice bolts and similar can still harm them in combat). Characters of your race can also safely breathe puffs of frigid vapor at will. This vapor can be used to freeze small volumes of liquid, or to coat up to 5 square feet of a solid surface in ice. Anyone trying to walk over the affected area must make a DC 20 acrobatics check not to fall (the creatures attempting this suffer a -10 penalty if they were running or moving similarly quickly).
Crystalline (1)
Your race is composed of rocklike crystal instead of flesh and blood. Most carnivores will not consider you as food or prey and your body is lustrous. Once per day you can curl up and slow your metabolism, dulling your natural luster in order to impersonate an ordinary rock. If so hidden, a DC 30 Perception or Arcana roll is required to distinguish you from normal, non-sentient stone.
Grandeur (3)
Characters of your race provides a +1 morale bonus to the skill checks of all allies that can see it.
Harpies:
Poorly-understood hybrids of humans and Keraphon, harpies are often shunned by both societies as abominations. But the gods saw fit to imbue harpies with the power of the storm, and despite having wings for arms and forced to manipulate objects with their talons, they have survived enough to be known as a race in their own right.
Thunderbird(1)
Harpies are immune to any naturally occurring electricity (though magical lightning bolts and similar can still harm them in combat). A harpy also begins the day with five charges of lightning. A harpy may expend one of its charges of lightning in order to give itself or a creature it can see a +1 bonus to its next skill check.
Flight School (3)
Harpies can walk on clouds and fly with poor maneuverability (you take -5 penalty to precision and athletics skills while flying). It takes practice to fly with grace and options for that appear in the utility talents.
Fly to the Stars (2)
You gain a +5 bonus when attempting any skill check that has a DC of 30 or higher.
Nightchildren:
Nightchildren are strange beings, seemingly human but for several key features – eyes with slitted pupils, large batlike ears, slightly elongated fangs, and large batlike wings upon their backs.
Flight School (3)
Characters of your race can fly with average maneuverability (you take -5 penalty to precision and brawn skills while flying). It takes practice to fly with grace and options for that appear in the utility talents.
Call Out (1) – At Will
You let out a loud call. Choose one
A) Name any number of creatures that could recognize your voice. They hear your howl automatically and know how far away from them you are and in what direction.
B) Every creature within one to ten miles (your choice) hears the call and knows where you are in relation to them. You make make it clear whether or not your call is meant as a warning, distress call, etc.
Echolocation (2)
Characters of your race can “see” in areas wherever sound can travel, including magical darkness, as easily as a normal human could in broad daylight. They cannot, however, distinguish colors this way.
Therions:
Humanlike at first appearance, Therions are each gifted with a totem animal spirit, whose form they can transform into, as well as an anthropomorphic hybrid form.
A Thousand Faces (3) - At Will
Preparation time: 30 Seconds
You change your appearance to that of any medium-sized creature that you have seen. It takes a perception check of DC 34+Your Level to see through the disguise. You may also choose to take on a unique form of another race, similar to that created by the Alter Ego talent, which is impossible to recognize as a disguise.
Naturally Skilled (2)
Therions gain an additional utility talent at character creation.
Cultural Knowledge (1)
You gain the Freaky Knowledge utility talent
Morphi:
Morphi (Morphos singular) are strange, semi-liquid creatures able to take the form of living beings. They shift from shape to shape, fulfilling their ambitions or simply surviving. Their ability to take other forms is uncanny, replicating living flesh to an almost indistinguishable degree.
We’re Just Good at This Stuff (1)
Morphi gain training in three skills at character creation rather than two.
Slime (2) – At Will
Preparation time: 1 minute
Characters of your race can transform into a "sentient liquid", a semi-viscous, oily liquid substance, allowing them to fit through small spaces, like under a door, with ease. A skill check may be required for extremely small spaces like a key-hole or via DM discretion, or for moving in a manner liquids would normally be unable to (like uphill, up stairs, against a current...). This skill can be any that a player can justify using. This effect can be ended at will, or does so automatically once combat is initiated, or the liquid form is otherwise compromised (e.g. by splitting apart, extreme heat or cold...), provided there is enough empty space for the creature to "re-form" into.
