What is a Whale?

[Pursuivant]

If you need to scale ST up or down to adapt a template GURPS Update from 3E to 4E ruled that 4E ST =

ST = (2M)^1/3. Where M = pounds of mass.

Working backwards, you can solve for mass using the following equation:

M = (ST/2)^3

That lets you double check whether your ST/HP scores make sense for a realistic creature.

Since I recently did a template for a whale-like alien, I figured that something the size of an Orca or whale shark will come in at 10-20,000 lbs. or ST 26 to 33. The largest blue whale masses about 38,000 lbs. and has a ST of about 69.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

If you need to scale ST up or down to adapt a template GURPS Update from 3E to 4E ruled that 4E ST =

ST = (2M)^1/3. Where M = pounds of mass.

GURPS Update didn't rule any such thing. What it does do is the following:
*"To preserve combat damage, simply retain your ST score"
*"to preserve lifting ability, convert the ST score according to the Quadratic Strength Conversion Table." Past the 12-13 mark 4e ST drops like a stone. For example, 3eST 56-60 = 4eST 24.

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

Working backwards, you can solve for mass using the following equation:

M = (ST/2)^3

That lets you double check whether your ST/HP scores make sense for a realistic creature.

Since I recently did a template for a whale-like alien, I figured that something the size of an Orca or whale shark will come in at 10-20,000 lbs. or ST 26 to 33. The largest blue whale masses about 38,000 lbs. and has a ST of about 69.

Actually ST in 3e was linear in nature (ie ST x 6 = BL). In 4e it is quadratic: (STxST)/5 = BL

Based on the official stats for dinosaurs, with the Brontosaurus having ST 72 and ranging from 36,000 to 72,000 lbs, a Blue Whale having a ST 69 is within the ballpark,

[Alden Loveshade]

Thanks for the additional ideas!

[Luke Bunyip]

As far as I understand, whales are considered naive and overly optimistic, but only by the occasional bowl of petunias.

[Racer]

Heh heh ! Nice one Bunyip ;-)

How would you stat Moby Dìck then guys ? Super large - 90+ Foot - Sperm Whale , with extra intelligence , some wound resistance & extra longevity to reach that size .

( Longest 'officially measured' male Sperm were 65-67 Feet , but bigger ones certainly existed before days of commercial whaling . Jaw of Sperm Whale in London's Natural History Museum suggests length of the animal was around 82 Feet . Mocha Dîck , who sank the whaling ship Essex , was reckoned to be 85 Feet . )

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Racer

extra longevity to reach that size .

That might not be necessary. It wasn't a Sperm Whale but there is some data that made another whale over 200 years old.

[Racer]

Bowhead Whales . One had annual layers on the lens of it's eye , that it was around 212 years old when killed .

Another had the head of an iron harpoon dating from 1870s embedded in it when killed in the 2000s . As it was probably full grown when originally targeted - and had to fairly large to survive the wound - it was probably 170 years old at least .

It's speculated that Bowheads may not actually die of 'old age' as such . The second heaviest whale , they also have the thickest blubber . So well adapted to cold climates , that it's reckoned they could swim in liquid oxygen and not freeze !

With Sperm whales it's harder to estimated their ages , as they travel all the oceans & not subject to annual seasonal growth layers etc . Best estimated for males is 90+ years . Females about 60 .

[Alden Loveshade]

Originally Posted by Luke Bunyip

As far as I understand, whales are considered naive and overly optimistic, but only by the occasional bowl of petunias.

"Oh no, not again."

[Alden Loveshade]

I didn't know they believe bowhead whales can live over 200 years. I saw this on the bowhead article on Wikipedia:

"It was previously believed the more cells present in an organism, the greater the chances of mutations that cause age-related diseases and cancer. Although the bowhead whale has thousands of times more cells than other mammals, the whale has a much higher resistance to cancer and aging."

What makes this particularly interesting to me personally (being relatively tall) is that I just read about two days ago that it was believed tall people are more subject to getting cancer than shorter people because of the greater number of cells. So maybe what I just "learned" is incorrect.

So perhaps the bowhead has both Extended Lifespan and some form of Resistant (maybe Disease or Sickness).

[Anders]

Originally Posted by Alden Loveshade

"It was previously believed the more cells present in an organism, the greater the chances of mutations that cause age-related diseases and cancer. Although the bowhead whale has thousands of times more cells than other mammals, the whale has a much higher resistance to cancer and aging."

I don't know about whales, but they have sequenced the elephant genome and found that it had many, many copies of p53, a gene that protects against cancer. But when they put multiple p53 genes in a mouse all that happened was that it aged faster, so clearly that's not the whole story.