So, doing character creation and rereading World of Cultivation has me in the mood to run a game of 5e. Had two possibly-related ideas, wanted to see if anyone would be interested: The first idea is more setting-focused, a planar multiverse where there's a bunch of smaller planes rather than a few big ones, and the races are divided a bit differently based on where they evolved/expanded to initially. So you've got a few (three? five? eight?) big clusters of planes controlled by one group of races, with individual factions within providing additional conflict/division. Lots of little squabbles and groups, plenty of intrigue but also combat? Mostly it seems neat to divide up PC races and "monsters" in a way that'd be different from the usual Good/Evil and Law/Chaos aspects, though those might tie into it somehow anyway. Probably a lot of magic items, too. The second is more PC-focused, thinking of limiting options as to the "non-dominant" races and have the players start as captives or slaves held by a member of one of the "good" factions, being sent to explore an old ruin to basically serve as canaries for the "real heroes" behind. Players could either attempt escape or explore the ruin to find resources to help with escape/revenge later, maybe? Partly inspired by how in Tyranny we're almost all maligned races, thought something built with that in mind might be neat. The combined idea would take the two and put them together. PCs would be captives of one faction, either all from another faction or multiple, and being used to check for traps and things, able to escape or to search for things to increase your own power/take back to your clan or faction or sect or whatnot. For the combined idea especially, might use the Honor and Sanity variant mechanics, adding two more ability scores to represent both the face/renown/honor the PC has, and their bravery/composure in the face of interplanar horror. Would definitely want to use the renown mechanic, maybe a better fit than the Honor stuff, I dunno. Both might be even better? Does this seem like something folks might like? I'd be happy to go into more detail on things, and accept input on the set-up of the different factions and sub-factions.
So, thinking it over, here's a bigger setting pitch: No matter what, there are some major divisions between sentient creatures, based on how they were created and how they develop and utilize their powers. More similar creatures ally together, more closely aligned groups do likewise, and so on, creating huge pseudo-nations that stretch across the planes composed of (mostly) similar groups. But they're not fully harmonious internally, the factions inherent to each group cause plenty of issues as the "nation" level organizations are basically superpowers demanding vassalage from other pseudo-states, and so on down the line. Lots of individual sects/clans/etc. with their own styles and goals within the larger context of things. There are also lots of creatures, animals, and beings that don't fit perfectly into these groups, for whatever reason. Some are strong enough and solitary enough to survive outside of a larger racial faction. Others have heritage from multiple factions and are caught between them. I'm not totally sure how many divisions to go for, though I'm thinking of having there be some "main" divisions (with different strengths, goals, races, and factions within), and then some other sorts that might cross over between the larger divisions, some? Dunno. Also, want to use all the released races, even the UA ones, barring Revenants and the Zendikar stuff. The Physical: Beings that have an inherent physical advantage, and can use their own bodies as the root of their development and power. Lizardfolk, Tabaxi, Aarakocra, Shifters, Minotaurs, Kenku, and Goliaths are all pretty good examples of the sorts of beings one typically finds in the Primal camp. The Primal: Beings that have a great deal of inherited power through their bloodlines or their ability to manipulate the world around them innately. Genasi, Tritons, Firbolg, Dragonborn, Kobolds, Forest Gnomes, Duergar, Drow, and Yuan-Ti all fit the Primal bill. The Cultural: In the "to grow/develop" meaning of the word, beings that develop their power over generations and trend toward shorter lives. Most Dwarves, Rock Gnomes, Goblins, Hobgoblins, Bugbears, Halflings, most free Humans, and Warforged make up the dominant groups of the Cultural faction. The Sidereal: Drawing power from outside the normal planes, these beings are often backed by fae, demons, angels, devils, and even some things stuck between worlds altogether. Changelings, most Elves, Eladrin, half-Elves, Orcs, half-Orcs, Aasimar, and Tieflings fit the mold, with many bigger things that don't qualify as PC races. I'd be up for changing/rearranging the system, where races are, what divisions are used, how many divisions there are, and so on, if anyone has other ideas. Remember that there'd still be internal tensions too, though (just because Celestials and Fiends are broadly allied doesn't mean they necessarily get along, for instance), and that some races might fit under multiple banners (like the Dragonborn, really wasn't sure where to fit them, but I think Primal works) or have been forced into their current position (Bugbears on their own are more Physical than Cultural, but they're part of Goblinoid warbands which seem pretty Cultural to me). Also, as that example might show, alignment won't be a thing for this game. We'll work around that if we need to, but very little actually calls for hard-and-fast alignment-based stuff that I can recall/see. For story, maybe either the "y'all are captured and being used as trap fodder" or "y'all are low-level in the sect and being used as trap fodder" or "both, because they craves them that trap fodder" or something? That, OR y'all are just members of a small sect/family/clan somewhere, trying to make a name for yourselves? EDIT: Also, there are lots of non-PC races affiliated with the different groups, even making up the cores of some of the stronger internal factions, they're just not listed because they're not playable. Also also, the Minotaurs are the sailing ones from Krynn as those are the officially published ones (even if only in UA).
