Caitians for Coda

[Sea Tyger]

Modem: No, I haven't read any of the New Frontier novels...nor any book that didn't include RPG rules, Machiavelli or Harry Truman in the last few years. Kinda sad really, except for the fact that I've learned some really neat gaming systems in the last couple of years.

I actually based the Caitian lifespan off of FASA info...they listed the critical age for Caitians as 45, about 10 years less than humans. Another reason for it was to play off of the "nine lives" thing. It's entirely possible that Caitians have a name for each decade of their lives...things might be expected of them in society at each stage.

The way I play Karlinarsti is that he uses a lot of Cait-centric references (and he curses regularly...being in his 40s and having been part of Starfleet for over a quarter-century -- started out enlisted). Kayt-no-Kayt, in the treatise above, is a phrase that referrs to the fact that Mother Cait is in everything (there is not a creature who falls to the earth without the Great Mother guiding its spirit into the afterlife). Literally, it means "heaven and earth," but modern Caitians use it in the same respect as Judeo-Christians use "Oh, my God!"

In general, he replaces "man" with "cat" in his thought and speech, and uses "kitten" to refer to anyone who's younger than he is. And when someone pulls a cat reference from Terran slang, he usually just rolls his eyes...even when it's true.... I did try to include a lot of feline traits in Karlinarsti (aloofness, grace, curiosity), including his purring when experiencing something intense (like a back rub...Karl loves backrubs, but purring isn't limited to pleasure...recent studies have stated that cats also purr in negative situations, like pain). Of course, Karl purring sounds like two deckplates grinding together, but that's something else entirely.

I'll write Karl up (and set him in the 2370s...the game I play him in is set in 2414). If anything, it'll be a good excercise in starting off with an enlisted character.

And no, I don't call Caitian martial arts "kitty-kwon-do."

toadkiller: The trivia thing fits perfectly with my "romantic" worldview of Caitians. I had thought about including something similar to that in the racial abilities, but decided instead to go with the "Artistic" ability and leave the rest to roleplaying.

Some people, though, may have a hard time not running when a Caitian brandishes her claws...

PS -- Thanks to everyone's interest and kind thoughts on my work. I was glad I could share it with you all. I plan on posting much of the stuff I create with the Decipher rules, and I always enjoy discussion and constructive criticism. Look for Karl here in the next week or two.

[Sea Tyger]

Child -- 1-7
Young -- 8-14
Adult -- 15-55
Old -- 56-85
Very Old -- 86+

Aging effects are described on Table 8.2, p. 145 of the PG.

[Imagus]

I love this stuff!

Well done, that man

One minor niggle, you state that the government is a parliamentary-style democracy and the leader can order new elections, then imply that the Clans get a vote each in the Assembly. Is it their representatives that are elected? Do Clans tend to split themselves on political lines or unite behind one candidate? If the latter, is an election actually relevant?

[Sea Tyger]

You're right, it's a little contradictory, isn't is? Well, I've never let a little contradiction stop me...

The clans are made up of a number of families, and yes, some hold elections. Each clan is allowed to choose the way they select their representatives, within guidelines established by the CA.

It is innacurate to say that the constitutional monarch can call for new "elections." What I should have said (and what I meant) is that the monarch can dissolve the Cabinet and force the CA to hold new elections for the Prime Minister and his/her Cabinet. Again, this hasn't happened in nearly 200 years, since the CA is pretty good at dealing with wayward PMs and Cabinet ministers.

On a side note, I have Karlinarsti finished, and will post him within the next couple of days....one, note, though: I created him using the rules I settled on for enlisted characters, including a couple of promotion-like edges I created (and will post on the Enlisted rules thread). Stay tuned!

[Imagus]

Originally posted by Sea Tyger
You're right, it's a little contradictory, isn't is? Well, I've never let a little contradiction stop me...

'Fraid I always take close note when a non-Brit says "the system is like that of England" or something similar. Our system is a little more complicated than it looks, and people in this country frequently get it wrong!

