Species
Species in Mythmaster
The Mythmaster rules support eighteen playable species for players to choose from - though it is up to the Director to decide which of these species exist within their game universe, and which ones players are permitted to play. Should a player wish to play a species not included in these rules, it will be up to the Director to decide whether to allow it, and to determine how to modify the rules to support it.
While nothing prevents you from coming up with rules for playing mummies or dragons or giant spiders, it is worth noting that the species included in Mythmaster were selected due to their general compatibility with the Core Rules. All of the species included here are intelligent, social, tool-using, bipedal humanoids, of approximately human size. As such, they mesh well with most of the assumptions in the game. For example, anyone of any species is assumed to be able to wear a helmet, to learn the Fast Talking skill, or to shoot a bow, whereas it is not clear that any of those things would be possible for a giant spider.
Choosing Your Species
Players must choose the species of their character at the beginning of the character creation process. Each species has different prerequisites, in terms of a minimum and a maximum value for some of their starting stats. Your choice of species will modify your character’s initial stats, derivatives, base movement, dodge and damage.
Additionally, each species has different perks, and the species you choose will also grant you the Apprentice level of mastery and a free initial roll in a specific skill field at the start of the character creation process. Your species will also determine your average height, weight, and lifespan, and will also impact your initial social status.
Species and Gender
As with species, players are free to choose any gender or gender identity for their character. Unlike species, however, all genders are presumed to be equal. There are no prerequisites for selecting a gender identity, and there are no modifiers to stats, attributes or derivatives based on gender.
Note that some species include non-binary genders, gender-related perks, or express gender ratios within their populations that differ significantly from those of humans. These designs are intended to reflect the diversity of species represented in fantasy worlds, and to offer players opportunities to imagine and play outside the bounds of an anthropocentric worldview.
Species and Taxonomy
Mythmaster uses the biological concept of species, but the game does not use the socially constructed concept of race. This means that members of the same species can reproduce, while members of different species cannot, and consequently there are no 'half-breeds' in Mythmaster.
Mythmaster also does not distinguish between individuals of the same species who have different appearances due to regional adaptation or to hereditary perceived traits. Creatures of the same species can have many different colours or patterns of hair, fur, skin, eyes, foliage, etc, and none of these have any bearing on the game rules. Players are free to define the appearance of their characters as they see fit.
Furthermore, while many of the species in Mythmaster are evolved forms of various common animal species, they are as distinct from those animals species as they are from any other species. Ursans are not 'bear-people' any more or less than humans are 'ape-people'. Ursans and different species of bear may have common ancestors, just as humans and different species of ape have common ancestors, but that is where the similarities end. In the descriptions of these animal-inspired species, their features may be referred to as similar to those of their animal ancestors, but these are for descriptive purposes only. Generally and practically speaking, the species represented in Mythmaster are more similar to one another than of them is to their distant animal (or plant) ancestors.
Species Table
The Species Table lists the pre-requisites as well as the numerical adjustments to stats, derivatives, movement, damage and dodge along with starting skill field mastery and perks, the baseline height and weight and age/lifespan multiplier for members of the species. More information about the impact of these adjustments is provided below the table.
Prerequisites & Stat Adjustments
In order to choose a given species, the character must first meet the stat prerequisites for that species. In every case, the prerequisites are two stats that must be 6 or higher before the species can be selected and one stat that must be 15 or lower before the species can be selected. Once a species is selected, the two stats that were required to be 6 or higher receive a +1 Adjustment, and the stat that was required to be 15 or lower receives a -1 Adjustment.
Derivative Adjustments
Each species also gains a bonus of +1 to one of their five derivatives. This bonus is applied after the attribute the derivative is based on is calculated and rounded off.
Movement Modifier
Several species are quicker or more agile, while others are more lumbering or slow. This translates into a movement modifier that adjusts base movement. In general, species of shorter stature move more slowly than taller or longer legged species.
Damage and Dodge Modifiers
Some species are larger and more powerful, or both, and will gain a bonus to all of their damage rolls when using weapons. Other species are smaller and less powerful, or both, and will suffer a penalty to all of their damage rolls when using weapons. Additionally, larger species will have a penalty to dodge, while smaller species will have a bonus.
Apprenticeship Skill Field
Based on their species, each character has access to Apprentice level training in a given skill field, regardless of other pre-requisites. They also gain a free initial skill roll in this skill field. As each skill field offers a bonus to a derivative at the Apprentice level, this bonus is therefore gained automatically. Note that if your Apprenticeship skill field for your species and social status are the same (such as for a Rodian of SS6, for example), you will gain two free skill rolls, but you will only receive the derivative bonus once (as you only become an Apprentice once).
Perks
Each species starts with one or two perks. Some of these perks may become unlocked and available for purchase to members of other species over the course of character creation, but this has no impact on characters who already have those perks, and there is no benefit to having a perk twice.
Average Height & Weight
The average height and weight for each species is listed here, though in general, height and weight have little to no effect on gameplay. If the player wishes to be described as particularly hefty or slight, they are free to choose a height and weight that is higher or lower than their species average, within reason.
For those interested in a more accurate simulation of height and weight, you can calculate them as follows:
Height = AverageHeight + ((AverageHeight x ((Phys - 10.5) / 50))
Weight = AverageWeight / AverageHeight x Height
Life Cycles
Species age at different rates, and your character's age is a function of how many life cycles they have passed through, and how many years there are in a given life cycle for their species. This ensures characters whose species have longer lifespans do not automatically overpower those whose species have shorter lifespans. For example, rodians have a 2 year life cycle, while elves have a 9 year life cycle. If your character is a rodian who has lived for 8 life cycles, they would be 16 years old, but if they are an elf and have lived the same number of life cycles, they would be 72.