Over the past couple of years, I've been amusing myself by adapting James White's Sector General books for GURPS, mostly as an exercise in generating odd species templates and to teach myself spaceship design.
One of my favorite species in the books is the Kelgians. They're tailor-made for roleplayers, but sadly aren't very effective in combat roles.
Feedback on template design is welcome.
Crunchy bits closed off with Spoilers to avoid wall of text.
Kelgian (DBLF) (Kelgia, Milky Way Galaxy) (11 points)
Description
Spoiler:
Their shtick is that they've got semi-mobile fur that works in tandem with their spoken language, creating a literal "body language." This makes it impossible for Kelgians to lie, and many have problems grasping the very concept. This makes them truthful to a fault, and relatively honest as a species, but also incredibly obnoxious because they have no concept of the "social white lie" or even "holding your tongue." A Kelgian says exactly what it thinks regardless of how offensive their words might be to aliens.
Because their fur is socially so important, and because it's actually an incredibly complex organ rather than just dead tissue that can be regenerated as needed, Kelgians are incredibly appearance conscious. They hate getting wet or dirty, and the mere thought of damage to their fur causes them visible distress. The concept of a "haircut" is the stuff of Kelgian horror stories and individuals with extensive fur damage are social outcasts. The idea that there are other sophants in the universe with "dead" immobile fur on their bodies creeps Kelgians out. A running joke in the books is Kelgian characters visibly expressing strong emotions by twitching their fur in various ways.
Physical Description: Cylindrical caterpillar-like body with 12 pairs of stubby, thin, hairless legs, each terminating in a small, twin-toed, slightly flexible sponge-like pad. Toes lack toenails or other bony terminations. Four pairs of short, hairless, flexible arms, each terminating in a three-fingered nailless hand, extend from the upper portion of the torso. Two pairs are arranged relatively close to the head.
The head is cone-shaped, with delicate, tightly-grouped facial features. Four thin eye stalks are topped by bright, beady eyes. Two hearing antennae. They have two orifices in their heads; a small mouth used exclusively for eating and tasting and another orifice exclusively used for breathing and smelling.
Their skin is pink, including their heads, hands, and feet. Their backs are covered with beautiful, thick, fine, constantly-rippling, silver fur which increases in thickness from the neck to the tail and ends in a short tufted tail. They also have thick, silvery fur on a chest pad which covers the upper portion of their torso. Injured areas of fur are stiff, yellowish, and lifeless. While it is possible to apply prosthetic fur to damaged areas, it lacks the mobility and luster of living fur.
They move with a vertically undulating gait, humping along like a caterpillar while holding their upper torso erect so they form a sideways “S” shape as they travel. They also prefer to rest and sleep in an “S” position, either erect or lying down. When eating, working, or scanning their environment, they rear up on their two hindmost sets of legs, holding themselves partially erect so they form a “question mark” shape when viewed from the side.
Their voices sound like small foghorns, and their native speech consists of growls, hisses, hoots, moans, whines, and whistles, which can range from low- to high-pitched. Their mouths barely move when they speak.
They don’t wear clothing, but sometimes carry equipment pouches or similar small items on their bodies.
Extra Arms (6 Extra Arms. Limitations: Short, -50%; Soft, -20%; Weak (50% of body ST), -25%) [12]; Extra Legs (18 legs (Limitations: Cannot Kick, -50%; Short, -25%; Soft, -20%; Weak (50% of body ST), -25%.) [6]; Flexibility [5]; Injury Tolerance (No Neck) [5];
Injury Tolerance (Unbreakable Bones. Limitation: Accessibility (Only to determine crippling damage), -60%.) [4]; Parabolic Hearing 2 (Limitation: Easy to Hit (hearing antennae), -20%) [7]; Racial Reputation (+1, Truthfulness, Everyone, All the Time) [5];
Telecommunication (“Fur Reading,” Telesend, Enhancements: Broadcast, +50%; Cosmic (No skill roll required), +50%. Limitations: Accessibility (Only to send complex emotions, Requires unobstructed view of sender’s fur.), -40%; Always On, -10%; Racial, -20%; Reduced Range (x1/10), -30%; Send Only, -50%; Sense Based (Vision), -20%) [9];
Terrain Adaptation (Uneven Ground) [5].
