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The Iron Toa

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  1. The Iron Toa
    Character Creation and Stats
     
    All of this is subject to change, but red font indicates where I know further work is needed. For example, values I'm not confident are appropriate, or parts that incorporate aspects of the project we have not yet gotten to.
     
    So with that out of the way, I will get to the six main Attributes:
     
    Charisma (Cha) – both a mental and a physical attribute – Charisma represents a character's ability to lead, persuade, and befriend others. It is based on both personality and physical appearance (for example, the Charisma of the Barraki was greatly reduced when they were mutated from magnificent warlords to creepy sea creatures). This Attribute is especially important to deceptive and manipulative characters, as well as ones that seek to gather allies and get them to work together, but any adventurer might find it useful when another character must be persuaded.
     
    Dexterity (Dex) – a physical attribute – Dexterity represents a character's agility, reflexes, and coordination. This is considered a physical value, for reflexes are instinctive. This Attribute is important for all characters, especially ones that rely on dodging and ranged attacks, and those that must move through difficult terrain.
     
    Intelligence (Int) – a mental attribute – Intelligence, in our case, includes both cleverness and wisdom. An intelligent character can figure puzzling things out, has enough wisdom or common sense to make good choices, and can learn skills more easily and achieve a higher level of mastery. Intelligence is especially important to characters that focus on honing their skills instead of merely using what abilities come to them naturally. But any adventurer is likely to occasionally encounter puzzles, which will be easier to solve with a higher Int score.
     
    Strength (Str) – a physical attribute – Strength, of course, represents a character's muscle and raw physical might. Strength is important in melee combat, and is important to characters that focus on such a discipline, as well as characters that do heavy labor. Strength is also important for such common uses as moving obstacles adventurers might encounter.
     
    Toughness (Tou) – a physical attribute – Toughness determines a character's ability to survive injury, as well as endure mental stress and suffering. These two qualities are represented by two sub-attributes: Vitality and Endurance, which I will explain in more detail shortly. Toughness is important to all characters, not only because one can't always avoid taking damage, but also because most Powers are mentally taxing – and so cost Endurance.
     
    Will (Wil) – a mental attribute – Will measures the a character's raw mental power. To clarify, Will is to Intelligence as Strength is to Dexterity. Will determines a character's control over his or her natural Powers, as well as any mind-activated items such as Kanohi. It also affects the rate at which Endurance is drained by things such as suffering pain and using powers. A character with higher will can endure more discomfort, and so this Attribute is important even to characters that do not use Powers.
     
    With that out of the way, we can get started. So, you want to make a character? I hope you have some details in mind. A character is a lot more than just a bunch of numbers. And yet it's these numbers that set this system apart from other Bionicle RPGs – the numbers help build a world that's not entirely in the control of those imagining it. The right use of these numbers – and enough luck – will make your character succeed. But have fun from your failures, too – misadventures are at least as entertaining as stories of success, aren't they? But anyway, to get started you will need to decide on a few things:


    A name, of course! Or at least an alias, but you should probably have a real name for your character in mind anyway.

    A race, sub-race, and gender. If you're sticking to the canon, the latter two will be linked for Matoran, Toa, and Turaga, naturally. See here for a list of races.

    An alignment: good, neutral, or evil. This is really only important for the Moral Light stat, which I will explain later, and will not show up often. But you should have a good enough idea of your character to know if he or she is more like Lhikan or more like Teridax, or if he's somewhere in between – looking out for himself but not out to hurt anyone.

    Previous experiences your character has – if we're going to have something for this, like what skills your character starts with... we still need to work on this. Hence the red font.

    (Optionally) A Destiny. Now this isn't as concrete, and not completely in your hands. The basic idea is the Game Master is encouraged to bend the rules to help your character meet some predetermined fate. He should have some idea for every major character, and even if you tell him what you have in mind for yours, he has final say, and his decision will be kept secret. This Destiny will not always be achieved – meaning either it wasn't your character's destiny in the first place or he or she failed to achieve it, depending on how you interpret it. Just because you tell the GM 'I think my character should die heroically while vanquishing the Makuta that enslaved his people!' and he nods, heck, even if he says outright 'I'll try to make it happen' (which he shouldn't – he should keep his decision to himself), don't assume you have nothing to worry about from a horde of rampaging Protocairns.

    Traits/Feats. We still need to come up with these.

     
    Once you've chosen those things, the next step is to roll to determine your six main Attributes.
     
    Most biomechanical beings have little difference in physique from the rest of their race. In addition, mental strength is greatly depended on race. Some Matoran might have stronger wills than others, but none ever have the ability to use Kanohi powers. And yet one can find a wide range of personalities and levels of intelligence among a particular race. Therefore, characters' initial Charisma and Intelligence values will be based on a larger roll – and so more varied – while Dexterity, Strength, Toughness, and Will will be determined by a smaller roll and more affected by racial modifiers. To determine the initial values for Charisma and Intelligence, roll four d6 die, discard the lowest value, and add up the values of the remaining three. For the other four Attributes, roll two d6 die and take the value of the higher roll.
     
    To determine your character's final stats, apply the racial modifiers listed below, then any Subtypical modifiers (for elemental tribes, etc), then any modifiers from traits and feats. Consult the list of races linked to above to determine your racial modifiers.
     

    -----


     
    Now for the two sub-attributes of Toughness. These two values are similar to the Hitpoints of D&D – indeed, that is basically what Vitality is – but for us it works a little bit differently:
     
    Vitality determines a character's physical health, and how much injury he or she can suffer before dying. A character with 0 is immobilized by injury, a character with -1 to -9 inclusive is dying or recovering from near-death, and a character with -10 is dead. Just like D&D Hitpoints, except a character that is between -1 and -9 is not necessarily unconscious.
     
    Endurance is what determines if a character is conscious. It determines how much discomfort a character can suffer before passing out. A character with 0 cannot attack, a character with -1 to -9 must sit or lie down, and a character with -10 is unconscious.
     
    Characters' maximum Vitality and Endurance can be affected by outside modifiers, but as a baseline, each point of Toughness contributes 10 points to Vitality and Endurance.
     
    -----

     
    Now, we will define Moral Light. It is greatly tied to a Matoran Universe inhabitant's morality – indeed, some say it defines it completely. In any case, we use it for but two purposes. Firstly, there is the rare ability to measure a being's Moral Light to determine if he or she is good or evil. Keetongu has this ability. Secondly, characters that have high enough Will and know the technique can channel their inner Light or Shadow into attacks. Using one's light in such a manner takes extreme purity of spirit and discipline, and as such as never been achieved in the main universe. How this will work is not yet determined – we may have a Good-Neutral-Evil scale, or just ask whether a character is evil enough to call upon this inner darkness.
     
    -----

     
    Resistances do just what it sounds like they do – they help your character resist damage and other negative effects he or she did not avoid completely. They are represented as percentages, for the value of the resistance is the percentage of damage that is mitigated. (In the case of negative resistances, that much extra damage is added.) For example, if a fireball that would normally do 20 damage hits a Ta-Matoran, who has a natural +50% Heat resistance, it would do only 10 damage to both Endurance and Vitality. If a sonic attack that also normally did 20 damage hits a De-Matoran, whose sensitive hearing gives him a huge -300% resistance to Endurance damage from Sonics, he would take 20 Vitality damage but 60 Endurance damage. By default, characters have 0% in resistances – these values are changed by racial modifiers, traits, and equipment. Here is the list of damage and resistance types, along with examples of what can deal each type of damage:
     
