Difference between revisions of "Character creation"

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This page is intended for '''players''' looking to create a '''Player Character (PC)'''.
 
This page is intended for '''players''' looking to create a '''Player Character (PC)'''.
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= Party size considerations =
 
= Party size considerations =
  
It is possible to play MazeWorld with as little as two people, with one person being the GM and the other playing a PC. In fact, for most of the years this game has existed, and for reasons largely related to time zone constraints between the author and his players, it has been called a "one-player game". Although it lends itself to greater flexibility and a more single-person focused adventure, in the style and vein of single-player roleplaying video games, this is not typical of tabletop RPGs, which typically have parties of two to four players.
+
It is possible to play MazeWorld with as little as two people, with one person being the GM and the other playing a PC. In fact, for most of the years this game has existed, and for reasons largely related to time zone constraints between the author and his players, it has been called a "one-player game". Although it lends itself to greater flexibility and a customized and tailored adventure, in the style and vein of single-player roleplaying video games, this is not typical of tabletop RPGs, which typically have parties of two to four players.
  
 
As such, one of the first questions you need to ask yourselves is this: "How many PCs will there be in the party? Will there be one? Two? Three? Four?"
 
As such, one of the first questions you need to ask yourselves is this: "How many PCs will there be in the party? Will there be one? Two? Three? Four?"
  
I do not recommend party sizes over four. In fact, I caution GMs to be careful with groups larger than two and to not be too generous with equipment and rewards (or to increase the difficulty accordingly). There is strength in numbers, and it is at its truest with a group of player characters. A single kitted-out PC with good gear and weapons is a force to be reckoned with. Two, three, or four? They may well be unstoppable.
+
GMs intending to run sessions with a party size larger than 2 must be careful not be too generous with equipment and rewards, and to adjust the difficulty of their campaigns accordingly. There is strength in numbers, and it is at its truest with a group of player characters. One or two highly skilled PCs with good gear and weapons are a force to be reckoned with. Three or four such characters may be close to unstoppable.
 +
 
 +
For all of the reasons cited above, party sizes over 4 are not recommended at all, out of practicality concerns.
  
= The concept =
+
= Character concept =
  
What kind of character you wish to play as is entirely up to you. If you already have a solid idea on what kind of character you want to play, then that's great! You can probably skip to the next section. But if you're not sure where to begin, keep reading.  
+
Although ultimately, GMs and players should work together to build characters that are suitable for the campaign you're going to play, what kind of character you wish to play as is entirely up to you. If you already have a solid idea on what kind of character you want to play, then that's great! You can probably skip to the next section. But if you're not sure where to begin, keep reading.  
  
 
When thinking about creating a character you intend to play as, it helps to already have an idea of what that character will be like. Their appearance, their personality, their likes and dislikes, fighting style, background... All of these details are things you can think about to help you find out who you wish to play as.
 
When thinking about creating a character you intend to play as, it helps to already have an idea of what that character will be like. Their appearance, their personality, their likes and dislikes, fighting style, background... All of these details are things you can think about to help you find out who you wish to play as.
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As explained in the previous ''Getting started'' pages, MazeWorld is combat-centered, so it lends itself more easily to characters that would have combat experience or weapon knowledge of some kind, and though it is entirely possible to play pacifists or weapon-shy characters, it is considered to be much harder than not, as you may need to spend time and resources during your sessions to improve your combat skills, and you may need to work with an accomodating GM to build a campaign that can be played by characters with little to no combat experience.
 
As explained in the previous ''Getting started'' pages, MazeWorld is combat-centered, so it lends itself more easily to characters that would have combat experience or weapon knowledge of some kind, and though it is entirely possible to play pacifists or weapon-shy characters, it is considered to be much harder than not, as you may need to spend time and resources during your sessions to improve your combat skills, and you may need to work with an accomodating GM to build a campaign that can be played by characters with little to no combat experience.
  
The sections that follow will give you pointers on how to build and adapt your initial idea into a proper character, and how to go from having an idea to being ready to play.
+
The sections that follow will give you pointers on how to build and adapt your initial ideas into a proper character, and how to go from having an idea to being ready to play.
  
= Where does he come from, where does he go? =
+
= Native or otherworlder? =
  
Your character may be native to the Mazes, or may be what the locals call an ''otherworlder''; a non-native of the Mazes who finds themselves transported to the Mazes through means unknown. Otherworlders are uncommon, but not unheard of, and generally appear in the confines of the Uncivilized Area. Generally, they appear without any belongings, clothing or equipment, and as a result, end up killed as they were defenseless to the dangers of the UA. Those that survive may eke a living out like any other native, finding shelter and employment in one of the dozens of towns and communities of the Mazes, virtually impossible to distinguish from Mazes-born people.
+
Your character may be native to the Mazes, or may be what the locals call an ''otherworlder''; a non-native of the Mazes who found themselves transported to the Mazes through means unknown. Otherworlders are uncommon, but not unheard of, and generally appear in the confines of the Uncivilized Area. Generally, they appear without any belongings, clothing or equipment, and as a result, end up killed as they were defenseless to the dangers of the UA. Those that survive may eke a living out like any other native, finding shelter and employment in one of the dozens of towns and communities of the Mazes, virtually impossible to distinguish from Mazes-born people.
  
 
It is recommended that newcomers play as otherworlders, as they will be able to learn and discover more about the world of the Mazes at a natural pace - at the same time as you, for the simple reason that natives are assumed to have knowledge of the world in general that you may not have.
 
It is recommended that newcomers play as otherworlders, as they will be able to learn and discover more about the world of the Mazes at a natural pace - at the same time as you, for the simple reason that natives are assumed to have knowledge of the world in general that you may not have.
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The effects caused by damaged, disabled and destroyed limbs may vary, but do note that if your torso or your head is disabled, you will instantly die!
 
The effects caused by damaged, disabled and destroyed limbs may vary, but do note that if your torso or your head is disabled, you will instantly die!
  
Every species has what is called a ''base limb health value''. This value is used to calculate the limb health (amount of hit points, or HP) for each limb. This base value can be looked at like a general indicator of how tough this creature is. Decimal values are rounded to the nearest integer, half up.
+
Every playable species has what is called a ''base limb health value''. This value is used to calculate the limb health (amount of hit points, or HP) for each limb. This base value can be looked at like a general indicator of how tough this creature is. Decimal values are rounded to the nearest integer, half up.
 
