imp_fireball
2009-11-01, 01:14 AM
Flavor has been known to be re-packaged in variants of the tolkien races again and again since the dawn of time.
In hopes of presenting humble home brewers a new flavor, I'll run through those that commonly exist already.
The Wizards - The universe is infinitely complicated. We don't know everything. If we did, we'd be full-time gods, duh! And yet everyone thinks we do. When you are on top, you feel an awful lot like the parents of children. Put that in Gandalf's pipe and smoke it! If he lets you of course.
The wizards know a heck of a lot about the world. Probably everything. Or probably not. Who knows? They're wizards. In fantasy, wizards are almost always the result of magic, or workers of magic - because magic gets you everywhere. Psionics are too in-born, technology takes too much blood sweat and tears, but magic can be studied and wrought! In some cases they are a species, but more often than not they are a sect of nigh-immortal practitioners of 'the arts'. Wizards typically know everything every other party knows and may be concerned with a variety of things, whether it be universal balance, the sanctity of knowledge, the conservation of long time friends in the neighborhood, or simply maintaining their position of rule. Evil wizards typically already rule or are hiding away and waiting to usurp some existing sect. Wizards are typically 'background' in a plot for they are not faced with as many challenges of 'commoners' - and yet they have infinite capacity to regard them all. Tolkien Reference: Saruman and Gandalf
The Commoner - Don't poke us! Please? We're just trying to survive here. Jerk.
Humans are the bread and butter of commoners because we relate to them. They're weak and pathetic but populous because it's 'easy' to be weak and pathetic. Commoners will only rise up to a challenge if faced directly, or be extinct. Suicide rates in commoners are probably higher than any other flavor. Tolkien Reference: Frodo and Sam (who are ironically, not human).
The Agents - We know everything. Well, almost everything. Our jobs pay more, our cars are fancier, our wives are hotter. We're better than you! What's that? You want information about mysteries man has grovelled at for centuries? Connections that will net you fame and respect? You can have it if we like you.
The agents are the communicators. They know almost everything about the world (although The Wizards acknowledge the finite details). Agents usually place themselves in a great position of power and occupy hard to reach or incredibly beautiful lands not necessarily rich in natural resources of any kind (but are pretty; think of the glossy commercials you see on TV) and will not war directly, either because they do not desire war, are in 'no position' or are 'too stubborn'. Only the most confident will war with agents. Usually this will result in an unleashing of 'agent fury' which only the most confident can oppose; often the same SOBs who aren't afraid to oppose everyone else as well. Elves are typically agents as are the mysteries of all fey and nature (which elves usually associate with for obvious reasons). Agents are usually good or neutral. If by rare chance they are evil, then they are probably the scariest thing the good guys will lay eyes upon - they will murder your entire family line, but not for no reason! It's usually because of something that's 'an environmentally big deal' like brushing that chip on their shoulder by accident. Because Wizards pretty much everything there is to comprehend about Agents, Agents and Wizards are 'friends' (although the relationship can be however awkward you choose to make it). Tolkien Reference: Elron, Tom Bombadil and Aragorn.
The Piss of the World - Hey, we're trying to survive too. It's just that we're better at it than you guys. That's why we won that war, remember?
The Piss of the World is everything that can easily be related to the political atmosphere and ordnance of international territorial distribution in real life. Like commoners, they are typically human or comprise nations, alliances, and war bands of multiple species. They are the bulk of civilization and 'mundane culture'. They are the middle ground. Commoners are usually immediately aware of them. They themselves know more than Commoners but are deemed 'ignorant', usually for being more mortal than the other guy. They have existed for a while but not as long as The Agents. If the Piss is successful enough, it stops being piss and becomes an Agent. Tolkien Reference: Boromir, Gondor, and pretty much all of man, including the Numenorians.
The Day Dwellers - What? Did you say something? Sorry I must have not been listening, because this piece of rock I'm staring at is more interesting than you'll ever be.