    Acid – natural acid sources as well as attacks such as the Rhotuka of Keelerak deal Acid damage. Acid is also commonly found in heavily polluted places such as Xia.
    Cold – extremely cold weather, elemental Ice users, and Toa of Fire absorbing a great deal of heat can all deal Cold damage.
    Crushing – one of the three physical damage types. Blunt weapons such as hammers, falling rocks, and most kinetic force launchers deal Crushing damage.
    Electric – Rahkshi of Electricity, Toa of Lightning, and some energy weapons deal Electric damage.
    Elemental – Elemental damage is an unusual case. It applies to powers based on Elemental Energy, and in most cases comes along with whatever sort of damage that elemental attack otherwise does. For example, a normal fire would be considered to only deal Heat damage, while a fire directly from a Toa of Fire would be considered to do both Heat and Elemental damage. A character with 25% Heat resistance or Elemental resistance would take 25% less damage from such an elemental attack, while a character with 25% resistance to both damage types would suffer 50% less damage.
    Energy – technically, all these damage types are based on some sort of energy, whether it is radiation, kinetic energy, or chemical energy. This damage type, however, refers to powers that are not linked to any element or physical damage type. For example, Axonn's hand blasts, most Rhotuka, and a Rahkshi of Disintegration's power are all mitigated by Energy resistance.
    Heat – Rahkshi of Heat vision and a Toa of Fire's fire do Heat damage, of course, as well as natural fires and heat sources such as lava and unbearable hot desert days.
    Light – one of the rarer damage types, Light is especially strong against creatures of Shadow and is dealt by Av-Matoran as well as some weapons such as Lightstone rifles and light launchers. Light resistance may also effect your chance to be blinded by bright lights.
    Mental – Psychic attacks from Makuta, Toa of Psionics, and other beings with such abilities deal mental damage. In most cases, such attacks affect the mind directly, and so Mental damage usually or always affects only Endurance.
    Piercing – the second of the physical damage types. Weapons such as daggers, arrows and fangs deal piercing damage, as do spikes materialized by Toa of elements such as Iron, Stone, Ice, or the Green.
    Poison – some beings have natural poison-based abilities, such as Rahkshi of Poison. Many plants are also poisonous, and a Toa of the Green that knows how to do so can create these plants. Poisons can also be concocted and added to weapons.
    Shadow – Makuta are the most famous wielders of Shadow, with elemental Shadow powers, but non-elemental Shadow damage can also be dealt by an evil character calling upon his or her inner darkness.
    Slashing – the third of the physical damage types. Bladed weapons such as swords deal slashing damage.
    Sonic – extremely loud sounds can incapacitate and even injure. Rahkshi of Power Scream, Toa of Sonics, and some Rahi and weapons are capable of dealing Sonic damage. Hearing sensitivity affects Endurance damage received from Sonic attacks – characters with very sensitive hearing suffer more from such attacks, while deaf characters suffer less. In either case, however, the Vitality damage done remains the same, for hearing ability does not affect how much damage sonic vibrations do to one's body.
     
    -----

     
    Elemental Energy is a value possessed by only some beings, and is used for Elemental powers. It recharges over time, and characters that have depleted their Elemental Energy cannot use Elemental attacks until some of it recharges. Beings that have Elemental Energy include:
     
    Av-Matoran – a very small amount
    Toa – a large amount
    Turaga – a small amount
    Skakdi – a large amount
    Makuta – a large amount
     
    -----

     
    Toa Energy is a unique type of power only Toa have. Most characters will never have to worry about it, but it is an important value for those it applies to.
     
    Matoran with the potential to become Toa have 0, as do Turaga. All other beings have -1. In most cases, whether a Matoran has the potential is randomly generated by the GM and unknown to the player. In some settings you can choose to play as a Matoran with the potential (though keep in mind your character would most likely not know this) or start as a Toa, and in other settings playing as a Toa will not be an option. For a destined Matoran to become a Toa, he or she must come into contact with an object imbued with at least 10 points of Toa Energy. Often, the GM will also choose a special circumstance that must also happen, such as placing the imbued objects into a Suva. Toa most often use fist-sized stones for such vessels, and decorate them with carvings, but they are also known to use their weapons and tools instead.
     
    Upon becoming a Toa, a character's TE is raised to 60. Besides transforming other Matoran into Toa – which costs 10 TE each – Toa Energy can also be channeled into very strong – some call it miraculous – healing power. When their Toa Energy value reaches 0 again and they have completed their Toa Destiny, they become a Turaga. Toa Energy never regenerates, and expending it does not weaken a Toa in any way until they become a Turaga.
     
    I may add a trait system to this post later, or include it in a future blog update.
  2. The Iron Toa
    I am happy to announce I am now using a blog as the home of the Bionicle RPG system I and several others are working on. Here's a list of people that have contributed:
     
    BenLuke-116, Katuko, makuta_icarax, Portalfig, The Iron Toa, The Mask of Ice, Toa Alaka, Toa Kaithas
     
    Update as of 10/10/2012:
     
    And here is a list of people that still seem to be actively contributing:
     
    makuta_icarax, The Iron Toa, The Mask of Ice
     
    Come on back, guys! We're actually starting to get somewhere now.
     
    And we have another joyous announcement. It is time to start to split this project into its aspects, which will be worked on over multiple blog updates. First, we have the Races and Subtypes. I have made a detailed post that will get much bigger over time, but I can't do it alone -- read it, and give me your comments and suggestions! Soon, we will have separate posts about the combat system, powers, items, societies -- every part of this project we can think of.
     

    -----


     
    It will be a mostly D&D derived system, but there are some important differences. Here is what we have so far:
     
    Attributes:
    Strength: Used to determine melee damage, blocking, and how much a character can lift/carry, certain athletic feats like climbing
    Dexterity: Determines dodge/evade (we should pick one term to use), hit chance, ranged damage, certain athletic feats like climbing and acrobatics
    Toughness: Determines/contributes to values of Vitality (HP) and Endurance, and resistance to physical effects.
    Charisma: Determines how well characters can get along with and persuade others. Used for lying, persuasion, and intimidation, but also important for friendship and getting you and your allies to work together.
    Intelligence: Used to determine how quickly/how much you can increase your skills, learn new languages, and how easily your character can figure things out.
    Will: Determines damage of Powers, aim of Powers, and control over Powers, resistance to mental effects, and how quickly Endurance is lost. That is, a character with higher Will would take less Endurance damage from suffering pain or using powers.
     
    Resistances: Heat, Cold, Electricity, Sonic, Mental, Light, Shadow, Poison, Acid, Energy (generic powers), Elemental (direct damage from Elemental Energy-based powers), and either Crushing/Piercing/Slashing or just Physical.
     
    Moral Light - characters that are evil enough can, with the proper training, tap into their inner shadow. There is a very rare ability to see the Moral Light and Shadow in a being to determine if he is good, neutral, or evil.
     
    Destiny: a GM can come up with a Destiny for a character, and is encouraged to bend the rules a little to make characters fulfill their Destinies. A player can tell the GM what he has in mind for his character, but the GM makes the decision, and should keep it a secret in most cases.
     
    Toa Energy: The normal value for this will be -1. There is a small random chance for a Matoran to have 0, which means he has the potential to become a Toa. The player of a Matoran won't necessarily know if this value is -1 or 0. If a Matoran does become a Toa, his Toa Energy is set to 60. This energy can be used to heal others or to transform destined Matoran into Toa. Transforming other Matoran costs 10 Toa energy, so a Toa can transform up to 6 Matoran. When a Toa's value reaches 0 and he has completed his Destiny as a Toa, he becomes a Turaga. If he hasn't completed his Toa Destiny yet, he remains a Toa until he does.
     
    Size categories:
    Fine: Less than 1/8 bio
    Diminutive: 1/8 - 1/4 bio
    Tiny: 1/4 - 1/2 bio
    Small 1/2 - 1 bio
    Medium 1-2 bio
    Large 2-4 bio
    Huge 4-8 bio
    Gargantuan 8-16 bio
    Colossal Greater than 16 bio
     
    Skills: I think the D&D skill list suits our purposes. Except instead of Spellcraft... I don't know what to call it, but it will be control over innate powers. Use Magic Device would be Use... Powered... Device? We need a better name for that too, but that would be the skill for using Kanohi and other things that aren't part of a character but are mentally activated. Also, we'll want to have some different subcategories of the Craft and Knowledge skills.
     
