No Races [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

No Races [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Thomar_of_Uointer
04-19-05, 07:54 PM This is just a concept I'd like to throw out for feedback.

The whole idea is that players are Human, and only Human. To add some versatility, Humans get four bonus feats instead of one, and there are a few feats for level 1 characters that grant minor supernatural abilities. I know this will mess up CR a bit. This is intended for a mid- to low-magic setting.

Some feats would be:
Innate Magic - Ability to use 3 cantrips, or 1 cantrip and a level 1 spell, 1/day each.
Innate Spirituality - Innate Magic for cleric spells.
Keen Eyes - Low-Light vision and +2 bonus to Spot.
Dark Eyes - Darkvision 60' and +2 bonus to Search.
Energy Affinity - Energy Resistance equal to Con modifier against one energy type.
Oneiros
04-19-05, 08:31 PM I would just have the question of the campaign setting's rationale that humans have these supernatural abilities. Just because it's only humans, does that mean they have to have abilities which replicate the powers of the other races? Why are they this way? Are certain abilities more common to one region than another?

You might want to look at Green Ronin's The Black Company Campaign Setting which is a human only setting, requiring characters to select a background with associated feats and skills.

Also, Monte Cook is coming out Iron Lore later this year, which is also a human-only setting. There's a preview on his site about Traits, which is a method of distinguishing human cultures from each other.

Both of these are also "low magic" in a way - powerful magic exists, but it's generally not in the hands of the PCs.
spoon242
04-21-05, 04:00 AM iirc, the conan rpg is all humans, but achieves diversity through culture. humans living in mountains are better at different things than say, the coastal nations. i think they also use a different kind of favored class system too. instead of free multitasking, i think you get a bonus feat if your first level is in a favored class.
Kursk
04-24-05, 06:58 PM A rose by any other name...

Actually a human only campaign is fun. Why would you want to turn the humans into other races? Doesn't this defeat the purpose?
weasel fierce
04-24-05, 10:36 PM Plenty of RPGs out there use only human characters. PLenty of fantasy novels do too.
Especially ones that D&D is based on. Go for it.
Lina_Inverse
04-25-05, 01:14 AM i have a better idea.
NO HUMANS.isnt that unique?
Voila!
05-21-05, 08:36 PM How about a gnome-only campaign? Or an elf-only campaign? Or a githzerai-only campaign? :D Or, if you wish to play an evil campaign, a beholder-only campaign? It really depends on your style of play and what you and your players are willing to try.
WCH
05-23-05, 03:43 AM Well, seeing as Beholders forming a party is about as likely as a flamboyantly gay dwarf, I'd rule that one out, but a Gith only campaign would be hella fun. :D
Verelor
05-24-05, 07:23 PM Hmmm fantasy game. No races besides humans. I see crap here.
weasel fierce
05-24-05, 10:24 PM Hmmm fantasy game. No races besides humans. I see crap here.

What you are seeing is the limits of your imagination.
TheErsatzFacsimileOfMe
05-25-05, 01:02 AM I typically play human characters. So, I don't see a problem with it.

I think far less highly of a player that "needs" a Half-dragon Rogue7/Fighter1/Paladin2/Thrall of Orcus10/Blackguard2 to make a cool character.

Give me the same ECL and a human, and I'll show you a dead PC. :smirk:
Sirix
05-26-05, 01:47 PM Hmmm fantasy game. No races besides humans. I see crap here.
Actually, I've played in a human only campaign. It was set in mythical Arthurian Europe and it was quite fun. :P
The_Spleen-Splitter
05-28-05, 01:19 AM My one complaint about races other than human is that they all seem to specialized. It is difficult to see Half-Orc rogues, like it's hard to see a Warforged make a good bard. Humans, because we actually know for sure what they are like, are just about the only race that truly fits into any class you put them in. So I think a human only campaign would be a lot of fun. I would recomend putting in another way for players to alter their characters because you just eliminated a way.
DrakaraGM
05-31-05, 08:48 PM Humans -- one way to modify them, a "social template":

Common -- standard ability scores

High-born -- +2 to one randomly determined mental ability score, -2 to one randomly determined physical score, roll to determine those modifiers before assigning die rolls or point-buy scores to specific abilities. So for example the baron's daughter might have +2 on INT and -2 on CON, then the player could assign scores to take those modifiers into account. Increase 1st level wealth by 50%.

