Goodman Games

During a recent re-reading of the beta rules, I noticed that while the dwarves add their level as bonus to their skill checks to notice traps, slanting passages, shifting walls and new construction, the elves receive a flat +4 to detect secret doors. Is their any reason why these work different?
Another thing I found interesting is that dwarves and halflings don't get any bonuses to their saving throws vs magic or poison, while elves are immune to sleep and paralysis.

After playing D&D for years, some of these classical racial abilities (infravision, resistances) seem to be natural, and everything that's different seems strange. The only question is, did these have any roots in Appendix N? I didn't read everything from the appendix, but in those rare novels which are on the list and did include demihumans, I don't recall any, which included infravision, halflings being good with slings, dwarves resisting magic easier, elves resisting sleep and charm spells or an elf facing a ghoul. Did I miss something, or are these mostly the creations of game designers of yore? Can you collect the literary sources of racial abilites?

This has been discussed before. The game is inspired by Appendix N, but with an eye toward drawing in D&D players. The whole cleric class has been a point of contention here. Customers of Goodman Games existing products are the target of the game and as such the game does not stray from D&D's "roots", ironically also inspired by Appendix N.

jmucchiello wrote:The whole cleric class has been a point of contention here.

Yeah, and the more I think about it the more I'm going to encourage my players to pick non-cleric class options. Clerics just don't seem to fit the style of the game I imagine.

Once you take clerics out healing becomes a premium and undead get a lot more scary. Those factors alone would seem to be a bonus.

Ravenheart87 wrote:During a recent re-reading of the beta rules, I noticed that while the dwarves add their level as bonus to their skill checks to notice traps, slanting passages, shifting walls and new construction, the elves receive a flat +4 to detect secret doors. Is their any reason why these work different?

Not that I can remember. Good catch...probably two rules I wrote at different times and didn't catch the discrepancy.

Ravenheart87 wrote:During a recent re-reading of the beta rules, I noticed that while the dwarves add their level as bonus to their skill checks to notice traps, slanting passages, shifting walls and new construction, the elves receive a flat +4 to detect secret doors. Is their any reason why these work different?

Oh, it's simple, actually.

Dwarves are by their very nature creative and learn things well, so as they advance they become better and better at what they do.

Elves have a lot of natural talent but are basically stupid and never learn from their mistakes.

I'm surprised that you did not know this.

finarvyn wrote:

Ravenheart87 wrote:During a recent re-reading of the beta rules, I noticed that while the dwarves add their level as bonus to their skill checks to notice traps, slanting passages, shifting walls and new construction, the elves receive a flat +4 to detect secret doors. Is their any reason why these work different?

Oh, it's simple, actually.

Dwarves are by their very nature creative and learn things well, so as they advance they become better and better at what they do.

Elves have a lot of natural talent but are basically stupid and never learn from their mistakes.

I'm surprised that you did not know this.

Damn, you're right.

Ravenheart87 wrote:

finarvyn wrote:

Ravenheart87 wrote:During a recent re-reading of the beta rules, I noticed that while the dwarves add their level as bonus to their skill checks to notice traps, slanting passages, shifting walls and new construction, the elves receive a flat +4 to detect secret doors. Is their any reason why these work different?

Oh, it's simple, actually.

Dwarves are by their very nature creative and learn things well, so as they advance they become better and better at what they do.

Elves have a lot of natural talent but are basically stupid and never learn from their mistakes.

I'm surprised that you did not know this.

Damn, you're right.

Maybe you're an elf.

finarvyn wrote:

Ravenheart87 wrote:

finarvyn wrote:Oh, it's simple, actually.

Dwarves are by their very nature creative and learn things well, so as they advance they become better and better at what they do.

Elves have a lot of natural talent but are basically stupid and never learn from their mistakes.

I'm surprised that you did not know this.

Damn, you're right.

Maybe you're an elf.

Nay, some stupid test said I'm a gnome.

Ravenheart87 wrote:

finarvyn wrote: Maybe you're an elf.

Nay, some stupid test said I'm a gnome.

So. Many. Ways. To respond. To that... -- I'm speechless.