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NecroticBanana

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Always the same..meh.
« on: May 11, 2009, 08:19:42 AM »
Why do elves always seem to live in the forest, and why do all dwarves live in the mountains, and why all the gnomes wanna do is blow shit up? it seems to a-typical. no matter what setting (with few exceptions) all the non human races seem to just be the same.  Ebberon seems to be on of the only settings in which the races were shaken up a bit, and before that it was darksun. does anyone have any examples of the typical  races with a new spin on them?
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bhu

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Re: Always the same..meh.
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2009, 09:04:20 AM »
it probably has soemthing to do with there being a a massive shitstorm from the race fanboys every time you put an elf or dwarf thats different out.
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Sinfire Titan

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Re: Always the same..meh.
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2009, 11:31:10 AM »
Quote from: bhu on May 11, 2009, 09:04:20 AM
it probably has soemthing to do with there being a a massive shitstorm from the race fanboys every time you put an elf or dwarf thats different out.

I, for one, would love to see the Dwarves go topside and do something other than mine for gold.


Elves, on the other hand, can suck it dry and shrivel up like the raisins they worship. Better idea: Rewrite history to turn them into Rilkans or Xephs. A tleast then they are useful and impressive.
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veekie

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Re: Always the same..meh.
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2009, 11:39:03 AM »
Besides, theres an elf variant for practically any environment...
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Re: Always the same..meh.
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2009, 11:47:37 AM »
Quote from: veekie on May 11, 2009, 11:39:03 AM
Besides, theres an elf variant for practically any environment...

Technically, there's more dwarves. But the Elves are the more annoying ones. Even when an elf is portrayed as nice, they come off as an asshole simply because they're elves.
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RobbyPants

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Re: Always the same..meh.
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2009, 11:57:40 AM »
A combination of their implied aloofness and their Con penalty.
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Re: Always the same..meh.
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2009, 02:13:29 PM »
Quote from: NecroticBanana on May 11, 2009, 08:19:42 AM
Why do elves always seem to live in the forest, and why do all dwarves live in the mountains, and why all the gnomes wanna do is blow shit up? it seems to a-typical. no matter what setting (with few exceptions) all the non human races seem to just be the same.  Ebberon seems to be on of the only settings in which the races were shaken up a bit, and before that it was darksun. does anyone have any examples of the typical  races with a new spin on them?
I'm working on a campain setting where Mindflayers are Squid riding void warriors, humans are a Usually evil race, and elves have all evolved into drow, dryad, and merfolk.
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woodenbandman

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Re: Always the same..meh.
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2009, 02:18:33 PM »
That's awesome.

If it were up to me I'd replace all elves with Anthropomorphic Huge Sharks.
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Vinom

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Re: Always the same..meh.
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2009, 02:22:36 PM »
Quote from: woodenbandman on May 11, 2009, 02:18:33 PM
If it were up to me I'd replace all elves with Anthropomorphic Huge Sharks.
I checked savage species, the LA is too high, thats why I went with the trio.
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A player once asked me if there was any way to make a Tarrasque more evil... 3 sessions later he was stoned with D20s as the PC led an exidus out of the path of a Dire Tarrasque of Legendary Wonder.

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You're a quick thinker and spiteful, I can respect that. You won't be killed, Bikke

Never trust a smiling laughing chuckling grinning emotionless drunk, you know what Never Trust a DM!

78% of DM's started their first campaign in a tavern. If you're one of the 22% that didn't, copy and paste this into your signature

Pulling off Pun-pun in 26 rounds

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PhaedrusXY

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Re: Always the same..meh.
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2009, 02:29:01 PM »
Quote from: RobbyPants on May 11, 2009, 11:57:40 AM
A combination of their implied aloofness and their Con penalty.
Hmm... I always figured that elves must not conceive very frequently, otherwise they'd have already overrun every known world. However, given these two properties, maybe breeding like rabbits is the only thing that's saved them from extermination by elf-haters. :D

It would be fun to play in a game where the dwarves actually wiped out all the elves, and aren't apologetic about it.  :lol
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Prime32

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Re: Always the same..meh.
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2009, 02:29:53 PM »
In that setting I was working on, elves are essentially overgrown children who can talk to plants. :p

Dwarves have an insular Roman-esque nation surrounded by heavily-guarded mountains. Few have travelled to their lands and returned to tell the tale, so the only dwarves most people meet are those in mountain outposts. The rather large mountain outposts, which are staffed with axe-wielders and tend to be close to the dwarves' few mines... Do you see where I'm going with this? ;)
« Last Edit: May 11, 2009, 02:31:29 PM by Prime32 »
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RobbyPants

