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Old 05-23-2012, 10:13 AM   #51
Dammann
 
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Default Re: Hmm... Aliens?

Well, but that makes some sense. How many humans would feel comfortable living among alien aliens, really? I think it would be an unusual choice. You could use an alien reference society, I guess, but I would expect most players would prefer not to do the mental gymnastics. Maybe I'm wrong about that.

Last edited by Dammann; 05-23-2012 at 10:33 AM. Reason: typo
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Old 05-23-2012, 10:17 AM   #52
Flyndaran
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Default Re: Hmm... Aliens?

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Originally Posted by Dammann View Post
Well, but that makes some sense. How many humans would feel comfortable living among [i]alien[/i aliens, really? I think it would be an unusual choice. You could use an alien reference society, I guess, but I would expect most players would prefer not to do the mental gymnastics. Maybe I'm wrong about that.
True, but I like my futuristic alien-filled universe to have more interactions between them than just humans talking about them. I admit that realistically, everyone would keep "to their own" for simplicity's sake.
I forced the issue in my SF universe by only having one species with true FTL. They happily hold onto their monopoly with fair rates of travel. But this naturally leads to multi-species ships for interesting gaming, in my opinion at least.
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Old 05-23-2012, 03:51 PM   #53
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Default Re: Hmm... Aliens?

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Originally Posted by smurf View Post
Has any one found out that making an Alien race to look and behave a bit alien pts tend to rocket?

Any one had a go at some aliens?
I have not long finished tinkering with a couple of alien species based upon unstated beasties from an old campaign, while they will probably get picked to peices they certainly aren't guys in suits and even with a bit of tinkering they still won't be massive point sinks.

Both species are depicted as they appeared in the campaign they were developed for without human related flaws i.e. appearence, primitive, unusual biochemistry etc.

Tree Runner
aka Tree B*stard, Filcher etc.

ST -4 [-40], IQ -2 [-40]

Brachiator [5], Extra Arms 2 [20], Fur (technicaly down) [1], Sharp Beak [1].
Chummy [-5], Curious [-5], Short Lifespan [-10]
Hermaphrodite [0]
-73 points

Burrower
aka Badger Thing
IQ -1 [-20]

Extra Arms 2 (no physical attack) [10], Fur (technicaly down) [1], High Pain Threshold [10], Nictiting Membrane [1], Night Vision 5 [5], Sharp Beak [1].
Semi-Upright [-5], Short Lifespan [-10]
Hermaphrodite [0]
-7 points

I like to think that six legged, feathered, beaked hermaphrodites fit the bill for a bit alien.

In the campaign they where designed for they were presented as TL 0 primitives that might at first glance be mistaken for smart animals. If I were using them as PC races I might push up the racial IQ on the Tree Runner a few notches and drop the short life span but otherwise I would still call them good to go at -22 and 3 points respectively.
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Old 05-23-2012, 04:57 PM   #54
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Default Re: Hmm... Aliens?

How about Aliens from Alan Dean Foster's The Damned trilogy?

This is a universe in which an eons-long war has raged across the galaxy between physically weak and slow Mind-Controlling and Genetic Manipulating Amplitur: giant space slugs that 'engineer' other races into being their slaves... er, 'willing allies' when the job is done.

The Amplitur and their Purpose [15 pt Obsession: Bring all Intelligent Life to be one in the Glorius Purpose] are up against 'The Weave' - an allied group of many different races that would like to keep their minds and genes how they are now, thank-you-very-much...

The premise of the story is that intelligent life is basically peaceful. War is an aberration, violence is uncivilized. Most races freeze up completely when confronted with the possibility of violence, much less facing actual fighting. Nearly all the racial templates have -DX [a level or 3], Fragile, Altered Time-Rate [slower], Pacifism, and Combat Atavism [sp?]. Most are more intelligent than human standard, and tend to be Staid and specialized for specific tasks and roles.

As you can imagine, Humans are scary and dangerous... and a huge asset to have in combat on your side. You just wouldn't want to live near one!

I'll have to stat up the Amplitur, Crigolits, Massoud, Wais and such... I am fairly certain that most of the races, while having some 'super-human' attributes, will end up being negative point values just because they suck at combat.
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Old 05-23-2012, 05:27 PM   #55
ericthered
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Default Re: Hmm... Aliens?

I have a setting that I was intending to write a book in long before I ran across gurps. When I came across the system, I wanted to know how the aliens would turn out. I was pleasantly suprized with some of the point totals, particuarly with how the "starfish aliens" turned out . They're -6 points, though I dare anyone to play one as a PC. physiologically, they're pretty alien.

yes, they're literally based on starfish. I did a thought experiment about it enchinoderms replaced vertebrates and got these things. Imagine taking two starfish, making them much bigger, removing the suction tubes and stacking them on top of each other... oh, and putting three pronged tips on the ends or the arms.

general stats:
ST 12
DX 8
HT 12
speed 3 (yes, 3)
move 3
360 vision
regeneration(slow)
high manuel DX 4
DR 3 (tough skin)
5 legs (cannot kick)
5 arms (short)
longevity *4
reduced consuption 3
sleepy
hibernates 1/3 of year
sleeps 12/24 the rest
Decreased Time Rate

Thats the chassis, worth -66, describing the physical shape and slow metabolism. There are then 4 subraces, designed to live in lots of places, with 60 points of advantages and an occasional disadvantage.

The subraces are designed for open space, deep ocean, land, and essentially venus. the original race came from a venus-like planet, and designed the others because... lets face it, life support for something used to venus is a pain. the lenses are 60 points each.

Vensuvians:
IQ 11
Speed -1 (total 2, yeah, they're slow)
echolocation
pressure support *100
longevity *32
hard to kill 10

OpenSpace/astroids/Ice planets:
vacume support
sealed
doesn't breathe
heals rads
radiation tolerance 5
temperature tolerance 25 (different ranges for different species)
restricted diet
deafness
cannot speak
G tolerance .3G

These are actually several kinds, but I found the only things that needed adjusting between living on astroids, ice moons and pluto was temperature range.

I think these ones are the most usable, but they're still slow (if really useful in space)

Terrestial:
ST +2 (14)
temperature range 10
pressure support *10
high pain tolerance
echolocation
IQ -1 (9)
HP +5 (17)

These ones are designed for earth. Though I'm not quite sure what you would do with one in a campaign. they're good at heavy lifting. to make them a little more useful you could even out the strength and IQ. I suppose if you let yourself wrestle one you're in trouble

Aquatic:
gills
echolocation
pressure support
temperature range
longevity *32
hard to kill 10

these live DEEP, off of the continental shelf. At the pressures that the vensuvian ones live at.



as a whole, the creatures are much more powerful as a race than as characters. The speed and decreased time rate make them useless in a short range fight. The ones with good IQ's have extreme life support requirements, and they spend long periods of time inactive.

I also figured them with out a human reference frame. all but the terrestial ones have different biochemistry, the high pressure ones are going to have increased life support, and some of the subraces probably have status differences.

as a race, they can thrive most anywhere, have much lower constraints on their civilization than we do, live much longer, and at the ranges that space combat occurs at, have no disadvantage.

If I were to play one, it would be the one who can live exposed to hard space.

I haven't actually given too much though to their psychology. If anyone wants to use them, slap some more stuff on.

The basic idea is that echinoderms have an internal skeleton, a complex outer anatomy, and are very tough creatures, but also very slow.

so you can certainly make physiologically weird aliens without a massive point cost. you just have to remember the disadvantages as well.

Last edited by ericthered; 05-23-2012 at 05:39 PM.
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