(I like to think these are at least semi-original races for some use. I figured they'd be best used in an MMORPG. Tell me what you think. I'd also like to note that they're attributes may be off, due to a lack of knowledge on my part.) Wolves- the most physically powerful canine race, the wolves are as headstrong as they are powerful. they don't like to rely on speed or magic, like other races do. most clans are lawful good or lawful neutral, but a few are chaotic evil. Coyotes- the coyotes are a balance of speed and strength. they're not as strong as the wolves or as fast as the foxes, but they're faster than the wolves and stronger than the foxes. very few coyotes use magic. the majority of foxes are neutral good. Foxes- the fastest of all the canines, but also the weakest. they are often tricksters. if any canine is going to use magic, it would probably be a fox. foxes rarely establish their own communities-- they usually dwell in a wolf or coyote community. they are chaotic good. Lion- the most powerful, but slowest, feline race. they commonly use heavy weaponry, whereas most feline races do not. very few lions use magic. they are mostly lawful good. Tigers- a race of felines that are both strong and swift. they use medium-sized weaponry. some tigers use magic. they are neutral good. Panthers- a weaker, slower feline race that uses magic more than physical ability. Cheetahs- a physically weak but very fast feline race. they are commonly tricksters. they use light weaponry. they are chaotic good. Griffins- an incredibly powerful race. on the ground, they are somewhat slow, but griffins are able to fly. they live in/on Hyperborea, a flying city. they use heavy weaponry. they rarely meddle in the affairs that do not concern their race. they are lawful neutral. Ants- a slow and weak insect race that uses a lot of magic to compensate. more powerful wizards and sorcerers can learn to balance four magical items at a time (not counting accessories). Bees- a somewhat strong flying rae of insects. they are slow on foot. they commonly use medium or light weaponry. some use magic, but not many. they are lawful neutral. Wasps- an incredibly strong race of flying insects. they are slow on foot. they use heavy weaponry. those good are lawful good. those evil are chaotic evil. Beetles- a slow but strong race of insects. they often dwell underground and near sources of heat, such as volcanoes. they are often metalworkers. their shell can act as a shield. they are true neutral. Spiders- a race of arachnids that have mediocre strength and speed, but special abilities that are not mediocre. spders can walk on walls and ceilings, project a strong webbing, and inject poison that liquifies the victim's organs if not cured. they are chaotic evil. Scorpions- a strong but slow race of arachnids. they have tails with tips that can inject fatal poison. they are chaotic evil. (This is just the races. I had some characters made up a while back, as well as basic storyline ideas, but I don't really recall them in full detail.) [Edited by - orionx103 on August 3, 2004 3:53:58 PM]

I'd suggest switching the attributes of Coyotes and Foxes. Both are trickster totems but foxes are smaller and considered more mentally nimble. Coyotes are smart but, if you're going more towards the mythological view, have a tendency to get themselves into trouble more often than not. I can see Foxes being small, nimble and magic-using fighters while Coyotes are bigger, not as fast but too impatient to use a lot of magic.

Are your races balanced against each other? You have 3 canine races but 4 feline races, with one - Griffins - who could be considered Feline, making it 5 feline races. The insectoid races have 2 very similar societies - bees and ants. Do you intend to make them natural enemies? Ants DO have some flyers; I'd incorporate that, especially if you intend for certain races to face off against each other. I'm also not sure why you chose to include Wasps, given their similarities to Bees. If you're going for Wasps vs. Bees, then I'd include Termites to have them go against the Ants. Then you'd still have Scorpions vs. Spiders as natural antagonists/competitors, as the predators of the insectoid world. Where Beetles come into play, however, I'm not sure.

Interesting; if this is an MMO, are you making them humanoid? What would keep it from becoming a Furry MMO? ;)

I have to second the previous poster about the Foxes and Coyotes.
One is the trickster for the japanese culture (Kitsune IIRC) whereas the Coyote is more for the desertic parts of America. Well, at least that's my experience from what I read.
I dunno if that's of any use to you but you might wanna check out wereanimals in Werewolf the Apocalypse, maybe ?
Between werebears, werecrocodiles, wereravens and werespiders, there is a massive amount of stuff to discover :)

But then again, if you already have your own ideas well written down...