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Re: Always the same..meh.
« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2009, 03:38:38 PM »
Quote from: PhaedrusXY on May 11, 2009, 02:29:01 PM
It would be fun to play in a game where the dwarves actually wiped out all the elves, and aren't apologetic about it.  :lol
This works great!  Dwarves are greedy, and the other races probably paid the dwarves to do it!
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It is a shame stupidity isn't painful.
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Totally true.  Historians believe that most past civilizations would have endured for centuries longer if they had successfully determined Batman's alignment.
Quote from: Grand Theft Otto
Why are so many posts on the board the equivalent of " Dear Dr. Crotch, I keep punching myself in the crotch, and my groin hurts... what should I do? How can I make my groin stop hurting?"
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I suggest carving "Don't be a dick" into him with a knife.  A dull, rusty knife.  A dull, rusty, bent, flaming knife.
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Steve: You underestimate my power!
Fluffy: Don't try it, Steve!
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Vinom

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Re: Always the same..meh.
« Reply #12 on: May 11, 2009, 04:07:41 PM »
Quote from: RobbyPants on May 11, 2009, 03:38:38 PM
Quote from: PhaedrusXY on May 11, 2009, 02:29:01 PM
It would be fun to play in a game where the dwarves actually wiped out all the elves, and aren't apologetic about it.  :lol
This works great!  Dwarves are greedy, and the other races probably paid the dwarves to do it!
Plus, it would shift the dwarf-drow/kobold racial relationships a few steps toward friendly.
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A player once asked me if there was any way to make a Tarrasque more evil... 3 sessions later he was stoned with D20s as the PC led an exidus out of the path of a Dire Tarrasque of Legendary Wonder.

Quote from:  Sarda the Sage
You're a quick thinker and spiteful, I can respect that. You won't be killed, Bikke

Never trust a smiling laughing chuckling grinning emotionless drunk, you know what Never Trust a DM!

78% of DM's started their first campaign in a tavern. If you're one of the 22% that didn't, copy and paste this into your signature

Pulling off Pun-pun in 26 rounds

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"Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from Science!"

Remember, Mobs are at least as stupid as their dumbest member.

bhu

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Re: Always the same..meh.
« Reply #13 on: May 14, 2009, 07:00:38 AM »
I do have one odd little setting I work on and off again on where elves and dwarves are two of the things a human being least wants to meet...
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Midnight_v

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Re: Always the same..meh.
« Reply #14 on: May 14, 2009, 11:48:31 AM »
this thread is fucking awesome.

In my campaign... all the forest elves got murked by the killoreen A long time ago... Kinda like the thallids in MTG... and the killoreens are fucking Hostile.
I use the sahaugin: rule the world from the tome series so while there are sea elves... they're born into a post apocalyptic world where they're hunted for sport.
Drow... lost the war with the fucking bat people... so yeah. The underdark is over ran by an organization very much like the covanent from halo.
Hobgoblins have a very "shogunate" like organization.
.......................................

Dwarves... Look its very hard to make a little stout angry dude cool (without resorting to adamantium)
I considered making them a race of Rituallistically tatooed bald pygmies barb's and fighters, and clerics... except... well aren't there real pygmies who live exactly that? Plus I think that just makes them gnomes.
Maybe everyones out of idea's to fight against the base perceptions with.

I think frank and k had the best universal interpretation though....
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Vinom

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Re: Always the same..meh.
« Reply #15 on: May 14, 2009, 10:06:38 PM »
Quote from: Midnight_v on May 14, 2009, 11:48:31 AM
Dwarves... Look its very hard to make a little stout angry dude cool (without resorting to adamantium)
I considered making them a race of Rituallistically tatooed bald pygmies barb's and fighters, and clerics... except... well aren't there real pygmies who live exactly that? Plus I think that just makes them gnomes.
Maybe everyones out of idea's to fight against the base perceptions with.

I think frank and k had the best universal interpretation though....


If you don't like the ideas of steampunk dwarves, irish/scottish/viking dwarves... Have you cosidered dwarves as desert nomads?
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A player once asked me if there was any way to make a Tarrasque more evil... 3 sessions later he was stoned with D20s as the PC led an exidus out of the path of a Dire Tarrasque of Legendary Wonder.

Quote from:  Sarda the Sage
You're a quick thinker and spiteful, I can respect that. You won't be killed, Bikke

Never trust a smiling laughing chuckling grinning emotionless drunk, you know what Never Trust a DM!

