Pulpify Demi-humans

[foxroe]

...and I don't mean feeding them into a wood chipper.

I'm toying around with some pulp-style campaign setting ideas, but demi-humans have me stumped. I realize that they were an addition to the game to cover the tastes of the Tolkien crowd and they aren't generally associated with pulp fantasy, but surely it's possible. I just keep hitting a creative block when I think about it.

So I'm looking for ideas or suggestions. I'd like to keep the racial abilities per the rules; I'm just trying to "pulpify" them.

For example, here's what I'm thinking for halflings (to distance them from their obvious Hobbit heritage):

Halflings:
   - Small (3') and primative jungle-dwelling race
   - Cross between dwarf and elf (?)
   - Fighter only
   - +2 to hit with missile weapons
   - -4 to be hit by large creatures

My vision is that they are exceptional "pygmy" hunters, able to take down large prey while operating in small groups. I may actually use real-life pygmy tribe names to differentiate between the various tribal/clan groups. Dunno.

[artikid]

Elfs are obviously pre-human atlantideans.

[geoffrey]

Maybe turn dwarves into morlocks or something like that?

[Deleted]

I am also starting a pulpy campaign.

I've decided to use elves and dwarves as monsters.  They are on the monster list after all. 

Very rarely would an elf or a dwarf join the cause of adventuring humans. For them to do so it would mean that something of great value is at stake for elf or dwarf.  And since I envision human PCs as pulpish characters, they are primarily motivated by loot and glory.  This makes it difficult to align elvish and dwarvish interests with humans.  Unless of course the elf and dwarf are also interested in loot and glory, but then they would simply join a party of fellow dwarves and elves. 

[Deleted]

Oct 18, 2016 23:24:23 GMT -6 foxroe said:

...and I don't meed feeding them into a wood chipper.

I'm toying around with some pulp-style campaign setting ideas, but demi-humans have me stumped. I realize that they were an addition to the game to cover the tastes of the Tolkien crowd and they aren't generally associated with pulp fantasy, but surely it's possible. I just keep hitting a creative block when I think about it.

So I'm looking for ideas or suggestions. I'd like to keep the racial abilities per the rules; I'm just trying to "pulpify" them.

For example, here's what I'm thinking for halflings (to distance them from their obvious Hobbit heritage):

Halflings:
   - Small (3') and primative jungle-dwelling race
   - Cross between dwarf and elf (?)
   - Fighter only
   - +2 to hit with missile weapons
   - -4 to be hit by large creatures

My vision is that they are exceptional "pygmy" hunters, able to take down large prey while operating in small groups. I may actually use real-life pygmy tribe names to differentiate between the various tribal/clan groups. Dunno.

I like this a lot and think it is a great start.

[derv]

I'm going to point you to RE Howard's, "The Hyborian Age- Conan's World" found in The Phantagraph, 1936. It can be found at this link for Project Gutenburg of Australia.

It's a short story/history that you might find some ideas worth thinking about.

[ritt]

Make "Dwarves" Neanderthals.

As others have mentioned, make "Elves" Atlanteans. Or Moorcock's Melniboneans. Or half-fallen angels that didn't take sides in Lucifer's rebellion and got their wings ripped off but were only thrown half-way down to Hell, or (My favorite) the Nephilim.

"Halflings" as horrible little Tiki pygmies that embody every cliche from the covers of 1940's jungle girl comic books or Italian cannibal grindhouse movies are... problematic. Yet AWESOME. I would play the Hell outta that.

I saw a GIANT old possum with silver fur and a crooked tail eating the cat food on my porch last night. I stood right next to him and he showed no fear whatsoever. Halflings as talking possums and/or racoons could be cool as well.

[Deleted]

Oct 19, 2016 17:45:47 GMT -6 ritt said:

Make "Dwarves" Neanderthals.

As others have mentioned, make "Elves" Atlanteans. Or Moorcock's Melniboneans. Or half-fallen angels that didn't take sides in Lucifer's rebellion and got their wings ripped off but were only thrown half-way down to Hell, or (My favorite) the Nephilim.