* Head HP = (1/7) x (Base value)
 
* Head HP = (1/7) x (Base value)
 
* Torso HP = (4/7) x (Base value)
 
* Torso HP = (4/7) x (Base value)
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* LIMB group (arms, legs) HP = (2/7) x (Base value)
 
* LIMB group (arms, legs) HP = (2/7) x (Base value)
 
* EXTREMITY group (hands, feet) HP = (1.5/7) x (Base value)
 
* EXTREMITY group (hands, feet) HP = (1.5/7) x (Base value)
* Certain creatures may also have limbs in the WEAK POINT group (most commonly, eyes and genitals). They do not have HP; instead hitting a WEAK POINT transfers extra damage to the closest limb (Usually: eyes -> head, genitals -> hips).
+
* Certain creatures may also have limbs in the WEAK POINT group (most commonly, eyes and genitals). They do not have HP; instead hitting a WEAK POINT transfers extra damage to the closest limb (Usually: eyes -> head, genitals -> hips).
** Eyes, in particular, may be destroyed if they take any kind of damage.
+
  
 
=== Pain sensitivity ===
 
=== Pain sensitivity ===
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=== Squamata halflings ===
 
=== Squamata halflings ===
Squamata halflings (''Homo sapiens ex squamata'') are known for their "snake eyes", their lack of visible ears, a long snake- or lizard-like tail, and the almost complete absence of hair, save for the head - which takes longer to grow than in average humans. The bodies of squamata halflings are famous for developing soft scales instead of bodily hair, though they are largely useless for protection; they are not hard or thick enough to block much more than light scratches. This, in conjunction to having, on average, a less well-developed muscular structure than humans, contributes to their low pain tolerance - they are simply not capable ot taking as much damage as regular humans. What they do possess in turn, are long, thin, foldable upper fangs, as well as venom sacs. When these fangs are deployed and used to bite something, an involuntary reflex causes them to release a bit of that venom - resulting in the so-called "snakebite" attack. Perhaps ironically, however, Squamata halflings do not have poison resistance, not even to their own poison; as such their snakebite attack is used to kill or hurt opponents rather than for hunting and subsistence. Squamata halflings have a strong preference for meat, and because of the particularities regarding their hair, a squamata halfling with long hair is often seen as a synonym of age and wisdom. They are often stereotyped as intelligent and cunning, but also deceitful and manipulative.
+
Squamata halflings (''Homo sapiens ex squamata'') are known for their "snake eyes", their lack of visible ears, a long snake- or lizard-like tail, and the almost complete absence of hair, save for the head - which takes longer to grow than in average humans. The bodies of squamata halflings are famous for developing soft scales instead of bodily hair, though they are largely useless for protection; they are not hard or thick enough to block much more than light scratches. This, in conjunction to having, on average, a less well-developed muscular structure than humans, contributes to their relative weakness - they are simply not capable ot taking as much damage as regular humans. What they do possess in turn, are long, thin, foldable upper fangs, as well as venom sacs. When these fangs are deployed and used to bite something, an involuntary reflex causes them to release a bit of that venom - resulting in the so-called "snakebite" attack. Perhaps ironically, however, Squamata halflings do not have poison resistance, not even to their own poison; as such their snakebite attack is used to kill or hurt opponents rather than for hunting and subsistence. Squamata halflings have a strong preference for meat, and because of the particularities regarding their hair, a squamata halfling with long hair is often seen as a synonym of age and wisdom. They are often stereotyped as intelligent and cunning, but also deceitful and manipulative.
  
 
Natural stats:
 
Natural stats:
* Base limb health value: 70
+
* Base limb health value: 56
* Pain sensitivity: 120%
+
* Pain sensitivity: 100%
 
* Max Blood: 20.0 units
 
* Max Blood: 20.0 units
 
* Armor Class: C1
 
* Armor Class: C1
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[[Category:Getting started]]
 
[[Category:Getting started]]

Revision as of 15:38, 17 May 2019

Navigation: Main Page Getting started, step 3: Character creation




This page is intended for players looking to create a Player Character (PC).

Party size considerations

It is possible to play MazeWorld with as little as two people, with one person being the GM and the other playing a PC. In fact, for most of the years this game has existed, and for reasons largely related to time zone constraints between the author and his players, it has been called a "one-player game". Although it lends itself to greater flexibility and a customized and tailored adventure, in the style and vein of single-player roleplaying video games, this is not typical of tabletop RPGs, which typically have parties of two to four players.

As such, one of the first questions you need to ask yourselves is this: "How many PCs will there be in the party? Will there be one? Two? Three? Four?"

GMs intending to run sessions with a party size larger than 2 must be careful not be too generous with equipment and rewards, and to adjust the difficulty of their campaigns accordingly. There is strength in numbers, and it is at its truest with a group of player characters. One or two highly skilled PCs with good gear and weapons are a force to be reckoned with. Three or four such characters may be close to unstoppable.

For all of the reasons cited above, party sizes over 4 are not recommended at all, out of practicality concerns.

Character concept

Although ultimately, GMs and players should work together to build characters that are suitable for the campaign you're going to play, what kind of character you wish to play as is entirely up to you. If you already have a solid idea on what kind of character you want to play, then that's great! You can probably skip to the next section. But if you're not sure where to begin, keep reading.

When thinking about creating a character you intend to play as, it helps to already have an idea of what that character will be like. Their appearance, their personality, their likes and dislikes, fighting style, background... All of these details are things you can think about to help you find out who you wish to play as.

Although it's not against the rules to play a character that is based on yourself (what is popularly referred to as a self-insert), it is generally frowned upon, as it is considered to be bad form or unimaginative.

As explained in the previous Getting started pages, MazeWorld is combat-centered, so it lends itself more easily to characters that would have combat experience or weapon knowledge of some kind, and though it is entirely possible to play pacifists or weapon-shy characters, it is considered to be much harder than not, as you may need to spend time and resources during your sessions to improve your combat skills, and you may need to work with an accomodating GM to build a campaign that can be played by characters with little to no combat experience.

The sections that follow will give you pointers on how to build and adapt your initial ideas into a proper character, and how to go from having an idea to being ready to play.

Native or otherworlder?

Your character may be native to the Mazes, or may be what the locals call an otherworlder; a non-native of the Mazes who found themselves transported to the Mazes through means unknown. Otherworlders are uncommon, but not unheard of, and generally appear in the confines of the Uncivilized Area. Generally, they appear without any belongings, clothing or equipment, and as a result, end up killed as they were defenseless to the dangers of the UA. Those that survive may eke a living out like any other native, finding shelter and employment in one of the dozens of towns and communities of the Mazes, virtually impossible to distinguish from Mazes-born people.

It is recommended that newcomers play as otherworlders, as they will be able to learn and discover more about the world of the Mazes at a natural pace - at the same time as you, for the simple reason that natives are assumed to have knowledge of the world in general that you may not have.

Stats and species

A player character may either be a human, a halfling (8 different species) or a youkai (12 different species). In total, there are 21 different playable species. The species you select will determine your starting natural statistics. You will later get a chance to fine-tune your character's stats, so that you may stand out from regular humans, halflings and youkai.

This page will not go into too much detail about each species and each statistic (visit the relevant wiki links for more in-depth information), but will provide enough information for the purposes of character creation.

