[DF, houserules] Suggestions for designing a variable race?

[simply Nathan]

For the fantasy campaign I've been planning on running for a long time now, I've decided to offer players my custom-built 25-point races designed to fit in with my smaller skill list and other price reductions.

To understand some of my base assumptions here:

• Ideally, races will be stackable with each other (though not necessarily with themselves) and thus not contain overlapping traits which cannot be leveled (I.E., perhaps one race can have High Pain Threshold or Peripheral Vision but two of them won't). Players should have as little trouble as they can choosing to be half-elf/half-dwarf or other such combinations.
• DX costs 15/level, IQ costs 10/level, Will and Per are their own Attributes.
• HT does nothing to Basic Speed and Basic Speed does nothing to Basic Move. Basic Speed can be purchased upwards by 0.05 per [1] but cannot be sold downward.
• SMs are replaced with the tags "Small" to cover SMs -1 and -2 simultaneously at a price of [25], "Tiny" to cover SMs -3 and smaller for [-25], "Large" for SM+1 and the lower end of SM+2 for [-25], and "Gigantic" to cover SMs +2 and higher for [-50]. There is no Size limitation on ST; it always costs full price.
• DR from armor is doubled and everyone has DR 1 with Tough Skin limitation for [0].
• Everyone has Night Vision 3 for [0] because adventure is usually done by torchlight.
• Peripheral Vision is 10 points, Discriminatory Smell is 5 points and doesn't contain Acute Smell+4, and Nictitating Membrane is split from Armored Eyes; the two separate Perks that apply all-or-nothing to natural DR.
• Flight (Winged) uses Basic Move as the base flying speed rather than Basic Speed x2; buy Enhanced Move(Air) or Air Move as appropriate for faster flyers. Price is [15].
• No Talents. The skills I'm using are about as broad as RAW Talents.
• No strictly social traits on race templates. Any character can be from any culture, and while there are culture wars (Sylvan/Dorf friendly rivalry, Hob/Everyone Else warfare, etc) it's never strictly racial animosity at the root of the problem.
• Subsequently, mental disadvantages have to be an inherent part of the race's biology which would show up regardless of where or how an individual was raised. I'd prefer to avoid them, especially if worse than Quirks.
• Despite being Physical, racial Appearance levels are not allowed due to the wild variance of different races. Being attractive to potential mates is [3]/level, being seen as physically pleasing to even members of the same sex and/or incompatable race is [4]/level, max of either is 2 levels for +2/+4 reactions total. Anything beyond this comes down to the Quirks of individuals involved.

Giving only the crunch and not the fluff for my existing PC races:

Half-Elf [25]

Attributes: DX+1[15]
Characteristics: Basic Move +1[5]
Advantages: Magery 0[5]
Features: Pointy ears; can have any hair color of the player’s choosing.

Half-Dwarf [25]

Attributes: HT+1[10]
Secondary Characteristics: FP+3[9], Basic Move -1[-5],
Advantages: Lifting ST 3[9], Night Vision 5[2]
Features: Women can have facial hair or not at player's discretion.

Half-Halfling [25]

Attributes: ST-2[-20], DX+1[15]
Secondary Characteristics: HP+2[4]
Advantages: Honest Face[1]*, Small Size[25], Tough Soles(DR 1, Tough Skin, Feet Only)[1]
Features: Hairy feet

* Actually a placeholder.

Half-Ogre [25]

Attributes: ST+4[40], IQ-1[-10]
Secondary Characteristics: HP+1[2]
Advantages: Resistant to Magic(+3)[10], Toughness 2[3]
Disadvantages: Bad Smell[-10]
Features: Skin usually greenish

Half-Dragon [25]

Attributes: IQ+1[10]
Advantages: Replace Toughness 1[3] with Damage Resistance 2[10] for 7 points; Armored Eyes[1], Nictitating Membrane[1], Peripheral Vision[10], Sharp Claws[5], Sharp Teeth[1]
Disadvantages: Disturbing Voice[-10]
Features: Usually hairless, always scaly-skinned, and females only rarely have notable breasts due to non-draconian ancestry.


Now for my last race...the price is [15]. I am looking for suggestions for either a pool of Advantages to let players buy from or a few lenses to cover the most likely-desired subraces to round them out at [25] like the others. Offering up some minor Disadvantages or Quirks to add to proposed subraces or even the base template would also be welcome.

