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Old 08-01-2015, 07:42 AM   #1
Themoopanator
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Default [3rd edition] Racial Templates

Hi, I have been searching for a while for a place to source some racial templates for my players in our fantasy campaigns as I am having some trouble making my own. A few questions I have are:

1. What is the point in the attribute modifiers ? If the player only wants say 10 IQ but their race adds +2 to IQ can't they just bring it down to 8 and then at the end of character creation it is bumped back up to 2 ?

2. What is the point in the advantages ? Surely you could just purchase the cheapest race and then buy whatever advantages you wanted because there is no advantages limit. ?

3. Could you point me towards some racial templates that include most if not all of the following races ?:

Wood Elves,
High Elves,
Dark Elves,
Humans,
Orcs,
Hobbits,
Nords,
Dwarves,
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Old 08-01-2015, 07:55 AM   #2
Phantasm
 
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Default Re: [3rd edition] Racial Templates

For number three, I would look at 3e's Fantasy Folk. Due to copyright reasons, the term "hobbit" cannot be used outside of licensed Tolkien/Middle Earth products, but the term "halfling" is fair game, which is why Fantasy Folk and D&D use it.

For the other questions:

Attribute adjustments are based off the average of the race. If a race - let's call it a High Elf - has IQ +2 on their template, that means the average IQ score for that race is 12. If a player just wants an IQ 10 for their High Elf, yes, they'll have to buy it down from the racial average, and will be the village idiot among their own kind, and probably treated as such.

Advantages - and disadvantages - have their place in helping define the race. If all Elves have Magery 1, that means that the majority of elves probably know at least some basic spells that were taught in childhood. Likewise, if all Elves have Unaging, that means they're essentially immortal, barring getting killed or dying of disease.

Some advantages - such as the Faz sense from Humanx and Compendium I, renamed to Vibration Sense in 4e - are also not permitted by normal humans, which is a way to enhance the race to make them different.

Clear as mud?
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Old 08-01-2015, 09:27 AM   #3
Themoopanator
 
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Default Re: [3rd edition] Racial Templates

So should I add disadvantages or no?

And also, what is a good price for a race ?

My players are going to be remaking their characters soon with 110 points to spend (as they have already actually played a couple campaigns with those characters)

Also, thanks for the reply!
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Old 08-01-2015, 10:08 AM   #4
johndallman
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Default Re: [3rd edition] Racial Templates

Quote:
Originally Posted by Themoopanator View Post
So should I add disadvantages or no?
Like the Advantages, they define the average member of the race. For example, many Dwarfs suffer from Greed, and/or Stubbornness, and many Elves have Sense of Duty (Nature), so those disadvantages are on their 4e Dungeon Fantasy racial templates.
Quote:
And also, what is a good price for a race ?
Not too huge. The higher it is, the fewer points players have left to customise their characters, which tends to mean that all members of a race are very similar. 20 points is the right kind of ballpark.
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Old 08-01-2015, 10:20 AM   #5
Phantasm
 
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Default Re: [3rd edition] Racial Templates

I find the 20-35 point range for "standard" fantasy races to be about right. Others I've built up to 100 points for the template, but as has been remarked those don't leave as much room for customization at lower point totals.

There's a definite difference when using the same a 75 point ogre template in a 100 point game, a 250 point game, and a 400 point game. At 100 points, "ogre" basically defines the concept; at 250 points, "ogre" can be "barbarian" or "ogre-mage" without much fuss; while at 400 points, it's almost flavor.
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"But mom, I don't wanna go back in the dungeon!"

The GURPS Marvel Universe Reboot Project A-G, H-R, and S-Z, and its not-a-wiki-really web adaptation.
Ranoc, a Muskets-and-Magery Renaissance Fantasy Setting
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