human variants for sci fi game setting,PEACH

[combatmedic]

I'm tinkering with some SF/GURPS Space notes.

I've begun to create some human variants for a TL9 or maybe 10 setting.
I'm not interested in transhuman supermen. All of these variants should have inherent disadvantages to balance out their special advantages. My design goal is a varied set of 0 point packages. Some may be very minor tweaks, and others will represent bigger changes.


Here is the first, in rough draft form:

Spoiler:  

Concept
Humans adapted to world with tainted atmosphere and abrasive windborne particles
Description
Weather-beaten looks, rough skin, squinty eyes
Dirty-white clothes are traditional.
Mechanics

0 point package

• Filter Lungs 5
• Nictitating membrane 1
• DR 1 (tough skin) 3
• High pain threshold 10
• Temperature tolerance 1 (HT degrees up).
• Numb -20


The (name) home world is a Earthlike enough to be habitable, but only just so. Its atmosphere is tainted by large amounts of dust, fine glassy material, silt from dried out sea-beds and a soup of toxic volcanic gasses. Prolonged exposure to the hot, dusty atmosphere may lead to a debilitating condition similar to the black lung that once plagued Terran coal miners. Sandstorms can strip away unprotected skin, or blind unshielded eyes. Electronics and sensitive machinery must be well-protected to function reliably because the grit gets into everything. Mask seals may become compromised if not very well-fitted and made of good quality materials.

The first colonists arrived by slow ship. Upon discovering that conditions were harsher than expected based on long range probe data, the colonists decided to take the pantropic option. Genetic modifications gave the next generation tough skin with fewer nerve endings for pain, altered eyelids for protection against windborne particles, and masses of special cilia in the airways to filter out harmful matter. Generalized numbness also resulted from the changes.

The (name) favor white clothing, in part because blood shows well on white. If one of these people is injured, he may not immediately realize what has happened, so clothing that helps reveal injuries is considered practical.


EDIT-- ALTERNATE BUILD


• Filter Lungs 5
• Nictitating membrane 1
• DR 1 (tough skin) 3
• Disturbing Voice -8 (accessibility – 20%; most other human types, but not those with CF for this race or certain cosmopolitan traits)
• Quirk: has trouble spotting minor injuries to self -1


The changes to the voice are an unavoidable side effect of the Filter Lungs/modified airway (a lot of the mods are upper airway).


Dropped HPT and Numbness, the DR and a Quirk may do for a less extreme version of the effects I wanted.

EDIT-- I haven't decided if I will use the guidelines in Biotech. If I do, I think this first variant may require biotech more advanced than what I want. Dunno for sure...

[Johnny1A.2]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

The first colonists arrived by slow ship. Upon discovering that conditions were harsher than expected based on long range probe data, the colonists decided to take the pantropic option. Genetic modifications gave the next generation tough skin with fewer nerve endings for pain, altered eyelids for protection against windborne particles, and masses of special cilia in the airways to filter out harmful matter. Generalized numbness also resulted from the changes.

If their biotechnology is that good, could they not have made the numbness selective? That is, put the sensitivity of the pain receptors under conscious control, rather than a general permanent numbness?

[ericthered]

I'm surprized at the strength of the disadvantage. -3 to all fine motor motor skills is an awful lot. how do they handle mechanic work?

I suppose it gets better if you keep normal humans on the planet to work indoors, but fine manual DX is one of the core things that seperates men from animals.

[vicky_molokh]

The level of self-alteration available will certainly throw a monkey wrench into any attempts to prevent transhumanistic elements from showing up. In fact, pantropic modification is one of the big points of transhumanism.

OTOH, the thread fills me with fuzzy warm feelings similar to those related to VUASO.

[Frost]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

I've begun to create some human variants for a TL9 or maybe 10 setting.
I'm not interested in transhuman supermen. All of these variants should have inherent disadvantages to balance out their special advantages. My design goal is a varied set of 0 point packages.

While I can see what you are trying to do I think that the 0 point limit is probably unworkable. Most practical human upgrades are going to have at least a small positive point total, unless the universe is entirely populated by failed experiments or marginal compromises building to 0 points is going to become self defeating fairly quickly.

Your current example is effectively crippled by the disadvantage. Personaly I would accept a modest positive total 20 points is not that spectacular based on a selection of published environmental tweeks which run from 5 points up to 46 for templates that basicly give more or less normal human capibilities plus the ability to function better in a specific environment. Alternatively I might try to swap out Numb for a less cripling unintended trait or traits culled from the list in bio-tech (page 62).

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by ericthered

I'm surprized at the strength of the disadvantage. -3 to all fine motor motor skills is an awful lot. how do they handle mechanic work?

I suppose it gets better if you keep normal humans on the planet to work indoors, but fine manual DX is one of the core things that seperates men from animals.

Numb is probably also one of the things that makes human presence necessary, at least at TL9. Humans can do a lot that robots and other machines can't. That might go away at TL10, and certainly is gone by TL11.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

Numb is probably also one of the things that makes human presence necessary, at least at TL9. Humans can do a lot that robots and other machines can't. That might go away at TL10, and certainly is gone by TL11.

Hmm. Makes me wonder about mitigator-gloves with a neural interface attached - for delicate work. Though probably too TH-ish.

[ericthered]

you know what? I missed the "unless they take twice as long" If they can mitigate it with time, it won't be a terrible issue. And please don't start with neural interfaces, they cause more problems than they solve.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by ericthered

you know what? I missed the "unless they take twice as long" If they can mitigate it with time, it won't be a terrible issue. And please don't start with neural interfaces, they cause more problems than they solve.

For the record, I wasn't planning enormous arbitrary bonuses. Just a way to downslink the data from the gloves to the brain. But yeah, double time should solve the issue too. Makes them characteristically less hasty.

[combatmedic]

What about this:


• Filter Lungs 5
• Nictitating membrane 1
• DR 1 (tough skin) 3
• Disturbing Voice -8 (accessibility – 20%; most other human types, but not those with CF for this race or certain cosmopolitan traits)
• Quirk: has trouble spotting minor injuries -1


The changes to the voice are an unavoidable side effect of the Filter Lungs/modified airway (a lot of the mods are upper airway).


Dropped HPT and Numbness, the DR and a Quirk may do for a less extreme version of the effects I wanted.