Day Dwellers are what you get when you have the Piss of the World study and learn for generations. If the world is 'too scary', they will lock themselves away from it in superior, nigh unbreakable fortresses wrought from their advanced knowledge. If the world is willing to welcome them, they will trade with the world, usually raising the standard of living of Commoners everywhere. Day Dwellers are ignorant of a lot of things, but have nigh unfathomable knowledge of certain finite details only a Wizard could be relied on for. Day Dwellers favor resource-rich, defend-able lands and anything that will allow them to pursue their interests in even further detail. Day Dwellers are boring at face value and fascinating to those whom seek specific knowledge without having to interrogate a wizard. Day Dwellers are usually mortal, and if not, then they're gods with only a handful of worshipers of specificity and the art of having a hobby that no commoner will ever comprehend unless they have a lot of time on their hands. Day Dwellers are usually neutral, because their entire lives revolve around increasing their net worth by whatever means. Tolkien Reference: Every Dwarf. Gimli proudly flaunts the fact that he is one (even in the books).
The Obsessed - Get out of the way! You're blocking my view of what's important in life. I'm sorry if you don't see that.
The Obsessed occupy a certain odd niche that is actually quite rare for a species in common fantasy, despite its existence in the Tolkien world. No, they are not Day Dwellers, but individuals with only one or two desires (no, not three) that drive their lives. Usually this makes them evil, because good guys care about other things like people's feelings. Sounds an awful lot like a psychological condition, but its a good formula for writing human evil as opposed to demon evil. Tolkien Reference: Gollum, the Ring Wraiths, and probably Sauron.
The Hot Shots - Staring death in the face can be fun! It tastes a bit like orange flavored ice cream.
The Hot Shots risk it all (in immediate terms, their lives) for small or large gain. Traditionally, this is every neutral aligned adventurer in the world. Few entire species qualify as Hot Shots. They are universally regarded with neutrality although few Hot Shots are evil, unless possession by a demon made them the way they are (and this would be 'Black Evil'). Ironically, Chaotic Neutral is difficult to tolerate for PCs. Even The Wizards can behold awe at the nature of Hot Shots (and they've 'seen everything'). The excitement of adventure works in mysterious ways, one can only presume. Tolkien Reference: Bilbo Baggins.
Dark Lord - And now I shall take everything from you and have it for myself. Quit bothering me about it, it's an old topic.
Dark Lords desire to rule and nothing else. They're that evil breed of Hot Shots that desire power for the challenge. They wish to achieve godhood without first being Wizards. They're the ones that hire and interrogate Wizards. Wizards hate them. Good Dark Lords are visionary Rage and Anger in a savage world. Evil ones want to have everything for themselves because it's fun and are infringing upon the rights of others. Tolkien Reference: Sauron.
The Blackest of the Black - I'm evil because I'm evil because everyone hates me because I'm evil because...
The Blackest of the Black are evil, 'nuff said. Racial misinterpretations aside, this is usually because some Day Dweller decided to mess with dark magic they thought they could control, a Hot Shot felt like juggling nuclear arms, or a Dark Lord decided to become a Dark Lord and has as such become the boogey man of parental scolding tales for children over the past thousand or so years. Horrors of the deep/beyond/over there are typically black as are anything the entirety of the Piss of the World is terrified and very aware of. Tolkien Reference: Sauron and the Orcs.
Rage and Anger - You cut me off in traffic! I'll hit you really hard for that! There can be no other conceivable way to resolve this, because I won't be able to help but think about you for the rest of the day.
Rage and Anger is what the Piss of the World denies they were ever like. Arguably, they have the best law system. They are also evil because they are misunderstood in their savagery, disgusting and generally hate the Piss of the World for being above them. Good Rage and Anger are bad ass, inevitably gray morality heroes, defending the home turf. Evil ones are relentless marauders that can only be culled through a lot of blood. Tolkien Reference: Uruk-hai orcs and trolls alike.
Too Brutal to be Good - We're friends of yours! Care for some human organs? They're served fresh! Don't ignore this offering, it's rude.
