Earthdawn-based Metatypes Options

[HappyDaze]

Just throwing out my rebuild of the metatypes based upon their stats in Earthdawn. I haven't tried these out yet in a game, but it might be fun.

Dwarf = 30 BP
Body 3/8 (12)
Agility 1/6 (9)
Reaction 1/6 (9)
Strength 2/7 (10)
Charisma 1/5 (7)
Intuition 1/6 (9)
Logic 1/6 (9)
Willpower 2/7 (10)
Edge 1/6
Walking Rate/Running Rate 8/20
Thermographic Vision
Size Customization

Elf = 45 BP
Body 1/5 (7)
Agility 2/7 (10)
Reaction 1/6 (9)
Strength 1/6 (9)
Charisma 2/7 (10)
Intuition 2/7 (10)
Logic 1/6 (9)
Willpower 2/7 (10)
Edge 1/6
Walking Rate/Running Rate 12/30
Low-Light Vision

Human = 0 BP
Body 1/6 (9)
Agility 1/6 (9)
Reaction 1/6 (9)
Strength 1/6 (9)
Charisma 1/6 (9)
Intuition 1/6 (9)
Logic 1/6 (9)
Willpower 1/6 (9)
Edge 2/7
Walking Rate/Running Rate 10/25

Ork = 30 BP
Body 2/7 (10)
Agility 1/6 (9)
Reaction 1/6 (9)
Strength 3/8 (12)
Charisma 1/5 (7)
Intuition 1/6 (9)
Logic 1/6 (9)
Willpower 1/5 (7)
Edge 2/7
Walking Rate/Running Rate 10/25
Guts
Low-Light Vision
Poor Self-Control (Vindictive)

Troll = 50 BP
Body 2/7 (10)
Agility 1/6 (9)
Reaction 1/6 (9)
Strength 3/8 (12)
Charisma 1/6 (9)
Intuition 1/5 (7)
Logic 1/6 (9)
Willpower 2/7 (10)
Edge 1/5
Walking Rate/Running Rate 12/30
Dermal Deposits
Thermographic Vision
+1 Reach
Size Customization

I need to adjust the BP costs, but otherwise, these should do fine. Note that I play with a modified Karma-gen and force buying the Attributes on a straight 1-6 before adjusting for metatype, so a 1/5 value actually means a -1 modifier to the final score and thus really matters even of you're not topping out the score.

EDIT 1: Adjusted Dwarf (removal of Pathogen and Toxin Resistance - the greater Body modifier covers this and more) and Troll (Strength reduced to reflect adjustments to modifiers as made in post below).

EDIT 2: Added in movement rates based upon Earthdawn 3 movement rates.

EDIT 3: Added Poor Self-Control (Compulsive) to Ork. This is to reflect Gahad and the focus of the Compulsion should be suitable with the 10-point version of the flaw.

EDIT 3.5: Replaced Poor Self-Control (Compulsive) with Guts and Poor Self-Control (Vindictive) as these seem to fit Gahad better.

EDIT 4: Added BP costs.

EDIT 5: Changed Troll's +1 Natural Armor to Dermal Deposits (as the metagenetic quality) as this fits better with the metavariant packages (to be rebuilt soon).

[HappyDaze]

For reference, I based the Attributes as follows:

Body = Toughness
Agility = Dexterity
Reaction = N/A (no racial modifiers were used here)
Strength = Strength
Charisma = Charisma
Intuition = Perception
Logic = N/A (no racial modifiers were used here)
Willpower = Willpower
Edge = based upon Karma step

ED base racial Attribute value = SR Attribute values or racial modifier
8 or 9 = 1/5 or -1
10 = 1/6 or +0
11 or 12 = 2/7 or +1
13 or 14 = 3/8 or +2
15 or 16 = 4/9 or +3
17 or 18 = 5/10 or +4

ED racial Karma Step = SR Edge values or racial modifier
3 = 1/5 or -1
4 = 1/6 or +0
5 = 2/7 or +1

EDIT: Altered the values so no racial modifier is greater than +2 on basic metahumans. Scale extended to allow for Obsidimen.

