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3 years ago ::
Feb 09, 2010 - 12:21PM
#31
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Date Joined:
May 24, 2003
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From my homebrew...
35. Theologians know that when Io split into Bahamut and Tiamat they created metallic and chromatic dragons respectively. These dragons created the written form of draconic, consisting of complex symbols left by claws moved across a medium such as stone, soft metal or, when dipped in ink, parchment. The elder scrolls, put to page by wise ancient dragons use parchment the size of large rugs to accommodate the massive claw marks.
However, what most people don't know unless they've had the opportunity to talk with both a metallic dragon and a chromatic dragon is that the spoken form depends on the dragons descent from their gods.
Metallic dragons, if you've noticed, possess a slightly less fearsome visage because they have lips. Bahamut saw fit that metallic dragons should not constantly have their weapons bared to the world.
Chromatic dragons, however, lack lips entirely and therefore cannot pronounce certain sounds such "m" "p" "b". Their version of draconic contains rasps and hisses that sound very predatory to most other species. Other reptilian races that lack lips, such as lizardfolk and kobolds use this version of draconic as well.
Dragonborn on the otherhand, have lips and are able to speak metallic draconic. Those of them that worship Bahamut see this as divine gift to be able to speak the language of the most high. Some Dragonborn go so far as to justify horrible actions to other reptilians, viewing their inability to speak metallic draconic as a mark of Tiamat.
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3 years ago ::
Feb 09, 2010 - 2:09PM
#32
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Date Joined:
Jun 10, 2008
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Ooooh, I think I might have to steel that one for my games.
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3 years ago ::
Feb 09, 2010 - 4:28PM
#33
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Date Joined:
May 24, 2003
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Thanks!
Also from my homebrew...
36. Kobolds that live among the warmblooded races used to be a highly specialized slave caste among the other reptilian races. Each family or breed had a craft or profession (not 3e though) that they were specially trained for. When kobolds were freed from slavery many of them took as last names the specialty of their family as a point of pride. As a result there are a number of kobolds with names like Meepo Gazpacho.
37. Minotaurs have struggled for years against the stereotype that they are blood thirsty beasts. Some minotaurs fully embrace it, living up to their fearsome reputation and reacting to every slight as if it were a mortal insult. These days though, more minotaurs try to project the image of total control over their emotions. Believing that giving in to the bestial nature shows an easily exploitable weakness, minotaurs have developed a zen outlook on life, often remaining calm even in the face of a fearsome conflict; many become traders, priests and scholars.
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3 years ago ::
Feb 09, 2010 - 4:43PM
#34
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Date Joined:
May 24, 2003
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38. Since the demise of the 17th Vlaakith, the githyanki that fled the astral sea founded mountain communities and severed all ties with chromatic dragons. Now they live monastic lifestyles amid the clouds, perfecting their arcane and psionic powers in isolation from many other humanoid races. In time, they plan on a single coordinated march of their elite arcanists and psions into the underdark to repay every illithid for the thousand year debt of slavery and murder. They are a terribly focused people. There is even talk of rejoining with the githzerai, though most elders doubt the ability of the githzerai to forgive them for hundreds of years of misguided conflict.
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3 years ago ::
Feb 09, 2010 - 5:29PM
#35
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39.) It's common knowledge that Halflings have a natural resistance towards supernatural fear. This can lead to odd situations, though, such as human children attempting to scare a halfling by popping out from behind a barrel, and eliciting nothing more than a chuckle (or worse reactions, if said halfling is in a bad mood).
This misunderstanding can continue when halflings are involved in an adventuring party. When a dragon lands in the middle of a group of adventurers and unleashes a fearsome, mind-effecting roar, a halfling may not truly understand why this will cause their allies to freeze up.
In the worst cases, this can cause halflings to look down upon other races who are susceptible to fear effects, seeing them as cowards who can't take a stand when is truly needed. These particular halflings also have a particular enmity towards teiflings, because of the teifling inclination towards fearsome abilities*.
