Creating New Races

[Skidrow]

I've been creating a new world for the last little while, and I've been trying to create several new races. I have found that it can be rather difficult to try and detail several races (details include things such as personality and interactions with other races, as well as game mechanics), and it is very time consuming.

So my intention with this thread is for people who are struggling with creating new races to offer eachother tips and help, and maybe to even evaluate eachother's races. I myself find it hard to pin such things as Level Adjustment and how many special abilities a race should recieve, and I do believe that I could use some help, as I know others could.

Also, I am curious as to how people go about creating races. How do start? Do you start with a new concept, or do you base them off of real life inspirations?

As I don't quite have a finished race yet, I won't be posting one yet. If you have any questions or races you would like to recieve help with, feel free to post them. Also, I apologize if anything like this has been posted on this forum before, but I couldn't find anything like it.

[Doomsmile]

As someone building a world from scratch, as well, I think I know what you're talking about. I'm lucky that two of my three room-mates also play D&D, so I can run this stuff by them occasionally.

The problem I run into isn't writer's block, normally. It's that the races I come up with are often thought up and significantly developed without too much thought to the D20 framework. Trying to stat out something like that can be a nightmare- especially when nothing similar exists in real life or D&D to base much off of. The biggest one of these problem-child races are the Dyralisks which are a hooved, humanoid race with long heads and four tentacles sprouting from their backs. They're kinda' hard to visualize if you don't know what I'm going on about.

Well, anyway, my point is... well, I think I came in here with a point, but I've forgotten what it was. Anyway, this thread seems like a cool idea. I hope people take advantage of it.

[Linklegacy77]

When creating a new race, in the d20 system, you should probobly start with a good idea of the mechanics behind it. From a flavor perspective, you obviously want the race's position in the world and all of the other things about the race to be good, but if the race isn't mechanically balanced it will ruin the game. Game balance must be kept in mind when designing a race.

Make the race as powerful or as weak as you want, but after doing so, consider what their role in the world is, and compare it to existing races to determine racial hit dice and LA.

[Skidrow]

Anyway, this thread seems like a cool idea. I hope people take advantage of it. I appreciate the compliment:)

I've read through the description for the Dyralisk's a couple of times already, and soon began to picture something like an Equiceph (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mhbk_gallery/76981_CN.jpg), but with tentacles. I don't know how close that is to what you pictured, but that's what I'm thinking. I like the idea behind it. However, I'm slightly confused as to why its Favored Class is warrior. Is it intended to be an NPC only race? Also, the LA seems a bit low to me, but note what I said about that in my first post. Overall though, I think it is well thought out idea, and I like how they don't quite fit in with society. Awl pikes are also one of my favorite weapons:D

And now its my turn.

I've been researching typical fantasy races (goblins, elves, gnomes, trolls, and fairies in particular). I've found some interesting things about the races, goblins in particular. I have always liked the goblinoids in D&D, but with doing my own research, they are somewhat less pleasing to me. I've gone and created my own versions based on what I've found:1218

Now, to answer some questions before they're asked: Orc (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orc) is simply another name for goblin, thought up by Tolkien (from what I understand), so I didn't change them too much from the typical D&D orc, though I feel that they could use a little work. Goblins (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goblins) have been described several ways, and I just picked the ones that I like the most (those relating to spirits and sleep, along with the changelings, which I haven't quite created yet). Hobgoblins (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobgoblin) were actually short guys, while goblins were typically taller, a mistake on Tolkien's part.

I tryed incorporating them to reflect sleep and nightmares, something I feel that I've done ok with the goblins themselves, though there seems to be little connection to it with the orcs and hobgoblins, which is something I could use a little help with. I also plan on including changelings (not the kind from Eberron, but the ones that goblins trade with human babies). Again any help is appreciated.

[Doomsmile]

I thought had put a picture of a dyrlisk in the RTF, but the Warrior bit is a referance to a "Generic Class" system that game is using- it's the fighter-type class.

Onto the goblinoids, the goblins remind me, conceptually, of Japanese Akki for some reason. The hobgobbos seem a little freaky, mechanically, since they have two fairly powerful magical abilities on top of standard racial abilities- you might want to consider giving them a level penalty, like a Tifling or Asamir in D&D. Don't get me wrong, though- I love the non-malicous prankster archetype. Every setting needs one.

[Skidrow]

Yeah, I thought that inivisbility may be a bit much... I'm thinking of removing it entirely, and maybe giving them a bonus to hide and slight of hand instead. I'm also thinking of toning the Strength score down on the Orc, reducing its speed, and giving it darkness usable once per day instead.

And thanks for the input:)

[elmer_jok]

I've actually started a project awhile ago making entirely new races for a special world that I was building. The races were based off the mutations that happened to our party in the 25th anniversary edition of White Plume Mtn. We got our hands on a 'Deck of Destiny' that made alot of interesting magic things happen.

The dwarf fighter grew to nearly 7ft. tall and had some hammer blessing upon his fists that resulted in +5 damage when fighting unarmed.

