Here's what I have so far. As kind of a noob to the whole GENESYS system though, I'd value any input.

The Mahkim are a four-armed reptilian race, and the inheritors of the lizardman empire that once spread throughout Zanaga. Formerly the martial scions of that race, the legacy of those glorious days remains in their advanced tactics, unique weapons, and jungle combat skills. While the remaining lizardmen are primitive descendants, the Mahkim have lost little of their culture.

Appearance : Mahkim appear as a roughly man-sized reptilian with four arms. The two upper arms are larger. They are well-muscled,

Society : The Mahkim organize themselves in tribes, but within these are the nashan. This term describes more of an ideological brotherhood versus bloodline ties. They revere and respect tribal and nashan elders, and are largely nomadic in their native lands of Zanaga.

Culture : The largest Mahkim village, and the spiritual center of their people, rides on the back of the huge crocodile Ravin. This vast beast is worshipped as a god by the Mahkim, and it bears them throughout Zanaga across rivers and lakes, though they must constantly feed its massive appetite. When challenged or wronged, Mahkim warriors paint the god's likeness on their hides and cry out his name as they charge into battle. These same devotees then devour their fallen enemies, each gulp of meat another prayer to their god.

Young Mahkim warriors and hunters often have a reputation for striking out on their own to make their fortune, and are often recruited by explorers. The Mahkim's mastery of the inland waterways make them handy guide. However, many explorers often seek the Mahkim's eggs, as the milky-green orbs' healing properties are well-known, and can fetch a high price in foreign ports.

SPECIES ABILITY

Brawn 3

Agility 3

Intellect 1

Cunning 2

Willpower 2

Presence 1

Wound Threshold : 12 + Brawn

Strain Threshold : 8 + Willpower

Starting Experience : 90 EXP

Starting Skills : Mahkim begin with one rank in Survival and one rank in Perception. You still cannot train their Survival or Perception above rank 2 during character creation.

Four-armed : A Mahkim does not increase the difficulty of combine checks to attack with multiple weapons.

Multi-attack : Mahkim may spend ^^ from an initiative check to perform a free maneuver before the first round of combat.

Equipment note :

The Mahkim have a unique weapon called a Doloch . (Brawl; Damage 5; Critical 3; Range (Engaged); Accurate 1; Linked 1.)

They also have Hard, Scaly Skin (+2 Soak, +1 Defense)

I'm not sure how to reflect these two within the normal race presentation in the Realm of Terrinoth book.

As I said, I'd welcome any input, suggestions. Thanks.

I'm going to assume you haven't read pages 192 to 193 in the Genesys core book, since your starting XP is way too high.

For 100 starting XP you get one characteristic at 3, one at 1 and the rest as 2. Your WT is 10+Br, ST is 10+Will and you get one starting skill rank. Any deviation from that default costs (or returns) starting XP. So let's break it down:

59 minutes ago, IamGazrok said:

Brawn 3

Agility 3

Intellect 1

Cunning 2

Willpower 2

Presence 1

An additional 3 costs 30XP and having an additional 1 gives back 20XP.

59 minutes ago, IamGazrok said:

Wound Threshold : 12 + Brawn

Strain Threshold : 8 + Willpower

+2WT is -5XP (the equivalent of 1 rank of the Toughened talent)

-2ST is +15XP (the equivalent of 2 negative ranks of Grit talent)

1 hour ago, IamGazrok said:

Starting Skills : Mahkim begin  with one rank in Survival and one rank in Perception. You still cannot train their Survival or Perception above rank 2 during character creation. 

An additional skill rank costs 5XP.

1 hour ago, IamGazrok said:

Four-armed : A Mahkim does not increase the difficulty of combine checks to attack with multiple weapons.

Multi-attack : Mahkim may spend ^^ from an initiative check to perform a free maneuver before the first round of combat.

The first ability is a better version of the Dual Wielder talent, but I don't think that it's different enough to change the cost.

The multi-attack (bad name, I think, since it doesn't allow for an actual attack) isn't worth enough on its own to cost anything. But add that up with Four-armed and I call them both 15XP.