For reference, this isn't very close at all - unless the Assembly and Parliament are separate institutions. If so, perhaps the Parliament might be elected on a constituency basis (by region), and the Assembly appointed by clan heads? Dissolutions and re-elections would only apply to the Parliament.

Incidentally, the British Queen can't dissolve Parliament, only the Government (Prime Minister and cabinet), thus forcing the re-election of the Prime Minister by the House of Commons (a Vote of Confidence). Usually the PM chooses to go to the country for a General Election to reinforce his mandate at that point.

Originally posted by Sea Tyger
The clans are made up of a number of families, and yes, some hold elections. Each clan is allowed to choose the way they select their representatives, within guidelines established by the CA.

It is innacurate to say that the constitutional monarch can call for new "elections." What I should have said (and what I meant) is that the monarch can dissolve the Cabinet and force the CA to hold new elections for the Prime Minister and his/her Cabinet. Again, this hasn't happened in nearly 200 years, since the CA is pretty good at dealing with wayward PMs and Cabinet ministers.

On a side note, I have Karlinarsti finished, and will post him within the next couple of days....one, note, though: I created him using the rules I settled on for enlisted characters, including a couple of promotion-like edges I created (and will post on the Enlisted rules thread). Stay tuned!

I look forward to it all!

[Sea Tyger]

Name: Karlinarsti (Clan Name: Fekiista Khalir)
Species: Caitian, Gender: Male, Age: 43
Ht.: 173 cm, Wt.: 66 kg, Eyes: Green, Mane: Dk. Brown
Pers Development: Engineering Brat, Pro Development: Enlisted Crewman
Profession: Enlisted, Elite Profession: Starship Engineering Officer
Advancements: 40

Attributes (rolls: 10, 10, 9, 9, 7, 4, 4, 4, 3)
Strength 9 (+1) Agility* 12 (+3) Intellect* 9 (+1) Vitality 9 (+1) Presence 4 (0) Perception 7 (0)

Reactions
Quickness +4 (+6 Dodge) Savvy 0 Stamina* +3 Willpower +2

* favored attribute or reaction

Initiative +4 Defense 10 Courage 6 Renown 4 (0/+7)^ Health 11

^ +7 renown bonus for Starfleet personnel and others who understand the significance of Karlinarsti's commendations

Species Abilities
Cat's Grace, Natural Weapons (claws), Traditional Weapons, Artistic (Craft), Night Vision edge, Reckless flaw

Professional Abilities
Rounded (Science, Armed Combat/Rakun), Engineering Expertise (Propulsion Engineering, Impulse Systems Specialty, +5 bonus), Engineering Certification, Jury-Rig, Miracle Worker, Technophile, System Overhaul, R&D Specialist (Construct/Repair, +5 bonus or half time)

Edges
Curious (pers dev), Commendation 1 (x5), Commendation 2, Innovative (Rounded x2, Technophile, R&D Specialist), Chief Petty Officer (x2), Famous Event (USS Axanar incident), Commission, Ally (Lt. Cmdr. Elise Dalmore), Promotion 2 (Lieutenant), Command 1

Flaws
Slow Healing

Skills
Armed Combat/Rakun 4 (+6), Athletics 2 (+3), Computer Use 5 (+6), Construct** 9 (+9/+14), Craft 1 (+4), Propulsion Engineering (Impulse Systems) 12 (+18), Systems Engineering 11 (+12), Structural Engineering 6 (+7), Gaming 2 (+3), Culture (Caitian) 3 (+4), History (Caitian) 3 (+4), Religion (Caitian) 3 (+4), Specific World (Cait) 3 (+4), Language/Caitian 4 (+5), Language/Federation Standard 2 (+3), Observe 1 (+0), Persuade 3 (+3), Energy Weapons 3 (+5), Repair** (Impulse Systems) 12 (+12/+17), Physical Science 9 (+10), Survival 3 (+3), System Ops 9 (+9), Unarmed Combat/Caitian 4 (+7)

**Number after the slash reflects bonus, if taken, given to Construct and Repair for R&D Specialist professional ability

Background
Karlinarsti was born to Niraolo and Kiranarsti of Cait in 2335, the third kitten in a litter of four. Niraolo was an enlisted engineering specialist in Starfleet (eventually retiring at the rank of Warrant Officer), and Karl followed in his father's footsteps in 2351 when he joined to become an impulse propulsion specialist.

