09-06-2022, 08:56 PM | #11 | |
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Re: GURPS Star Trek - Canon Vulcans
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In many ways I don't beleive in Liftign sT as a humanoid trait but it's there.
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Fred Brackin |
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09-06-2022, 09:37 PM | #12 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Shoreline, WA (north of Seattle)
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Re: GURPS Star Trek - Canon Vulcans
Apologies if I missed it, but what are the tenets of the various Codes of Honor?
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09-06-2022, 10:54 PM | #13 |
Join Date: Apr 2013
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Re: GURPS Star Trek - Canon Vulcans
One way to reduce the template costs is to consider that if Vulcans are adapted to thin dry atmospheres then they may have disadvantages in dense wet ones. If they are dark skinned for a sunny climate then do they get enough vitamin D (or whatever) with less insolation?
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09-07-2022, 07:37 AM | #14 | |
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Re: GURPS Star Trek - Canon Vulcans
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I call it a Quirk because it only happens once every 7 years. It's an optional Quirk for females, and represents a bonded female whose partner is likely to go into Pon Farr in the near future. Pon Farr can also be triggered in both sexes by "the plot device of the week" (E.g., Jolene Blalock's extreme fan service in ENT: Bounty). While there's nothing in canon, it's implied that a male in Pon Farr can initiate Pon Farr in his mate. Vulcans can also have ordinary recreational sex at other times. I took the "Vulcans are three times as strong as humans" line (from DS9: Take Me Out to the Holosuite) as applying only to male Vulcans. I chose to give females about double human male ST, which allows them to hold their own in close combat against a fit Human male, but still be shoved around by male Vulcans. That fits with the on-screen action. To keep them from being utterly deadly in melee and unarmed combat I turned most of the Vulcan ST into Lifting ST with no Striking ST. As strong Vulcan male performing AoA (Strong) can still leave a dent in an unsuspecting corridor bulkhead, but they can't use Lirpas one-handed or beat down an opponent's guard with extra heavy weapons. Conveniently, Lifting ST includes Grip ST, which explains why the Vulcan Nerve Pinch is so effective. Last edited by Pursuivant; 09-07-2022 at 09:53 AM. |
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09-07-2022, 08:08 AM | #15 | |
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Re: GURPS Star Trek - Canon Vulcans
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There's also the possibility that Vulcans don't do well in water, especially cold water. Again, however, not enough in canon to go on, and Spock comfortably swimming with whales in what is probably California coastal temperature water (~60 *F) possibly negates the idea. Vulcans don't appear to have problems with dry cold, which makes sense because deserts cool off fast at night. Spock, Tuvok, et al seem to have no more problems with snowstorms than humans. The idea of giving them problems in dense atmospheres is more promising, but since ST writers love their Earth-normal STP there hasn't been a whole lot of exploration of the effects of pressure. The idea is supported by the fact that Vulcans quickly pass out due to nitrous oxide exposure (TAS: The Practical Joker). So, adding Vulnerability (High Pressure) as an optional disadvantage is a good idea. The idea of potential nutritional deficiencies is interesting, but also has no support in canon. Even dark-skinned Vulcans don't appear to suffer ill effects due to lack of exposure to Vulcan-style sunlight. After all, Tuvok managed to spend 7+ years mostly cooped up on a spaceship with no ill effects. Nutritional deficiencies are also a slow-moving problem and easily corrected by even early 20th c. medicine. At best, a vulnerability to nutritional deficiencies would be a -5 point disad, more likely a quirk. With TL9+ medicine, they're unlikely to be a problem except as a GM-engineered crisis. |
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09-07-2022, 08:10 AM | #16 |
Night Watchman
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
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Re: GURPS Star Trek - Canon Vulcans
Given their significantly different biochemistry (copper-based oxygen transport, not using sodium chloride as a primary salt), should they have a physical quirk of requiring dietary supplements when living on human food? This is clearly too fussy for film or TV, but would be reasonable for a detailed RPG. They might also have Unusual Biochemistry [-5].
