So, I've never really been happy with the species modifiers and abilities for our pointy-eared friends. +2 Strength seems strange (given that races like the Klingons only get a +1) and -3 Presence seems way overboard for a species noted for producing diplomats.
Not being much of an Original Series fan (I know, I know, shame on me!) the "Enhanced Rapid Healing" seemed kind of out of place (although my roommate assures me that Spock's ability to do this was a plot-point in a TOS episode). I understand the in-game usefulness of being able to heal rapidly, but it strikes me as more appropriate as an edge only Vulcans can buy, as opposed to part ofthe basic package.
Species Abilities
Keen-Hearing Edge, Psionic Edge, Mind-Meld Skill, Nerve Pinch
I'm also thinking of adding a Skill Focus Edge to give a bonus to mathematical calculations, since many of the Vulcans we've seen onscreen seem to be able to do very difficult math very quickly in their heads.
Any thoughts? Have any of you got alternate species templates for the Vulcans you'd like to share? Any arguments for why I should just leave them as they are presented in the books?
Personnally, I never minded the species modifiers for the Vulcans. After all, that +2 to strength is there because they're said the have "3 times the strength of humans" and the -3 in presence represents the sometimes obnoxious and patronizing aspects of vulcans' social behaviours as shown mostly on Enterprise and other shows as well. Sure enough the vulcan diplomats that we see (Spock, Sarek, V'Lar etc) are attributed with high presence and have a way with social manners but they are definetly not the bulk of the vulcan population. As for the the rapid healing, your roomate wasn't lying to you and it is a vulcan ability. They can concentrate all their efforts on the healing through the trance, it just shows how disciplined the vulcan brain is and i think it should be here by default indeed.
So yes, the abilities for the Vulcans do fit, but that's just my point of view. One of my players was, not unlike you, a bit perplexed as well, so i can understand how it could be found weird.
Now obviously if you don't like the way the vulcans are presented there's nothing stopping you from changing their stats and there's nothing i could say against you doing that. Nor would i want to. In fact i really like the way you added that Skill Focus and how you balanced the attributes, although i would put a -2 in presence in these conditions.
Tweaking the Vulcans
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