Nothing too ambitious. In one article, I hope to
provide a new way of handling encumbrance, a way
of describing the physical appearance of your characters,
and — hopefully! — provide an equitable
and reasonable method of handling sexual differentiation.
Should space allow it, I will also give you
working blueprints for a warp drive and a one-page
synopsis of the Mind of God. Oh, well.

I’ll start off by saying that I borrowed some of
this from the Warlock rules printed in the Spartan,
#9 — the idea of a Size characteristic, at least. But
the concept is here heavily modified and made more
rational. (I hope.)

Size is an additional characteristic rolled on 3d6.
In addition, all characters should also
roll Build on 1d6, with a 1 indicating a
Light Build, a 2-5 meaning a normal build, and a 6
indicating a heavy build. Build is functional only for
human beings, but roll it up for non-humans anyway.
(I’ll get to that.)

Now that you have your Size and Build, and have
presumably chosen the sex of the character, you consult
the following tables for your height and weight.
Weight is given in pounds; one pound is presumed to
equal 10 GP.

HUMANS (male)

Size	Height	Weight (lt)	Weight (mdm)	Weight (hvy)
3	5-1	120	135	145
4	5-2	120	135	150
5	5-3	125	140	155
6	5-4	130	145	155
7	5-5	130	145	160
8	5-6	135	150	165
9	5-7	140	155	170
10	5-8	140	160	175
11	5-9	145	160	180
12	5-10	150	165	185
13	5-11	155	170	190
14	6-0	160	175	195
15	6-1	160	180	200
16	6-2	165	185	205
17	6-3	170	190	210
18	6-4	175	195	215

HUMANS (female)

Size	Height	Weight (light)	Weight (medium)	Weight (heavy)
3	4-10	100	110	120
4	4-11	105	115	125
5	5-0	105	115	130
6	5-1	110	120	130
7	5-2	110	125	135
8	5-3	115	125	140
9	5-4	115	130	140
10	5-5	120	130	145
11	5-6	120	135	150
12	5-7	125	140	155
13	5-8	130	145	155
14	5-9	130	145	160
15	5-10	135	150	165
16	5-11	140	155	170
17	6-0	145	160	175
18	6-1	150	165	185

ELVES (Male)

Size	Height	Weight
3	5-0	105
4	5-1	110
5	5-2	110
6	5-3	115
7	5-4	120
8	5-5	120
9	5-6	125
10	5-7	130
11	5-8	130
12	5-9	135
13	5-10	140
14	5-11	145
15	6-0	150
16	6-1	150
17	6-2	155
18	6-3	160

ELVES (Female)

Size	Height	Weight
3	4-11	95
4	5-0	95
5	5-1	100
6	5-2	100
7	5-3	105
8	5-4	105
9	5-5	110
10	5-6	110
11	5-7	115
12	5-8	120
13	5-9	120
14	5-10	125
15	5-11	130
16	6-0	135
17	6-1	140
18	6-2	145

HOBBITS (Male)

Size	Height	Weight
3	2-6	35
4	2-7	35
5	2-8	35
6	2-9	40
7	2-10	40
8	2-11	45
9	3-0	45
10	3-1	50
11	3-2	50
12	3-3	55
13	3-4	55
14	3-5	60
15	3-6	60
16	3-7	65
17	3-8	65
18	3-9	70

HOBBITS (Female)

Size	Height	Weight
3	2-4	30
4	2-5	30
5	2-6	30
6	2-7	35
7	2-8	35
8	2-9	35
9	2-10	40
10	2-11	40
11	3-0	45
12	3-1	45
13	3-2	50
14	3-3	50
15	3-4	55
16	3-5	55
17	3-6	60
18	3-7	60

DWARVES (Male)

Size	Height	Weight
3	4-0	85
4	4-1	90
5	4-2	95
6	4-3	100
7	4-4	105
8	4-5	110
9	4-6	115
10	4-7	120
11	4-8	125
12	4-9	130
13	4-10	135
14	4-11	140
15	5-0	145
16	5-1	150
17	5-2	155
18	5-3	160

DWARVES (Female)

