Mixed breed races

[Cure]

Hey, i was wondering how other players/GMs handle making characters who aren't typically any of the normal races (which i will refer to as 'mutts', as with dog breeds they've got mixes of all sorts in there that can come in any combination really).

For example, a half orc and half elf hook up, that makes their child:
quarter orc
quarter elf
half human
(obviously they would take the standard +2 ability bonus that the half elf and half orc get, but the other racial abilities, how would you go about deciding what they get?)

or what if say a halfling and gnome hooked up?
half halfling
half gnome
(with the +2 dex/char and -2 str of the halflings plus the +2 con/char and -2 str of the gnome, that would make a -4 str, +2 dex, +2 con, +4 cha. That wouldn't work quite so easily so how would you go about sorting that one?)

Finally, lets say the half gnome/halfling hooked up with the quarter orc...their kid would be:
quarter halfling
quarter gnome
quarter human
eighth orc
eighth elf

So how would one go about creating such a character in regards to their racial stats and abilities. Because it is more than plausable that mutts exist, particularly with the first generation ones like the quarter orc and half gnome.

Thanks for reading, i look forwards to some insight on this.

[LazarX]

Cure wrote:

Hey, i was wondering how other players/GMs handle making characters who aren't typically any of the normal races (which i will refer to as 'mutts', as with dog breeds they've got mixes of all sorts in there that can come in any combination really).

So how would one go about creating such a character in regards to their racial stats and abilities. Because it is more than plausable that mutts exist, particularly with the first generation ones like the quarter orc and half gnome.

Thanks for reading, i look forwards to some insight on this.

I don't allow that kind of nonsense. "Mutts" as exist in the real world are still pretty much cross between breeds within the same species. I simply don't allow it outside of what establishes for the core species, such as those that actually exist in the worlds I create.

As to the answer there actually is one.... Essentially at some point it all breaks down and what you're playing is a mongrelman.

[David knott 242]

Just wait a couple of weeks for that Advanced Race Guide to come out. It includes rules for creating your own races. For a hybrid character, limit yourself to choosing abilities possessed by one or both of the parent races.

[Bart Vervaet]

the complex answer: what David said

the simple answer: choose one race as dominant. For a half-orc/half-elf this would be simply human

for a halfling/gnome the child is either more like its father or more like its mother, so either the halfling traits or gnome traits. The mixed race is only in appearance and for RP

In short: work out the percentages for each of the parent races and take the one with the highest, or choose one in case of a tie

[Degoon Squad]

I think in a Fantasy world there would be a number of mixed race types besides 1/2 Elf and and 1/2 orcs ..
But a Gm should try to keepit simple and if possible use something already out there. for example in an Old D&D game a person wanted to play a 1/2 human 1/2 hafling and the Gm ruled that he was then a Tallfellow hafling

[Mystic_Snowfang]

But there's a lot more chance for crazyness with the Advanced Race guide coming out.

[VRMH]

I seem to recall that in earlier versions of the game, cross-breeding was called out as being magical in nature rather than biological. Which means the end result needs to make no sense whatsoever.

[firefly the great]

Officially, I believe the races behave more or less like a ring species:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_species

... where humans can have kids with everyone, but other races can't.

Unofficially, I'd suggest building a new race with the Advanced Race Guide.

[Stockvillain]

I'd just go with the child favoring whatever race makes up the most of its background.

1/2 elf + 1/2 orc = human, with maybe some slightly pointy ears, a bit of an underbite, and slightly olive-toned skin. I'd even allow you to take 2 Adopted traits; one for the elf blood and one for the orc blood.

Hafling + gnome = probably not viable. Either that, or treated as one race or the other. Might allow a variant of the Racial Heritage feat, if the racial makeup is really that important for the character concept.

As for the last mix . . . heck, no. I would not allow that. I think that's kinda silly. If you must, then pick one of the races that contributed to the ancestry, throw in some physical features that reflect the other races, and go from there.

Having said that, I'm not a big fan of crazy mixed lineages in my games. Regardless of the sense they might make from a certain perspective, they don't add anything to most games. Half-orc-drow-celestial-dragon-kitsune might be great in someone's fanfic, but not in my weekly game.

Of course, your taste may vary. If you like it, go right ahead.

*EDIT*
If I recall correctly, there was a character in the Yamara comic strip named Ogrek the Undisciplined that had a racial makeup very similar to the one I posted above.

[Kassegore]

There's something to be said for this trope. Piers Anthony's Xanth series was rife with this type of thing, where magic allowed for all manner of creatures to produce viable offspring. Its a staple of some fantasy themes, so if thats your thing, then run with it.

My suggestion, if you want to run your world like that, consider creating a "near-human" race. One that allows you to lump together all manner of parentage. All your PC races are humanoid in shape, and if you mix and match parentage enough, i'm sure, stat wise it boils down into having that +2 to one ability score as a racial adjustment. Everything else is just cosmetics.

Or get crazy with it. If your group is into that level of customization, I'm sure the Advanced Race Guide will be right up your alley. Mix, match and have fun.

[Stockvillain]

+1 to Kassegore. If you'd really like that sort of variety in your player races, that's a very good way to go. I suppose maybe the Xanth series burned me out on it a bit, but it's not a bad concept.

In fact, the ARG is very definitely just what you're looking for. You can get a little crazy and flavorful while still being quite playable. I haven't burrowed through that section, as it isn't my cup of tea, but a brief perusal of it paints a very interesting picture for populating the rest of Golarion's solar system.

You may have intrigued me into taking another look. Kudos!