Topic: Blood Talent House Rule?

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Apparently, I have been reading the text on Greater Blood Talents differently than others.

The default reading appears to be that the character with the Talent replaces two of their racial talents with either two of the three talents offered by the other race, or one of the race's talents and some stat mods and a modifier to their aging. Several of the autocalculating sheets have taken this tack, and I can see how that interpretation might be reached based on the formatting of the text.

However, this does not strike me as correct. Aside from some of the bizarre Blood Talents in the Harper's Bazaar, there aren't any racial adjustments that are worth as much as a racial talent-- except perhaps the Humans'-- and it seems that the averaged aging would be a natural and inevitable consequence of the hybrid. Thus in my games I've been allowing characters to choose two talents and gain the stat modifiers. Possibly a little too much for 1 or 2 DP, but it seems like a more appropriate form of hybrid.

Aside from the more exotic Blood Talents, are there game balance considerations that I should be mindful of here? If so, what do you think it would take to settle them?

[Ecthelion]

IMO the use of Blood Talents is already very attractive and no further incentive is needed. Still I agree that the averaging of the aging could be regarded as an inevitable consequence of the hybrid and could always be applied. That should not really hurt the game balance. But I would not extend this to the stat modifiers.

Just my 2 cents

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Yeah, I have noticed a lot of Blood Talents (from the experienced players) in my Spelljammer game. Luckily, it simply isn't allowed in my Shroompunk game-- all the PCs are Human by default, and the other races are much less humanoid-- so I haven't had to deal with it there.

And you're right, it's certainly an attractive option. I'm not trying to provide extra incentive for people to take Blood Talents, just fix something that does not make a lot of sense to me-- how a person can be Orc enough to have replaced some of their own racial traits with Dense Musculature and Accelerated Healing, while having no other effect on their body or mind. Just seems odd to me.

[Karizma]

My assumption is that it ALWAYS influences appearance.  But the stat mods are just another physical trait, like Dense Musculature would be.  To me, the rules as-is is fine: pay the DPs to swap out one or two Racial Talents with one or two Talents (counting the racial modifiers as a "Talent").

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

The intention, when using a Greater Blood Talent is that the character choose two of the four options presented.

Those four options include the 3 racial talents, and the forth option is a stat adjustment.

In selecting 2 of those options, the player must replace 2 of his existing racial talents (his race's stat bonuses are NOT included on this side of the equation, they cannot be selected).

So for a Elf/Gryx hybrid, the player can select Lightning Reflexes, Dense Musculature, Night Vision, or stat bonuses (which include averaging the lifespan).

Once he selects 2 of those, he must then drop two of the following:Enhanced Senses, Quiet Stride, Night Vision.

His elven stat bonuses are not affected in any way unless the Greater Gryx Blood stat bonuses option was selected, in which case, they are combined (not averaged, but added).

If the stats option is not one of the ones selected, the hybrid will have a lifespan that is normal for his base race.

As for appearance -- yes, the Blood Talents should always influence appearance, but that also has nothing to do with the stats.

[Viktyr Gehrig]

The intention, when using a Greater Blood Talent is that the character choose two of the four options presented.

Those four options include the 3 racial talents, and the forth option is a stat adjustment.

Thank you for clearing that up for me. It does seem a bit powerful for a 2 DP talent if the stat adjustments are included for free, but it seemed strange that they would not be.

If the stats option is not one of the ones selected, the hybrid will have a lifespan that is normal for his base race.

Fair enough. I suppose I've grown so accustomed to D&D-styled fantasy that I've forgotten the influence of the source material We Don't Talk About-- and the "half-elven" characters that were, for all intents and purposes, either Human or Elven. Took me awhile to wrap my head around it, until I remembered that tidbit.

If I were to continue with my mistaken interpretation of the rules as a matter of preference, would you have any advice as to a more appropriate DP cost?

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

If I were to continue with my mistaken interpretation of the rules as a matter of preference, would you have any advice as to a more appropriate DP cost?

HARP is roughly 6 years old. It was one of my first works in the rpg field. If I were to do it today, I would quite likely do a number of things differently.

One such thing is that I would handle racial hybrids/crossbreeds in a different manner. For instance, if doing it today, I would handle it racial crossbreeds more like how they are handled in Express Additions #13.

[Viktyr Gehrig]

One such thing is that I would handle racial hybrids/crossbreeds in a different manner. For instance, if doing it today, I would handle it racial crossbreeds more like how they are handled in Express Additions #13.

Heh. Then I suppose I'll be back once I've had a chance to look at it.

[Karizma]

HARP is roughly 6 years old. It was one of my first works in the rpg field. If I were to do it today, I would quite likely do a number of things differently.

Do I smell HARP 2nd Ed.?

But out of curiosity, how ARE hybrids done in EA13?

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

But out of curiosity, how ARE hybrids done in EA13?

Simply put, the player pays a small DP fee and he then averages the racial stat bonuses. While the intention was that this fee be paid and that the stats be averages, a GM could easily allow a player to not do this step (i.e. no DP fee and no stat averaging).

Then he has to decide whether or not to swap out racial abilities. There is small DP cost involved, based on the costs of the abilities involved, and if there is a price difference (i.e. if the new ability costs more than the old), then the difference must also be paid).

If the new ability costs less than the one being removed, that can lower the cost of swapping out the ability. However, the player must always at least 1 DP to swap out an ability.

[Karizma]

But out of curiosity, how ARE hybrids done in EA13?

Simply put, the player pays a small DP fee and he then averages the racial stat bonuses. While the intention was that this fee be paid and that the stats be averages, a GM could easily allow a player to not do this step (i.e. no DP fee and no stat averaging).

Then he has to decide whether or not to swap out racial abilities. There is small DP cost involved, based on the costs of the abilities involved, and if there is a price difference (i.e. if the new ability costs more than the old), then the difference must also be paid).

If the new ability costs less than the one being removed, that can lower the cost of swapping out the ability. However, the player must always at least 1 DP to swap out an ability.

Nice.  It makes far more sense, but I actually think I like how quick 'n simple HARP makes it, despite munchkin potential.
Actually, I really must give you credit for making one of my favorite mechanics for racial hybrids.  Kudos