Local MTG player crei evrytiem :'< why u hate eldrazi? For real tho that sounds like a real fun setting to play in! Even without Adventure Hellworld :P As for starting story I kinda prefer the trap-fodder premise, but that should probably depend on what your players want to do.
I mean, you could totally be one of my players if you wanted... *cough* Honestly, I like the look of the Zendikar races, they just seemed like they'd struggle a bit more in other settings, like they're balanced around being in Zendikar. Looking at them again... I dunno why I thought that. If people want to play them, it'd be easy enough to fit the Kor, the other Elves and Goblins, Merfolk, and maybe even the Vampires as options. Might even help more with making the weird planar shit seem weirder. If I did that, might be tempted to split Primal and reshuffle some other races to have "races that rely on internally generated magic" and "races that have inherent control/benefit from the world around them" as two vague dividing lines, bring it up to five groups. Not just for MTG reasons, I already liked the idea of an odd number of big groups (or having, like, eight of them?) so I might do that anyway. Though Sidereal is probably the one that ought to be split for power reasons, if any... even if they make thematic sense... maybe they're just the most prone to infighting when not actively fighting an enemy force? I'm not sure where Kor would fit into this schema, I could see an argument for any slot but Sidereal. Merfolk seem Primal, born to the water and largely given power through that. Vampires are esoteric enough to be Sidereal, probably. Zendikar goblins are still probably Cultural, though I could see an argument for them being Physical. Elves retain Fey ancestry, and therefore probably a spot on the Sidereal list. Or maybe all Elves should be Primal? Turns out creating taxonomies after-the-fact is hard. Who knew? P.S. Also, who said I hate eldrazi? It's the player-races I was listing, not the big associated races or other beasties. And I probably won't list how all the other monster societies fit, because oh my, that would take even longer. But it's tempting... P.P.S. Originally I had a bunch more divisions, like the Fomorial (races that preferred not to live on the surface of the land), the Agonal (races that benefitted from killing or death and drew power from it, Zendikar Vampires would fit, as would some of the Demons, Devils, and Celestials who compete for souls, maybe even Orcs with the whole "god screaming in their heads for violence" thing), and the Ancestral (basically those who're descended from beings of power that they're not necessarily super-affiliated with, like the various dragon offshoots, maybe even the Yuan-Ti and their attempts to engineer themselves into a superior race). Though I suppose that might leave 7 or 8, which I like, I dunno if it's worth the extra divisions. Bluh. P.P.P.S. Now I'm wondering if I should just take this to a world-building/character creation thread? Not sure when the right time for that is, if people'd be interested or if I should remain here for broader visibility for now? This is my third big setting post almost in a row, and it wasn't meant to get nearly so long.
I will probably not play, because Pathfinder's beautiful online references spoiled me and 5e's lack of anything useful in that regard is the bane of my existence, but thanks for the invite :P I will just sit on the sidelines and poke worldbuilding. Depending on how long you want your campaign(s) to run (and how into micromanaging fantasy politics you are), you could start with a few big groups and have them splinter apart? Or the reverse, start with those seven or eight (or more), have Plot Things happening in the background and the smaller groups condense into alliances. If you go with the Trap-Fodder premise, the former could even be used as an excuse to have varying similar races be "imprisoned" by the locals without requiring your players to write crime into their backstories-- when the old alliance broke, something something Skyrim is for the Nords we're at (civil?) war with these fuckers now how do we know these random townspeople aren't spies?
