One of the fascinating things about fantasy-role playing games are the creatures or races that inhabit them. This chapter describes how to create mundane or fantastic creatures.
Fantastic creatures need have no realism associated with them; they can have supernatural powers, they can be huge or tiny; you are limited only by your imagination. Fantastic creatures have a base cost of 2.
Automatons are beings created by mundane or fantastic means to perform a specific type of task. These beings have no needs beyond fuel of some sort. These beings can range from clockwork figures (requiring mechanical energy as a fuel in the form of a wound watch-spring) to nuclear powered robots to magically powered statues, or anything else of its nature you can think of. This option adds nothing to the cost of the creature, they will be either mundane or fantastic.
Herbivores subsist on non-creature tissues and nutrients. This type of food can include plants, fungi, mosses, microbes, and the like. This option adds nothing to the cost of the creature, they are either mundane or fantastic.
Nutrient-eaters subsist on nutrients drawn directly from their environment and can include stones, earth, sand, nutrients from soil, water, etc. Most plants are considered to be nutrient-eaters. This option adds nothing to the cost of the creature.
A carnivore subsists on the tissues and nutrients of animals. This can include meat, bones, and/or blood or other bodily fluids. This choice adds 1 to the cost of the creature.
An omnivore can eat either animal or plant tissue. This choice adds 2 to the cost of the creature.
A spirit has no food requirements and adds 3 to the cost of the creature (all spirits are considered to be fantastic).
Hunters rely upon their ability to track down and catch their prey (and require some skill to illustrate this ability). This option requires that the creature be either carnivorous or omnivorous.
Foragers rely upon their ability to find edible plants or other sources of food (and require some survival skill).
Scavengers wait for others to bring down prey or other food and then share in it (this requires some appropriate skill). This option requires that the creature be omnivorous or carnivorous.
Social creatures live in groups. These groups can be families, tribes, or other levels of society (for example, a pride of lions, a herd of deer, a flock of geese, etc.)
Solitary beings live alone.
Here you define the size, weight, and general appearance of the creature. Every 2 meters in length/height adds 1 to the cost. Every size more than a meter in width or thickness adds one to the cost. Every 200 kilograms of weight adds 1 to the cost.
There are times when you will want, or need, to fight something really big, or it might want to fight you. Rather than deal with rediculous numbers we simply change scales. The scale is determined by the units you use to measure things. If a creature is 20 centimeters long, it is small-scale; if it is 3 meters long it is normal-scale; if it is 15 meters long it is medium-scale; etc. As mentioned above, Tremendous damage on one scale is the equivalent of Light damage on the next higher scale. If a Normal-scale being were to swat a fly for 1 damage, it would do 3600 damage to the fly. If a medium-scale dragon does 6 damage to a normal-scale human, the human takes 360 damage
| .Game Scale | Size | Weight | Cost |
| Very Small | 1 cm | 1 gm | -64 |
| Small | 10 cm | 100 gm | -32 |
| Normal | 1 m | 10 kg | 0 |
| Medium | 10 m | 1000 kg | 32 |
| Large | 100 m | 100 tonnes | 64 |
| Huge | 1000 m | 10 kt | 96 |
| Grand | 10 km | 1000 kt | 128 |
In order to allow creatures to perform activities in the game it is necessary to quantify their capabilities. To this end there are six basic attributes in the game:
You must now develop a list of skills that every member of the race shares. Consult the chapter on abilities in the Player's Guide to Borigon for details on how to do this.
Think about the nature and description of your creature. If the creature reasonably possesses one or more natural weapon, then you must choose a level of damage for it. Think about the scale of the weapon. All scales are based on human-norms; that is the sizes are what weapons would be like if the creature under consideration were human-sized. If the weapon is a few centimeters long (including limb length), then it will do Light damage (see Combat in the Adventure for details), if it is up to half a meter long it will do Medium damage, if it is up to a meter and a half long then it will do Heavy damage, if it is up to three meters long it will do Extreme damage, if the weapon is up to six meters long it will do Great damage, and if the weapon is longer than that it will do Tremendous damage. The cost additions for each class of weapon are: Light damage = +1, Medium damage = +2, Heavy damage = +4, Extreme damage = +8, Great damage = +16, Tremendous damage = +32.
