I've been playing around with the races and trying to find some common ground with them. Clearly the Developers had to have some system... right? Well, I think I'm figuring it out a bit. Here are my theories.


Theory 1
Seen in Elves and Trolls.

Start with Human's stats 1/6 (9) in everything.
Pick a Vision for Free (Thermographic or Low Light Vision) to balance out the Human's Edge.
Increasing an Attribute costs 10 BP. Reducing an Attribute Debits 10.
If lowering Reaction or Intuition, 5 BP Debit for every point of Initiative lost
If Increasing Reaction or Intuition, 5 BP Cost for every point of Initiative Gained (No Example Available to prove)
Add and Subtract Qualities/Metagenetic Qualities. Viola.

Trolls: FREE TGV, +40 Bod, +40 Str, +5 Rch, +10 arm, -10 Agi, -20 Cha, -10 Int, -10 Log, -5 Init
Total: 40 BP cost.

Elves: Free LLV, +10 Agil, +20 Cha
Total: 30 BP Cost


Theory 2
Seen in Dwarves, Orcs and Elves

Start with Human's stats 1/6 (9) in everything.
Pick a Vision for Free (Thermographic or Low Light Vision) to balance out the Human's Edge.
Increasing an Attribute Value costs 10 BP. Reducing an Attribute Maximum Value below 6 Debits 15.
If lowering Reaction or Intuition, 5 BP Debit for every point of Initiative lost
If Increasing Reaction or Intuition, 5 BP Cost for every point of Initiative Gained (No Example Available to prove)
Add and Subtract Qualities/Metagenetic Qualities. Viola.

Orc: +30 Bod, +20 Str, Free LLV, -15 Cha, -15 Log
Total: 20

Dwarf: +10 Bod, +20 Str, +10 Will, Free TGV, +5 P/T Bod, -15 React, -5 Init
Total: 25

Elf: As Above as changes in theory don't apply as no negatives occur.

Theory 3
Seen in Dwarves, Elves and Trolls
Who knows what the hell is going on. The third Theory is a bit more complex and doesn't really fit Orcs but it fits Trolls Properly but seems to be more Balanced and combines Theories 1 and 2.

Start with Human's stats 1/6 (9) in everything.
Pick a Vision for Free (Thermographic or Low Light Vision) to balance out the Human's Edge.
Increasing an Attribute Value by up to 2 costs 10 BP each and 15 BP per increase afterwards. Reducing an Attribute Maximum Value below 6 Debits 15 the first time and by 10 BP for each additional point off.
If lowering Reaction or Intuition, 5 BP Debit for every point of Initiative lost.
If Increasing Reaction or Intuition, 5 BP Cost for every point of Initiative Gained (No Example Available to prove)
Add and Subtract Qualities/Metagenetic Qualities.

Dwarves: +10 Bod, +20 Str, +10 Will, +5 TGV, +5 P/T Bod, -15 React, -5 Init
Totals: 25

Elves: Again, boring

Trolls: +50 Bod, +50 Str, Free TGV, +5 Rch, +10 arm, -15 Agi, -25 Cha, -15 Int, -15 Log, -5 Init
(Increasing body/Str by 2 = 10 each total 40, by 2 more is 15 each or 60. Subtracting Charisma the first time is 15, the second time 10 for a total of 25)
Totals: 40

However, this Method doesn't work Orcs who get a +3 to their Body.

Orc: +35 Bod, +20 Str, Free LLV, -15 Cha, -15 Log
Total: 25 (not 20, which is its cost).


So theory 3 is 5 points Shy on the Orc. other than that, it doesn't look like a bad system. I'll give it a test.


Sidhe (paying Homage to the People of the Mound, Tuatha de Danann)

Bod: 1/4, Agil: 4/9, React: 2/7, Str: 1/6, Cha 3/8, Int 2/7, Log 1/6, Will 2/7
Lowlight Vision, Arcane Arrester, Celerity, Unusual Hair, Mood Hair, Symbiosis, Distinct Style (lvl 3)

+35 Agil, +10 react, +20 Cha, +10 Int, +10 Will, +25 Arc Arr, +5 Celerity, (forgot to Add Initiative) +10 Init = 140 BP
-25 Bod, -10 Mood/Unusual hair, -10 Symbiot, -15 Distinct Style = 60 BP

140 - 60 = 80 BP


So Goofing around and this is 80 BP.
Bod: 1/4, Agil: 4/9, React: 2/7, Str: 1/6, Cha 3/8, Int 2/7, Log 1/6, Will 2/7
Lowlight Vision, Glamour, Arcane Arrester, Celerity, Unusual Hair, Mood Hair, Symbiosis, Distinct Style (lvl 3)

Sidhe are Tall, graceful, fast and great mages and are essentially what fictional elves were modelled after from Celtic lore/legend. They are the Fey Kind who fought the Fir Bolg. I really don't want to go into their whole invisibility and shape changing stuff =P.

Was just having some fun with the Race Creation Theory.

Thoughts?

Edit: I realized I forgot to add the points cost for Initiative changes in my example race, which will increase its Points cost. thought it seemed kinda low. Tack on another 10 points. Initiative is then 4/14 (21).

Actually they probably didn't have one and just estimated the cost.

You forgot to take into account:
- Racism (and Community)
- Different movement speed
- Difference in the water
- Advantages and drawbacks of being taller/shorter (for trolls and dwarf)
- Cost modifiers for item size
and probably other things as well. All in all, I don't think it's a good idea to find a race generation system.

There's no formula for race and metavariant cost. The cost doesn't have as much to do with the given advantages and penalties, but with a certain "cool factor", so they're basically "all wrong". Orks are too cheap, elves are too expensive, most metavariants are vastly to expensive, infected are way to cheap, etc.

You won't find a working formula. If you want to give a new race a "fair" cost, you'd have to determine what "fair" means, first. If you decide it to mean "priced in accordance to the value" (which is reasonable), you'd have to change all the other races first, to have a common ground.

Looking at your numbers, i have to ask you...why even make other races?
SR has plenty that fit within the scope of the game/background.
Also, wouldn't the Sidhe/or the Tuatha de Dannan just be elves?
why not use them.
I am sure a lot of the Elves in Tir Na nog feel that they are.

You are reading way too far into that. It was a 5 minute example using a theory of racial design. I have no intentions on using it. It was an example racial build and nothing more as I believe I mentioned. I never mentioned I wanted to make new races, but get to the bottom of their racial design and building structure.

And maybe some of you guys are right and I'm just reading too far in to it. There were quite a few factors I thought of but really didn't calculate in. It does look like some guidelines were followed at least.

Thanks for the responses.