[Sword&Sorcery] Racial Selection - Page 3

simply Nathan · 10-20-2014, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anders

That's an interesting concept, although probably too close and personal with the humans for my taste. I'd like the nonhumans to be exotic things, heard of only in legends.

Maybe they could be more an urban legend, where an occasional flub in stealth or critical success on a human's perception might cause a sighting once in a while, usually scoffed at and passed off as merely a rodent of unusual size?

Really though I just happen to have a love of feline, canine, and rodent humanoids. Somewhat untrustworthy rat men were the first suggestion to come to mind for a setting with non-humans present, things less human than the usual elves and the like welcome, and playability explicitly forbidden.

Lancewholelot · 10-20-2014, 08:25 PM

Having some primordial aspect and mystery to the other intelligent species adds the needed instinctive fear and wonder of "others" that, IMO, seems so intrinsic to the genre. If you include a winged race, they may well be Pterodactyl as suggested by Fred Brackin, or some winged hominoid fallen into degeneracy from loftier times, as in Howard's Conan. The proper tone to take, I suspect, is being weird and decidedly inhuman (or just human enough to be a fearful warning).

Buzzardo · 10-20-2014, 08:27 PM

How about two different kinds of Reptile Men: two-legged and snake-bodied. They could interact in a variety of interesting ways, including any one of the following:

Entirely separate cultures that don't interact.
Separate cultures that are allies.
Separate cultures that are rivals.
Separate cultures that are enemies.
A blended culture in which one kind or the other are the mages or priests.
A blended culture in which the two kinds are equal.

The third choice (rivals) would be my favorite. They won't kill each other, but they'll do anything else to get one over on the other team. That gives the other cultures interesting ways to play the two Reptile Man cultures against one another. Of course, if they realize they're being manipulated, they may reverse the game on the manipulators. :)

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Here's an alternate thought that could apply to any of the races: They have rigid castes into which they are born. For example, two-legged reptile men with tails are warriors, two-legged reptile men without tails are merchants, and the snake-bodied folks are the mages. And the insect people might go by color (as The Arduin Grimoire did with the Phraints). That kind of differentiation is akin to a lens that you can apply to a race. ETA: Come to think of it, The Planet of the Apes did that with the various species of apes.

Anders · 10-21-2014, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buzzardo

Here's an alternate thought that could apply to any of the races: They have rigid castes into which they are born. For example, two-legged reptile men with tails are warriors, two-legged reptile men without tails are merchants, and the snake-bodied folks are the mages. And the insect people might go by color (as The Arduin Grimoire did with the Phraints). That kind of differentiation is akin to a lens that you can apply to a race. ETA: Come to think of it, The Planet of the Apes did that with the various species of apes.

Interesting idea. I do love the yuan-ti, and this could be something similar. Snake-humanoids living in the jungle? Yes, please!

All of the non-humanoids are essentially fear of the Other, of evolution running backwards, of degeneration. All things which the White Man would fear in the 1920's, when the carnage of World War I left one wondering if the Decline of the West was just the scribblings of a historian...

Astromancer · 10-21-2014, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Why make them birds? Pterodactyl men would be scarier and possibly more in genre. Burroughs' Pellucidar series isn't quite S&S but it's from the same period and it had the Mahars who were pterodactyl-like.

Generally speaking dinosaurians were more in the pulp era than medieval fantasy dragons and their relatives.

This may be related to why you have ape-men instead of orcs.

Bat-folk could be scary too. Silent flyers in darkness, build on a halfling base, add flight, sonar, and a knack with poisons. Have the bat-folk be secretive types with some skill at magic.

Astromancer · 10-21-2014, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anders

It's just not the common assumption. Yes, it can. I mean, Conan has a fair amount of worldbuilding - it clearly takes place in one universe. But I don't think it's ever a priority of the genre.

Well it was ignored, or maybe just not a major fashion until J.R.R. Tolkien became a hit.

