[Space/Thaumatology] Stargate: Fantasy - Worldbuilding thread

[Varyon]

Here's an idea for a racial template:

Totally Not Gerudo

Attributes

ST 10 [0]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 11 [10]

Secondary Characteristics

HP 10; Will 10; Per 12 [10]; FP 11

Thrust: 1d-2; Swing: 1d

Basic Speed: 6 [10]; Move: 6; Dodge: 9

Subtotal: [50]

Advantages
Appearance: Attractive [4]
Fit [5]
Temperature Tolerance 2 (comfortable range is from (35F-HT) to (90F+HT); that's 24F to 101F with HT 11) [2]
Terrain Adaptation (Sand) [5]

Subtotal: [16]

Quirks [-1]
Uncomfortable in full-coverage clothing [-1]

Subtotal: [-1]

Total: [65]

Notes: This is a human-sized version of the "desert elf," similar in size to the Gerudo's original appearance in Ocarina of Time. Note the template is fairly bare-bones, but that's because the notable features of the Gerudo - their standard appearance (brown skin, red/orange hair, prominent nose), their all-female (or mostly-female) demographics, and desert lifestyle - don't really fit on template. Their ability to breed with basically every other race and nonetheless produce full-blooded Gerudo would bear mention (as a Feature), but I don't know if you want to have that in play for G'annan's species (I do think they should still have a skewed male-to-female ratio, but not as pronounced as in The Legend of Zelda, such that "loaning" G'annan to SGC represents a significant investment, but not "Here is the only male we've had in the last 100 years"). Note that, prior to Breath of the Wild, Gerudo were portrayed as having human-like ears, rather than the Hylian/elven ears. The racial quirk indicates that, when stuck wearing full-coverage clothing, they become a bit irritable - their somewhat-distressed body language can potentially result in a -1 to Reaction Rolls, and if they have any Disadvantages with Self Control numbers, they suffer a -1 to such rolls.

Lens: Tol [+45]

Attributes: ST +5 (Size -10%) [45]
Size: +1 (average height of 7 feet tall)

Notes: This version is more akin to what we see in Breath of the Wild, where full-grown Gerudo are quite tall. As a Lens, you simply add it to the above template. If going with the Tol variant, it will be even more important to prevent G'annan from leaving the base and being amongst civilians on Earth - someone around Shaq's height is going to stand out in a crowd! Unless he's rather short for a desert elf...

[ericthered]

That's a pretty expensive package attribute. I think the essentials are here:

Advantages [15]
Appearance: Attractive [4]
Fit [5]
Temperature Tolerance 2 (comfortable range is from (35F-HT) to (90F+HT); that's 24F to 101F with HT 11) [2]
Terrain Adaptation (Sand) [5]

Subtotal: [16]

Quirks [-1]
Uncomfortable in full-coverage clothing [-1]

Subtotal: [-1]

That's a pretty meaningful set of traits. Maybe +1 Per as well for a total of [20], matching most the DF packages. We can buy up the other traits with normal points.



The Giant version is interesting.... I'd lean against not including it, or make it a rare mutation among the elves, even for males. Or maybe our local guide is female. That could be fun.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by ericthered

That's a pretty expensive package attribute. I think the essentials are here:

That's a pretty meaningful set of traits. Maybe +1 Per as well for a total of [20], matching most the DF packages. We can buy up the other traits with normal points.

The Gerudo seem notably agile, and living in the harsh desert is going to select for being rather healthy, which is why I opted for +1 DX and +1 HT; adding another +0.5 to Basic Speed matched with them being notably agile, and honestly I'm not a big fan of leaving characters with fractional Basic Speed, as it doesn't do much for the cost. But leaving the other attributes up to the players ("Desert elves often have increased DX, HT, and/or Basic Speed, and a further increase to Per is also common") could certainly be an option; alternatively, you can leave the boosts in place, but note that they can go toward paying for a relevant template - a Gerudo Scout doesn't necessarily have higher DX and Per than a human one.

Originally Posted by ericthered

The Giant version is interesting.... I'd lean against not including it, or make it a rare mutation among the elves, even for males. Or maybe our local guide is female. That could be fun.

I'll note the Giant version is meant to represent the BotW version of the Gerudo, who are all female (Ganondorf in that game has fully become Ganon - or Calamity Ganon as he's called in the story - and no longer appears to have any Gerudo traits). Ganondorf certainly would use the template; there's a fan theory that the Gerudo in OoT were short (that is, human/Hylian-sized rather than giants) because they didn't have quite enough food to go around, but as their king they made certain Ganondorf got enough food, so he grew to his full height. In BotW, they're no longer underfed desert bandits, but rather have a thriving economy (including trade with other peoples, rather than relying on raiding them), and thus they tend to grow to their full height instead of being stunted in their development.

But the Desert Elves aren't Gerudo, so they don't have to follow how they worked in the games.

[Prince Charon]

So, I'm thinking that the new question could be tomorrow or on Friday, depending on how much further discussion there is: If there's no more options offered before some time Thursday, I'll post a Question with just those two and 'Something else (please specify),' but if there's still discussion going on on Thursday I'll wait until Friday or later.

[Prince Charon]

G'annan of Frolec Question III

Which template should be used for the Desert Elves that G'annan is one of?

1. Varyon's template (65 points, with an optional 45 point lens)

2. ericthered's template (15-20 points)

3. Something else (please specify).

Please remember to include the number of your preferred option when you vote.

*******

Answer: 1 has three votes, and thus wins, as the others have one each.

[Kesendeja]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

G'annan of Frolec Question III
1. Varyon's template (65 points, with an optional 45 point lens)

1. I've always been a believer in doing a race justice regardless of the point cost.

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

G'annan of Frolec Question III

Which template should be used for the Desert Elves that G'annan is one of?

3) Average desert elves get Eric's template, exceptional ones get Varyon's template. Also: (Some) Tol elves!

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Prince Charon

G'annan of Frolec Question III

I'll go with 1, my template.

[ericthered]

2) I am partial to my own template!

[adm]

1 works, nerfing templates to make a point budget is not fun, it's just "Star Trek aliens are humans with a rubber forehead." nonsense.