I love most of the setting of Shadowrun. One thing that always bugged me, was the Dnd races such as elves, dwarves and orks. I can accept and embrace the dragons, new weird animals, monsters, globinization, return of magic, but not these races.
Has anyone created non-Dnd variant of these races?
Full Version: Variant races
Well, you have to remember, D&D races originated from folklore (with no small help from Tolkien). The Awakened races existed during the formation of the folklore of those cultures, and were "suppressed" or whatever during the dormant portion of the mana cycle. Consequently, those races are entirely appropriate, if a little overused in RPGs.
So no, I haven't, to answer your question. However, I fucking hate elves, and they tend to fare poorly in my games.
So no, I haven't, to answer your question. However, I fucking hate elves, and they tend to fare poorly in my games.
Sorry, I'm not sure I understand your question.
You're not liking the inclusion of the Tolkien races in Shadowrun, and would like to know if anyone has created different versions of them?
You're not liking the inclusion of the Tolkien races in Shadowrun, and would like to know if anyone has created different versions of them?
Different how? I mean I also don't get what you're asking here. Do you want a metahuman free game? Or just metahumans with different stats? Or are you looking to add new races?
They're not elves, dwarves and orks (at least you spelled that one right!), they're Melniboneans, Serioli and...uh...gimme a minute here...
Actually from what I can gather Shadowrun is the future of EarthDawn, which was set in medevil times which contained all the mythical races of orks, elves dwarves and a few other racess evenutally those races "went away for awhile" as humanity took over for abit then there was a resurgance of the old mythical races through goblinization and the reawakening of magic
further more in EarthDawn, all the "classes" had different circles of power to aid them in their skills ie. the theif "class" has an ability to make a magical lockpick out of thin air
further more in EarthDawn, all the "classes" had different circles of power to aid them in their skills ie. the theif "class" has an ability to make a magical lockpick out of thin air
| QUOTE (Rooks) |
| Actually from what I can gather Shadowrun is the future of EarthDawn, which was set in medevil times which contained all the mythical races of orks, elves dwarves and a few other racess evenutally those races "went away for awhile" as humanity took over for abit then there was a resurgance of the old mythical races through goblinization and the reawakening of magic further more in EarthDawn, all the "classes" had different circles of power to aid them in their skills ie. the theif "class" has an ability to make a magical lockpick out of thin air |
I got the impression Earthdawn was set on the downslope of the last magic cycle, so the mana level was still fairly high (just below the threshold required to universally support major horrors on the physical plane) and that almost no one was trully mundane. Shadowrun is set about 6000 years later and on the upslope of the new magic cycle so the mana level is still quite low, hence lots of mundanes no Windlings, T'Skrang, etc.
| QUOTE (Ancient History) |
| They're not elves, dwarves and orks (at least you spelled that one right!), they're Melniboneans, Serioli and...uh...gimme a minute here... |
Tell me if you find one, as far as i know Tolkien invented the Orcs
.
Tolkien did not invent Orcs. He gave a more specific definition to an idea that existed previously in fairy stories. Orc means demon, and is derived from the same root words as ogre.
He did invent hobbits!
Thank you, FASA, WizKids, and FanPro for never introducing those damn hairy-footed things into your gameworld.
Thank you, FASA, WizKids, and FanPro for never introducing those damn hairy-footed things into your gameworld.
I'll try to clarify my mind. I apologize if I'm not always clear in my wording, english is not my first language.
I like the concept of metahumans, just not the metahumans used. I like dark and gritty settings. I want more Blade Runner and less Tolkien (not that it's bad, but for having played a Dnd campaign for years, I want something else).
So new metahumans could do, as would variation on the current metahumans. I want them to have a look and feel different from what they have now. For examples(sp?):
Mutants (also nicknamed lepers): Globinization left them with many physical deformities, such as unaligned eyes, an ear bigger than the other, 4 fingers in an hand, etc. They have a higher treshold to pain, although somewhat socially inept. It could use the same stats as the orks.
I like the concept of metahumans, just not the metahumans used. I like dark and gritty settings. I want more Blade Runner and less Tolkien (not that it's bad, but for having played a Dnd campaign for years, I want something else).