*Represented mechanically with the Hellfire Blood Feat
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3 years ago ::
Feb 10, 2010 - 9:43AM
#36
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Date Joined:
Nov 14, 2006
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40.) "Goblins are a***oles. 'Nuff said, for most good folk of the realms. A fellow scholar and I attempted once to catalogue their comings and goings once, trying to determine why exactly these creatures so often end up on the pointy end of every inexperienced swordsman's weapon. In a hiding spot for days, we watched a small band of the yellow buggers and, to our disgust, we found nothing of any real import to tell. Here's an excerpt from my journal.
6AM: Goblins change sentry duty. Those who report for duty have to be whipped by larger goblins who don't want to report for duty. Both off duty and now on duty goblins roll eyes at job.
7AM: Biggest of the goblin sentrys gets bored, attmpts to light pants of fellow sentry with the dying embers of the night's fire. Succeeds in burning smaller goblins rump. Other two sentrys roll eyes.
9 AM: Two sentrys go off into the woods to take a bathroom break. Bigger goblin from before attempts to light the pants of smaller goblin on fire with new ember. He fails. Smaller goblin rolls eyes as he swiftly scoots away.
12PM: Two sentrys have yet to return. Goblins around camp have finally woken and begin to get excited about something, presumably the promise of possible loot from passing adventures. Goblin chief sleepily rolls eyes and begins to gether weapons for the "able bodied" goblins to form a search party.
3PM: Goblins begin search party. One goblin is left behind to protect the camps valuables, consisting mainly of ratty clothes and a half eaten haunch of deer. He rolls eyes. Getting quite warm all of a sudde
3AM: We escape goblin encampment after being captured by two sentries. After relieving us of our pants by fire, the goblins spent hours making idle threats of cannibalism before apparently realizing that we had no allies to valiantly come to our aid. After eating the last of my big league chew, the release us a few miles outside of camp and ask us not to come back until we "Bring something to do". I roll eyes.
I tell you, those little buggers seem to be just itching for trouble. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got me some huntin to do.
-From Conversations with a Multiclass Wizard/Ranger by Tyson Lyonsheart
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3 years ago ::
Feb 11, 2010 - 3:38PM
#37
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41. Orcs:
In some human cultures, several pages might be simultaneously jockeying for the position of a particular knight's squire, perhaps competing with one another with mock weapons, or perhaps simply doing favors for the knight to gain his approval. Each act that a page does to gain the knight's favor is ipso facto a detriment to the rest of the pages who are trying to do the same thing, but few would refer to such acts as evil even though they are a detriment to the others.
This is how Orcs view combat and killing. It isn't evil; it's just another facet of healthy competition. Orcish tribes may war against one another and cause many deaths, but they see it in a similar way to how we see competition between rival corporations, or even rival school sports programs. The casualties weren't very important -- they're certainly not still around to complain about it, so who cares?
This is taken further when you understand that individual orcs place very little value on their own lives, and will readily die for the benefit of the group. It isn't that they feel some sense of "duty" to their clan, or that they "sacrifice" themselves for their tribe, but rather they are their clan, their tribe, their kingdom, more than they are themselves. (If you must amputate your arm to save the rest of your body from gangrene, does your arm itself care that it dies?)
It is difficult for Orcs to comprehend that other races do not operate this way. An orcish band that assaults and slaughters a caravan on the road is not doing it out of malice. They may have fun with it, but their primary thoughts are generally along the lines of, "here is a chance for a combat. We should take it -- and whoever ends up the victor deserves to be the victor, whoever loses deserves to cease to live." Combat isn't exactly a 'game,' but it is certainly a competition.
Those very few orcs who follow orcish traditions, and also have any philosophical inclination, consider themselves and their entire race to be furthering the notion of "survival of the fittest" by this behaviour. By engaging in combat "competitions" at every opportunity, they gradually strengthen the entire world. They'd like to think that when all is said and done, Orcs will dominate the other races, but even if this isn't true, Orcs will have played their part by greatly strengthening whoever finally dominates.
The world is a mess, I just need to... rule it.
