A question about the racial templates in fantasy and racial appearance.

[Sam Baughn]

The fourth edition Basic Set (page 21) says that appearance only affects members of your own or similar races. Fantasy says that racial appearance reaction modifiers apply to members of the 'dominant race' of the world (and similar races) and this seems to be a zero point feature.

The orc template has Appearance (Unattractive) [-4], which seems consistent with that, but both the troll templates have Appearance (Ugly; Not to Own Kind, -25%) [-6] which seems to be more or less the same thing, handled in a different manner. Which is the 'correct' way to buy racial appearance in fourth edition?

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Perfect Organism

The fourth edition Basic Set (page 21) says that appearance only affects members of your own or similar races. Fantasy says that racial appearance reaction modifiers apply to members of the 'dominant race' of the world (and similar races) and this seems to be a zero point feature.

The orc template has Appearance (Unattractive) [-4], which seems consistent with that, but both the troll templates have Appearance (Ugly; Not to Own Kind, -25%) [-6] which seems to be more or less the same thing, handled in a different manner. Which is the 'correct' way to buy racial appearance in fourth edition?

The description of Appearance in Fantasy merely extends the rules in Basic: A level bought at standard cost can either mean the modifier applies to the dominant race and smilar races or to your own race and races which resemble it [from Fantasy, p128]. If it affects both, it is the Universal enhancement.
Orcs obviously have Unattractive(to Humans and similar races), but the appearance for trolls looks like it might be an errata. As written, the only interpretation that makes sense is that it is versus races similar to trolls (but not to other trolls). I'd be inclined to think that they were intended to have Universal (Not vs other trolls), which, given the -25% assumed for that limit, should still cost 8pts.