The dwarf cleric earned the emnity of the sea.

The grey elf wizard was aged to just minutes before his death, but had earlier pulled a card giving him a wish, so he wished he never pulled that other card.

The human ranger was given some powers on the sea, navigation - ability to breathe water, speak to sea creatures and swim real well.

The female halfling rogue (who previously lost a hand - which she replaced with a hook) grew bat wings, and had something happen to her hand that she could touch the ground and grow an edible fungi.

I got the idea that maybe some young diety somewhere was watching and decided to create some races and place them in a pocket dimension to see how they'd thrive or fall. I stalled this project about halfway through creating the race of mountain kings (based off the oversized dwarf) and never again picked it up. I think in light of this new thread that I may dig out that folder of notes and work upon this again. Thanks for the inspiration.

[nightinverse]

I might mention that Tolkien discarded a considerable amount of mainland European mythos in favour of his own distinctly British vision - remember that the goblinoid species in his mythos are the result of tortured humanoids, just as the trolls stem from tortured ents. Just a side note, along with the mention that virtually every permutation of goblinoid definition can be drawn depending on your source.

Changelings... let me dig out my Hollow World supplements - they were an interesting component of that abortive campaign setting.

The last time I created a race I crafted Kender (This was when we still were being told that Dragonlance was done as a setting.) but I limited myself too much with the direct PHB balance, where I should have taken advantage of MM data as well. I recommend using core data for all race construction, but not limiting yourself further within that.

[elmer_jok]

I was thinking about what you said about toning down the orc... i tend to think you should consider beefing it up a bit by adding 'powerful build' ability (similar to what half-giants and goliaths have), keeping everything else you got the same, maybe even adding the darkness that you thought of and increasing the LA to +1.

They could relate to the their relative goblins by being grotesque looking creatures, something akin to what would be eating you in a nightmare nightmare.

Alternatively you could give them some kind of fear type ability (either as a spell or perhaps an aura, albeit a weak one), a doom ability (or aura), or something else to take into account it's ugly visage. Maybe even something to take into account their ferociousness, the ability to rage 1/day like a barbarian of their class level. This would stack with that given if they had barbarian as a class.

Perhaps also if you were thinking of ways to tone down the hobgoblins, consider removing the blink and invisibility abilities and giving them the darkness ability. Their favored class is rogue.

With their current array of abilities I'd think they would have a +1 LA as-is. Come to think of it, I'd probably slap a +1 LA on the goblins as well. That sleep and nightmare can be nasty. If you were to take my suggestion with the orcs, and assign level adjustments to the other goblinoids as well, you'd have 3 subraces at +1 LA each. The raving savages, the spirit shamans, and the thiefs of night. I can picture that arrangement very well, and can start to see how they'd all compliment each other real well. If they could be unified under a strong leadership, they'd be a pretty menacing race.

[Skidrow]

All right, I've updated the Goblinoids some more, using a lot of the advice that elmer_jok gave me. All the races now have a level adjustment of +1, and I suped up the orcs a bit, and changed the hobgoblins blink ability to darkness instead. Of course, input is appreciated.

And I know that Tolkien based his creatures off of mostly English influences, but compare the English elfs to the Norse elves.;) I don't want to start another "D&D is not based off of Lord of the Rings!" argument, as I've seen to many of those. However, he does admit that he misunderstood the differences between goblins and hobgoblins.

But enough about that.

Also Doomsmile, now that I look at Dyralisks again, I think that they're fine. I didn't realize the penalties for using their tentacles were so steep until I actually thought about how much that could mess up a full-attack.

[Skidrow]

OK, I have another race. Fairies.:D

Also, are the goblinoids good? Do I need to change anything with them?

[elmer_jok]

I like what you've done with the goblinoids, I'm flattered that you'd incorporate so much of my advice. Those orcs are some bad mama jama's now.

The fairies are cool too, although I'm surprised you stopped at only one race of fairies. And, are you sure that you wanna make the stunning glance a full-round action? If so... maybe change the name to 'stunning stare'. It would be much more useful if it only took a standard action like most gaze attacks.

Good job though, all around, good job.

[Skidrow]

Whoops! I thought I changed it to a standard action. Originally, the fairies were a race without a LA, and they didn't have unearthly grace, but I changed it to a +1. I meant for it to be like the Nymph's Stunning glance, but not quite so powerful.

My fairies are intended to be a generic race that can breed with humans. When they do breed with humans, it creates elves, and then elves can breed with humans to create half-elves. They are a subspecies of fey, along with the elves and half-elves, and maybe even the gnomes. Sorry I didn't explain that in the first place!

And thank you for the compliment!

[Skidrow]

Changelings... let me dig out my Hollow World supplements - they were an interesting component of that abortive campaign setting.



Hey, could you send me some of that information? I'm starting to toy around with some different ideas for them, and the only thing I really have to go of off is the doppleganger and changeling from Eberron.

If its not too much trouble, that is. I'd appreciate it!

[nightinverse]

I'm at home, so I should be able to find it... if I can't, I apologize in advance.