    I'm starting to understand the D&D combat system but I think I could use some practice. Here's what I understand of how it will work for us:
    Characters that win an initiate roll or ambush their opponents go first. Attacking characters make a roll (or multiple) to determine their chance to hit and again for damage. All physical attacks need to roll for both, some powers automatically hit but can be resisted, and for some powers instead of rolling for damage you roll for Intensity and Duration. Defending characters, if they can move and it's not an auto-hit attack, can attempt to Dodge or Block it. If they are hit, the damage or chance of affecting them is mitigated by their Resistances. An attack that does Vitality damage or a physical debuff is resisted by a roll based on Toughness and the appropriate resistance type. Endurance damage and mental effects are resisted by Will and the appropriate resistance type. For simplicity, I suggest a certain amount of Vitality damage always does a certain amount of Endurance damage, and how much is based on a character's will. Otherwise, the defender would need to roll twice - once for how much damage it did and again for how much it hurt. Still, this is pretty complicated -- we still need to include how distance affects ranged hit chance. I still need help with this.
     
    I'm sure there's more I missed, so here's the link to the old topic for reference. We should post everything we came up with onto here.
  3. The Iron Toa
    Races and Their Subtypes


     
     
    Here we will list and describe the playable races (not including any 'monster races' we make playable) and the subtypes of those races (such as gender, and elemental tribes for Matoran and Skakdi). The stats of each will be provided, as will the reasoning behind the chosen values. But first, I must explain the notation I use here:
     
    In the following text, purple font indicates non-canonical information and liberties I have taken with the canon for the sake of a complete and balanced game. I encourage world designers and Game Masters to make changes to these details as they see fit. Contributors to this project are welcome to add their suggestions, as well.
     
    All of this is subject to change, but red font indicates where I know further work is needed. For example, values I'm not confident are appropriate, or parts that incorporate aspects of the project we have not yet gotten to.
     
    Reddish-purple font indicates a combination of the above – non-canonical stats and concepts that I know need work.
     
    What each of these stats mean will be explained in more depth in a different post, but one particular descriptor should be explained now. Each being in the game has a size that fits into a category. It is determined by height for beings that stand upright (which includes most or all beings in this list) and length from nose to posterior for beings that do not. These Size Categories are as follows:
     
    Fine: Less than 1/8 bio
    Diminutive: 1/8 → 1/4 bio
    Tiny: 1/4 → 1/2 bio
    Small: 1/2 → 1 bio
    Medium: 1 → 2 bio
    Large: 2 → 4 bio
    Huge: 4 → 8 bio
    Gargantuan: 8 → 16 bio
    Colossal: Greater than 16 bio
     
    In which → means 'up to just under'. That is, a character exactly two bio tall would be in the Large size category, just barely. Size categories give bonuses and penalties to hiding, dodging, and grappling, which we will work out later.
     
    In the following list, you may notice that total modifiers for Charisma and Intelligence are low compared to the other stats. This is because the randomly generated values for those two stats are much higher than the randomly generated values for Dexterity, Strength, Toughness, and Will. The reasoning behind this is that most biomechanical beings have little difference in physique from the rest of their race. In addition, mental strength is greatly dependent on race. Some Matoran might have stronger wills than others, but none ever have the ability to use Kanohi powers. And yet one can find a wide range of personalities and levels of intelligence among a particular race. Therefore, characters' initial Charisma and Intelligence values will be based on a larger roll – and so more varied – while Dexterity, Strength, Toughness, and Will will be determined by a smaller roll and more affected by racial modifiers. What these random values are will be explained in a future update, but for now, just assume that modifiers when combined with the random values will result in more even final Attributes.
     
    Now for the main part of this post, the list of races:
     
     
     
     

    ----------


     
    Matoran/Toa/Turaga:
     
    Matoran are small, significantly smaller than the other intelligent races that populate their universe. They are remarkably strong and resilient for their size, but this still leaves them with lower than average Strength and Toughness. They are stocky and not built for agility, but their small size gives them an advantage over larger beings in evasion, and they have excellent manual dexterity. As a result, their overall Dexterity tends to be only slightly below average.
     
    They are hardy and industrious workers by nature, and so crafting comes easily to them, and they can endure strenuous activity longer than many others. They were not meant to use powers, and typically rely on Toa, Turaga, or members of other races for guidance, and so have slightly lower than average Will. Despite their innately low raw mental strength, however, they usually have average Intelligence. They are highly social, forming close communities and a niche in almost every civilized society. As such, they tend to have higher than average Charisma.
     
    Some Matoran have the potential to transform into Toa, but this is rare, and often unknown until the transformation happens. For the purposes of this game, whether your Matoran character can become a Toa and what the chances are will depend on the setting. In times and places in which Toa were common, you might be able to choose to play as such a Matoran, or even start as a Toa. In other settings, Toa will be rare or nonexistent, and playing one will not be an option. In any case, this potential will be denoted by Toa Energy: most Matoran will have a value of -1, and Matoran with the potential will have a value of 0. Usually this value will be randomly generated, and will be unknown to you.
     
    Racial Modifiers:
    +2 Charisma
    +8 Dexterity
    +5 Strength
    +5 Toughness
    +7 Will
    +A small maximum Elemental Energy pool
    Bonus to crafting skills
    Suffer less Endurance damage from strenuous activity
    Average height – 0.8 bio (3.6 feet) - Small Size
    Average weight – 40 kilograms (88 lb)
     
    Subtypes:
     
    Av-Matoran – As a prototype race, Matoran of Light are different from other Matoran in several ways. They are the only Matoran capable of calling upon their element. This manifests itself in three ways: the ability to change the color of their armor, the ability to launch beams of light from the hands, and a third light-related power that can only be used when the Av-Matoran is in physical contact with a Toa or Makuta (and perhaps some other beings). Compared to other Matoran, they are mostly average physically and mentally, but grow larger in the presence of energies in Karda Nui, and have slightly higher than average Will for the use of their powers.
     
    Preferred Environments: Luminous places
    Primary Color: Gold (default – can be altered)
    Other Colors: White (default – can be altered)
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    +2 Will
    +A small max EE pool
    Limited Elemental light powers
    Size affected by certain energies
     
    Ba-Matoran – An affiliation with the element of Gravity gives these Matoran excellent balance and resistance to being knocked down. They typically have a dour demeanor which leaves them with a slightly lower Charisma, but are mentally tenacious, granting them a slight bonus to Will. Also, they are known for being wise in a cautious way, and while Ba-Matoran are rarely regarded as especially brilliant, this results in a slightly higher than average Intelligence.
     
    Preferred Environments: None
    Primary Colors: Purple, Indigo, Maroon
    Secondary Colors: Black
    Eye Colors: Dark Blue, Dark Red
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    -1 Charisma
    +1 Intelligence
    +1 Will
    Enhanced balance and knockdown resistance
     
    Ce-Matoran – Latent elemental Psionic energy grants these Matoran great resistance to mental influence. In addition, a culture that focuses on the mind and spirit grants them a bonus to any one mental stat. However, this results in a tendency to neglect physical Strength – Ce-Matoran are slightly weaker than average for Matoran.
     
    Preferred Environments: None
    Primary Colors: Gold
    Secondary Colors: Blue, Purple
    Eye Colors: Blue, Pink, Yellow, Yellow-Green
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    +1 Intelligence, Charisma, OR Will (The GM will decide whether you can choose or if you must roll to determine this)
    -1 Strength
    +50% resistance to Mental damage to Endurance (but take normal Vitality damage in the rare cases Mental attacks do Vitality damage)
    +50% resistance to some effects like Fear and Sleep
    Immunity to other effects such as mind reading and hypnosis
     
    De-Matoran – Matoran of Sonics are renowned for their incredibly sensitive hearing. This trait is by far both their greatest strength and their greatest weakness. They are capable of listening in on a conversation from kio away, and suffer pain from noises others would consider tolerable. Due to this, most De-Matoran prefer to live in isolated communities in quiet locations, and shun anyone who might bring battle or other noise to their homes.
     
    Preferred Environments: Quiet places
    Primary Colors: Gray
    Secondary Colors: Black
    Eye Colors: Yellow
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    -300% Resistance to Sonic damage to Endurance (but take normal Vitality damage)
    Extremely high bonus to Listen checks, can use Listen checks for purposes others cannot
    Take automatic Sonic endurance damage over time from combat and other loud situations
     
    Fe-Matoran – An affiliation with the Element of Iron makes Fe-Matoran much physically tougher than others. They are also naturally gifted metalsmiths. However, they tend to work in solitude and secrecy. This asocial behavior results in a lower Charisma than average for Matoran.
     