It's a bit hard to criticise since you dont really give any reasons for the various perks and flaws that your creatures have.

For instance, why would ants be very good at magic ?
I would see them as a sort of Hive Mind, personally, gaining bonuses as their number increase in a location.
Also races of ants can have spray attacks, stings, dozens of queens for a nest, etc.

Scorpions have some funny abilities like their Glow in the dark properties, and the fact that they resist nuclear radiations (from what I have read). Also, they have either very lethal claws and almost useless sting, or lethally big poisonous sting but small pincers.

(oh, I just noticed the "lack of knowledge on my part")
Well, anyway, it would be nice to see what you could come up to with a tad bit more depth ? certainly I can see exciting possibilities :)

Quote: Original post by EricTrickster
I'd suggest switching the attributes of Coyotes and Foxes. Both are trickster totems but foxes are smaller and considered more mentally nimble. Coyotes are smart but, if you're going more towards the mythological view, have a tendency to get themselves into trouble more often than not. I can see Foxes being small, nimble and magic-using fighters while Coyotes are bigger, not as fast but too impatient to use a lot of magic.

Thanks. Like I said, I really don't have too much of a knowledge on animals, so I just went with what I thought sounded good.

Quote:
Are your races balanced against each other? You have 3 canine races but 4 feline races, with one - Griffins - who could be considered Feline, making it 5 feline races. The insectoid races have 2 very similar societies - bees and ants. Do you intend to make them natural enemies? Ants DO have some flyers; I'd incorporate that, especially if you intend for certain races to face off against each other. I'm also not sure why you chose to include Wasps, given their similarities to Bees. If you're going for Wasps vs. Bees, then I'd include Termites to have them go against the Ants. Then you'd still have Scorpions vs. Spiders as natural antagonists/competitors, as the predators of the insectoid world. Where Beetles come into play, however, I'm not sure.

The races weren't specifically meant to be balanced with each other. It's not as though the felines are in a war against the canines. For instance, the wolves have a superiority complex that generally isolates them from other races, even foxes and coyotes. I wanted to come up with a serpentine race that would be the enemy of the tigers. (This comes from the eastern belief that tigers and dragons are mutual enemies and symbolize the yin and yang.) The only winged and are the fertile ones, who are pretty much about to propagate the species. Ant colonies with queens don't have these, as the queen does it all alone. I figured I'd go with having a queen in stead of having the fertile fliers. Plus, if you knew someone's sole purpose was to propagate the species, why would you send them off to fight?

I figured the spiders and the scorpions would be likely to align with each other. They have stuff in common: both are powerful predators, both are arachnids, both are evil. They're a match made in Heaven. Erm, maybe Hell. Whichever.

Quote:
Interesting; if this is an MMO, are you making them humanoid? What would keep it from becoming a Furry MMO? ;)

I guess I didn't include that bit of information specifically, but yes, these are humanoid races. My idea was that it could be used in a furry MMORPG, kinda like Furtopia but better, but I don't like the term "furry" so I didn't want to reference it as such.

If, as I believe, you're going more with the spiritual aspects of these creatures' personalities, here's a basic list of totem attributes from various combined Native American definitions. This is not a definitive list but it might be helpful to you as a start. I did notice you didn't have any true avian races (other than the flying insectoid races and the griffins); was that intentional?