His first assignment was to the Constellation-class exploratory cruiser USS Richtofen, where he gained some notoriety 2353 when he led a group of crewmembers in painting the ship bright red. Karl was officially reprimanded, but the captain kept the paint scheme until hostilities broke out with the Tholians later that year.

Midway through the Tholian War, Karl was transfered to the Merced-class light escort USS Samuel Gompers. He served as assistant chief engineer in a department led by a chief petty officer. The small warship, with a crew of 50, performed admirably during the war, and Karl eventually earned his engineering officer certification. He was promoted to Chief Petty Officer in 2362.

The following year, Karlinarsti transfered to the venerable Excelsior-class heavy cruiser USS Hood. His reputation as an engineering specialist grew, and Karl was commended further when his expertise helped the chief engineer repair the engines in a skirmish with Orion pirates.

Promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer, Karl transfered to the Intrepid-class criser USS Axanar in 2371. The Axanar saw a lot of action in the Dominion War, and Karl flourished in the combat environment. When the Axanar was being pummeled by Breen and Dominion warships in one of the closing battles of the war, Karl and a small group of engineers held the ship together under withering fire, long enough for most of the crew to evacuate before they set the warp core to explode.

Karl was rewarded with a commission, and an assignment to Starfleet's newest Akira-class cruiser, USS Montana. Karl has since been promoted to Lieutenant and serves as Chief Engineer.

Advancement Notes
2351-2352 2 advancements
2353-2360 16 advancements
-- 2355: Commendation 1, 2358: Commendation 1
-- 2359: Starship Engineering Officer Elite Profession
2361-2366: 6 advancements
-- 2362: Chief Petty Officer 1, 2366: Commendation 1
2367 2 advancements
2368-2372 5 advancements
-- 2371: Chief Petty Officer 2, 2372: Commendation 1
2373-2375 6 advancements
-- 2374: Commendation 1
-- 2375: Famous Event, Commendation 2, Commission
2376-2378 3 advancements

[Sea Tyger]

Originally posted by Imagus
...snip...

Incidentally, the British Queen can't dissolve Parliament, only the Government (Prime Minister and cabinet), thus forcing the re-election of the Prime Minister by the House of Commons (a Vote of Confidence). Usually the PM chooses to go to the country for a General Election to reinforce his mandate at that point.

Ah, my mistake. I probably inserted Parliament in my mind when I learned about the monarch's powers. My apologies.

Being second generation from England and a self-proclaimed Anglophile, you'd think I'd know better. Obviously, I need to go back and study the British parliamentary system a little more...

Back on subject, there is no separate parliament from the Clans Assembly; the CA is the legislative government and chooses the Prime Minister. Much of the politics is in coalition building. Smaller clans will align themselves with larger and more influential ones, and the cabinet will have a similar look to the various voting blocks that develop within the CA itself.

The Caitian monarch, then, reflects the British monarch in his ability to dissolve the sitting Cabinet, forcing new PM elections within the CA itself. The rules are more parlimentarian in that respect, in that elections can be called earlier than the PMs term in office (which is not the case in the US...the US government has a set line of succession should the president resign or be removed from office against his will {death, impeachment, incapacitation}...the new president would be sworn in for the remainder of the term, and the next election cycle would begin on time).

[Sea Tyger]

Edited the character and bumped. Karlinarsti reflects my house rules on enlisted crewman characters.

Jump to: http://forum.trek-rpg.net/showthread...&threadid=4485 for my enlisted rules.