"Halflings" as horrible little Tiki pygmies that embody every cliche from the covers of 1940's jungle girl comic books or Italian cannibal grindhouse movies are... problematic. Yet AWESOME. I would play the Hell outta that.

I saw a GIANT old possum with silver fur and a crooked tail eating the cat food on my porch last night. I stood right next to him and he showed no fear whatsoever. Halflings as talking possums and/or racoons could be cool as well.

The Nephilim idea is gold.  I may borrow that. 

Ritt, are your Nephilim demi-gods or half-angels?

[Zenopus]

Elves -> Serpent-men (ancient race, now rare, warriors and wizards)
Dwarves -> Mole-men (think Naked Mole Rats)
Halflings -> Fox-men (tricksters ala Reynard)

Orcs -> Ape-men (per Rogues in the House with optional advance Planet of the Apes types in distant land)

Goblinoids (Goblins-Hobgoblins-Bugbears) -> Bug-men of various sizes

Edit: Added a few more details

[ritt]

Oct 19, 2016 20:30:48 GMT -6 christopher said:

Ritt, are your Nephilim demi-gods or half-angels?

The little kid in me, who went to an extremely fire & brimstone, apocalypse-obsessed, hell-fire & d**nation Sunday school, says "Half-angels". Or maybe the last sad remnants of the pre-human folk that Cain & Abel took their wives from.

College-age me, reading Mary Renault and in love with a witchy Pagan girlfriend, says "Demi-gods".

My current dumb-a** middle-age self says "Jack Kirby's NEW GODS, or He-Man and the Masters of the Universe".

[Deleted]

I am in full support of 'He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'.

[scalydemon]

Oct 19, 2016 17:45:47 GMT -6 ritt said:

Make "Dwarves" Neanderthals.

As others have mentioned, make "Elves" Atlanteans. Or Moorcock's Melniboneans. Or half-fallen angels that didn't take sides in Lucifer's rebellion and got their wings ripped off but were only thrown half-way down to Hell, or (My favorite) the Nephilim.

"Halflings" as horrible little Tiki pygmies that embody every cliche from the covers of 1940's jungle girl comic books or Italian cannibal grindhouse movies are... problematic. Yet AWESOME. I would play the Hell outta that.

I saw a GIANT old possum with silver fur and a crooked tail eating the cat food on my porch last night. I stood right next to him and he showed no fear whatsoever. Halflings as talking possums and/or racoons could be cool as well.

I am with Senator ritt on this one. Also enjoyed the old possum story.

[foxroe]

Wow, lots of great ideas!

I like the Atlantean spin on Elves, but maybe make it more Moorcock in feel:

Elves - Tall (6' to 7') and very gaunt race, blue/green skinned (?)
        - Remnants of an ancient sea-going, island empire (destroyed by dabbling in ancient sorceries - very Atlantean/Melniboean)
        - Excellent sailors; Elfish war ships are feared
        - Fighter and Magic-user only (with class swapping)
        - Detect secret 2 in 6
        - +2 to hit orcs and goblins

Really only makes sense if orcs and goblins are also sea-faring races (or at lest commonly found on islands and shorelines)

Or maybe something more fantastical:

Elves - Tall (6' to 7') and very gaunt race, golden skinned (?)
        - Remnants of an ancient dying race. Huge superiority complex - very racist
        - Their civilization is clustered into mountain-top citadels. Elfish air ships are feared
        - Fighter and Magic-user only (with class swapping)
        - Detect secret 2 in 6 ("eagle-eyed")
        - +2 to hit orcs and goblins

Makes a little more sense with respect to the orcs and goblins... and justifies their presence in the mountain encounter (giants) table But does this seem pulpy to you?

And I'm digging the idea of making all humanoid/goblinoid races ape-men of various types. Very pulpy - I can see the whole Planet of the Apes thing going on here (on a smaller scale), and common worship of a giant ape-demon (Demogorgon + Kong).