1 hour ago, IamGazrok said:

The Mahkim have a unique weapon called a Doloch . (Brawl; Damage 5; Critical 3; Range (Engaged); Accurate 1; Linked 1.)

The rules for creating weapons are found on pages 199–201. Melee weapons don't have flat damage ratings, but are Brawn +X. In any event, Damage +2; crit 3; Accurate 1, Linked 1 weapon costs 250. Not enough to adjust starting XP.

1 hour ago, IamGazrok said:

They also have Hard, Scaly Skin (+2 Soak, +1 Defense)

+1 Soak and +1 Defense are 20XP each (per the Defensive and Enduring talents, CRB80). So their hard, scaly skin costs them 60 starting XP! You might want to take a page from the Elf species where it doesn't stack with other forms of Defense since their ability grants defense instead of increasing it, which cuts the cost in half. So if you said their scaly skin doesn't stack with armour, that'd only be 30XP. Still a lot, but much cheaper.

And the final numbers:

Starting XP: 100
Characteristics: -10
WT/ST: +10
Skills: -5
Abilities: -15
Scaly skin: -60

STARTING XP: 20

Honestly the biggest problem your species here has is the scaly skin. It's taking up over half your starting XP! Honestly, I would change it to either +2 Soak or +1 Soak & 1 Defense. But in either case, I'd make it so it doesn't stack with any armour. That would reduce the cost from 60XP to a mere 20XP! That would give you a starting XP of 60.

As written, your lizard species is only good at one thing, and that's fighting, so only martially-inclined players are going to choose it. So the low XP isn't going to be too bad for them since they'd probably raise Brawn and Agility anyway. Without any major revisions don't be surprised if they become your warrior species.

Thanks! I'm still working through the mechanics of it, so appreciate the advice!

And yeah, I have the GENESYS core book, but was first just pantomiming the setup of other races. Guess it would make more sense to be sure to follow the creation rules. Thanks again!

I think I'll take the advice on both the 4-armed and the Scaly Skin. Also, will probably just make it one starting skill rank in Survival.

It makes sense they'd be suited to martial character concepts, given their role as warriors and hunters in the ROT lore. Similar to Orcs in that regard.

REVISION: (based on above)....

SPECIES ABILITY

Brawn 3

Agility 3

Intellect 1

Cunning 2

Willpower 2

Presence 1

Wound Threshold : 12 + Brawn

Strain Threshold : 8 + Willpower

Starting Experience : 65 EXP

Starting Skills : Mahkim begin with one rank in Survival. You cannot train their Survival above rank 2 during character creation.

Four-armed : A Mahkim does not increase the difficulty of combine checks to attack with multiple weapons, and may spend ^^ from an initiative check to perform a free maneuver before the first round of combat.

Equipment note :

The Mahkim have a unique weapon called a Doloch . (Brawl); Damage of 5; Critical 3; Range (Engaged); Accurate 1; Linked 1.)

They also have Hard, Scaly Skin (+1 Defense, but this does stack with armor)

20 minutes ago, IamGazrok said:

The Mahkim have a unique weapon called a Doloch . (Brawl); Damage +5; Critical 3; Range (Engaged); Accurate 1; Linked 1.)

Umm…Brawn +5 damage!?!?!? That's insane ! CRB201: " One-handed close combat weapons (Brawl or Melee [Light]) have a damage rating of +1 to +3, while twohanded close combat weapons (Melee [Heavy]) have a damage rating of +3 to +5. "

Br+5 is reserved for the biggest most dangerous weapon that can be held in two hands. I'm assuming you're looking for a damage of 5, which is Br+2 (the assumed Brawn of a melee character is at least 3; 3+2=5).

Yep, I just wrote it wrong. Thanks. I'm still trying to get the hang of it just from reading through it. Corrected it now. Above.

No worries. I'm an old hat and the resident rules expert. So I tend to nitpick everything.

Other than that typo your revised lizardmen is good. I likes it.

Thank you, and certainly no apologies needed! I totally asked for (and wanted) such criticism!!! Working on a goblin next.

Think the 4 arm species in star wars got an extra manuvere.