Half-Kemono [15]

Attributes: PR+1[5]
Advantages: Blunt Claws[3], Discriminatory Smell[5], Fur[1], and Sharp Teeth[1].
Features: Born Biter 1, Tail

"Replace Sharp Teeth[1] with Fangs[2] for 1 point", "Replace Blunt Claws[3] with Hooves[3]" or "Replace Blunt Claws[3] with Sharp Claws[5] for 2 points" are examples of things I would expect to see on some lenses; Blunt Claws and Sharp Teeth just seemed to be common enough for the popular kinds of animals to roleplay that I figured they'd make a decent baseline.

[Captain Joy]

Off the top of my head…

Half-Elf [25]

A disadvantage that makes them more fragile than the other races.

Half-Dwarf [25]

Maybe they're near sighted?

Half-Halfling [25]

A disadvantaged that represents their need to eat more than the other races.

Half-Kemono [15]

Attributes: PR+1[5]
Advantages: Blunt Claws[3], Discriminatory Smell[5], Fur[1], and Sharp Teeth[1].
Features: Born Biter 1, Tail
Maybe an advantage the deals with using their tail as a weapon.

[Wavefunction]

Originally Posted by Captain Joy

Maybe an advantage the deals with using their tail as a weapon.

Or as a manipulating tool, for instance:

Extra Arm 1 (Extra-Flexible, +50%; No Physical Attack, -50%) [10]

A rather handy little advantage, and a much better deal than it may at first appear, even in combat.

[simply Nathan]

Originally Posted by Captain Joy

Off the top of my head…

Half-Elf [25]

A disadvantage that makes them more fragile than the other races.

Half-Dwarf [25]

Maybe they're near sighted?

Half-Halfling [25]

A disadvantaged that represents their need to eat more than the other races.

I wanted to keep the prices at 25 and was posting what I already had for comparison. A level of Increased Consumption could work for the half-halfling, but what would I add to bring them back up to 25? I've also been trying to think of another Perk to replace Honest Face; it seems like that trick would stop working if everyone knew it was part of how Halflings look to begin with.

Originally Posted by Captain Joy

Half-Kemono [15]

Attributes: PR+1[5]
Advantages: Blunt Claws[3], Discriminatory Smell[5], Fur[1], and Sharp Teeth[1].
Features: Born Biter 1, Tail
Maybe an advantage the deals with using their tail as a weapon.

Originally Posted by Wavefunction

Or as a manipulating tool, for instance:

Extra Arm 1 (Extra-Flexible, +50%; No Physical Attack, -50%) [10]

A rather handy little advantage, and a much better deal than it may at first appear, even in combat.

This one I was looking for multiple possible lenses or a list of Advantages to offer players. I think I'll go with the approved traits list and add Crushing Striker, Tail and Prehensile Tail to the list alongside a few others like Peripheral Vision and Perfect Balance.

Now that I think of it, I should add Winged Flight and Strikers as possible Advantages for half-dragons at character generation.

A lot of my potential players are likely to want made-up hybrid beastmen. Some have even expressed interest in quadrupeds, but I'm relegating those templates to NPCs for my first campaign.

[Purple Haze]

Okay so these are half-X what about full-X?

And for consistency don't you need half-human, or are there no humans?

[simply Nathan]

Originally Posted by Purple Haze

Okay so these are half-X what about full-X?

And for consistency don't you need half-human, or are there no humans?

Half-races are the majority in this setting; most people are half one thing and half another, with the other half implied to be human when no second racial template is purchased. Half human/half human is the most common single combination, and comes with no innate traits.

The full races have significantly stronger disadvantages and higher point totals, as well as often not lining up to be as nice and round of numbers. There are also many with negative number point totals (most goblins, the tiniest breeds of fairy, talking animals, and tiny talking animals). They are also much rarer within the setting and for now I'm only considering them as NPC races (which may include allies).

A full ogre has IQ-2, Large Size, Bad Smell, Disturbing Voice, Unusual Alchemistry (I.E. the downside of RAW magic resistance), Ham Fisted -2, and may even qualify for negative Appearance. A full dragon has No Fine Manipulators and an expensive breath attack. A full elf has even more Dexterity, Move, and Magery coupled with low HT and HP. A full dwarf has ST 14 and turns to stone in the direct light of the evil Daystar (they can come into sunlight in the afternoon but not the morning). A full kemono has the entire suite of dietary and instinctive limitations of the animal he resembles to contend with his sapience and not just a Quirk here or there to hint at it.