It's A Duck Blur...

[Afgncaap5]

tl;dr - Trying to find usable info for the "duck people" race from Italy.

---

So... I may have mentioned to a friend that I was aware of the fact that, in Italy, the popularity of DuckTales (or, perhaps more accurately, the Carl Barks Duck stable of characters often associated with DuckTales including Donald's zany super-hero alter-ego) led to there being an actual Barksian Duck race in roleplaying games.

My friend is suddenly interested in playing one of these things in our D&D 3.5 game. I mentioned that I wasn't sure what game they came from exactly, and that even if I found stats that could translate well to 3.5 I wasn't sure if they'd be in English, and he wasn't dissuaded. So... looking it up I'm seeing the name "Anka" popping up, and the name "Glorantha" popping up, and lots of fan art of really gruff, rough-and-tumble knights and explorers, but I'm finding very little that looks like actual data.

So would anyone happen to know what game these duck creatures hail from? I'm guessing it won't be as easy as "Hey, yeah, this website has a d20 conversion for them that's totally valid under the OGL and available for 3.5 use, plus it's well balanced and in English", but I'd like a little more data before I start flying blind homebrewing something myself.

Spoiler: Don't read this...

Show

Bmm-BMM Bmm-BMM Bmm-BMM Bmm-bm-BMM
Life is like a hurricane, here in Duckburg
Racecars, lasers, aeroplanes, it's a duck blur
Might solve a myst'ry, or rewrite hist'ry!
DuckTales, Woo-oo!
Everyday that I've been making
DuckTales, Woo-oo!
There's no case to big, no case too small
When you need help just call
ch-ch-ch-chip and dale, Rescue Rangers
ch-ch-chip and dale, when there's danger!
DuckTales! Woo-oo!

[caden_varn]

Runequest has humanoid ducks, imaginatively called 'ducks'. I assume they persist into the latest edition, but they were definitely in my 3rd Ed rules from the 90s.

There was a thread in the other rpg forum by 2d8hp about the latest edition - if that is still live, you may be able to ask there.
No idea if there is a D&D version of them anywhere.

[Eldan]

I think the first question to ask would be how are the Ducks actually different from humans, other than not needing pants? They mostly seem to act exactly like humans, while not displaying any characteristics of ducks (flight, swimming).

[rax]

To the best of my knowledge, ducks as a playable character race originated in Runequest (RQ), specifically the Glorantha setting. They're still in the latest edition.

"Anka" is Swedish for duck and ducks were also available as a playable race in the RPG "Drakar och Demomer" (DoD), the number one RPG in Sweden during the eighties. It was a BRP based system, the same as RQ, so the designers had no trouble porting over creatures from Glorantha. In DoD, ducks ended up colour coded - white, brown, and black, IIRC. They split into pirates, merchants, and some other occupation - I forget which - based on colour. They may also have had slightly varied stats.

In RQ/Glorantha, ducks are much smaller than the average human and have lower strength but higher dexterity. Otherwise their stats are the same. They can also swim much better than humans and hold their breath underwater for longer. They mostly live amongst humans and adopt the local gods and culture as their own. The actual origins of ducks is unknown/disputed. Ducks claim they used to rule the world until their own sins forced them to become subservient to lesser races; others say they were made flightless for betraying the sun god and following his rival. Ducks are often quite cowardly.

Visually, ducks have often been portrayed in the same style as Disney/Carl Barks, especially in DoD. In Glorantha, there have been attempts over the years to give them a more natural and "serious" look, but that can't really erase the fact that their inclusion in Glorantha is basically for fun. Greg Stafford and co were/are big fans of the wacky and outlandish (see also the walktapus, jack o' bear, and baboons).

[LibraryOgre]

Spoiler: Don't read this...

Show

Bmm-BMM Bmm-BMM Bmm-BMM Bmm-bm-BMM
Life is like a hurricane, here in Duckburg
Racecars, lasers, aeroplanes, it's a duck blur
Might solve a myst'ry, or rewrite hist'ry!
DuckTales, Woo-oo!
Everyday that I've been making
DuckTales, Woo-oo!
There's no case to big, no case too small
When you need help just call
ch-ch-ch-chip and dale, Rescue Rangers
ch-ch-chip and dale, when there's danger!
DuckTales! Woo-oo!

Ok, first of all, this is cursed.

Secondly, however, I tend to agree with everyone else... unless you've got something particularly Ducklike or specific you want to do with your Barksian Ducks, just make them humans who don't wear pants but do have feathers.

[denthor]

Let say first and foremost you ninja ed me in your first post with spoiler.

2. Congratulations on getting a moderator to comment on something they are burry about but not locking the thread.

[Hand_of_Vecna]

Secondly, however, I tend to agree with everyone else... unless you've got something particularly Ducklike or specific you want to do with your Barksian Ducks, just make them humans who don't wear pants but do have feathers.

I think they're small sized the anthropomorphic dogs tower over them and most buildings seem to have doors sized to accommodate the dogs. Though launch pad and a few others are also really big so maybe they need options for both? +dex -str for small, +con, -? for medium.

Other than that they probably fall close to humans, they fill all roles in their society so a feat of choice doesn't seem unreasonable. It could also reasonably be restricted to luck feats or replaced with a reroll ability which would also be good in any walk of life while fitting the adventurer/explorers we're most familiar with.

I thought about saying something about extra skill points, but instead I think that Junior Woodchuck is a similar class to Factotum.

[LibraryOgre]

Let say first and foremost you ninja ed me in your first post with spoiler.

2. Congratulations on getting a moderator to comment on something they are burry about but not locking the thread.

Cursed does not mean against the rules.

