Thread: TARAK TALES BACKGROUND THREAD - WORLD MATERIAL (no comments)

Races And Classes RACES The main races are humans, halflings, and dwarves. There are occasionally some variant races as well we have one tiefling, which is a race out of DD that has some demonic heritage somewhere in the bloodline, and some cross-breeds, but they are generally rare probably the most populous are half-dwarves, half-hobbits named so to keep from having to call them half-halflings, and half-orks. Races have specific variations from the human baseline. They may have some specific racial abilities, and specific racial aptitudes. The differences are described in a succinct manner as follows Dwarves may only have a maximum Dexterity of 3D, but they may have a maximum Strength and Technical of 5D. Dwarves receive a 1D racial bonus to all Strength rolls to resist damage of any sort, and this bonus extends to any resistance roll against any sort of poison, as well, even if it does not involve Strength. Dwarf starting characters receive a special skill bonus in that dice or pips put into Technical skills count double, though the 2D starting maximum is still in effect. Dwarves have a Move of 7, and possess natural darkvision. Halflings may only have a maximum Strength of 3D, but they may have a maximum Dexterity and Perception of 5D. Halflings receive a 1D racial bonus to all defensive combat rolls Dodges and Parrys of any sort. Halfling starting characters receive a special skill bonus in that dice or pips put into Perception skills count double, though the 2D starting maximum is still in effect. Halflings have a Move of 7, and possess natural low-light vision. Half-elves may only have a maximum Mechanical of 3D, but they may have a maximum Dexterity and Knowledge of 5D. Half-elves receive a 1D racial bonus to sensory rolls, due to their sharp senses they also have an innate connection to the natural world, which translates as a 1D bonus to wilderness skills, as determined on a case-by-case basis. Half-elves have a Move of 10, and possess natural low-light vision. Half-orks may only have a maximum Knowledge of 3D, but they may have a maximum Dexterity and Strength of 5D. Half-ork starting characters receive a special skill bonus in that dice or pips put into combat skills of any sort count double, though the 2D starting maximum is still in effect. However, half-orks also suffer from berzerker rage, which means when injured in the heat of combat, they must make an automatic Willpower roll or fly into a rage, in which their Strength and Dexterity skills get a 2D bonus, but they attack any target close to them, regardless of friend or foe. Half-orks have a Move of 10, and possess natural darkvision. CLASSES There aren't any. Classes were a method in DD to let people specify what kind of job they're intending to fill. Fighter, wizard, sorcerer, monk, druid, cleric, barbarian... etc., etc., ad nauseum. The d6 system doesn't deal with that. Oh, the games will provide archetypes like, a good Bounty Hunter would have attributes just so, a Brash Pilot would have attributes like this, but that would be about it. That's basically how I'm swinging it here, too. Anybody can try anything, your attributes should pick what sorts of things you'll be good at, and your skills take care of the rest. There are no predetermined character classes, you alone determine what kind of job you want your character to be suited for, and what that entails. If you want a thief that's a swordsman, or a detective that can smith armor plate, you can build it. The only real distinction is whether or not you can do magic. If your character is able to wield magic, they'll have to be channeled into either the Guild or the Orders. That's how this culture safeguards itself against the magical excesses that brought about the Night Plague in the first place. So if you want to cast spells, you have to either be a Guild Wizard or a Cleric of the Orders, and that's the only real distinctions as regards magic in this conception of the world, the magic even operates the same way, it's the cultural agencies that force it to be expressed in one manner or another. Even then, there's immense variation. Guild Wizards cover all possible personality types and areas of focus. Some are barely magical, while others specialize in just one field, and still others work for specific purposes a former player had a wizard ninja, basically. In the Orders, certain behaviors are required of clerics, but their personalities and attitudes in doing those duties varies widely, and again, sometimes magic is the whole purpose, and sometimes it's merely one part of the whole. Shrines not only serve as places of worship, they're also like post offices and news outlets I had one conception for a halfling cleric who didn't settle for just repeating news, but went out to confirm stories and generate new ones, basically Tarak's example of an investigative reporter. So pitch out the idea of classes thats not what this game is about. That's not a drawback it's a freedom.