GURPS Star Trek - Canon Vulcans

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by nudj

Did you account for pon farr? That should be a disadvantage for all males. Also I really would do ST+7. Vulcans are repeatedly said to be 3 times as strong as humans. 3*BL is 1.7 * ST.

Did you see the Lifting ST? That does go to 17.

In many ways I don't beleive in Liftign sT as a humanoid trait but it's there.

[Apollonian]

Apologies if I missed it, but what are the tenets of the various Codes of Honor?

[Balor Patch]

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?

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by nudj

Did you account for pon farr? That should be a disadvantage for all males. Also I really would do ST+7. Vulcans are repeatedly said to be 3 times as strong as humans. 3*BL is 1.7 * ST.

Pon Farr is included for male Vulcans except those who have gone through Kolinahr Training.

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.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by Balor Patch

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?

I'd love to introduce problems for Vulcans in cold, damp climates, since it's part of my "head canon," but there's nothing in official canon. So, off limits until some smart scriptwriter starts looking at ways in which desert-adapted creatures are vulnerable.

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.

[johndallman]

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].

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by Apollonian

Apologies if I missed it, but what are the tenets of the various Codes of Honor?

The details of many advantages aren't listed in the templates I've posted, to keep the level or rules crunch somewhat reasonable.

Vulcan Codes of Honor

Spoiler:  

From the time that they are small children, Vulcans are trained to obey traditions and to fulfill obligations set for them by their family and culture. Since the 4th century A.D., the Vulcan Code of Honor is virtually synonymous with the Teachings of Surak, as embodied in the Kir’Shara. Even Vulcans who reject his teachings are likely to have a similar Code of Honor.

Teachings of Surak

Spoiler:  

The tenets of the Teachings of Surak are Denial of Self, Devotion to Logic, Emotional Repression, Honesty, Pacifism (including Veganism), Respect for Vulcan Traditions, and Truthfulness. Since other elements are embodied by other traits, the Code of Honor just covers Devotion to Logic and Respect for Traditions:

* Accept and obey Vulcan social and governmental controls.
* Always act based on the facts as you understand them.
* Do not deviate from established, logical, fact-finding procedures.
* Ignore data presented as fact, but without adequate evidence to prove it is true.
* Never behave in an overtly emotional, individualistic, or selfish fashion and shun those who do.
* Respect Vulcan traditions and expect others to respect them as well.
* The Needs of the Many Outweigh the Needs of the Few.

Teachings of Sybok/T'vosh Ka'tur

Spoiler:  

Dissident codes of honor usually retain elements of Surak's teachings and the standard Vulcan Code of Honor, but alter their interpretation. They typically include these strictures:

* Discover, express, and regulate your emotions and teach others to do the same.
* Reject logic in favor of gut feelings.
* Reject social constraints that interfere with personal pursuit of the divine.
* Self-exploration and personal actualization are the highest goals.
* The Needs of the One Outweigh the Needs of the Many - at least in matters of spiritual development.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by johndallman

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].

It's tempting, but I've tried to restrict Unusual Biochemistry to just individuals who don't conform to the norms for their species. It's listed as a potential optional disadvantage for Vulcan-Human hybrids.

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.

[naloth]

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.

[doctorevilbrain]

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