Stalwart Subraces and Bloodlines
by HåvardIn this thread I tried to explore how Mystara's Stalwarts could be reimagined as Goliaths from later editions:
Got a bit creative last night and added some color to the illustration of the Stalwart from AC9.
Some background for this can be found here.
However, the Gyerian discussions and other things I've been reading made me think about how exploring different types of Stalwarts could be interesting.
Mystara/BECMI doesn't really do subraces as much as cultures and there is an argument to that, but I think this could be an exercise to see how we could turn Stalwarts into something more interesting:
Bloodlines
So, with the Rakasta and Lupin articles in Dragon Magazine, there was this idea that through magic or more conventional means, the bloodlines of various monstrous ancestors could give the PCs some unique abilities. For Stalwart Bloodlines, my immediate idea is to use Giants. Giants could also be used as subraces, but I have some other ideas for those. So, a Stalwart could have a unique bloodline connecting him to Fire Giants, Frost Giants, Hill Giants, or even more exotic giants found on Mystara, discussed in this thread.
Subraces
Since we cannot draw on animal races like the Rakasta/Lupin artciesl, I've decided to go with climate/terrain types for subraces even if it overlaps a bit with the bloodlines concept:
CRAGFOLK
These are the typical Goliath-esque Stalwarts. They are found in rocky hill-like terrain.
Favoured Contest: Arm Wrestling, Boulder throwing (Str)
DESERT FOLK
These Stalwarts are found in the desert lands of the Great Waste and the Arypt Desert on Davania.
Favoured Contest: Sand Dune Surfing (Dex)
FOREST FOLK
These are similar to Voadkyn, especially as portrayed in 5E. Found in some of the great woodlands of Mystara such as the Midwoods of Brun. They have green skin with dark brown patches.
Favoured Contest: Tree Climbing (Str)
JUNGLE FOLK
Similar to Forest Folk, but adapted to the warmer climates and the jungles of Davania.
Favoured Contest: Coconut throwing (Str)
SNOW FOLK
The Snow Folk are adapted to the colder climates of
These Stalwarts have pale white skin with dark blue patches.
Favoured Contest: Mountain climbing (Str)
ISLAND FOLK
These Stalwarts are found on many of the islands around the sea of dread. Their skin is blue with white patches.
Favoured Contest: Deep sea diving (Con)
FERAL FOLK
These are a wild form of Stalwarts, filled with rage. They appear more monstrous in appearance, but are about the same size. It is unknown what turns a Stalwart into one of the Feral Folk. Some suspect it could be some kind of curse. Notes: This creature is based on the Feral Gargun from Races of Stone