Thursday, October 22, 2009

Men the God Worshipers

See Born of Stone and Wood and Elves the Fallen Alvar for other races and background.


Men (Mann)

Men (including Halfmen and Thrallmen) in contrast to Gnomes, Dwarves and other Fey are strongly predisposed to worship "higher" powers. Whether those powers be a single god, several gods, an entire pantheon, demon(s), or entities from the void. It is their defining characteristic and the source for much of their intraracial conflict.

5.5-6.5' tall. Various builds. A multitude of skin, eye, hair colors.
  • No required Prime
  • Starting Language: Any Human
  • "It's a human's world" Most things are made by men for men. Most items are man sized. Few magical items "resize".


Halfmen (Halvmann)

Other names include Hobbits, Halflings, Nubbins. Halfmen come in all the shapes, sizes, and colors of full Men, just half as tall and plumper. They coexist in most Man cultures. Also, occasionally form nubbin communities of their own.

2.5-3.5' tall, plump.
  • Dex Prime
  • Starting Language: Any Human
  • +1 to hit with 1h thrown weapons & slings
  • "Little" +1 defense. -4 opposed Str checks.
  • "Tricksy" skilled at hiding and sneaking about.
  • "Hungry" Acute sense of smell esp for food. Usually hungry, eats as much as a full sized man.
  • "Fool hardy" +4 saves vs fear.
  • "Prone to napping" -4 saves vs sleep effects.
  • "Every body likes'm" +2/-2 reaction rolls (-2 cause some likes the way they taste).


Thrall (Thrallmann)

From Knockspell #1 by David Bowmen

Thrall men are desperate and destitute humans. Willing to take on virtually any undertaking in order to pull themselves up and out of their impoverished state. Descended from slaves they still willingly enter into indentured service for pay. They are simply desperate men who, while untrained, are either braver or more foolhardy than the rest of downtrodden folk of the world.

Starting Language: Any Human
"Ew, poor people" -2 reaction rolls. (goes away upon reaching 1st level)
  • Do not roll abilities, if needed assume all are 10/+0.
  • No starting equipment other than what's listed below.
  • One draw from The Deck that must be shared between the three of ya.
  • Base To Hit +0.
  • Get a trio of zero level human thralls.
  • Roll d6 for each thrall (duplicates *may* be rerolled)
1 pack bearer    2 hp, Str prime, club & large sack.
+1 to hit
Role: Carry loot and protect rear.

2 pole prodder 2 hp, Dex prime, blunt spear.
Bonus to note/detect traps
Role: Lead the way.

3 shield bearer 2 hp, Con prime, club & shield.
+1 AC to adjacent ally
Role: Protect an ally.

4 torch bearer 1 hp, Int prime, 3 torches & tinder.
Not surprised as often
Role: Light the way.

5 map drawer 1 hp, Wis prime, papyrus and quill.
Uncanny sense of direction
Role: Maintaining direction / bearing.

6 guide 1 hp, Cha prime, rudimentary map.
Gains extra info/rumours
Role: Provide some level of insight.

Divide XP equally between living members. When fellow dies his survivors gain 1hp reflective of their determination and resolve. When they reach 1000xp. Choose one survivor to become 1st lvl, the others slink off, relatively rich, to the slums and farmlands whence they emerged. Pick chosen's class, 2nd Prime/etc, roll stats/etc. A former Thrall retain his special ability.

3 comments:

  1. If you are invoking Tolkien with "Trixie" for the Halvmann, I would go with 'Tricksy' - Trixie being a commonly used proper name.

    "Not even our clever eyeses will notice him; and he'll come creepsy and tricksy and catch us, gollum, gollum!" -The Hobbit, Ch. 5

    Of course if you are implying rather than invoking, don't change a thing :)

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  2. Every Thrall hopes that neither of his buddies discovers the XP and HP game mechanic ...

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  3. @rainswept oh yeah I guess I get tricksy hobbitses from Tolkien. But my first crush was Trixie from Speed Racer so I always mispell it that way.

    @1d30 ha! I really think the Thrall idea is inspired I hope David Bowman takes it as flattery that I reproduced them here.

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