Dominion Races ... CODAfied

[Calcoran]

At first I was thinking "Dominion Minions" as a title for the thread, but it's a pretty bad pun so I decided against it .

So, as promised, here are Vortas and Jem'Hadars. I tried to make them rather balanced (resp 12. and 13/14 picks), but as genetically engineered races, there is of course a few things they're very good at ... and a few things they're pretty ill suited for.
That said, I tried to create them so that it would also be possible for a PC to play one, for instance in a post-dominion war campaign. IMbnmsHO, if roleplayed well, such a character could lead to very interesting roleplaying sessions, with their Belief being questioned, their purpose in life, and so on.
A small seed for instance: The Jem'Hadars are a genetically engineered race, created for the sole purpose of fighting for the Dominion. If the Dominion, under Odo's influence, becomes more peaceful, the Jem'Hadars would not be needed anymore. But one can't (or can, for that matter) argue that the Jem'Hadar are a unique specie and have a culture of their own. Do the Founders have the right to decide the future of this race? Wouldn't be stopping their production in the cloning facilities a bit akin to genocide? Well, those are just a few ideas that could be used for a campaign in de Gamma Quadrant .

Anyhow, here are the races:

[Calcoran]

Vortas

• <B>Personality:</B> Vortas are often perceived as deceitful, treacherous, and cunning. They can indeed be all this. They are also said to be unreliable. Which is false: most are quite reliable, but to the founders only. The Vortas are the diplomats and the administrators of the Dominion. They have been genetically engineered to fulfill these purposes. Hence, they have very methodical minds, minds that have very little place for things like sentimentalism, aesthetics, and the like. This does not mean that they repress their feelings like the Vulcans do, but rather that evolving as a clone, having all one's memories (and quite likely education) downloaded from a previous clone, and living in a society where feelings (apart from devotion to the Founders) have no place does not encourage sentimentalism. Similarly, the Vortas (and more globally the Dominion) have only heard of a concept called "Ethics" ... as something that their adversaries used to make winning more difficult. If the Vortas are deceitful, treacherous, manipulative and cunning, it is simply because it is often very efficient in diplomacy.
  
• <B>Physical Description:</B> Vortas are rather slender, often graceful humanoids. They tend to be somewhat smaller than the average human. Males as well as females are usually between 1,60 and 1,75m. Most Vortas have black or brown hairs, that they comb in a very unique way (that my English fortunately doesn't enable me to describe). Their eyes range from blue to lavender. They have long, pointy ears with horizontal ridges, ears that curve from the jawline up to the top of their head. The Vortas have inherited from their distant ancestors the fact that they were mostly nocturnal creatures, which explains their usually pale skin, weak eyes, and very sharp hearing. As a result of the Founders' genetic manipulations, Vortas are immune to most poisons, but also have a rather poor sense of taste. It is unknown whether Vortas are capable of procreating. The fact that males and females exist seems to indicate that this might be possible, however, this part has more than likely been neglected by the Founders during the genetic resequencing of the Vortas' DNA, which means that procreation would probably need to be assisted medically.
  
• <B>Homeworld:</B> Vortas are said to originate from the planet Kurill Prime, although the exact location (and the existance) of this planet remains to be established.
  
• <B>Culture:</B> The Vortas do not have their own culture as such. They once were a race of tree-dwelling, ape-like species. An injured Founder stumbled into their forest one time, and a family of Vortas sheltered him. As a reward, the Founders later genetically enhanced them and made them the diplomats and the leaders of the Dominion's army. Some would say that the Dominion <I>is</I> their culture. Nowadays, the Vortas have no family structure. There exist a few "breeds" of Vortas, some more diplomatically oriented, some more tactically gifted, some even with telepathic powers (a rather new creation from the Founders) and they are cloned as the need for a new one arises. When a clone proves efficient, it is given a name, and is then granted service into the Dominion. If it dies, a new clone is activated or created. A clone's memories are "downloaded" into his sucessor at the demise of the predecessor. Clones routinely backup their memories at the cloning facilities to ensure that no important data is lost. However, memories of defective clones are purged from the memory bank and a new one is activated. Defective clones are considered a threat and are eliminated as quickly as possible by their sucessors. Except in those circumstances, the Founders seem reluctant to have more than one clone of the same stock alive at the same time. The reason for this is unknown.
  
• <B>Language:</B> Dominion.
  
• <B>Common Names:</B>
  + Family: None.
  + Male: Borath, Deyos, Keevan, Weyoun, Yelgrun.
  + Female: Eris, Kilana, Luaran.
  
• <B>Favored Profession:</B> Vortas are a key part of the Dominion. As such, they often become Diplomats, or enter what would be the equivalent of the Starfleet Command or Operations branch. They also are said to have good Scientists, specially in the field of genetics, although of course their talent will not reach that of the Founders.
  