[Segev]

Isn't there both the "anthropomorphic" template and a Duck animal written up somewhere?

[Xuc Xac]

So, are we all just going to act like "Duckburg" rhymes with "duck blur"? I'm not sure how much longer I can keep living this lie.

[ngilop]

So, are we all just going to act like "Duckburg" rhymes with "duck blur"? I'm not sure how much longer I can keep living this lie.

Yes.. because one us supposed to over enounciate the ur in burg and not so much the G.


plus.. why go off into chip and dalke rescue rangers instead of This is what is truly mystifying to me. It sends me right into a tailspin...

[Afgncaap5]

Thanks for the replies, all!

I'll dive into Runescape and just see what it looks like. Doubt it'll effect what I give to the player too much, but I like being informed.

Regarding the anthropomorphic template: is that in Savage Species? I technically bought that book ages ago, but haven't been able to find it in, well, ages. As it is, either a human or a homebrew almost-human is probably what I'll do.

As for the cursed song: it was almost much longer and featured lyrics to Bonkers, Goof Troop, Darkwing Duck, Tailspin, and more, but I decided I was dabbling in song mashups beyond my ken.

[LibraryOgre]

So, are we all just going to act like "Duckburg" rhymes with "duck blur"? I'm not sure how much longer I can keep living this lie.

It's what gets called a half-rhyme... not quite a rhyme, but close enough you can keep moving.

plus.. why go off into chip and dalke rescue rangers instead of This is what is truly mystifying to me. It sends me right into a tailspin...

I described Tale Spin to my wife and she did not believe it was real.

[Algeh]

So, are we all just going to act like "Duckburg" rhymes with "duck blur"? I'm not sure how much longer I can keep living this lie.

It's what gets called a half-rhyme... not quite a rhyme, but close enough you can keep moving.

I just want to know how long they spent and what else they tried before they said FINE! IT'S A DUCK BLUR! and moved on.

I described Tale Spin to my wife and she did not believe it was real.

I think it's a great example of a show that the more you try to explain about the premise the less anyone will believe you (while we're discussing 90's TV, I also feel this way about Kindred: The Embraced). I also kind of want to know how that pitch meeting went and at what point it first seemed to make sense to have characters from The Jungle Book start flying seaplanes.

[LibraryOgre]

I think it's a great example of a show that the more you try to explain about the premise the less anyone will believe you (while we're discussing 90's TV, I also feel this way about Kindred: The Embraced). I also kind of want to know how that pitch meeting went and at what point it first seemed to make sense to have characters from The Jungle Book start flying seaplanes.

Kindred: The Embraced made sense at the time, as much as the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon did... it was something in the zeitgeist that could be exploited as a popular media title. IIRC, K:E didn't break any real ground on special effects, so it was mostly an action soap opera that had some supernatural elements, and rode on the popularity of vampires in general and Vampire, in specific.

I have to wonder if TaleSpin didn't get pitched as a different idea (possibly involving just sea planes and sky pirates), then got co-opted into the Disney Afternoon with Baloo and King Louis taking the place of other characters to follow on the success of Duck Tales (to bring it around to Duckburg). You had a familiar face in Baloo, Shere Khan made a great villain, and jettisonning Mowgli (and subbing in Kit) simplified things a bit by removing any humans from the equation.

[Joe the Rat]

TaleSpin: Jungle Book Diesel Punk Sky Pirates. The setting alone is pure gold.

Shere Khan is more of a setting feature than villain - sometimes antagonistic, sometimes aligned, always there is the most Carnegie way possible.

Regarding the anthropomorphic template: is that in Savage Species?

Pretty sure it is. If you find yourself with an LA or race levels at the end, you're probably doing something seriously wrong.

Given 'em a racial swim bonus and call it a day.

[Segev]

TaleSpin: Jungle Book Diesel Punk Sky Pirates. The setting alone is pure gold.

Shere Khan is more of a setting feature than villain - sometimes antagonistic, sometimes aligned, always there is the most Carnegie way possible.

Shere Khan is what Lex Luthor wants to be when he grows up.

[Hand_of_Vecna]

I just want to know how long they spent and what else they tried before they said FINE! IT'S A DUCK BLUR! and moved on.

I always assumed the line was inspired by the clip of one of the boys walking into a force field (and getting blurry) that accompanies it in the opening. I think they were trying to write a song which justified using as many of the most dynamic scenes from the first season as possible.

[Spore]

Problem is likely that ducks are among the most mundane and boring animals and mythology did not take up the 'duty' to insert many duck persons into actual folklore.

I just know the ugly duckling and one other fairy tale even dealing with ducks, and the second one was actually using a swan (as a symbol of beauty)... so uhm, yeah. Sources are gonna be limited. Maybe Aesop has something written up.

I think the initial two things that sparked the choice towards ducks (it could've been any old animal) was the ties to maritime culture (Donald) and ducks like many birds collecting shiny things (Scrooge). So they should be wayfarers, pirates and sailors. Probably Dex +2, Con +2 and Wis -2, bonus to swim, appraise and profession (sailor) checks, able to hold their breath for double the amount of time.

[Aasimar]

They are practically human.

I'd say they are small size, with a dex bonus, and probably a modest bonus to swimming. MAYBE swim speed, but not water breathing or anything, double the time they can hold their breath

[LibraryOgre]

They are practically human.

I'd say they are small size, with a dex bonus, and probably a modest bonus to swimming. MAYBE swim speed, but not water breathing or anything, double the time they can hold their breath

They must have a substantial swim bonus... Scrooge can pull one hell of an epic swim check.