    Preferred Environments: Industrial regions, regions where metal can be mined
    Primary Colors: Metallic Gray, Silver, Gold, Bronze
    Secondary Colors: Burnt Orange, Gray, Dark Red, Light Brown
    Eye Colors: Dark Blue, Orange, Red
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    -1 Charisma
    +2 Toughness
    Significant bonus to metal-related crafting skills
     
    Ga-Matoran – The Element of Water grants Ga-Matoran a natural talent for swimming and great lung capacity. Ga-Matoran also learn other water-related skills, such as fishing and sailing, as a way of life. They tend to have gentle and caring personalities, resulting in a higher than average Charisma, but tend to be somewhat lacking in physical Toughness.
     
    Preferred Environments: Aquatic/coastal regions
    Primary Colors: Blue
    Secondary Colors: (Different shades of) Blue, Silver, Light Green
    Eye Colors: Orange, Yellow, Yellow-Green
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    +1 Charisma
    -1 Toughness
    Resistance to suffocation/drowning
    Bonus to aquatic skills such as swimming, fishing, and sailing
     
    Ko-Matoran – Matoran of Ice have a natural great resistance to the cold. In addition, they learn to survive in cold environments, and their armor colors help them blend in with snow and ice. Ko-Matoran are known for high Intelligence, but also for being aloof or hard to approach, resulting in much lower Charisma than other Matoran types.
     
    Preferred Environments: Cold places
    Primary Colors: White
    Secondary Colors: Gray, Silver, Blue, Black
    Eye Colors: Light Blue
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    -2 Charisma
    +2 Intelligence
    +50% resistance to Cold damage (both to Vitality and Endurance)
    Bonus to camouflage and survival skills in snowy environments
     
    Le-Matoran – The element of Air grants Le-Matoran greater Dexterity, but they are less nimble on the ground, mitigating this bonus somewhat. In addition, they tend to be energetic and quick-moving. The ability to use their agility to avoid harm leaves them less accustomed to enduring it, and they are more used to using finesse than brawn, resulting in lower Strength and Toughness than most other Matoran.
     
    Preferred Environments: High-altitude regions, elevated structures
    Primary Colors: Green
    Secondary Colors: (Different shades of) Green, Turquoise, Teal, Gray
    Eye Colors: Orange, Red, Yellow-Green
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    +1 Dexterity
    +1 additional Dex in trees, elevated platforms, and other such environments
    -1 Strength
    -1 Toughness
    Bonus to Climb and Tumble skills (and any similar skills)
    Slightly increased movement speed and/or lower Endurance cost for sprinting and other quick movement
     
    Onu-Matoran – As a result of their elemental affiliation, Matoran of Earth can see in the dark very well, but are easily dazzled by bright lights. They tend to be stockier than other Matoran, sometimes having heights closer to 0.7 bio (3.15 ft), and less nimble, as a result they have a lower total Dexterity. Onu-Matoran are best known for three professions: miners, engineers, and archivists. As such, Onu-Matoran commonly have either relatively high Strength or Intelligence, but not to the same degree as Po-Matoran and Ko-Matoran, respectively. Life underground, whether in the Archives of Metru Nui or a crude warren in the most remote regions of the South, leaves Onu-Matoran with natural affinity for tunneling and underground survival skills. In addition, they are less easily tired out, but tend to move slowly.
     
    Preferred Environments: Underground
    Primary Colors: Black
    Secondary Colors: Gray, Tan, Orange, Purple
    Eye Colors: Green, Orange
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    -1 Dexterity
    +1 Intelligence OR Strength (The GM will decide whether you can choose or if you must roll to determine this)
    Ability to see in low light levels
    Vulnerability to being blinded or dazzled from Light-based attacks and natural bright lights
    Bonus to underground skills such as tunneling, avoiding pits, and subterranean navigation
    Slightly reduced movement speed
    Lower Endurance cost for extended travel, combat, or other strenuous activity
     
    Po-Matoran – The element of Stone grants greatly increased Strength to these Matoran. However, Po-Matoran have a reputation for having relatively low Intelligence. In some regions, Po-Matoran are taller than other types – closer to 0.9 bio (4.05 feet). Almost all Po-Matoran have at least a little knowledge of some form of stone-crafting. Also, life in arid and rocky regions teaches them to be skilled at rock-climbing and desert survival.
     
    Preferred Environments: Arid places, rocky places
    Primary Colors: Brown, Orange, Yellow
    Secondary Colors: Tan, Gray, Black
    Eye Colors: Blue, Orange, Yellow
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    +2 Strength
    -1 Intelligence
    Bonus to stone-based crafting skills
    Bonus to rock-climbing and desert survival skills such as finding water, keeping cool in the day and keeping warm at night
     
    Ta-Matoran – Latent elemental Fire energy gives these Matoran a great resistance to heat, in addition, life in hot regions teaches them the skills to survive in such places. Ta-Matoran tend to have strong personalities which can manifest as higher Charisma or Will.
     
    Preferred Environments: Hot places
    Primary Colors: Red
    Secondary Colors: Orange, Yellow, Black, Gold
    Eye Colors: Pink, Orange, Yellow, Yellow-Green
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    +1 Charisma OR Will (The GM will decide whether you can choose or if you must roll to determine this)
    +50% resistance to Heat damage (both to Vitality and Endurance)
    Bonus to survival skills in hot places such as keeping cool and avoiding lava
     
    Matoran of the Green – The Element of the Green grants these Matoran an innate talent for cultivating plants. For many of them, this nurturing nature is known to extend to personal relations, granting a bonus to Charisma, while others are better known for having heightened Dexterity, just like the arboreal Rahi they often share environments with. Almost all Matoran of the Green have learned survival skills vital to living in forests and jungles, even those that spend most of their life in less wild regions.
     
    Preferred Environments: Jungles, Forests, Farmland
    Primary Colors: Green
    Secondary Colors: Blue, Brown
    Eye Colors: Blue, Green, Yellow-Green
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    +1 Charisma OR Dexterity
    Very significant bonus to gardening, farming, and similar skills
    Bonus to tree-climbing and survival skills in forested environments, such as avoiding poisonous plants
     
    Matoran of Lightning – These Matoran are resistant to electrical shocks due to their elemental affiliation. They are also known for being very fast in both speech and movement, in a way that reminds one of the speed of the lightning they are affiliated with.
     
    Preferred Environment: Stormy places
    Primary Colors: Blue
    Secondary Colors: White, Red, Purple
    Eye Colors: Blue, Pink, Yellow, Yellow-Green
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    +50% resistance to Electric damage (both to Vitality and Endurance)
    Significantly increased movement speed and/or lowered endurance cost for sprinting and other quick movements
     
    Matoran of Magnetism – Traces of elemental Magnetism energy grants these Matoran a natural internal compass, and as a result they are among the universe's best navigators. In addition, they are known to have very high Charisma, attracting friends like their element attracts iron.
     
    Preferred Environments: None (I think)
    Primary Colors: Metallic Gray
    Secondary Colors: Black, Blue
    Eye Colors: Dark Blue, Yellow-Green
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    +2 Charisma
    Natural sense of direction
    Significant bonus to navigational skills
     
    Matoran of Plasma – Latent elemental Plasma energies counteract foreign energies that saturate these Matoran, giving them Matoran a bonus to harmful 'generic' Energy effects, such as the effects of most non-elemental Rhotuka. In addition, they are known for being energetic. They have neither the speed of Matoran of Lightning, nor the stamina of Matoran of Earth, but rather something in the middle – they can sustain fairly quick movement for a moderate amount of time without tiring. They also recover from rest faster.
     
    Preferred Environments: None, or perhaps non-volcanic hot places
    Primary Colors: Orange
    Secondary Colors: White, Light Green, Blue, Purple
    Eye Colors: Orange, Blue, Green, Pink, Yellow-Green
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    +50% resistance to negative status effects with the Energy descriptor (but not Energy damage)
    Reduced Endurance costs for moderate exertion and quick movements
    Require less sleep
    Regenerate Endurance faster from resting
     
     
    Matoran cannot access Kanohi powers, but must wear Kanohi of some sort. A maskless Matoran's physical strength and coordination is greatly reduced, and he or she has trouble concentrating on any action. This is represented by the following effects:
     
    1/3 Dexterity (rounded down)
    1/3 Strength (rounded down)
    1/3 Will (rounded down)
    50% penalty to rolls based on Charisma and Intelligence
    Reduced movement speed
     
    In addition, after five rounds (30 seconds), the Matoran must begin making a Will save every round to remain conscious (difficulty of save to be determined). He or she will automatically pass out in fifty rounds (5 minutes). A Matoran suffers no permanent damage from the loss of a mask. When the mask is replaced, the Matoran's abilities will be fully restored (any other harm that befalls the Matoran in the meantime notwithstanding), and he or she will awaken if unconscious from the lack of a mask.
     