Base-born -- +2 to one randomly determined physical ability score, -2 to one randomly determined mental ability score. Decrease 1st level wealth by 50%.

The concept (which you might or might not agree with) is that high-born families have bred for leadership qualities rather than physical qualities, hence the slight physical handicap and the slight mental advantage. The base-born character is from the lowest ranks of society, but unlike perhaps the vast majority of such unfortunates, his innate physical superiority has allowed him to thrive... Note that in the real world, noble and/or rich families tended to have overall better physical health as well, simply due to better diet etc., but at the highest ranks of society, some families did indeed become somewhat inbred... These templates assume that diet is less of a factor -- or else that base-born PCs are simply the very few from that status who manage to thrive physically despite all the obstacle.

You could play around with the idea, or come up with other "templates" that fit your particular world, perhaps including specific bonus feats for characters from specific cultures or subcultures. In any case, a humans-only campaign can work quite well indeed. I don't know if having multiple extra feats is necessary to make it workable, personally I think if you add too many feats at the start it detracts from the game somewhat. But a single extra feat which could include a feat for strange ancestry (and thus a special ability) of some kind only available at 1st level should be reasonable.
Farealmer
06-01-05, 10:42 PM Sounds like your trying to do a D&D mutant game. In that case you should download the SRD of mutations for D20 future and use them as feats too. Infact the system might be to your likeing.
Lothian Veluthra
06-03-05, 03:24 PM I don't believe I'd want to play in a campaign where human was the only racial option available. I play fantasy RPGs in order to break away from reality. So if everything in the game is the same as it would be in reality, I doubt I'd have much fun. But that's just me. Go with what you like.
Thomar_of_Uointer
06-03-05, 06:16 PM My one complaint about races other than human is that they all seem to specialized. It is difficult to see Half-Orc rogues, like it's hard to see a Warforged make a good bard. Humans, because we actually know for sure what they are like, are just about the only race that truly fits into any class you put them in. So I think a human only campaign would be a lot of fun. I would recomend putting in another way for players to alter their characters because you just eliminated a way.

That's the idea.

Sounds like your trying to do a D&D mutant game. In that case you should download the SRD of mutations for D20 future and use them as feats too. Infact the system might be to your likeing.