Limb health

Limb health represents the maximum amount of damage each limb can take before being disabled. If a limb falls to under half maximum value, it is damaged. If it falls to zero, it is disabled. If it falls to negative half maximum (e.g. negative half maximum of 40 is -20), the limb is entirely destroyed and may not be recovered or replaced, except under exceptional circumstances.
The effects caused by damaged, disabled and destroyed limbs may vary, but do note that if your torso or your head is disabled, you will instantly die!

Every playable species has what is called a base limb health value. This value is used to calculate the limb health (amount of hit points, or HP) for each limb. This base value can be looked at like a general indicator of how tough this creature is. Decimal values are rounded to the nearest integer, half up.

  • Head HP = (1/7) x (Base value)
  • Torso HP = (4/7) x (Base value)
  • Hips HP = (3/7) x (Base value)
    • Some creatures do not have a separate torso and hips but instead have a generic "body"; the HP of the body is equal to the base limb health value.
  • LIMB group (arms, legs) HP = (2/7) x (Base value)
  • EXTREMITY group (hands, feet) HP = (1.5/7) x (Base value)
  • Certain creatures may also have limbs in the WEAK POINT group (most commonly, eyes and genitals). They do not have HP; instead hitting a WEAK POINT transfers extra damage to the closest limb (Usually: eyes -> head, genitals -> hips).

Pain sensitivity

Most attacks cause two types of damage; Limb Damage (which affects limb health, as mentioned above), and Pain. Pain represents trauma and shock inflicted. Most creatures pass out upon reaching 100% Pain, and die at 150%. Unless "Pain damage" or "Limb damage" is specifically mentioned, "Damage" means both Pain and Limb.

Pain sensitivity is one of the ways to affect incoming damage. It is a percentage value, which serves as a multiplier to ALL Pain received. By default, it is 100% (1.0x multiplier). If Pain sensitivity is under 100%, you will receive less damage than normal, and if over 100%, you'll receive more than normal.

  • Example: Pain sensitivity 75% means all incoming Pain damage is multiplied by 0.75x. 115% = 1.15x, etc.

Max Blood

If it bleeds, you can kill it. Most living creatures have Blood, and depend on it to survive. You don't want to run out of blood.

Max Blood represents, well, the maximum amount of Blood that creature can have inside of their bodies. Naturally, the higher, the better. The more Blood you have, the longer you can survive having open Wounds (which drain Blood continuously), and the better you can resist the effects of Venom and Alcohol.

Armor Class

Armor Class, or AC for short, represents the general toughness level of a creature's body. There are eight different ratings, in order from lowest to highest: C1, C2, C3, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5.

The AC ratings with a C-prefix (Cx) indicates a protection rating that is on par with layers of Clothing, whereas the A-prefix (Ax), if you haven't guessed yet, means a protection rating on part with Armor.

Weapons may have a damage chart that shows how much damage they deal against each Armor Class; the amount of damage dealt against C1 (the lowest AC) is often considered to be the "base damage".

All Ax ratings also affect limb damage, reducing all incoming damage by a number corresponding to their level. So for instance, A3 means -3 to all received limb damage.

Humans and halflings have an AC of C1, and are special in that they can use clothing and armor to modify their Armor Class on specific body parts. For instance, the same human character can wear a body armor vest that improves their torso's AC to A3, a helmet that improves their head's AC to A2.

Youkai may have various natural Armor Class ratings, and they may only wear youkai-only outfits. Certain, rare outfits can affect their AC, and unlike human clothing and armor, the outfits affect their entire body's AC rating, not just certain body parts.

Other statistics

Without going into too much detail, a number of other stats can be affected by the starting species:

  • Strength: A measure of the character's physical strength and capability, it is a percentage value, which serves as a straight multiplier to the amount of damage this character will deal when using melee weapons or attacks. Naturally, higher is better.
  • Agility: A measure of the character's ability to move quickly. Agility is a numerical value ranging between -4 and +4, by default +0. It is applied as a modifier to certain checks. Higher is better.

Playable species

Humans

Humans (Homo sapiens sapiens) are exactly what you expect them to be. They come with various heights, body shapes, and with many different hair, eye and skin colors, but are all equally capable. They have no particular advantages or disadvantages, and no special abilities.

Natural stats:

  • Base limb health value: 70
  • Pain sensitivity: 100%
  • Max Blood: 20.0 units
  • Armor Class: C1
    • May wear clothing and armor designed for humans.

Halflings

"Halfling" is the colloquial name for Homo sapiens ex animalis, considered to be a sub-species to humanity. They first appeared in the Mazes around 400 years ago.

Halflings are, for all intents and purposes, mostly human, but with certain genetic differences which give them partial animalistic traits, behavior, and abilities. Though all halflings are omnivorous and capable of eating and digesting the same foods as a human, halfling species may have strong preferences for certain food types which are inherited from their corresponding animal equivalents. Humans and halflings are overall not much different. They can wear the same clothes and armor as those designed for humans, and are largely accepted as equals to humans.

Eight sub-species of halflings exist and are playable:

  • Canine halflings
  • Equine halflings
  • Feline halflings
  • Lagomorph halflings (colloquially, "Rabbit halflings")
  • Murid halflings (colloquially, "Mouse" or "Rat halflings")
  • Squamata halflings (colloquially, "Lizard" or "Snake halflings")
  • Salientia halflings (colloquially, "Frog halflings")
  • Alligator halflings

Canine halflings

Canine halflings (Homo sapiens ex canidae) possess dog-like ears and tails, an increased amount of body hair which can sometimes grow into fur-like patches, and a greatly enhanced sense of smell. Most importantly, canine halflings also possess a slightly elongated facial structure and a muzzle-like facial protrusion, a dog-like nose, sharper teeth, and four large, strong fangs, allowing them to bite and tear into objects in much the same way as their animal counterparts. They have a slightly greater sensitivity to pain, though the reasons why may be mostly psychological and wired into canine-like instincts rather than strictly a physiological difference with humans. Canine halflings, like their feline counterparts, have a strong preference for meat and fish, and are usually stereotyped as being intelligent and loyal people, perhaps to a fault, as the same stereotypes claim canine halflings are guillible and easy to deceive.

Natural stats:

  • Base limb health value: 70
  • Pain sensitivity: 110%
  • Max Blood: 20.0 units
  • Armor Class: C1
    • May wear clothing and armor designed for humans.
  • Other traits:
    • Natural attack: Bite

Equine halflings

Equine halflings (Homo sapiens ex equidae) have inherited many traits from their animal counterparts; horse-like ears and tails, head hair that grows from the top of their heads down to their necks in a mane-like fashion, an overall slightly increased amount of body hair, but also and most importantly, larger and thicker limbs. Though for this species, it hasn't translated in significantly higher average strength compared to humans, these limbs are certainly more resistant to damage simply by virtue of having more "meat", so to speak. They have a lower tolerance to poison and intoxicants, the reason for which is not fully understood yet. Equine halflings exhibit a preference for fruits and vegetables, and like canine halflings, have an elongated facial structure and muzzle-like facial protrusions. They are stereotyped as enjoying all forms of physical labor; in particular exercising, to the point that "gym horse" has replaced "gym rat" as a colloquialism. Perhaps as a result, they are sometimes typecast as proud show-offs and pretentious.