    Toa:
     
    Toa are known for being strong, agile, tough, and having the mental strength to use their Kanohi and elemental powers. Nearly all Toa are transformed from Matoran, and are indeed considered part of the same race. However, upon becoming a Toa, a former Matoran is no longer meant to be a laborer, and so Toa that were not crafters as Matoran find that crafting does not come so easily to them, and they no longer have disproportionately high stamina. Therefore, to find a Toa's stats, find the stats of a Matoran and add these modifiers:
     
    +2 Dexterity
    +4 Strength
    +4 Toughness
    +8 Will
    +60 Toa Energy
    +A max EE pool
    Lose bonus to crafting skills unless the skills have been brought to a certain level
    Suffer average amount of Endurance damage from strenuous activity
    Ability to use Great and Noble Kanohi (after unlocking them the first time)
    Height increase to 1.6 bio (7.2 feet) (with some exceptions, like some Toa of Earth will be hunched) - Medium Size
    Weight increase to roughly 120 kg (264 lb)
    Increased movement speed befitting their increased stature
     
    A maskless Toa will not pass out, but will suffer severe physical and mental weakness only slightly less than for a Matoran:
     
    1/2 Dexterity (rounded down)
    1/2 Strength (rounded down)
    1/2 Will (rounded down)
    50% penalty to rolls based on Charisma and Intelligence
    -50% Elemental potency
    Reduced movement speed
     
    Turaga:
     
    For a Toa to become a Turaga, two requirements must be met. The Toa must have completed his or her Destiny (as a Toa, that is – just part of the overall Destiny a being has throughout existence), when this is achieved is at the discretion of the GM. The Toa must also have depleted all 60 of his or her Toa Energy points. A Toa that is out of Toa Energy but has not yet completed his or her Destiny will remain a Toa, as will a Toa that has achieved his or her Destiny but not expended his or her Toa Energy.
     
    Upon transforming into a Turaga, a Toa loses much of his or her stature, physical strength, willpower, and elemental energy. In addition, the hard life as a Toa catching up when the transformation occurs makes a Turaga's physical attributes suffer further. The amount they decrease is random, but always significant. Though most of their attributes are reduced, however, Turaga are known for being wise. Upon becoming a Turaga, a former Toa has time to reflect on his or her life experiences and how they can be used to guide the Matoran. As such, the transformation grants a boost to Intelligence and Charisma. Here is how a Turaga's stats differ from a Toa's:
     
    +3 Charisma
    -(4 + 1d4) Dexterity
    +4 Intelligence
    -(1+ 1d4) Strength
    -(2 + 1d4) Toughness
    -4 Will
    Max EE pool divided by 20
    Ability to use Great Kanohi lost
    Height decrease to roughly 1 bio (4.5 feet) – Medium size
    Weight decrease to roughly 50 kg (110 lb)
    Significantly slower movement speed than Matoran
     
    A maskless Turaga suffers the same penalties as a maskless Matoran, but will not pass out.
     
     

    -----


     
     
    Vortixx:
     
    The main inhabitants of the island of Xia, Vortixx are tall and lean, with black armor. They are known for being crafty and manipulative, and have average Strength and Toughness for their stature – that is, quite high, but not extremely. Their lithe, graceful forms and skill for manual labor grant them higher than average Dexterity. As a whole, Vortixx have average strength of Will, cannot wear Kanohi and have no natural powers. For most of their history, Vortixx endured terrible pollution of their home island, and as such have a natural resistance to acid and toxins and are harder to suffocate. Vortixx are known as makers of advanced technology, but not so much inventors as assemblers. Still, their reputation for being crafty indicates a higher than average Intelligence.
     
    Preferred Environments: Industrial regions
    Primary Colors: Black
    Secondary Colors: Silver, Gray
    Eye Colors: Orange, Light Blue
     
    Racial Modifiers:
    +11 Dexterity
    +2 Intelligence
    +11 Strength
    +11 Toughness
    +9 Will
    +25% resistance to Poison damage
    +10% resistance to Acid damage
    Resistance to suffocation
    Affinity for efficiently reproducing existing designs
    Average height – 2.4 bio (10.8 feet) – Large size
    Average weight – 210 kg (462 lb)
     
    Subtypes:
    Female – Female Vortixx are typically the leaders in their society. They tend to have forceful, manipulative personalities, and as such they receive a bonus to Charisma and Will.
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    +1 Charisma
    +1 Will
     
    Male – Male Vortixx are most often factory workers forced to labor in harsh conditions. As such, they receive a bonus to Strength and Toughness.
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    +1 Strength
    +1 Toughness
     
     

    -----


     
     
    Steltian Leader (Sidorak's species):
     
    This race makes up the ruling class of the island of Stelt. They are tall beings of average build, typically with a greater Strength than Vortixx, but slightly less Dexterity than average. Despite the turmoil that spans most of their home's history, they maintain their place in the upper class through their superior Charisma. These Steltians tend to have average Intelligence and strength of Will. They cannot wear Kanohi and have no natural powers. Some warlords are happy to upgrade themselves with implanted weapons and devices, while others take pride in depending only on the strength of their arms and skill with a blade. Stelt is a war-torn island, and these beings are most famous for being warlords and military officers, though those that avoid battle most often make their living as merchants.
     
    Preferred Environments: None
    Primary Colors: Red, Blue, Gray
    Secondary Colors: Black
    Eye Colors: Red, Orange, Blue
     
    Racial Modifiers:
    +2 Charisma
    +8 Dexterity
    +13 Strength
    +11 Toughness
    +9 Will
    Average height – 2.2 bio (9.9 feet) – Large size
    Average weight – 220 kg (484 lb)
     
     

    -----


     
     
    Steltian Laborer (Krekka's species):
     
    These beings occupy the lower class in Stelt, and are commonly employed as laborers, guards, and soldiers. They are slightly shorter than the beings of the higher caste, but are much wider and heavier. They are some of the most muscular beings in the universe, possessing Strength greater than most of the other common races, and their girth provides them with excellent Toughness. However, they are also known for being brutish and weak-minded. This stereotype is often exaggerated, but it is true that they tend to have lower than average Intelligence and Charisma, and their Will is naturally weak. They are not agile, nor are they made for delicate work, and as such they have poor Dexterity. Like the beings that most commonly rule and employ them, these Steltians cannot wear Kanohi and have no natural powers.
     
    Preferred Environments: None
    Primary Colors: Blue
    Secondary Colors: White, Gray
    Eye Colors: Red, Orange
     
    Racial Modifiers:
    -4 Charisma
    -4 Intelligence
    +6 Dexterity
    +21 Strength
    +15 Toughness
    +3 Will
    Average height – 2.1 bio (9.45 feet) – Large size
    Average weight – 380 kg (836 lb)
     
     

    -----


     
     
    Steltian Slave (Gladiator's species):
     
    While the heavy, blue-armored Steltians are allowed paying jobs and some small rank in society, these unfortunate beings are no more than slaves. It is unknown if they are native to Stelt or were brought there, but what is certain is that any culture of their own they might have had was destroyed early in the history of the universe. Now, they are few in number, and Stelt is the only place they have any semblance of a community. Some of them are put to work doing labor, but the rulers of Stelt most often force them to fight in the great gladiatorial coliseums, for they make better fighters than workers. They tower over their masters, and have great Strength and Toughness as one would expect, but they in fact have less raw physical power than the members of the laborer class. Instead, most of their martial prowess is the result of Dexterity remarkable for beings of their size. Years of having no power to negotiate with others has left them with a below average Charisma and eroded their strength of Will. They have average Intelligence, but usually only have the opportunity to express it as tactical cunning in the arenas. As such, and as a result of discrimination they are often considered stupid. They cannot wear Kanohi and have no natural powers.
     
