Since the bulk of the Hogwarts RPG posts for the past several weeks have been fantastic beasts, I think it’s about time I explain how the creatures can be used to create more interesting kinds of characters. Here I have two methods, one for Player characters, and one for non-player characters. for more on character creation for the Hogwarts RPG, see Characters: Students, Houses, Teams and Classes.
To create a nonhuman or demihuman Player Character, first you must get approval from the Headmaster.
- Player Characters: Nonhuman
If the headmaster says that you can create a nonhuman or demihuman character, you can use a fairly simple form to decide how your character’s attributes can be bought. First of all, nonhumans only get 1d6 points to spend on their base attributes(Strength, Willpower, Intelligence, and Social), which start out at the base level in the creature description. However, all special abilities known to that type of creature are automatically included in the characters description as “Experiences.”
When playing a nonhuman character, one usually has limited access to certain kinds of magic, with restrictions ranging from a lack of opposable thumbs to social controls and legal issues. If your character’s species has some kind of special restriction, such as a house-elf’s slavery or a vampire’s inability to cross water or go out in sunlight, these characteristics must be truly dealt with in play.
- Player Characters: Demihuman
Demihumans, or Half-Breeds, are part human, part creature beings who tend to disply more humanlike characteristics than non-humanlike characteristics. Examples would be Hagrid, Professor Flitwick, Madame Maxine, Fleur and Gabrielle Delacour, and by a twist of fate, Bill Weasley. Demihumans have the same method of generating attributes as normal humans, but rather than simply assigning points, after the abilities have been assigned adjust them based on the following chart.
| Creature Score |
Modifier |
| 0 |
-2 |
| 1 |
-1 |
| 2-3-4 |
0 |
| 5 |
1 |
| 6 |
2 |
Additionally, they have a 50% chance of inheriting any traits that the nonhuman species posesses, as long as it fits in with basic humanoid physiology.
Demihumans also have a special skill(Experience-Type), social based, called “Heritage Masking.” It represents how well the character can resist attempts to guess his or her ancestry in situations where the need should arise. This skill is a percentile based skill with simple success or failure rules. This also is the skill that determines whether a student can be accepted into Hogwarts in spite of being half-breed, and a demihuman student is required to spend 3 of his starting experience points in this skill.
- Non-Player Characters: Both
Non- and Demi- human non player characters are much more common in most games than non- or demi-human player characters. When the GM wants to make a nonhuman or demihuman non-player character he need only start with a base creature and adjust it to meet the needs of his NPC. Some guidelines are.
- For nonhumans, one can easily use the PC method to create down-to-earth kinds of NPC’s, but if you want to have an NPC be the “King of all Dragons” or the “Cleverest among Leprechauns” or the like, the character should be MUCH more powerful than an average creature of that type.
- For demihumans, it is often useful to think of the species as starting places and to pick the one that affects the character more(Based on his own backstory) is often beneficial.
- At the end of the day, the mechanics are the same. If in doubt, or it isn’t important to have great stats, just make an educated guess.
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