Choosing a race in the Lunaris RPG is a significant decision that impacts a character's gameplay experience, from how they interact with the world to how the world reacts to them. Different races often have distinct traits, abilities, and reputations within the game's universe, which can shape the player's strategy, role-playing opportunities, and overall immersion. Let’s break down the key aspects influenced by race selection in Lunaris:


RACIAL TRAITS AND ABILITIES
Your chosen race will have unique traits, skills, and bonuses that distinguish them from others. These traits are often hidden and will become evident over the course of the game. The reasons for this will become apparent the more you indulge in Lunaris. Some traits and additional information such as advantages or disadvantages will be displayed on the race selection screen under the header 'additional race information'.


STARTING REPUTATION
Your chosen race will also have its own starting reputation. Reputation is multi-faceted. It is a combination of fear, respect, legacy and interaction. In most situations having a higher reputation will be of greater benefit, but there are occasions where a lesser reputation may work out better. Reputation can increase / decrease throughout the game.


STARTING CREDITS
Your chosen race will also have its own starting number of credits. Credits are the common currency used throughout the Lunaris RPG.


STARTING SHAKRAS
Your chosen race will also have its own starting amount of Shakras. These are unique items that are used to purchase abilities from the Shakra trees ( ability trees ) Shakras are awarded for missions, expeditions, and many other means.


SHAKRA TREES
The Shakra trees that your character has access too is dependent on a number of factors. One such factor is race. When choosing your race be sure to note on your character sheet what shakra trees they can access. An example would be choosing human. You will see that humans cannot unlock or choose abilities from the Cybernetics tree. This is because they are not half machine and as such do not benefit from any of the abilities, modules, or skills on that tree therefore it would be a pointless choice.


STARTING SKILL POINTS
All races begin with 5 free skill points. These skill points are pre-determined. Mark these in your character sheet. The race called Ermacq for example, starts off with the following skill points:

Athleticism
Diplomacy
Intelligence
Leadership
Strength


REPUTATION AND SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
The race you choose can impact how other characters and factions in the game perceive and treat you. NPCs (non-player characters) will often react based on established racial lore and in-game history.


DIALOGUE OPTIONS
Being a member of a certain race may unlock unique dialogue options. This can create different narrative paths based on the race's background and standing in the world.