To Seek Out New Lifeforms...

[Pope]

I would also like to extend my praise. Awesome job here. Quick Q, I was thinking of converting species from TSR's defunct Alternity/Star*Drive setting... would this thread handle them?

Cheers,
Pope

[Michael Barratt]

Originally posted by Pope
I would also like to extend my praise. Awesome job here. Quick Q, I was thinking of converting species from TSR's defunct Alternity/Star*Drive setting... would this thread handle them?

Ayup! Any source for ideas is more than welcome here. Trek-ify them if possible, and cite your source, but otherwise, toss 'em in as an idea for the pool

The Doc

[Michael Barratt]

The Frunalians

A race with great interest in things scientific, the Frunalians maintain strong family ties that are evident in nearly all levels of the government and culture, right down to their methods of space travel.

Attributes
Fitness 2 [5]
Coordination 2 [5]
Intellect 2 [5]
- Logic +1
Presence 2 [5]
Psi 0 [5]

Skills
Any Science (Choose Specialization) 2 (3)
Computer (Choose Specialization) 1 (2) - or - Shipboard Systems (Choose Specializaiton) 1 (2)
Culture (Frunalian) 2 (3)
History (Frunalian) 1 (2)
Language: Frunalian 2
World Knowledge (Frunalia) 1 (2)

Typical Advantages/Disadvantages
Patron +2 (Family Head), Contact +1 (From a different family)

The Frunalians have a heritage that grew from distinct family Houses, born originally from Clans. Their family crests are always worn (indeed, one of the larger crimes in Frunalian society is to wear the wrong crest for the purpose of disguise). While this led to a council for a unified world government with one seat per large family, once the Frunalians gained warp drive, there was a further result: instead of producing large multi-family ships, the Frunalians made ships staffed and crewed by only one family.

Often, multiple ships from the same family travel in "Clan Groups," especially the more scientifically bent of the Clan Families. Their ships are rarely larger than size 3 or 4, with a "head of Clan" ship of size 5 (and, rarely, 6). A unified, many-family space port does exist within orbit of Frunali, but most major families also maintain small shipyards of their own. Technology is openly traded between family lines, but some clans have more advanced technology in certain areas than others.

Physically, Frunali appear very much like most humanoids, with a series of brow and forehead markings that tend to form similar patterns in similar genome structures (Clan House Fanair, for example, tend to have reddish-brown markings that appear as symmetrical chevrons, for example, whereas Clan House Balial's markings are redder and more like curled line fragments). One thing common to most Frunali is a thirst for "making sense of things." This bent for logic is well-known, often considered "Vulcan-like," though the Frunali put as much effort into enjoying themselves as most other humanoids. Their clothing varies by family, always bears the family crest, and usually conforms to a similar colour throughout all members of that family.

All children in Fruanli culture, upon reaching young adult age, are raised with an "apprenticeship" among either the family archives, research station, scientific outposts, or a family starship. This is how they meet their patron. At the end of this two-year interval, they then spend six months on a differing family facility of similar nature, where they make a tie to another family Clan House (their Contact). This feature of Frunali culture is often cited as the one responsible for such a unified government in so fractured a system of families.

Adventure Seed
"Sibling Rivalry" - The crew's ship is sent as a diplomatic presence where a large number of Frunalian ships are gathered. A new "Family Clan" is about to be born by the marriage of two other families, and the new "Family CLan" ship - a size 5 starship - is there waiting to be boarded after the ceremony by those joining this new clan. Half-way through the ceremony, it explodes, killing many of both families who were on board preparing the ship for its upcoming occupation. Was the destruction wrought by one family or the other, or a third party like one of the youths training as part of their time in another clan? Before the small fleet of ships go to war, the crew must uncover the culprit - and decide what to do with the information once found, especially when they uncover the explosive device originated on their own ship...

[Pope]

How many points are used to create an alien species? Is it the same as a template (50 I think)... I love RPG's, just hate numbers!

[Perrryyy]

Originally posted by Pope
How many points are used to create an alien species? Is it the same as a template (50 I think)... I love RPG's, just hate numbers!

Templates are alien species (or races), so yes, figure on using 50 points.

Figure 36 for an overlay/profession/"class".

[Michael Barratt]

Originally posted by Perrryyy


Templates are alien species (or races), so yes, figure on using 50 points.

Figure 36 for an overlay/profession/"class".

I actually just sort of "wing it." The 50-points for a template doesn't work right with some of the races in the core book, so what I normally do is "Start" with one of them, and alter from there, aiming for game balance more than a real "point" limit.

The Doc

[Perrryyy]

Originally posted by Michael Barratt


I actually just sort of "wing it." The 50-points for a template doesn't work right with some of the races in the core book, so what I normally do is "Start" with one of them, and alter from there, aiming for game balance more than a real "point" limit.

