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Old 05-15-2012, 11:18 PM   #11
khorboth
 
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Default Re: Hmm... Aliens?

I think the reason has much to do with general perception and methods.

It seems to go without saying that it should cost points to be a non-human. Do we think humans are so pathetic that no lesser form of life could be viable?

We tend to focus on the advantages of a given non-human race, but minimize or ignore disadvantages. I think much of this comes from the desire to eliminate disadvantages which are not exhibited by all the members of the race.

In my opinion, attributes should be an easy place to alter point totals, as this is only for the average member of the species with individuals able to change this as normal. Don't neglect secondary attributes too, particularly move and basic speed.

Disadvantages can generally be bought off. For instance, a race may have low pain threshold, but an individual may not. Remember that you are building the average member of the race, not the typical adventurer or the example from a work of fiction.

Hope this helped.
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Old 05-15-2012, 11:46 PM   #12
David Johnston2
 
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Default Re: Hmm... Aliens?

Well here's the last alien I came up with:

Eresh

ST 9
DX 10
IQ 12
HT 10

1 Extra Arm (10)
Vibration Sense (10)
Acute Sense of Touch +4 (8)
Flexibility (5)
No Legs/Slithers (0)

Absent Minded (-15)
Nearsighted (-25)
Colorblindness (-10)
Curious 9- (-8)
No Sense of Humour (-10)

It didn't even break zero.

Last edited by David Johnston2; 05-15-2012 at 11:49 PM.
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Old 05-16-2012, 01:12 AM   #13
smurf
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Default Re: Hmm... Aliens?

Not exactly playable.

Colour blind and curious, who happens not to see much and forgets about it and rightly so would have no sense of humour.
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Old 05-16-2012, 01:14 AM   #14
sir_pudding
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Default Re: Hmm... Aliens?

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Originally Posted by smurf View Post
Not exactly playable.

Colour blind and curious, who happens not to see much and forgets about it and rightly so would have no sense of humour.
I think you are missing the Vibration sense, which presumably is their primary sense.
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Old 05-16-2012, 01:15 AM   #15
smurf
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Default Re: Hmm... Aliens?

I looked in Bio Tech and the Guardian is 182pts and Herakles is 196 (IIRC).

So as this race was themed from a bio tech experiment that went wrong, it sort of fits in.
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Old 05-16-2012, 01:18 AM   #16
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Default Re: Hmm... Aliens?

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Originally Posted by smurf View Post
I looked in Bio Tech and the Guardian is 182pts and Herakles is 196 (IIRC).
An attempt creating a "master race" and a showcase for the limits of TL9 germline engineering? Yeah, they ought to be expensive. On the other hand they are parahumans and not especially alien anyway. What's your point?
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Old 05-16-2012, 01:38 AM   #17
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Default Re: Hmm... Aliens?

IIRC we haven't had an alien book for 4E and given what was in the old 3E book it would not fit or rather Powers/Bio Tech has done it.

The Kronin were good but now would have a serious amount points.

Inversely, if the aliens were the norm set at x points then by defaut the basic human would be a disadvantage.
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Old 05-16-2012, 01:47 AM   #18
sir_pudding
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Default Re: Hmm... Aliens?

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Originally Posted by smurf View Post
IIRC we haven't had an alien book for 4E and given what was in the old 3E book it would not fit or rather Powers/Bio Tech has done it.
None of those aliens are difficult to convert to 4e. Eric Smith has a conversion on his site. What do you even mean by "not fit"?
Quote:
The Kronin were good but now would have a serious amount points.
Firstly, they weren't very alien. They certainly aren't expensive because they're aliens. They are expensive because of the psionics. Eric has them at 81 points (but that's without using Psionic Powers).
Quote:
Inversely, if the aliens were the norm set at x points then by defaut the basic human would be a disadvantage.
What if the norm was my Peshang (at either -30 or -3 points depending) then being a human is an advantage. I'm still not sure what your problem is. You want it to be 0 points to be human but with awesome psionic powers?
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Old 05-16-2012, 01:54 AM   #19
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Default Re: Hmm... Aliens?

Quote:
Originally Posted by smurf View Post
IIRC we haven't had an alien book for 4E and given what was in the old 3E book it would not fit or rather Powers/Bio Tech has done it.

The Kronin were good but now would have a serious amount points.

Inversely, if the aliens were the norm set at x points then by defaut the basic human would be a disadvantage.
A disadvantage that takes away a capability gives less points than buying an advantage to gain that capability costs. As an alien becomes less and less human, the more points it is going to cost simply because it isn't human. For example: How many points is the Mimic Octopus racial template?

Last edited by Sunrunners_Fire; 05-16-2012 at 01:58 AM.
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Old 05-16-2012, 01:57 AM   #20
David Johnston2
 
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Default Re: Hmm... Aliens?

Quote:
Originally Posted by smurf View Post
Not exactly playable.

Colour blind and curious, who happens not to see much and forgets about it and rightly so would have no sense of humour.
They make first rate science officers with multiscanner in claw apart from their annoying habit of wanting explanations for every joke. They also make nasty opponents what with burrowing under people and attacking from below.


Quote:
Originally Posted by smurf View Post
I
The Kronin were good but now would have a serious amount points.
.
Actually if I were to redo the Kronin I wouldn't even have them be aliens. They seem to clearly be parahumans engineered for superiority to their ancestors. I certainly wouldn't describe them as looking or behaving alien.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunrunners_Fire View Post
A disadvantage that takes away a capability gives less points than buying an advantage to gain that capability costs. As an alien becomes less and less human, the more points it is going to cost simply because it isn't human. For example: How many points is the Mimic Octopus racial template?
Things that bristle with arms are a special case.

Last edited by David Johnston2; 05-16-2012 at 02:09 AM.
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