    Preferred Environments: None
    Primary Colors: Black
    Secondary Colors: Gray
    Eye Colors: Red, Green, Yellow
     
    Racial Modifiers:
    -4 Charisma
    +17 Dexterity
    +15 Strength
    +15 Toughness
    +7 Will
    Average height – 3.2 bio (14.14 feet) – Large size
    Average weight – 500 kg (1100 lb)
     
     

    -----


     
     
    Skakdi (post Spiriah's alterations):
     
    The natives of the island of Zakaz, Skakdi were a relatively peaceful race until a Makuta named Spiriah sought to grant them powers that would make them useful warriors. Makuta Spiriah's tampering indeed granted Skakdi elemental powers and a wide range of other powers, but it also had the effect of turning them into twisted and barbaric beings. Their elemental powers have the potential to be on par with a Toa's, but for a Skakdi to call upon his or her element, he or she must either use it in conjunction with another's or have a specialized weapon that can channel it. Mercifully, Skakdi are also unable to release enough of their energy at once to create a Nova Blast. In addition to their element, each Skakdi has a vision power and a third innate ability. They have average Strength and Dexterity for their size, and have superior Toughness to survive the constant violence of their culture. Their aggression and tendency to be mentally deranged results in a lower Will and Charisma. This madness and belligerence does not affect their Intelligence, however – Skakdi often turn out to be smarter than one assumes. They can wear Kanohi, but rarely do, for they are not weakened by a lack of a mask and very few Skakdi have high enough Will to use them. The characteristics of a Skakdi depend somewhat on elemental affiliation, but not to the degree of Matoran. They also have the same armor colors for each element as Matoran. Unlike Matoran, they do not segregate themselves by element, living on whatever part of Zakaz their clan occupies, and so each subtype of Skakdi is considered to have no preferred environment.
     
    Preferred Environments: None
    Eye Colors: Orange (all Skakdi have orange eyes regardless of elemental affiliation)
     
    Racial Modifiers:
    -5 Charisma
    +9 Dexterity
    +10 Strength
    +11 Toughness
    +7 Will
    +A max EE pool
    Vision power (selected at random from a long list of powers)
    Third power (selected at random from a long list of powers)
    Average height: – 1.6 bio (7.2 feet) – Medium size
    Average weight – 120 kg (264 lb)
     
    Subtypes:
     
    Note: As Skakdi of any element can be male or female, and there are differences between the genders, Skakdi have two subtypes. Add the modifiers both from the gender and from the elemental affiliation.
     
    Male Skakdi – Most Skakdi seen away from Zakaz are male. Surprisingly, they tend to be more mentally balanced than the females (which isn't saying much), resulting in a higher – but still relatively low – Charisma, but have less physical Strength.
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    +1 Charisma
    -1 Strength
     
    Female Skakdi – The male Skakdi are savage enough to give the Skakdi their fearsome reputation, but incredibly the females are even more barbaric and destructive. As a result, they have even lower Charisma and greater Strength than the males.
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    -1 Charisma
    +1 Strength
     
    Skakdi of Air – Like Le-Matoran, the Skakdi of Air tend to have a higher Dexterity and lower Toughness.
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    +1 Dexterity
    -1 Toughness
     
    Skakdi of Earth – Skakdi of Earth cannot all see in the dark like the Matoran of Earth, but also tend to have a lower Dexterity, and their element grants them a bonus to Toughness.
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    -1 Dexterity
    +1 Toughness
     
    Skakdi of Fire – Skakdi of Fire tend to have a resistance to heat, but when they do they suffer an equal vulnerability to cold.
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    +2d20 % resistance to Heat damage
    -(Same random value)% resistance to Cold damage
     
    Skakdi of Gravity – These Skakdi have greater than average Strength, but even weaker Will than most Skakdi.
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    +1 Strength
    -1 Will
     
    Skakdi of the Green – Contrary to the Matoran affiliated with the element of the Green, Skakdi of the same element represent everything dangerous and savage about the jungle. They tend to be even more brutal than their comrades, resulting in a lower Charisma, but have a higher Dexterity.
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    -1 Charisma
    +1 Dexterity
     
    Skakdi of Ice – Skakdi of Ice tend to have a resistance to cold, but when they do they suffer an equal vulnerability to heat.
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    +2d20 % resistance to Cold damage
    -(Same random value)% resistance to Heat damage
     
    Skakdi of Iron – Like Fe-Matoran, Skakdi of Iron have greater than average Toughness. Unlike the Matoran of Iron, however, they tend to have lower than average Intelligence.
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    -1 Intelligence
    +1 Toughness
     
    Skakdi of Lightning – These Skakdi are known to be as dangerous and unpredictable as the bolts of the element they represent. They are also considered to be quick but fleeting, resulting in a greater movement speed but reduced Toughness.
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    -1 Toughness
    Equivalent bonus to movement speed
     
    Skakdi of Magnetism – Skakdi of Magnetism tend to have a higher than average Intelligence, but lower Strength.
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    +1 Intelligence
    -1 Strength
     
    Skakdi of Plasma – These Skakdi are known to have a lot of energy, but have a lower Strength than average.
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    -1 Strength
    Equivalently reduced Endurance costs for moderate exertion and quick movements
     
    Skakdi of Psionics – Skakdi with the element of Psionics are gifted with greater strength of Will, but tend to have an equally lower Toughness.
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    -1 Toughness
    +2 Will
     
    Skakdi of Sonics – Spiriah's experiments granted some Skakdi hearing just as sensitive as that of a De-Matoran. However, this did not work as well for the Skakdi. The constant battle that ravages Zakaz causes the island to be a very noisy place. As a result, most Skakdi of this element either soon go deaf or destroy their own ears to avoid the torment. Only the few that are lucky enough to find isolation or find adequate protection from sound retain their hearing.
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    -300% Resistance to Sonic damage to Endurance (but take normal Vitality damage)
    Extremely high bonus to Listen checks, can use Listen checks for purposes others cannot
    Take automatic Sonic endurance damage over time from combat and other loud situations
    OR
    +50% Resistance to Sonic damage to Endurance (but take normal Vitality damage)
    Automatically fail Listen checks
     
    Skakdi of Stone – Like Po-Matoran, Skakdi of Stone tend to have superior Strength, but lower Intelligence than average. (Though one of the most famous Skakdi of Stone, Avak, was actually the opposite case.)
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    -1 Intelligence
    +1 Strength
     
    Skakdi of Water – Skakdi of Water have none of the gentle nature of the Matoran that share their element. However, they also have a higher than average Charisma for Skakdi. Their Dexterity, on the other hand, is lower than average.
     
    Subtypical Modifiers:
    +1 Charisma
    -1 Dexterity
     
     

    -----


     
     
    Carapar's species – These beings have communities across the Matoran Universe, but are most populous in the Southern Continent. They have above average Strength and remarkable Toughness, but are vulnerable to Electric attacks. They lack fingers and are less agile than average, resulting in below average Dexterity. They have average Charisma, Intelligence, and Will. They can wear Kanohi, but often do not, as they are not weakened by the lack of a mask, and only those of their race with strong willpower are capable of activating them. They have no natural powers of their own.
     
    Preferred Environments: None
    Primary Colors: Yellow
    Secondary Colors: Gray, Brown
    Eye Colors: Red, Orange, Yellow, Yellow-Green
     
    Racial Modifiers:
    +7 Dexterity
    +11 Strength
    +13 Toughness
    +9 Will
    -50% resistance to Electric damage
    Average height – 1.6 bio (7.2 feet) – Medium size
    Average weight – 170 kg (374 lb)
     
    Ehlek's species – These sea-dwelling beings are native to the waters around Zakaz, though they have small communities elsewhere around the islands of the universe. Their slender bodies grant them superior Dexterity, but slightly less than average Strength and poor Toughness. They are shy by nature and tend to keep to themselves, resulting in a lower Charisma, though their Will is slightly above average. They can only breathe water and cannot survive on land without specialized equipment. Mysterious benefactors have provided each member of the race with incredibly sharp Protosteel claws that are attached to their hands. Though most of them prefer to stay out of sight of surface-dwellers, a few of these beings use their gifts for evil, ambushing and slaughtering hapless seafarers. They can wear Kanohi, but often do not, as they have no mask-makers of their own. They are not weakened by the lack of a mask, and only those of their race with especially strong willpower are capable of activating them. They have no natural powers of their own.
     