Fair enough! I appreciate the worldbuilding pokes. Ooooh. I think I'll keep it at four then, at least for the start of things, but have internal tensions been growing. After all, with interconnected mini-planes being the norm there's got to be some division, but also some way for a rough "peace". Maybe it's been relatively calm for a while, which means that the internal issues have grown more clear for all factions. The Sidereals' big powers have some planar control, so they can seal themselves off or rearrange connections to funnel most outsiders through narrow defensive points, but in doing so it becomes more apparent that they have competing needs. While the Fey, Fiends/Celestials, and Outsiders all filter power through various planes and draw power from those planes, they do it pretty differently. The Fey use life as a means to direct their energy and have direct power, but Fiends/Celestials get stronger as things die, and Outsiders use both to try and break through more directly. bunch of competing needs, there. Primals are individually powerful (mostly), but not super numerous (mostly), so they'd have a vested interest in drawing in more power from the Physical or Cultural, specifically more power that they can then dominate and control. Having a buffer between your elites and danger is a good way to let those elites last longer. But as they succeed at that they might feel less compunction about turning away from their traditional allies. The Physical are largely together out of convenience, I think, and probably ally pretty frequently with the Primal as there's some connection there (just not enough to make them properly one faction). With "extended" peace to rebuild and grow, I could see some deciding to turn away from that alliance while others seek to deepen it. They're pretty good at surviving in more dangerous planes, though, and a connection to the Primal (however loose) means they've probably picked up some tricks, societally speaking, to make that even more the case. The Cultural are plentiful and diverse, and that's probably both how they're a major power and why they'd have internal issues. You've got Dwarven smiths and soldiers with their longer lives looking down on the (perceived) brutality and high turnover of human and goblinoid forces, there's going to be some resentment brewing there even if there's still more room for connection. Hell, given the overall harshness/might-makes-right trend of the setting, I could imagine Cultural enslavement of other Cultural groups is probably not unheard of, so there's probably that, too. So a point when those tensions are heightened and that sort of civil war might break out (only held in check by the fact that it's not clear if other factions would fall upon the squabblers and eliminate them) seems like the place to start. Means the smaller internal factions are probably preparing, expanding, and trying to better their overall position, with potential for future plot drama depending on how things shake out.
@Helen of Boy EXCITED SCREAMING ABOUT ALL OF THAT there's a lot to quote and I think I'll get bogged down if I start replying to individual statements, but here're some of my thoughts: I'd love to be one of your players! (if you're willing to deal with backseat-DMing worldbuilding input, that is.) I have a really neat (if I do say so myself) idea for a drow PC, moooostly in the form of a fuckin' novel of a backstory, although the Emotional Weight of it mostly lies in his growing up in a typical (i.e., core-rulebook-y) drow society. in this setting I'd imagine he'd... flee somewhere that doesn't have an extradition treaty, so to speak? conventionally that was just the Upper World, but that might not work here. or if you'd rather, I have some other Traditionally Maligned Characters on the back burner! (both warlocks, kenku and tiefling, and the former'd be okay in a lot of settings, but a lot of the latter's personality is based around her growing up alternately isolated and pretending to be human, so.) fake edit: I DIDN'T KNOW CHANGELINGS WERE A D&D PC OPTION SHE'D MAKE A BITCHIN' CHANGELING I THINK anyway, I'd like to hear if any of those concepts intrigue you, and in any case I delight in conceptualizing and rolling up characters, so I can definitely keep brainstorming. :P one thing I might be apprehensive about as a player is the whole planes deal. I've read the sections of the DMG dealing with planes, but planar travel still seems... esoteric? like, as far as the standard rules are concerned, it's Strictly For High-Level Characters, so I dunno how you'd be dealing with it here... oh, and speaking of drow, personally I think I'd class them as Sidereal? idk if you think they and elves would be able to rub shoulders in the same faction, but a lot of their powers come from Lolth, who's a powerful demon, not technically a god. they don't have an innate connection, but they've definitely forged one, and I doubt she'd withdraw her patronage unless they'd been destroyed. some drow (mostly men, I think) do draw on arcane power, but they're definitely subordinate to Lolth's priestesses. as for your factions as a whole, I'd like to present another possible sorting criterion for your consideration: creatures who were Made for a particular purpose, either at or after their original creation. illithid and their various creations (duergar are the only ones with a PC option, I think, but they've created a lot of Underdark monsters, not to mention the githyanki and the githerazi) come to mind, as do kenku, aarakora, dragonborn, warforged (? I haven't read any 5e material for them), and even the goblinoids, maybe? going by Volo's Guide to Monsters, it seems like hobgoblins have done their level best to shape goblins and bugbears as they pleased. and for non-PCs, anything that's a "construct" would do nicely. I also have sort of a vague idea of grouping creatures by power? like, do they have innate fey/fiendish/celestial power? do they use arcane magic? do they get magic by treating with powerful beings (gods, near-gods, eldritch monstrosities, etc.) because they don't have it innately? do they draw power from the natural world? do they not use magic at all? honestly, those split more along class lines than racial ones, but I think having planes/groups of plains where divine or arcane magic flat-out doesn't work (or goes on the fritz) would be cool... can provide race classifications by request, if you'd like. and as far as alignment goes, the types of divinities people petition for power are very clearly divided by alignment. Celestials are Inherently Good and won't give power to people who aren't too (thinking of fallen paladins and aasimar here), and fiends are Inherently Evil and give power only to evil people or ones they hope to corrupt. gods give power to clerics along alignment lines too, but gods are a bit messier as far as alignment goes. anyway, it might be neat if there were places where celestial magic worked, but not fiendish? it's not so much a moral judgment as an innate characteristic kinda thing.