So new metahumans could do, as would variation on the current metahumans. I want them to have a look and feel different from what they have now. For examples(sp?):
Mutants (also nicknamed lepers): Globinization left them with many physical deformities, such as unaligned eyes, an ear bigger than the other, 4 fingers in an hand, etc. They have a higher treshold to pain, although somewhat socially inept. It could use the same stats as the orks.
| QUOTE |
| He did invent hobbits! Thank you, FASA, WizKids, and FanPro for never introducing those damn hairy-footed things into your gameworld. |
Well... I think if I was a SR dwarf, I'd basically be a hobbit... stupid hairy german and dutch ancestry...
| QUOTE (Kaladhan @ Mar 23 2006, 02:28 PM) |
| I like the concept of metahumans, just not the metahumans used. I like dark and gritty settings. I want more Blade Runner and less Tolkien (not that it's bad, but for having played a Dnd campaign for years, I want something else). So new metahumans could do, as would variation on the current metahumans. I want them to have a look and feel different from what they have now. For examples(sp?): Mutants (also nicknamed lepers): Globinization left them with many physical deformities, such as unaligned eyes, an ear bigger than the other, 4 fingers in an hand, etc. They have a higher treshold to pain, although somewhat socially inept. It could use the same stats as the orks. |
Ah. So have only humans in your game, and then use the old SURGE rules on them.
And probably throw in a few replicants .
.
| QUOTE (Azralon @ Mar 23 2006, 01:19 PM) |
| He did invent hobbits! Thank you, FASA, WizKids, and FanPro for never introducing those damn hairy-footed things into your gameworld. |
Tolkien didn't invent hobbits. He invented the word hobbit.
SURGE is nice. SURGE gives us catgirls.
Actually, it is possible to modify all the SR metatypes into freakish monstrosities by applying some SURGE traits as standard fixtures of the race.
Consider the impact of making all 6th World elves Blood Elves by giving them Chronic Osteocspus and Karma Hazing. Add to that a Night One with SURGED cat traits and you have truely freekish Blood Catgirls.
| QUOTE (hyzmarca @ Mar 23 2006, 03:36 PM) |
| Tolkien didn't invent hobbits. He invented the word hobbit. |
He took his own amalgamized brand of mythical "little person," put together a distinctive society (and language) for them, and slapped his own label on the package. That's close enough to inventing to validate the use of the word.
Now, if he had outright called them "brownies" or "gnomes," I'd be right there with you calling him a hack.
hey the scouts wouldn't let me because of rumors that I regularly ate brownies
What is SURGE?
sierd vairent of UGE
which greates mutantsand freaks and catgirl porn stars and in a campaign I ran, a single bunny girl
which greates mutantsand freaks and catgirl porn stars and in a campaign I ran, a single bunny girl
SURGE is basigly a type of goblinization originally caused by Halley's comet. It appears in Year of the Comet.
Instead of full Goblinization most people just had pits and pieces of them goblinize. People could grow scales, feathers, have their skin change colors, grow tusks or pointy ears, tails, painfull spike growing out of their skin, and ect.
Instead of full Goblinization most people just had pits and pieces of them goblinize. People could grow scales, feathers, have their skin change colors, grow tusks or pointy ears, tails, painfull spike growing out of their skin, and ect.
Yeah I have races that Aint DnD like.
White.
Black
Yellow.
Red.
White.
Black
Yellow.
Red.
Stat mods?
Kaladhan, I see you're from Montréal. In French, SURGE is GRIME (if I remember correctly). It's in Year of the Comet.
However, Shadowrun without metahumans is hardly shadowrun anymore. Maybe you'd better play Cyberpunk 3.0 and had some magic system of your own.
However, Shadowrun without metahumans is hardly shadowrun anymore. Maybe you'd better play Cyberpunk 3.0 and had some magic system of your own.
| QUOTE (Butterblume) |
| And probably throw in a few replicants . |
And the flaw "Is really a replicant, but thinks he's human"
For orks - your mutant idea works well enough, and creates the same general concept of an underclass of social pariahs.
Here's some ideas for the other metatypes:
For trolls - the Brutes: hulking, ungainly, slightly misshapen giant-sized humanoids. Thought of, and treated as functionally retarted, although some of them are actually deceptively intelligent. Part of the problem is that their vocal cords don't allow them coherent speach (vocal mods can help, but there will always be a suspicion that it isn't really the brute talking, but someone else using a commlink to pipe in the words). Unlike the mutants, they have achieved some degree of social acceptance in jobs that require muscle and not too much in the way of brains.
For dwarves - the morlocks, pale, stunted subterranean dwellers. They live under, and scavenge from, human cities. Rumored (falsely) to feed on metahuman flesh like ghouls. Their underground realm replaces the Ork Underground. They rarely venture on the surface, due to their sensitivity to light, but occasionally an orphan or outcast has to try to make it on the surface world.
For elves - the beautiful ones. They have varying degrees of non-human features, such as pointed ears, anime-colored hair (purple, green, etc.), fur, or unusual skin coloration (again, purple, green, etc.). The difference is that they are inhumanly alluring where the other victims of SURGE are hideous. They seem enviable, but they are coveted for their exotic qualities, and often end up as mere playthings of the rich and powerful (think the sexaroids from Bubblegum Crisis). They are often sim stars or pop starlets, but despite being beautiful, they are still considered freaks - you might take one of them to a hotel room, but you certainly wouldn't take one home to meet your folks.
