Bowling For Ideas: Hypersapiens - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Bowling For Ideas: Hypersapiens

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Shiftkitty
Feb 04, 2010 9:17:31 I'm kicking around an idea for a superior race of humans. I tentatively call them "Hypersapiens". The idea is that they are somehow better adapted to their environment than normal humans. They are generally larger, taller, stronger, smarter, etc. They are essentially a superior being created through controlled genetic experiments (Inspired by the Scarlet Brotherhood in "The Fate of Istus"). The trouble is that once they were created, they dominated and destroyed those thought to be their masters. They breed true and regard normal humans as "sub-human". After all, they are the true humans. Not these ground-scratching little apes that call themselves "human".

Arrogant in their physical and mental superiority, all other races are second-rate at best. They are physically phenomenally beautiful, and those with human blood would consider them thusly as their ideal. However, for a sub-being to have a crush on a hypersapien is viewed by the hypersapiens in the same manner as if your dog had a crush on you. Arrogance does not necessarily equal Evil, though. I mean for hem to have whatever alignment suits the scene. Just as not all pet-owners are cruel, some hypersapiens treat their lesser charges with kindness, although they in no way consider them equals.

They do buy, sell, and trade lesser beings. They see them as feral beings, living in crude structures. Even the glorious elven cities they see as pale imitations of their own grander architecture. If a hypersapien wants a pet dwarf, he or she will either buy one or go capture one "in the wild".

Politically, I want these guys to rule absolutely. I'm picturing them in their recently acquired kingdom, completely subjugating the populace and allowing for a few generations to get used to the idea that they (hypersapiens) are the new gods. (They're working on shortening the lifespans of elves.)Now they must educate the rest of the world on the new order of things before they spread this enlightenment to the stars and beyond.

I do not intend for this race to be a PC race. I want them just the other side of broken. I want any party that tries to take one of these guys on to really have to work for it.

IMG, the gods rely on worshippers for their power. Therefore, the more people subjugated, the more people who view the hypersapiens as the new gods and the weaker the old gods get (and the more powerful the hypersapiens get).

I'm fishing for any ideas, crunch or fluff, to throw into the mix. Anybody got anything, or is there something similar to this already that may just need some tweaking?
#2
Dasterin
Feb 04, 2010 10:03:38 Well, the first thing that comes to mind is base them off Humans and scale up. (You saying "the other side of broken" and "not a PC race" makes this really easy, not having to worry about balance so much) Perhaps give them +2 to any two (or three!) stats of their choice, instead of one. Throw them another bonus feat maybe, and perhaps something that lets them emulate a racial power of another race (But keep the extra at will from Human, since the idea here is that they're better)

As far as the Divine-ness goes, them becoming more powerful as they get more worshippers, you probably don't need to actually do anything mechanical for that. That's just how the enemies are leveling up to maintain pace with the players to stay challenging. (You actually get an explanation for that! Lucky you, my players whine about that all the time) If you really want to, throw a few semi-divine like powers on some bosses and call it good. Give them like a really powerful daily of some kind, or a pretty powerful recharge.
#3
xiahouxu
Feb 04, 2010 12:51:11
Yeah, maybe just take humans and stat scaling up. Another +2 bonus, another extra feat, I'd maybe say give them access to the half elf dilletante feature(W/ versatile mastery) as an addition to their extra human at will. If they aren't going to be PC race, make them tough...

