Topic: Nycamerith

[jdale]

I'm working on my NPC generator http://www.ironcrown.com/ICEforums/index.php?topic=18789.0 with all the additional races we are putting in RMU A&CL...

Most of the races either have extensive descriptions in RMSS, RMSS Underground Races, or RMFRP Races & Cultures, or they are close enough to some real-world animal (e.g. Vulfen) that I can just make up lists of traits to generate their appearances.

But Nycamerith have a one-paragraph description in RM2's C&T II, and that's it. It mentions they are short, fat, pointy-eared and blue, with nothing about hair, beards, eye color, personal decoration, etc.

Are there any other modules, books, companions, Guild Companion articles, home brew material, or even just general impressions from people who have used them in their games? If not, I'll just make something up, but I thought I'd check first.

[Hurin]

Sorry man, wish I could help, but some of those races in C+T II were just plain weird. I don't know of any other sources that mention them. On the plus side, they are kind of a blank page, so if you want to rework them, I think they will be an open book. All that stuff about the Great Song could be pretty fun.

[rdanhenry]

They are musically gifted, so there be an appropriate talent. They might also deserve a bonus to hearing, given their musical skills and large ears. Their stats are pretty average (some +5s and -5s in C&T II; you might adjust to bias slightly towards Bards, the most logical PC profession for a largely-peaceful and musical race). I'd suggest dark hair: black, dark blue, dark brown. Eyes may vary. As for facial hair and personal ornament, as a performance-oriented culture, there is probably considerable variation for both reasons of personal expression and to appeal to other local cultures.

[jdale]

I have them at +2 Ag, +2 Co, +2 Em, +2 Pr, +2 Qu, -4 SD, -2 St, 20 base hits, Golden Throat, Hearing: Cat, Perfect Pitch I, and Non-Violent II. Although maybe I should pull the Co and put it in Me instead.

For the NPC generator, I'm mainly looking for appearance. I generate personality based on stats, so stat bonuses affect it but I don't have lists of personality traits per race. I do have lists of appearance traits per race though.

I'm thinking hair intermediate between gnomes (who have none) and halflings, so a tendency towards balding but not as a rule, some slight facial hair is possible but nothing like a dwarf. Dark hair (as you suggest) works. It's interesting you suggest dark blue hair as a possibility. I tend to think natural shades but they do have blue skin after all. If we go that way, some kinds of purple shades might work too. Does it go white/gray with age like humans, or it never shows age, or it darkens?

I was also thinking of putting in something in the generator about their voices. Probably not quality (because that's somewhat tied to Presence and might show up that way), but high, low, bass, alto, deep, resonant, etc. Maybe even singsong, rhyming, humming, likes to whistle, etc.

I'm just 5 races from finishing the generator for the much-expanded race list so....    (also need to finish Plynos, Sea-kral, Sstoi-isslythi, Vulfen; the others are done).

[rdanhenry]

For balding, I do have a thought. Humans tend to go bald by general thinning, loss from the forehead back (receding hairline), or from the top of the head. How about Nycamerith go bald from the sides, so they slowly develop a natural Mohawk hairstyle? My other, sillier, thought was to have their ear hair grow into spectacular "eards".

[Sable Wyvern]

I don't know if there is any more detail, but aren't these guys in RMSS Creatures and Monsters?

Edit: Yes they are. Not a great deal of info though, so it might just be direct reprint of what was found in C&T.

[jdale]

Yep, RMSS C&M has the same text for them as RM2 C&T II.

[Hurin]

I have them at +2 Ag, +2 Co, +2 Em, +2 Pr, +2 Qu, -4 SD, -2 St, 20 base hits, Golden Throat, Hearing: Cat, Perfect Pitch I, and Non-Violent II. Although maybe I should pull the Co and put it in Me instead.