The levels of damage within a given scale are equivalent to the normal level scale. The differences appear when crossing scales; the highest damage from one scale (Tremendous) is the lowest damage (Light) for the next higher scale and vice-versa.
Ranged attacks work in much the same way. In addition, and again using the human scale, for every 10 meters of range add 1 to the cost of the attack.
Strike damage has no extra cost, cut damage is half cost (to a minimum of 1), and thrust damage is double cost.
Poisoned, venomous, or disease-based attacks (see Game Mechanics for details) cost 1 per lesser effect, 2 per greater effect, 3 per day of duration, 5 for each add to the resistance roll, and the percentage chance of death has a cost equal to that chance multiplied by 20.
Fantastic creatures are not restricted to damage by the size of their weaponry.
Psychic damage is half again the normal cost. Magical damage is double the normal cost. Spirit-level damage have quadruple the normal cost. Divine-level damage have eight times the normal cost.
Note that each individual attack of a particular damage level increases the cost by that damage level.
Correspondingly the cost for larger-scale damage increases: For each size category increase the cost for damage and weapons is increased as if tremendous damage were being added. Smaller scale-beings have their cost reduced by the cost for Tremendous damage for each size-category. Thus Light damage in the huge scale would cost +1 for Light damage, +32 for tremendous damage in the medium scale, +32 for tremendous damage in the large scale, +32 for tremendous damage in the huge scale, for a total of +97 to the cost of the creature.
Begin by determining if the creature has any intrinsic armor. If the creature has intrinsic armor, decide about how hard it is. If the skin is soft and supple then give it no armor rating, if the skin is leathery give it a Light armor rating, if the skin is rough give it a Medium armor rating, if the skin is hard (possibly shell-like) give it a Heavy armor. Light armor adds 1, Medium adds 2, and Heavy adds 4. Extreme armor adds 8.Great armor adds 16, and Tremendous armor adds 32. Fantastic creatures are not limited as to the level of their armor.
Psychic armor has half again the cost of normal armor. In addition to the normal protection, it offers protection from psychic attack. Magical armor is double cost and protects against magical damage in addition to normal damage. Magical armor also makes the target invulnerable to normal weapons of less than three grades of damage higher than the grade of armor (Light magical armor provides Light protection from magical attacks and provides complete protection from normal/psychic attacks up to Extreme damage). Spiritual armor is quadruple the cost and makes the target completely invulnerable to normal/psychic damage within the scale of the creature and protects from magical damage up the three levels higher than the level of armor. Divine armor is eight times the cost and makes the wearer invulnerable to all mundane/psychic damage of less than two scales higher than the creature, all magical damage within the scale of the creature, spiritual damage of three levels higher than the level of armor, and it protects from divine damage as normal.
The damage capacity is determined as in Character Building; PF + 1 for every 2 height (taking scale into account) + 1 for every 200 weight (taking scale into account).
Fantastic creatures can add to their damage capacity by one for every 3 added to their cost.
Fantastic creatures can be immune to things: for every lesser immunity (immune to swords, immune to lightning, immune to spider venom, etc.) add 10 to the cost; for every major immunity (immune to all non-magical weapons, immune to heat attacks, immune to being crushed, etc.) add 50 to the cost; for every fantastic immunity (immune to one grade of mgic damage (light), immune to psychic damage, immune to death magic, etc.) add 100 to the cost.
Correspondingly the cost for larger-scale armor increases: For each size category increase the cost for armor is increased as if tremendous armor were being added. Smaller scale-beings have their cost reduced by the cost for Tremendous protection for each size-category. Thus Light protection in the huge scale would cost +1 for Light armor, +32 for tremendous armor in the medium scale, +32 for tremendous armor in the large scale, +32 for tremendous armor in the huge scale, for a total of +97 to the cost of the creature.
Think about what kinds of movement the creature should be capable of. Determine how many kilometers per hour the race can walk or coast, then double or more (for a cost of 1 per additional multiplier beyond doubling) when it is going fast.
