Trolls. Everybody knows about trolls, right? They’re big, they’re bad, and they’re ill tempered. What else do you need to know? How about this, then? By the numbers presented in Shadowrun Third Edition and contemporary sourcebooks, they’re seriously, perhaps even dangerously, underweight. The same goes, to a lesser degree, for orks and elves. Dwarves, on the other hand, were a bit heavier than they should be for their size.
The tallest human being on record, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, was Robert P. Wadlow. At the time of his death, Wadlow stood 272 cm (8 ft 11 in) and 199.1 kg (439 lb). At his heaviest, a few months before his death, Wadlow weighed just over 222.3 kg (490 lb), about the same weight as the canon average troll. He wasn’t particularly muscular, and the proportions of his body were normal. He was, in fact, a bit slender; proportionately, he would have weighed around 50 kg (110 lb) pounds had he stood 170 cm (5 ft 7 in). Clearly a troll, with his massive musculature and heavier skeleton, should weigh more than a human of the same approximate height.
| Race | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Cyclops | 310 cm (10 ft 2 in) | 713 kg (1,572 lb) |
| Dryad | N/A | N/A |
| Dwarf | 120 cm (3 ft 11 in) | 44 kg (97 lb) |
| Elf | 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) | 78 kg (172 lb) |
| Fomori | 280 cm (9 ft 2 in) | 438 kg (966 lb) |
| Giant | 350 cm (11 ft 6 in) | 977 kg (2,154 lb) |
| Gnome | 110 cm (3 ft 7 in) | 23 kg (51 lb) |
| Hobgoblin | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | 103 kg (227 lb) |
| Human | 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) | 70 kg (150 lb) |
| Koborokuru | 110 cm (3 ft 7 in) | 34 kg (75 lb) |
| Menehune | 110 cm (3 ft 7 in) | 30 kg (66 lb) |
| Minotaur | 230 cm (7 ft 7 in) | 277 kg (611 lb) |
| Nocturna | 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) | 78 kg (172 lb) |
| Ogre | 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) | 119 kg (262 lb) |
| Oni | 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) | 125 kg (276 lb) |
| Ork | 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) | 125 kg (276 lb) |
| Satyr | 160 cm (5 ft 3 in) | 75 kg (165 lb) |
| Troll | 280 cm (9 ft 2 in) | 491 kg (1,082 lb) |
| Wakyambi | 280 cm (9 ft 2 in) | 235 kg (518 lb) |
The revised figures are based on based on what a human male would weigh at that height, with specific modifiers applied based on the physical attributes of Body and Strength, and the racial bonuses to those stats. After all, in our world we don’t have elves and orks to measure, but we do have humans. Humans were the common denominator in the Awakening, which Unexplained Genetic Expression (UGE) and Goblinization played upon to produce the other races of humanity. The original article goes into an exhaustive explanation of the logic behind the revised figures. There's no need to repeat the work, so we're considering them chiptruth. The figures shown are approximations, and are rounded to the nearest centimeter or kilogram as appropriate.
Variations from the Mean
When figuring out the appropriate weight for a character, use simple proportional mathematics and object solid geometry — an object’s weight is proportional to the product of its linear dimensions. If you change one of these, you have to change the other two by the same percentage to maintain proportion. To figure the new weight, determine what percentage of the original’s size the new object is. For example, on average a human female is approximately 92%, or 0.92 times, the height of a human male, and her other dimensions have been scaled down by a similar amount. To figure her weight, you take this percentage, cube it (multiply it by itself once for each of the three dimensions, or 0.92 times 0.92 times 0.92), and multiply this number by the male’s body weight.