A Thousand Faces (3) - At Will
Preparation time: 30 Seconds
You change your appearance to that of any medium-sized creature that you have seen. It takes a perception check of DC 34+Your Level to see through the disguise. You may also choose to take on a unique form of another race, similar to that created by the Alter Ego talent, which is impossible to recognize as a disguise.
Slitherkin:
Snakelike beings with the body of a cobra and gifted with a pair of limbs, Slitherkin are large but intelligent, resourceful in the extreme and often with egos to match.
Acidborn (1)
Characters of your race cannot be harmed by naturally occurring acid (though magical acid blasts and similar can still harm them in combat). Characters of your race can also safely spit small globules of acid at will. Outside of combat, these globules are capable of dissolving an inch of a weak substance such as wood, rope or leather within a minute. On small objects of a stronger substance, such as an iron lock, the acid has the effect of the utility talent Weaken Substance a minute after application.
Terrify (2) - [1/Day]
Characters of your race can put on a terrifying display, terrifying a creature that can see you for the next minute. Creatures gain +5 to persuasion checks when attempting to intimidate a terrified creature.
Best of the Breed (3)
Characters of your race gain an additional 2 attribute points at creation.
And of course my favorite part, the flavor! I'll put the scarce data I've produced thus far on these races. Note - these were produced in a "I write it down as I think it up" fashion, and may not be entirely coherant:
See, I have a rampant imagination, and at some point I just started designing races to potentially fit in a Living Legends homebrew setting. I figured, since I develop ideas better with comments, I would put my data up here. Thus, I present to you the races I've constructed thus far. And yes, some of them are based off similar races in My Little Pony.
Living Legends racial setup, 6 points + Expert Skill. Comments on balance are appreciated:
Humans
Bog-standard humans, the most common race in the land. While the least flashy of the races of the world, they are noteworthy for possessing many individuals of great adaptability and industry.
Naturally Skilled (2)
Humans gain an additional utility talent at character creation.
Champion of Humanity (3)
Whenever a human rolls a natural 19 using its Expert Skill, it treats the result as if it had rolled a natural 20.
We’re Just Good At This Stuff (1)
Choose a skill. You gain training in that skill.
The Forged
The Forged, as they call themselves, are rocklike humanoids with veins that glow like lava. Larger than humans, they prize endurance and industry, and they are capable of enduring incredible amounts of heat.
Fireborn (1)
The Forged cannot be harmed by any naturally occurring heat, including natural fire and lava (though magical fire blasts and similar can still harm them in combat). They are also capable of creating puffs of flame at will. These puffs of flame are identical to a torch in many respects and are capable of burning objects and lighting fires outside of combat just as a torch might. Puffs of flame are ordinary fire, they extinguish quickly without tinder.
Naturally Skilled (2)
The Forged gain an additional utility talent at character creation. You may take this racial trait multiple times.
Never Give Up (3) - Interrupt [3/Day]
Trigger - You fail a skill check.
Effect - Reroll the skill check.
Lokira
The Lokira are short humanoids with large eyes, often the only trait visible on their heavily clothed blue-grey skin. A tight-knit race, they tend to have a high number of mages amongst their number, and they as a whole are more inclined to magic than humans.
Magical Attunement (1)
Lokira have a faint ability to “see” magic, and can use perception to detect it, though this does not let them decipher exactly what the magic does - that requires arcane knowledge.
Herd Mentality (1)
Whenever an ally successfully aids you on a skill check, you gain an additional +1 bonus to the check.
Spellchild (4)
During character creation, a Lokira can choose one of its Magic talents. Once per day, the Lokira can use that talent without spending a Magic point.
Keraphon:
Aquiline predators and warriors, the Keraphon are a mighty and proud race hailing from the mountains. While stubborn and vainglorious, they are also capable of great courage and nobility.
Flight School (3)
Keraphon can fly with average maneuverability (you take -5 penalty to precision and brawn skills while flying). It takes practice to fly with grace and options for that appear in the utility talents.
Soar to Greatness (3) - [1/Day]
Trigger - You roll a natural 1.
Effect - You may treat the result as if you had rolled a natural 20.