Nycamerith did not have an agility bonus in RM2 -- I guess you're giving them one because the description says that they are the greatest musical instrument crafters in the world? If that is the case, then I would also point out that the description also says they are the 'greatest musicians' in the world, and one of the stats that is needed for musical composition (in addition to the Em and Pr bonuses they already have) is Intuition. If they are going to be the greatest musicians in the world, then, I think it would be better to pull the bonus from Con and put it in Intuition instead of memory. Otherwise, Elves will actually have better stats than Nycamerith for musical composition.

[OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol]

Seriously? You want to have a race with bonuses in Ag, Qu, Em, Pr and In?

[Hurin]

Seriously? You want to have a race with bonuses in Ag, Qu, Em, Pr and In?

Yes, to promote build diversity, I'd like a range of races rather than having races that repeat the bonuses of other races, and I'd like to have at least one race with a bonus in each stat. I don't think we need another race with bonuses in all three of Ag, Con, and Qu -- we already have Goblins, Halflings, and Idiyva for that. What we don't have is any race with an Intuition bonus at all, and in fact Intuition is one of the prime stats for musical composition, which is pretty much the only unique part of the Nycamerith's racial description. It wouldn't really make much sense to me to say that a race was commonly reckoned as the best musicians in the universe when it had a mediocre Intuition and Elves actually had considerably better stats for the skill Musical Composition.

It certainly doesn't make sense to give Nycamerith a Con bonus, since they actually had a Con penalty (-5) in the only book (C+T II) that ever gave them stats.

[jdale]

What we don't have is any race with an Intuition bonus at all, and in fact Intuition is one of the prime stats for musical composition, which is pretty much the only unique part of the Nycamerith's racial description.

While I think there is a good case for Nycamerith getting an In bonus (and Me, at the expense of Ag and Co), you know it's not true anymore that there are no races with In bonuses so I'm puzzled to hear you still saying that. There are 5, as noted http://www.ironcrown.com/ICEforums/index.php?topic=18939.msg227287#msg227287

[Hurin]

My apologies JDale -- I was thinking of and using the beta2 racial list, and do sometimes find it hard to keep in my head all the changes that have been made (as opposed the changes that have just been suggested). You are right-- we happily now have some races with In bonuses.

I'm glad too that you agree Nycamerith might be a good choice for In and Me bonuses. I think the stat spread you suggest above (swap Ag and Co for In and Me) will make them very good Healers, Mystics, and Archmages (assuming the latter are added in a later supplement). I think that works very well with their character description: music and healing obviously go together, and the whole great song stuff sounds right up a Mystic or Archmage's alley.

[OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol]

Yes, to promote build diversity, I'd like a range of races rather than having races that repeat the bonuses of other races, and I'd like to have at least one race with a bonus in each stat.

I guess my main problem with that is that Em, Pr and In are the three magical stats. Adding Ag and Qu would make the Nycamerith the race with most affinity in magic (regardless of your realm, you get a stat bonus in it) and perfect to become mages (Qu = DB, and Ag makes it excellent for them to use range weapons, avoiding melee combats).

[Hurin]

Yes, to promote build diversity, I'd like a range of races rather than having races that repeat the bonuses of other races, and I'd like to have at least one race with a bonus in each stat.

I guess my main problem with that is that Em, Pr and In are the three magical stats. Adding Ag and Qu would make the Nycamerith the race with most affinity in magic (regardless of your realm, you get a stat bonus in it) and perfect to become mages (Qu = DB, and Ag makes it excellent for them to use range weapons, avoiding melee combats).

Yes, I see what you're saying. A few notes on that:
--Nycamerith have lesser Em, Pr, and Qu bonuses than Elves (+3 vs. +3), so Elves would probably still be better or competitive as Essence casters or Mentalism casters or some hybrids. Nycamerith probably have better stats for Archmages and Hybrids that use Intuition (if Nycamerith get an In bonus). And again, the bonuses here are only different by a point.
--Nycamerith in C+T II did get Em, Pr, and Qu bonuses, but they did not get Ag bonuses. So perhaps that Ag bonus is unnecessary? We have lots of races with Ag bonuses, so I'm not sure adding another one is necessary, especially since Nycamerith did not have an Ag bonus before.