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I once used the aliens. From 'Aliens'. Complete with molecular acid for blood. If you shot them with the phaser set too high they blew up, spraying the surrounding area. They were very resistant to stun effects also. Transporting them created problems. (Acid in the pattern buffer) Crew members get implanted with chest-bursters, the aliens run around the Jefferies tubes. Lots of fun.:D
I wouldn't use the races directly although one of the NPC's in a ST:TNG game (the Counsellor) was a Deltan who was the world's most blatantly frelling obvious Zhaan (from Farscape) ripoff.
What can I say, I have no pride and no-one at the group had seen Farscape.
I had to retire the NPC when one of the players came to the game with the entire first season of Farscape on DVD (the lucky blighter had bought them in a 2 for 1 sale, and the swine still won't lend me them).
Ah, but did they ever make the connection?
Being an otaku (anime fan), I found a number of aliens from various anime series which fit quite well into the Trek Universe. Among those races I considered most appropritate have been the following:
- The Jurai (from Tenchi Muyo!)-A race of humanoids that coexist with a race of sentient trees....their starships are grown from similar trees and utilize powerful "lighthawk wings" for attack and defense.
- The Raalgon (from Irresponsible Captain Tylor)-Warlike humanoids using "living" starships...have pointed ears similar to the Romulans but more humanoid.
- The Abh (from Crest of the Stars)-A species of blue haired, genectically engineered humanoids with a particulary distincetive culture and language....the author of the novels on which the series is based has given the Abh a well-developed background, society, culture and language. I found this race particulary works well in the Trek universe.
A lonnnng time ago,
in a galaxy farrrr farrr away (back when we were chomping at the bit for the "To Boldy Go" book), I had planned to write stats for races from games:
Wizardry
Felpurr
Rawulf
Rattkin
T'rang
Dane
Helazoid
Mook
Munk
Umpani
Gorn
Masters of Orion
Bulrathi
Alkari
Sakkra
Darlok
Klackon
Meklar
Mrrshaan
Psiloid
Starflight
Thrynn
Elowan
Veloxi
Gazurtroid
Minstrels
Uhlek
Spremin
Mechaans
Mysterions
Alas, I never got around to it :p
I've taken a few races from other sources - like Dan, I've a soft spot for the Vargr from Traveller, so they're available as PCs in my game. Gurrrps, also in my Relic campaign, is a Slarg from Tri-Tac Games' Fringeworthy with an unhealthy dose of Gordon "ALF" Shumway thrown in.
I've used the Ridley Scott/HansRudi Giger Alien in my game (replaced the wee beasties from the Traveller adventure Shadows with 'em. Nasty surprise for the players who thought I'd merely 'ported the adventure into my Trek game.
And I've got plans for a renegade offshoot of the Trill called the Goa'Uld. Bwah-hah-hah-hah!
How about using stuff from Dune? Sure they were all humans, but were more advanced physically (and sexualy) than anything human other sci-fi has.
How about a version of the dirty Tleilaxu and the Bene Gesserit sitting somewhere in the Gamma quadrant? With Ix and the Fish Speakers lying around. Also Arrakis/Rakis sitting somewhere there. Better yet, some sort of Anomaly (:/) brings your PCs right in the middle of the actual Dune universe.
I was thinking of a campaign concept, where Trek ships at a certain sector at a certain time from 2740's to 2770's were transported to the SW Universe and appear together at the same time. Instead of Voyager, where they try to get home, they know right away they should just stay and colonize. The first problem: They've transported to the Corporate Sector. The second problem: they don't have hyperdrives. The third problem: They have no money! (Or concept of money... maybe I should include a Ferengi vessel)
Speaking of DUNE, I once had an away team beseiged by those giant worms. The fun part was watching (and listening) to them make up thier own problems. I never said anything about the surrounding rocks preventing beam-out...they assumed it and never scanned the area. They also assumed the darn thing was phaser-proof. They also thought they were cut off from the ship...wrong again. Eventually the ship beamed them up and they assumed (once again) that the engineer had chaneled the transporter through the warp drive (or something to that effect) and gave the guy a commendation.
You want to really upset your players...velocoraptors...yes, you read right...velocoraptors. No other dinosaurs...just raptors. They're just as much fun to sick on your players as 'ALIENS'...although no face-huggers and chest bursters.
Velociraptors? They show up real well on tricorder scans and are susceptible to stun. If you find a way to suppress the PCs' technology, then yeah, they're pretty nasty. You'd also have to address why there are no other dinos about, given your scenario.
Adventure Seed
Possibly the 'raptors are being carried on a cargo ship to a zoological exhibit or an experimental facility (hey, not everyone's as enlightened as the Federation!), and the ship is caught in an energy damping field (maybe of natural origin, maybe deployed by pirates intent on stealing the rest of the cargo). The PCs happen along and attempt to render aid, but find themselves trapped - can't beam out, can't communicate with their ship - fun ensues. Make sure they have their dice handy and plenty of blank character sheets. An alternative to 'raptors might be the wee beastie from David Drake's novel Killer, or the critter from the novel and movie The Relic (hey, I like the title!).
