Ok, before we get started, I want to explain my use of the term “race”. I realize that it is no longer really used in anthropological texts, however, each of the races on Domibia were literally created by their god or goddess about 1000 years prior to the current setting of the game. So, in addition to the dictionary definition “a group of tribes or peoples forming an ethnic lineage” there is also a real “differentness” to each of the races even though many can interbreed with no difficulty. I also have different attribute modifiers for female and male members of certain races where sexual dimorphism is more noticeable. This can be ignored if you don’t feel it necessary, but it should be at least used for NPC’s.
So, that said, here is my first racial write-up.
I decided to start off with one of the less difficult races to sort of get my toes wet with how I want to present this.
The Antente
The Antenté are a culture devoted to beauty and entertainment. Unfortunately only the aristocracy has the time and money available to fully enjoy this way of life.
Society is highly stratified, with only a small chance of upward mobility. At the top are the nobility who are a hereditary class and who own the bulk of the land and money. There is a small middle class, which is made up of civil servants, skilled artisans, athletes, artists and merchants. Members of the middle class can live quite comfortably; but theirs is not a hereditary position. This simply means that the mayor of a small town will not pass this title on to his son. The bulk of the population is farmers, with craftsmen and small business owners making up the rest of the population.
Their diety is named Rianté
Their language is called Wansi and the analog is archaic French.
What does that even mean, you may ask. As I mentioned earlier, I am not up to the task of creating dozens of fictional languages so I use analogs so that players and GM’s have a guide to naming characters and NPC’s. In the case of “archaic French” just use slightly more flowery language of the type you would use for English aristocracy during the 1700’s (and assume it is in French/Wansi).
They average 5’7″ & 130 lbs. They have fair to olive skin and tend to be fair-haired. Their eyes are light or dark depending on skin tone. Olive skinned individuals usually have dark eyes, while light skinned individuals have green or bluish eyes.
Here are their attributes in SAFUG to use as a benchmark:
STR 10
SIZ 11 1d4+1d3+7
HLT 10
AGL 10
DEX 10
SPD 10
INT 10
ESS 10
SAN 10
PER 10
WILL 10
LUCK 10
EDU 5 1d6+2
APP 12 +1d4
CHA 10
SIZ tells us that they have an average SIZ of 11 which puts them in the range for 5’7″ and 130 lbs.
The Education attribute is biased towards modern characters (like the attribute of the same name in Call of Cthulhu). The lower than normal EDU is more a representation of a lack of interest in intellectual pursuits than in a lack of brainpower. Since many important skills, such as architecture and medicine, require education, those who are inclined towards such professions are well paid by the aristocracy.
The Antenté are genetically more likely to be attractive (by human standards) than the norm because their deity prefers attractive people.
In GURPS there isn’t a large amount that needs to be done. All four attributes (ST, DX, IQ & HT) are all default human 10’s, as are the secondary characteristics. So in GURPS terms here is what we have
Antenté
Advantages: Attractive [4]
Disadvantages: Illiterate [-3]
For a grand total of 1 point for the racial package.
For Savage Worlds it is a little more involved.
Being Illiterate is a Minor Hindrance, that is fairly straightforward. The Attractive Edge seems like it represents a more attractive person than just the bump of +2 (average on the SAFUG +1d4). So I am not sure that I would grant every member of the race the Attractive Edge. Then again, if you wanted to play a plainer Antenté you could simply forgo the Edge and use the point elsewhere.
domibia 