Apprentice Engine Races

So in the last post I gave a quick overview of the mechanics I want to use for running a stripped down 13th age for kids. Now we'll talk a bit about races and classes.

I want races to be more like generic categories that a lot of character ideas can exist in comfortably without each one needing unique abilities. Ironically by making the races super simple it makes reskining them trivial. Also, I am coopting the power sources from 4e minus the Divine source, I haven't decided what signifigance they have yet except giving me some easy keywords to play with.

The Kith (Martial Races) - (Power) Detect Secret - The kith are great adventurers, and they are really good at reading the magic in the air and finding out secrets from it. When you are in a dungeon and enter a room the DM will tell you one of the room's secrets for free.

So this rolls the elves, dwarves and halflings into one thing. The power is from old school elves but honestly they've all had some kind of perception boost included in their stats at various times.

The Beasties (Primal Race) - (Power) Angry! - If you get hurt during a combat or puzzle your power grows to the next size up. This only happens once!

Orcs, shifters, minotaurs, the list goes on what this race could represent.

The Jenn (Arcane Race) - (Power) Elementary - You pick one of the four elements, fire, water, air, earth, and get a special ability from it.
Fire - One time per rest you can burst into fire and attack everyone around you.
Water - You can breath water and swim like a fish.
Air - You don't get hurt from falling.
Earth - One time per rest you can grow your power dice for defense until the end of a fight or other challenge.

I realize that some of these powers seem pretty spamable, but my intention is for the players to try and do a lot with only a few powers. Unless they are a wizard. Like maybe they get each power on a card, but can only take three cards with them into a dungeon? It doesn't have to perfectly emulate anything, I think a big advantage here is kids can both understand that the game has rules and still suspend their belief.

Also Jenn is kind of a mashup word from Gensai, Jinn and Jaan. I might come up with something better later.

The Shards (Psionic Race) - (Power) ESP - You can talk directly into people's minds or send them pictures, and they can talk and send pictures back. You can also wobbily levitate small objects.

My original plan for the psionic race was for it to be robots? Yeah I don't know what I was thinking either.

The Darklings (Shadow Race) - (Power) Vanish - If you can find a shadow you can try hiding, even if there isn't anything to hide behind. If it is totally dark you turn invisible. Why is this useful? Well lots of things that think you are tasty with ketchup can see in the dark, and you probably can't.

Tieflings, vampires, shadar-kai, emo kids, all wrapped up into one.

The Robots (Robot Race, because Robots! - (Power) Robot! - You are a robot! Rwar! You don't have to sleep (but still have to rest if you want your Magic Words back), don't have to eat, and don't have to breath. You can't swim though, and have to drink oil as a snack instead of regular snacks.

I couldn't imagine a world with robots, then take them out. That would be cruel even if I was the only one who knew I did it.


On the off chance you've followed my blog (seriously who are you if you did?!) you'll know this wouldn't be the first false start I've had, but I feel pretty good since my kids aren't likely to not be here for game night if I get this going. Next post will be classes, then formalized rules maybe? Also I have a post I was working on about making 4e type characters as pregens, but run them like League of Legends so they are all weird and awesome and players can swap them out a lot and players get fast and dirty level ups in the game which don't translate between adventures, but earn badges that do. I might finish that some time.