Stone elves have white skin, pointed ears, and black lips. Their legends claim that they were once carefree and selfish elves who were magically cursed, but they now accept their lives as an improvement over the emotion that had previously led to their ruin.
Stone elves show no emotion, and have the appearance of being eternally calm. Their
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discipline and their mental strength have madeit possible to suppress or rid a stone elf of such a burden.
On average, stone elves live to be approxi- mately 1200 years old, and as such they have a different view on matters than humans and other short-lived races. Patience is easier to learn for them, and it is a common belief that most con- flicts resolve themselves with time.
Few stone elves experience the desire to leave their home community, but often the quest for knowledge takes one all over the lands. These quests can take several hundred years.
Most stone elves follow the career path of one parent, with the goal of contributing to the community as a whole.
The specifics of a stone elf society will differ, however it is always based upon a logi- cal format. Typically, the culture will arrange itself into houses and elders, which can man- age parts of the community rather than every issue requiring the attention of every adult; this particularly happens in any stone elf commu- nity that reaches any real size.
Marriages are carefully considered, and require compatible traits and logical reasons for the pairing that can work to the couple’s ad- vantage their entire lives. This is essential, be- cause during the marriage, the two bond men- tally in a way that can never be broken.
Role-playing a stone elf is no easy task; in fact, it is probably the hardest race to play. It can be mentally draining to watch yourself for any sign of emotion and repress it.
Stone elves have a natural affinity for ce- lestial magic and make excellent celestial cast- ers. Although there are of course healers in their society, most stone elf casters are celestial.
Stone elves, like biata, have spent years honing mental skills and as such can perform certain mental mind abilities. These abilities are all completely role-playing in nature. For more information about these skills, see “Mental Abilities” on page 74.
Stone elves start off with one less Body Point. They pay half price for Archery but can- not purchase the skills Two Handed Blunt or
Two Handed Sword. They can purchase the skills Resist Command and Break Command.
Wylderkin
“Wylderkin” is a generic term used for any character creature not covered by the other races. They are humanoids with animal-like characteristics (rat, badger, skunk, snake, etc.). A wylderkin cannot be based on a fictional crea- ture (no dragon, centaur, or goblin wylderkin). Players are free to use their imagination in creating a wylderkin as long as makeup is worn and it is obvious that the player is not playing another player race. (For example, you cannot be a “cat” wylderkin because there would be no way out-of-game to differentiate you from a sarr.)
Wylderkin do not refer to themselves as such; instead they tend to use the suffix “kin” to whatever animal to which they are related: raccoon-kin, bear-kin, fox-kin, and so on.
The most important part of role-playing a wylderkin is in understanding the animal type you are emulating. Do research; look up the qualities of the creature, and find ways to in- corporate that into your role-play. Some ani- mals are cunning, some are slow-witted, some are solitary, some live in groups, some are noc- turnal, some are playful.
Although survival is a core element of wylderkin role-play, different animals survive using different tactics. A wolf-kin is very likely to enjoy cooperating with others to bring down prey, for example. A rabbit-kin runs and hides when in danger, while an armadillo-kin hunkers down and relies upon his or her armor.
Due to their lack of a social structure, wylderkin tend to look for security within them- selves or perhaps within a small group of com- panions. They are likely to make little patterns of behavior concerning themselves or their group in order to gain a sense of belonging and stability. The patterns and habits often make no sense to other people, but are comforting to the wylderkin.
There are certain aspects of wylderkin that are consistent, however. Due to their solitary outcast natures, they are very uncivilized. This does not mean they are rude and obnoxious; simply that civilization is unfamiliar to them. Money seems highly artificial and social struc- tures more complex than “I can beat you up, so do what I say” seem nonsensical.
Wylderkin are survivalists. Their bottom line is living from day to day, not gathering im- mense wealth or political power, or other things that people whose basic needs are looked after can contemplate. To the typical wylderkin, people from organized cultures are out of touch with what is really important; if such civilized folk fell into bad circumstances, and were not supported by their artificial network, they would
starve and die. A wylderkin can always survive. Wylderkin possess a special advantage over the other races. A wylderkin can purchase two racial abilities accessible to any other race (as long as these skills require a Build Cost; in other words, they can’t buy “mental abilities” or “half cost for archery”). This means no two wylderkin, even of the same kin, are necessar- ily alike.