Ant: patience, stamina, community-mindedness
Antelope: knowledgeable action, speed, rapid growth, grace
Armadillo: knowledge of boundaries, objectivity
Badger: aggressiveness, persistence, centeredness
Bat: releasing old habits, new growth, rebirth
Bear: strength, introspection, self-knowledge
Beaver: balance, alterations, building, shaping
Bee: service, gathering, community
Bird: unity, freedom, community
Buffalo: abundance, prayer, healing, good fortune
Butterfly: transformation, courage to change, balance, grace
Caribou: travel, mobility
Cat: grace, independence, sensuality, psychic vision
Cougar/Mt.Lion: balanced leadership, cunning, wit
Coyote: humor, trickiness, adaptability, reversal of fortune
Crow: council, intuitive knowledge of universal law, assertiveness
Deer: gentleness, sensitivity, alertness, peace
Dog: loyalty, courage, unconditional love
Dolphin: harmony, love, wisdom, connection with self
Dragonfly: refinement of skills, illusion, need for change, relentlessness
Duck:female-mothering energy, male-coping with stress
Elephant: memory, learning abilitly, health, good luck
Elk: stamina, friendship, pride, power, majesty
Falcon accuracy, rapid progress, restraint
Fox: cleverness, adaptability, cunning, subtlety, discretion
Frog: emotional healing, cleansing, peace
Goat :tenacity, diligence
Goose: safe return, love of home
Gopher: gathering, preparation for the future
Grouse: completion, sacred spiral dance, fulfillment
Hawk: messenger, truth seeker, clear vision, heightened awareness
Hedgehog: self-preservation
Horse: inner power, freedom, safe movement
Hummingbird: beauty, wonder,joy, agility
Lion: association with the sun, courage, nobleness, prosperity
Lizard: caution, regeneration, renewal, growth
Loon: communication, serenity
Lynx: subtlety, silence, secretiveness, elusiveness
Manatee: serenity, gentleness, trust
Moose: self-esteem, confidence, strength, spontaneity, unpredictability
Mouse: scrutiny, caution, success, awareness of danger, illusion, charm
Opossum: peaceful alternatives, deception
Otter: playfulness, efficiency, female energy, healing power of laughter
Owl: wisdom, insight, psychic vision
Pidgeon: romantic love, loyalty, peace, innocence
Porcupine: self-protection, memory, security, innocence, humility
Quail: protectiveness, group harmony
Rabbit: conquering fear, safety, gentleness with self
Raccoon:curiosity, skillful investigation, playful energy
Raven: prophecy, clairvoyant vision, magic, mystery, exploring unknown
Salmon: determination, persistence
Sandpiper: quickness, foraging, scavenging
Seagull: observation, swift action, opportunity,carefree attitude, versatility
Seal: contentment
Skunk: reputation, self-preservation, respect
Snake: transmutation, fertility, regeneration, life force,sexual potency
Spider: creativity, balance, interconnectedness, industry
Squirrel: planning ahead, playfulness, trust
Swan:grace, faithfulness, committment
Tiger: caution, appropriate timing, stealth
Turkey: setting limits, appreciation, renewal
Turtle: protection,grounding,longevity,healing,symbol of the bounty of Mother Earth
Vulture: resolution of problems
Weasel: stealth, seeing beneath the surface, supernatural power
Whale: intelligence, self-expression, intuition, creativity
Woodpecker: sacred heartbeat, rain caller, growth, fertility, cleansing
Wolf: eliminating weakness, committment, family loyalty, teaching skill
Zebra:power, alertness, community

BIRDS:

