I have felt compelled to work on races recently, and I wanted to tackle two races that posed some interesting problems for me. Halflings have a very Hobbit-esque lineage, and goblins have never been what one would call contributors to society. One of the things that I want to make sure of with the Undercity is that all of the races present compelling options for play. In some cases that means breaking from traditional interpretations of the races.
Take Goblins, for example. Goblins have always been on the fringes of society, and often exhibit behaviors that could only be called foul and anti-social. Plus, they have long been far the from the sharpest spears in the shed. I did not want to change them too much, but I wanted them to be different. I polled my Internet Support Group (Twitter), and got a great idea: Librarians. Yep, goblin librarians. They might not be the sharpest, but they love their books something fierce. That makes them natural friends for Algar Dwarves, and Halflings, as both races are devoted seekers of knowledge (though for different reasons.
So here is my take on goblins. (Links to the Sand & Steam wiki).
Then there are halflings. Halflings are usually portrayed as either adventurous Hobbits, or Kender-like thieves. I wanted to lean towards the Kender side of things, but without the Chaotic Neutral-I will steal everything, but am always innocent vibe. Again, using Twitter as a resource, I got the idea to make them information brokers. This gives them utility as a race, and gives them a place in the various societies of the Undercity. It does not necessarily make them thieves, but it gives them connections. As well, the legitimate parts of society have uses for information, too, so Halflings are welcome almost anywhere.
And here is my take on Halflings. (Also a link to the Sand & Steam wiki).
Finding places for all of the races in the Undercity is an interesting challenge. I have always been a fan of a lot of different racial options, and Sand & Steam seemed to be the perfect place to explore that. Having reason and motivation for each race to have survived the Exile is not always an easy thing, but as I keep working on it (and tapping my Twitter followers for ideas), I keep finding room for the races. My hope is that, once the races are completed, that I will have done justice by each of them, rather than just tossing them into a not-so-tasty stew.