Ghouls:
Ghouls are mysterious, feral humanoids that live in the darkness and underground. Their sizes vary greatly, for while adulthood comes sooner to these creatures, they never stop growing, and elder ghouls tower over the other races. They are known for their digging abilities as well as a knack for learning quickly.
Burrower (1)
You may travel underground through dirt, sand and similar loose materials at normal walking speeds. This leaves behind a tunnel, and you can tell approximately the direction and distance since you went underground (so you don’t get completely disoriented). Additional skill checks may be needed to move faster or travel through denser soil.
Herd Mentality (1)
Whenever an ally successfully aids you on a skill check, you gain an additional +1 bonus to the check.
Predestined (4)
After each extended rest you may roll three d20s. These die results are “stored” until you expend them when using the following talent., or until after your next extended rest (when they are replaced by the three new rolls).
I Make My Own Fate - Interrupt [3/Day]
Trigger - You make a skill check and dislike the result.
Effect - Treat the die as though you had rolled one of the stored die results. This expends the chosen roll. For example, if you rolled a natural 1 - you could trade it out for the natural 20 you were lucky enough to roll at the end of your last extended rest.
Gargoyles:
Beings of living mineral, Gargoyles may seem similar to the Forged at first thought, but are an entirely different kind of being. While rare, each Gargoyle is notable enough to be a hero in their own right. The presence of one seems to inspire its allies to greater deeds, and if needed they can suppress their natural luster, wrap their wings around themselves, and appear to be an ordinary boulder.
It’s Almost Like Flying (1)
You belong to a flying race but you’re not a peregrine falcon or anything. In fact… You kind of suck at it. You can fly with terrible maneuverability (you suffer a -10 penalty to precision and brawn skills while flying).
Frostborn (1)
Characters of your race cannot be harmed by any natural cold, including the temperatures found in arctic climates (though magical ice bolts and similar can still harm them in combat). Characters of your race can also safely breathe puffs of frigid vapor at will. This vapor can be used to freeze small volumes of liquid, or to coat up to 5 square feet of a solid surface in ice. Anyone trying to walk over the affected area must make a DC 20 acrobatics check not to fall (the creatures attempting this suffer a -10 penalty if they were running or moving similarly quickly).
Crystalline (1)
Your race is composed of rocklike crystal instead of flesh and blood. Most carnivores will not consider you as food or prey and your body is lustrous. Once per day you can curl up and slow your metabolism, dulling your natural luster in order to impersonate an ordinary rock. If so hidden, a DC 30 Perception or Arcana roll is required to distinguish you from normal, non-sentient stone.
Grandeur (3)
Characters of your race provides a +1 morale bonus to the skill checks of all allies that can see it.
Harpies:
Poorly-understood hybrids of humans and Keraphon, harpies are often shunned by both societies as abominations. But the gods saw fit to imbue harpies with the power of the storm, and despite having wings for arms and forced to manipulate objects with their talons, they have survived enough to be known as a race in their own right.
Thunderbird(1)
Harpies are immune to any naturally occurring electricity (though magical lightning bolts and similar can still harm them in combat). A harpy also begins the day with five charges of lightning. A harpy may expend one of its charges of lightning in order to give itself or a creature it can see a +1 bonus to its next skill check.
Flight School (3)
Harpies can walk on clouds and fly with poor maneuverability (you take -5 penalty to precision and athletics skills while flying). It takes practice to fly with grace and options for that appear in the utility talents.
Fly to the Stars (2)
You gain a +5 bonus when attempting any skill check that has a DC of 30 or higher.
Nightchildren:
Nightchildren are strange beings, seemingly human but for several key features – eyes with slitted pupils, large batlike ears, slightly elongated fangs, and large batlike wings upon their backs.
Flight School (3)
Characters of your race can fly with average maneuverability (you take -5 penalty to precision and brawn skills while flying). It takes practice to fly with grace and options for that appear in the utility talents.
Call Out (1) – At Will
You let out a loud call. Choose one
A) Name any number of creatures that could recognize your voice. They hear your howl automatically and know how far away from them you are and in what direction.
B) Every creature within one to ten miles (your choice) hears the call and knows where you are in relation to them. You make make it clear whether or not your call is meant as a warning, distress call, etc.
