[3.X] Just any old template?

[Rixx]

Something I've noticed - a lot of people come here asking for recommendations on templates with specific bonuses. We're then treated to a nice list of templates... a lot of which can only be applied to already monstrous characters, and even more that would drastically alter a character's ability to function in normal society (I.E. half-illithid, half-dragon.. half-anything, actually) by turning them into a hideous monster of a person.

Are these really not at all concerns for a lot of people? Is it really worth becoming a gurgling, tentacle-faced abomination against nature in order to get that extra +4 Int and mind blast attack? And are these campaigns really flexible enough to accommodate someone having any of these templates at all?

[holywhippet]

Honestly? I think a lot of players would be fine with having a face only a mother could love - or several faces only a mother could love, or no face and they ate their mother, if it meant having some nice + bonuses for their character.

[Greymane]

It's a good question to ask, Rixx. One I have wondered to myself many times. Maybe it's my vanity, or perhaps it's that I would have trouble RPing an abomination. Either way, our campaigns have cities. And cities have people who don't expect Cthulhu-lite to be wandering their streets, begging to clean up the local bandit population for them.

Heck. They'd hire the bandits against you.

That said, I think it's mostly my vanity. I like to play things that are either 'hardcore' (like a dwarf), or pleasing to the eye, like an elf or a human or something. Aasimar or Tiefling even.

Who am I kidding? I'd playing an Incubus/Succubus every single time if it were a reasonable choice.

[TurtleKing]

The is just reflection of players who optimze or DMs that want a non generic npc. In my opinion the latter of the two is more acceptable since it does spice up game a little. This does not mean in appropiate situations and settings a player couldn't have one the templates. Some of the templates seem to be only applicable in character creation is what you are talking about. There are also other templates that are acquired which are more likely to fit based on the setting. The Monster of Legend is an acquired template which can boost the power of a player quite abit without changing the appearance too much. However that one has a limited type requirement being animal/ magical animal.

[ex cathedra]

That said, I think it's mostly my vanity. I like to play things that are either 'hardcore' (like a dwarf), or pleasing to the eye, like an elf or a human or something. Aasimar or Tiefling even.

My vanity prevents me from playing Dwarves, Orcs, Half-Orcs, most Gnomes, Goliaths, Mongrelfolk, and nearly every monstrous race. It's pretty bad.

[Vulaas]

I personally try and make it fit the campaign what I play, but I do enjoy from time to time playing a more monstrous character just because it's fun to roleplay.

[Greenish]

What? Someone asks for a template that does X, people list templates that do X. Maybe they won't be useful, maybe they will, but I see no virtue in censoring out the ones we think are unsavoury. It's not our character, nor our campaign.

And of course whoever comes up with the most obscure template gets a cookie.

[Rixx]

I do understand the appeal of playing templated characters (I, for one, would love trying out a game as a half-dragon); what I don't understand is how people will request templates with a certain mechanical benefit, with the implication that any of these templates would be acceptable to use, further implying that the template won't be an important part of the character concept (as the requester clearly has a concept in mind, should it require specific stat boosts), when you would think a template would be a hugely defining part of a character that would have more implications than the mechanical ones provided.

[arguskos]

Who am I kidding? I'd playing an Incubus/Succubus every single time if it were a reasonable choice.

Amen, sir, amen.

I tend to roll with races I find attractive or exotic, and have an unholy love affair with Genasi (especially the Para-Genasi).

[TurtleKing]

I agree after looking at some of the templates I could easly come up with a character concept and run with it. Some of them like the Fetch gets my mojo going so I can create an epic backstory, and continue to follow through with the roleplaying. To become a fetch is for your ghost dad impregnates your mortal mom, and this blessed by a deity. The special abilities the fetch as are also of the little kid who gets pushed around and shunned. This and some others are not that are hard to pull off for me since I can empathize with them (possibly have worn almost the same shoe).

[Raistlin1040]

Well, it's possible they could be starting from a mechanics point and then work from there.