    Preferred Environments: Underwater
    Primary Colors: Green
    Secondary Colors: (Different shades of) Green
    Eye Colors: Blue, Green, Yellow-Green
     
    Racial Modifiers:
    +11 Dexterity
    +8 Strength
    +7 Toughness
    +10 Will
    Can breathe water but not air
    Average height – 1.4 bio (6.3 feet) – Medium size
    Average weight – 90 kg (198 lb)
     
     

    -----


     
     
    Kalmah's species – These beings have communities on both the major continents, and occupy many places in society. They have slightly higher than average Charisma, but typically have Intelligence somewhat below the average. They have average physical attributes and strength of Will. They can wear Kanohi, but often do not, as they are not weakened by the lack of a mask, and only those of their race with strong willpower are capable of activating them. They have no natural powers of their own.
     
    Preferred Environments: None
    Primary Colors: Red
    Secondary Colors: Black
    Eye Colors: Blue, Green
     
    Racial Modifiers:
    +1 Charisma
    +9 Dexterity
    -1 Intelligence
    +9 Strength
    +9 Toughness
    +9 Will
    Average height – 1.7 bio (7.65 feet) – Medium size
    Average weight – 130 kg (286 lb)
     
     

    -----


     
     
    Mantax's species – These beings are found throughout the universe, but most commonly on the Northern Continent. They are known for being quick, crafty, and sneaky, and as such they have higher than average Intelligence and Dexterity. However, they tend to be solitary and not get along well with others, and so have a lower Charisma. Their Strength, Toughness, and Will are average. They can wear Kanohi, but often do not, as they are not weakened by the lack of a mask, and only those of their race with strong willpower are capable of activating them. They have no natural powers of their own.
     
    Preferred Environments: None
    Primary Colors: Black
    Secondary Colors: Gray, Green
    Eye Colors: Red, Yellow-Green
     
    Racial Modifiers:
    -2 Charisma
    +11 Dexterity
    +2 Intelligence
    +9 Strength
    +9 Toughness
    +9 Will
    Slight bonus to stealth skills
    Average height – 1.6 bio (7.2 feet) – Medium size
    Average weight – 120 kg (264 lb)
     
     

    -----


     
     
    Pridak's species – The influence of this race diminished after the fall of the League of Six Kingdoms, but still they remain one of the most populous of people next to the Matoran. They founded great cities on the Northern Continent and smaller communities elsewhere. They are known having higher than average Charisma and strength of Will, though their Dexterity is slightly lower than average. They have average Intelligence, Strength, and Toughness. They can wear Kanohi, but often do not, as they are not weakened by the lack of a mask, and only those of their race with strong willpower are capable of activating them. They have no natural powers of their own.
     
    Preferred Environments: None
    Primary Colors: White
    Secondary Colors: Black, Red
    Eye Colors: Blue, Red
     
    Racial Modifiers:
    +2 Charisma
    +8 Dexterity
    +9 Strength
    +9 Toughness
    +11 Will
    Average height – 1.7 bio (7.65 feet) – Medium size
    Average weight – 125 kg (275 lb)
     
     

    -----


     
     
    Takadox's species – This race has members on both major continents and dozens of smaller islands. They are best known for their hypnotic gaze. They have the superior Will needed to use this power, and tend to have above-average Intelligence. As a result of their slender forms, they have good Dexterity but somewhat low Toughness and Strength. Also, many find their hypnosis power disturbing, a sentiment these beings make little attempt to change, and as such they have poor Charisma. They can wear Kanohi, but often do not, as they are not weakened by the lack of a mask and usually prefer to rely on their hypnotic gaze.
     
    Preferred Environments: None
    Primary Colors: Blue
    Secondary Colors: (Different shades of) Blue
    Eye Colors: Red
     
    Racial Modifiers:
    -3 Charisma
    +11 Dexterity
    +2 Intelligence
    +7 Strength
    +7 Toughness
    +13 Will
    Hypnotic gaze power
    Average height – 1.6 bio (7.2 feet) – Medium size
    Average weight – 90 kg (198 lb)
     
     

    -----


     
     
    Races that still need to be made:
     
    Airwatcher's species
    Amphibax's species
    Axonn's species
    Botar's species
    Brutaka's species
    Conjurer's species
    Darkness's species
    Dweller's species
    Eliminator's species
    Four-armed horned giant species
    Guardian's species
    Hydraxon's species
    Jerbraz's species
    Johmak's species
    Lariska's species
    Lurker's species
    Mimic's species
    Nocturn's species
    Odina natives
    Primal's species
    Nynrah natives
    Poison's species
    Seeker's species
    Shadow Stealer's species
    Triglax's species
    Tobduk's species
    Ancient's species
    Trinuma's species
    Tyrant's species
    Vanisher's species
    Vengeance's species
  4. The Iron Toa
    Huh, I thought the anniversary celebration was over. Well, I have no reason to complain about this continued free blog. As I haven't gotten any replies yet, I probably won't buy a premium membership and make my own blog when the free term is up, but we'll see. Anyway, I do have something to post, because last week I finished the seven Brotherhood assassins that make a brief appearance in End of Yrenta. Another step to having models of all characters, major and minor.
     
    So, here they are:
     
    I never named them in the story, but each of them has a distinctive feature I use to identify them. First up is the clawed assassin (not the only clawed one, but the one with the biggest claws):
     
    http://www.brickshel...y.cgi?i=5550215
     
    In case you can't tell, he's supposed to be the same species as Axonn. Really, that should be pretty obvious. He puts those oversized fingers to good use with these horror villain-esque hedge trimmers of his. Like Axonn, he can also release a blast of energy from his hands. I'm not sure if that's a natural ability of his species, but if not, this assassin happened to get a similar implant that lets him release beams that can vaporize beings and leave glass-lined craters in the ground.
     
    Next we have the duelist assassin. No, he's not an assassin that challenges his targets to a fencing match -- he's just the best with a sword out of the seven:
     
    http://www.brickshel...ry.cgi?f=508718
     
    I must say that I hope ankyfdarkness does not mind that I tried to copy his pre-Pit Mantax's head design to create this being that's meant to be of Mantax's species. I've never communicated with him, and I hope he'd be flattered that I took inspiration from his model. That Pakari is pretty ugly on that big head, I admit, but I didn't want to give him a Toa head just because he wore a mask. In addition to the sword and the Mask of Strength, this assassin can fold his legs and hover, like Krekka, Nidhiki, and the Rahkshi can, but in a much more limited way. He can't fly, just hover short distances. I recently bought Zaktan and was looking forward to using the sand green pieces. Personally, I think the black and sand green combination worked out really well.
     
    Next we have the red and blue assassin (I couldn't think of a better distinctive way to identify him):
     
    http://www.brickshel...ry.cgi?f=508717
     
    Meant to be of Guardian's species, of course. I couldn't copy the Guardian model as well as I could Axonn's (I only had one picture of Guardian to work with, after all) but I think that worked out better in the end. I ended up starting over on this model a couple times in the middle of construction, and I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. It's reminiscent of the being it's based on, but not as much a copy as the clawed assassin was.
     
    Next, we have the Rhotuka assassin:
     
    http://www.brickshel...ry.cgi?f=508720
     
    Those slender curved blades don't quite fit in that axe, but maybe they're flexible enough for it to work. Besides that, I think the design's decent. The assassin himself is meant to be of Mimic's species, though there's no proof that this being also has photographic reflexes (and I'm quite certain that was something special about Mimic, not something common to his species). Now, I got the inspiration for this one's Rhotuka power from certain MMORPG bosses that put an effect on one member of a group that will explode into something that afflicts nearby group members if the targeted one doesn't move away. When it strikes, this assassin's spinner seems to have no effect for a few seconds, then bolts of red lightning course through and out of the target, frying or at least stunning the target and all beings struck by the bolts.
     