The Doc

That's actually a better method. Some of the templates in the core books are over 50, some are substantially under. Game balance should always (well almost always) take precedence.

[Michael Barratt]

The Kobliad

A race of people who require a substance, 'Deuridium' to stabalize their cell structures and prolong their life, even with the best of Starfleet Medical working on their case, the Kobliad are a dying species. The Deuridium supply, even with extra sources found in the Gamma Quadrant, is simply not enough to keep the population base of the Kobliad alive.

Attributes
Fitness 2 [5]
Coordination 2 [5]
- Reaction +1
Intellect 2 [5]
Presence 2 [5]
Psi 0 [5]

Skills
Any Sciences (Choose Specialization) 1 (2)
Bargain (Choose Specialization) 1 (2) or Merchant (Choose Specialization)
Culture (Kobliad) 2 (3)
History (Kobliad) 1 (2)
Languages - Kobliad 2
Streetwise (Kobliad, or other homeworld) 1 (2)
World Knowledge (Kobliad Homeworld) 1 (2)

Typical Advantages/Disadvantages
Medical Problem (-1: Degenerative Cell Destablization: tied to Fitness, -1 to Fitness score every two days without Deuridium shot, at 0 is death), Strong Will (+2)

Kobliad appear as mostly normal humanoids, with a dusty skin tone that pales as they go longer without their Deuridium shots. Most have black hair, and somewhat ridged forehead/facial structure. In searching for a way to prolong their lives, Kobliad medical science is quite extensive, including neurology, genetics, and especially those sciences around Deuridium and other life-extending proceedures.

Kobliad society is a strict one now, where shots of Deuridium are the main mode of control. Very solid security forces control the source, and shots are handed out in as orderly a fasion as possible. Population controls are also in effect: famlies are given regular-credit bonuses for having no more than 1 child, in and effort to tone down the population to a level where ZPG can be attained in parallel with the Deuridium supply.

Black market trade of Deuridium, despite this strict control, is likely in full swing in the Kobliad system and nearby areas. The Orion Syndicate is not above the selling of Deuridium to Kobliad in positions of power or authority, in return for a generous profit. It is worthy to note that nearly all Kobliad function in a state of cellular degeneration: most do not get the single shot they need every three days, and as a result most suffer a -1 penalty to Fitness in their day to day lives, getting only one shot every six days or so at best. Many die of this cellular degeneration.

Adventure Seed
"Life from the Skies" - A major deposit of Deuridium has been found, which is good news, but the bad news is that the source is a large rogue asteroidal comet that is on its way toward a colony world. The upcoming collision would level the place, and Starfleet has only a brief window of time to get the comet into some other direction, or simply destroy it. Confounding this already serious situation are colonists who want to blow the comet up now to be entirely safe, and some Kobliad independant merchants who are laying a claim for themselves...

The Doc

[Perrryyy]

Originally posted by Michael Barratt
The Megrim

An alien race who have unfortunately suffered a little bit of stereotyping as "Gargoyles" from humans, the Megrim are a humanoid species with a high metabolism, and the curious biochemical ability to secrete a "shell" while they sleep.

Abilities
Fitness 3 [6]
- Vitality +1
Coordination 2 [5]
- Reaction +1
Intellect 2 [5]
- Logic -1
Presence 2 [5]
Psi 0 [5]

Skills
Culture (Megrim) 2 (3)
History (Megrim) 1 (2)
Languages: Megrim 2
World Knowledge (Megrim Homeworld) 1 (2)

Typical Advantages/Disadvantages
Excellent Metabolism (+1), Rapid Healing (+1)

Megrim appear as humanoids, taller than human averages by about a half-foot, with strong, muscled frames and a skin that has evolved a natural grey-to-brown mottled earth-tone pigmentation, which is rough and calloused-feeling to the touch. Their eyes have only pupils, no irieses, and as such their "black dot on eye white" gaze tends to be a little discomforting. Their hands are clawed much like a cat, with retractable sharp claws good for scratching or piercing their shells, and their knuckles have hard boney protrusions, also used in breaking free from their shells.

The Megrim have a high metabolism that requires them to eat on a more regular basis than most - three meals a day are insufficient without "snacks" between, before, and after each of these three major meals. Regardless, at night, Megrim do not actually "sleep," but enter a deep hibernation where their metabolisms slow to almost nothing, and their body secretes a biological substance that hardens into a shell (treat this as an overnight "Toughness (+2)" advantage, adding two points of Fitness for the purposes of resisting damage. As the Megrim starts to waken, the biochemistry alters, and new secretions from the pores weakens the shell so that the Megrim can break free with ease. Megrim shell art is quite a commodity within their culture, as Megrim trained in biofeedback learn to control their secretions in such a way that they can take broken shells and with only their hands, craft remarkably beautiful artwork. The shell fragments, in history, led to early tool use among the Megrim.