Determine the average speed factor of the creature by taking the average of PF, MA, IN and IU. If it seems too low for what the creature is capable of, you can increase the speed factor by one for adding 3.
Determine the lengths of childhood, adolescence, adulthood, middle-age, and old age for the creature.
1-10 years: 0 cost, 11-25 years: +1, up to an additional 5 years: +1, immortality costs 100 per age category.
You must now decide where this creature can be found; there is no cost for this, it is a matter of choice.
You must first decide whether your creation will be ubiquitous, common, uncommon, or rare. This generates a number that we will call the Rarity. For a rare creature the Rarity is 5000, for uncommon this number is 50000, and for common this number is 500000, and for ubiquitous it is 5000000. Divide the rarity by the cost of the creature and drop all fractions. This is the total population in your world
Mundane Creature: 1
Fantastic Creature: 2
Automaton: 0
Herbivore: 0
Nutrient-Eater: 0
Carnivore: 1
Omnivore: 2
Spiritual: 3
Every 2 meters in length: 1
Every 2 meters in diameter: 1
Every 200 kilograms of weight: 1
Basic Attribute is less than 0: subtract
this from the cost.
Basic Attribute is 0: 0
Basic Attribute is 1: 1
Basic Attribute is 2-5 (maximum mundane level):
Cost is the number.
Basic Attribute is 6-10 (legendary level):
Cost is 5 + 2-10 (or twice the number above
5).
Basic Attribute is 11-15 (mythic level):
Cost is 15 + 3-15 (or three times the number
above 10).
Basic Skill: 1 per level up to level 5, 2
per level up to level 10, 3 per level up
to level 15, etc.
Difficult Skill: 2 per level up to level
5, 4 per level up to level 10, 6 per level
up to level 15, etc.
Extreme Skill: 3 per level up to level 5,
6 per level up to level 10, 9 per level up
to level 15, etc.
Magical/Psychic/Religious/Spiritual Skill:
double normal cost.
Light Damage Attack: 1
Medium Damage Attack: 2
Heavy Damage Attack: 4
Extreme Damage Attack: 8
Great Damage Attack: 16
Tremendous Damage Attack: 32
Ranged Attack: 1 per 10 meter range.
Lesser Poison Effect: 1
Length of Poison Effects: 3 per day.
More Difficult to Resist the Effects of a
Poison: 5 per add to the resistance roll.
Chance of Death: cost is the percent chance
of death x 20.
Magical Damage: double the damage cost.
Spiritual Damage: quadruple the damage cost.
Divine Damage: eight times the cost.
Light Armor: 1
Medium Armor: 2
Heavy Armor: 4
Extreme Armor: 8
Great Armor: 16
Tremendous Armor: 32
Magical Armor: double cost.
Spiritual Armor: quadruple cost.
Divine Armor: eight times the cost.
Fantastic Creature increasing damage capacity:
3 for each additional point.
Fantastic Creature with lesser immunity:
10
Fantastic Creature with major immunity: 50
Fantastic Creature with fantastic immunity:
100.
Fast speed beyond double slow speed: 1 for
each additional multiplier.
For each additional point of speed factor:
3
Age Category Lengths:
1-10 years: 0
11-25 years: 1
for each additional 5 years: 1
Immortality costs 100 per age category.
Very Small scale damage/protection: - 64
Small scale damage/protection: -32
Medium scale damage/protection: +32
Large scale damage/protection: +64
Huge scale damage/protection: +96
Grand scale damage/protection: +128
To illustrate the process of creature building I will design the race of Borigonians. The race will be mundane, omnivorous, social, and common. We will call this race the Borigonians. The cost of this race so far is (base: 1, omnivorous +2) 3.
The Borigonians are normal-scale beings 1.5 meters tall, 80 kilogram humanoids with pointed ears, fair or brown hair, and green or gray eyes. The current cost is now (cost to now: 3, 1.5 meters tall +1, 80 kilogram weight +1) 5.
The Borigonians have the attributes: PF:
2, MA: 2, IN: 3, IU: 0, PY: 0, MP: 0.
