Race Proposal: Water Dragons (Playable)

[Roxxell]

This is a very wip race proposal I made a couple weeks back and have finally decided to post it. It got shut down without a hint of interest or a single request to glance it over after an introductory sentence, so this is very much an unfinished product, but more of an idea. I want this considered as a playable race, not an npc race, but one people can play as. I will only accept helpful criticism, so if you want to tell me to put in on SHS or "stop" again, I'll kindly ask you to keep it to yourself.

https://1drv.ms/w/s!AqtgckKmtcPcadEcsYYMUT-EY2c?e=EaEcgp - Race Proposal: Water Dragons (WIP)

[Joshua_Jericho]

It is very difficult to post appropriate feedback while keeping it entirely positive. I have therefore tried to pick out some positive elements to this to balance the downsides - but I think the first and most important take-away is as follows.

As a Playable Race, this is extremely unlikely to be approved by HC (admin) for this game. There are a few key reasons which I will pick out below, but most broadly, they just don't fit with the other playable races or general theme of the game world. In my opinion these issues are so core to the concept you've proposed that no amount of editing would preserve the feel of the submission but bring them in line with the game - it really is a 'back to the drawing board'.

That said, here are some things I really liked about this submission.

• Water-based. Although we have Mer people, the rivers, streams, and oceans of Belariath are generally not hotbeds for RP. We have a fledging ship system but not much use for it. Adding something like this would be a nice expansion to the RP themes.
• Form shifting is cool - and their abilities to carry things are new abilities for PCs which could open up new IC jobs or roleplay themes.
• There's a lot detail here - including starting stats and classes, which is often omitted.

Unfortunately there are a few big things we need to mention on the other side.

• Dragons. Dragons in Belariath are immensely powerful creatures akin to Gods. They're very heavily restricted within roleplay and Quests to preserve their mystique and grandeur. To open up something so similar for players would significantly undermine this.
• Sexual elements. We generally have a very tight policy on anything approaching 'animalistic' sexual behaviour or organs. Wolven don't have knots, Cat Folk don't have barbs. No one goes into heat, Torians don't lay eggs, etc. If all other points were to be addressed and only this one remained, to bring them in line with the game, we would need to remove any references to genitals or ability to engage in sex in their 'big' form.
• Advantages and Disadvantages - while they make sense on first glance, how do they work on paper, and on the stats? What's the effect of being able to carry cargo? How much cargo? Does it work similarly to the Double STR Advantage for other 'giant' races? (Mino, Ogre etc). What does being weighed down do, and how does this effect them in terms of stats?
• Similarity to existing races. It is worth reading up on Mephos, and the Water Dragons which have appeared in Quests already. There is significant overlap with existing creatures in the TLI world.
• Differences to existing Playable Races. I would suggest reading all other entries for the Races on the website. It should be readily apparent that this proposal is a significant depature from the 'type' of PCs we already have. Generally, playable races in this game are of the 'human +' variety. Their basic model is humanoid, with small, mostly aesthetic modifications.
• Finally, tentacles. I appreciate you've alluded to this point - but the vision and design for this game is medieval fantasy. The ways in which players would inevitably use any form of prehensile tentacles make this an immediate no.

Sorry to seem negative - but you're wasting your time and creative energy trying to make these fit into this game world. You clearly have a strong imagination and creative impulse, which I'm sure would be welcome elsewhere in the game - but this particular idea is a non-starter.

JJ

[Roxxell]

Thank you, that is actually the kind of feedback I want, thank you! I want constructive criticism, not just a "no" with nothing in the realm of reason attached as to why.