Happy International GM's Day!

The Internet has claimed today as the day to celebrate game masters, commemorating the passing of one of the creators of RPGs as we know them, Gary Gygax. So lift a glass in honor of your GM, or DM, or Admin, Keeper... whatever you might call the fellow player who's taken up the mantle and lurks behind the screen at the end of your game table.


In rummaging through the hard drive to find my files to cobble together yesterday's entry for Alternity Game Day (celebrating the passing of the original edition from publication), I stumbled across my early draft of a race for my fantasy-centric run at Sasquatch Game Studios' Alternity rules.

The Core Rulebook's Nesh might make for passable elves, and the Briith an expy dwarf. A step beyond the elves and dwarves, though, are the elusive fey. Here is my attempt to capture them through the lens of the new version of Alternity. Those of you who had access to the playtest version of the Core Rules might recognize a mutation or two...

    Sidhe

Physical Description: The Sidhe are creatures of unearthly beauty. Though they appear humanoid, many are taller, more slender, and generally in better physical shape than most humans. Their hair ranges from the brilliant gold of ripe wheat, to the brown of a badger’s burrow, to the black of a starless night. Their eyes take shades from the most precious of the gems so coveted by Men and Dwarves.


Game Rules: Sidhe are nimble, mischievous, and somewhat aloof.

• Ability Scores: To play a sidhe, you must have an Personality score of at least 5 and an Agility of at least 4. You cannot have a Strength higher than 4.

• Alluring: The sidhe’s unearthly beauty and their innate glamour grants them a +2 step bonus on Personality-based skill checks against others. In addition, NPCs subject to their allure begin with an interaction attitude 1 step better than normal as long as they aren’t actively hostile. This also has the detriment of imposing a -2 step penalty to Manipulation skill checks.

• Invisibility: A Sidhe may tighten its hold on its glamour, rendering itself invisible at will. If motionless, they are completely invisible to normal sight (though they can still be detected by thermal vision). If they move, or are observed through secondary means (security cameras, for example), they must succeed a Stealth check at a +4 step bonus to escape visible detection.

• Tech Nos: The Sidhe’s glamorous aura wreaks havoc on all things high tech. Such items take 1d10/2d8 energy damage at a range of 1m/personal.
 
• Vulnerable to Iron: Sidhe cannot abide the touch of iron, and take damage over time if forced to wear more than a few ounces of it next to their skin. Damage inflicted by iron weapons deals an extra wound box (two extra on a Stellar hit), and takes twice as long to heal.

Species Talents: Sidhe have exclusive access to the Glamorous Aura talent constellation:

✭Glamorous Aura: Command of your glamorous aura is such that you make it difficult for opponents to target you: Hand to Hand attacks suffer a one step penalty, and ranged attacks take an additional two steps’ penalty.

Fascinate: You can overwhelm someone with the sheer intensity of your stare. To fascinate someone, make a Coercion skill check; the target then counters your success with a Willpower check. If your attempt succeeds, the target is stunned for 3 impulses, after which he can attempt to resist each impulse by succeeding on a Willpower check. You must be within Close range to fascinate a target, and if the target is actively hostile he gains a +3 step bonus on his Willpower check to counter the effect. The fascinate effect ends automatically if the target takes damage.

↳Commanding Presence: You can attempt to fascinate up to five individuals within Close range.

Improved Invisibility: You become invisible even to thermal sensors. Your penalty to Manipulation checks is reduced by one step.