"Extra Limbs: Besalisks have multiple sets of arms. As a result, They gain an additional free maneuver per turn. Though still may not perform more than two maneuvers per turn." From EOTE - Special Modifications

With this power the species are not locked into a dual weapon scenario but could do other roles depending on the player.

Be aware that once you get down to about 60XP your species becomes very unattractive to players. There is a limit to how low xp even though the species get cool stuff players cant customize it alot. Having both 3 in agi and brawn is very powerful starting stats might consider branching the species out into subcategories. If you feel like there should be different representations of them. Like the various orc/elves etc in ROT.

Good points. And since the extra arms bit already is covered in a Genesys product, that's a good play.

So, if revised with the above in mind.....

SPECIES ABILITY

Brawn 3

Agility 2

Intellect 2

Cunning 2

Willpower 2

Presence 1

Wound Threshold : 12 + Brawn

Strain Threshold : 8 + Willpower

Starting Experience : 75 EXP

Starting Skills : Mahkim begin with one rank in Survival. You cannot train their Survival above rank 2 during character creation.

Four-armed : Mahkim have multiple sets of arms. As a result, They gain an additional free maneuver per turn. Though still may not perform more than two maneuvers per turn .

Equipment note :

The Mahkim have a unique weapon called a Doloch . (Brawl); Damage 5; Critical 3; Range (Engaged); Accurate 1; Linked 1.)

They also have Hard, Scaly Skin (+1 Defense, but this does stack with armor)

Regarding the revised version:

A minimum wound threshold of 15 seems really high. I would drop it a little (to 13 or 14).

Four-Armed is vastly overpowered as is, it would be better I think if all that it did was allow you to equip multiple two-handed weapons, or up to four one-handed weapons.

Technically, they have half again the limbs of another humanoid...so wouldn't that be more wounds? Basically, they are brutes. This is actually the same as an Orc in the ROT book. Dwarves have a min of 14.

1 hour ago, IamGazrok said:

They also have Hard, Scaly Skin (+1 Defense, but this does stack with armor)

This would be a race ability that should have an xp cost as well. Be carefull with the wording. +1 defensive would add to the defense rating while 1 Defense just set its at 1 and does not stack with armor but it would stack with shields and spears etc. or anything with a defensive rating. Although you could specify that it does not stack with anything.

I was going by the XP cost stated by c_beck above, for it it stacked with armor, as it should really, as that would just make sense.

But yeah, order-wise, it should come after the Four-armed. ...

I may just tackle playable races after learning the system a bit more...but it was a valuable exercise, for me to see what I don't know yet, so I do thank all for chiming in, as it really helped fill in the blanks a bit.

It was a good attempt. This system seems to err on the side of not giving every possible ability to a species. In that way, you allow for more player customization when they select the species. With that in mind, keeping Mahkim to a reasonable XP level would probably entail giving them some version of the Besalisk's four-arm ability, maybe an extra point of Soak, and maybe one free skill rank. (This in addition to adjustments to characteristics and Wound/Strain Thresholds). In short, this isn't a system where every single aspect of a creature's physiology needs to show up on the character sheet.

From the ROT book, it has a 3 in the first two stats....so fun. but as a minion. But yeah, I see your point. I think I'll make better decisions on it with a bit more exposure to the mechanics.

For background and if you want to do any research I think the Mahkim originate from the 'Mists of Zanaga' expansion to the older version of Runebound- it seems they had gladiators among them who'd fight for sport, assassins also- there may be other types.

Oh, there are, there are several Mahkim cards in that expansion, and I was going from those, and the entry in ROT. The ROT entry is where the two 3's for stats came from, so that's actually pretty canon...so going to have to think on this a bit more, before I have anything decided.

One thing to keep in mind is that PC racial stats in Genesys and NPCs of that same race often have very little correlation. For instance, not all Humans in the Terrinoth book have a minimum of 2s in all stats. For instance, the Greyhaven Wizard has a 1 in Brawn. In other words, the two 3s can be a guide for you, but they're hardly a straitjacket. Genesys just doesn't operate like that.

Yep, learning that. It's way different than a D&D mindset. I eventually want to flesh out a few different races for PCs, so have to figure it out.