The denizens of the Wörld of Metal are strange and varied. The following are descriptions of the most common playable races, along with stats and abilities for OSR-style games. Demi-human races have maximum stats (i.e. to play a Dwarf, you must roll CHA no greater than 7.)
Humans
The most common (some would say virulent) sentient species in the wörld, humans have taken root in every land from far northern Vikrölsandr to the distant Thundersands. They may be screaming berserkers, shrewd city-dwellers, Gothic nobles, eerie woodfolk, rugged nomads, gold-toothed pirates, savage samurai, cybernetic street thugs or a hundred other types.
Humans do not gain any special bonuses or abilities, nor do they have special requirements or handicaps.
Dwarves
Dwarves live in Vikrölsandr, and usually spend their entire lives underground. They dislike and distrust humans, and are always looking for new ways to trick the tall-folk to their doom. Those dwarves who do go abroad are often outcasts from their clan, or lured out by love of treasure. Dwarves are all fine smiths, and many are enticed by the prospect of forging strange foreign metals.
Maximum CHA: 7
Special abilities: Infravision; +5 save vs. poison.
Half-Elves
Elves are not playable in the Wörld of Metal, because of their alien nature, their capriciousness and their vast power. However, half-elves take on many characteristics of their unseelie parents. They grow tall, lithe and beautiful, and have long thick hair whether male or female. Most half-elves are shunned by society due to the strange manner of their parentage: it is well-known that a human who has sex with an elf will always become pregnant. Male elf-lovers are forced to carry a child and give birth to it through their anus, which is why half-elves are given the insulting label 'shit-born'.
Maximum CON: 9
Special abilities: Detect secret doors 2 in 6; Glamour gives +1 bonus to reaction rolls.
Halflings
Halflings are short humanoids who once dwelled in the city of Freehell, but have long ago become nomads scattered to the four winds. They travel in caravans or in small ships. They are mostly despised by those who live in one place, who consider them filthy, diseased and untrustworthy. They speak in their own secret cant and know more than they let on.
Maximum STR: 8
Special abilities: +2 AC vs. large creatures, +2 bonus to Stealth checks.
Dragonborn
Dragonborn are draconic creatures with a humanoid body shape, who are descended from a red dragon of ancient myth. Today they live primarily in the Fyrotherran city-state of Drazolith, although there are also dragonborn populations in the more cosmopolitan cities such as Freehell and Jester's Court. Though large and powerful, they are fairly clumsy, particularly with their three-digit hands.
Maximum DEX: 8
Special abilities: Breathe Fire (as
burning hands spell). Breathing fire burns up almost all the chemical energy in the dragonborn's system; after doing so they will be voraciously hungry, and must eat a whole goat (or equivalent meal) to restore their fire breathing capability.
Robots
Robots are artificial humanoids created in the forges of Harthrakken from the famed Metal of Industry. They are mostly in service to the army of Harthrakken, but others have defected to join the robotic Iron Nation or to travel abroad. Their Wisdom is low because they lack souls (according to the Witchfinders) or because their crude senses cannot connect them fully to reality (according to the druids.)
Maximum WIS: 7
Special abilities: No need to eat, drink or breathe; no penalty for fighting unarmed against armed opponents; d6 damage with unarmed attacks; immune to fear.
Handicaps: If reduced to 0 hit points, will perish instantly instead of bleeding out.
Doppelgangers
Doppelgangers are alien creatures with the power to transform their visage, appearing as any humanoid, even a dragonborn or a robot. The constant reshaping of their bodies gives them weak muscles and fragile bones. None can say where they came from, and they are spread evenly throughout the wörld. They are hated and feared by all for their reputation as traitors and spies, which is mostly well-deserved.
Maximum CON: 8
Maximum STR: 11
Special abilities: Shapeshift into any humanoid form.
Handicaps: Hated by all - most NPCs will attack on sight anyone they know to be a Doppelganger.
Like the race writeups you've given. The only thing I'm compelled to point out, however, is that human males who get pregnant from copulation with an elf (most likely a male one, as a human male getting pregnant from an elven female makes absolutely no flippin' sense to me) will most likely die before ever bringing that kid to term -- the ass is our way of getting rid of solid waste, and having all that waste backed up is not good for the body.
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked them. I figure the man will grow a uterus so the baby won't enter the colon until right before it's ready to be born. It's all part of the elven magic.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, male humans can totally get pregnant by female elves.
Why?
Elven magic of course.