Natural stats:

  • Base limb health value: 77
  • Pain sensitivity: 100%
  • Max Blood: 19.0 units
  • Armor Class: C1
    • May wear clothing and armor designed for humans.

Feline halflings

Feline halflings (Homo sapiens ex felidae) may be a little less strong than the average human, but they are usually quick and agile on their feet. They generally possess cat-like ears and tails, a cat-like nose, an enhanced sense of smell, an increased amount of body hair which can sometimes grow into fur-like patches, thin and elongated fangs, and sharper, harder nails, having a tendency to grow into claw-like shapes (though not enough to matter in terms of gameplay). Feline halflings have a strong preference for meat and fish, and are generally stereotyped as being stylish, conscious of their appearances, disliking dirt, grime, or torn clothes. They are sometimes typcast as having a natural tendency for mischief, sometimes to the point of being stereotyped as naturally malicious or untrustworthy people.

Natural stats:

  • Base limb health value: 70
  • Pain sensitivity: 100%
  • Max Blood: 20.0 units
  • Armor Class: C1
    • May wear clothing and armor designed for humans.
  • Other traits:
    • Natural Agility: +1
    • Natural Strength: 90%

Lagomorph halflings

Lagomorph halflings (Homo sapiens ex lagomorpha) possess rabbit- or hare-like ears and tails, a slightly increased amount of body hair, and elongated incisive teeth. Though lagomorph halflings are typecast as being "capable of hearing danger", and even though they do possess, on average, a greater sense of hearing than average humans, this "danger sense" is largely a myth. Their greater sensitivity to pain is ascribed to psychological differences with humans, much like Canine halflings. Lagomorph halflings tend to greatly prefer fruits and vegetables (many are, in fact, vegetarian), however they have lost the ability to eat and consume grass, instead gaining an omnivorous digestive system inherited from humanity. Due to their agility and reputation for "danger sense", lagomorph halflings are sometimes stereotyped as "danger vanes", or in more pejorative circles, as cowards afraid of fighting and confrontation.

Natural stats:

  • Base limb health value: 70
  • Pain sensitivity: 110%
  • Max Blood: 20.0 units
  • Armor Class: C1
    • May wear clothing and armor designed for humans.
  • Other traits:
    • Natural Agility: +1

Murid halflings

Murid halflings (Homo sapiens ex muridae) may not be the strongest species, being on average weaker and having less well-developed muscular structure than humans, but they have an increased resistance to poison and intoxicants. They possess mouse- or rat-like ears and tails, a slightly increased amount of body hair, and elongated incisive teeth. Though they are omnivorous, much like many of their animal counterparts, old stereotypes die hard, and they are often typecast as loving (or even eating nothing but) cheese. Murid halflings tend to be very social, sometimes to the point of sharing food, resources, and beddings with several family members or close friends; the same traits have spawned stereotypes describing them as frugal, or even miserly and avaricious.

Natural stats:

  • Base limb health value: 70
  • Pain sensitivity: 100%
  • Max Blood: 21.0 units
  • Armor Class: C1
    • May wear clothing and armor designed for humans.
  • Other traits:
    • Natural Strength: 90%

Squamata halflings

Squamata halflings (Homo sapiens ex squamata) are known for their "snake eyes", their lack of visible ears, a long snake- or lizard-like tail, and the almost complete absence of hair, save for the head - which takes longer to grow than in average humans. The bodies of squamata halflings are famous for developing soft scales instead of bodily hair, though they are largely useless for protection; they are not hard or thick enough to block much more than light scratches. This, in conjunction to having, on average, a less well-developed muscular structure than humans, contributes to their relative weakness - they are simply not capable ot taking as much damage as regular humans. What they do possess in turn, are long, thin, foldable upper fangs, as well as venom sacs. When these fangs are deployed and used to bite something, an involuntary reflex causes them to release a bit of that venom - resulting in the so-called "snakebite" attack. Perhaps ironically, however, Squamata halflings do not have poison resistance, not even to their own poison; as such their snakebite attack is used to kill or hurt opponents rather than for hunting and subsistence. Squamata halflings have a strong preference for meat, and because of the particularities regarding their hair, a squamata halfling with long hair is often seen as a synonym of age and wisdom. They are often stereotyped as intelligent and cunning, but also deceitful and manipulative.

Natural stats:

  • Base limb health value: 56
  • Pain sensitivity: 100%
  • Max Blood: 20.0 units
  • Armor Class: C1
    • May wear clothing and armor designed for humans.
  • Other traits:
    • Natural attack: Snakebite

Salientia halflings

Salientia halflings (Homo sapiens ex salientia) are famous for two things: their skin colors and their strength. The skin of a salientia halfling is reminiscent to that of their animal counterparts, and can take on various colorful patterns, overriding the "default" human skin colors; ranging from green, to red, to yellow, to brown, to gray, sometimes with black spots arranged in various, blob-like patterns. Their strength is attributed to their enhanced muscular structure; they are one of the few halfling species to be naturally stronger than humans on average. Interestingly, though salientia halflings inherited long and sticky tongues from their animal counterparts, they are omnivorous and exhibit no particular preferences for any type of food. However, their skin has largely no protective features, and is in general softer and more susceptible to damage than that of humans. Excluding their colorful skin, salientia halflings are generally behaviorally indistinguishable from humans. The stereotypes associated to this species are largely related to strong body odor and poor hygiene, with occasional references to their tongues and their omnivorous diet being sometimes exaggerated into tall tales and stories of being able to eat anything, including insects or non-food objects.

Natural stats:

  • Base limb health value: 70
  • Pain sensitivity: 110%
  • Max Blood: 20.0 units
  • Armor Class: C1
    • May wear clothing and armor designed for humans.
  • Other traits:
    • Natural Strength: 110%

Alligator halflings

Not recommended for newcomers!

The origin of alligator halflings (Homo sapiens ex alligatoridae) is shrouded in mystery! In fact, as of Quartema 704, they aren't even officially recognized as a halfling subspecies at all, as they haven't been formally studied yet. But they do exist, and they are perhaps the strongest halfling species. Alligator halflings possess a body covered in tough, protective scales, and have a significantly more developed muscular structure than humans, making them both stronger and more agile. They have a long, broad tail, a widened face with extended facial protrusions and nostrils, though rather than being muzzle shaped, alligator halflings have elongated mouths and many protruding teeth, rendering them capable of exhibiting very toothy (and perhaps quite scary) smiles, or a terrifying display of long tongue and numerous teeth when opening their mouths completely. All native alligator halflings in the Mazes come from a tiny, secret community called the Gator Kingdom, which is hidden in the UA, inside of an old, abandoned section of the sewer network. The gator halfling community self-styles as a monarchy and is ruled by a king, and they subsist on scavenging and attacking passing travelers and caravans. Only a tiny amount of gator halflings have left their home to integrated into larger society, and those that have, hide their true origins, generally by pretending to be a member of the Squamata halfling species with unusual looks.

