SPORE: BIO-E For Everyone!

Anyone who has tried to play the mutant animal rules from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness in Heroes Unlimited knows that there is a major power imbalance between those mutant animals and the other power categories.  This was somewhat alleviated in that game's second edition successor, After the Bomb--but I play revised-era Palladium rules (mostly out of preference, though partly for financial reasons).  So, I have come up with my own solution:  Give all characters BIO-E, mutant or not.

This method changes the way BIO-E is used, but not what it represents.  BIO-E is still used to purchase humanoid traits, natural weapons and armor, animal powers, and animal psionics.  It is also used to purchase any attribute modifiers associated with a given animal type.

Many of the house rules I use for the SPORE settings are drastic variations on the originals; what follows is a simplification of concept copatible with revised-era palladium rules as published.  Details used in my LegacySPORE campaign will be different because of other rules changes.

Starting BIO-E

The average human can be described in mutant animal terms as follows:

• Size level 10, 45 BIO-E
• No attribute modifiers, 0 BIO-E
• Full human biped, 10 BIO-E
• Full human hands, 10 BIO-E
• Full human looks, 10 BIO-E
• Full human speech, 10 BIO-E
• No natural weapons or armor, 0 BIO-E
• No animal powers, 0 BIO-E
• No animal psionics, 0 BIO-E
• Base Animal BIO-E:  85

Legacies of Eternity

There are events in history so important that they continue to continue to shape reality long after their circumstances have passed.  On the Plane of Time, these histories have taken on a life of their own; they have become conscious and stared to govern the actions of that Plane.  These Legacies have become the archdaemons of Eternity.  Their influence can be seen throughout time, whether the events that define them occured in the past, the present, or the future.  Since all things occur simultaneously on this plane, the Legacies are always active.

Sometimes, Legacies are called the horsemen of the apocalypse--harbingers of the End of Time.  This is both true and preposterous.  This is true in that when all Legacies have come to pass, that the end of the known world will be nigh.  Likewise, there can be no end to time; it will ever flow onward--there can be only change.

NOTE:  Legacies are always spoken of with the definine article:  the Titanomachy, the Exodus, the Deluge, etc.  In a way, these archdaemons only have epithets, and not true names.

Warlocks with Legacy patrons may use the homebrew Horologius patron until such time as an appropriate "official" option is released.

Legacies of the Past

These Legacies' effects on the Mortal Plane were experienced and understood in history, but continue to have lasing effects.

The Titanomachy

The conflict between the HMDJVNW and the giants of Raviq lasted for centuries.  During its course, the giant races were decimated, and their remnants ultimately exiled from Orbimond; their legacy was carried on in the goliath races.  The land of Prosperity was even physically transformed into the land of Desolation, and the Taint was unleashed upon the mortal races of he world.  Had the HMDJVNW not arrived in the mortal world, however, the war of the giants would still have occurred--instead against the might of the dragons!

The Titanomachy is the archdaemon of the giants (though giants do not dwell in Eternity).

Elves and Orcs of Tirol

I recently introduced my take on the amazon race in order to accommodate the Praxians of The Sentinels.  This allows me to keep all of the elvish subraces for the Tirolean peoples. Paired with the orc races, the Tiroleans and Zentraedi can be accommodated in a fantasy setting.

A triumvirate of former high elves.

Elves

Tirolean culture is classist, and has existed in this way for millennia.  Over time, several sub-races emerged as differen parts of the population became specialized in different roles.  The core elf sub-races map to Tirolean culture as follows:

High Elves are the urbanites of Tiresia--nobles, merchants, and artisans who often take on leadership roles in the community.  The majority of the founders of the Artifice Masters were of this race.  [Cabell, Zor]

Wood Elves can be found living in he wilderness of the large island of Tirol.  Because of their experiences with hunting and exploration, wood elves are more martially inclined than high elves, so often find themselves in military roles.  The military forces of the Artifice Masters are primarily wood elves.