The Trill Sourcebook

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Originally Posted by Owen E Oulton

The simple solution to the Trill questions is that Odan was in disguise. He wasn't generally known to be a Trill, so the forehead was surgically modified (as was the implant team's - plastic surgery is simple and easily reversed in TNG) and the whole transporter thing was subterfuge - until his injury... Occam's Razor.

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Acctually, I believe he was know as they as for him specifically.

I take the forehead Trills to be a "race" of the Trill humaniod speice. My take on them-- They werey the first to meet the Symbionts and to be their host. They used this to their advantage to become the ruling class on the Trill home world. They also claimed only those of thier group were able to host symbonts both to keep power and to keep the spotted Trills from fighting with them over the symbonts. Smart spotted Trills figure out that they too could host symbonts. Of course, they were smart enough to figure out that as was revelved in DS9 that 50% of Trills could become symbonts and created the deseption that while spotted Trills could become joined that only a few could.

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Originally Posted by redwood973

Thanks for the update, Dan.
I got a few things wrong on my quick scan of the work (for example I thougth The Joined varried from +1 to +6 giving 2 to 12 points to be used on Specializations representing knowledge from past lives [+1, 2 points represeting one past life; +2, 4 points for two past lives; so forth and so on]).

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For some reason, your description of the misunderstanding gives me another Sybiont Advantage idea...

Skilled. +1
Gives the past lifetime access to an additional symbiont skill.

need to think about that one a bit... But TBH I cant see a reason not to include...

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Originally Posted by Sarge

Let's add the finalized copy to the species databanks.

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No problem with that one...

The thing that gets me is that the TNG symbiont could be implanted into a Human for a short time, something which either never came up or which was also retconned in DS9.

The difference in the Trills' host-symbiont relationship also leads me to wonder what other reasons there could be for the two strains of differences. The bumpy-head Neanderthal option doesn't quite do it for me...

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Originally Posted by The Tatterdemalion King

The difference in the Trills' host-symbiont relationship also leads me to wonder what other reasons there could be for the two strains of differences. The bumpy-head Neanderthal option doesn't quite do it for me...

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I know what you mean. If it helps, try to think of the word 'Neanderthal' Trill as a placeholder for another yet to be made up name.

In my mind, one of the ideas that was not completely formulated was that the Bumpy head Trill were an older species, native to Trill, and where these older species died out on other worlds due to evolution, the joining helped them rise above the normal evolutionary tree.

I figured that perhaps they kept the pouch, which made it particularly reasy for the Trill to join with them, while the spotted Trill the pouch was vestigal (thus all the scenes of Surgery attached to the Joining...)

It was always a bit hazy really and in serious need of batting about for improved ideas. And this was the main reason it didn't really get addressed in any useful shape orr form. (I think the unjoined species stats had a lower INT and higher Strength,,,)

In reality, the reason for the difference is that Terry Farrell had the ridged Trill makeup test and the producers realised that it wasted the employment of a pretty actress...

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Actually, I believe he was known as they as for him specifically.

He was known to be a diplomat, but he was hiding the fact that he was a Trill. He was pretending to be the son of his last host, and Beverly had to find out his species from his records. Try watching the episode - at no point do they say "Trills can't be transported." They say Odan can't - then he has the condition and the Symbiont is injured. That is when they can't use the transporter...

Dan, I finally got to sit down with the Trill Generation work. I ended up with a three page .pdf file of notes. Nothing groundbreaking. . .just some thoughts for your consideration.

Items that I left unchanged were deleted from the file. Items that remained unchanged, but moved to another location in your text were left in black. Items added or revised appear in red. And my comments/explanations appear in blue.

I've forwarded it to your e-mail listed on your profile.

Did anyone else notice the Template is two points short? Anyone work up a fix for this yet?

Cheers Redwood. Some really good feedback in there...

OK, will do a quick revision. Not convinced with the non-canon Memory Alpha explanation for Ridged vs. Spotted, but its a way to go... What we really need is a better term than 'neanderthal trill' to describe the ridged trill, I think that it is that particular term that seems to be causing a bit of a block for myself and others... I dont however thin k I left them out unfairly, it was deliberatly left out as this was an excerpt to give out the Chargen rules rather than the full sourcebook). However a seperate box text may be a good idea for at least a tip of the hat here, this thread has rather shown the issue to be more important than it was ever meant to be...

As for the disadvanrages for a stolen/implanted symbionte, standard rules for Outcast/Hunted disdvantages would seem to cover it. But your point is sound, that should be described (and, again, probably would have if this had been a full sourcebook...)