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3 years ago ::
Feb 17, 2010 - 11:55PM
#38
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Date Joined:
Mar 24, 2007
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42. Dwarves
Dwarves are born at a gender ratio of two males to one females. Due to this imbalance their society has developed into two parts. The first part, too which every dwarf is born into is that of the family. The family is all important in dwarf society and forms the primary building block of their society. A middle-aged male, who has proven himself through mastery of a trade, or a trader, or through martial prowess- basically that he is able to support a family, and is a leader- is approached through a female representative for an arranged marriage to a younger female. The power to arrange marriages gives females an important basis of power since the male with his property then becomes a part of her family. Males not that do not become married remain a part of their mother's family. Females are isolated from other males not of their family. It is considered inappropiate and worse for a female to have contact with males not of their family. Although females have their own spaces to which they are able interact with each other separate from males.
Families act as mini-clans within the larger clans and explain the reasons why Dwarves are so loyal to those within their close daily orbits. And why they make excellent adventuring companions once their mates have been battle-tested.
The second part of their society is that males, once they reach puberty, then are moved into a separate male area where they began their apprenticeships in their trades and military training. In this separate sphere- in which half of them will spend their entire lives- they live in a boisterous comrade where they drink, play practical jokes, and fightl. This is only broken up a half-day a week where they go back to their respective families to spend that time within the cult of motherhood.
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3 years ago ::
Feb 18, 2010 - 12:38AM
#39
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Date Joined:
Jun 14, 2006
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43. Goblins (including bugbears and hobgoblins) have a causual proclivity towards brutality and cruelty. This is especially inhuman because it is not really a choice, as it is with humans. If a human saw a slave drop a platter of food, he could become angry, and then choose to beat/execute that slave. For a goblin, violence is a natural conclusion, with no other real options. When your nose itches, you sneeze; when a servant dipleases you, it dies. Also, in goblin society, there is an absolute lack of social stigma towards this behaviour. In the above example, those who witness the human's barbaric treatment of another human being woud at least ellicit some reaction, be it looking away in disgust but saying nothing for fear of your own life, or cheering out of a genuine appreciation for bloodshed. Among goblins, you would see no more a reaction to this than you would if someone excused himself to go to the restroom.
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3 years ago ::
Feb 18, 2010 - 4:59AM
#40
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42. Dwarves
Dwarves are born at a gender ratio of two males to one females. Due to this imbalance their society has developed into two parts. The first part, too which every dwarf is born into is that of the family. The family is all important in dwarf society and forms the primary building block of their society. A middle-aged male, who has proven himself through mastery of a trade, or a trader, or through martial prowess- basically that he is able to support a family, and is a leader- is approached through a female representative for an arranged marriage to a younger female. The power to arrange marriages gives females an important basis of power since the male with his property then becomes a part of her family. Males not that do not become married remain a part of their mother's family. Females are isolated from other males not of their family. It is considered inappropiate and worse for a female to have contact with males not of their family. Although females have their own spaces to which they are able interact with each other separate from males.
Families act as mini-clans within the larger clans and explain the reasons why Dwarves are so loyal to those within their close daily orbits. And why they make excellent adventuring companions once their mates have been battle-tested.
The second part of their society is that males, once they reach puberty, then are moved into a separate male area where they began their apprenticeships in their trades and military training. In this separate sphere- in which half of them will spend their entire lives- they live in a boisterous comrade where they drink, play practical jokes, and fightl. This is only broken up a half-day a week where they go back to their respective families to spend that time within the cult of motherhood.
nicely thought out. Doesn't in any way match my vision of the dwarves, but that's not really the point, is it? :D
I've just never liked the whole "dwarven women are rare" thing. right along with dwarven bearded women.
gah....I had thoughts for this thread, but it's 5am and they have escaped me. hopefully, I'll manage to catch them again later...
More sex and gender equality and racial equality shouldn't even be an argument--it should simply be an assumption for any RPG that wants to stay relevant in the 21st century.
I could say anything in D&D is silly though, because it's a silly game and we are silly people.
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