78% of DM's started their first campaign in a tavern. If you're one of the 22% that didn't, copy and paste this into your signature

Pulling off Pun-pun in 26 rounds

N00bs, because all gamers have to start somewhere

"Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from Science!"

Remember, Mobs are at least as stupid as their dumbest member.

Midnight_v

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Re: Always the same..meh.
« Reply #16 on: May 14, 2009, 11:23:31 PM »
Quote from: Vinom on May 14, 2009, 10:06:38 PM
Quote from: Midnight_v on May 14, 2009, 11:48:31 AM
Dwarves... Look its very hard to make a little stout angry dude cool (without resorting to adamantium)
I considered making them a race of Rituallistically tatooed bald pygmies barb's and fighters, and clerics... except... well aren't there real pygmies who live exactly that? Plus I think that just makes them gnomes.
Maybe everyones out of idea's to fight against the base perceptions with.

I think frank and k had the best universal interpretation though....


If you don't like the ideas of steampunk dwarves, irish/scottish/viking dwarves... Have you cosidered dwarves as desert nomads?

 steampunk dwarves, irish/scottish/viking dwarves... isn't that very very similar to the standard dwarf?

Desert nomads... Hmph...
maybe your on to something there...
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Vinom

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Re: Always the same..meh.
« Reply #17 on: May 14, 2009, 11:30:28 PM »
Quote from: Midnight_v on May 14, 2009, 11:23:31 PM
Quote from: Vinom on May 14, 2009, 10:06:38 PM
Quote from: Midnight_v on May 14, 2009, 11:48:31 AM
Dwarves... Look its very hard to make a little stout angry dude cool (without resorting to adamantium)
I considered making them a race of Rituallistically tatooed bald pygmies barb's and fighters, and clerics... except... well aren't there real pygmies who live exactly that? Plus I think that just makes them gnomes.
Maybe everyones out of idea's to fight against the base perceptions with.

I think frank and k had the best universal interpretation though....


If you don't like the ideas of steampunk dwarves, irish/scottish/viking dwarves... Have you cosidered dwarves as desert nomads?

 steampunk dwarves, irish/scottish/viking dwarves... isn't that very very similar to the standard dwarf?

Desert nomads... Hmph...
maybe your on to something there...

Yes, thats why I listed them in the catagory of ideas you've regected...

Remember, earth elemental + air elemental =Sandstorm elemental.
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A player once asked me if there was any way to make a Tarrasque more evil... 3 sessions later he was stoned with D20s as the PC led an exidus out of the path of a Dire Tarrasque of Legendary Wonder.

Quote from:  Sarda the Sage
You're a quick thinker and spiteful, I can respect that. You won't be killed, Bikke

Never trust a smiling laughing chuckling grinning emotionless drunk, you know what Never Trust a DM!

78% of DM's started their first campaign in a tavern. If you're one of the 22% that didn't, copy and paste this into your signature

Pulling off Pun-pun in 26 rounds

N00bs, because all gamers have to start somewhere

"Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from Science!"

Remember, Mobs are at least as stupid as their dumbest member.

woodenbandman

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Re: Always the same..meh.
« Reply #18 on: May 15, 2009, 12:24:51 AM »
I still vote for Anthropomorphic Huge Sharks. Just use the stats for Half Ogres if you have to.
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Midnight_v

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Re: Always the same..meh.
« Reply #19 on: May 15, 2009, 12:43:14 AM »
Quote from: Vinom on May 14, 2009, 11:30:28 PM
Quote from: Midnight_v on May 14, 2009, 11:23:31 PM
Quote from: Vinom on May 14, 2009, 10:06:38 PM
Quote from: Midnight_v on May 14, 2009, 11:48:31 AM
Dwarves... Look its very hard to make a little stout angry dude cool (without resorting to adamantium)
I considered making them a race of Rituallistically tatooed bald pygmies barb's and fighters, and clerics... except... well aren't there real pygmies who live exactly that? Plus I think that just makes them gnomes.
Maybe everyones out of idea's to fight against the base perceptions with.

I think frank and k had the best universal interpretation though....

If you don't like the ideas of steampunk dwarves, irish/scottish/viking dwarves... Have you cosidered dwarves as desert nomads?

 steampunk dwarves, irish/scottish/viking dwarves... isn't that very very similar to the standard dwarf?

Desert nomads... Hmph...
maybe your on to something there...

Yes, thats why I listed them in the catagory of ideas you've regected...

Remember, earth elemental + air elemental =Sandstorm elemental.
Ahh I see... whats this about elementals though? I dont' follow...
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