I want to be a baboon!

[Paid a bod yn dwp]

Ok so what’s the recommended procedure in RQG for rolling up a hairy smelly baboon character? What previous history could I use in RQG? 

[dumuzid]

The Baboon Troop are a Praxian tribe, the Praxian character history options work just fine for them.

[Tindalos]

8 minutes ago, Paid a bod yn dwp said:

Ok so what’s the recommended procedure in RQG for rolling up a hairy smelly baboon character? What previous history could I use in RQG? 

Well, baboon troop are counted as one of the independent tribes of Prax, so using the history for Praxians as a basis may make sense, with allowances for non-human superiority. 

[French Desperate WindChild]

I m not sure baboon participated in human events (did the troll, the elves, the centaurs, the dwarves ?)  Of course exception are possible but seems to me hard.

May i share my new  "secret sauce" when the History is not aligned with the character's story: 

when the background is not "built" between Player and GM, I follow the rules (so roll for events, get bonus skill, passions score, etc...) but I change names (event and passion) : dad was not killed during the battle of Boldhome against lunar, but when the ennemy clan attacked our tula (no hate lunar, but hate the ennemy clan / or the trolls / or broos ....). The pc doesn't fear Harreck but the fire because he was facing his farm fire when some xxx attacked his family, etc...

[Bill the barbarian]

3 hours ago, Paid a bod yn dwp said:

Ok so what’s the recommended procedure in RQG for rolling up a hairy smelly baboon character? What previous history could I use in RQG? 

Well I recommend ya do it... Non-human, check. Easy to understand motivations, check. But still different enough, and yet again check... I am loving @dumuzid's idea of using the Prax Family History, great! Alas, I must wait for the Pavis Family history to recreate my fave baboon; Monk, Chip Monk. You lost it I will find. You want it I will get it, No job to small. I don’t walk dogs... here’s my clay tablet. Office at The Temple.*

*(hey c'mon it was the ‘80s...cheesy hairy lipped detectives were everywhere, give me a break

Edited December 28, 2020 by Bill the barbarian

[Byll]

There's an inset on P29 of the Bestiary about Baboon adventurers. For the Praxian Background skills, personally, I would substitute Animal Lore for Ride (Herdbeast) and Track for Herd.

I can't really see a baboon gaining loyalty to some place called Sartar because his grandad got himself killed in some foreign war, Honour's fair enough and hating bad people.

[Paid a bod yn dwp]

This is great all. I’m going full Baboon! 

[Paid a bod yn dwp]

Just now, Paid a bod yn dwp said:

This is great all. I’m going full Baboon! 

As mentioned I may need a heard beast 

[Bill the barbarian]

7 minutes ago, Paid a bod yn dwp said:

This is great all. I’m going full Baboon! 

Be sure to do a bit of research on the greatest baboon of them all... Mello Yello

Edited December 28, 2020 by Bill the barbarian

[Paid a bod yn dwp]

1 minute ago, Bill the barbarian said:

Be sure to do a bit of research to the greatest baboon of them all... Mello Yello

Will do. He’s the troop leader. This is the dawning of a new age of the baboon! The monkey ruins shall rise again! 

[Bill the barbarian]

3 minutes ago, Paid a bod yn dwp said:

Will do. He’s the troop leader. This is the dawning of a new age of the baboon! The monkey ruins shall rise again! 

Run Charlton Heston! Run!

Edited December 28, 2020 by Bill the barbarian

[Jape_Vicho]

If one of the players in my group had finally decided to play as a baboon, I would have nerfed it's strength. This may not be popular but baboons being as strong as a freaking Uzko while also being smaller than the average human? That's nuts. And I know that monkeys are generally stronger than humans for their size, but that doesn't mean they are as strong as a race of huge humanoids that are over 2m tall and weight over 200kg... That added to their also increased DEX makes baboons extremely OP, at first glance at least.

[Bill the barbarian]

4 minutes ago, Jape_Vicho said:

If one of the players in my group had finally decided to play as a baboon, I would have nerfed it's strength. This may not be popular but baboons being as strong as a freaking Uzko while also being smaller than the average human? That's nuts. And I know that monkeys are generally stronger than humans for their size, but that doesn't mean they are as strong as a race of huge humanoids that are over 2m tall and weight over 200kg... That added to their also increased DEX makes baboons extremely OP, at first glance at least.

I shant lie, s’true. but really, all RQ G new roll ups are OP not just baboons, Humakti, etc.etc... running a game right now and am blown away (and not liking it at all) by how powerful the characters are!

[jajagappa]

7 minutes ago, Paid a bod yn dwp said:

As mentioned I may need a heard beast 

Get an ostrich!  

 

[Byll]

2 hours ago, Paid a bod yn dwp said:

As mentioned I may need a heard beast 

Giant tortoise? No, no. Something faster, a Hyena. Its not quite a Praxian beast like the Baboons not quite a Praxian person (In that neither are in Waha's covenant, but both live in Prax and the Wastes

[DreadDomain]

On 12/29/2020 at 5:21 AM, Bill the barbarian said:

I shant lie, s’true. but really, all RQ G new roll ups are OP not just baboons, Humakti, etc.etc... running a game right now and am blown away (and not liking it at all) by how powerful the characters are!

Really? I'd love to hear more around this from "what type of games are you usually running and in what system" to "what do you think is over powered? Starting skill values? Available magic?"

I am currently playing through Scorpion Hall with a RQG character that is a bit more than starting and has excellent characteristics. I thought "Hey, let's clean up the Scorpion Hall with Svaric. Should be easy!"

It is not.

Sorry for the derail it might be a potential new thread in the making.