Echolocation (2)
Characters of your race can “see” in areas wherever sound can travel, including magical darkness, as easily as a normal human could in broad daylight. They cannot, however, distinguish colors this way.
Therions:
Humanlike at first appearance, Therions are each gifted with a totem animal spirit, whose form they can transform into, as well as an anthropomorphic hybrid form.
A Thousand Faces (3) - At Will
Preparation time: 30 Seconds
You change your appearance to that of any medium-sized creature that you have seen. It takes a perception check of DC 34+Your Level to see through the disguise. You may also choose to take on a unique form of another race, similar to that created by the Alter Ego talent, which is impossible to recognize as a disguise.
Naturally Skilled (2)
Therions gain an additional utility talent at character creation.
Cultural Knowledge (1)
You gain the Freaky Knowledge utility talent
Morphi:
Morphi (Morphos singular) are strange, semi-liquid creatures able to take the form of living beings. They shift from shape to shape, fulfilling their ambitions or simply surviving. Their ability to take other forms is uncanny, replicating living flesh to an almost indistinguishable degree.
We’re Just Good at This Stuff (1)
Morphi gain training in three skills at character creation rather than two.
Slime (2) – At Will
Preparation time: 1 minute
Characters of your race can transform into a "sentient liquid", a semi-viscous, oily liquid substance, allowing them to fit through small spaces, like under a door, with ease. A skill check may be required for extremely small spaces like a key-hole or via DM discretion, or for moving in a manner liquids would normally be unable to (like uphill, up stairs, against a current...). This skill can be any that a player can justify using. This effect can be ended at will, or does so automatically once combat is initiated, or the liquid form is otherwise compromised (e.g. by splitting apart, extreme heat or cold...), provided there is enough empty space for the creature to "re-form" into.
A Thousand Faces (3) - At Will
Preparation time: 30 Seconds
You change your appearance to that of any medium-sized creature that you have seen. It takes a perception check of DC 34+Your Level to see through the disguise. You may also choose to take on a unique form of another race, similar to that created by the Alter Ego talent, which is impossible to recognize as a disguise.
Slitherkin:
Snakelike beings with the body of a cobra and gifted with a pair of limbs, Slitherkin are large but intelligent, resourceful in the extreme and often with egos to match.
Acidborn (1)
Characters of your race cannot be harmed by naturally occurring acid (though magical acid blasts and similar can still harm them in combat). Characters of your race can also safely spit small globules of acid at will. Outside of combat, these globules are capable of dissolving an inch of a weak substance such as wood, rope or leather within a minute. On small objects of a stronger substance, such as an iron lock, the acid has the effect of the utility talent Weaken Substance a minute after application.
Terrify (2) - [1/Day]
Characters of your race can put on a terrifying display, terrifying a creature that can see you for the next minute. Creatures gain +5 to persuasion checks when attempting to intimidate a terrified creature.
Best of the Breed (3)
Characters of your race gain an additional 2 attribute points at creation.
And of course my favorite part, the flavor! I'll put the scarce data I've produced thus far on these races. Note - these were produced in a "I write it down as I think it up" fashion, and may not be entirely coherant:
- The Forged:
- The Forged are a race with dark grey, rocklike skin, and boiling blood that shows through their veins as an orange glow. They are taller and stockier than humans, and while they may seem slow, their tough flesh seems to slow them little. Legends say their fiery blood gives them incredible strength and power.
Despite this, their culture values endurance over strength, for their homeland is a frigid tundra where mere strength will not allow one to survive. Rites of endurance are common, and one is valued not for triumphs, but for perseverance – for triumph against their homeland is impossible.
Fortunately for the Forged, they are highly resistant to the elements – cold, while unpleasant, is kept at bay with their high body temperature, and they seem practically immune to heat.
The core of their lands are afflicted by a trio of active volcanos, spewing out ash and lava. Pilgrimages to the place are frequent for those willing to test their endurance. It is these volcanos that indirectly give the Forged their name, for they believe they were forged by the gods in those volcanos.
In keeping with their namesake, the Forged are extremely skilled at metalworking, and have some of the finest weapons and armor in the world. This serves them well, for they have entertained notions of conquest on numerous occasions, most recently against the Lokira when the latter came upon the Forged’s territory, though the Forged were turned back by the Lokira’s magic and the two now exist in peace.
