A Method of Homebrewing Ancestries
Added 2025-12-20 03:38:23 +0000 UTCComments
I'm interested in this 'separate writeup' for balancing ancestry traits. However, from the ancestries in the Heroes book, there are some common design elements we can glean. Like how anything with 'you can't be made x' is usually a 2 point trait.
GriffinMuffin
2025-12-20 22:14:49 +0000 UTCGiant St. Brenard People that act as mountain medics are some of the coolest fantasy creatures I've ever heard
Caleb Fasnacht
2025-12-20 16:09:16 +0000 UTCWilly, this is amazing! It's such good advice and so well presented! I'm... actually kind of bummed that only the patrons are gonna see this, it's exactly the type of fundamental lesson people just dipping their toes into the system are probably looking for.
RoombaGladiator
2025-12-20 15:46:01 +0000 UTCWilly, you're not only a designer, but an educator as well! Apparently Matt is not the only river to the people. Thanks for the excellent tutorial!
Bob Hopp
2025-12-20 15:03:56 +0000 UTCI reflavored the high elves as large magical spiders in my first ever homebrew Draw Steel campaign. After all, who would get more usage out of a glamour that makes you like them than a spider that most people would be horrified by on sight? The magical illusion is for everyone's protection!
Gogo M
2025-12-20 13:42:34 +0000 UTCNot only great advice but sent me down the nostalgia trip of recolouring sprites in the grade school computer lab. Not thought about that in years!
Nyissan
2025-12-20 13:38:13 +0000 UTCOver the last several years, I've been refining a 5e Swordmage based on the 4e original. When I came to Draw Steel, making a Swordmage was one of the first things I wanted to do (I've not started yet though!). Some of the key features from the 4e class are: - teleportation - tactical capabilities - marks Well the void mage and shadow have teleportation. The tactician and censor have marks and the tactician has tactical capabilities. So I figured I'd smoosh those together and work from there. I hadn't realised it before but I go through exactly the process this post is describing. I've always felt bad about it though because it's felt like I've just been reusing somebody else's work. I see now that it's just part of the process.
Antan Karmola
2025-12-20 12:27:54 +0000 UTCThis post is just the best, I spent countless years kitbashing pixel art and playing TTRPGs, this introducing metaphor hits very well for me ❤️
Overse
2025-12-20 07:26:56 +0000 UTCI love this kind of advice. This is exactly what a budding game community needs! Direction and examples to go make more cool stuff!
Riley May
2025-12-20 06:42:07 +0000 UTCTop notch post
Tom W
2025-12-20 04:21:01 +0000 UTCI love this. this is exactly how my brain works when i run games. Kitbashing monsters, ancestries, spells, etc are all super useful.
Joe Auerbach
2025-12-20 04:01:10 +0000 UTCThank you for the direction and advice Willy! Makes approaching design less intimidating :)
Aaun Abbas
2025-12-20 03:50:21 +0000 UTC