[foxroe]

Oooorrrr...

Elves are the remnants of an ancient alien race. Alien as in classic gray aliens - gray skin and large solid-colored eyes. Perhaps their magic is driven by some sort of ancient elvish tech (meteoric crystals, brains of their ancestors, etc.)

[foxroe]

I like the Morlock idea for dwarves.

Dwarves:

    - Short (3' to 4') powerful subterranean race with pale, bone-white skin (that's right... white dwarfs )

    - Hairless except for "beards": several non-articulated tentacles that hang from the lower jaw

    - Original race; once enslaved by the elves

    - Live in large ancient cities carved into huge underground caverns (did they build them?); harness geothermal power (maybe

        they don't know how to maintain the tech - everything breaks down eventually)

    - +4 Levels for save vs. magic

    - Detect traps/construction underground

    - Half damage from giant types

[Deleted]

Oct 19, 2016 22:11:12 GMT -6 scalydemon said:

I am with Senator ritt on this one.

ritt, you are a Senator? Can we ask what state?

[bat]

If you still want ideas, I wrote up the common demi-humans for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea, found here

[kesher]

Oct 20, 2016 11:07:02 GMT -6 @theperilousdreamer said:

Oct 19, 2016 22:11:12 GMT -6 scalydemon said:

I am with Senator ritt on this one.

ritt, you are a Senator? Can we ask what state?

THE STATE OF WONDER

[Porphyre]

Oct 20, 2016 0:07:55 GMT -6 foxroe said:

Oooorrrr...

Elves are the remnants of an ancient alien race. Alien as in classic gray aliens - gray skin and large solid-colored eyes. Perhaps their magic is driven by some sort of ancient elvish tech (meteoric crystals, brains of their ancestors, etc.)

That was basically the concept of Grognardia's Elds

grognardia.blogspot.fr/2008/09/grognards-grimoire-eld.html

Also James Mal had the pig-faced orcs be magically/genetically enhanced boar-men created as shock troops by the ancient Elds. 

[foxroe]

Oct 20, 2016 14:27:33 GMT -6 bat said:

If you still want ideas, I wrote up the common demi-humans for Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea, found here

The more the merrier!

[ritt]

Oct 20, 2016 11:07:02 GMT -6 @theperilousdreamer said:

Oct 19, 2016 22:11:12 GMT -6 scalydemon said:

I am with Senator ritt on this one.

ritt, you are a Senator? Can we ask what state?

LOL I doubt I could get elected dog-catcher.

Although in the current U.S. political climate, all bets seem to be off.

[foxroe]

Oct 20, 2016 20:06:55 GMT -6 @sirravd said:

In one of my campaigns I have halflings as Dark Sun-type cannibals (I call them hobbits).

Ah, that's right... that must be where I got the Halfling idea. Hmmm... may have to mine the Dark Sun setting for more ideas. Just need to find that box...

[ritt]

These freaky dudes (Possibly the descendants of Ancient Astronauts genetically engineered for a heavy-gravity, storm-wracked world) would make cool "Dwarves":

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFNJKGX59CA

[foxroe]

Link to a thread by tkdco2 about "pulping" Tolkien. Good stuff.

I can see elves being less "fey" and more "degenerate ancient race" - and perhaps even evil/chaotic.

Also had another idea for Dwarves: they're actually automatons.. like miniature, lab-grown, emotionless, earth golems.

[foxroe]

Elves as degenerate ancient race...

The Ul'avan are immortal, or so they claim. They are the descendants of a long lost ancient race of foul sorcerers steeped in blasphemous, antediluvian magics. The only remaining "gift" from their ancestors is the achievement of immortality through anagathic philters and periods of century-long hibernation in a place known only as the Sleeping City, far to the West.

Ul'avan are tall (over 6'), of pale hair and eye, very gaunt, and have gray mummy-like skin. They are barely tolerant of other races, considering themselves evolutionarily superior to everyone else. Slavery and demonology are perfectly acceptable practices among the Ul'avan, so they are generally avoided by the other races.