| Race | Adjustment | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyclops | 0% | 310 cm (10 ft 2 in) | 713 kg (1,572 lb) |
| Dryad | N/A | 150 cm (4 ft 11 in) | 33 kg (73 lb) |
| Dwarf | 0% | 120 cm (3 ft 11 in) | 44 kg (97 lb) |
| Elf | 8% | 174.8 cm (5 ft 8.8 in) | 61 kg (134 lb) |
| Fomori | 0% | 280 cm (9 ft 2 in) | 438 kg (966 lb) |
| Giant | 8% | 322 cm (10 ft 7 in) | 761 kg (1,678 lb) |
| Gnome | 8% | 101.2 cm (3 ft 3.8 in) | 18 kg (40 lb) |
| Hobgoblin | 4% | 172.8 cm (5 ft 8.0 in) | 91 kg (201 lb) |
| Human | 8% | 156.4 cm (5 ft 1.6 in) | 55 kg (121 lb) |
| Koborokuru | 0% | 110 cm (3 ft 7 in) | 34 kg (75 lb) |
| Menehune | 0% | 110 cm (3 ft 7 in) | 30 kg (66 lb) |
| Minotaur | 0% | 230 cm (7 ft 7 in) | 277 kg (611 lb) |
| Nocturna | 8% | 174.8 cm (5 ft 8.8 in) | 61 kg (134 lb) |
| Ogre | 4% | 163.2 cm (5 ft 4.3 in) | 105 kg (231 lb) |
| Oni | 4% | 182.4 cm (5 ft 11.8 in) | 111 kg (245 lb) |
| Ork | 4% | 182.4 cm (5 ft 11.8 in) | 111 kg (245 lb) |
| Satyr | 0% | 160 cm (5 ft 3 in) | 75 kg (165 lb) |
| Troll | 0% | 280 cm (9 ft 2 in) | 491 kg (1,082 lb) |
| Wakyambi | 8% | 257.6 cm (8 ft 5.4 in) | 183 kg (403 lb) |
While the human gender adjustment is based on real world proportions, the original article includes gender adjustments for each metatype. The short version is that elves and humans have a similar disparity to humans, orks have less, and dwarves and trolls have none. There are a few variations, specifically in the metatypes (giant and gnome) that have more human-like proportions: they use the human percentage, too.[1] We'll use those values here, which appear in the table to the right.
Note that these are for average adult male members of the species. There are shorter giants and taller gnomes than those shown, for instance. Variation in height can be as much as 35% either way in most species, with a proportional gain or loss in weight. To get a proportional weight, determine the new height as a percentage of the average height, convert that to a decimal number, cube that figure, and multiply it by the average weight. If the character is taller or shorter than average, and has stat bonuses or penalties, figure the appropriate weight for her height first, and then come up with a multiplier based on exceptional physical stats or cyberware
Youngsters are going to be smaller and lighter than an adult, though the same theory as above holds true for figuring their weight. Simply figure out what percentage of the adult height the youth is, and you can figure his weight. The figures given are guidelines; if you want to run an obese character, for instance, use the figures shown as a guide and add on another 15 or 20 kg, or whatever figure seems appropriate. Emaciated characters would subtract several kilograms. Just try not to overdo it.
For example, let’s say we have a really big male giant (which is redundant, I know, but bear with me). Say he’s 380 cm (12 ft 6 in) tall, and we want to determine what his weight should be. The new height is about 109% of the giant’s average height of 350 cm (11 ft 6 in), or 1.09 times that height. The cube of 1.09 is approximately 1.3, which we now multiply times the average weight of 977.4 kg. This gives us the thoroughly impressive figure of 1,270.6 kg (2,801 lb). This is certainly not someone (or something) you’d want pursuing you down a corridor with a large axe of some sort, by any means.