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As I ran the HansRudi Aliens, they didn't show up on tricorder scans unless you thought to scan for disturbances in the environment surrounding them, like "microchanges in air density." They were also impervious to stun - nothing less than setting 4 on a phaser would damage them, and anything less than 8 would blow holes in them, spreading that nasty molecular acid around. Of course, setting 8 on a phaser eats power like crazy. This made them a close approximation in their lethality to what we saw on screen in Alien and Aliens.
Here's a nifty one:
Why not introduce the Mechalus, from Alternity... they're a humanoid species who embrace cybernetics and nanotech much as the Borg do, save that they're near fanatical about their individuality and control over their negative emotions. They'd be a great species to introduce in the wake of all the Borg activity lately.
Physically, a mechalus (pronounced “mech-ahlus”) can be mistaken for a human if the viewer only catches a glimpse or if the area is shadowy. Averaging about 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighing around 198 lbs, the mechalus has the general shape and size of a human. On closer inspection, however, the similarities are quickly outdistanced by the differences. Veins of
circuitry weave with flesh and blood to form a totally synthesised body. The mechalus’s hair is a combination of protein strands and filaments of cable and wire. Even the skeleton has been
reinforced with super-strong synthetic material, and bony protective plates can be seen beneath the bio-organic flesh at the shoulders and across the chest.
Mechalus have he same range of emotions as humans, though they tend to try to downplay hostile or aggressive emotions. They were once responsible for the annihilation of another
species, and since then they have made a conscious and constant effort to suppress or regulate their negative emotions.
Perhaps the hardest aspect of mechalus for humans to get used to is their ability to merge with computer systems. While the mechalus can easily employ standard computer interfaces, they
have the unique ability to personally connect to computer systems. Filaments extend from fingers, snake into the computer in question, and form a solid link between body and machine.
This link gives the mechalus speed of thought access to the computer system, and more precise control than any manual interface can provide. With a natural affinity for technology and
computers, mechalus make excellent engineers. They aren’t limited to this profession, however, and can be found filling the ranks of a variety of roles.
The Mechalus have very ordered minds, which translates into a strictly structured society and an equally organised outlook on life. Although they think with the precision and logic of a machine,
they are highly emotional people who work exceedingly hard to promote their positive emotions and subdue their negative ones.
In a tense or dangerous situation, mechalus are likely to remain calm and logical; it’s not difficult for them to suppress all their emotions when they deem such action appropriate or
necessary. But in a climate of relaxation or celebration, their emotional pendulum can swing to the other extreme – to humans, it seems as though they are making a special effort to appear cheerful or jubilant. The mechalus don’t consider
their behaviour at such times to be exaggerated; strong displays of positive emotion, when the situation permits, are simply their way of demonstrating (to themselves as well as members of other species) that mechalus are more than just machines encased in biological bodies.
Velociraptors? Try the mehook, one of the races I ported from the Fusion comic book of the late '80s. Intelligent, feathered dinosaurs of the raptor stripe. I posted somewhere around here in one of the CODA races threads.Quote:
Originally posted by Owen E Oulton
Velociraptors? They show up real well on tricorder scans and are susceptible to stun. If you find a way to suppress the PCs' technology, then yeah, they're pretty nasty. You'd also have to address why there are no other dinos about, given your scenario.
Since the Centauri have been for the most part ignored by ST our game uses the Centauri from B5. . .toned down a bit to make them loyal and valued members of the Federation. If ya search this message board ya might come across the write up we did for them when we first started using the B5 Centauri in our game.
And when we start up our game here again (after a YEAR off) we will introduce a new race. . .not sure which yet. . .from SW and will use the medical frigate from SW V & VI as their standard class of space craft. . .we are still working on this however and not sure what direction it will take.
OK . . . I'm going to throw it out there. Where are my spacefaring Smurfs?
And did anyone see that SNL skit of Anna Nicole Smith as Smurfett?
I'm guessing, short, blue, wearing Mandalorian armor & has Gargamel's cat frozen in Carbonite...Quote:
Originally posted by JALU3
OK . . . I'm going to throw it out there. Where are my spacefaring Smurfs?
And did anyone see that SNL skit of Anna Nicole Smith as Smurfett?
In one Trek game on the far side of a wormhole, I used the Zhodani from Traveller. I filed off the serial numbers and put them in rubber masks, and gave them "Movie Era" technology with a few twists. (Warp accelerated lasers, vectored thrust impulse engines, and only rarely having access to transporters) The whole concept of Telepathic Thought Police got the crew's panties in a wad. They pretty much assumed that the Tlechoq (As I renamed them) were a "villian race".
I tend to rip-off Traveller a lot.
The traveller universe has a LOT of races that can plug into Trek very well.
In fact I use the Vilani (traveller) cultural model as the basis for the Orions in my Trek Universe (basically an ancient space-faring culture that has fractured and degenerated to the point where they are a minor power comprised of competing guilds and houses...basically the vilani culture post 'rise of man' in Traveller).
Also I think the Vargr, the Aslan, and the Droyne make great STREK races.
In the TOS game that I run I use the Darrians a fair amount as well.
Basic idea.
Take badass aliens from other games, drop them down to warp 1-3 (in TOS time) give them a half a dozen worlds and let the Federation run into them. Always fun.
besides Traveller, I'll probably steal some from Blue Planet, and Farscape actually has a few races I think I might include...
hmmm other than that, I'm not sure where else I steal ideas from