[Rq-rules] Character Creation Rules

[tiggermb at verizon.net]

Hello all.

Like I usually do when I post with a question (rather infrequently), I am giving a little background about WHY I am posting the question. If you don't want to read the why skip to the last paragraph or two..

I was in a discussion about RPG's recently with my weekly group. We tend to play D and D because it is what they know - and becasue I let other people GM. I have gotten them to try Runequest for a quick adventure, and while they seemed to enjoy it, my rusty GM skills really showed and I don't think the adventure was all it could have been.  

The discussion was about character races, and half breeds, and how most of the time, when we talk about half breeds, we mean half human. My thought was that MOST RPG settings are human centric, with humans being the most frequent race; the race that holds dominion over most of the land, makes the rules and enforces the law. Over the years most RPG settings I have played in are that way. There was one small series of adventures where we played a Halfling Family, and another where our characters spent a lot of time in Elven territory, but by and large, most of the time, the local law is human. Then my imagination started working...

Now the thought is in my mind to design a setting that is very NON human. A world of lawlesness where there are no or few humans on the great plains. A world of Elven Forests and Dwarven mountains. A world that is less realistic than most others, and more fantastical. Because Dwarves always seems to get the short stick in any campaign I have been in, I intend to start the characters in Dwarf country. I want to give them a world of Giant Underground Mushroom Forests, Rivers of Lava, Giant Worms, Glowing Crystals, all the super fantastical underground gaming enviornment that I can come up with. Because I like the way Runequest allows for wonderfully descrptive combat and encounters, I want to create this setting using the RQ/BRP rules.

Which leads me to the CHARACTERS. I don't like to roll characters, as such. I like to think up ideas and use some point system or non random method of charcter generation. So - What Non random methods of Character Generation are people here using for non Humans? What suggestions might people come up with for BRP character design?

On a second note, any suggestions for fantasitc (particularly Dwarven/underground) locations and encounters would be welcome as well. Don't know if this will ever some to frutition, but like a lot of things I fiddle with it if it weighs on my mind. If I work on it enough maybe I can convince them. It might be easier to do once the new BRP system is out...

Thanks in advance 

MB