Optional Advantages: Acute Hearing [2/lvl]; Acute Vision [2/lvl]; Ambidextrous [5]; Appearance (Possibly with Universal enhancement) [Varies]; Constriction Attack [15]; Empathy or Sensitive [5 or 15]; Enhanced Tracking [5/lvl]; Intuition [15]; Parabolic Hearing [4/lvl]; Resistant (Disease, Limitation: Known diseases only, -10%) [Varies]; Silence [4/lvl]; Talent [Varies]; Temperature Tolerance [1/lvl].
Perks: Can Rear [1]; Catnaps [1]; Fur [1]; Low Stance [1]; Separate Respiratory Intake [1].
Optional Perk: Prehensile Fur [1].
Disadvantages: Arms (Cannot Punch; Short; Soft; Weak (50% of body ST)) [-8]; Easy to Read (Limitation: Racial, -40%.) [-6]; Horizontal (Limitation: Accessibility (Semi-Horizontal), -50%) [-5]; Extra Sleep 1 [-2]; Hemophilia (Limitations: Accessibility (Cutting attacks to back of torso only), -60%; Accessibility (Reduced Damage (1 HP/minute), -60%.) [-6];
Invertebrate (Limitation: Accessibility (BL is only halved, -50%.) [-10]; Low Empathy (Limitation: Only to understand deception, lies, etc. by aliens, -80%) [-4]; Missing Digit (Fingers) [-2]; Odious Racial Habit (-2, Blunt to the point of rudeness) [-10];
Optional Disadvantages: Bad Temper [-10*]; Bully [-10*]; Cannot Speak (Limitation: Only with respect to other Kelgians, -40%) [-9]; Clueless [-5]; Cowardice [-15*]; Gullibility (Limitation: Accessibility (Only with respect to aliens), -40%) [-6*]; Honesty [-10]; Intolerance (Aliens and/or Liars) [-10]; Low Pain Threshold [-15]; Oblivious [-5]; Odious Personal Habit [-5 or -10]; Pacifism [Varies]; Phobia (Dirt or Water) [Varies]; Sense of Duty [Varies]; Unfit or Very Unfit [-5 or -15].
Optional Disadvantages Related to Fur Damage: Appearance (Unattractive or Worse) [Varies]; Berserk [-10*]; Chronic Depression [-15*]; Chronic Pain [Varies]; Guilt Complex [-5]; Jealousy [-10]; Neurological Disorder [Varies]; On The Edge [-10*]; Phobia (Agoraphobia, Demophobia, Teratophobia, or similar) [Varies]; Sadism [-15*]; Shyness [Varies]; Social Stigma [-5/lvl]; Stuttering (Limitation: Only with respect to other Kelgians, -40%.) [-6]; Unnatural Feature (Damaged or Missing Fur and/or Scarred) [-1 to -5].
Quirks: Incompetence (Diplomacy) [-1]; Limited Climbing Ability [-1]; Limited Vocal Ability [-1]; No Skull DR [-1]; Non-Adaptable Hands [-1]; Sensitive About Fur [-1]; Vulnerable Fur [-1].
Languages: Kelgian [0].
Cultural Familiarities: Kelgian [0].
Skills: Area Knowledge (Kelgia and surrounding space) (E) IQ [1] - 10; Computer Operation/TL (E) IQ [1] - 10.
Features: Aliens have difficulty telling individuals apart. Estrus. Mouth barely moves while speaking. Nudity Preferred. Social Stigma linked to reduced Appearance and Unnatural Feature. Taboo Trait (Compulsive Lying, Shyness, Any trait which directly relates to deception, lying, or politeness - including Acting, Fast-Talk, Detect Lies, Diplomacy, Disguise, Mimicry, and Propaganda skills). Vulnerable to Hudlar nutrient spray.
Last edited by Pursuivant; 08-24-2022 at 08:19 PM.
08-22-2022, 01:32 AM
GURPS Sector General
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