Some Megrim fashion clothing from their own secretions, which they choose not to break upon waking. This "armor" where it covers them, provides an armor rating of 1, not quite as good as their overnight, thicker shell.

Megrim are actually evolved from some of the smaller pseudo-mammaliam creatures on their planet, and their "Shell" ability allowed them time to evolve into a sapient species. The Megrim homeworld is most often overcast, quite far from its star, with deeply cold nights and dim days. It is full of larger predators, and has very few herbivorous lifeforms, favoring omnivores and carnivores.

The Megrim have not joined the Federation, instead preferring to remain somewhat neutral. They do have strong contact with the Federation Merchant Marine, and have avoided trade with the Orions on several occassions.

Adventure Seed
The crew respond to a distress signal, and once they beam down, they find themselves under attack from some seemingly crazed predators who are covered in scaly, overlapping shells that protect them from most attacks. Unknown to the crew, the Megrim responded to the distress signal first, but environmental conditions on the planet have affected them biologically, and they are constantly - and painfully - producing their shell-like carapice, while becoming ravenously hungry as a result. The crew need to rescue both people...

The Doc

Ya know, until watching "Metamorphosis" from the series, I didn't realize how good this was! Nice work! I'll be joining in the fun of writing these soon I suspect

[Michael Barratt]

Any particular races y'all would like to see? I can take a crack at anything you'd like, as long as you giv me a reference and/or picture for me to work from, via a site or a book reference.

The Doc

[Perrryyy]

Pakleds, ST:TM March 2002 p 86-89
Empathic Metamorphs, ST:TM March 2002 p 90-91
Mintakans ST:TM March 2002 p 92-93

Ktarians: ST:TM March 2002 p 94-95 (and good luck explaining the differences between Etana Jol w/o "horns" and Naomi Wildman with "horns"!)

Tamarians: p 97-100 of the aforementioned ST:TM March issue

Kriosians: p 100-101

Angosians (AND the soldiers!): p 102-104

Talarians: p 105 - 107

[Michael Barratt]

Originally posted by Perrryyy
Pakleds, ST:TM March 2002 p 86-89
Empathic Metamorphs, ST:TM March 2002 p 90-91
Mintakans ST:TM March 2002 p 92-93
Ktarians: ST:TM March 2002 p 94-95 (and good luck explaining the differences between Etana Jol w/o "horns" and Naomi Wildman with "horns"!)
Tamarians: p 97-100 of the aforementioned ST:TM March issue
Kriosians: p 100-101
Angosians (AND the soldiers!): p 102-104
Talarians: p 105 - 107

I unfortunately don't have the March Issue yet, though if you look back, you can see the Empathic Metamophs (or my take on them, anyway), under the post I did on the Kriosians and the Valtese. Once I get me the magazine, I'll definitely tackle some of these.

The Doc

[Dan Gurden]

Originally posted by Perrryyy

Ktarians: ST:TM March 2002 p 94-95 (and good luck explaining the differences between Etana Jol w/o "horns" and Naomi Wildman with "horns"!)

Ktarians are covered by ICON in the players guide already.

OK, Horns and no-horns... This doesn't sound too difficult, tell me what you think.

In animal terms, horns eveolve as a defence mechanism to defend against larger predators, this implies that the Ktarian are not the largest predator on their planet, simply the most capable, thus they evolved into the sentient species.

Over time the horns have become a vestigal trace of what they once were, thus explaining Naomi Wildmans horns. As a baby the much softer cartilage/bone does no harm to the mother womb, and allows the parent to give birth with minimum damage to the mother. As the Ktarian matures the horn grows slightly and hardens until the child reaches full adult growth.

However the horns are only vestigal and no longer serve a critical part in the lives of the Ktarian. And once the Ktarian body has matured many younger Ktarians have begun to follow the fashion of 'Smoothing', having the horn/s removed leaving just a trace of the horn, but no spike. This is a fashion trend, that has caught on and is often seen as the norm by all but the most die-hard traditionalists.

So, does that help?

Originally posted by Perrryyy
Angosians (AND the soldiers!): p 102-104

Again, back to the players guide, and under the drugs and medication, you will find the drugs and processes used to create the Angosian Super Soldiers, simply apply those to a normal Human Template...

[Perrryyy]

I'd forgotten about the Ktarians when I posted. Haven't been back to the boards till now (been w/o power since Wed. night)

Good idea about the Angosians too. Makes sense.

[Perrryyy]

How about the Benkarans & Nygeans from Voyager?


Edit: Anticans & Selay.

Can you tell I'm watching eps?