Natural stats:

  • Base limb health value: 84
  • Pain sensitivity: 80%
  • Max Blood: 20.0 units
  • Armor Class: C1
    • May wear clothing and armor designed for humans.
  • Other traits:
    • Extra limbs: 1 tail (LIMB group)
    • Natural Strength: 120%
    • Natural Agility: +1

Youkai

Youkai (妖怪) are a species largely similar to the Japanese mythological creatures of the same name. In the Mazes, the term "youkai" may refer to the species in general, but also their associated culture and language. All youkai can only wear specific, "youkai outfits", matching their corresponding body group (of which there are five), and though their apperances are similar in principle to halflings (in that they are mostly humanoid in shape with certain distinguishing factors, such as animal traits or specific body features), they are not humans or halflings, and should not be considered as such, even if they would be otherwise visually similar.

All youkai speak both the Common tongue (the equivalent of English in the Mazes) as well as their traditional language, Youkai-go or simply Youkai (language) (which is more or less equivalent to Japanese), and it is common for youkai to speak their own language amongst themselves. Although it is not impossible for humans and halflings to learn Youkai, it is a matter of several years of education and exposure to the language - so if your character does not already know the language, don't expect them to learn it during the course of a session!

Though their scientific taxonomy was originally alienigena sapiens (literally, "Wise strangers" or "wise outsiders"), they are now classified as simply yokai sapiens.

Youkai attribute their arrival into the Mazes to ancestral divine entities transporting them from another world which they refer to as Denkikyou (Youkai: 伝奇郷, variously transliterated to "Legendary World" or "World of Legends"), and as such believe themselves to be of supernatural origin, with many legends and stories allegedly explaining their origins as a species.

Most importantly, the vast majority of youkai believe that their arrival in the Mazes was a "rebirth", and that the concept includes a "birthright" to exist, live, and thrive independently. This belief is based on an interpretation of the words, stories and legends passed down from the original settlers of Yurai, the first Youkai town, which claims that the youkai have come from the void and into existence thanks to a "benevolent, all-seeing Goddess" who has "spirited us away from the great beyond of the former world, into this new world". This particular point is the reasoning behind the existence of the Youkai activist faction, whose stated goal is to establish a Youkai Nation, completely independent from the human society and communities and self-sufficient.

In reality, it is not known whether youkai are truly native to the Mazes, as there is evidence of human settlement and activity of the Mazes spanning at least 3000 years, whereas the first youkai settled roughly 2300 years ago, however the subject is largely left to historians and scholars. As far as the modern inhabitant of the Mazes is concerned, youkai are just as native to the world as humans and halflings.

Note: ALL youkai subspecies names, including the word "youkai", are uncountable nouns, and therefore are written the same way in singular and in plural.

  • E.g. "One tengu, five tengu" is correct. "One kappa, three kappas" is incorrect.

The following youkai subspecies are playable:

  • Guhin
  • Hakutaku
  • Jorougumo
  • Kappa
  • Kasha
  • Kirin
  • Kitsune
  • Oni
  • Satori
  • Tanuki
  • Tengu
  • Yousei

Species difficulty levels:

  • Very hard: Yousei
  • Hard: Jorougumo, Kappa, Kasha, Kitsune, Satori, Tanuki
  • Medium: Guhin, Hakutaku, Tengu
  • Easy: Kirin, Oni

Newcomers looking to play as a youkai should pick one of the Easy or Medium species.

Guhin

Guhin (Youkai: 狗賓, literally "Guest dog"), sometimes referred to as "wolf tengu", are one of the warrior species of youkai. They possess long, wolf-like ears, a wolf-like tail, a set of fangs (usually four, sometimes six with doubled upper fangs), and sharp, retractable claws in place of nails. These claws are sometimes painted and decorated, usually in red; considered by guhin to be a lucky color.

As one of the warrior species, they are naturally very agile, and have innate knowledge of martial arts, which they learn and practice from early childhood. It is not uncommon for guhin to learn several other combat skills in order to improve their versatility. Their passion for fighting is offset by comparatively fragile bodies, only marginally tougher than an average human - hence, guhin tend to prefer hit-and-run strategies, emphasizing stealthy approaches, followed by sudden and explosive power, in the hopes of eliminating the target before it has a chance to react.

Guhin are sometimes referred to as "wolf tengu" because youkai legends and stories describe guhin and tengu as "sister species" descended from the same warrior deity, Tenma, with the guhin intended to be Tenma's land warriors, while the tengu, capable of flying, ruled the skies as air warriors. In informal contexts, guhin are sometimes referred to as "wolves" and tengu as "crows".

Racial traits:

  • Extra natural attacks: Bite, claws
  • Skills: Starts with 250 TP in Unarmed/Martial Arts (Lv3 - Skilled), and 50 SP in Evading (Lv3 - Skilled)
    • Knows all martial arts techniques.
  • Base stats: Agility +2, C3 Armor Class, Base limb health 90, Max Blood 26, Pain Sensitivity 78%
  • Extra limbs: 1 tail (LIMB group)
  • Youkai body type: Type T (Tailed)

Hakutaku

Hakutaku (Youkai: 白澤, literally "White swamp") are a youkai species of healers and herbalists, specialized in traditional medicine. They mainly have bovine traits; cow-like ears and tails, two horns, and a relatively stocky constitution, and may be informally referred to as "cows".

Their primary ability allows them to instantly recognize mushrooms and fungi on sight, without the need for specialized equipment to analyze them. Hakutaku mainly use these abilities to discern and find the mushrooms most suitable for the purpose of healing and treating wounds and ailments, and with a little bit of work, can easily supplement or even replace traditional medical equipment. That's not to say that they're not skilled with regular medicine either; they are in fact capable healers and doctors, and often end up with enough skills to become the hospital directors of their communities; but few receive this privilege. For those that do not, some hakutaku often end up taking their skills to the road and become traveling medics. Their talents also make them natural choices as combat medics and medics-for-hire in the mercenary business.

Not all hakutaku are in the medical business, however; many can be seen choosing to live simpler lives as teachers or librarians. This makes hakutaku a species of wise, cool-headed people who seem to primarily make a living supporting others. Even though they are not a species of fighters, hakutaku are often valued and loved by the communities that have them among their inhabitants.

