09-21-2017, 10:51 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Oct 2014
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Need some help with an alien race
I'm working on building things out for a game I'm planning on running, and I'm having some issues figuring out some things for one of my alien races. They look like eight-legged otters with broad tails and prehensile toes on all their paws. I want them to be quick while scurrying on all, or most of their limbs, but slower while walking on just their rearmost limbs.
I was thinking that they'd have semi-upright and extra-arms, but I'm not sure how to do the arms. Do I have the foot manipulators on the rearmost set of arms/legs, or do I have it for all eight sets. Also, what other traits would logically be included? |
09-22-2017, 12:44 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Re: Need some help with an alien race
They move faster if they use all their limbs, as a limitation that's a Feature or -1 Quirk IMO.
You decide how many extra Legs and how many extra Arms they have. |
09-22-2017, 06:08 AM | #3 | |
Hero of Democracy
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: far from the ocean
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Re: Need some help with an alien race
From the most read article of my blog:
Quote:
I would guess all of the limbs have foot manipulators. They're also likely to be short limbs as well. But they probably do actually have a lot of "arms". At least four in total, and perhaps more ... but I don't think I'd do all eight. for moving faster or slower, remember temporary disadvantage, and remember negated advantages as well.
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Be helpful, not pedantic Worlds Beyond Earth -- my blog Check out the PbP forum! If you don't see a game you'd like, ask me about making one! |
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09-22-2017, 06:12 AM | #4 |
Join Date: Jun 2006
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Re: Need some help with an alien race
I think I'd buy Extra Legs up to however many they can never use as manipulators (if that's none, then they need foot manipulators for their default pair of legs too), and the rest as Extra Arms. Then buy whatever extra Move they have with limitations (temporary disadvantage: No Extra Arms and eventually No Fine Manipulators) in levels as you use more and more of your limbs. I suppose technically you should also take Extra Legs with the same temporary disadvantages.
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09-22-2017, 01:17 PM | #5 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
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Re: Need some help with an alien race
They sound like creatures who would hunt or forage near shores close to the surface of the water.
They would likely have a sense of how to manipulate water currents. I remember watching Blue Planet how dolphin packs corral shoals of fish by swishing the water upon them.
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09-22-2017, 10:19 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Oct 2014
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Re: Need some help with an alien race
They are supposed to be short, like maybe the length of someone's upper arm. They can play the piano, drink a cup of coffee, and wave hello while fixing something with the other four limbs, assuming that they have the piece memorized and it doesn't require a lot of concentration, and that the piano is made for children.
Maybe it might help if I gave a drawing in comparison to a human? Maybe this one's too ambitious for a relatively new player to do? I dunno, that's why I was asking for help. So, this was my first idea. Short Arms [-5] Extra Arms 4 (Short) [20] Prehensile Toes [4] Semi-Upright [-5] Which works out to 14 points for the physical build, but the last sentence in Semi-Upright makes me think that this isn't right. They can carry stuff, it's just that they can't move fast. Okay, so let' go with malloyd's suggestion. While walking upright, they are on two short legs. So let's say that they have Basic Move 2 [-15]. They can get +1 to Basic Move per pair of limbs they now walk on. +2 Basic Move (Temporary Disadvantage: No Extra Arms, -20%) [+8] +1 Basic Move (Temporary Disadvantage: No Fine Manipulators, -30%) [+3] So now things look like: Short Arms [-5] Extra Arms 4 (Short) [20] Prehensile Toes [4] Basic Move 2 [-15] +2 Basic Move (Temporary Disadvantage: No Extra Arms, -20%) [+8] +1 Basic Move (Temporary Disadvantage: No Fine Manipulators, -30%) [+3] So the build is now 15 points, which makes the ability to walk and carry stuff a perk apparently. :P Given that I'm shooting to be 50 points or less with the racial templates, this is fine with me. If anyone's curious, Prehensile Toes are the same thing as Foot Manipulators. Bio-Tech uses the Prehensile Toes and I just happen to prefer that to Foot Manipulators. I pictured them as pretty good climbers, so in their stone ages they probably mostly hunted by ambushing prey from above when not fishing or diving for clams and other shellfish. I'm thinking Catfall might not be a bad idea for these guys either. Hmm, just reread the description I wrote for them and they are supposed to be astonishingly fast when on all eight legs. Looks like I need one last edit. Short Arms [-5] Extra Arms 4 (Short) [20] Prehensile Toes [4] Basic Move 2 [-15] +4 Basic Move (Temporary Disadvantage: No Extra Arms, -20%) [+16] +4 Basic Move (Temporary Disadvantage: No Fine Manipulators, -30%) [+12] So, they get a pretty speedy Basic Speed 10 when going "full eights" and it bumps the cost for this up to 31 points. Not too bad for a four foot tall otter. :) Thanks for all your help. I think I would have been in Analysis Paralysis without your input. Now, I just have to figure out if making snarky comments about stupid policies is a Quirk or an Odious Racial Habit. Last edited by awarnock; 09-22-2017 at 10:24 PM. |
09-22-2017, 10:35 PM | #7 |
Join Date: Aug 2011
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Re: Need some help with an alien race
You might consider giving them Enhanced Move (Water) too, if they're of aquatic origin.
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09-22-2017, 10:45 PM | #8 |
Join Date: Oct 2014
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Re: Need some help with an alien race
Part of the plan. I was just stumped on how to stat out the arms.
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09-23-2017, 07:23 AM | #9 |
Hero of Democracy
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: far from the ocean
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Re: Need some help with an alien race
If both of the default arms are short, short arms is worth [-10], not [-5]. Its [-5] per arm.
I don't think you need the full eight arms to do them justice: extra arm does a lot. But if you really want to buy all of them, I suppose you can. snarky comments are almost certainly a quirk.
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Be helpful, not pedantic Worlds Beyond Earth -- my blog Check out the PbP forum! If you don't see a game you'd like, ask me about making one! |
09-23-2017, 11:42 AM | #10 | |
Join Date: Oct 2014
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Re: Need some help with an alien race
Quote:
I may not, but considering that there's going to be other disadvantages and quirks, I think that the cost isn't too unreasonable. |
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aliens species, help wanted, space |
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