### S4E 7.4

Wide, Wide World

This variant includes Racial variant rules and multiple variant Races which may be added to S4E's playable Races at the GM's discretion. These variant Races can be played alongside standard characters seamlessly, though they do not all entirely follow the same strict adherence to canon and are not all balanced due to the nature of the limited information available about them.

Variant Races
Alicorn: Possessing both wings and a horn, Alicorns are a rare and magical breed created when a pony performs a truly wondrous deed.
Bat Pony: Similar to a Pegasus, but with leathery bat wings instead of feathers, Bat Ponies are a nocturnal breed of flying pony.
Buffalo: Hailing from the plains of southern Equestria, Buffalo are a stout and hearty race with honorable and proud traditions.
Changeling: An insectoid race of pony-like creatures, Changelings are cunning masters of shapeshifting and mimicry.
Diamond Dog: At home underground digging for gems and other precious materials, Diamond Dogs are the canine masters of dirt and stone.
Donkey: Generally overlooked (and often preferring it that way), Donkeys are stubborn, strong-hearted equines who can be heroic nonetheless.
Dragon: Scaled, clawed, and winged fire-breathing serpents, Dragons can be powerful enemies--or powerful allies.
Griffon: Half lion, half eagle, and all awesome, Griffons are a proud, exotic race hailing from across the eastern sea.
Mermare: Dwelling in the ocean kingdom of Aquastria, Mermares are a fish-like pony race possessed of great speed--and great shyness.
Zebra: Friendly and well-traveled, Zebras are a striped pony race with ways which can seem strange to those unfamiliar with their culture.

Crystal Races
The GM may also choose to include the Crystal Race variant rule. This rule does not create an entirely new Race for 'Crystal Ponies,' but instead allows characters to be created as the 'Crystal' version of another Race (for example, Crystal Earth Ponies instead of standard Earth Ponies, or Crystal Pegasi instead of standard Pegasi). This is intended to be used to play as Crystal versions of Earth Ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns--but the GM may allow Crystal versions of other Races as well (such as Crystal Alicorns, or Crystal Dragons). The GM has final approval on any Crystal character being created.
Being the Crystal version of a Race grants a character the ability to purchase Edges which are restricted to 'Crystal Races,' in addition to the Edges they can purchase due to their normal Race. However, this carries a unique cost. Whenever a character purchases an Edge they are only able to purchase due to being a Crystal Race, they must choose one Edge they have not yet purchased which they are only able to purchase due to being a member of their normal Race, and permanently give up the ability to purchase it. If there are no such Edges available to a character (if they have already purchased all of the Edges which are restricted to their normal Race), they cannot purchase any Crystal Race Edges.
For example, a Crystal Earth Pony might purchase the "Improved Artifice" Edge, which they would only be able to purchase due to being a Crystal Race. But in exchange, they would have to permanently give up the ability to purchase one of the (not yet purchased) Edges they are entitled to due to being an Earth Pony, such as "Improved Courage." They would then be permanently barred from purchasing that Edge in the future.

Ascended Alicorns
The GM may also choose to include the Ascended Alicorns variant rule. This rule allows players who are playing Alicorn characters to choose which of the core races (Earth Pony, Pegasus, or Unicorn) their character was before becoming an Alicorn. At the GM's discretion, reasonable non-core Races may also be chosen as a character's original Race (such as Bat Ponies or Zebras). Doing so means that a character is effectively counted as two Races simultaneously; their original Race, as well as an Alicorn--allowing the character to purchase Edges restricted to both their original Race and to Alicorns.
This carries a cost, however. Because an 'Ascended' Alicorn grew up as a member of another Race, they have less experience at being an Alicorn. When an Ascended Alicorn character is created, they may not purchase more than one Edge which they are only able to purchase due to being an Alicorn. After the character completes their first Episode after character creation, however, they are free to purchase any Edges they wish, enjoying their dual Race membership accordingly.
For example, Nightlight's player decides to play her as an Alicorn, but (with their GM's approval) decides to make her an Ascended Alicorn. They decide that Nightlight was originally an Earth Pony; this allows Nightlight to qualify to purchase Edges which are restricted to both Earth Ponies as well as those which are restricted to Alicorns. However, during initial character creation, she may only purchase one Edge which she is only able to purchase due to being an Alicorn; she grew up as an Earth Pony, and accordingly, most of her knowledge and experience is in being an Earth Pony. Once she has completed her first Episode, however, she can continue to purchase any Alicorn-only Edges she wishes without this limitation.

Vampire Bat Ponies
The GM may also choose to inclu de the Vampire Bat Ponies variant rule. This rule grants Bat Pony characters certain classically vampiric abilities, while also imposing certain vampiric weaknesses. At the GM's discretion, during character creation, any player playing a Bat Pony character may choose to have their character be a Vampire Bat Pony instead. At the GM's discretion, Bat Pony characters who have already been created may become a Vampire Bat Pony, though the process is typically magical and unknown to most (the GM should make up how it is done). They are still counted as a Bat Pony for the purposes of purchasing Edges, but they gain the following special abilities and weaknesses:
Fruit Feeding / Fruit Frenzy
A Vampire Bat Pony may feed with their fangs on a ripe apple, draining it of its juices in a matter of seconds. Doing so restores 1d6 points of the character's lost Fortitude and Willpower per apple. However, whenever a Vampire Bat Pony feeds on an apple in this way, when they roll 1d6 to determine the amount restored by the feeding, if the result is a 1 or 2, they go into a fruit frenzy for the remainder of the Scene, or until they spend a point of Valor (explained later).
While they are in this fruit frenzy, they can take no actions except those aimed to help them seek out and feed on apples--as many apples as possible, as quickly as possible (the GM may allow the player to continue to control their character as long as the character acts appropriately to the fruit frenzy; otherwise, the GM may take control of the character until the end of their fruit frenzy). Each apple they feed on imparts its normal restorative effects, but the character remains in their fruit frenzy.
The character may spend a point of Valor to come out of this fruit frenzy before the end of the Scene, but doing so requires an intense act of willpower and may not succeed; when they spend the point of Valor, roll 1d6. If the result is equal to or higher than the character's Heart score, the point of Valor is lost without stopping the character's fruit frenzy. If the result is lower than the character's Heart score, the fruit frenzy ends.
Veiled Form / Mirror Madness
A Vampire Bat Pony is able to hide their true, feral appearance at will, as a form of minor shapeshifting; whenever they wish, they may appear to be a normal Bat Pony, or may reveal themselves as a Vampire Bat Pony. Whenever they choose to reveal themselves, no creature who was previously unaware of their true nature may take any hostile action toward them for one round out of a supernatural fear--and most creatures (except those possessed of a strong will, or with a good reason at the GM's discretion) will try to flee. This supernatural fear of the character's revelation only ever works once per creature, but may be enough to stop even a fearsome dragon in its tracks for a moment.
As a trade-off of this supernatural effect, Vampire Bat Ponies cannot stand the sight of their own reflection, no matter which form they take. A Vampire Bat Pony character must avoid looking at their own reflection at all costs, even out of the corner of their eye, even to the point of putting their head in their hooves and cowering--and they cannot help or overcome this instinctive compulsion. This makes mirrors, still water, shiny metal, and other reflective surfaces their bane.