# Forum > Play-by-Post Games > Finding Players (Recruitment) > Recruiting Interest-check/Brain-storming Animal Race Campaign

## Texchappf

I've been following these forums for a couple years to get homebrew stuff for live games, but haven't posted, but I had an idea for a campaign that I'm still thinking about the system and exact outline for. I thought I'd see if I could get any feedback that'd help me nail down exactly how to approach it. 

The basic idea is -- all animals races: owl people, rabbit people, wolf people, platypus people, skunk people, badger people, beaver people, armadillo people, possum people etc. I was thinking more the characters would be mammals and avians, and the villains would be reptilians, amphibians, and insects. 

I have two ideas for a world I've been kicking about**:

(1) The mammalian races live in tribal/stone age communities, or maybe bronze age, and are hunted by reptilian races, who worship the Great Old Ones and are the descendants of a crashed space ship; think a mix of Stygia from Conan with some weird left over space age tech vs. far cry primal animal races.

(2) Something inspired by the old Disney Robin Hood cartoon with the animal races but a little more serious -- something like Dark Age of Camelot or Camelot Unchained with animal races. 

I thought we could sort of build the world together from a nugget like that out of character ideas and make it up as we go along. 

For system, I could honestly go 5e, 4.5, PF, or Fudge RPG in some configuration. I like that Fudge is a little more open ended, and you can sort of decide what rules to use in any given circumstance (like more or less complex combat rules for encounters of differing importance). On the other hand, there's also some truly weird homebrew on the minmax forums I've been wanting to try out. It might be sort of fun to see if you could make a 3.5 game completely out of homebrew except for feats, spells, and skills. If we went that direction, it'd probably be helpful to have a co/sub DM to help make stat blocks and do encounter design. For 3.5, I've used the 3d6 to replace 1d20 a lot in live games, as I think that helps to reduce the swingyness of the system and impact of stacked bonuses. I also like using hex grids, as opposed to square for combat.

I'd imagine a sort of slow posting pace -- longer 3-4 posts a week with a consistent pace, instead of trying to go faster. I'd run the game here and use Foundry for battlemaps and audio/visuals. 

Let me know what you think!

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## Palanan

> Originally Posted by *Texchappf*
> _The basic idea is -- all animals races: owl people, rabbit people, wolf people, platypus people, skunk people, badger people, beaver people, armadillo people, possum people etc. I was thinking more the characters would be mammals and avians, and the villains would be reptilians, amphibians, and insects._


Sounds a lot like the Spellsinger novels by Alan Dean Foster, in which mammals, birds and some reptiles were pitted against a merciless arthropod horde.

Pathfinder already has several races that could worktengu, kitsune, grippli, boggards, rougarouand 3.5 has plenty more.  Vertebrates vs. arthropods sounds like a good underlying theme, with a few exceptions here and there.




> Originally Posted by *Texchappf*
> _(2) Something inspired by the old Disney Robin Hood cartoon with the animal races but a little more serious -- something like Dark Age of Camelot or Camelot Unchained with animal races._


This approach sounds better to me.  Not familiar with the Camelot titles, but a serious-themed game with animal races could be interesting and fun.




> Originally Posted by *Texchappf*
> _I'd imagine a sort of slow posting pace -- longer 3-4 posts a week with a consistent pace, instead of trying to go faster. I'd run the game here and use Foundry for battlemaps and audio/visuals._


This approach to pace and platform sounds good.




> Originally Posted by *Texchappf*
> _It might be sort of fun to see if you could make a 3.5 game completely out of homebrew except for feats, spells, and skills._


Not sure if this would go as planned.  Ive seen attempts at this on PbP before, and they tend to get bogged down in endless discussions about the merits and balance of homebrew items.  

Much better to try this in an established system, so theres no thicket of wonky rules interactions to deal with beforehand.  Probably simplest to stick to PF and 3.5.