Here's some ideas for the other metatypes:
For trolls - the Brutes: hulking, ungainly, slightly misshapen giant-sized humanoids. Thought of, and treated as functionally retarted, although some of them are actually deceptively intelligent. Part of the problem is that their vocal cords don't allow them coherent speach (vocal mods can help, but there will always be a suspicion that it isn't really the brute talking, but someone else using a commlink to pipe in the words). Unlike the mutants, they have achieved some degree of social acceptance in jobs that require muscle and not too much in the way of brains.
For dwarves - the morlocks, pale, stunted subterranean dwellers. They live under, and scavenge from, human cities. Rumored (falsely) to feed on metahuman flesh like ghouls. Their underground realm replaces the Ork Underground. They rarely venture on the surface, due to their sensitivity to light, but occasionally an orphan or outcast has to try to make it on the surface world.
For elves - the beautiful ones. They have varying degrees of non-human features, such as pointed ears, anime-colored hair (purple, green, etc.), fur, or unusual skin coloration (again, purple, green, etc.). The difference is that they are inhumanly alluring where the other victims of SURGE are hideous. They seem enviable, but they are coveted for their exotic qualities, and often end up as mere playthings of the rich and powerful (think the sexaroids from Bubblegum Crisis). They are often sim stars or pop starlets, but despite being beautiful, they are still considered freaks - you might take one of them to a hotel room, but you certainly wouldn't take one home to meet your folks.
The major difference between an SR Elf, and most other RPG elves is height.
In SR, the elf is tall lean and very charismatic, rather than shorter and smaller than a human. We still haven't been able to figure out how long they live, cause the first elfs haven't died yet. (the long life thing is consistant, but so is it in folklore) There is also only one race of elf, rather than multiple variants, there are no Drow, wild elf, moon elf, sea elf, etc....
Note that in SR there are no halflings, or hobbits, or Kender. There are gnomes, they're a variant of dwarf, but they're far from the round-bellied and cheerful as the D&D variant.
SR takes in account the lore of more than Europe, which most fantasy settings only use - which I think is a feat in itself.
In SR, the elf is tall lean and very charismatic, rather than shorter and smaller than a human. We still haven't been able to figure out how long they live, cause the first elfs haven't died yet. (the long life thing is consistant, but so is it in folklore) There is also only one race of elf, rather than multiple variants, there are no Drow, wild elf, moon elf, sea elf, etc....
Note that in SR there are no halflings, or hobbits, or Kender. There are gnomes, they're a variant of dwarf, but they're far from the round-bellied and cheerful as the D&D variant.
SR takes in account the lore of more than Europe, which most fantasy settings only use - which I think is a feat in itself.
Many elves had died being on the wrong end of a gun.
Sigh. I feel so old. Some of you whippersnappers best start purchasing the source material and reading it, failing that Uncle Ancient is your friend-and not a in a creepy bad touch way damn it.
Tolkien viewpoints of metahumans obviously exsist in the game-both from the standpoint of the writing (Although I'd say this has drasticly improved, and is barely noticeable to me.) and actually in the game, In character. There are people to represent every point of view today, 207x is no different.
If this doesn't jive with your view, then it is incumbent upon you to make your game represent your POV. For example I think the punk part of Shadowrun, as written and represented by most of the community here, is just as cool as the lint I pull from testicles on occassion. So I don't use it. In fact I ignore vast swaths of Canon in my personal games-because a lot of Canon sucks. My players and I enjoy a different style of game play-and well we're not 14 anymore.
Tolkien viewpoints of metahumans obviously exsist in the game-both from the standpoint of the writing (Although I'd say this has drasticly improved, and is barely noticeable to me.) and actually in the game, In character. There are people to represent every point of view today, 207x is no different.
If this doesn't jive with your view, then it is incumbent upon you to make your game represent your POV. For example I think the punk part of Shadowrun, as written and represented by most of the community here, is just as cool as the lint I pull from testicles on occassion. So I don't use it. In fact I ignore vast swaths of Canon in my personal games-because a lot of Canon sucks. My players and I enjoy a different style of game play-and well we're not 14 anymore.
| QUOTE (Dranem) |
| We still haven't been able to figure out how long they live, cause the first elfs haven't died yet. |
Per flavor text, metabolic studies have suggested that elves will live approximately 400 years (barring incident).
We'll find out if that's true in 2411.
When theres a mass die-off of elves, much like a bad cold snap will wipe out hobo populations?
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