Racial traits:

  • Extra natural attacks: Horn ramming, Stomping
  • Skills: Starts with 500 SP in Healing (Lv4 - Expert)
  • Ability: Mushroom identification. Hakutaku can instantly identify unknown mushrooms without needing to have them analyzed.
  • Base stats: Agility -1, A1 Armor Class, Base limb health 75, Max Blood 21, Pain Sensitivity 93%
  • Extra limbs: 1 tail (LIMB group), 2 horns (EXTREMITY group)
  • Youkai body type: Type T (Tailed)

Jorougumo

Jorougumo (Youkai: 絡新婦, literally "Woman spider") are some of the most misunderstood and disliked youkai species, second only to the satori, yet they are, surprisingly, some of the friendliest. That's because Jorougumo are spider youkai, with a humanoid upper half complete with two arms and five fingers on each hand, but anything below hip level being instead the body of a spider; with eight legs and a spider abdomen.

Unsurprisingly, jorougumo are famous for their venomous bites and their innate resistance to all forms of poisoning; which, coupled with their terrifying appearance, is the main reason behind their terrible reputation. Despite all of that, jorougumo are just as capable of friendly and social behavior as anyone else, provided one is willing to give them the time of the day; perhaps as a result of their unjustified reputation, they tend to cherish and become protective of their friends, particularly if they are of a different species.

When contributing to a community, they are primarily scouts and scavengers, spending lots of time in the UA to find as many resources as possible. They are passable hunters, but their poison bites have a tendency to ruin meat, so jorougumo in hunting roles resort - like most people in the Mazes - to the use of weapons. A surprising amount of these spider youkai choose not to live inside towns; half due to their poor reputation, half out of lifestyle choices, instead electing to make temporary homes and "nests" in the UA. UA rooms full of spider webs are a good indicator that a jorougumo lives in the area, subsisting entirely off of scavenging and occasional trading with the closest towns.

Racial traits:

  • Extra natural attacks: Poison bite
  • Base stats: Agility +1, C3 Armor Class, Base limb health 46, Max Blood 13, Pain Sensitivity 152%
  • Extra limbs: 8 legs with no feet (LIMB group)
  • Immunity to Poison (effects of all Venom attacks is reduced to zero, can never receive Cyanide Poisoning)
  • Youkai body type: Type U (Uncanny)

Kappa

Kappa (Youkai: 河童, literally "River child") are a species of highly intelligent, industrious engineers, builders and crafters. They have a natural talent for building, repairing and maintaining anything that can be called a machine, and make up almost all of the engineer occupations in youkai-controlled towns.

In terms of appearance, they are short humanoids with colorful, turtle skin-patterned bodies, with skin colors usually ranging in hues and gradients of blue, green and yellow, though uncommon cases of completely black skin have been reported; these are known as kuro-kappa (Youkai: 黒河童, Black kappa). The turtle skin feature is mostly uniform across the kappa's entire body and seems to serve as a light protective layer, however these marginal defensive properties are largely offset by their generally small and frail stature. In short, kappa not wearing armor can easily sustain serious damage.

This has never been a problem for the kappa, as they often try to tackle all of their problems by applying as much brainpower as they can, generally choosing to outsmart or out-think their opponents with clever tactics and finely crafted creations, rather than overpower them with brute strength. In that respect, kappa are the polar opposite of oni.

Kappa are particularly prone to hair loss, as they are famous for their bald spots. It happens as early as the age of 60, and males and females are equally affected. Touching the bald spot of a kappa is seen as bad luck, so for this reason, many kappa choose to protect their heads with anything they can; hats, helmets, etc.

However, as intelligent as they are, they are perhaps not the wisest or the best at decision-making, and sometimes fall victim to their own bickering. As long as their projects are well-defined and the objectives are clear, they are extremely efficient; but if they must define the objectives in the first place, or if they generally require organizational skills or leadership, kappa are capable of bickering endlessly for days on end, until someone steps up and directs them to actually get things done.

Racial traits:

  • Extra natural attacks: Bite
  • Skills: Starts with 100 SP in Crafting (Lv5 - Master, max level) and 500 SP in Repairing (Lv5 - Master, max level)
  • Base stats: C3 Armor Class, Base limb health 42, Max Blood 12, Pain Sensitivity 167%
  • Youkai body type: Type S (Small)

Kasha

Kasha (Youkai: 火車, literally "Fiery chariot") are a warrior species of a very different stripe. Unlike guhin and tengu, who enjoy fighting for the sake of skill and talent, or oni and kishin and their concepts of honor, bravery and pure strength, kasha are fighters because they have a thirst for combat and a fascination with death. If there is one thing a kasha loves more than anything, it is killing creatures, as savagely and as brutally as possible; so much, that they actually heal from taking the lives of their opponents! Their fascination for death goes as far as influencing their fashion; Kasha often adorn themselves with objects made out of bones and skulls.

Kasha have feline traits similar to those found in feline halflings, with cat ears and a tail, a cat-like nose, and an enhanced sense of smell, though the similarities end there. Certain kasha have a double tail (no different than a single tail in gameplay terms); the reasons why are unknown, though superstition suggests that kasha with double tails are lucky.

Their violent tendencies gave them a reputation for being bloodthirsty creatures, which is usually taken in stride, or even as a point of pride. Many kasha are restless thrill-seekers seeking to live a life of adventure, often becoming for-hires or bodyguards.

Racial traits:

  • Extra natural attacks: Bites, Claws, Energy Blast (ranged magic, energy ball)
  • Ability: Savage. For every creature a kasha kills, they instantly heal 4% Pain and 0.2 Blood.
  • Base stats: C3 Armor Class, Base limb health 48, Max Blood 14, Pain Sensitivity 146%
  • Extra limbs: 1 tail (LIMB group)
  • Youkai body type: Type T (Tailed)

Kirin

Kirin (Youkai: 麒麟; see below) are a species of whimsical dragon youkai, seemingly obsessed with two things only: looking good and making sure everyone knows it. They are known for their humanoid upper halves and their draconic lower halves, starting past the hips and ending in long, serpentine tails. Their draconic halves possess four legs, and their heads are adorned with a pair of horns. Kirin also possess long, tendril-like appendages which are sometimes informally called "whiskers," as they grow from under their noses. Kirin whiskers never stop growing; their length can be used to determine a kirin's age.

Though they possess traits that would make them respectable fighters, most notably the ability to spit fireblasts at will, Kirin do not see themselves as a fighting species; most, in fact, seem to dislike fighting, or at the very least having to do the fighting themselves. Most of their favorite pastimes involve drinking, partying, wearing beautiful clothes and elegant perfumes, maintaining their mane and decorating their horns, and generally showing themselves off. The social status of a kirin among their peers practically depends on how much effort and how elaborate their appearance is. To a kirin, looking good is not just a symbol of self-respect, it is a symbol of honor. Conversely, having an unkempt, neglected appearance can be considered insulting.