Exercise, Cyberware, and the Weight Conscious Shadowrunner
| Metatype | Average BOD | Average STR |
|---|---|---|
| Cyclops | 7 | 8 |
| Dryad | 3 | 3 |
| Dwarf | 5 | 5 |
| Elf | 3 | 3 |
| Fomori | 6 | 7 |
| Giant | 7 | 7 |
| Gnome | 2 | 2 |
| Hobgoblin | 3 | 4 |
| Human | 3 | 3 |
| Koborokuru | 4 | 4 |
| Menehune | 4 | 4 |
| Minotaur | 8 | 7 |
| Nocturna | 3 | 3 |
| Ogre | 6 | 5 |
| Oni | 5 | 4 |
| Ork | 6 | 5 |
| Satyr | 4 | 4 |
| Troll | 7 | 7 |
| Wakyambi | 3 | 3 |
A word that’s been seeing a lot of use in this article is “average.” All the figures shown are for an average member of that species. What if your character is above average? Or below average? How does this affect body weight within the game system? What the frag is “average,” anyway? Good questions, all. Let’s take a look and see if we can find some answers.
The two character statistics that bear on the question of body weight are Body and Strength. The Shadowrun Second Edition rules define Body as “general health and resistance to injury and pain,” while Strength is “the ability to lift, carry, and cause physical damage.” The Shadowrun Third Edition definitions are longer but essentially the same. Later editions are generally copy-paste jobs of prior editions, so we didn't bother to look. Both Body and Strength are aspects of physical fitness. Body represents overall conditioning and muscle tone, and Strength is muscle mass and physical power. The average values of these two stats for each race are shown to the right.
Body
Body is associated with a character’s general good health, muscle tone, and muscle-to-fat ratio. Characters with higher Body scores are going to have a higher muscle-to-fat ratio, and thus a higher body weight, since muscle is heavier than fat. Characters with lower Body scores are going to have a lower muscle-to-fat ratio, and will tend to be lighter. Note that they’ll be lighter only if their bodily proportions stay the same as the average character, since characters with lower Body scores quite often tend to be obese couch potatoes. It is left to the individual GM’s discretion as to how to handle these cases, though, as the scope of this article is on those characters with average proportions, not extremely skinny or extremely obese characters.
For each point of Body above average, add an extra 4% of the basic weight to the character’s weight. Note that this does not cover Body-enhancing cyberware, which will be dealt with in the next part of the article. This also works in reverse. For each point of Body below average, subtract 4% from the basic weight.
Strength
Strength is concerned more with raw muscle mass and bulk than Body is, and is therefore going to have a much greater impact on a character’s body weight. For each point of Strength above average, add an extra 8% of the basic weight to the character’s weight. This excludes exceptional Strength due to muscle enhancements; they tend to be a bit more efficient (see the next section). As with Body, this works in reverse, too. For each point of Strength below average, subtract 8% of the basic weight from your character’s weight.
Say we have an average human male — normally 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) and 70 kg (150 lb). However, he has Body 6 and Strength 6 (and speaks in a Teutonic accent, but that’s not important right now). Average scores on these two stats for humans are both 3, so he has Body +3 and Strength +3. For the Body, he adds an additional 12% to the base weight, and for the Strength he adds 24%, for a combined total of 36% additional weight. Taking the base weight and multiplying it by 1.36, we get (70 × 1.36) = 95.2 kg (210 lb). This puts him in the same class as a competition bodybuilder of today.
The Teutonic accent? It’s phony; this razorguy idolizes Senator Schwarzenegger, that’s all.
Cyberware & Bioware
What about cyberware or bioware? What effect do they play on body weight? For the most part, they don’t. Most cybernetic replacement parts, especially cyberlimbs, are specifically engineered to weigh about the same as the meat component they’re replacing, so that the recipient’s sense of balance won’t be wildly thrown off. Ditto for the bulk of your biological enhancements. Things like retinal modifications and the vast majority of headware are virtually weightless, consisting at the most of a couple of optical chips and a few ounces of wire. Even a radio implant or a cranial cyberdeck weighs less than a kilogram. Most of your cyberweapons are going to weigh the same as their non-cyber counterparts, less than 5 kg total in most cases. Some modifications, though, are hardly that considerate.