also @Loq here's a newly-released online reference thingie for 5e, if you're curious! I haven't looked at it myself, I'm content to use, ahem, discreetly acquired PDFs, but it might be like the Pathfinder resources you were talking about. :)
It looks like it requires a twitch account to use, at least from mobile, so... no, but thanks for trying :P (Not that d20PFSRD has anything approaching a user-friendly mobile port, but at least it's viewable.)
you're welcome! sorry it wasn't helpful. :/ (incidentally, DAMN YOU for linking that site upthread, I started off reading the poisoned egg info, and ended up reading, like. most of the site. for probably ten or twelve hours straight. I don't even play Pathfinder)
Historical Note: "House Rules" used to be a common thing in D&D. Each DM would have a set. These were the rules that either were changes to the book rules, or innovations by a given DM. I thought I'd share some of the "House Rules" that I developed over time. The "House Rules" I use are adjustments to the version of the game I still play. I play and DM second edition or maybe it would be 2.5 edition. I saw the writing on the wall when I was debating on moving over to third edition, and 3.5 was published. I decided that I wasn't going to invest over $150++ in products every single time "Wizards of the Coast" chose to go back to the "Money Well", and publish a new version, especially when the rules I had worked very well for me. And yes, I'm a tad salty about it sometimes. CharaterGeneration: I subscribe to the theory that adventures are special, and tend to have superior abilities when compared to average people. I use the "4D6 drop the lowest" technique, with a few twists. First, you roll the dice, one set for each stat, then add an extra set. I have you do this three times. So you end up with 3 columns of numbers. The player has a choice of wich column to use. The player then can distribute these numbers. one to each stat, as they see fit. Note, the player has an extra number. Here's the real twist: The player must keep the lowest number rolled, yes, even if it is a 3. He can then use the extra number on any stat he wants, bearing in mind the lowest number will be used, no matter what. In practice, this usually mean the player swaps out the second-lowest. I do this because flaws can be fun, and if its a really low number it can be a role-playing challenge. Extra Stat: I still use the "Comeliness" stat. Comeliness is your physical beauty, as perceived by other members of your species, and culture. This stat can be a two-edged sword. The most attractive half-orc isn't going to win any beauty contests in elven lands, and someone with a culture that believes extensive body mods are beautiful will have trouble where that's not common. Being ugly can be good or bad, depending on how you play the character. Bing too beautiful can also be a problem, imagine hoards of love-struck youth following your character around, making moon-eyes, and writing bad love poetry. A high value in this stat is usually good for Bards, Cleric, Paladins, and anyone who wants to get positive first reactions. Elves: Elves in my world are a tall willowy race. They are also functionally immortal, no upper limit to lifespan. They can, of course, be killed. There are a few thing to balance this out. The have a low birth rate. They take a long time to reach maturity. They and all Faerie races for that matter, have an allergy to iron in its pure form, and normal steel is problematic. They also take a slowly increasing penalty to earned experience as they gain levels. Drow: There never was a war between elven races in my world. There are subterranean elves, they have dark skin, they tend to follow matriarchal lines. They don't worship an evil spider Goddess, they get no special magical powers. Instead, the word Drow refers to an elf that has been cast out of elven society. This is a grave punishment, just short of execution. Drow bear an indelible mark on their forehead, this is a magical mark that floats slightly above the skin, and can't be covered by make-up. This not only marks then as Drow at also conveys the general nature of their crime. It can be removed by the comity of elves that placed it, but this is almost never done. Despite this, I've has a number of players take on this role-playing challenge. Class: All classes are available to all races. All races can multiclass. You can have almost any combination of classes, if you can justify it to the DM during character creation. There has to be a very good reason for some of the odder class combinations. Shamen: With only three Gods I've had to open up the priest class a bit. A player can opt to be a shaman. Shamen are basically priests that identify deeply with a given nature spirit. They lose the ability to turn undead, and gain the ability so summon representations of the spirit they follow. I've had raccoon, fox, wolf, and cougar shamans for instants. The players are encouraged to play some traits of a given spirit, a raccoon shaman, for example, would tend to be very curious, sometimes to their detriment. The magical "Oops": Arcane magic can be a chancy business. I make all arcane casters roll a D20 when casting a spell. Anything between 1 and 20 is ignored, and the spell goes off as planned. On a 1 or 20 though, well, things can happen. If a 1 or 20 come up I make the player re-roll the D20. On a 19 or 20, the spell succeeds very well, and the player gets the choice to double the effect or duration, one or the other, of the spell cast. Spells with a duration of instant, or permanent, can't have their duration changed. On a 1 or 2, the player has a magical "oops." My usual practice when this happens is I use short cut. The effect should be very random, and the strength and duration of this effect should be in proportion the power of the spell cast. What I usually do is dig whatever reference book happens to have a random magic item