There are limitations: The racial skills must be announced and placed in the character data- base at the time the character is created, and the skills must make sense based on the type of wylderkin being played. For example, a mon- key wylderkin may wish to purchase a Racial
Dodge; a snake wylderkin a Resist Poison; an owl wylderkin a Resist Command; a polar bear wylderkin a Resist Element.
This choice can be vetoed by your game’s Plot Committee if it is inappropriate, and other Alliance games have the right to refuse your character’s skills if they are not reasonable.
All racial skills chosen by the wylderkin have the same limitations as their associated race. If a racial skill can only be bought once by any race, then it can only be bought once by a wylderkin as well. For instance, Racial Dodge can only be purchased once by a hobling; there- fore, it can only be purchased once by a wylder- kin.
As they do not have the upbringing and education of other races, wylderkin must pay double cost for Read and Write and Read
Magic.
Wylderkin also have “Scenting Ability.” After examining a substance for a minimum of three seconds, a wylderkin can detect whether the substance is alchemical in nature. This skill will not determine the identity of the substance.
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Classes
ClassesClasses
Classes
Classes
Classes are used to describe your character’s natural talents. This may or may not have anything to do with your character’s pro- fession—for example, not all rogues are thieves and not all scholars are spellcasters.
Your own physical characteristics and abilities need not match those of your chosen character but it can help you in your adventur- ing career if your actual physical skills are con- gruent with your character’s fantasy skills. Still, you are encouraged to “be all that you can’t be” in the Alliance.
The three main classes are Fighter, Rogue, and Scholar. Then there are the three hybrid classes: Scout is a cross between Fighter and Rogue, Adept is a cross between Rogue and Scholar, and Templar is a cross between Scholar and Fighter. Finally, there is Artisan which is a class all by itself.
Choosing which class you wish to play should be based upon what skills you wish to purchase, as your class is out-of-game.
Classes
Fighter: Fighters take naturally to the physical combat arts and rely mainly on strength and stamina to accomplish their goals. They can wear any type of armor and can learn a number of interesting battle skills to aid them with their chosen weapons. If being on the frontline and bashing in the enemy is what you want, this class will give you the most power to accom- plish that goal.
Scout: The swashbuckling Scout can learn both fighting and rogue skills easily and so tends
to become an expert at damage from any direc- tion. They may not be able to do as much as Fighters and Rogues at their level but versatality can make up for that. Scouts can avail them- selves of skills available to rogues at a reason- able price and at the same time learn basic fight- ing skills which can be useful, making them a threat from front and back.
Rogue: Rogues have a natural bent to- wards dexterity based skills. The lower Body Points, lighter armor and relatively high costs for combat skills does not make them well suited for front line combat roles, but Rogues always find a way to make up for this injustice. If you wish to play a sneaky, backstabbing, and cun- ning character, this is the class for you.
Adept: When it comes to skills required to get a task done, the Adept is most likely to use the fastest and most expedient means avail- able. Their ability to cast spells, use alchemy, backstab, and use many other skills makes them very, well, adept in adventuring. They are most successful when using a combination of spell- casting and backstabbing.
Scholar: Scholars are good at many men- tal skills and the magical arts. You will find Scholars in the midst of battle throwing their spells, on the outskirts healing those in need, and deep in study in the guilds researching ar- cane texts and documents. Scholars cannot wear heavy armor, and weapon skills are difficult for them, but for sheer spell power, none can com- pare.
Templar: Templars are spellcasting fight- ers who can use a weapon as easily as they can throw a spell. Their combat training leaves them better able to fight but takes away from their
studies. Spells are a bit harder for them than Scholars and weapons a bit harder for them than Fighters, but at higher levels, Templars are a good match for either of those two classes.
Artisan: The Artisan class is exception- ally tuned to the manufacturing and sale of trade items. The Artisan has power not through spells or weapons but through wealth. Artisans do not excel in weapon use or spellcasting, but can be excellent merchants, craftsmen, and pure alche- mists.