[Geminon]

Can you plz do the same with the other races and maybe some of the optional ones too?

[HappyDaze]

Yes, but my take on Sixth World Obsidimen - that they are flesh form Inhabitation-based spirits of earth merged with metahumans - is not going to be to everyone's liking.

[Geminon]

Yes that does sound a bit overcomplicated. That also makes them less of a race and more of a monster that feeds off metahumans and that does not sit well with me.

[HappyDaze]

They are as much or as little of a racial choice as a Free Spirit. They don't exactly feed off of metahumans - the choice to merge with the Liferock must be voluntary on the part of the metahuman, and is generally only performed by the elderly and/or terminally ill. I'd rather you wait for me to detail them before you call them monsters, but I understand that you may still not like them.

[Ol' Scratch]

I've seen that idea floating around before. I think Bull and a few other people have mentioned it as the main method they were going to use to explain their reappearance. I didn't care for it then, and I honestly still don't care for it. Doesn't feel right. The obsidimen were a proud people. It just seems to taint them to make them into a flesh-form beast.

When I was toying around with them, I went down a much more simple and flavorable (in my opinion anyway) route. I assumed that when they saw the 4th World coming to an end, and began to notice a drop in their Liferock's fertility rate (for lack of a better term), they struck a deal with one or more dragons to preserve and care for those liferocks during the down cycle. A dragon like Dunkelzahn or Hestaby would be all over that kind of a deal, considering how much they care for metahumanity. Courtesy of Halley's coment, some of those liferocks that survived the downcycle and dragon hunts could slowly be awakening, and obsidimen could be maturing and preparing to introduce themselves to modern metahumanity. That feels a lot more right, and fits in a lot better with the established setting.

But, anyway, my biggest problem with the flesh-form idea is that it opens up too many doors. If it was that simple for earth elementals to create their own race (for whatever reason; elemental spirits don't really seem to want to be metahumans), then why aren't there lavamen, tidalmen, and tornadomen, too? And that's just the elemental spirits. Why aren't are the ones who actually do have a vested interest in the physical world not doing something similar?

Just doesn't feel right at all.

[Emeraldknite]

I would love to see a T'skrang write up. I always loved them. How it was mostly the females that went out adventuring. And that tail blade that they could get.

[HappyDaze]

I've seen that idea floating around before. I think Bull and a few other people have mentioned it as the main method they were going to use to explain their reappearance. I didn't care for it then, and I honestly still don't care for it. Doesn't feel right. The obsidimen were a proud people. It just seems to taint them to make them into a flesh-form beast.

When I was toying around with them, I went down a much more simple and flavorable (in my opinion anyway) route. I assumed that when they saw the 4th World coming to an end, and began to notice a drop in their Liferock's fertility rate (for lack of a better term), they struck a deal with one or more dragons to preserve and care for those liferocks during the down cycle. A dragon like Dunkelzahn or Hestaby would be all over that kind of a deal, considering how much they care for metahumanity. Courtesy of Halley's coment, some of those liferocks that survived the downcycle and dragon hunts could slowly be awakening, and obsidimen could be maturing and preparing to introduce themselves to modern metahumanity. That feels a lot more right, and fits in a lot better with the established setting.

But, anyway, my biggest problem with the flesh-form idea is that it opens up too many doors. If it was that simple for earth elementals to create their own race (for whatever reason; elemental spirits don't really seem to want to be metahumans), then why aren't there lavamen, tidalmen, and tornadomen, too? And that's just the elemental spirits. Why aren't are the ones who actually do have a vested interest in the physical world not doing something similar?

Just doesn't feel right at all.