    Next we have the robot assassin:
     
    http://www.brickshel...ry.cgi?f=508722
     
    Now, I know pure robots in Bionicle aren't as common as droids in Star Wars, but we know they exist, but I can only think of... Vahki, Exo-Toa, Maxilos, those Ta-Metru fire drones we don't know enough about, automated cargo haulers (like miniature, automatic airships), Bohrok (which, though purely mechanical, aren't any more artificial than Matoran are) and the 'Fohrok'... 7 types from the Matoran universe, if you count the cargo haulers and Fohrok as separate from Bohrok. Plus the Baterra. More kinds than I was thinking, actually, but still, I thought the story could do with another robot. This one's supposed to be a unique experimental assassin. It can launch lightning bolts, and its hollow chest contains weak explosive shells that aren't usually strong enough to do much damage but meant to distract its opponent with flying metal shards. It also has lots of blades on its body, is very agile, can split each of his legs into two limbs, and its feet are actually prehensile hands holding claws that it can let go of to use those hands.
     
    Next we have the shapeshifting assassin:
     
    http://www.brickshel...ry.cgi?f=508721
     
    Two rather different forms there -- the first for wielding those large projectile launchers, the second for breaking through a barrier of plasma to fight in melee combat. I had Triglax's species in mind, of course, we don't know what his natural form is if he has any, so who's to say this can't be a member of his species? One of those launchers is a Zamor launcher and the other fires missiles that go off in green explosions. He can't form such fancy weapons by shapeshifting, so they are separate weapons, but the swords in his second form are part of his body, and so is the part of his face that's disguised as a Kanohi.
     
    Finally we have the winged assassin, the only one of the seven to have wings:
     
    http://www.brickshel...ry.cgi?f=508715
     
    This one was inspired by Vanisher and Dweller. He's meant to be of one of their species, or both if they're the same species. Upon finding the Barraki eye fits into the Noble Matatu that's used for his face, I added one. I guess it's a sensor of some sort, infared would make sense I suppose, as this being is sneaky and a way for him to see in the dark would be useful. He wields daggers to sneak up on and stab his victims, and if they fight back, he can fly into the air and drop daggers on them from above, knocking them off balance while he swoops down to finish them off. He also carries a sword in case he needs to defend himself in melee combat, but he's not as good with it as his black and green comrade.
     
    So, there they are. I hope you all like them. I'll be building more models soon, hopefully. Next, I think, is the Vortixx Dark Hunter known as Jutsu. I've started turning my partly-constructed Roodaka model into him, but I'm not quite sure how to make his feet...
     
    Oh, and before I forget to mention it: it's not too late to have your Toa or allies of the Toa featured in End of Yrenta. Message me for details.
  5. The Iron Toa

    Beginning

    By The Iron Toa,

    So, I'll have a free blog for a week. Neat. I might buy a premier membership when this is all done. It depends on how much I like this and other perks. I don't think I've ever had a blog before, and I know I've never had a BZPower one.
     
    Okay, so, I guess I should tell about myself and my interest in Bionicle and BZPower. Well, I like to type fan-fiction. Looks like a good place to add some links to my story topics (to save you the trouble of using the links in my signature )! I have been working on a long series of epics (well, the series is only four, but the epics all together are long). This story focuses on Toa and Matoran and starts (link to the forums archive there) in a region I made up called Yrenta. Most of the story takes place in that little corner of the Northern Continent, with some action elsewhere -- later, as Toa become less common, the characters must cover more territory to make up for the lack of other heroes. Anyway, I have one story on the side: a comedy called Story of Pehkui Nui. Personally, I don't like the script-style for comedies, so mine is written in standard format. I have not yet written any stories that take place outside the Matoran Universe, but I will feature Spherus/Aqua/Bota/Bara Magna sometime.
     
    I'd really like it if you'd read and review my stories. I recommend you start with Tale of Yrenta, which starts in... I think you know where... during the reign of the Barraki. Now, the latest story is called End of Yrenta, and yes, it will feature the end of Yrenta. I'm getting to it. It's running really long -- 40 chapters as of now, and while I'm pretty sure I'm well over halfway done, I still have some more story arcs and a general idea of the ending in mind. If I had known it would be this long, I would have made it two stories. Maybe I'll split it when this is all done. We'll see.
     
    I also like to MOC. Wait, that's not a verb. I like to build custom Lego models -- and lately it's been nearly exclusively Bionicle. I have a Brickshelf gallery full of my Bionicle models, and so far it's only Bionicle models (and some pictures. No fancy drawings, just sprites and a couple stylized character cartoons. I'm not much of artist, but I do mess around in Paint Shop Pro sometimes). Lots of the custom models I see on Brickshelf and pictures of these conventions... they're just stunning. No way I can compete with that. I'm a mediocre builder, but hey, I have fun with it. And the focus is on fan fiction more than innovative builds. I like to make models of the characters in my story. If you read my story, please take a look, because those models are what my characters look like. Accept no alternative! I think I might even try to eventually MOC every named and several unnamed characters in my story. Yeah... maybe I'll make that into a project. Here would be a good place to post updates on how that's coming along, right?
     
    Well, we'll see about that. But speaking of projects, this would also be a good place to tell of the other little project I have. If you'll scroll down to my signature and see the... oh, nevermind. Here it is:
     
    End of Yrenta is featuring a battle between Toa and their allies and the Brotherhood of Makuta that takes place 802 AGC. If you have any characters from your own works that you would like to make a brief appearance or be mentioned as participating, please message me.
     
    Now, I don't want to give away too much information, but this involves about fifty to sixty Toa and an army of about a thousand to two thousand. Er, a big difference in that last bit. Call it about 1500, then. After centuries of preparation, the Toa mastermind of this operation has recruited enough members to strike against the Brotherhood. They'll be attacking an island fortress. A small yet strategic location off the coast of the Southern Continent. Just a little place that the Brotherhood uses as a staging ground and communications outpost. It's not a major target. Really.
     
    Anyway, I think this would be a great opportunity to reach out to my fellow fan fiction authors. (Wow, I don't usually call myself an author... 'writer' will do, even though it's all typed, not written... sorry for my rambling.) With the numbers of Toa declining, I think that it would make sense that several of these Toa would come from other writers' stories. Of course, non-Toa allies are welcome to join. Just no Brotherhood of Makuta (obviously) or Dark Hunters. I don't like to 'hijack' other peoples' characters, so I'll make sure whatever role they play is alright with you, and as far as the plot goes they won't do much more than show up for the battle. So far, two fellow writers have responded to this. The first is Maganar, who has allowed me to use his Toa of Fire Tignioni (hey, read his epic, too!), and the second is rahkshi guurahk, who has let me use a Toa of Air named Ebanus. Judging from his signature, Ebanus is his BZPRPG character. Sorry, guurahk, I have not gotten into BZPRPGs yet. Maybe someday. If you're reading this, you two, thanks again. I hope you like the story. Everyone else, here's a recruitment message from Toa Iskanemo:
     
    "It has been eight centuries since the Great Spirit Mata Nui was forced into sleep by the treacherous Brotherhood of Makuta. For over eight hundred years, the Makuta have been allowed to spread their shadow over the lands and seas. The one faction that has had most success combating them is the Dark Hunters, and know that the Shadowed One has a spirit as evil as any Makuta's. Will no heroes make a stand against the Brotherhood? We Toa oppose them in small groups, but only to be wiped out one by one. We will not prevail that way. So let us band together! Only then can we overthrow the Brotherhood and bring the Makuta and their allies to justice. I speak not only to Toa, but to all inhabitants of the universe. There are not enough Toa left for us to do this on our own, and besides, it is the duty of all beings to oppose this plague upon our world. It is the Duty of all of us to serve Mata Nui by punishing those who wronged him, for he cannot. I believe he will be awakened someday, but until that day we must fight back for ourselves. If we wait, it will dishonor him -- or worse, doom us all. So please, seek me out, and tell me you will fight by my side."
     
    So, I want YOU! To lend me your characters to have them participate in this much-needed stand against the tyranny of the Makuta and the corruption of the Dark Hunters. I won't kill any of them off (unless you want me to... which would be unexpected...), I promise, though they will see much battle and death.
     
    Whew, what a post. So, how is that for the beginning of a blog?
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