I really like your Trill Symbiont names, those are going in, and will generally get an update (I had only included canon ones...), And 'Academic skill' is definately a better option.

And finally. 2 points short eh? OK, sounds like an Intellect edge and a +1 advantage to me...

OK. Updated with Redwoods input whichh were really useful. Now in .pdf format.

Also. As a special treat. The Starships that BrianK did way back when...

Version 1.4 will probably get some pics put in...

I was thinking about a Trill character whose last host was a thief and stole the symbiont, using the gained knowledge to make himself a better criminal. Let's call that Infamous Host -1. It's kind of the opposite of the renowned host advantage. Most people will know the last host's reputation and will watch the present host with a suspicious eye.

Dan, most excellent! Not a full sourcebook, but the most useful section of one. Excellent use of the two missing points from the Template.

I lean toward not explaining the "Neaderthal Trill" at all, however, it would be an interesting storyline to follow: a "Neaderthal" (how about Trill'a or Trilna for a name?) joined out of necesity and now dealing with being the recessive personality.

Oh, wow! Love the ships!

Sarge, excellent idea having an Infamous Host Disadvantage. Hrm, couldn't be interesting: living with the Infamous Host Disadvantage (meaning it's public knowledge whom a prevous host was), but those memories have been blocked (Suppressed Host Memory Disadvantage) and you have no knowlege of the events/actions other than what others have told you and your own reaseach of the events. Sounds like a good reason to bring a Councilor in as a PC!

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Originally Posted by Sarge

I was thinking about a Trill character whose last host was a thief and stole the symbiont, using the gained knowledge to make himself a better criminal. Let's call that Infamous Host -1. It's kind of the opposite of the renowned host advantage. Most people will know the last host's reputation and will watch the present host with a suspicious eye.

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Interesting enough to get put into the documents next revision... But lets remember that if its a stolen Symbiont' it would not be common knowledge as the Symbiosis Commission would cover it up...

However thats not to say that it cant happen, or even that the infamy is attached to wrong-doings, it might just be a negative outcome of an event that involved the Trill...

So lets see. -1 Disadvantage. But it should also include the past life (+1), so that needs to make up for a -2 points disadvantage, which would seem to imply a -4 renown.

*Infamous Past Host -1
The flip side to the Significant Past Host advantage. At one time the Trill Symbiont was associated with a horrific event. Perhaps the Symbiont was stolen (very rare, and such an event would be covered up by the Symbiosis Commission) or was involved in a catastrophic event. Whatever the reason, the Symbionts name lives on forever attached to the events, and the current host suffers a -4 negative renown (choose appropriately) because of this…

I am also going to add a new one ispired by a couple of Dax's misadventures...
*Code of Honour (Promise) -1
The Symbiont always honours promises it makes, even if these promises were made in another lifetime. Sometimes those people the promises were made to will not expect the current host to honour the initial pledge, but the character will do what they can to keep their word anyway. Trill that follow this path often remain tied to the people that were important in a previous lifetime, and as such may even risk the dangers of re-association unless they are careful… When faced with a promise made, a courage point must be spent if the character now wishes to break their word.
Note. This does not convey any promises made, and the player may choose to purchase further Obligation disadvantages to represent any promises made previously.

Given the Symbiosis Commission's track record, it's conceivable that they would try a cover-up. But it's also possible that they'd take the opportunity to publicize what an incredibly dangerous (not!) risk the thief had taken, and they might play up what an amazing person that thief was to implement such an audacious plan. Therefore, the thief proved that he was one of those exceptional Trills with the potential for joining, even though he was clearly misguided.

It's an opportunity for the Commission to emphasize their "1 in 1,000" propaganda without the potential risk of another cover-up getting uncovered.

Also, it occurred to me after I posted it that it's just a Trill-flavored version of "Shady Background."

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Originally Posted by Sarge

Given the Symbiosis Commission's track record, it's
Also, it occurred to me after I posted it that it's just a Trill-flavored version of "Shady Background."

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Not really. I tried to alter the interpretation of the idea to avoid repetition, as there is no need to reinvent the wheel.

It doesn't neccesarily reveal a criminal past, but focuses instead on negative events that linger with a bad reputation... After all, a pecies of renowned scientists, and diplomats may gain a smudge on their name if they failed in an experiment (with catastophic results) or get things wrong in a tense diplomatic situation and even if it wasn't their fault may find the blame stops there...

So yes, it could be criminal activities (which are not legally binding to the new host under Federation law) or something else.

What are the odds? Tonight's episode on WGN/CW was The Host! :cool:

Dan, I've sent you a private message regarding some changes to the box text (An Ode to Spot) for your consideration. Due to size restraints it's in two parts.