The Humanoid Project - Converting Pony Races to Bipeds

[Dusk Raven]

So, I was looking at the races for Ponyfinder, and it occurred to me - what if you had a setting where all the races were humanoids, but were based on the assorted pony races, having the same racial traits (modified to fit their bipedal nature) but with different fluff?

For this purpose, we shall assume that all the "pony" races can be converted into subsets of humanity, with "standard" humans representing crossbreeds. The Cloven, Griffons, cat races and Phoenix Wolves could easily be converted to anthropomorphic versions, or possibly something else entirely.

Mechanically, this has a few consequences. The Fingerless rule goes away, as does all the benefits of being a quadruped, and speed becomes normalized. Fluff-wise, we have much more far-reaching consequences. I'm drawing a mental blank on how exactly this would work out, so I'd like to receive some feedback on the general concept and possibly some suggestions before proceeding.

[David]

You could use the pony satyr rules from Forgotten Gods for the ponies as humanoids.

[Dusk Raven]

Okay, so the idea is that the pony races should all convert quite easily to human races, right? So, I've come up with fluff for five of the six basic pony races (the Earthbound and those whose traits replace that quality):

Mongrelfolk (standard humans):
When members of different human races interbreed, the occational result is a Mongrelfolk, particularly if the parents were of mixed ancestry themselves. Mongrelfolk lack the discerning features of other human races, and are often mistaken for Stouthearts. While their mixed heritage has dulled their nightsight, they have a flexibility that none of the other races can match, as well as being surprisingly multitalented.

Stouthearts (Earthbound):
The most basic race of humankind, Stouthearts are durable and keen, but slightly clumsy. Though they lack the more flashy features of other humans, they make up for it with a determination and resilience unmatched in other races.

Skyborn (Pegasus):
Skyborn are humans with a pair of feathered wings sprouting from their backs. They are nimble, but physically weak.

Horned Ones (Unicorn):
Horned Ones, unsurprisingly, have a short, sharp horn jutting from their forehead. This horn serves as a conduit for their innate magical abilities, and hornheads have a reputation, deserved or otherwise, for being talented at magic.

Darkseekers (Leatherwing):
Darkseekers are unique amongst humans in that they have adapted to life in pitch darkness. Having an affinity for the night, they soar on wings of flesh. They are often quiet and brooding, however, lending them a mysterious air.

Seaborn (Sea Horse):
The Seaborn live by the coasts of the world, having a natural affinity for water. Their hands are webbed, and their eyes are adapted to see underwater. Some even take to the water entirely, able to live as easily in the ocean as on land.

I'm still uncertain on the Zebras, however. I'm not sure whether to have them correspond to real-world African ethnicities, have them be entirely white (as in, whiter than albino white), or give them bands or stripes... input would be appreciated.

[Mystic_Knight]

You could also just get rid of the Quadruped race feature so they are bipedal and anthropomorphic

[David]

Just stripping quadruped isn't quite the same, but could work.

[Dusk Raven]

Well, originally, I wanted to just remove the quadruped and fingerless features and normalize base speed at 30, but not all of the quadruped races have a base speed of 40 - some are slower - so I'm not sure what to do about that...

[David]

Have you peeked at the pony satyr rules?

[Dusk Raven]

I want to. I ordered the book but it hasn't arrived yet.

EDIT: Once again I mistake a digital download for a physical order...

[David]

I was about to ask. The stats offered should work great for biped ponies.

[Dusk Raven]

I took a look at the satyr stats. Not sure what my feelings are. On the one hand, they do some like a reasonable compromise between human and pony forms. On the other hand... they seem more limited in variety than the pony races.