The most important part of a kirin's body (according to them, at least) is their hair, which grows in a mane-like fashion from the top of their head, down their necks and the entire length of their spine - right down to the tips of their tails. Mane maintenance is one of the traditional kirin pastimes, and much like the rest of their appearance, an unkempt mane is a symbol of self-neglect and equivalent to a very rude insult. Cutting a kirin's mane without their permission is seen the same way as intentionally damaging it - or worst of all, burning it: it's the ultimate symbol of shame, and they will unleash extreme violence to defend their honor.

Though they may seem, at first glance, whimsical and allergic to effort, and indeed, few kirin reach positions of importance or responsibility, they should not be underestimated; they have all of the might and potential that dragons are famous for, and when pushed, they are fearsome fighters; they simply wish not to if they can help it. In their own words, they would rather "live dressed like celestials than die dressed like soldiers".

NOTE: In the youkai language, Kirin is written 麒麟. No transliteration that makes any sense exist; kirin themselves claim that the name of their species was the name of a deity called Kirin, from whom they descend.

Racial traits:

  • Extra natural attacks: Horn ramming, Fireblast (ranged magic, fireball)
  • Base stats: A2 Armor Class, Base limb health 88, Max Blood 25, Pain Sensitivity 80%, Sturdy skeleton (bones cannot be broken or fractured)
  • Extra limbs: 1 tail (LIMB group), 2 horns (EXTREMITY group)
  • Youkai body type: Type U (Uncanny)

Kitsune

Kitsune (Youkai: , literally "Fox") are a youkai species of cunning fox-like creatures, with a natural affinity for elemental magic and for their "silver tongues". Similar in visual appearance to canine halflings with fox traits, all kitsune have fox ears and tails, and they are famous for their multiple tails, an indicator of their age and wisdom.

Every kitsune is born with one tail, and every 100 years after their birth, they gain a new tail, until reaching the maximum of nine. A natural hierarchy therefore exists among kitsune, with eight and nine-tailed kitsune being the wisest and most respected, and one- and two-tailed kitsune being the youngest and least experienced. A kitsune's tongue isn't actually silver; it is a colloquialism symbolizing their natural talents for negotiation and bartering. They are natural-born negotiators, with many stories exemplifying their ability to negotiate the prices of anything, or to be able to get out of sticky situations just with a bit of fast-talking and quick thinking.

Kitsune are also known for their attunement to elemental magic; they are capable of casting ranged attacks of fire, ice, water, and lightning, and it is not uncommon for kitsune in combat roles to supplement personal weapons with these elemental attacks. As such, kitsune are quite versatile, and may lead successful lives regardless of whether their occupation involves fighting or not, so long as they take advantage of their talents. Though they are often stereotyped as ideal traders and shop owners, they have seen success in a wide variety of roles and occupations.

Racial traits:

  • Extra natural attacks: Claws, Fireblast (ranged magic, fireball), Frostblast (ranged magic, ice attack), Scalding Blast (ranged magic, water attack), Thundershock (Ranged magic, lightning bolt)
  • Skills: Starts with 200 SP in Negotiation (Lv5 - Master, max level)
  • Base stats: C2 Armor Class, Base limb health 56, Max Blood 16, Pain Sensitivity 125%
  • Youkai body type: Type T (Tailed)

Oni

Oni (Youkai: , literally "Ogre") are a species of strong, ogre-like humanoid creatures, famed for their fantastic strength. They possess largely humanoid bodies, though they are known for their naturally highly developed muscular structure, which lends them the strength they are famous for, but also a fantastic tolerance to pain and damage. They possess a pair of horns and may have one of several colorful skin tones; the most common being red, blue, and flesh-colored. Less common skin tones are green, purple, and monochrome tones, ranging from black to white and all of the grays in between.

Oni are defined by two primary traits: their love of alcohol, for which they have a legendary tolerance for, and their equally legendary strength and feats of strength. Countless tales about oni bending, breaking or tearing apart all sorts of things (and creatures) exist, and they only reinforce the legend around them; though unlike many stereotypes, all of these are completely justified. In a one-on-one fist fight, you would be hard pressed to find a better candidate.

True to form, oni are about as life-loving as their favorite drinking and partying partners, the tengu, and there are few things oni enjoy more than fighting and drinking contests, though their brutality and rawness cannot be understated; they are probably as crude as kirin are refined. To an oni, the only thing that truly matters is honor, and they will often readily accept fair, one-on-one challenges that are offered to them, even if they would otherwise have an unfair advantage. It doesn't matter if it's a drinking contest, a shooting competition, or a fist-fight; if the oni feels they are offered a fair challenge, they will take it up and they will accept what comes out of it without question.

Though oni do not strictly define themselves as a warrior species, their combat talents make them natural choices for any and all combat roles, or just about any role where being big, strong and intimidating might be useful traits. Perhaps just as naturally, oni can also be found living successful lives as bartenders.

Racial traits:

  • Skills: Starts with 250 TP in Unarmed/Martial Arts (Lv3 - Skilled), 50 SP in Evading (Lv3 - Skilled) and 1000 SP in Mining (Lv5 - Master, max level)
  • Knows all martial arts techniques.
  • Ability: Alcohol resistance. All alcoholic drinks only inflict half as much Inebriation as they normally would.
  • Base stats: Agility -1, A2 Armor Class, Base limb health 150, Max Blood 43, Pain Sensitivity 47%, Strength 300%, Sturdy skeleton (bones cannot be broken or fractured)
  • Extra limbs: 2 horns (EXTREMITY group)
  • Youkai body type: Type H (Huge)

Satori

Satori (Youkai: , literally "Consciousness") are a species of humanoid mind-readers, famous for their small statures and their third eye, protruding out of their bodies (usually their forehead, more rarely their neck), with which they are capable of using their mind-reading capabilities. Though they can choose to focus their third eye on any individual creature they have direct line of sight with, in order to properly "read" them, all satori are afflicted with a state of hyperawareness, permanently giving them increased alertness and being able to instantly detect the intentions and immediate moves of any creature they see from the moment they thought about it.

Though these abilities are doubtlessly very useful in combat, this also means that most satori are often afflicted with other mental conditions; their hyperawareness is not something they can turn off; they can only choose to concentrate on specific people in order to read them better, or not. With age and wisdom, these abilities can be sharpened to the point of literally reading people's thoughts as they come up - but this is not to help the satori's own mental stability.

The only creatures that are immune to a satori's mind-reading capabilities are creatures that have no minds to begin with, and fellow satori. In the latter case, satori can and often choose to "block out" their thoughts from one another.

Satori tend to have a poor reputation; few people enjoy the idea of having their thoughts read, and even among fellow youkai, satori are rarely well-loved. Naturally, this means that in order to minimize the effects (both mental and social) of their abilities, many satori live solitary lives, to the point of having a very minimal social life. Regrettably, despite these lifestyle choices, many satori suffer from depression and other mental afflictions, both from the exposure to other people's thoughts, and the stigma associated to mind-readers. When they are not hunted away or killed just for being mind-readers, many mutilate themselves or end their own lives in the resulting desperation and loss of grip on reality.