Edited January 2, 2021 by DreadDomain

[Stephen L]

13 hours ago, Jape_Vicho said:

increased DEX makes baboons extremely OP

Possibly, but don't forget there are disadvantages.  They're not fully bipedal, hence using a 2H spear for a charge, and then dropping it to fight claw and fang.  I would impose penalties on a baboon who wanted to use e.g. sword and shield, as it wouldn't feel natural to them and they'd find it very uncomfortable.

Also I'd make armour uncomfortable for them as well, perhaps doubling the effective ENC?

[Stephen L]

13 hours ago, Bill the barbarian said:

all RQ G new roll ups are OP not just baboons

I agree.

I've always felt that 80% skill levels were the sweet spot for RQ.  You're waiting for that opening when a parry fails, which happens a lot less at 100%.  (Though I'm loving how breaking weapons means that combats aren't dragging on, even when everyone's approaching 100%).

However the starting powers as written is fantastic for the current campaign.  My group is almost completely new to RQ and Glorantha (and mostly are young'uns, new to roleplaying), and its fantastic the colour and vibrancy of the characters they've rolled up.  However, I am only allowing rune point replenishment at seasonal holy days, to keep rune points down.

For my next campaign, (I'm dreaming of Balazar at the moment), the characters will start a lot younger, perhaps with 1 runepoint.  And I'm toying with the idea that you don't get all common rune spells, when you sacrifice your POW you get 1 common and 1 special rune spell.

[Stephen L]

14 hours ago, Paid a bod yn dwp said:

As mentioned I may need a heard beast 

I'd go for something bad tempered like a camel.  That way mounting up could occasionally result in a brawl between the mounts and would be riders.

Or, as you've mentioned your baboons are especially smelly, perhaps mounts with refined olfactory senses, who object to the waft of their riders.

[Paid a bod yn dwp]

8 minutes ago, Stephen L said:

Possibly, but don't forget there are disadvantages.  They're not fully bipedal, hence using a 2H spear for a charge, and then dropping it to fight claw and fang.  I would impose penalties on a baboon who wanted to use e.g. sword and shield, as it wouldn't feel natural to them and they'd find it very uncomfortable.

Also I'd make armour uncomfortable for them as well, perhaps doubling the effective ENC?

Listen (perhaps heretical to some apes who deny the connection to the inferior weird smell masking humans) we all know baboons evolved from the primitive weaker hairless humans. They wear their armour in shame, to cover their ugly hairlessness. Humans are lucky they don’t have permanent penalties on their charisma for being the weedy, bold apes they are. 

There’s only one top banana in Prax, and we all know who that is. 

[Shiningbrow]

14 hours ago, Jape_Vicho said:

If one of the players in my group had finally decided to play as a baboon, I would have nerfed it's strength. This may not be popular but baboons being as strong as a freaking Uzko while also being smaller than the average human? That's nuts. And I know that monkeys are generally stronger than humans for their size, but that doesn't mean they are as strong as a race of huge humanoids that are over 2m tall and weight over 200kg... That added to their also increased DEX makes baboons extremely OP, at first glance at least.

Except, they're going to be a LOT more limited when it comes to cults and magic. Although they'll be in the Baboon equivalent of Daka Fal, that's not really a great help for Rune spells.

I'd also rule that their equipment is going to be shoddier than standard gear in the RQG (unless you're being a generous GM). @Stephen L's suggestions above are also good, IMHO.

[French Desperate WindChild]

14 hours ago, Jape_Vicho said:

If one of the players in my group had finally decided to play as a baboon, I would have nerfed it's strength. This may not be popular but baboons being as strong as a freaking Uzko while also being smaller than the average human? That's nuts. And I know that monkeys are generally stronger than humans for their size, but that doesn't mean they are as strong as a race of huge humanoids that are over 2m tall and weight over 200kg... That added to their also increased DEX makes baboons extremely OP, at first glance at least.

I would not follow you

but, baboon will not be accepted in about all temples (don't let enter your pet) a large part of inn (you have to wear shoes to enter) etc... There is no social activity for a baboon in human centric campaign, few magic choice, etc... and probably he/she will be the first guy accused by the people for any theft, degradation or curse. Not a good life to be a baboon and probably worst than any other race in human community (after all they are ridiculous power as people if you compare with the elder races)

players can play a very strange character but they have to accept to be excluded a part of the play, and be badly focused in another part. Of course it depends on your campaign, what is the main activity, etc..

[metcalph]

9 minutes ago, Shiningbrow said:

Except, they're going to be a LOT more limited when it comes to cults and magic.

Can't see any limitations.   Seven Mothers and Orlanth would accept Baboons for example.  It would be rather unusal bur it wouldn't be impossible.

[Shiningbrow]

4 minutes ago, metcalph said:

Can't see any limitations.   Seven Mothers and Orlanth would accept Baboons for example.  It would be rather unusal bur it wouldn't be impossible.

That's only 2 cults. Compared to humans and trolls (and even Ducks), Baboons are a lot more restricted/limited for choice.

Being unusual is what the game is about 😛

[soltakss]

1 hour ago, Shiningbrow said:

1 hour ago, metcalph said:

Can't see any limitations.   Seven Mothers and Orlanth would accept Baboons for example.  It would be rather unusal bur it wouldn't be impossible.

That's only 2 cults. Compared to humans and trolls (and even Ducks), Baboons are a lot more restricted/limited for choice.

Looking at Cults of Prax, they can join Daka Fal, Storm Bull, Yelmalio, the Seven Mothers, Orlanth, Chalana Arroy, Issaries, Lhankor Mhy and Humakt, even though Eurmal isn't in CoP they could join that cult as well. Plus many of the sacred societies of Prax.