Re: Races in Space

On 10/10/06, Dreamer <dreamer@??????.?????.??.uk> wrote:
>
> Good list!
>
> Interesting to see them all collected together, like this.


Thanks. I'm glad that more people than just me find this useful.


> How many do you think need changing, or need extra write-ups, for
> a Spelljamming setting?


'Need' changing? Probably none of them. Most of them in the old 2e books
were just handled sort of as an accident. Your standard strange raced
creature one day stumbled onto a SJ ship or was captured by neogi or
something. Once up in space, they escaped/adapted and learned to live in
space. Extra write ups are always cool. As an example, the Githyanki could
have their write-up entirely changed and have them listed as the 'Pirates of
Gith' subrace.

One thing that Wizards has started doing with their setting type books is
providing 'tweaked' versions of races and classes which I certainly wouldn't
mind seeing. Actually, I wouldn't mind seeing Spelljammer done up more in
terms of an 'environment book' along the lines of Sandstorm and Stormwrack
than as a full on Setting like Eberron or Forgotten realms.

Anyway, as an example of a tweaked elf.. you'd get a 'Void Elf', same as a
High Elf except that they get +2 Dex and -2 Cha (cause of being so damn
snotty). They loose out on their spot hidden door trait, but get a free
'Spacer' feat or some other environmental adaptation trick. simple and done
with. Similarly, they have some class trait substitution for the core
classes. Trade out the Paladin's Warhorse for a ship related bonus. Make
spelljamming a class feature for Wizards and Sorcerers that they get instead
of a familiar.


Are there any rules out there for playing a young/immature
> version of a race that has racial hit dice, with less than the
> full set of hit dice?

(Or, races which get magical powers and hence a Level Adjustment,
> but which are young and haven't developed their full powers, and
> hence don't get the full LA applied?)


There may very well be. Savage Species was 3.0 but as far as I know, with a
little tweaking all of those rules still apply to 3.5. I found some vague
references to certain species being setup like that (Undead in Libre Mortis
for instance) but I don't know how that applies to any of the species on the
list.


I think I might have to hit RPG.net and see what other sorts of PCable races
I can pull out. I was flipping through SandStorm last night at the bookstore
and saw two cool ones. A talk thin race with skin that lights up from the
inside and can swim through sand.. and a large footed goblinoid adapted for
not sinking into sand.