- Lokira:
- The Lokira are a mysterious race, averaging around four feet in height, though they otherwise appear humanoid - at least from what can be seen of them, as they are almost always garbed head-to-toe in wraps and robes. While certainly useful in their cool territory, they claim such clothing is a relic of their homeland, which was windy and sandy.
Lokira garments exhibit a wide array of variation. In particular, the wraps covering the face and head are often personalized with various colors and markings.
The only feature that can be seen regularly are their eyes, which are large and bright. What can be seen of their skin lends itself to cool blue-grey hues.
They make a living by herding the various creatures of their territory, such as sheep and strange creatures they call llamas. They weave their garments from the wool of these creatures.
The Lokira are not native to the known lands, instead hailing from a distant country called Ti. They don’t speak of the exact reasons for their departure – and it’s not clear what knowledge remains and what has been forgotten – but accounts indicate a voluntary departure. Ti is said to dwell close to the hazardous Lost World, and guards the other regions from the monsters within. Many Lokira have a keen interested in fighting such threats as the Blight and the Worldend Rifts, and can be seen as an order dedicated to protecting the world.
- Keraphon:
- The Keraphon (singular Karaph) are a race of aquiline, winged beings from a cold and mountainous land, standing head and shoulders over a standard human. Their powerful wings are capable of propelling them through the air at startling speeds, though their size means their maneuverability suffers.
As there are largely carnivorous, they have come into conflict with humans on a number of occations, as Keraphon take cattle or even humans for food. This would have been exacerbated by the Keraphon’s warrior culture if they were not too busy engaged in conflict with each other for their region’s scarce resources.
All this changed shortly after the founding of the Alliance, when a Keraphon kingdom attempted to secure some Alliance-held land for its resources. The response was swift and decisive, as Alliance troops massed to reclaim the region. Experienced from battling lesser nations and rebellions in the region during the unification, the Alliance’s troops were able to drive back the Keraphon forces and reclaim the region. Unwilling to accept defeat, the Keraphon forces renewed their assault. The result was a war that would last for decades, as the Alliance counter-invaded Keraphon territory and the scattered Keraphon kingdoms united to deal with the threat.
The war went badly for the Keraphon, with their numbers steadily dwindling. At last, the last king of the Keraphon surrendered, a decision so controversial amongst the Keraphon that it sparked a civil war. Though the peace-wishing king died, his successor was a skilled strategist who achieved victory and afterwards negotiated a lasting peace with the Alliance, a peace that lasts to this day.
As implied before, Keraphon are a proud race, with concepts of strength and honor being highly important.
- Ghouls:
- Physically, Ghouls are rather human-like, but stand in a hunched posture, 3 ½ feet tall at the shoulder on average, though size can vary greatly, with size increasing gradually by age. While they have very hard, durable claws, these claws are rather dull and primarily used for digging or climbing. Their canines are sharper and more elongated in comparison to humans, and in place of premolars they have a second set of canines. Their faces are, from a human perspective, somewhat deformed and stretched, becoming somewhat snoutlike. Their skin is very pale, a grey-white, maggotlike color. Their lifespans are short – their young grow to maturity in five years, and most demi-ghouls seldom live beyond 20, owing to the conditions in the underworld, though they are capable of living up to 60 years before dying of natural causes.
These creatures live underground for the most part, in the expansive cavern system beneath the surface, known as the underworld or Hades. Most live fairly close to the surface, adapted to the darkness, but fully capable of going above ground. While the surface is often more fertile and has more food than the underworld, they are ill-adapted for hunting animals on the surface, and have little knowledge of what plants are edible. They do, however, occasionally make raids to the surface if humans are nearby, for the purposes of plundering farms for food.
These raids, however, have led to bands of soldiers and independent adventurers retaliating, going into the underworld and indiscriminately killing those that dwell there. In response, the Ghouls have expanded their raids, now searching for weapons and equipment along with food. In extreme cases they may even raid for the sheer purpose of killing humans.
