(TFT) the elusive balance thing

["Cas Liber" <casliber@ozemail.com.au>]

Dear Michael
I agree that balance is the key as far as making new races and I really dug
the racial 'kits' that JPB did a couple months ago ( I saved it in my TFT
folder to be amamlgamated/customized at a later date). Each of the new
races I made I tried to flesh out and balance eg.

Bugbears
ST: 14              MA:10
DX:  10   +5     Armour:0
IQ:   7
 Large (130 kg) hairy goblinoids, Bugbears have automatic silent movement
talent. However, they require double XP to rise levels and their IQ cannot
exceed 11 without magical means. Bugbears are avaricious and love gold and
shiny things, which leads them into strife with dwarves often. This is a
well-known trait and they receive a -1 on reaction rolls except with
goblinoid races. They speak goblin as their first language.


Gnome
ST:7                  MA:10
DX:8   +8          Armour:0
IQ:8
Gnomes are 1-1.3 m high friendly dwarflike humanoids who live in hilly
areas. Weighing 50 or 60 kg, they are almost as good at mining as dwarves,
but prefer gems to gold. They are enemies of all goblinoids (goblins,
svarts, kobolds, hobgoblins and bugbears) and have a -1 reaction roll
against them. Giants (and their kin) suffer a -2 DX penalty fighting
gnomes. 
All gnomes have a natural affinity with woodland animals and may gain the
benefit of animal handler  talent at a cost of 1 IQ point only. They may
also get, at a cost of 1 talent point, acute hearing. They also get an
automatic 4 dice roll vs. IQ when they see an illusion with auditory
components, unless it was created by a gnome wizard. All gnomes speak
gnomish as a first language.

(I made the following from the Gnomes picture book that was popular 20
years ago)
Frost Gnome
ST:8                  MA:10
DX:8     +8        Armour:0
IQ:8
A distinct gnomish race of cold climes, these fellows are quite xenophobic
and ill-disposed to other races, including other gnomes. This penalizes
them 1 point on all reaction rolls. They are bigger than normal gnomes,
being 1.3m tall and weighing 70kg on average, with swarthy greyish skin and
piercing yellow or blue eyes. Like their temperate cousins, they receive an
automatic 4/IQ roll vs illusions and acute hearing at 1 talent point, if
they wish. They are not small enough for giants to be penalized fighting
them, however. Likewise, they are not inimical to goblinoids as other
gnomes are. In fact, frost gnomes may associate with trolls, winter wolves
and wolverines to bolster their villages' defensive arsenal (they can also
get animal handler talent at a cost of 1 point)
Frost gnomes speak a dialect of gnomish; normal gnomes listening must make
a 3/IQ roll to understand them



I figured they were fairly balanced but not quite as fleshed out as other
races yet (I'll get there when I have time and have done more of my
gazetteer) I hope Joel found the archives alright :)
Cas
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