Size	Height	Weight
3	4-0	80
4	4-1	85
5	4-2	90
6	4-3	95
7	4-4	100
8	4-5	105
9	4-6	110
10	4-7	115
11	4-8	120
12	4-9	125
13	4-10	130
14	4-11	135
15	5-0	140
16	5-1	145
17	5-2	150
18	5-3	155

Bonuses and Penalties: If a character has a Size
greater than or equal to 16, he may add 1 hit per die.
If it is less than or equal to 5, he may subtract 1 hit
per die. It is highly recommended that you calculate
armor weight as a fraction of body mass. Specifically,
leather armor weighs 15% of the body mass;
chain mail 30%; and plate mail 60%. The only other
mods are for being female: Females add 2 to their
Constitution score and 1 to their Dexterity score.

That and body mass are the only differences between
male and female. Before somebody throws a
rock, let me explain. As Jacob Bronowski pointed
out, as well as, no doubt, many others, there is remarkably
little difference between male and female
humans (the term is here extended to include the
Kindred Races), compared to the rest of the animal
kingdom. There is little physiological difference, no
psychological difference (Think about it. Consider
that human societies have been both matriarchies
and patriarchies. Don’t let your own experience
blind you to history.), and so forth. (For example,
we are one of a ridiculously tiny number of species
that mate face-to-face, accenting the lack of difference.)
(Most of us, anyway.)

Therefore, rolling female strength with a six-sided
plus and eight-sided, or any other method that
causes gross differences to occur, must be rejected as
incorrect (Although you are free to include what you
want in your own fantasies, as the Kindly Editor has
pointed out.) Why have any differences at all?
Well. . .

At last count, the Constitution bonus should be
there because it happens to be true. The last reports I
saw showed that females are more resistant to Disease,
are better-suited to endurance events, and so
forth, than males — strongly suggesting a higher
Constitution. The Dexterity bonus is because I assume
that a somewhat lighter build overall, with associated
somewhat more slender fingers, would
make females more suited to picking locks and such
than us thick-fingered clods with facial hair.

Why not have every character female? Because <??>
a moment, I'm going to define carrying capacity <??>
terms of body mass, putting females at a disadvantage <??>
It seems to me that there are really 2 kinds of <??
STR.  How well muscled a person is, in the <??>
of how developed the musculature is, and <??>
physical force, which is largely dependent on <??>
The former seems to be reflected in the <??>
STR characteristic, and females have no <??>
penalty there, the latter should be reflected <??>
Carrying Capacity.  (I myself am in terrible shape <??>
but I weigh more than anyone else I know, a <??>
and somewhere in that mass therer are enough <??>
muscles, however poorly developed, to cause me <??>
the one used as a pack mule by my FRIENDS.)

To get on with it, to determine maximum carrying <??>
capacity, check your STR against the following <??>
table and find  your multiple, by race.  This mu <??>
is applied against your body weight to get your maximum <??>
carrying capacity.
                                                             Race

Strength	Human	Elf	Dwarf	Hobbit
3	1.0	1.0	1.5	2.0
4	1.2	1.2	1.7	2.2
5	1.3	1.3	1.8	2.3
6	1.4	1.4	1.9	2.4
7	1.6	1.6	2.1	2.6
8	1.7	1.7	2.2	2.7
9	1.8	1.8	2.3	2.8
10	2.0	2.0	2.5	3.0
11	2.0	2.0	2.5	3.0
12	2.2	2.2	2.7	3.2
13	2.3	2.3	2.8	3.3
14	2.4	2.4	2.9	3.4
15	2.6	2.6	3.1	3.6
16	2.7	2.7	3.2	3.7
17	2.8	2.8	3.3	3.8
18	3.0	3.0	3.5	4.0

After you get through multiplying, you have the
maximum amount the character can carry and still
stagger along at speed 3. He can carry ½ the maximum
and move at speed 6; 1/3 at speed 9; and ½ at
speed 12.

That takes care of the functional distinctions.
Now, if you want to get a mental image of your
character, start rolling on the following tables. If an
image clicks before you reach the end, go ahead and
stop rolling — although I suggest that you write
down the rest of the categories. This can help your
identification with the character in question enormously,
I’ve found. Note that these tables are intended
for humans, and work poorly to not at all for
non-humans. I’m sorry, but I simply haven’t seen
enough elves to be aware of the range of physical appearance
they have.

