[Space] [Racial Templates] Really Alien Aliens

[SydneyFreedberg]

That’s an interesting article. My thought with these aliens is a little less ambitious: They don’t have radically different ways of perceiving the world than humans, they’re just “animals that evolved elsewhere” and thus have different biological imperatives driving their psychology.

Which reminds me that no one’s commented on my craziest race, the Trinocs with their low-grade multiple personality disorder from the very first post — anyone have suggestions on those guys?

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by SydneyFreedberg

Which reminds me that no one’s commented on my craziest race, the Trinocs with their low-grade multiple personality disorder from the very first post — anyone have suggestions on those guys?

No comments because the build looks good, although possibly reduce Acute Vision for overall improved Per.

If you're trying to model the sort of wide-angle vision that animals like deer or rabbits have, possibly just give them 360-Degree Vision with No Depth Perception as a Nuisance Effect which just affects vision to side and rear hexes.

They might also have other "defensive" sensory traits like Parabolic Hearing (swiveling ears) or Telescopic Vision. A deer- or rabbit-like creature will also have traits like Discriminatory Hearing; Discriminatory Vision; Night Vision or Ultrasonic Hearing.

If they're really spindly, without much combat power, possibly buy down ST to 6-7, add 1-2 levels of Lifting ST and +2 HP. That saves 6 points.

Alternately, do the same but buy levels of Striking ST instead of Lifting ST if they can't carry much but they can punch or kick effectively.

Possibly add Weak Bite.

Fearfulness 4 with racial IQ 10 means that the species will be constantly living in terror and will be very vulnerable to lasting trauma due to failed Fright Checks. Possibly tone it down.

Paranoia seems like a good optional disadvantage.

Demoting racial Cowardice and Fearfulness to just the Careful quirk seems appropriate for soldiers, first responders, and other people in high stress jobs. It also makes the species marginally viable as a PC race.

Part of the reason that there isn't much discussion of the Trinoc's origins might be because there's a well-known species from the Traveller RPG, the K'kree, which has somewhat similar psychology and history. There was a GURPS 3E Traveller series which included a book that covered the K'kree in depth.

[SydneyFreedberg]

Helpful, thanks. I’ll definitely tone down Fearful and at least up the Self Control numbers on Coward & Berserk. The original (3e) build for Trinocs had Split Personality , but that proved too restrictive in 4e, so I tried to do the “radical personality shift under pressure” thing with limitations and the Personality Change quirk; not sure I implemented that right…..

The original Trinoc build wasn’t actually centauroid. Maybe I could change them back to bipeds to further distinguish them from the K’kree.

And I’d completely forgotten about the K’kree, who are also centauroid herbivores with an often-genocidal hatred of carnivores that drove them to conquer an empire. Yes, that IS similar — I’d probably read out the K’’Kree before inventing the Trinocs, too. Now, K’kree are more bisonesque, though, all big and staid, while my Trinocs are more modeled on gazelles, being super skittish (and also really smart).

[SydneyFreedberg]

I revised the Trinocs, below.

I moved Fearfulness to Common Optional Traits -- it really overlaps a lot with Cowardice -- and improved the Self-Control numbers. I also lowered base Strength and converted their Berserker strength to Striking Strength.

And I also realized the "Reprogrammable" disadvantage is a poor reflection of how Trinoc "Narcotic Council" dictatorships use pheromones to program their populations: It's not brainwashing them to obey so much as locking them into a useful mode, be that Coward, Berserker, or Savant.

[i]Edit: I also updated this post to recost the "only when Berserk" limitation properly, based on reading one of JohnDAllman's always-useful "(dis)advantage of the week" threads.

Racial Template: Trinoc (32 points)

Spoiler:  

Attribute Modifiers:
ST -3 [-30]
Striking ST+3 (only when berserk, -20%) [24]
IQ 12 [40]
HT -1 [-10]

Secondary Characteristic Modifiers:
Basic Move +2 [+10]
Hit Points -1 [-2]

Advantages:
360 vision [+25]
Acute Taste & Smell x3 [6]
Extra Legs: 4-legged [5]
Single-Minded [+5]
Versatile [+5]

Disadvantages:
Berserk (12) [-10]
Chummy [-5]
Cowardice (12) [-10]
Intolerance: meat-eaters [-5]
No depth perception [-15]
Reputation: former galactic overlords (-2 with almost everyone; +3 with species that did well under the Trinoc Empire, a large group) [0]
Quirk: Personality shifts (coward to berserker to single-minded savant) [-1]

Trinocs living under a Narcotic Council must take one of the following lenses:

Narcotized Trinoc Worker (0 points)
Replace Berserk (12) and Cowardice (12) with Cowardice (6)

Narcotized Trinoc Warrior (+5 points)
Replace Berserk (12) and Cowardice (12) with Berserk: Battle Rage

Narcotized Trinoc Savant (0 points)
Replace Berserk (12) and Cowardice (12) with Berserk (15), Cowardice (15), and Obsession: Perform Assigned Task (6)

Common but optional traits:
These traits are NOT part of the racial template but are included as suggestions for individual characters
Gadgeteer [+25 or +50 points]
Talent: Artificer [+10/level] or Mathematical [+10/level]
Fearfulness [-2/level]
Paranoia [-10]
Phobia: meat-eaters [-15]
Code of Honor: oppose all forms of brainwashing & mind control (for Trinocs living free of a Narcotic Council) [-5]
Social stigma: Second-class citizen [-5] or Minority [-10] or Valuable Property (-10) or Subjugated (-20)
“The Trinoc Empire should be restored” or “No species should ever have dominion over another”: either can be anything from a Quirk [-1] to Fanaticism [-15]