Very weird mixed species characters

[erhershman]

I am about to introduce a new player to my series, and he has his eye toward playing a mixed-species character. He hasn't actually said what two species yet, and I'd like to be prepared for any kind of weird kind of combination he may come up with- his mind works in strange ways.

So in a survey-like fashion, would the following hybrids work (genetically and biologically speaking) as well as pychologicially- social barriers etc?

Human > Andorian (thinking about this for my character, actually)
Ferengi > Anything
Vulcan > Andorian
Human > Bolian
Tellarite > Human

and on and on...

ALSO, POST THE WEIRDEST MIXED SPECIES-HERITAGE CHARACTERS YOU OR YOUR PLAYERS HAVE EVER COME UP WITH ON THIS THREAD. THANKS!

[StyroFoam Man]

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[Perrryyy]

Lately, I've had the idea for a medical nurse modeled after Margaret Houlihan from M*A*S*H*. Her character was described by Dr Friedman as "six shades of passion looking for an exit"

To that end, I think she'd be:

Vulcan/Betazoid
Vulcan/Centauran
or
Vulcan/Deltan

[Ineti]

Just a couple silly combinations off the top of my head... (and I apologize profusely - it's late and I need some sleep)

Antican/Selay (weird for weird's sake)
Bolian/Andorian (true blue!)
Pakled/Vulcan (just imagine!)
Vulcan/Klingon

[redwood973]

While mixed characters can be fun, I would assume there would be some limitations. After all, a horse/donkey mating makes a mule. . .which is unable to produce offspring of its own. And no mattet how alike we are. . .human/primate mating would produce no offspring at all.

The Antican/Selay species are so unalike I would think offspring in their case would be totaly impossible. . .

but as this is RPG (and Sci-Fi at that) I guess it would not be too far out their to eventually see a species having mated with that silicon based rock thing from TOS

[Dan Gurden]

On a connected note... Are there any species that narrators wont allow?

On the whole I tend to allow most mixed species, but will deny any that simply do not match.

Now the arguement has been run to death about the pros and cons of the mixed species abilities and even existance, however I run my games on established canon, and while Sex is vaguely compatible between the vast majorities of species, not every species would be compatible for propogation, there are extremes that I would start to draw the line.

I will consider most combinations on a case by case basis, which is considered around various personal conceits;

Extremes in body chemistry - While not a total block, after all if Vulcan/Human hybrids can exist then most combo's are possible, especially with advanced medical sciences... But single cell protoplasm and humans... Possibly not.
I am also tempted to put Vulcans and Bolians in this camp, but they are on the hazy middle ground. The aformentioned Slay and Anticans - Lizards and dogs... Genetic problems along with a desire to kill each other on sight... I think were safe from that combo... Even the fish guys from Pacifica, definatly Cetateans, all significantly different from the humanoid norm to make propagation dificult...

However this is from the humanoid viwpoint, someone that wants to play a Pacifican/Cetatean hybrid would probably be allowed... And far more interesting than most.

Species Interactions - Again a minor consideration, but harkening back to the Selay/Antican mix, we are aware that there are many species that hold differing politcal/religious/social ideas from each other.

In my opinion the vast majority of these mixed species would need to be supported by a back story to support the character (preferably one that gives plot). Sometimes this can cause problems, for example I once received a character that was reliant on the Vulcan Mother mating with the Klingon Father due to pon farr, but in my universe Vulcan women dont suffer the pon farr, the 'blood fever' is brought about by the Psionic connection between mated Vulcans. and so the character didn't work, although in another game it would work perfectly well...

Taking it too far - If a player attempts to take more than two species by going back to their grandparents, they may well end up with a slap. No, reaaly I had one of these in the past, but the player was simply trying to get the pluses to make them a munchkin and I didn't allow the character (and by his choice) the player into the game. Munchkins dont scare me, I simply raise the bar to where they become ordinary...

Similarly, the other way, with a sngle mixed species grandparent has 2 choices, as discussed in the recent thread elsewhere. The player can chose to make the gentics colour or substance, having a visible feature, but no real alteration to the template, just to make the character stand out slightly would be colourful, and not have them charged the 6DP for the mixed species template.

Should the player want the points, then its simply a mixed species advantage following the same rules as a half breed.

The only thing thats sacred... - Is that which is accepted as canon. Those mixed species that have been seen on screen. I still prefer a little more back-story, who doesn't, but the on screen evidence at least support that such genetic drift is capable of occuring in the Star Trek universe...

[Robbert Raets]

Ferengi/Iconian
Dolphin/Vulcan
Cardassian/anything (they shouldn't have killed Ziyal)
Klingon/Smurf
Vorlon/Shadow {Warning! Alternate Universe Error #476}
Talaxian/Kazon
Robin Lefler/Wesley Crusher Mwuhahaaha!

[StyroFoam Man]

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[Dan Stack]

Hi I'm Dan Stack, Moderator-Man. You may remember me from such exciting threads as "If you think there are xxx in Starfleet, YUR A MORUN" and "VOYAGER RULZ, TOS DRULZ!!!!"

I think it is time for this thread to get back on track to something within the bounds of reason. Please take the Smurf/Klingon hybrids to Star Trek or General Chat. We now return you to your normal discussion.

[StyroFoam Man]

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[C5]

Well.. Trek flavour, maybe ?

Mixed characters are fairly common in Trek... it seems every series (save Enterprise for now) has its share of mixed guys (amongst regulars or semi-recurring).
The Advantage is a bit costy, but count it as the price to have a "special" character, with curious background and abilites.

[redwood973]

My other post on this topic has had me thinking of an idea, but not sure as to if it would fly or not. I had mentioned: A horse and donkey offspring is a mule; which is unable to produce offspring of its own.

We have seen a Human/Klingon trying to deal with the conflict of its two, often opposing, natures. Would a character unable to produce offspirng due to the odd mix of its parants prove a good source of story for a character?

I tend to see the character having the problem of constantly asking, "why am I here." I mean the main goal of all life is to produce offspring. So anyone think this could develope into anything?

[Ineti]

My apologies for starting to veer this topic off-subject.

I definitely think there is story potential for a mixed species PC who cannot procreate due to his or her parents' lineage. Depending on how it was played out, the PC could hate the parents, or one or the other. It could certainly be interesting, and as a Narrator, I can see many ways to torture the PC.

[calguard66]

Slightly OT, but it's to make a point...

In my MERP game I have a character that's a half-dwarf... human and dwarven parents (created with the help of magic in Saruman's breeding pits). Anyway, I let the player do it for the story, but she had to pick dwarven or human stats... essentially the fact that she as half-dwarven was only a role-play issue, and didn't have any effect on the actual game mechanic. She chose Dwarven stats. (Incidentally, as far as she knows she's sterile... essetially she's a Mul from Dark Sun)

So, in LUGTrek would you allow an mixed race character... say Human/Vulcan... to use only one set of stats or the other and not pay the "mixed heritage" cost?

[Ineti]

I think that's a great idea. I love it when players say "I want to bend the rules this way and play this kind of character, but I don't want to do it for additional advantages or more points." When players make this kind of effort to better their character without messing with the stats, that's great.

I would bend the rules for any superior character concept. The characters are more important than the numbers, IMO. If the system can't be adjusted to allow any character concept a player comes up with, the system isn't worth using.