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Roleplaying One Race As Another
Topic Started: Aug 2 2012, 12:35 AM (218 Views)
Inlaa
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Prime
[ *  * ]
Just to check, since I know it's alright to roleplay a Halfling as a Kender, is it likewise alright to roleplay, say, a gnome as a human that has stunted height? AKA: A dwarf? (And not the fantasy kind of dwarf?)

I just figured I'd ask. This may or may not be because a Deep Gnome Stalwart Defender looked appealing to me.
An exercise in lack of restraint:

http://i.chzbgr.com/completestore/2012/3/1...24e693c9cf5.jpg
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Cadence
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"Act. Do. Be." -Factol Rhys of the Transcendent Order
Dungeon Master
As long as you're not RPing a regular race as a special race (eg: a tiefling as a half-fiend), then you should be fine :D
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MirielKanan
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You could also create a human and ask to have his height adjusted.
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MadPorthos
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Playtesting Gremlin
Tester
We also had a period of time here before special races where one was welcome to make something that roughly approximated a creature, with the basic game and if we could manage it, it would not be considered "fake" or a lie. My own example of this, from before special races, was Animal, a former slave half orc, half firbolg.

From his mother he inherited the ability of minor shape alteration... not shape changing like Firbolg, but at least the ability to become smaller, like near human size, or be large sized. That was done with persistent enlarge person, as well as normal and enlarge person as the character was levelling up. He had been a barbarian cleric and one of his domains allowed enlarge person. This character always amused me to play and still amuses me, so I bring him about occasionally.

Recently I was accused of lying about being a half firbolg though, by a rude fellow player. I wasn't bugged by this, though I do find it suspicious that he or she also dropped a few dispels and a mordenkainen on me in game and as one character who has a particular dislike of orcs, spent a bit of time glowering about me. I personally referred him to Warchief Vorgazar if he's got a problem with me, he'll Lurve Vorgy.

Anyhow, yes, it's true... the character is only a Half Orc, largest size scale, who persistently walks around enlarged. Have fun trying to dispel it, just means I chose to shrink down to your level. The character is what he says, as are a few others I think around the server that are grandfathered in. However, if someone now decided to arbitrarily decide that they were going to play a half giant, I imagine a different process would be in order and likely it would be an ECL race, with major ECL penalty, but also advantages my character simply doesn't have. It also would require specific approval. One wouldn't end up doing what I did back then, now - though I suppose you can still claim anything you want in character, I'm sure.
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ManyFaced
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Choosy testers choose Jif.
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Inlaa,Aug 1 2012
08:35 PM
Just to check, since I know it's alright to roleplay a Halfling as a Kender, is it likewise alright to roleplay, say, a gnome as a human that has stunted height? AKA: A dwarf? (And not the fantasy kind of dwarf?)

I just figured I'd ask. This may or may not be because a Deep Gnome Stalwart Defender looked appealing to me.

I've seen some more out there things done without special races, though I'm not sure how kosher they were. I think the general thing is if the power/ability/etc isn't on your sheet/race/class (Such as PNP spells, homebrew/non-special races, etc) you need consent for all involved to use it (DM obviously if there's an even).
"Can everyone try just, reading what the DM writes? I think that'd be a good first step."
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Ceremorph
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Dark Mistress of the Toolset
Admin
My own opinion of it has to do with what you're playing as. You want your human to be Vasharran, or to play one of the countless odd offshoots of elves and dwarves, that's fine. On the other hand, saying your halfling character is really a shapechanged gold dragon (especially if you expect to RP out things like breathing fire) would probably not be a good idea.

And yes, if you are playing something non-standard that was not vetted through our Special Race Request system, what your character sheet says is what's going to apply. Once in an event I allowed an Ogre Mage character to use his innate fly ability, for instance; had that character simply made an Ogre and claimed to be an Ogre Mage, I would not have allowed it.

Also, that does bring up one of my personal pet peeves: if there's something non-standard about your character (an aquatic elf is going to have telltale signs, for instance), put something in your description about it. Nothing quite so annoying as talking with a new character who has no description, and getting a "no, that's not right, his entire body is covered with ritualistic tattoos and he has bright purple ears!" after an emote...
We rode on the winds of the rising storm,
We ran to the sounds of the thunder.
We danced among the lightning bolts,
and tore the world asunder.
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Inlaa
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Prime
[ *  * ]
So, Ceremorph, does that opinion only reflect your own, or is that the general agreement of the Administration in general?

I ask because, while it's easily understandable in some cases - acting a lower-powered race as something higher-powered -, I want to make sure it applies in the opposite case as well (again, in my situation, wanting to roleplay a svirfneblin, LA+3, as a stunted human). Here, I'm not trying to attain any sort of power, nor would I ask to avoid mechanics such as "bane against gnomes" on weapons; I just enjoy the roleplay behind the concept and, well, haven't stayed here the three weeks to request a concept that I think can easily be roleplayed using a non-human race as a human.
An exercise in lack of restraint:

http://i.chzbgr.com/completestore/2012/3/1...24e693c9cf5.jpg
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Agony_Aunt
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Get a Life
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I'm with Cere, although an admin would have to give the final word.

I've created characters who were not what they said on their character sheets, but mainly just humanoid variants, noting that would be considered like a special race.

Suppose the closest was my cat lady (using the cat head model), but there again, she was human but enchanted with cat traits, all her people were cursed by a sorceress to take on attributes of animals.... was most fun to play as i played her very cat like, including telling other characters they should not mope around when they are in love, but cry at the top of their voices to attract a mate. :D
Stepped down as admin, but still lurking.
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Ceremorph
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Dark Mistress of the Toolset
Admin
Actually, making a Svirf and calling it a human while dealing with the highest base race LA is sort of the reverse of any issues I could foresee. I'd see no problem at that, but I would recommend saying something in the description so everybody doesn't just walk up and call you a Svirf because that's what your model looks like.

Where the problem arises is people doing it in the other direction. "My dwarf is a miniature fire giant!" or "My lizardman is actually the tarrasque, just shrunken and with amnesia!"
We rode on the winds of the rising storm,
We ran to the sounds of the thunder.
We danced among the lightning bolts,
and tore the world asunder.
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cryptc
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Advisor
Admin
We generally allow people to roleplay as different things within reason (shapechanged gold dragon was a good example of taking it too far)

As an example, I once had a human character that was captured and experimented on by a mage, and I rebuild him as a pureblood rdd build to simulate both his new mutated looks (purebloods look awful lol) and his enhanced strength etc...

A diminutive human being done as say a gnome isn't a big deal, but like the others said, make sure the description says it clearly, and if going deep gnome you should have some logical reason for their special powers (atleast the spell resistance, since that's not something a normal human would have).
"One of the most curious statements I've seen on this list is that PlaneScape is a logical world. I must have erred. I was trying to create a world that defied logic." - David 'Zeb' Cook
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Inlaa
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Prime
[ *  * ]
Is there a way to have my bio edited, then? It's not clear what my character is (I made him), only that he "doesn't seem quite gnomish." I'd like to change his biography a bit to make it clear that, while he may be confused for a gnome, he has distinctly human qualities.
An exercise in lack of restraint:

http://i.chzbgr.com/completestore/2012/3/1...24e693c9cf5.jpg
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cryptc
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Advisor
Admin
To get bio edited add it here and we'll try to get around to it sooner or later: http://z13.invisionfree.com/nwn2planescape...p?showtopic=861
"One of the most curious statements I've seen on this list is that PlaneScape is a logical world. I must have erred. I was trying to create a world that defied logic." - David 'Zeb' Cook
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