Too Brutal to be Good are the Piss of the World that happen to have less moral ethics than the rest. Perhaps their government is a little more totalitarian, their king a little more bratty. Perhaps they were founded on cults that worshiped the Blackest of the Black and somehow survived the foray of Agent fury and/or the backlash that comes with being Black. Tolkien Reference: The Orcs and anything else generally nasty.
Eldritch Evil - *Insert incomprehendable speech followed by translation* We'll devour you! Don't ask why! We'll devour you! Nraahgdable!
The Eldritch Evil is similar to the Blackest of the Black in that is pure evil, but that it is unknown. Typically demons of the abyss that can't be glimpsed, were never meant to be understood, etc. Tolkien Reference: Barrow Den Wights.
Black Evil - Die kill suffer diediedie mwahahaha! Raaah!
Black Evil is in the eye of the demon. Incalculable violence and anger and death, etc. There is no logic to black evil. Merely that it must be avoided. Tolkien Examples: Barrow Den Wights.
Human Evil - You are an affront to my higher values, sir. Therefore I must remove you.
Human Evil has reason (the why notion) to it, but it still paints the picture of an evil that results in direct conflict. Involving humans directly, this might stir a nation to sudden war, or it might involve a quarreling guild, or it could be insanity wrought violence. Some species are more concerned with violence than others. Tolkien Examples: The Easterlings and other enemy human nations.
Angelic Good - Why must we help you? Because you're the hero, duh.
Angelic Good is the good that helps because it opposes evil. In regards to species, it might concern order in its own plane that must be restored through assisting the material plane. Usually this also helps in allaying the fears of children who frequently have nightmares about The Blackest of the Black (stuff that is genuinely made to scare them) and in some cases Eldritch Evil (monsters under the bed or the misunderstood - the stuff that parents don't tell the kids about). Angelic Good is usually concerned with opposing the former. Tolkien Examples: The elves who chose to assist Frodo.
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What other fantasy flavors are there? I hope I pointed out some flavors that could apply to new home brewed races and that are underused.
That was the purpose of this exercise.
In hopes of presenting humble home brewers a new flavor, I'll run through those that commonly exist already.
The Wizards - The universe is infinitely complicated. We don't know everything. If we did, we'd be full-time gods, duh! And yet everyone thinks we do. When you are on top, you feel an awful lot like the parents of children. Put that in Gandalf's pipe and smoke it! If he lets you of course.
The wizards know a heck of a lot about the world. Probably everything. Or probably not. Who knows? They're wizards. In fantasy, wizards are almost always the result of magic, or workers of magic - because magic gets you everywhere. Psionics are too in-born, technology takes too much blood sweat and tears, but magic can be studied and wrought! In some cases they are a species, but more often than not they are a sect of nigh-immortal practitioners of 'the arts'. Wizards typically know everything every other party knows and may be concerned with a variety of things, whether it be universal balance, the sanctity of knowledge, the conservation of long time friends in the neighborhood, or simply maintaining their position of rule. Evil wizards typically already rule or are hiding away and waiting to usurp some existing sect. Wizards are typically 'background' in a plot for they are not faced with as many challenges of 'commoners' - and yet they have infinite capacity to regard them all. Tolkien Reference: Saruman and Gandalf
The Commoner - Don't poke us! Please? We're just trying to survive here. Jerk.
Humans are the bread and butter of commoners because we relate to them. They're weak and pathetic but populous because it's 'easy' to be weak and pathetic. Commoners will only rise up to a challenge if faced directly, or be extinct. Suicide rates in commoners are probably higher than any other flavor. Tolkien Reference: Frodo and Sam (who are ironically, not human).
The Agents - We know everything. Well, almost everything. Our jobs pay more, our cars are fancier, our wives are hotter. We're better than you! What's that? You want information about mysteries man has grovelled at for centuries? Connections that will net you fame and respect? You can have it if we like you.