generation table. Then roll for a magic item, then adapt whatever ability of said item works in the given situation. Sometimes nothing works in my head and I re-roll, but never more than once. This requires me to think fast, and be creative at the same time, but I've had a lot of good luck with this method. Rules interpretation: The DM is always the final arbiter of the rules. If you disagree with the decision of the DM only bring it up during a break, or after the game. Interrupting a running game is not only rude to the DM, it's also rude to the other players.If you make a good case I am always happy to retcon the said decision if you convince me I'm wrong. There may be plot reasons I've made a given decision, or there may be information you are not aware of. A good example here: A doppelganger has successfully infiltrated the party and is quietly working against them. There is a lot going on here that the characters would have no idea about. I usually print out copies of the "House Rule" for my games, then make sure every player gets a copy. If there is a rule that they don't like, or object to, we will discuss it before the game starts. Yet another long-winded, rambling post. :)
On the other hand, my current DM outright encourages us to find the crazy corner cases and argue with him over rules shenanigans, so ymmv :P
I totally forgot one of my most important rules! If a player or players, while role-playing makes me laugh-out-loud. The get an instant 100 experience point bonus for their character(s). I also give bonuses for good role-playing. These are variable and situation based. I tend to give larger bonuses to players who perform actions in-character that the player knows is probably a mistake but, "It what my character would do."
My group (which is to say the people im playing with, i'm not the DM) is about to get into one of the last fights of the module. This hobgoblin is down a flight of stairs from us, he's barricaded himself in his room after we killed his guards. While hanging out rather than playing while i levelled up Threeshoes the smolest rogue (finally they know how to disable device), and the bard's player suggested we just wait outside his room until he gets tired She came up with the idea to just have one person at a time make a bunch of noise so he can't sleep, with the rest of the party sleeping in shifts elsewhere in the goblin cave system we're in. She has lullaby, so she could just make him fall asleep after 7 hours of guitar solos or something The dm said it could work since being exhausted gives you a huge penalty to stuff, but we'll have to see whether he actually lets us do it (possibly tomorrow!) Edit: once we have the duder asleep or exhausted we may murderize him or not? I could see us being squeamish about stabbing a guy who's napping
me: why don't I do something productive today me: [turns Homestuck carapaces into 5e PCs] me: [writes 3000 words of flavor text] me: nailed it anyway, I, uh. did the thing? if anyone is interested? also I'd like people's input on how balanced they are... I tried to balance them, and I sure looked at other races' stats a whole damn lot, buuuut 1) they haven't been playtested and 2) anyway I have never playtested fucking anything and haven't the foggiest how it might go, so. advice from other people appreciated? also, do please enjoy my meticulous and pointless attempt to make it all look and sound exactly like the PHB. :P
aaaand it's too long for one post! fuck! Spoiler: IT WON'T LET ME ATTACH A WORD DOCUMENT SO THIS IS REALLY LONG CARAPACE The diminutive figure settled cross-legged on the cushion. He could have assumed her a child had she not looked squarely at him. Her white face gleamed like finest porcelain from the shadow of her hood, and her large black eyes were unblinking. No human child this, but a full-grown carapace. D.A. raised her upper set of arms, sleeves falling back to reveal delicate doll’s hands, and made a graceful gesture. —Hello, she signed. —Hello, Eleth signed back, feeling thick-fingered and clumsy in comparison. —I hope you are well? Her face was smooth and impassive, but she gestured her gentle concern. —You seem… drained. —It is only that I missed you, he said, and gave her a rueful smile. She smiled back with her hands. Gentle and orderly people, carapaces live lives dominated by their close-knit communities and their places therein. As their bodies develop into one of three distinct castes, carapaces’ minds are expected to develop too, optimizing them for their future societal roles. In hard times, it took unwavering cooperation for this threatened race to survive, but more recently, carapaces have had leeway to explore independence and adventure. Cuddly Crawlies Carapaces are small, insectile humanoids reminiscent of termites. Sages have long debated whether carapaces are former termites mutated by a powerful wizard’s magic, or if the resemblance is superficial and carapaces are natural, not monstrous. Carapaces themselves favor the latter explanation. Regardless of their origins, carapaces are built along an insect’s lines. Their abdomens act as torsos from which sprout six slender limbs. They walk on two of these, while the other four serve as arms, complete with jointed, four-fingered hands. Although these limbs appear frail, carapaces are more resilient than the average human, and they are much stronger than their size would indicate. At 5 feet tall, it’s no surprise that carapacian royals are as strong as typical humanoids, but workers and soldiers are downright astonishing: although they don’t top 3 feet, they’re just as strong, if not stronger. Contributing to their strength and resilience are their eponymous carapaces, built of segmented chitin like an insect’s, although theirs have proportionally smaller segments to facilitate freedom of movement. Without exception, these carapaces are either solid black or solid white. Carapaces’ heads are ellipsoid and vary from