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## Rakaydos

Option 2 seems perfect for the Ironclaw system. Urban jungle is a bit more refined, but it heavily leans into pulp-noir sensibilities that make it poorly suited for fantasy without a lot of homebrew, so the old 2E Ironclaw is  still a better fit.

Notably, the mechanics are geared a bit more toward early renaissance/low magic, and the real monsters are other people, be they foxes, wolves, horses or hogs. (or any number of others. ANY number, because races have a pretty simple ballance system so it's easy to make a homebrew if you want)

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## Izzarra

I have written up 5e PC races for a Redwall themed game here: Redwall Races.

Also there is the Humblewood campaign setting.

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## arkangel111

Interested... I have a wolf companion that was the sole survivor of a TPK... always imagined continuing his story with that spell that turns animals humanoid...

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## Hellfire014

Just a heads-up in case anyone was expecting OP to respond:




> I just got a moderator note that I'm required to do the multi post quote format -- I respect the rules and their authority to decide, but unfortunately that doesn't work for me in terms for formatting expectations, so unfortunately I'm going to have to call off the game. Thanks everyone for your interest.
> 
> This will be my last post.


Still sounds like an interesting concept.

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## Palanan

Not quite sure I understand what the OPs concern was.  But the idea itself is definitely interesting.

Pathfinder has a number of races that could work, including:

boggards 
catfolk  
gnoll
grippli  
kitsune  
lizardfolk  
nagaji  
orang-pendak
ratfolk
rougarou  
tengu  
vanara 

Seems like enough to populate a campaign right there.

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## watupwithdat

> Not quite sure I understand what the OPs concern was.


The concern was being forced to follow forum posting rules.

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## samduke

> I've been following these forums for a couple years to get homebrew stuff for live games
> Let me know what you think!


I do not think the OP should GM, Interest-check, Brain-storm anything IMHO
The factor of the OP is new to the forums (Join Date 2022-10-29)
Followed up by Moderators asking the OP to follow forum posting rules and then not only not doing so but posting the below
you might be better off ghosting to get homebrew stuff for any live games




> Originally Posted by Texchappf
> I just got a moderator note that I'm required to do the multi post quote format -- I respect the rules and their authority to decide, but unfortunately that doesn't work for me in terms for formatting expectations, so unfortunately I'm going to have to call off the game. Thanks everyone for your interest.
> This will be my last post.

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## TankLaser007

I was _just_ discussing with some mates on discord, the idea of running an "animal" based game using 3.X (_Savage Species_ I'm looking at you) if there's an interest I might scrap a 16 together and open a new thread.

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## Triskavanski

> I was _just_ discussing with some mates on discord, the idea of running an "animal" based game using 3.X (_Savage Species_ I'm looking at you) if there's an interest I might scrap a 16 together and open a new thread.


I would be. Would be something I'd be interested in.

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## watupwithdat

> I was _just_ discussing with some mates on discord, the idea of running an "animal" based game using 3.X (_Savage Species_ I'm looking at you) if there's an interest I might scrap a 16 together and open a new thread.


A game where an antho bat druid wouldn't be considered weird and cheesy? Sign me up.

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## Amoren

Shame about the OP. But yeah, Ironclaw is a system based around it. There's some homebrew settings for DnD for it as well. The partner and I've had a long running Chronicle/A Song of Ice and Fire game in our own setting that uses anthropomorphic animals (with some unique stat buffs and traits for different species) that works well for a more low magic/feudal game too.

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## DarkOmens67

I played in a game where each player created an animal race, created a background to their culture (fictional or historical).  

I created a Flying Squirrel race and based them on ancient Chinese culture, technology, and religion.

The storyteller at the time created a large map and had the players select a location on the map.  We had to establish alliances and fend off NPC bad races (we could attack each other too, but we played nice).  The only reason the game died was because some players can't handle being attacked and actually injured (my gosh I took a wound).

Anyway, it was a cool concept.

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