Some thoughts about racial abilites

FORUM LOCKED AS OF 4/3/12. Forum for open playtest feedback related to character creation, class rules, skills, etc.

Moderators: DJ LaBoss, finarvyn, michaelcurtis, Harley Stroh

Locked
User avatar
Ravenheart87
Tight-Lipped Warlock
Posts: 903
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 3:34 pm
Location: Győr, Hungary
Contact:

Some thoughts about racial abilites

Post by Ravenheart87 »

During a recent re-reading of the beta rules, I noticed that while the dwarves add their level as bonus to their skill checks to notice traps, slanting passages, shifting walls and new construction, the elves receive a flat +4 to detect secret doors. Is their any reason why these work different?
Another thing I found interesting is that dwarves and halflings don't get any bonuses to their saving throws vs magic or poison, while elves are immune to sleep and paralysis.

After playing D&D for years, some of these classical racial abilities (infravision, resistances) seem to be natural, and everything that's different seems strange. The only question is, did these have any roots in Appendix N? I didn't read everything from the appendix, but in those rare novels which are on the list and did include demihumans, I don't recall any, which included infravision, halflings being good with slings, dwarves resisting magic easier, elves resisting sleep and charm spells or an elf facing a ghoul. :) Did I miss something, or are these mostly the creations of game designers of yore? Can you collect the literary sources of racial abilites?
Vorpal Mace: a humble rpg blog with some DCC-related stuff.
jmucchiello
Chaos-Summoning Sorcerer
Posts: 779
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 3:28 am

Re: Some thoughts about racial abilites

Post by jmucchiello »

This has been discussed before. The game is inspired by Appendix N, but with an eye toward drawing in D&D players. The whole cleric class has been a point of contention here. Customers of Goodman Games existing products are the target of the game and as such the game does not stray from D&D's "roots", ironically also inspired by Appendix N.
User avatar
finarvyn
Cold-Hearted Immortal
Posts: 2599
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:42 am
FLGS: Fair Game, Downers Grove IL
Location: Chicago suburbs
Contact:

Re: Some thoughts about racial abilites

Post by finarvyn »

jmucchiello wrote:The whole cleric class has been a point of contention here.
Yeah, and the more I think about it the more I'm going to encourage my players to pick non-cleric class options. Clerics just don't seem to fit the style of the game I imagine.

Once you take clerics out healing becomes a premium and undead get a lot more scary. Those factors alone would seem to be a bonus. :wink:
Marv / Finarvyn
DCC Minister of Propaganda; Deputized 6/8/11 (over 11 years of SPAM bustin'!)
DCC RPG playtester 2011, DCC Lankhmar trivia contest winner 2015; OD&D player since 1975

"The worthy GM never purposely kills players' PCs, He presents opportunities for the rash and unthinking players to do that all on their own."
-- Gary Gygax
"Don't ask me what you need to hit. Just roll the die and I will let you know!"
-- Dave Arneson
"Misinterpreting the rules is a shared memory for many of us"
-- Joseph Goodman
goodmangames
Cold-Hearted Immortal
Posts: 2703
Joined: Sun Dec 01, 2002 12:41 pm
Location: San Jose, CA

Re: Some thoughts about racial abilites

Post by goodmangames »

Ravenheart87 wrote:During a recent re-reading of the beta rules, I noticed that while the dwarves add their level as bonus to their skill checks to notice traps, slanting passages, shifting walls and new construction, the elves receive a flat +4 to detect secret doors. Is their any reason why these work different?
Not that I can remember. :) Good catch...probably two rules I wrote at different times and didn't catch the discrepancy.
Joseph Goodman
Goodman Games
www.goodman-games.com
User avatar
finarvyn
Cold-Hearted Immortal
Posts: 2599
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:42 am
FLGS: Fair Game, Downers Grove IL
Location: Chicago suburbs
Contact:

Re: Some thoughts about racial abilites

Post by finarvyn »

Ravenheart87 wrote:During a recent re-reading of the beta rules, I noticed that while the dwarves add their level as bonus to their skill checks to notice traps, slanting passages, shifting walls and new construction, the elves receive a flat +4 to detect secret doors. Is their any reason why these work different?
Oh, it's simple, actually.

Dwarves are by their very nature creative and learn things well, so as they advance they become better and better at what they do.

Elves have a lot of natural talent but are basically stupid and never learn from their mistakes.

