Rules for mixed species... broken?

[Tomcat]

Okay, per the Player's Guide - to have a mixed species, you formulate two sets of attributes with the species mods and then you take 4 from the dominant and 2 from the non.

Using the Pick method, here is what a player of mine came up with...

Vulcan
STR 7+1=8 (+2) = 10
AGL 10+2=12
INT 7+3=10 (+1) = 11
VIT 5+0=5
PRE 4+0=4 (-3) = 1
PER 9+2=11

Human
STR 5+0=5
AGL 7+1=8
INT 7+2=9
VIT 10+2=12
PRS 9+3=12
PER 4+0=4

-Picking 4 from the dominant Vulcan, he got STR 10, AGL 12, INT 11, PER 11
-Picking 2 from the non-dominant human, he got VIT 12, PRS 12

So after formulating the attributes and picking the traits from both race, here is what we get:

STR 10
AGL 12
INT 11
VIT 12
PRS 12
PER 11

If I add up the build points, the character received 52 points, out of a normal 42. He also got 13 added points opposed to the standard 8. When I roll up a normal species, I get a total of 50 points in our attributes, prior to species adjustments. This PC got a total of 65.

So, by making a mixed-species using the Pick Method, a player can create a super-hero. Has anyone run into this problem and made a work around?

Even if I held off on allowing the 8 extra picks to spread through the attributes, a player could still maximize a character by allocating stats by species so that they will always get both 10's, 9's, and 7's - which will always add up to 52 points, 10 over a normal PC.

There seems to be no fix here that I can see.

I can only see the way out as, a mixed species is generated using one set of attributes and then you'd apply both sets of species modifiers.

I'd love to hear other GM's work arounds or fixes on this.

Thanks.

[PGoodman13]

There is, in fact, a general concensus that Mixed Species is, well, broken. There are a number of proposed fixes; I'm working on my own set of alternate rules for them, and there are a few ideas in a couple of errata-gathering threads I made a few years back (search for "Player's Guide What's broken" and you should find it; if not, I'll go digging myself and provide a link).

As I find other solutions, I'll post them. But yeah, this is clearly a broken system to me, and this example is a pretty clear illustration of that.

Here's the raw text of my work-in-progress.

Rules Option: Mixed Species Characters
One of the most frequently-heard complaints about the Star Trek Roleplaying Game's CODA rules system is that the mixed species rules seem very easy to exploit and abuse. With many possible advantages and no apparent disadvantages in the rules as written, it's not hard to see how someone could reach that conclusion. This article will attempt to address this concern.

Character creation in a Star Trek RPG series is typically a collaborative effort by both the Narrator and the player. Characters of mixed species generally require even more interaction between the two. This is because a mixed species character needs a significantly more detailed backstory to explain his origin. What era is the series set in? What are the prevailing sentiments about mixing genomes at the time, and among the two species in question? What brought his parents together? Was his conception even considered a possibility by his parents? What special measures, if any, were needed to ensure his survival in utero? These are only a few of the questions that a player and his Narrator will need to ask between themselves when they decide to include a mixed species character in their series, and the answers could (and should) have profound implications on both the character's development and his role in the series.

Mixed Species at Character Generation
Once the decision is made to include a mixed species character, the player should decide which two species he wants his character to descend from. Due to the actions of the Preservers millions of years ago, dozens (if not hundreds) of species across the Alpha and Beta quadrants share enough genetic compatibility that hybrids are generally possible with a minimum of artificial intervention. Just like in the existing rules, one of the two species is considered dominant, while the other is secondary.

During the Select Species phase of character creation, the player must take the Mixed Species Edge (see sidebar) for his character. This counts as the free Edge which all characters receive during character creation; any Edges taken during the Personal Development or Professional Development phases must be offset with Flaws.

Instead of generating two different sets of attributes, as would be done under the existing rules, generate a single set of attributes (include the eight bonus points if using the pick method). If one of the species is psionic, and the character will be, too, don't forget the Psi attribute (as outlined in the Player's Guide errata). Write this set of attributes down twice. Apply one species' attribute modifiers to the first set, and the other species' attribute modifiers to the second set.

Select four attributes from the dominant species' set and the other two from the secondary species' set to provide the character with all six attributes. If the character is psionic and only one of his parents is, take his Psi attribute from the appropriate set. If both parents are psions, take the lower of the two scores (psionic ability is frequently a victim of mixed species heritage).

Mixed Species (Edge)
Your parents were of two different species. You stand with one foot in each of two worlds, giving you a unique perspective on the people and events around you.

Prerequisites: This edge can only be taken at character creation.

[Tomcat]

Thanks Patrick!

Instead of generating two different sets of attributes, as would be done under the existing rules, generate a single set of attributes (include the eight bonus points if using the pick method). If one of the species is psionic, and the character will be, too, don't forget the Psi attribute (as outlined in the Player's Guide errata). Write this set of attributes down twice. Apply one species' attribute modifiers to the first set, and the other species' attribute modifiers to the second set.

When you write down the set of attribute scores twice, are the scores assigned to the same attribute for both species? Or is the player allowed to assign the attribute scores different for each and then add species mods and pick the best 4 and 2?

I am assuming the former over the latter, but want to make sure I am getting your thoughts right.

Obviously, my concern with the latter is the player's ability to maximize with the Pick Methods base scores (meaning getting to use just the 10's, 9's and 7's).

[PGoodman13]

Thanks Patrick!

No problem; happy to help!

When you write down the set of attribute scores twice, are the scores assigned to the same attribute for both species? Or is the player allowed to assign the attribute scores different for each and then add species mods and pick the best 4 and 2?

I am assuming the former over the latter, but want to make sure I am getting your thoughts right.

Obviously, my concern with the latter is the player's ability to maximize with the Pick Methods base scores (meaning getting to use just the 10's, 9's and 7's).

The intent is certainly the former; the wording (this is a very rough draft) obviously needs some tightening up to make the words match the intent.

You start with two identical sets of stats. Each set gets the appropriate species mods. Then you pick 4 from one and 2 from another. Still prone to some jacking around, especially by skilled min-maxers, but not as bad as RAW, and you do have to burn an Edge with this method (as you had to do under ICON), so it's not quite a freebie anymore.

Still needs some work, though.

[PGoodman13]

Here's the thread in question from my earlier post. We started talking about mixed species at around post #45 in that thread, but I honestly didn't reread the thread to see what kind of conclusions we drew.