Blackbird: understanding of the energies of Mother Nature
Bluebird: modesty, unassuming, confidence and happiness
Blue Jay: proper use of power
Canary:power of song and voice. heightened sensitivity
Cardinal: renewed vitality through recognizing our importance
Catbird: language and communication
Chickadee: cheerful expression of truth
Chicken: fertility and sacrifice
Cock: sexuality, watchfulness and resurrection, optimism
Cowbird: parent and child relationships, resolving old issues
Crane: longevity and creation through focus, exression of feminine energies
Crow: magic, creation, spiritual strength
Cuckoo: heralding new fate, intuitive ability
Dove: feminine energies of peace, maternity, prophecy and promise of future
Ducks: emotional comfort and protection
Eagle: spiritual enlightenment, clarity of vision, transcendence, messengers, healing and creation
Finch: energy of variety and multiplicity, increased potentials
Flicker: rapid growth and trust, increased healing love, new sensitivity of heart
Goldfinch: awakening to the nature spirits- fairies, elves and devas
Goose: call of the quest, travels to legendary places, search new dimensions
Grackle: overcoming excess, dealing with emotions
Grosbeak: Healing the family heart
Hawk: Awakening visionary power, guardianship, awareness, truth
Heron: Aggressive self-determination, self-reliance
Hummingbird: Tireless joy, accomplishing the impossible, beauty, agility
Kestrel: Mental speed, agility, grace, control
Kingfisher: New warmth, sunshine, prosperity, and love
Loon: Lucid dreaming and re-awakening of old hopes, wishes and dreams
Magpie: The proper use of intelligence, familiars, and occult knowledge
Martin: Good luck and community peace, peaceful living energies
Meadowlark: Cheerful journey inward, discovery of intuition, innate abilities
Mockingbird: Finding your Sacred Song (soul purpose) and recognition of your innate abilities
Nuthatch: Grounding of faith and higher wisdom, teaches true path to realization is learning to manifest the spiritual within the physical
Oriole: The weaving of new sunshine, can open doors to positive relationship with all members of nature realm
Ostrich: Becoming grounded
Owl: The mystery of magic, omens, silent wisdom, and vision in the night; symbol of the feminine, the moon and the night
Parrott: Sunshine and color healing; teaches power of light and colors
Peacock: Resurrection and wise vision (watchfulness)
Pelican: Renewed buoyancy and unselfishness; teaches how not to be overcome by emotion
Penguin: Lucid dreaming and astral projection
Pheasant: Family fertility and sexuality
Pigeon: Return to the love and security of home; very gentle and loving energy
Quail: Group nourishment and protection
Raven: Magic, shapeshifting and creation
Road Runner: Mental speed and agility
Robin: Spread of New Growth in a variety of areas of life
Sparrow: Awakening and triumph of common nobility; shows how to survive
Starling: Group behavior and etiquette; clear communication
Stork: Birth and unspoken communication
Swallow: Protection and warmth for the home and proper perspective
Swans: Awakening the true beauty and power of the self
Swift: Speed and agility in the great quest; responding to opportunity
Swisher: Awakening to the Fairy realm
Turkey: Sharing blessings and harvest
Vulture: Purification - death and rebirth - new vision
Waxwing: Gentleness and courtesy
Woodpecker: The power of rhythm and determination; stimulates new rhythms
Wren: Resourcefulness and boldness

Thanks for the list. I actually found a few lists myself, but didn't think it was all that interesting. To be honest, I'm just going by the concepts of these animals that I have in my head.

I didn't have any avian races because I didn't know how to pull it off. Plus, I don't find them as interesting as the ones I already have. I might make a couple, just to see how it turns out.

At this moment, I just wish there was something this was actually being used for. I just don't know how I could start a project from this. I have other stuff I combine with this to start something, but I'm not sure how. (Advice?)

It's an interesting concept; I could see this as an MMO, or as an RTS along the lines of Warcraft or AOE. I could even see an adventure RPG (or a series of them) based on the world design.

If you want to stay away from using the word "furry" can I suggest maybe "animist"?

mmh, I think "animist" has a rather strong religious connotation. So unless you were saying that on purpose, I would suggest "animalistic".

I made the fox-coyote change, but no one responded to my earlier question. How would I go about getting a project started from what I have here?

I figured I should start to flesh out these races more, so I jotted down what weaponry each race would use. I'm thinking, now, about classes and such.

Wolves- heavy weaponry
Coyotes- heavy and medium weaponry
Foxes- light weaponry
Lions- heavy weaponry
Tigers- medium weaponry
Panthers- light weaponry
Cheetahs- light weaponry
Griffins- heavy weaponry
Ants- light weaponry
Bees- medium or light weaponry
Wasps- heavy weaponry
Beetles- heavy weaponry
Spiders- medium or light weaponry
Scorpions- heavy weaponry

Weaponry
Heavy
Swords
Battle-Axes
Halberds
Hammers
Maces

Medium
Katanas
Spears
Poles
Light Axes

Light
Sword Swords
Sai*
Knives*
Amulets
Staves**

*generally wielded in pairs
**regarded as "light" because they're generally not used as other poles are

[Edited by - orionx103 on August 3, 2004 9:32:22 PM]