The first thing is Build — which you already
rolled. This does not only affect body mass, it can
affect appearance. A Light Build generally means
someone who whould be described as “slender”. A
Heavy Build, well, for a Heavily Built male, think of
Conan. For a Heavily Built female, think of Wonder
Woman.

The rest is located on these tables:

Eyes (20-sided)

Die	Color
1-7	Brown
8-13	Blue
14-17	Green
18-19	Steel-Gray
20	Golden

Hair (20-sided)

Die	Color
1-8	Brown
9-10	Black
11-16	Blonde
17	White
18-19	Gray
20	Red

Hair Length (10-sided)

Male	Female	Length
1-5	1-2	Short (4")
6-9	3-7	Medium (8")
10	8-10	Long

Males have a 30% chance of having a beard.

Skin (20-sided)

Die	Complexion
1-3	Pale
4-6	Fair
7-11	Normal
12-14	Tanned
15-16	Dark
17-18	Black
19-20	Oriental

Voice (4-sided)

Die	Pitch
1	High
2-3	Medium
4	Low

Handedness (2d6)

Die	Handedness
2	Ambidextrous
3-4	Left
5-12	Right

Habitual Expression (20-sided)

Die	Expression
1-2	Carefree
3	Cynical
4-6	Neutral
7-8	Serious
9	Cold
10	Gentle
11	Angry
12	Preoccupied
13	Aloof
14	Puzzled
15-16	Frowning
17-18	Smiling
19	Aristocratic
20	Amused

Facial Features (6-sided, 20-sided)
Roll d6-2. If the result is positive,
the character has that many non-average facial features;
roll them up with the 20-sided. If two possibilities are given,
each has a 50% chance of occurring.
 

Die	Feature
1	Large/Small Eyes
2	Sharp/Soft Features
3	Round/Narrow Face
4	High Forehead
5	High Cheekbones
6	Large/Small Nose
7	Large/Small Jaw
8	Large/Small Teeth
9	Full/Thin Lips
10	Epicanthic Fold
11	Large/Small Ears
12	Facial Scar
13	Freckles
14	Curly Hair
15	Upturned Eyebrows
16	Pointed Ears
17	Wide/Thin Nose
18	Overbite
19	Round/Narrow Eyes
20	Eyes Set Far Apart/Close Together

Put the rocks down again, if you read the Complexion
table. The reason that 16 out of 20 possibilities
are variations on caucasian is not that I think
that that represents the actual population-distribution;
it is because the literature of swords & sorcery
is primarily (but not entirely) concerned with caucasians.
You will note that some strange combinations
can turn up in appearance — e.g., blue eyes, white
hair, black skin, epicanthic folds. If you don’t like
them, rule them invalid. Personally, I like the variety.
Carbon-copy people are dull.

Probably the best way to use this stuff is in combination
with the Birth Tables in The Dragon #3.
Not only do you get a large amount of data on which
to build your character’s character, so to speak, you
also get a kind of mini-game, spending hours just
rolling up new characters . . .
 

Elves, dwarves & hobbits: for appearance's sake
H. R. Lovins
 

Dragon	D&D	-	AD&&D	Dragon 41
Dwarves	-	Elves	-	Hobbits

By the wear and tear alone, one can tell my favorite and most used
Dragon article is P.M. Crabaugh’s “Weights and Measures, Physical
Appearance and Why Males are Stronger than Females in D&D” (TD #10, Oct. ’77).

However, while the author gives heights and weights for the 4
Kindred Races, his tables for physical appearance apply only to
Humans, the author excusing himself on the excellent grounds that “I
simply haven’t seen enough elves to be aware of the range of physical
appearance they have.”

What a pity not to be Irish! We have none of that problem. It should
be noted that the elven characteristics charted below are not—repeat
NOT—the Quendi, the so-called “Elves” of Tolkien’s Middle Earth,
who are for the most part a dark people. These elves are closer to the
Fair Folk of Europe, the Sidhe and Tuatha de Danaan of Ireland, the
lovely and powerful “fairies” of Le Cabinet des Fes, and the Norse
Elves of Alfheim. The information on dwarves is also traditional, but
that on halflings must necessarily be based on the Professor’s works.