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The Path of Cunning. Indexes: DFRPG Characters, Advantage of the Week, Disadvantage of the Week, Skill of the Week, Techniques. |
09-07-2022, 08:50 AM | #17 | |
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Re: GURPS Star Trek - Canon Vulcans
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Vulcan Codes of Honor
Spoiler:
Teachings of Surak
Spoiler:
Teachings of Sybok/T'vosh Ka'tur
Spoiler:
Last edited by Pursuivant; 09-07-2022 at 08:57 AM. |
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09-07-2022, 09:42 AM | #18 | |
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Re: GURPS Star Trek - Canon Vulcans
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The way the disadvantage is written also essentially means that it's free points in a Star Trek campaign. Medical care is usually free, so there's no penalty to PCs for higher cost drugs. Starfleet doctors are very savvy about potential drug reaction problems, and usually have an antidote at hand in case things go wrong. The (in)ability to eat certain alien foods is effectively a racial feature in a multi-species SF campaign. A Vulcan aboard an otherwise exclusively human-crewed ship might have a food problem on a long voyage (referenced briefly near the end of ENT: The Expanse), but it's a problem that's easily overcome at TL9+. A human on an otherwise exclusively Vulcan-crewed ship would have the same problem, and probably a lot more. The same thing goes for species-specific vulnerabilities to diseases, poisons, and hazards. Vulcans can't cope with Trellium-D and can suffer from Tl'kon Schism, humans can be poisoned by copper salts which a Vulcan might use as a condiment and can catch the Dramia II plague. Last edited by Pursuivant; 09-08-2022 at 07:59 AM. |
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09-07-2022, 11:17 AM | #19 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Re: GURPS Star Trek - Canon Vulcans
My impressions from watching basically all the Trek series:
Vulcan females are notably weaker than males. T'Pol was essentially on par with the stronger, healthy males of Enterprise (or most species they encountered) while Spock and Tuvok are much stronger. I'd split the difference and give Vulcans a ST+4, noting that females tend to be weaker and males stronger. T'Pol is probably a -2 or so. Tuvok is probably +2 or so. Vulcans don't seem more Dexterous than humans in any of the series. I'd suggest that any difference isn't racial, but from personal training. Spock is an exceptional genius, but he's an anomaly. T'Pol and Tuvok aren't appreciably wiser than other Starfleet officers, but they are older and better trained. I'd say that what makes Vulcans seem smart initially is better, refined education with a highly focused training. Vulcans are incredibly hidebound, almost stagnant before Star Fleet came along and forced them to adapt. ("The Vulcan science council has decided that time travel is not possible" - even upon seeing time travel evidence.) I've read commentary that the Vulcans latched on to humanity because of the rapid progress and insights that humanity was making. Racial Hidebound [-5]. Vulcans are more hardy and can survive longer without resources. A HT bonus is reasonable, but they certainly are a good candidate for multiple extra fatigue. Metabolism Control is another good candidate, but it may be a trained ability rather than an innate racial ability. Every Vulcan we've met has absolute faith in their beliefs and capabilities. I'd throw on Overconfidence (+2/-2 reaction depending others perceive your abilities). You put a lot of work into the various philosophies, but I would have simplified. Most Vulcans have Disciplines of Faith: Vulcan Logic [-5] plus Callous [-5]. Vulcans that don't follow this instead have Bad Temper [-10]. Vulcans usually have quirk level Truthfulness. Truthfulness is quirk level because they are quite comfortable with omissions and misleading statements. Vulcans have better hearing for snooping, but it's not obvious they have better alertness. I'd suggest a level or two of Parabolic Hearing. Vulcans seem to have similar Vision, but it's harder to damage. I'd call that a perk. Vulcans profess to have a better sense of smell, but it only seems to manifest as a sensitivity to some odors. Given that it doesn't seem to have any game effect, I'd call it a feature. If you want to suggest that most Vulcans react poorly to other races due to smell, you can call it a quirk intolerance instead. Vulcans are usually assumed to be honest because Vulcans usually tell unfiltered (even hurtful) truth. I'd call this a +1 reaction perk anytime you're convincing someone you're telling the truth. The Vulcan nerve pinch seems to be a ST-based maneuver as most of those that use it have a high ST - Vulcans, Data, Khan, the Doctor, Odo. It provided a good reason why T'Pol used it very sparingly since she was notably weaker. Of course, conversely Picard pulled it off once as well... There's probably a lot more, but that's just off the top of my head. Feel free to ignore as you want. |
09-07-2022, 04:30 PM | #20 |
Join Date: May 2009
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Re: GURPS Star Trek - Canon Vulcans
Why do you think that Vulcan women are noticeably] weaker? Why do you think that Odo and the doctor could do the Vulcan nerve pinch?and
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species, star trek, template, vulcan |
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