How many Mutation Points would you say a feat can buy?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Thomar_of_Uointer 04-19-05, 07:54 PM	This is just a concept I'd like to throw out for feedback. The whole idea is that players are Human, and only Human. To add some versatility, Humans get four bonus feats instead of one, and there are a few feats for level 1 characters that grant minor supernatural abilities. I know this will mess up CR a bit. This is intended for a mid- to low-magic setting. Some feats would be: Innate Magic - Ability to use 3 cantrips, or 1 cantrip and a level 1 spell, 1/day each. Innate Spirituality - Innate Magic for cleric spells. Keen Eyes - Low-Light vision and +2 bonus to Spot. Dark Eyes - Darkvision 60' and +2 bonus to Search. Energy Affinity - Energy Resistance equal to Con modifier against one energy type.
Oneiros 04-19-05, 08:31 PM	I would just have the question of the campaign setting's rationale that humans have these supernatural abilities. Just because it's only humans, does that mean they have to have abilities which replicate the powers of the other races? Why are they this way? Are certain abilities more common to one region than another? You might want to look at Green Ronin's The Black Company Campaign Setting which is a human only setting, requiring characters to select a background with associated feats and skills. Also, Monte Cook is coming out Iron Lore later this year, which is also a human-only setting. There's a preview on his site about Traits, which is a method of distinguishing human cultures from each other. Both of these are also "low magic" in a way - powerful magic exists, but it's generally not in the hands of the PCs.
spoon242 04-21-05, 04:00 AM	iirc, the conan rpg is all humans, but achieves diversity through culture. humans living in mountains are better at different things than say, the coastal nations. i think they also use a different kind of favored class system too. instead of free multitasking, i think you get a bonus feat if your first level is in a favored class.
Kursk 04-24-05, 06:58 PM	A rose by any other name... Actually a human only campaign is fun. Why would you want to turn the humans into other races? Doesn't this defeat the purpose?
weasel fierce 04-24-05, 10:36 PM	Plenty of RPGs out there use only human characters. PLenty of fantasy novels do too. Especially ones that D&D is based on. Go for it.
Lina_Inverse 04-25-05, 01:14 AM	i have a better idea. NO HUMANS.isnt that unique?
Voila! 05-21-05, 08:36 PM	How about a gnome-only campaign? Or an elf-only campaign? Or a githzerai-only campaign? :D Or, if you wish to play an evil campaign, a beholder-only campaign? It really depends on your style of play and what you and your players are willing to try.
WCH 05-23-05, 03:43 AM	Well, seeing as Beholders forming a party is about as likely as a flamboyantly gay dwarf, I'd rule that one out, but a Gith only campaign would be hella fun. :D
Verelor 05-24-05, 07:23 PM	Hmmm fantasy game. No races besides humans. I see crap here.
weasel fierce 05-24-05, 10:24 PM	Hmmm fantasy game. No races besides humans. I see crap here. What you are seeing is the limits of your imagination.
TheErsatzFacsimileOfMe 05-25-05, 01:02 AM	I typically play human characters. So, I don't see a problem with it. I think far less highly of a player that "needs" a Half-dragon Rogue7/Fighter1/Paladin2/Thrall of Orcus10/Blackguard2 to make a cool character. Give me the same ECL and a human, and I'll show you a dead PC. :smirk:
Sirix 05-26-05, 01:47 PM	Hmmm fantasy game. No races besides humans. I see crap here. Actually, I've played in a human only campaign. It was set in mythical Arthurian Europe and it was quite fun. :P
The_Spleen-Splitter 05-28-05, 01:19 AM	My one complaint about races other than human is that they all seem to specialized. It is difficult to see Half-Orc rogues, like it's hard to see a Warforged make a good bard. Humans, because we actually know for sure what they are like, are just about the only race that truly fits into any class you put them in. So I think a human only campaign would be a lot of fun. I would recomend putting in another way for players to alter their characters because you just eliminated a way.
DrakaraGM 05-31-05, 08:48 PM	Humans -- one way to modify them, a "social template": Common -- standard ability scores High-born -- +2 to one randomly determined mental ability score, -2 to one randomly determined physical score, roll to determine those modifiers before assigning die rolls or point-buy scores to specific abilities. So for example the baron's daughter might have +2 on INT and -2 on CON, then the player could assign scores to take those modifiers into account. Increase 1st level wealth by 50%. Base-born -- +2 to one randomly determined physical ability score, -2 to one randomly determined mental ability score. Decrease 1st level wealth by 50%. The concept (which you might or might not agree with) is that high-born families have bred for leadership qualities rather than physical qualities, hence the slight physical handicap and the slight mental advantage. The base-born character is from the lowest ranks of society, but unlike perhaps the vast majority of such unfortunates, his innate physical superiority has allowed him to thrive... Note that in the real world, noble and/or rich families tended to have overall better physical health as well, simply due to better diet etc., but at the highest ranks of society, some families did indeed become somewhat inbred... These templates assume that diet is less of a factor -- or else that base-born PCs are simply the very few from that status who manage to thrive physically despite all the obstacle. You could play around with the idea, or come up with other "templates" that fit your particular world, perhaps including specific bonus feats for characters from specific cultures or subcultures. In any case, a humans-only campaign can work quite well indeed. I don't know if having multiple extra feats is necessary to make it workable, personally I think if you add too many feats at the start it detracts from the game somewhat. But a single extra feat which could include a feat for strange ancestry (and thus a special ability) of some kind only available at 1st level should be reasonable.
Farealmer 06-01-05, 10:42 PM	Sounds like your trying to do a D&D mutant game. In that case you should download the SRD of mutations for D20 future and use them as feats too. Infact the system might be to your likeing.
Lothian Veluthra 06-03-05, 03:24 PM	I don't believe I'd want to play in a campaign where human was the only racial option available. I play fantasy RPGs in order to break away from reality. So if everything in the game is the same as it would be in reality, I doubt I'd have much fun. But that's just me. Go with what you like.
Thomar_of_Uointer 06-03-05, 06:16 PM	My one complaint about races other than human is that they all seem to specialized. It is difficult to see Half-Orc rogues, like it's hard to see a Warforged make a good bard. Humans, because we actually know for sure what they are like, are just about the only race that truly fits into any class you put them in. So I think a human only campaign would be a lot of fun. I would recomend putting in another way for players to alter their characters because you just eliminated a way. That's the idea. Sounds like your trying to do a D&D mutant game. In that case you should download the SRD of mutations for D20 future and use them as feats too. Infact the system might be to your likeing. How many Mutation Points would you say a feat can buy?