short and wide to long and slim depending on their heritage. They are hairless and have neither noses nor ears, since their short antennae perform both of those functions. Their eyes likewise come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but they are invariably faceted. If the carapace is black, their eyes are white, and vice versa. On some carapaces, the eyes are almost or entirely vestigial, rendering them blind or extremely near-sighted. Their mouths are usually not obvious; only when a carapace opens theirs does it become clear that they have mandibles at the bottom of their head. Soldiers’ mandibles, a line of natural defense, are much larger, and in fact the largest pair cannot close completely, distinguishing them from the similarly sized workers. Cultural Fluency All immature carapaces and many workers have mandibles that are too soft to produce loud noises when clacked together, rendering them effectively mute, as carapaces cannot otherwise vocalize. The majority of carapaces, therefore, communicate in the complicated gestures of Carapacian Sign. Courtesy demands that if a conversation involves even one person who cannot speak, it should take place entirely in Sign, so carapaces who themselves can speak do not do so often amongst their own people. When they do, it is in rhythmic clicking that no being with vocal cords can replicate, and likewise, carapaces cannot speak languages other than their own. In order to mutually converse with uncarapaces, they must teach those around them Sign. Of course, they don’t have enough time to tutor all those whom they meet, so otherwise they write in response to others’ speech. They carry with them smooth waxen tablets, excellent for this purpose, and as their own written language is also traditionally scribed into tablets of wax, clay, or stone, they are very proficient in their use. Among their own people, carapaces wear little clothing, since it does not keep them warm and their smooth exoskeletons are much better at repelling rain than any cloak. What they do wear is brightly colored and woven with patterns both decorative and indicative of status. They tie long strips of cloth around themselves, creating belts, sashes, scarves, and armbands. They also particularly delight in hats, though they secure them to their heads only with great difficulty. Around other humanoids, carapaces clothe themselves not out of modesty as such but in deference to the sensibilities of those around them. They favor light, loose robes or wrappings, in practical grays, browns, and blacks. Clothing does nothing to warm them, so they do not vary their garb with their surroundings. They prefer moist climates, and in extremely dry ones they have difficulty breathing and must wet themselves regularly. They thrive in heat even if it is extreme, but they are not well-adapted to cold climates. Exposure to temperatures below freezing for even a day will kill them regardless of their clothing, so they must remain indoors. A Place for Everything Carapaces are always born into and often die in their communities, which can fill a block or a neighborhood but usually comprise an entire thriving city. Each community is also a family; a carapace is sister or brother, mother or father, daughter or son to every one of their fellow citizens. One queen and mother, who over her long lifetime will lay thousands of eggs to become her subjects and children, rules each city. Most of those children will grow into commoners, the sterile workers and soldiers. Only a few will be fertile royalty: the princesses who might one day rule in their mother’s stead and the princes who might be king to another city’s queen. These few, along with the queen’s numerous king-consorts, help the queen to ensure her subject-children will grow and prosper. Sometimes two or three queens, daughters, mothers, or sisters, will work together for their family, and sometimes unrelated queens will ally and raise their children together, but family and community are always foremost. Carapace society expects every individual to work in their assigned role for the good of all, putting family before the self. They are gentle people, and their expectations are not met through slavery and forced labor; instead, most carapaces’ very natures are cooperative. Selfishness is met with disappointment, but rejection of assigned roles receives only puzzlement: why would anybody dislike the job they were born for, the best job for them? Few are dissatisfied in their system, and few remain so. Working together like this, carapaces can produce wonders. They occupy extinct volcanoes for preference, but if none are available, they’ll hollow out mountains and pile up hills in which to build their cities. They create slender spires constructed of a light, translucent substance whose creation is their most closely guarded secret. Murals of bright colors and beautiful shapes decorate every street corner, and they are master weavers, painters, and sculptors, producing works that uncarapacian art collectors lust after. Carapacian Names A carapace has a long formal name that uses specialized notation to encode personal details such as lineage, place and time of birth, caste, place of residence, and occupation. It changes as the carapace’s details change. This is more of a designation than an actual name and is almost exclusively confined to records. A carapace also has a personal name that can be very long when signed out letter by letter. Carapaces therefore select a short abbreviation, two to four letters long, that can be signed out swiftly. Noncarapacians incapable of pronouncing the actual Carapacian name can also easily speak this nickname once it is converted to the appropriate alphabet. Any combination of letters can form a carapace’s nickname, and personal names are not gendered. Carapacian Traits Your carapace character has a number of abilities granted by their unconventional heritage. Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1. Age. Carapaces hatch as larvae, equivalent to human infants, which are cared for communally. The environment in which young carapacian larvae are raised, including temperature, diet, and ambient pheromones, determines which caste they will be later in life. When they are about 6 months old, the larvae molt and become nymphs, equivalent to children, after which they are adopted and raised by their parents. They molt five to thirteen times before reaching their adult stage and maturity at about 10 years of age. Lifespan varies by caste and sex; workers and soldiers die of old age at about 50, as do male royals. Female royals, on the other hand, can live up to 650 years. Alignment. Carapaces tend to be lawful good, but lawful neutral is also common, and lawful evil is not unheard of. A few carapaces are also various types of neutral, but the only chaotic carapaces are those who deliberately rebel against their native culture, values, and way of life. Size. Workers and soldiers are diminutive, less than 3 feet in height. They are also light, weighing only 30 pounds. Your size is Small. Royalty are much taller, usually about 5 feet. They are still relatively light, however, weighing 60 to 70 pounds. Your size is Medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Natural Armor. Your chitinous exoskeleton can turn blades and stop blows. When you’re not wearing armor, your Armor Class is 13 + your Dexterity. Shields can still augment this AC. Handy. You have four arms and combat skills to match. Starting at 1st level, when you fight with two weapons, they can be any weight, not just light. However, if you are Small, you will have disadvantage on attack rolls made with heavy weapons, as is normal for characters of your size. Starting at 2nd level, you can use three of your hands in combat. If you are wielding two light weapons, you may hold a shield in one of your other hands. You may also do so if one of your weapons is one-handed and a normal weight, provided that your other weapon is light. Alternatively, you can employ one two-handed weapon and one light weapon. Starting at 8th level, provided that two of your hands are free during combat, you may perform the somatic components of a spell or cantrip, as in the War Caster feat. Languages. You can perform and comprehend Carapacian Sign, and you know Carapacian, a conventional verbal and written language. You’re also familiar with Common, but although you comprehend, read, and write it, you are unable to pronounce it. The same is true of any other conventional language you may learn. Subraces. Carapaces have three distinct subraces, usually called “castes.” Choose one of these castes for your character.
Spoiler: Length Part II: The Lengthening Carapacian Worker Of all carapaces, this caste is by far the most common; 90% of all carapaces are workers. They fill every non-combatant non-noble role, from urchins to prosperous merchants. Workers put the needs of the community far above their own, and they’re willing to make incredible sacrifices for it. Day-to-day, they express this commitment through diligence, devotion, and grueling work. When they set a goal or make a promise, workers mean it. They will follow through unto death, not for the sake of their honor or reputation, but because it’s the right thing to do. Workers eagerly seek to expand their communities. New members don’t have to be carapaces, either. Anybody a worker comes across is a potential candidate, and if they become friends, the deal is sealed. Workers evaluate potential friends carefully, but once they make a friend, they’re incredibly loyal, hanging on through conflicts, betrayals, and even threats of violence. Unfortunately, some people prey on workers’ naïveté, taking advantage of their willingness to forgive. As large a portion of the carapacian population as they are, however, workers rarely become adventurers. At heart, they tend to be timid homebodies, and if they’re away from their community pursuing goals of their own, they feel constant guilt. The only time they’d consider adventuring would be when they’re without a community and looking to build another with their companions. Nothing short of explicit exile from or complete annihilation of their former community leaves them unattached, so needless to say, they become adventurers very rarely. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1. Superior Blindsight. Thanks to your sensitive antennae, you have blindsight out to 120 feet, enabling you to perceive your surroundings without relying on vision. This is fortunate considering that you are otherwise blind. Heightened Senses. Your senses other than vision are excellent, especially your sense of smell. You are proficient in the Perception skill, and you add twice your proficiency bonus to checks that rely on smell. Exotic Palate. Although you’re polite enough to eat other races’ food, you crave a unique delicacy: wood. As long as you have access to unprocessed wood, your tough stomach ensures that you don’t need to eat other food. Carapacian Soldier Soldiers are sworn to protect their communities, and they commit themselves to that goal from early childhood. Typically, carapacian soldiers act as a city watch in their communities, but elite soldiers can perhaps look forward to a position in the Royal Guard. In times of conflict, however, soldiers assume grimmer roles. Carapacian communities are famous, or perhaps infamous, for the quality and size of their militias. While usually devoted to their immediate communities’ defense, carapacian armies sometimes march to others’ aid; for instance, if the dukedom in which a carapacian city resides is in danger, the queen may decide to contribute to the greater effort. Carapacian soldiers are seen outside of their home communities much more frequently than workers are, despite the fact that they comprise only 8% of the total population. Their duties