Going with Doc's approach and my conversion guidelines, you could get something like:

Obsidimen = 70 BP
Body 3/8 (12)
Agility 1/5 (7)
Reaction 1/6 (9)
Strength 5/10 (15)
Charisma 1/5 (7)
Intuition 1/5 (7)
Logic 1/6 (9)
Willpower 1/6 (9)
Edge 1/5
Walking Rate/Running Rate 8/20
+3 Natural Armor
+1 Reach

[HappyDaze]

While it's a departure from the Earthdawn sources, I don't like that the Ork and Troll translated identically in the physical Attributes, so I made the following as a blend of the Earthdawn and SR4 Troll stats. It's a bit stronger and tougher at the expense of some dexterity and charisma compared to the strict translation.

Troll (Alternate) = 60 BP
Body 3/8 (12)
Agility 1/5 (7)
Reaction 1/6 (9)
Strength 4/9 (13)
Charisma 1/5 (7)
Intuition 1/5 (7)
Logic 1/6 (9)
Willpower 2/7 (10)
Edge 1/5
Walking Rate/Running Rate 12/30
Dermal Deposits
Thermographic Vision
+1 Reach
Size Customization

In ED3, this would have followed the above formula if Trolls possessed the following starting values: DEX 9, STR 15, TOU 13, PER 9, WIL 11, CHA 9. Think of this as a more brutish offshoot of the Troll.

[Stahlseele]

Aside for the Willpower, Obsidimen seem to just be the better Trolls to me O.o

[HappyDaze]

Aside for the Willpower, Obsidimen seem to just be the better Trolls to me O.o

Perhaps, but Obsidimen will have a greater cost attached (if I intended for them to be a playable option - which I do not), and a Distinctive Style flaw that cannot be bought off is a sure thing too. After filling in some more details (see the adjusted posts above) Obsidimen are now slower, so it's not quite so attractive.

[Stahlseele]

Granite Shell goes against their encumberance?
And fuck being slower, if i get to be a walking mountain, i don't care if i am a slow walking mountain ^^

[HappyDaze]

Granite Shell goes against their encumberance?
And fuck being slower, if i get to be a walking mountain, i don't care if i am a slow walking mountain ^^

You posted as I was eliminating Granite Shell. I just don't care for the mechanics on that one. Obsidimen were limited to 'living armor' but in SR, the Granite Shell is not compatible with armor at all (by the basic rules - it would be in my houserule system even though it counts against the worn armor limit).

[Stahlseele]

So, Granite Shell and for the living Armor they would need to get the adept power astral armor i guess . .
yeah, the advanced skins are pretty fucking useless thanks to the rules . .

[HappyDaze]

T'skrang = 45 BP
Body 2/7 (10)
Agility 2/7 (10)
Reaction 1/6 (9)
Strength 1/6 (9)
Charisma 2/7 (10)
Intuition 1/6 (9)
Logic 1/6 (9)
Willpower 1/6 (9)
Edge 1/6
Walking Rate/Running Rate 10/25
Functional Tail (Paddle Tail)*
Gills
Underwater Vision

* The Paddle Tail seemes more suited to the T'skrang than the Thagomizer. The Paddle Tail can still be used with Unarmed Combat to inflict (STR/2)S damage just like any other limb, and custom melee weapons could still be attached to it to increase this damage further.

[Stahlseele]

what's the movement under water due to the paddle tail?

[HappyDaze]

Added BP costs based on the following formula:
Human = -10 BP (Life's not always fair, but sometimes it's good to be a baseline Human!)
Attribute 1/5 = -5 BP
Attribute 1/6 = +0 BP
Attribute 2/7 = +10 BP
Attribute 3/8 = +20 BP
Attribute 4/9 = +30 BP
Walking Rate/Running Rate 8/20 = -5 BP
Walking Rate/Running Rate 10/25 = +0 BP
Walking Rate/Running Rate 12/30 = +5 BP
Dermal Deposits = +10 BP
Guts = +5 BP
Low-Light Vision = +5 BP
Poor Self-Control (Vindictive) = -10 BP
Thermographic Vision = +5 BP
+1 Reach = +5 BP
Size Customization = -5 BP

[HappyDaze]

what's the movement under water due to the paddle tail?

