Dis/Advantage Based Races

[David Johnston2]

You know, the least interesting thing about a race is its stat modifiers So it's a little weaker, a little stronger, a little quicker or a little slower...on average. So what? No what makes a race interesting are its advantages and disadvantages, the things it can do that humans just can't naturally do or can't do in large numbers, and the traits representing some kind of alien psychology with a resulting alien culture.

So here's an idea. Take a trait, an advantage or disadvantage, and figure out a nonhuman or parahuman race around it. What kind of race has Honesty, or Combat Reflexes or Empathy or Cowardice as a racial trait?

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Combat Reflexes + Cowardice:

Back in its primordial days, this species was a prey animal. Subsisting on a diet or plants and/or carrion, surrounded by deadly threats that consider them a tasty treat, hyper-aware that they could meet sudden and vicious harm at any moment of exposure. As tool-using sapients, they remain very conflict-averse, though they do fight among themselves when necessary - with an elaborate custom of posturing and attempted deescalation at the core of their martial tradition. Intimidation and Diplomacy carry equal weight, while the element of surprise is at best disregarded if not held in open contempt between those who cannot be surprised. In openly-declared war against others, however, their attacks are rapid and unpredictable, making use of the stealthy ways they once adopted to avoid being on the menu to become the predators against the bigger, tougher, slower-witted foe.

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

Combat Reflexes + Cowardice

Nice.

A similar idea is Combat Paralysis not as panic but as an overwhelming "stay silent, stay still" instinct. Perhaps among a species with chameleon-like camouflage or that was the prey of a nocturnal, sound/vibration-based predator. Combine it with Fearlessness for literally unshakeable courage.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Empathy + Chummy:

A herd species by nature, this race plays very well with others... by a certain definition of, "well." Intuitive masters of emotional intelligence, but not neccessarily any more kind than the human norm, when they are good they can be very invested in the feelings and general welfare of others, but when they are bad they are rotten. Cooperative to a point, competitive even in saintliness, as likely to give you the shirt off their backs as to gang up in character assassination. Not particularly violent but only because it doesn't work as well as hurt feelings and manipulation for them when they are moved to hostility.