The current cost is (cost to now: 5, PF +2,
MA +2, IN: +3) 12.
The Borigonians have a racial language given to them by the gods. All members of the race can read and write in this language since it is spiritually a part of them.
The Borigonians spend a good deal of time out on the plains and have learned to survive there. The recent trend towards urbanization might cause this skill to disappear one day.
Skills:
Literacy (b) (IN)
Plains Survival (b) (IN)
The new cost of the race is (Prior cost:
12, 2 basic skills +2) 14.
The Borigonians have no special attacks. They can kick for medium damage, and they can punch for light damage. The new cost is (Old cost: 14, 1 light damage attacks +1, medium damage attack +2) 17.
The Borigonians have no special defenses. Their damage capacity is normally 3. There is no change in the cost of 17.
The Borigonians have a walking rate of 4 kilometers per hour. They run at twice their walking rate, 8 kilometers per hour. The average speed factor of a Borigonian is 1. There is no change in the cost of 17.
The Childhood for a Borigonian is 12 years long. Adolescence is 7 years long. Adulthood is 21 years long. Middle-age is 30 years long. Old age is 60 years long. The normal life expectancy of a Borigonian is thus 140 years. The new cost is (Old cost: 18, childhood +1, adulthood +1, middle-age +2, old age: +7) 28. This is the final cost of the Borigonian.
The Borigonian is normally found in the plains, some can be found in forests and highlands.
Since Borigonians are common, the rarity is 500,000. We divide this by the cost of 28. The result is a total population of 17,857.
This is an example of creating a hunting animal.
This is an example of creating a hunting
animal.
This will be a mundane animal. HP Cost: 1
This will be a carnivorous animal. HP Cost:
1 (2 total)
This will be a hunting animal. HP Cost: 2
total
The animal is three meters long and 1.5 meters
tall, weighing in at 400 kilograms, it appears
as a light brown feline with dark brown or
black spots over its coat, they have green
eyes that catch the light. HP Cost: 5 (7
total)
The animal has PF: 3, MA: 1, IU: 1 and the
rest 0. HP Cost: 5 (12 total)
The animal requires Hunting and Tracking,
it has claws and a bite attack, it can attack
by leaping, it can see in the dark and has
both keen vision and smell. It can sneak
up on its prey and then attack by surprise.
It is also capable of very fast speeds for
short times. It has great strength and can
ignore pain.
Its skills are:
| Basic Skills: Bite (MA) 5 Claw (MA) 5 Keen Vision 3 Night Vision 3 Pain Capacity (PF) 3 Sense of Smell 3 Sprinting (PF) 3 Strength (PF) 4 |
Difficult Skills: Hunting & Tracking (IU) 5 Leaping Attack (PF) 3 Stealth and Concealment (IU) 3 |
HP Cost: 41 (53 total)
The animal has two claw attacks doing heavy striking damage and a bite attack doing heavy thrusting damage. A successful leaping attack allows for 4 claw attacks to strike simultaneously on 4 separate areas of the body (or two in the thorax and two elsewhere), these attacks do heavy striking damage each.
HP Cost: 28 (81 total)
The animal has a soft skin which acts like Light armor. Normal damage capacity is 8.
HP Cost: 1 (82 total)
The animal has a walking speed of 4 kilometers per hour, and a running speed of 48 kilometers per hour. HP Cost: 11 (93 total)
Average speed factor is 4 (2 from attributes +2 increase). HP Cost: 6 (99 total).
The animal has the following age categories: Childhood 1 year, Adolescence 2 years, Adulthood 10 years, Middle-age 13 years, and Old age 26 years for a total life span of 52 years. HP Cost: 5 (104 total).
Total cost: 104
The animal is found in the plains of Borigon.
They are uncommon, so there are about 408 Karanangap in the plains of the world of Borigon.
This is an example of an herbivorous forager.
This will be a mundane animal. HP Cost: 1
This will be an herbivorous animal. HP Cost:
0 (1 total)
This will be an foraging animal. HP Cost:
1 total
The animal is 2 meters long, 2 meter high,
weighs 100 kilograms, and it is a chubby
brown mammal with long slender legs and tusks
for defense. HP Cost: 3 (4 total)
The animal has PF: 2, MA: 2, IU: 2 and the
rest 0. HP Cost: 6 (10 total)
This animal is required to have Survival
(Terrain Type), and we will choose forest.