As for Divine goodness, I'd like to point you to some stuff I've worked on in my own home brew setting, Vissbruck... There's a race of 'Small Gods' with a paragon path and sorts, as belief in the setting works similar to how it does in yours.

community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/758... The race (Veritasien) is intended for PC play, so probably won't be much use, but the Paragon path might give you some ideas.
Hope it helps!
#4
Shiftkitty
Feb 04, 2010 14:08:52 Mm, yes to both of you! +2 to any 3 stats depending on how I want to build them, extra feats, I like the Dilletante feature idea. The Small Gods have given me a few ideas to chew on. (I like the Skuits, too!)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Shiftkitty Feb 04, 2010 9:17:31	I'm kicking around an idea for a superior race of humans. I tentatively call them "Hypersapiens". The idea is that they are somehow better adapted to their environment than normal humans. They are generally larger, taller, stronger, smarter, etc. They are essentially a superior being created through controlled genetic experiments (Inspired by the Scarlet Brotherhood in "The Fate of Istus"). The trouble is that once they were created, they dominated and destroyed those thought to be their masters. They breed true and regard normal humans as "sub-human". After all, they are the true humans. Not these ground-scratching little apes that call themselves "human". Arrogant in their physical and mental superiority, all other races are second-rate at best. They are physically phenomenally beautiful, and those with human blood would consider them thusly as their ideal. However, for a sub-being to have a crush on a hypersapien is viewed by the hypersapiens in the same manner as if your dog had a crush on you. Arrogance does not necessarily equal Evil, though. I mean for hem to have whatever alignment suits the scene. Just as not all pet-owners are cruel, some hypersapiens treat their lesser charges with kindness, although they in no way consider them equals. They do buy, sell, and trade lesser beings. They see them as feral beings, living in crude structures. Even the glorious elven cities they see as pale imitations of their own grander architecture. If a hypersapien wants a pet dwarf, he or she will either buy one or go capture one "in the wild". Politically, I want these guys to rule absolutely. I'm picturing them in their recently acquired kingdom, completely subjugating the populace and allowing for a few generations to get used to the idea that they (hypersapiens) are the new gods. (They're working on shortening the lifespans of elves.)Now they must educate the rest of the world on the new order of things before they spread this enlightenment to the stars and beyond. I do not intend for this race to be a PC race. I want them just the other side of broken. I want any party that tries to take one of these guys on to really have to work for it. IMG, the gods rely on worshippers for their power. Therefore, the more people subjugated, the more people who view the hypersapiens as the new gods and the weaker the old gods get (and the more powerful the hypersapiens get). I'm fishing for any ideas, crunch or fluff, to throw into the mix. Anybody got anything, or is there something similar to this already that may just need some tweaking?
#2 Dasterin Feb 04, 2010 10:03:38	Well, the first thing that comes to mind is base them off Humans and scale up. (You saying "the other side of broken" and "not a PC race" makes this really easy, not having to worry about balance so much) Perhaps give them +2 to any two (or three!) stats of their choice, instead of one. Throw them another bonus feat maybe, and perhaps something that lets them emulate a racial power of another race (But keep the extra at will from Human, since the idea here is that they're better) As far as the Divine-ness goes, them becoming more powerful as they get more worshippers, you probably don't need to actually do anything mechanical for that. That's just how the enemies are leveling up to maintain pace with the players to stay challenging. (You actually get an explanation for that! Lucky you, my players whine about that all the time) If you really want to, throw a few semi-divine like powers on some bosses and call it good. Give them like a really powerful daily of some kind, or a pretty powerful recharge.
#3 xiahouxu Feb 04, 2010 12:51:11	Yeah, maybe just take humans and stat scaling up. Another +2 bonus, another extra feat, I'd maybe say give them access to the half elf dilletante feature(W/ versatile mastery) as an addition to their extra human at will. If they aren't going to be PC race, make them tough... As for Divine goodness, I'd like to point you to some stuff I've worked on in my own home brew setting, Vissbruck... There's a race of 'Small Gods' with a paragon path and sorts, as belief in the setting works similar to how it does in yours. community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/758... The race (Veritasien) is intended for PC play, so probably won't be much use, but the Paragon path might give you some ideas. Hope it helps!
#4 Shiftkitty Feb 04, 2010 14:08:52	Mm, yes to both of you! +2 to any 3 stats depending on how I want to build them, extra feats, I like the Dilletante feature idea. The Small Gods have given me a few ideas to chew on. (I like the Skuits, too!)