The Paddle Tail increases the swimming rate by half the basic rate, so up to 150% of what a human with identical stats and skill would accomplish.

[Stahlseele]

ah, i see.

[HappyDaze]

I think I'll try these out in my next game. I'll be using the alternate Troll (greater Body and Strength with lower Agility and Charisma than the strict translation). Here are the finalized versions:

Dwarf = 30 BP
Body 3/8 (12)
Agility 1/6 (9)
Reaction 1/6 (9)
Strength 2/7 (10)
Charisma 1/5 (7)
Intuition 1/6 (9)
Logic 1/6 (9)
Willpower 2/7 (10)
Edge 1/6
Walking Rate/Running Rate 8/20
Thermographic Vision
Size Customization

Elf = 45 BP
Body 1/5 (7)
Agility 2/7 (10)
Reaction 1/6 (9)
Strength 1/6 (9)
Charisma 2/7 (10)
Intuition 2/7 (10)
Logic 1/6 (9)
Willpower 2/7 (10)
Edge 1/6
Walking Rate/Running Rate 12/30
Low-Light Vision

Human = 0 BP
Body 1/6 (9)
Agility 1/6 (9)
Reaction 1/6 (9)
Strength 1/6 (9)
Charisma 1/6 (9)
Intuition 1/6 (9)
Logic 1/6 (9)
Willpower 1/6 (9)
Edge 2/7
Walking Rate/Running Rate 10/25

Ork = 30 BP
Body 2/7 (10)
Agility 1/6 (9)
Reaction 1/6 (9)
Strength 3/8 (12)
Charisma 1/5 (7)
Intuition 1/6 (9)
Logic 1/6 (9)
Willpower 1/5 (7)
Edge 2/7
Walking Rate/Running Rate 10/25
Guts
Low-Light Vision
Poor Self-Control (Vindictive)

Troll = 60 BP
Body 3/8 (12)
Agility 1/5 (7)
Reaction 1/6 (9)
Strength 4/9 (13)
Charisma 1/5 (7)
Intuition 1/5 (7)
Logic 1/6 (9)
Willpower 2/7 (10)
Edge 1/5
Walking Rate/Running Rate 12/30
Dermal Deposits
Thermographic Vision
+1 Reach
Size Customization

[Rand]

Well, HD these seem neat - didn't think you were at all interested in SR anymore... Anyway, email them to me. But about the Obsidimen, I have always thought that they were more of a very minor earth elemental*, which is why they will be one of the last species to appear. (They are not a derivative of humanitly like the others, perhaps the T'skrang are the water version....except:) As such they would all have to have a Magic rating of 1, and not be able to do any cyber or bio-ware because of their unique (meta)physiologies.

*Though I guess they could be the decendents of a human tribe that used a powerful magic spell to merge with the element of earth in some way. Going so far back is only necessary if you plan on the PCs learning it (after a few wrong turns, of course).

[HappyDaze]

I inteded to make Obsidimen an Inhabitation-based spirit for my own use, but I provided a more mundane version here for those that want a cleaner and more simple racial selection. Check my posts mid-thread for a hint in where I'm gong with them for my home table version.

[Stahlseele]

but if you're going to make them inhabitation spirits, then why bother at all?
there's rules for free spirits. you just need to have a homunkulus body to inhabit.
also, that goes against the whole race of their own and into body eating monster territory again.

[HappyDaze]

All good points. I think that a revision of my idea might be in order. Let me try this:

Liferocks will be powerful free spirits and Obsidimen will be metahumans that enter into a spirit pact with a Liferock. The most immediate effect of the pact is the physical transformation of the metahuman into the Obsidiman form. This frees Obsidimen from having to follow the free spirit rules, so it's certainly a step towards making them more playable.