outside the community intrigue many soldiers, so much so that they’re willing to strike out on their own. Though they fight loyally for their communities, they occasionally feel unneeded and decide they’d be more fulfilled elsewhere. Some desert outright, earning the ire of their former communities, but most petition for a leave of absence, which the soldiers’ queens grant at their discretion, usually when there’s an excess of soldiers left over from an earlier conflict. Soldiers can be irritable and prickly, and if they’re offended, they’re willing to follow up with blows. However, they don’t go picking fights, so if they’re involved in a bar brawl, it’s someone else’s doing, not theirs. They’re usually not difficult to mollify, and once they feel a wrong has been righted, they don’t hold a grudge. If they haven’t been satisfied, though, they’re masters at nursing grudges. While they’re slow to make friends, soldiers are fiercely loyal to those they have. They’re remarkably protective of those they care for, sometimes too much so. They might recklessly throw themselves in front of a friend during combat or get angry over a slight that their friend would much rather let slide. Blindsight. Your blindsight allows you to perceive your surroundings without vision out to 60 feet. Your eyesight is extremely poor, however, and you can only see for 30 feet. Bite. You can wield your sharp mandibles as natural weapons against your foes. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, your bite attack deals 1d6 slashing damage. Carapacian Weapon Training. You have proficiency with shortbows, longswords, and shortswords. Carapacian Royalty Ostensibly, the fate of the carapacian race rests on the shoulders of its royalty. Royals are the rarest of the castes, only 2% of the race as a whole, but even so, only a small fraction of those royals will actually reproduce, growing into full queens and kings. The rest of the royalty live out their lives as princesses and princes, knowing that they might be crowned, but confident that they won’t be. They’re content to let others rule. Some princesses and princes, on the other hand, actively strive to be crowned. In their home communities, princes jostle for the queen’s favor, eager to become one of her kings, and protégé princesses look forward to the day when they will step forth as a queen’s chosen successor. More ambitious royals plan to strike out on their own, starting anew with communities they build from the ground up. Unsurprisingly, then, huge numbers of carapacian royalty take up the adventuring life at some point or another. Aside from reigning queens and kings and those in line for the crowns, royals have few duties to the communities of their birth. Compared to workers’ and soldiers’ strong connections, these bonds are easy to snap, and curious, restless princesses and princes pour out into the world by the score. Reigning monarchs are the only royals who are truly dedicated to their communities, more so even than carapacian workers, to the point that they refuse to leave. This peerless selflessness stands in stark contrast to unattached carapacian royals, however, who are far and away the most selfish of the carapaces. They’re hardly selfish by human standards, though. Princesses and princes hoping to start communities of their own pursue their goal as another might a holy quest, and royals without a wish to rule are no more selfish than your average traveler, whether they wander for the rest of their lives or settle down as a commoner somewhere. Ironically, the most exalted of the carapaces are often the most human. Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1. Longer Legs. Your base walking speed increases to 30 feet. Darkvision. Your time in underground carapacian cities has enabled you to pierce the gloom. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Your vision is otherwise normal. Winged. You have twin pairs of insectoid wings sprouting from your back, which give you a flying speed of 20 feet.
On phone, so shorter/less good response, but too excited to wait. I was thinking of using Plot Points to let the PCs shape narrative and setting more than usual. So no worries there! Most places wouldn't have an extradition treaty, unless the two areas were formally allied (read: one is subordinate to the other). Get far enough away and it's not a problem usually. Planes here have physical links, like rivers or natural portals between worlds. The high-end magic just allows to skip that, but anyone can try to make the journey (though it's not always easy and some groups might extort charge you a toll to pass through their territory unhindered. Depends on where/who. Good point on Drow being Sidereal, I had most of the "Fomorial" group go primal (as illithids and neogi are also there I suspect) and didn't think to shift them. Growing up isolated or pretending to be of a different race are both pretty common I think. I'd love to hear your other ideas for groupings, have gone through a few and always glad to shift around more. Was keeping "made/conditioned" in groups that "developed" them, mostly. Duergar unhappily allied to sometimes-former masters, Warforged made to stand up to the stronger Physical groups without the same losses, etc. Some planes will definitely have different effects, though not all. Sorry it's so disjointed, just didn't want to wait. Hope that helps. Would love to see your other ideas.
Alright, tagged people, but in case that falls through, I made a thread for the OOC World-and-Character-Building for the game I was talking about running.
I found a one shot in Roll20 and joined in and man. The in-game character sheets for 5e (haven't tried any other systems on ther to know if they have others) is so handy for streamlining frequently used abilities. And attacks and spells and clearly automating a number of things. I am so pleased. Difficult to get used to, but the ease already found was great.
