What's so cool about the Biata? ;)

Fearless Leader said:
Quinn said:
From what I've always heard the Powers That Be don't WANT the Race Packets to be public. They want them to be hard copies handed to players by the local campaign staff.

Yeah, isn't it more fun to find out in-game than to read a packet for a race you don't play?

We make every packet available to anyone of that race...


The issue I have is that the national race packets (at least in the case of MWE and Sarr, noone's ever found me the Scavenger packet, but I haven't pestered hard) have stuff in them that make a -lot- of difference to the background and society of the cultures they depict. To the extent of making a difference when choosing what race to have in a character on record. As such, it really leaves a bad taste in my mouth that I have to have a character 'on the books' of that race in order to see a packet that may very well make all the difference in wanting to play that particular racial concept.
 
The reason for the policy is to prevent abuses of the kind we used to see a lot of, where people would read the packets and then say "Nah, I don't want to play that" when really they were only trying to learn the secrets of the race.
 
Usually, there's a general enough description both in the rulebook as well as the local chapter's 'general knowledge' area of races to make a good decision upon.

With that being said, when handed the gypsy race packet at Ashbury, reading it and playing my character with those additional notes is what got him in enough trouble to have him severely disrupt the final Arch encounter. Both a good and bad thing. ;)
 
Fearless Leader said:
The reason for the policy is to prevent abuses of the kind we used to see a lot of, where people would read the packets and then say "Nah, I don't want to play that" when really they were only trying to learn the secrets of the race.

I suppose it's just false assumptions based on limited information that I dislike, like the one that suggests that all classes are roughly equal in effectiveness and speed of advancement.
 
Wraith said:
Fearless Leader said:
The reason for the policy is to prevent abuses of the kind we used to see a lot of, where people would read the packets and then say "Nah, I don't want to play that" when really they were only trying to learn the secrets of the race.

I suppose it's just false assumptions based on limited information that I dislike, like the one that suggests that all classes are roughly equal in effectiveness and speed of advancement.

Well, (a) that's why the new book will have an expanded race section, incorporating much of what is now secret in the packets and (b) who says all classes are roughly equal in effectiveness and speed of advancement?
 
Ack! I hate it when people try to balance out classes. It never works and it will never work but people believe, mostly thanks to MMO's, that everyone is trying their best to balance characters - even in MMO's. Accept that some classes, when compared overall, will be weaker in some ways. Play what you like and move on.

So sayeth the Artisan.
 
In the likelihood that I'll never spirit forge, I'm going to make her nothing but interesting COs from here on in! 9 levels of gypsy lore!
 
Gypsy Lore? What, like what color scarfs to wear and how best to dangle shiny things so that they jingle prettily and catch the firelight?

Okay, that's fair. Those *are* important.

;)
ChrisO
 
Fearless Leader said:
(b) who says all classes are roughly equal in effectiveness and speed of advancement?

I'd think it would be implied by basing scaling and treasure on APL rather than class levels, but hey, that's one of those false assumptions I was mentioning.
 
chriso said:
Gypsy Lore? What, like what color scarfs to wear and how best to dangle shiny things so that they jingle prettily and catch the firelight?

Okay, that's fair. Those *are* important.

;)
ChrisO

Something like that. Also such gypsy-related things as "why do gypsies bring undead?", "what happened to the Gypsy King?", and "hey? Where IS my pouch?". :D
 
I can answer the last one, at least: Nigel took it.

He'll swap for copper the gold coins off a dead man's eyes.

(Love ya, buddy! Ya sneaky bastad!) :)

ChrisO
 
Can we steer this thread back in the direction of biata and start telling bad jokes about them involving chickens and pet rocks?
 
Its something I asked about a while ago, about finding out more about each race before you make a character, or just things that your PC should know having grown up around other people.
Admittedly though, chapters vary greatly in the quality/quantity of each race packet beyond the national stuff. Mass's Barbarian packet comes to mind as one that is Huge. Like most of Paul Boyal's.
 
Ren Suzume said:
Can we steer this thread back in the direction of biata and start telling bad jokes about them involving chickens and pet rocks?


A lich, a necromancer and a biata walk into a bar...and that's just the first guy! :p
 
Marcena said:
Well, it's what we're good at. Especially now that Justin's discovered it. It could go on for pages. ;)

This is very true.
 
Lol.

Never awkward.

At least not for me.

Its not like we're posting in the back of a Volkswagon.
 
Right.

To answer the question: I play one.
 
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