Hey gang, I’m making some races/racial options.

Hey gang, I’m making some races/racial options.

Hey gang, I’m making some races/racial options.

Its still rough at the moment, but would anyone like to take a look to offer critic or just to borrow some stuff for their own game?

So far I’ve completed deep elves, troglodytes, lizardmen and insectmen, and tomorrow I’ll be on to half-demons, giants, goblins and automatons.

23 thoughts on “Hey gang, I’m making some races/racial options.”

  1. At the minute I’m really happy with the insectmen. The druid has this:

    You are nature’s builder. During an uninterrupted span of time (an hour or more), you may build a mundane tall wall around a small area or make a failing structure stable.

    Also the trodlodytes (near human cavemen rather than straight-up monsters), have this option if they are wizards that I think is neat: 

    You need no spellbook. Rather than a spellbook, you must have an object of focus to contemplate your spells. This object can be anything, a skull,  a shard of glass– It’s your call. When you cast a spell, on a 7-9 you may choose: The spell takes on a semblance of life, and you have no control of  it.

  2. After looking very briefly, the first thing if recommend doing is picking the classes that really evoke the race, and limit the racial options to those classes (troglodyte paladin? Really?)

    I’ll give it a more thorough review when I have a chance.

  3. Thank you for having a look Giovanni.

    Would it be less painful if the player changed the name of the class to suit them? Troglodyte Far-Walker? Troglodyte Tribe-Mender? You know, who says he or she is wearing steel armour and not mammoth ribs?

  4. I like it just the way it is. I think it should be up to the GM to decide what classes and races should or shouldn’t mix. I care little for what is proper. A Troglodyte Paladin sounds like a great roleplaying opportunity ^_^

    Tony these are awesome! I really enjoy this sort of coverage. I don’t see enough of it and I can’t get enough. Thank you very much! AWESOME!!

  5. Well, my thinking is that if everyone can be everything (even if there are different racial moves), that’s one less thing that makes them special. If only insectmen (for example) can be paladins, think about what that does to the fiction. Just my two coin.

  6. Perhaps you’re right Giovanni, perhaps between a GM and players we learn that lizardmen think the gods are demons, so there are no lizardmen clerics, however another world might have them as crazed zealots of the sun god. The option is there now (also I got them to fit on one page each plus fluff and bonds with my favourite font so you know).

  8. Marques Jordan Thank you very much, glad you like what I’ve done so far, they’re free to use any way you like, put them on another race, its fine by me.

    They’re not that great, but I tried to give each option something that would aid their narrative slightly, like the deep elf druid ability to turn into a cave monster. It doesn’t alter the mechanics, but it could lead to some Scooby Doo style pretending to be a monster action to scare the locals or infiltrate a dungeon.

  10. Marques Jordan I tend to agree with Marques that it is up to the players and GM to decide what they want to create as the collaborative fiction of the game. Tony Ferron Great beginning to all the various races for your players to explore.

  12. Some really interesting options, but some seemed a little forced. When I did Number Appearing I didn’t worry about trying to cover everything: it’s easy enough to come up with a move for Troglodyte Paladin on the spot if someone really needs it. Guidelines and ideas work better for me but YMMV.

  13. Eric Lochstampfor Yeah, it does, I was actively trying for something other than that, so the deep elf druid wasn’t just a palette swap for the elf. I think over a long campaign the option will loose it’s lustre as druids gain increasing shapeshifting abilities, but for a quick level one adventure turning into a cloaker or ooze would be really fun.

    Krusty Wightbred Thank you for reading it through. It is a guideline of sorts, I might even use these on other races in game, they’re just a bit of fun- Bit of a mental puzzle too, to have an option for each race. When I get around to doing the automation/golem race, what can I possibly do for druid?

    Fr. Tom Miller Oh, and you too have my thanks for reading my mad drivel. 

  14. Wait, no, I thought druids could only turn into animals at low level. If you pick the Depths of the Earth, is it standard core to turn into monsters?

    …

    Yeah, right, I’ve changed my mind, thanks for the insight Eric. Depths of the Earth plus a little sidebar comment is the right choice.

    The cambion is done and its such an evocative race I think I’ve managed to make some fun options!

  17. Quick update for no one. I’ve made a batman race and revenants(thinking undead) today. They’re pretty final and more fun than plain powerful. Tomorrow or when I get time, psionic aliens and sharkmen are next!

    I know what the sharkman bonds are already:

    I pay ___ no mind, they don’t feel like prey.

    ___ stole a great kill from me, so I will kill something they really want to kill!

    ___ saved my life, so I will pay them in the death of another.  

  19. Cool additions.  In one of the campaigns I am hosting, undead races are an options.  Graven, Haunts, and Deathbonded are the races available to players.  Your work on various races sure inspires me to find some free time to work on my two settings and adapt them for Dungeon World.

  20. Krusty Wightbred Yeah, it was surprisingly easy to make an undead race. Good fun too. The funny bone Bard was obvious, I’ve seen so much stuff with comical music playing skeletons.

    Fr. Tom  Sounds interesting. Are deathbonded people possessed/sharing a body with a ghost?

  22. Fr. Tom Very diverse bunch! I think I like the ideas behind the Frey and the Asherake the most. Do the Frey take their name from the Norse Gods Freyr and Freyja? Do they have a bit of valkyrie or viking in them?

    Now then, Monkeymen and Imperials are complete. Imperials are city slickers of any race that have lost their heritage in favour of city life. The racial options are a mix of Roman Legion/Chinese Dynasty/British Empire.

    I’m fond of the Imperial Cleric:

    Your people’s gods are everyone’s gods. When you meet someone who worships a god with a similar aspect to your own, consider it your god and take +1 forward to Parley with them.

Comments are closed.