Avian Species

[ghosty]

I've been tinkering around with a species who are descended from predatory birds...comments please...

Fitness 2[5]
Strength -1
Coordination 3[8]
Reaction +1
Intellect 2[5]
Presence 2[5]
Psi 0 [5]

Skills

Athletics (choose one) 1(2)
Culture (Homeworld) 2(3)
History (Homeworld) 1(2)
Language
(native tounge) 2
Physical Science (Aerodynamics) 1(2)
World Knowledge (Homeworld) 1(2)

Traits

Low Pain Treshold (-2) - to represent their hollow bone physical structure

Zero-G Training (+2)
3D Spatial Sense (+2)

Also can someone come up with a good name for them...I've tried several but none strike me as being memorable...

[Michael Barratt]

As predator birds, I'd think maybe they'd also have the sight advantage - most predatory birds have very sharp sight for great distances.

Other than that, I like them. You might want to give them something like Claustrophobia as well, to represent a species that has never lived under a roof, or at the very least, is used to the open sky...

Do they have vestigal wings or feathers? Maybe they can "glide"?

As for a name, most species names end up meaning, "The People" or the like, so what I usually do is try to imagine what range of sounds they'd be able to produce, and go from there. There's an example of bird-people in one of the books, which they call the R'caa or something like that (and it makes me wince). Maybe something similar, yet not quite so... obvious? Umm... R'teer?

The Doc

[Perrryyy]

Nice work, ghosty!

Looks like the Alkari from the computer Game Masters of Orion.

[redwood973]

You forgot to give them the "Fly South in Winter" disadvantage.

If they are very pro-federation maybe they adopted a Federation Basic type name. . .the "Avianar's." Or how about the "R'tors" or even the "T'doktels."

[Dan Gurden]

Originally posted by ghosty

Zero-G Training (+2)

I am not 100% sure on this. I am sure I heard something about a bird in sero G on one of the orbiting missions, and the loss of gravity drove the bird haywire and unable to fly...

Of course I might even have simply convinced myself of it, so ignore me if I'm wrong.

[ghosty]

Originally posted by Dan Gurden


I am not 100% sure on this. I am sure I heard something about a bird in sero G on one of the orbiting missions, and the loss of gravity drove the bird haywire and unable to fly...

Of course I might even have simply convinced myself of it, so ignore me if I'm wrong.

The zero-g training is one of the feautres of being avian. They understand the principles of manuvering in three dimensions more easily than humans and other land based lifeforms therefore they adapt to zero-G much easier...

[Sho-sa Kurita]

I've always like non-primate-based humanoids. Thoughts...

I agree with Michael on the good-eyesight issue. Actually I think I'd trade it for the Zero-G training. I think the 3D Spatial sense can be explained by their flight-instincts/abilities, but birds are programmed with "down" just as much as the rest of us (they just have the ability to counter it).

I think I'd knock Coordination down to 2 (6), but up Reaction to +2. To me, they wouldn't necessarily be more agile, just faster to react (perhaps due to their improved visual perception). Birds walking? Not so graceful.

If you don't want to lose something but wish to add the improved sight, maybe an Aggressiveness disad could also be added (predators after all)?

A name? How about the "grina" (pronounced "gree-nuh"), from peregrine?

A sidenote - one of my peeves with Icon is the attribute range. I like the attribute/edge concept, but when most everyone has attribute 2 and maybe a +/-1 edge, everyone just kind of runs together. Of course that rather fits the TV shows, but it's still boring.

Let us know which way you go.

- Daniel

[TomMarg]

Are these avian's primitives? or do they have FTL capabilities?

If primitives, i would scrap the aeronautical engineering skill, this would be more 'instinct' than knowledge.

i would agree on their vision, a +2 excellent vision advantage would be appropriate.

As for a name, I'd have to think on it a bit.

[ghosty]

Nope they're an intelligent species that reached warp capability a century (Terran Standard Time) ago and actually made first contact with the Federation when one of their ships initiated contact with a Federation colony about two decades ago.

Since then they have become provisional members of the Federation and are in line for full membership. Due to their Avian nature they make excellent strikefighter pilots and during the Dominion War, whole squadrons of Avians led Starfleet to victory in numerous desparate fight again Jem'Hadar fighters.

All in all I agree that good vision should replace the zero-G training...

[Michael Barratt]

Originally posted by ghosty
Nope they're an intelligent species that reached warp capability a century (Terran Standard Time) ago and actually made first contact with the Federation when one of their ships initiated contact with a Federation colony about two decades ago.

Since then they have become provisional members of the Federation and are in line for full membership. Due to their Avian nature they make excellent strikefighter pilots and during the Dominion War, whole squadrons of Avians led Starfleet to victory in numerous desparate fight again Jem'Hadar fighters.

All in all I agree that good vision should replace the zero-G training...

I like - I also think it would be interesting if their ships were like tiny scaled down multi-vector-assault type ships - a "flock" that could break up and attack, then reform back together to fly away en masse...

Their avian mindset might have them thinking that way.

The Doc

[Sho-sa Kurita]

I thought about a flocking ability too, but remember these guys are based on birds of prey which as a rule don't flock.

[Michael Barratt]

Oh. Right. Good point Sho-Sa.

The Doc