Ghouls exist in packs or clans of anywhere from half a dozen to hundreds of individuals. Social hierarchy tends to be based on skill – each Ghoul knows which of their number is the most skilled at a given task, and will follow their advice when dealing with said task. There is no single direct “leader” as such – one ghoul may be dominant when hunting, another when crafting, and another when scavenging for food or equipment. Ghouls are very social, forming very close bonds with the members of their group. While normally cowardly creatures alone, fleeing to safety should danger present itself, in groups they gain courage, each ghoul strengthening the will of the others. Should the survival of their entire clan be threatened, they seem to lose all sense of self-preservation, and will without hesitation give their lives to ensure the safety of the group as a whole.
Generally, clans keep to themselves, occasionally fighting over borders or resources and rarely cooperating, though the hazards of the underworld mean casualties from warfare sometimes cannot be afforded, and so disputes rarely end fatally, various systems being set up to resolve disputes peacefully. Very rarely, however, a bold and ambitious individual might unite one or more of the clans for a common goal, frequently a common threat to the clans. Even rarer is the occasion where a great number of clans, thousands of ghouls totaled, may unite to form a veritable ghoul army.
- Harpies - Forthcoming:
- Nightchildren:
- The Nightchildren, or Nightkin, are for the most part human except for several key features. Their skin tends to lack color, being pale or even grey in coloration. The pupils of their eyes are slitted in light, like those of a cat’s. Their ears are longer and shaped more like those of a bat’s, and they exibit much more control over their movement. They tend to be slightly shorter and proportionally leaner than humans. Lastly, and most distinctively, they sport a pair of large batlike wings, which can easily be folded up for easy storage. Despite all these traits, the Nightchildren still identify as human (though this is not to say their bond with their own kind is insignificant), and in the regions where they are most common, primarily eastern Alliance territory, they are largely accepted. The Nightchildren are seen in the Alliance as the children of Night herself, hence their name, but in many places elsewhere they are seen as abominations.
Their abilities include improved nightsight and a degree of echolocation, as well as the obvious ability to fly, an aerodynamically improbably feat believed to be assisted by the Nightchildren’s innate magic. Due to their shorter stature they often aren’t as strong as humans on average, but they compensate for it with superior acrobatic skill.
Despite the accusations thrown at them by non-Alliance humans, they are no more prone to vampirism than other humans, and the magic that enables them to fly is no more evil in nature than they are.
- Therions:
- Therions are another race with an innate Gift – the ability to transform between a human form, an animal form, and a hybrid form. In their human form, they are indistinguishable from humans, although many have yellow, animalistic eyes.
Therions’ default form is human, and until adolescence it is their only form. During puberty, each Therion seeks out their “totem spirit”, the animal that will become the form into which they transform. The animal that becomes a therion’s totem spirit often reflects their personality, though not always in obvious ways.
Otherwise, Therions are stronger but have less endurance than humans.
Last edited by Dusk Raven on Fri Jul 25, 2014 11:10 pm; edited 2 times in total
Dusk Raven- Epic Pwny
- Posts : 1791
Join date : 2013-01-23
Age : 32
Location : Midwest US
Re: Dusk's LL Racial Musings Thread
Crystalite Fri Apr 11, 2014 12:40 pm
... Why have you not added Therions yet?
I can write it up if you want, but not right this instant.
... Wait a minute...
I can write it up if you want, but not right this instant.
... Wait a minute...
Crystalite- Celestia's Disciple
- Posts : 2898
Join date : 2013-10-06
Re: Dusk's LL Racial Musings Thread
Dusk Raven Sat Jul 19, 2014 12:33 pm
Crystalite wrote:... Why have you not added Therions yet?
I can write it up if you want, but not right this instant.
... Wait a minute...
Ah, you are completely right. I never even noticed this reply. ...I chalk it up to this particular forum section being pretty much dead for obvious reasons. Anyway, I've added Therions, and also a couple other races I thought would be cool, the Morphi (I don't know the Greek plural), and the Slitherkin.
Dusk Raven- Epic Pwny
- Posts : 1791
Join date : 2013-01-23
Age : 32
Location : Midwest US
Similar topics» Racial Idea Thread
» Racial teirs?
» Racial Templates
» Alternate Racial System
» Racial Talents for Non-Ponies
» Racial teirs?
» Racial Templates
» Alternate Racial System
» Racial Talents for Non-Ponies
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