Try this idea. Have a highly advanced city, I'd suggest a city of techno-magical marvels, in the clouds. It would be a source of wonders and plot hooks, but the PCs would only see it from a distance, not being worthy to go there;-)

Anders · 10-21-2014, 08:04 AM

I don't know... an overriding truth of Sword&Sorcery and the setting is that magic - if good - is not very impressive and that if it is impressive it is evil. At least that's my impression. Having a city hanging over the heads of the humans would mess with that - I don't want an evil city floating in the sky because that... I'll get back to you on that.

sir_pudding · 10-21-2014, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anders

I don't know... an overriding truth of Sword&Sorcery and the setting is that magic - if good - is not very impressive and that if it is impressive it is evil. At least that's my impression. Having a city hanging over the heads of the humans would mess with that - I don't want an evil city floating in the sky because that... I'll get back to you on that.

It could be abandoned, broken, monster-infested, and adrift, which is what I did in my DF game.

Fred Brackin · 10-21-2014, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

It could be abandoned, broken, monster-infested, and adrift, which is what I did in my DF game.

You might want to hide it too. It could be floating around the peaks of the Mistcrowned Mountains or something like that. Far away and seldom visible to men.

The PCs could get taken their by the Evil Sorceror and get a big surprise when they escape but find they can't climb down.

simply Nathan · 10-21-2014, 05:37 PM

I'd consider Laputa from Gulliver's Travels a pretty good example of an evil floating island city. The method by which it flies has a limited area in which it works, thus why it doesn't conquer the entire world.

10-20-2014, 08:25 PM	#22
Lancewholelot Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: USA, Planet Earth, The Milky Way Galaxy	Re: [Sword&Sorcery] Racial Selection Having some primordial aspect and mystery to the other intelligent species adds the needed instinctive fear and wonder of "others" that, IMO, seems so intrinsic to the genre. If you include a winged race, they may well be Pterodactyl as suggested by Fred Brackin, or some winged hominoid fallen into degeneracy from loftier times, as in Howard's Conan. The proper tone to take, I suspect, is being weird and decidedly inhuman (or just human enough to be a fearful warning). Last edited by Lancewholelot; 10-20-2014 at 08:32 PM. Reason: clarity

10-20-2014, 08:27 PM	#23
Buzzardo Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Austin, TX	Re: [Sword&Sorcery] Racial Selection How about two different kinds of Reptile Men: two-legged and snake-bodied. They could interact in a variety of interesting ways, including any one of the following: Entirely separate cultures that don't interact. Separate cultures that are allies. Separate cultures that are rivals. Separate cultures that are enemies. A blended culture in which one kind or the other are the mages or priests. A blended culture in which the two kinds are equal. The third choice (rivals) would be my favorite. They won't kill each other, but they'll do anything else to get one over on the other team. That gives the other cultures interesting ways to play the two Reptile Man cultures against one another. Of course, if they realize they're being manipulated, they may reverse the game on the manipulators. :) ------------------------ Here's an alternate thought that could apply to any of the races: They have rigid castes into which they are born. For example, two-legged reptile men with tails are warriors, two-legged reptile men without tails are merchants, and the snake-bodied folks are the mages. And the insect people might go by color (as The Arduin Grimoire did with the Phraints). That kind of differentiation is akin to a lens that you can apply to a race. ETA: Come to think of it, The Planet of the Apes did that with the various species of apes. __________________ Play *Ogre? Want an interactive record sheet? Want a random dungeon? How about some tables for that? How about a random encounter? Last edited by Buzzardo; 10-20-2014 at 08:31 PM.*

10-21-2014, 08:04 AM	#27
Anders Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Gothenburg, Sweden	Re: [Sword&Sorcery] Racial Selection I don't know... an overriding truth of Sword&Sorcery and the setting is that magic - if good - is not very impressive and that if it is impressive it is evil. At least that's my impression. Having a city hanging over the heads of the humans would mess with that - I don't want an evil city floating in the sky because that... I'll get back to you on that. __________________ “When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ...” Marcus Aurelius

10-21-2014, 05:37 PM	#30
simply Nathan formerly known as 'Kenneth Latrans' Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Wyoming, Michigan	Re: [Sword&Sorcery] Racial Selection I'd consider Laputa from Gulliver's Travels a pretty good example of an evil floating island city. The method by which it flies has a limited area in which it works, thus why it doesn't conquer the entire world. __________________ Ba-weep granah wheep minibon. Wubba lubba dub dub.