I'm surprised that you did not know this. :lol:
Marv / Finarvyn
DCC Minister of Propaganda; Deputized 6/8/11 (over 11 years of SPAM bustin'!)
DCC RPG playtester 2011, DCC Lankhmar trivia contest winner 2015; OD&D player since 1975

"The worthy GM never purposely kills players' PCs, He presents opportunities for the rash and unthinking players to do that all on their own."
-- Gary Gygax
"Don't ask me what you need to hit. Just roll the die and I will let you know!"
-- Dave Arneson
"Misinterpreting the rules is a shared memory for many of us"
-- Joseph Goodman
User avatar
Ravenheart87
Tight-Lipped Warlock
Posts: 903
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 3:34 pm
Location: Győr, Hungary
Contact:

Re: Some thoughts about racial abilites

Post by Ravenheart87 »

finarvyn wrote:
Ravenheart87 wrote:During a recent re-reading of the beta rules, I noticed that while the dwarves add their level as bonus to their skill checks to notice traps, slanting passages, shifting walls and new construction, the elves receive a flat +4 to detect secret doors. Is their any reason why these work different?
Oh, it's simple, actually.

Dwarves are by their very nature creative and learn things well, so as they advance they become better and better at what they do.

Elves have a lot of natural talent but are basically stupid and never learn from their mistakes.

I'm surprised that you did not know this. :lol:
Damn, you're right. :)
Vorpal Mace: a humble rpg blog with some DCC-related stuff.
User avatar
finarvyn
Cold-Hearted Immortal
Posts: 2599
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:42 am
FLGS: Fair Game, Downers Grove IL
Location: Chicago suburbs
Contact:

Re: Some thoughts about racial abilites

Post by finarvyn »

Ravenheart87 wrote:
finarvyn wrote:
Ravenheart87 wrote:During a recent re-reading of the beta rules, I noticed that while the dwarves add their level as bonus to their skill checks to notice traps, slanting passages, shifting walls and new construction, the elves receive a flat +4 to detect secret doors. Is their any reason why these work different?
Oh, it's simple, actually.

Dwarves are by their very nature creative and learn things well, so as they advance they become better and better at what they do.

Elves have a lot of natural talent but are basically stupid and never learn from their mistakes.

I'm surprised that you did not know this. :lol:
Damn, you're right. :)
Maybe you're an elf. :lol:
Marv / Finarvyn
DCC Minister of Propaganda; Deputized 6/8/11 (over 11 years of SPAM bustin'!)
DCC RPG playtester 2011, DCC Lankhmar trivia contest winner 2015; OD&D player since 1975

"The worthy GM never purposely kills players' PCs, He presents opportunities for the rash and unthinking players to do that all on their own."
-- Gary Gygax
"Don't ask me what you need to hit. Just roll the die and I will let you know!"
-- Dave Arneson
"Misinterpreting the rules is a shared memory for many of us"
-- Joseph Goodman
User avatar
Ravenheart87
Tight-Lipped Warlock
Posts: 903
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 3:34 pm
Location: Győr, Hungary
Contact:

Re: Some thoughts about racial abilites

Post by Ravenheart87 »

finarvyn wrote:
Ravenheart87 wrote:
finarvyn wrote:Oh, it's simple, actually.

Dwarves are by their very nature creative and learn things well, so as they advance they become better and better at what they do.

Elves have a lot of natural talent but are basically stupid and never learn from their mistakes.

I'm surprised that you did not know this. :lol:
Damn, you're right. :)
Maybe you're an elf. :lol:
Nay, some stupid test said I'm a gnome. :lol:
Vorpal Mace: a humble rpg blog with some DCC-related stuff.
User avatar
GnomeBoy
Tyrant Master (Administrator)
Posts: 4126
Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2006 1:46 pm
FLGS: Bizarro World
Location: Left Coast, USA
Contact:

Re: Some thoughts about racial abilites

Post by GnomeBoy »

Ravenheart87 wrote:
finarvyn wrote: Maybe you're an elf. :lol:
Nay, some stupid test said I'm a gnome. :lol:
So. Many. Ways. To respond. To that... -- I'm speechless. :?
...
Gnome Boy • DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.
Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.

Link: Here Be 100+ DCC Monsters

bygrinstow.com - The Home of Inner Ham
Locked

Return to “Playtest Feedback: Characters”