The satori that have the mental fortitude to resist these debilitating effects also tend to be the satori that become the strongest and wisest. They are often extremely intelligent and very wise people, well-suited to be leaders and chiefs.

If a satori's third eye is destroyed, they become known as a "closed-eye satori". Closed-eye satori do not lose their mind-reading capabilities; their bodies adapt the remaining eyes for the mind-reading function instead. The condition appears to damage their mental stability further, and often go insane and/or die as a result, to the point that closed-eye satori rarely survive for more than a year.

Racial traits:

  • Extra natural attacks: Psychic blast (ranged magic, psychic attack)
  • Ability: Mind-reader. Satori all have permanent increased alertness (can detect enemy moves before they act), permanent Initiative Speed tier -1 (faster with all weapons), and the ability to determine the true intentions (whether they are peaceful, neutral, hostile, or afraid) of any creature they can see.
  • Base stats: C2 Armor Class, Base limb health 56, Max Blood 16, Pain Sensitivity 125%
  • Extra limbs: Extra eye (WEAK POINT group)
  • Youkai body type: Type S (Small)

Tanuki

Tanuki (Youkai: , literally "Raccoon") are a youkai species of shapeshifters, with their default form assuming that of a humanoid with a pair of raccoon ears and a large and fluffy ringed raccoon tail.

Though they cannot transform into various inanimate objects like in the various legends they are depicted in, the tanuki of the Mazes are still capable of pulling off remarkable feats of magic, through the art of body transformation, which only they seem to know the secrets of. By managing an internal "fuel" reserve of magical energy, a tanuki can use this energy to temporarily transform their body, or parts of their body in order to achieve a specific goal. For example, a tanuki wishing to improve their strength and deal more melee damage will inflate their muscles, or even harden their fists and feet to the point of being as hard as rock or metal.

Tanuki have the reputation of being sly and cunning individuals, capable of adapting to any situation, as their abilities would suggest, but they are also stereotyped as perverted individuals with a high sex drive, sometimes considered insatiable. The sexual nature of their reputation may or may not be derived from the fact that tanuki have unnaturally large sex organs for creatures of their size (males having large testicles, whereas females have large breasts). Tanuki themselves claim that it's where their magical energy is stored, and that constant practice of their abilities lead to growing these organs; however, this is a dubious, possibly humorous claim.

Racial traits:

  • Ability: Shape-shifting. Tanuki have the capability to convert nutrition and time into Tanuki Balls, a form of internal fuel which can then be spent at will on temporary buffs. The tanuki achieves this by using this magical fuel to perform bodily transformations, intended to improve the tanuki's capabilities in one way or another.
  • Base stats: C2 Armor Class, Base limb health 70, Max Blood 20, Pain Sensitivity 100%
  • Extra limbs: 1 tail (LIMB group)
  • Youkai body type: Type T (Tailed)

Tengu

Tengu (Youkai: 天狗, literally "Heavenly dog") are one of the warrior species of youkai. They are most famous for possessing a pair of feathered wings, with which they are capable of flying.

As one of the warrior species, they have innate knowledge of martial arts and they are naturally very agile; they are, in fact, much like guhin in that respect, with the only notable differences being ones of tactics; whereas guhin enjoy stealthy hit-and-run tactics, tengu tend to make use of their flying abilities to their fullest when fighting, therefore tending to prefer more daring and reckless strategies.

Tengu are sometimes referred to as "crow tengu" because youkai legends and stories describe guhin and tengu as "sister species" descended from the same warrior deity, Tenma, with the guhin intended to be Tenma's land warriors, while the tengu, capable of flying, ruled the skies as air warriors. In informal contexts, guhin are sometimes referred to as "wolves" and tengu as "crows".

Tengu are generally thought of as proud, confident and thrill-seeking creatures, enjoying anything that gets their adrenaline going, particularly if it means there's a chance they might fight and kill something. When not fighting or training, tengu are merry, life-loving creatures who enjoy partying, drinking alcohol, chatting and gossiping until the next morning, or until they pass out, whichever comes first. Tengu that do not take up an occupation involving a life of fighting or adventure most often end up teaching their skills as dojo masters, though many are also found taking up relatively peaceful occupations; they are surprisingly competent writers and organizers and many tengu can be found working as office workers, paper pushers, or even journalism, as newspaper editors or reporters.

Racial traits:

  • Ability: Flight. Tengu possess wings, allowing them to fly. Though not useful as a method of transportation (they would just end up flying to the ceiling and walls of the rooms of the Mazes), flying allows the automatic avoidance of any mines, and turns you into a more difficult target to hit (enemies get accuracy maluses), at the cost of not being able to benefit from cover, greater nutrition consumption, and a loss of accuracy (it's harder to concentrate on both flying and attacking enemies).
  • Skills: Starts with 250 TP in Unarmed/Martial Arts (Lv3 - Skilled), and 50 SP in Evading (Lv3 - Skilled)
  • Knows all martial arts techniques.
  • Base stats: Agility +2, C3 Armor Class, Base limb health 100, Max Blood 29, Pain Sensitivity 70%
  • Extra limbs: 2 wings (LIMB group)
  • Youkai body type: Type W (Winged)

Yousei

Yousei (Youkai: 妖精, literally "Fairy"), also informally known as "fairies", are a species of small, winged youkai, famous for their small stature, elaborate wings, and unfortunate tendency to die quickly and easily. On average, they have the emotional and intellectual maturity of a 10-year-old human child, are extremely weak and easy to kill, and overall do not seem to fulfill any significant purposes other than menial tasks and other simple jobs. As such, many yousei are found as maids and waiters, or as cleaning staff.

The mythological figure responsible for their creation, Daikyuusei (大九精, literally "Big nine fairy"), is said to have slacked off on the day she was supposed to give yousei their abilities and therefore their purpose in life; so yousei ended up having no special talents or capabilities. The same legends say that one day, one of the yousei will become the Strongest One (最強人, saikyoujin), unlocking vast powers and potential, and that their destiny is to unlock the latent powers of all other yousei, and finally lead them all to a destiny of greatness. Or so they say.

Racial traits:

  • Ability: Flight. Yousei possess wings, allowing them to fly. Though not useful as a method of transportation (they would just end up flying to the ceiling and walls of the rooms of the Mazes), flying allows the automatic avoidance of any mines, and turns you into a more difficult target to hit (enemies get accuracy maluses), at the cost of not being able to benefit from cover, greater nutrition consumption, and a loss of accuracy (it's harder to concentrate on both flying and attacking enemies).
  • Base stats: C2 Armor Class, Base limb health 20, Max Blood 6, Pain Sensitivity 350%
  • Extra limbs: 2 wings (LIMB group)
  • Youkai body type: Type W (Winged)
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