Non-human PCs

From: Brian Tickler <tickler_at_netcom.com>
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 1997 17:24:57 -0700 (PDT)


I've played in games with both Robert's and Steve's previously mentioned non-human PCs, and those games can be a lot of fun. Here's what I allow and don't allow in my game, and why (if there's no reason listed, then it's because that race is fairly well-balanced when compared with humans):

Dark Trolls - yes (admit it, you left D&D originally because you wanted to play one...right?)

Trollkin - yes

Great Trolls/Mistress Race Trolls - no way (too powerful)

Elves - yes

Dryads - no (too powerful, too restrictive for real adventuring)

Runners - no (don't even exist IMG)

Pixies - no (ha!)

Dwarves - yes (never had anybody who wanted to play one, though)

Baboons - yes

Ducks - no (don't even exist IMG)

Ogres - yes

Minotaurs - no (too powerful)

Centaurs - no (too powerful)

Dragonewts - yes (nobody has tried to play one yet, though)

Newtlings - yes

Wind Children - no (flight is way too powerful in Glorantha)

Other exotic stuff like Griffins, Dream Dragons, Giants etc. - no way

Chaotic stuff - OK in a chaotic campaign (I don't run one, though :)...)

Personally I have played Dark Trolls, Elves, a Dwarf (briefly), a Dragonewt, Baboons, a Newtling, Ogres, a Telmori Werewolf, and a Centaur (also briefly). I would not play a Centaur again, but the rest were pretty balanced. One of the reasons I started playing RQ was because of the well-fleshed-out non-humans races and how playable they were, without being the Tolkienesque rip-offs that peppered D&D. Why on earth would anyone limit their game to human PCs only? Seems insane...

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