It has a keen sense of smell. It can charge
at an opponent with its tusks. It can run
very fast if required. It is very strong
and can pull down small trees to get at their
fruit. Its skills are:
Basic Skills
Charge Tusk Attack (MA) 4
Sense of Smell 4
Sprinting (PF) 4
Strength (PF) 5
Survival (Forest) (IU) 4
HP Cost: 17 (27 total)
This animal has a single charge attack with
its tusks, doing two heavy thrusts in the
same area of the body.
HP Cost: 8 (35 total)
This animal has a leathery hide for Medium
armor. Damage capacity is 5.
HP Cost: 2 (37 total)
This animal has a walking speed of 3 kilometers
per round and a running speed of 45 kilometers
per round. HP Cost: 14 (51 total)
Average speed factor is 3 (1 from attributes
+2 increase). HP Cost: 6 (57 total).
This animal has the following age categories:
Childhood 2 years, Adolescence 2 years, Adulthood
11 years, Middle-age 15 years, Old-age 30
years for a life span of 60 years. HP Cost:
6 (63 total).
Total cost: 63
This animal is found in the plains, woods,
and low hills of Borigon.
This is a common animal and there are around
7,937 Karandar in the plains and forests
of the world of Borigon.
This is an example of a fantastic creature.
This will be a fantastic creature. HP Cost:
2
This will be a carnivore. HP Cost: 1 (3 total)
This will be a hunting beast. HP Cost: 3
total
This creature is 4 meters long, 2 meters
wide, weighs 200 kilograms, is bright green,
has a snakelike neck and head, it has a tail
with a stinging spike at its tip, and has
leathery bat-like wings. HP Cost: 4 (7 total)
The creature has PF: 4, MA: 3, IN: 2, IU:
2, MP: 1, and PY: 0. HP Cost: 12 (19 total)
This creature is required to have Hunting
& Tracking. It can strike with its claws,
a bite, its poison stinged tail, and a magical
energy blast from its eyes. It also has a
spell reflection power; if successful, the
power of the incoming spell is reflected
back onto the caster. The creature is capable
of magic and utilizes the spirit-pact ritual
of air elementals. The creature is capable
of long-duration flying. The beast is immensely
strong and can take enormous blows without
complaint. This creature possesses incredible
vision. Its skills are:
| Basic Skills Bite (MA) 5 Claw (MA) 5 Keen Vision 3 Long-Distance Flying (PF) 5 Pain Capacity (PF) 5 Stingered Tail (MA) 5 Strength (PF) 5 |
Difficult Skills Hunting & Tracking (IN) 5 Air Elemental Pact Rituals (MP) 2 |
Extreme Skills Magical Energy Blast (MP) 2 Spell Reflection (MP) 2 |
HP Cost: 57 (76 total)
This creature can strike with its two claws
doing Extreme damage, it can bite for Great
thrusting damage, it can also tail lash for
Extreme thrusting damage. Alternately it
can perform its magical energy blast from
its eyes for Heavy magical damage out to
50 meters.
HP Cost: 66 (142 total)
The creature has an iron like hide which
is Heavy magical armor. Damage capacity is
12 (normal damage capacity is 8, +4 due to
its fantastic nature).
HP Cost: 20 (162 total)
The creature has walking speed of 5 kilometers
per hour, a running speed of 10 kilometers
per hour, a coasting speed of 10 kilometers
per hour, and a flying speed of 80 kilometers
per hour. HP Cost: 7 (169 total).
Average speed factor: 6 (3 from attribute,
+3 increase). HP Cost: 9 (178 total).
The creature is immortal. HP Cost: 500 (678
total).
Total cost: 678
The creature is found in the high mountains
of Borigon, though it can be encountered
anywhere due to its flight capability.
There are 73 Ricethandar in the mountains
of the world of Borigon.
To return to the Borigon home page.