The agents are the communicators. They know almost everything about the world (although The Wizards acknowledge the finite details). Agents usually place themselves in a great position of power and occupy hard to reach or incredibly beautiful lands not necessarily rich in natural resources of any kind (but are pretty; think of the glossy commercials you see on TV) and will not war directly, either because they do not desire war, are in 'no position' or are 'too stubborn'. Only the most confident will war with agents. Usually this will result in an unleashing of 'agent fury' which only the most confident can oppose; often the same SOBs who aren't afraid to oppose everyone else as well. Elves are typically agents as are the mysteries of all fey and nature (which elves usually associate with for obvious reasons). Agents are usually good or neutral. If by rare chance they are evil, then they are probably the scariest thing the good guys will lay eyes upon - they will murder your entire family line, but not for no reason! It's usually because of something that's 'an environmentally big deal' like brushing that chip on their shoulder by accident. Because Wizards pretty much everything there is to comprehend about Agents, Agents and Wizards are 'friends' (although the relationship can be however awkward you choose to make it). Tolkien Reference: Elron, Tom Bombadil and Aragorn.
The Piss of the World - Hey, we're trying to survive too. It's just that we're better at it than you guys. That's why we won that war, remember?
The Piss of the World is everything that can easily be related to the political atmosphere and ordnance of international territorial distribution in real life. Like commoners, they are typically human or comprise nations, alliances, and war bands of multiple species. They are the bulk of civilization and 'mundane culture'. They are the middle ground. Commoners are usually immediately aware of them. They themselves know more than Commoners but are deemed 'ignorant', usually for being more mortal than the other guy. They have existed for a while but not as long as The Agents. If the Piss is successful enough, it stops being piss and becomes an Agent. Tolkien Reference: Boromir, Gondor, and pretty much all of man, including the Numenorians.
The Day Dwellers - What? Did you say something? Sorry I must have not been listening, because this piece of rock I'm staring at is more interesting than you'll ever be.
Day Dwellers are what you get when you have the Piss of the World study and learn for generations. If the world is 'too scary', they will lock themselves away from it in superior, nigh unbreakable fortresses wrought from their advanced knowledge. If the world is willing to welcome them, they will trade with the world, usually raising the standard of living of Commoners everywhere. Day Dwellers are ignorant of a lot of things, but have nigh unfathomable knowledge of certain finite details only a Wizard could be relied on for. Day Dwellers favor resource-rich, defend-able lands and anything that will allow them to pursue their interests in even further detail. Day Dwellers are boring at face value and fascinating to those whom seek specific knowledge without having to interrogate a wizard. Day Dwellers are usually mortal, and if not, then they're gods with only a handful of worshipers of specificity and the art of having a hobby that no commoner will ever comprehend unless they have a lot of time on their hands. Day Dwellers are usually neutral, because their entire lives revolve around increasing their net worth by whatever means. Tolkien Reference: Every Dwarf. Gimli proudly flaunts the fact that he is one (even in the books).
The Obsessed - Get out of the way! You're blocking my view of what's important in life. I'm sorry if you don't see that.
The Obsessed occupy a certain odd niche that is actually quite rare for a species in common fantasy, despite its existence in the Tolkien world. No, they are not Day Dwellers, but individuals with only one or two desires (no, not three) that drive their lives. Usually this makes them evil, because good guys care about other things like people's feelings. Sounds an awful lot like a psychological condition, but its a good formula for writing human evil as opposed to demon evil. Tolkien Reference: Gollum, the Ring Wraiths, and probably Sauron.
The Hot Shots - Staring death in the face can be fun! It tastes a bit like orange flavored ice cream.
The Hot Shots risk it all (in immediate terms, their lives) for small or large gain. Traditionally, this is every neutral aligned adventurer in the world. Few entire species qualify as Hot Shots. They are universally regarded with neutrality although few Hot Shots are evil, unless possession by a demon made them the way they are (and this would be 'Black Evil'). Ironically, Chaotic Neutral is difficult to tolerate for PCs. Even The Wizards can behold awe at the nature of Hot Shots (and they've 'seen everything'). The excitement of adventure works in mysterious ways, one can only presume. Tolkien Reference: Bilbo Baggins.