Higher grade implants use better materials and better techniques, mitigating impact on the user's biology. In addition to reduced Essence cost, these implants generally weigh less without compromising effectiveness.
For Dermal Plating and Muscle Augmentation, reduce the multiplier by 1 per grade above Standard (5% for Alpha, 4% for Beta, 3% for Delta).
For higher grades of Orthoskin and Bone Lacing, reduce the total multiplier by 1 per grade above Standard. For example, Alpha-grade Rating 2 Orthoskin increases the character's weight by 3%, because (2×2)-1=3.
For Cyberlimbs, after calculating the total weight adjustment for a limb, reduce the total multiplier by 2 per grade above Standard.
Dermal Plating & Orthoskin
One of the heaviest alterations your character is likely to get is dermal plating. This consists of composite fiber plates placed under your skin to provide protection from things like sword thrusts and assault rifle bullets. They’re also heavy. For each level of dermal armor your character has, add 6% of their basic weight.
Orthoskin, the bioware approach to personal protection, thickens and strengthens the skin, interweaving it with fortified collagens and cartilage. While not as heavy as the other armoring alternatives, it does add a little bit to the character’s weight. For each level of Standard-grade orthoskin add 2% to the character’s base weight.
Muscle Enhancements
The three muscle enhancements pretty much do what they say on the tin.[2]
- Muscle Replacement removes the natural muscle and replaces it with artificial materials that are both more efficient and more powerful than the original meat. Add Rating×4% to the character's weight, but note that the character appears lighter and less bulky than the stat might otherwise indicate, e.g. a character with Strength 3 base and Muscle Replacement 3 doesn't look muscle-bound like a naturally Strength 6 character would. They probably look like somebody with a Strength of 4, because if you're going under the knife for a zero-effort boost, why not add a little definition.
- Muscle Augmentation adds vat-grown muscle to the existing body. It's more efficient bioengineered muscle, so it's not quite as bulky or heavy as real muscle, but it is still more mass and more volume: add Rating×6% to the character's weight for Standard-grade.
- Muscle Toner is all about efficiency, doing more with less — sleeker, quicker muscle. If the character has only Muscle Toner, without Muscle Augmentation, subtract Rating×1% from the character's weight.
Other implants that affect the character's Strength (or Body), such as the Suprathyroid Gland, do so by altering the body's chemistry. They do not affect the character's weight at all.
Tails
Whether implanted or natural, a character with a tail is going to be a bit heavier than somebody without — add 5% to the base weight.
Bone Lacing & Density
Like the other defense augmentations, bone enhancements are heavy. Increase the character's base weight by Rating×5%. For Bone Lacing, which has materials rather than ratings, Plastic is R:1, Aluminum is R:2, and Titanium is R:3. Keep in mind that this is all internal weight — the character is heavier than they look.
Cyberlimbs
Under normal circumstances, such replacement items as cyberlimbs and even cybertorsos aren’t going to adversely affect a character’s body weight. Such replacements are normally designed to match the rest of the body, and are balanced so that, as far as the body’s equilibrium is concerned, they’re the real things. However, if the limbs feature enhanced Quickness or Strength (or both), or if the torso and/or limbs are armored, all bets are off and character weight can increase dramatically in short order.
Cyberlimbs are designed with Strength and Quickness of 3[3], but can be customized up to the character's racial natural maximum. Within these confines, they’ll weigh about the same as the meat limb that they’re replacing. As long as Customized Strength matches the character's average Strength, it doesn't add any additional weight. If a limb is enhanced beyond that, add 1% per level of Enhanced Agility, 2% per level of Enhanced Strength, and 3% per level of Armor in that limb.
References
- ↑ I have no idea why the original author had satyrs standout with no gender disparity, but we'll roll with it.
- ↑ This is somewhat opposite to what the original article says, but words have meaning, yeah?
- ↑ Shadowrun Fifth Edition Core Rulebook (p. 456)