Whatever charts are lacking for a Race—voice, hand, or habitual
expression—should be rolled for on Crabaugh’s Human Charts.

ELVES

Elves are generally somewhat smaller than humans, slender and
graceful. They all have high cheekbones and pointed ears; indeed, any
human having the later characteristics may be suspected of a drop of
the elvish blood. They are for the most part fair, including the rare green
elves, who are thought to be a distant link to the hamadryads and other
woods spirits. This is reflected in the charts below. Elves are not given to
freckles, malocclusion, or several other human frailities, as the altered
Exceptional Facial Features chart shows. They are not bearded.

For the secondary rolls, use a 6-sided die should the appropriate
1st number be rolled.

Eyes

1-6	Dark Grey	(1 in 6 jet black)
7-11	Green	(1-2 light green, 4-6 bright emerald)
12-15	Blue	(1-3 light, 4-5 bright, 6 deep blue-violet)
16-17	Silver-Grey	-
18-19	Golden	-
20	Changeable	(Roll 4-sided plus 1 to get # of colors eyes shift between; roll as above, ignoring further rolls of 20.)

HAIR

1-6	Light Blond	-
7-10	Honey Blond	-
11-13	Red	(1-3 red-gold, 4-5 copper, 6 auburn)
14-15	Grey	(1-5 light, 6 dark)
16-17	Blue-Black	-
18-19	White	(1 metallic silver, 2-5 white, 6 pale green)
20	Metallic Gold	-

HAIR LENGTH

Worn to:	Male:	Female:
Ear	1-4	-
Shoulder	5-9	1-2
Waist	10	3-7
Longer	-	8-10

SKIN

1-5	Pale	(1 in 6 pale green)
6-12	Faint	-
13-17	Normal	-
18-20	Tanned	-

HANDEDNESS

1-2	Ambidextrous
3-4	Left
5-10	Right

UNUSUAL FACIAL FEATURES
1. Large/small eyes
2. Sharp/soft features
3. Round/narrow face
4. High forehead
5. Large/small nose
6. Full/thin lips
7. Epicanthic fold
8. Facial scar
9. Curly hair
10. Upturned eyebrows
11. Round/narrow eyes
12. Eyes set far apart/close together

The occasional Half-Elf should roll eyes and hair upon the Elf
tables, all else on Human charts.

DWARVES
Dwarves never have pointed ears, and are ALWAYS bearded.
They come in several varieties, generally recognizable & skin tone.

EYES

1-4	Grey	-
5-7	Blue	-
8-9	Brown	-
10	Other	(1-2 green, 3 gold, 4-6 black)

SKIN

1-6	Tan
7-9	Brown
10	Grey

HAIR

1-6	Brown
7-10	Black
11-14	Grey
15-17	Blond
18-19	White
20	Red

LENGTH, Hair

1-3	Short
5-8	Medium
9-10	Long (past shoulders)

LENGTH, Beard

1-2	3" - 4"
3-8	On chest
9-10	To belt

UNUSUAL FACIAL FEATURES
1. Large/small nose
2. Large/small eyes
3. Large/small teeth
4. Large/long-lobed ears
5. Curly hair
6. Scar
7. Gap-toothed
8. Upturned brows
9. Sharp/soft features
10. Wide/narrow nose

HOBBITS
Small as the Halfling population is, there is not a tremendous
variety within it They are not given to extremes of coloration. Men
wear their hair about ear-length; women wear it long, though 1 in 10
will clip it to the shoulder if adventuring.

HAIR

1-3	Light Brown
4-5	Dark Brown
6-7	Blond
8-9	Grey
10	Black
11	White
12	Red

EYES

1-6	Blue
7-9	Brown
10-11	Grey
12	Green

SKIN	-
1	Fair
2-5	Normal
6	Tanned

UNUSUAL FACIAL FEATURES
1. Freckles
2. Curly/very straight hair
3. Blunt/sharp nose
4. Large/small nose
5. Jutting jaw/overbite
6. High forehead
7. Large/small ears
8. Large/small eyes
9. Eyes set far apart/close together
10. Large/small mouth