Dark Lord - And now I shall take everything from you and have it for myself. Quit bothering me about it, it's an old topic.
Dark Lords desire to rule and nothing else. They're that evil breed of Hot Shots that desire power for the challenge. They wish to achieve godhood without first being Wizards. They're the ones that hire and interrogate Wizards. Wizards hate them. Good Dark Lords are visionary Rage and Anger in a savage world. Evil ones want to have everything for themselves because it's fun and are infringing upon the rights of others. Tolkien Reference: Sauron.
The Blackest of the Black - I'm evil because I'm evil because everyone hates me because I'm evil because...
The Blackest of the Black are evil, 'nuff said. Racial misinterpretations aside, this is usually because some Day Dweller decided to mess with dark magic they thought they could control, a Hot Shot felt like juggling nuclear arms, or a Dark Lord decided to become a Dark Lord and has as such become the boogey man of parental scolding tales for children over the past thousand or so years. Horrors of the deep/beyond/over there are typically black as are anything the entirety of the Piss of the World is terrified and very aware of. Tolkien Reference: Sauron and the Orcs.
Rage and Anger - You cut me off in traffic! I'll hit you really hard for that! There can be no other conceivable way to resolve this, because I won't be able to help but think about you for the rest of the day.
Rage and Anger is what the Piss of the World denies they were ever like. Arguably, they have the best law system. They are also evil because they are misunderstood in their savagery, disgusting and generally hate the Piss of the World for being above them. Good Rage and Anger are bad ass, inevitably gray morality heroes, defending the home turf. Evil ones are relentless marauders that can only be culled through a lot of blood. Tolkien Reference: Uruk-hai orcs and trolls alike.
Too Brutal to be Good - We're friends of yours! Care for some human organs? They're served fresh! Don't ignore this offering, it's rude.
Too Brutal to be Good are the Piss of the World that happen to have less moral ethics than the rest. Perhaps their government is a little more totalitarian, their king a little more bratty. Perhaps they were founded on cults that worshiped the Blackest of the Black and somehow survived the foray of Agent fury and/or the backlash that comes with being Black. Tolkien Reference: The Orcs and anything else generally nasty.
Eldritch Evil - *Insert incomprehendable speech followed by translation* We'll devour you! Don't ask why! We'll devour you! Nraahgdable!
The Eldritch Evil is similar to the Blackest of the Black in that is pure evil, but that it is unknown. Typically demons of the abyss that can't be glimpsed, were never meant to be understood, etc. Tolkien Reference: Barrow Den Wights.
Black Evil - Die kill suffer diediedie mwahahaha! Raaah!
Black Evil is in the eye of the demon. Incalculable violence and anger and death, etc. There is no logic to black evil. Merely that it must be avoided. Tolkien Examples: Barrow Den Wights.
Human Evil - You are an affront to my higher values, sir. Therefore I must remove you.
Human Evil has reason (the why notion) to it, but it still paints the picture of an evil that results in direct conflict. Involving humans directly, this might stir a nation to sudden war, or it might involve a quarreling guild, or it could be insanity wrought violence. Some species are more concerned with violence than others. Tolkien Examples: The Easterlings and other enemy human nations.
Angelic Good - Why must we help you? Because you're the hero, duh.
Angelic Good is the good that helps because it opposes evil. In regards to species, it might concern order in its own plane that must be restored through assisting the material plane. Usually this also helps in allaying the fears of children who frequently have nightmares about The Blackest of the Black (stuff that is genuinely made to scare them) and in some cases Eldritch Evil (monsters under the bed or the misunderstood - the stuff that parents don't tell the kids about). Angelic Good is usually concerned with opposing the former. Tolkien Examples: The elves who chose to assist Frodo.
--------
What other fantasy flavors are there? I hope I pointed out some flavors that could apply to new home brewed races and that are underused.
That was the purpose of this exercise.