Consider. You want to play a powerful Wizard with high intelligence, and your DM has given you a free template for whatever reason. You decide to play a Half-Illithid, because it gives the best INT bonus. Out of that is born the following, "My mother was nearly killed when a Mind Flayer tried to eat her brain, while traveling between towns for her uncle. She was saved at the last moment by a traveling wizard, but not before the Mind Flayer had done some damage to her. The wizard took her in, and they fell in love, and married. However, when I was born, he saw my tentacles and grey skin, and was revolted. He cast my mother from the home with me, forcing us to live on the streets as I grew up. Due to my mixed heritage, I'm far smarter than most humans. I am a Wizard, like my father, and one day I will find him and show him that my parentage has made me far stronger than he could ever hope to be!"

It's a different way of doing things, but if they write it up well, and are prepared to deal with the consequences, it can be incredibly rewarding from both a mechanical and roleplaying standpoint.

[Rixx]

I do suppose that is a way to approach things - I can be accused of picking the funnest looking abilities and justifying them afterwards.

[Raistlin1040]

Generally, I play Humans, Elves, or Half-Elves, so in that respect, I'm a really boring player, but in Freeform games, where the mechanics aren't important, I would love to play Half-Illithids and their ilk. I actually think there's great fodder for backstories in those types of templates.

[Vizzerdrix]

I prefer to play monstrous characters. It bothers me (a lot) that most of the "player races" are just humans with a cosmetic change. Even the Aberration races are just humans with strange eyes or humans with a pokemon.

Hmm... I should see if anyone wants to run a game of all Monsters as adventurers.....

[Greenish]

It bothers me (a lot) that most of the "player races" are just humans with a cosmetic change.

Many of the "monsters" are just humans with an ugly cosmetic change, which obviously justifies treating them like second-class citizen sacks of XP.

[Edit]:

Hmm... I should see if anyone wants to run a game of all Monsters as adventurers.....

The Heroes of Droaam… *Drools*

[Jastermereel]

It's a good question to ask, Rixx. One I have wondered to myself many times. Maybe it's my vanity, or perhaps it's that I would have trouble RPing an abomination. Either way, our campaigns have cities. And cities have people who don't expect Cthulhu-lite to be wandering their streets, begging to clean up the local bandit population for them.

I tend to think the reverse way. That is, the cities in the campaign are large enough that it's not simply 99% humans and the occasional elf or dwarf, but a melting pot of odd, but civilized, races. Groups of hadozee working by the docks, mogrelfolk scattered about in the market, and plenty of adventuring groups arriving as even more unusual races. That way, the players don't have to worry about sticking out like a sore thumb automatically (though they'll likely do that anyway).

Now, smaller towns out in the less-populated areas? Sure, a motley crew of random races and templates will cause quite a stir there.

[DarthCyberWolf]

This reminds me of this comic;

http://www.thenoobcomic.com/index.php?pos=2

[Morph Bark]

Who am I kidding? I'd playing an Incubus/Succubus every single time if it were a reasonable choice.

Dern straight.

Personally, Í'm not bothered by it. It has only happened in one game of mine that was a Gestalt game and most characters had ways of hiding their strangeness, with the only one incapable of that living as a hermit in the mountains.

And y'know, sometimes such things do come to exist for some reason, and what better way for them to exist other than as a PC? PCs are supposed to be unique and above the masses anyway, unless you're playing in a low-level game, or a low-magic one.

[Karsh]

Three words, my friend: Hat of Disguise.

[Eldan]

It depends on the game. If they are the heroes of peasant village or small town] saving it from [threat], it is unlikely that the characters will be anything but basic humanoid races. If, on the other hand, you play Planescape, there will certainly be a few planetouched and half-outsiders in the party. Then there are monstrous campaigns... currently, I've thrown my hat in the ring for a mindflayer campaign over on the RP boards, and playing a non-flayer there would even look comparably silly.

So, depends on the game. In some games, playing a freak will get you chased out of town/looked at strangely/prosecuted by the inquisition, while in others it's perfectly normal

[Tyndmyr]

Amen, sir, amen.

I tend to roll with races I find attractive or exotic, and have an unholy love affair with Genasi (especially the Para-Genasi).

Fire Genasi are awesome...I've played them before. No particular reason, just loved being on fire.