[Imagus]

Originally posted by Sea Tyger
Being second generation from England and a self-proclaimed Anglophile, you'd think I'd know better. Obviously, I need to go back and study the British parliamentary system a little more...

No offence taken - just trying to make a confusing system clearer I have the advantage of having a friend who works as an assistant/adviser to one of the more controversial government ministers...

Incidentally, I made a mistake too - I kept substituting Parliament for House of Commons. Parliament is both the Commons (equivalent to the House of Representatives) and the House of Lords (mostly hereditary aristocracy, althought that's changing as we speak). In most republican systems the Assembly/Senate (appointed or elected by individual states/regions) takes the place of the Lords. In ours, all the real power technically lies in the Commons, but is wielded by numerous House Committees appointed from various MPs and Lords.

Re: the Caitians - I love it all! I think one option might be for the Monarch to select a PM from the CA representatives. With veto power in the hands of the Assembly, this could lead to some interesting politics as the PM attempts to balance between the desires of the Monarch and the Clans. The coalition-building would still be there, but would be much more likely to form along old alliance lines, with new mutual interest lines forcing a lot of fluidity in the balance. This is similar to our system about three hundred years ago!

[Sea Tyger]

Originally posted by Imagus
Re: the Caitians - I love it all! I think one option might be for the Monarch to select a PM from the CA representatives. With veto power in the hands of the Assembly, this could lead to some interesting politics as the PM attempts to balance between the desires of the Monarch and the Clans. The coalition-building would still be there, but would be much more likely to form along old alliance lines, with new mutual interest lines forcing a lot of fluidity in the balance. This is similar to our system about three hundred years ago!

Excellent idea, Imagus! I've edited the government section of Caitian culture (page 1 of this thread) to reflect that.

[Imagus]

Originally posted by Sea Tyger
Excellent idea, Imagus! I've edited the government section of Caitian culture (page 1 of this thread) to reflect that.

Bows...

You're welcome!

I still rankle at the idea it's very similar to the UK though!

[Sarge]

Somehow, I managed to not see this thread back when it was new. Great stuff, Davy, my compliments. I may have to print out this entire thread to and add it to my TrekRPG files.

Only quibble I have is that 0.1 kg seems awfully light for a parrying dagger, even if it is only 20-23 cm, especially compared to a 1.5 kg sword. Unless the dagger is made out of some exotic high-strength light-weight material, I'd adjust it to about 0.5 kg. That would put it in the same ballpark as the parrying daggers used in SCA rapier duels.

BTW, if you want to do some real world research on rapier-and-dagger combat, you could go to http://www.sca.org and see if there's a group that practices near you.

[Sea Tyger]

Originally posted by Sarge
Only quibble I have is that 0.1 kg seems awfully light for a parrying dagger, even if it is only 20-23 cm, especially compared to a 1.5 kg sword. Unless the dagger is made out of some exotic high-strength light-weight material, I'd adjust it to about 0.5 kg. That would put it in the same ballpark as the parrying daggers used in SCA rapier duels.

BTW, if you want to do some real world research on rapier-and-dagger combat, you could go to http://www.sca.org and see if there's a group that practices near you.

Looking at that description, it doesn't look right. That might have been a typo...I'll check that out.

As far as the real-world research goes, I don't have the perception or agility of a Caitian, so I'll stick to my fencing.

(Sarge, dou know that your sig looks like it was written by Yes? )

[Sarge]

Nothing wrong with fencing; that's the first form of swordplay I ever learned. I still have a foil that I pick up and play with occasionally. It's unbelievably light and fast compared to a rapier, and about an order of magnitude faster than a rattan broadsword. I have to admit I preferred epee and sabre, but all of us were expected to master the foil before moving on to the fun weapons.

Sig by Yes? No, sig by Sarge.

Hmm... Sig by Sarge. Sounds like my own private line of designer sigs. Maybe I should copyright that phrase.