• <B>Species Adjustments:</B> Pres +1, Int +1, St -1
  
• <B>Species Abilities:</B>
  Note:
  Although not created "ex nihilo" as the Jem'Hadar were, the Vortas are a genetically engineered race. Therefore, they haven't developed any "cultural" abilities like the Klingon Honor, etc. However, their race was specifically bred for a few given purposes, which makes them particularly well (alt. ill) suited for specific tasks and environments.
  <B>Bonus Edges:</B>
  + Skill Focus:
  Keen Hearing,
  (pick 4 of the 7 following: )
  - - Diplomatic,
  - - Eloquent,
  - - Natural Leader (Persuade +2),
  - - Persuasive,
  - - Seductive,
  - - Tactical Genius (Tactics +2),
  - - Administrator (Enterprise(Administration) +4),
  + Exceptionnal Concentration OR Meticulous,
  + Command (being leaders of the Jem'Hadars),
  + Excellent Metabolism (Vortas are immune to most poisons),
  + Psionic (optional, see "Eris" below)
  <B>Compulsory Flaws:</B>
  + Poor Eyesight (Observe(Spot) -2, Investigate(Inspect) -2),
  + Poor Chemoreception (Observe(Smell&Taste) -2),
  + Cloned (No childhood (use Academic Upbringing for Personal Development), procreation impossible without medical assistance),
  + "Uncrafty" (?) (Craft -2: Vortas are rather unable to appreciate (and even less create) art. This can be bough off, as this has more to do with education than genetics, whatever Weyoun might have believed),
  + Devotion (Founders),
  <I>(if Psionic: ) (see "Eris" below)</I>
  + Weak Mind Shield (Vortas are not allowed the Mind Shield skill. Moreover, they suffer a -2 to their rolls when attempting to resist psionic intrusion),
  + Limitation to Allowed Psionic Skills: Empathy, Psychic Burst (limited telekinesis (over 2-5 meters), circuitry overload (2d6 rounds offline, devices with a strong power cell like phasers might explode), ... <I>{Simple: Throw a leaf or an insect away, overload a small and unshielded device; Routine: Throw a small object away, overload a small device (padd, etc.); Challenging: Throw a rather heavy object away or a small object in any other direction, overload a reasonably shielded device (door mechanism for instance); Difficult: Throw a humanoid away, overload well shielded devices (holding cell's force field, phaser); Virtually Impossible: Throw a very heavy object away, move an object in a precise pattern, overload powerful and strongly shielded devices (who said a warp core?)}</I>). Other skills could be learnt (at the Narrator's discretion) but this shouldn't be easy.
  
• <B>Notable Vortas:</B>
  + Eris: When commander Benjamin Sisko made first contact with the dominion and the Vortas, he met Eris. Or rather, Eris met him in an attempt to infiltrate the Federation. Eris was indeed feigning to be a fugitive trying to escape from the Jem'Hadar. When she, Quark and Sisko were captured, she asked them to remove the Jem'Hadar telekinetic suppression collar she was wearing, and helped them escape with her psionic powers. The Jem'Hadar allowed them to return to the Alpha Quadrant with Eris as a spy. Fortunately, Quark had dismantled the collar and found out that it contained nothing but a complex lock mechanism, which ruined the attempt.
  Now comes the question of the alleged psionic powers Eris had in "The Jem'Hadar" and that no other Vorta ever displayed after that. Some have argued that Eris was carrying some kind of technology that allowed her to simulate them. Frankly, this seems to be a very big flaw in an otherwise well designed plan. If Eris hadn't indeed possessed psionic powers and if the Dominion hadn't simply been using the fact that she did, why the heck would they have needed to invent something like that? It'd have been easier to put a flaw in the force field, a flaw that Eris would have happened to know. Not to mention that it'd have been much more believable. But then why didn't any other Vorta display this kind of faculty? Well, my take is that Eris is in fact a rather new breed of Vortas, that the Founders accidently stumbled upon in the late 2360s. This breed type has limited psionic powers (empathy, psychic burst). At first, the Dominion thought they'd make ideal spies, and thus sent Eris to spy on the Federation. However, it was soon learned that this kind of Vorta was quite unable to shield it's thought to older, more powerful psionic species. Unfortunately, the Alpha Quadrant was teeming with psionic races, like the Vulcans or the Betazoids. It was thus decided to send only more conventional Vortas to the Alpha Quadrant, and to keep the new breed for the Gamma Quadrant for the time being (at least until this weakness was overcome). By the end of the Dominion War, the Founders haven't achieved anything new, and it is quite unlikely that Odo encourages this kind of research in the future.
  Anyhow, this leaves both options open: depending on what you plan, your Vortas can be either psionic, non-psionic, or a mix of both. As you can see, psionic Vortas are not much better off than their brethren: I tried to balance the additional powers, which makes both a viable choice (the race should be worth 12 points or so).
  
  + Weyoun: Weyoun was that most famous Vorta in the Alpha Quadrant. He was in charge of the Dominion invasion force in the Alpha quadrant ... he died quite a few times, killed by himself, Worf, and Garak. The last time seemed definitive, but there's no telling with this kind of villain . Oh well, there'd be a real lot to say about him, but you'd be better of reading the ST Encyclopaedia I guess, so that's it.

[Calcoran]

Jem'Hadars

• <B>Personality:</B> The Jem'Hadars are the soldiers of the Dominion. The Jem Hadars live to fight. Fight for the Dominion is the only thing that they seem to be able to enjoy, and the oath they recite before going to battle is quite revealing of their psyche and dedication: "I am dead. As of this moment, we are all dead. We go into battle to reclaim our lives. This we do gladly because we are Jem’Hadar. Remember, victory is life.". Yet, somehow, the Jem'Hadar seem to have developed some kind of personality in spite of that. They respect strong warriors like Klingons and strong opponents. They despise the weaks and the cowards. And they, alone in the Dominion, seem to be able to grasp the concept of honour. They obey Founders' and Vortas' orders to the letter, even when the order leads to certain death, because "It is the order of things".
  
• <B>Physical Description:</B> The Jem'Hadar are fearsome warriors. They are heavily built humanoids with obvious reptilian traits. Their scaly skin ranges from dark grey to a shade of bluish grey. They have long black hairs that they usually tie in a kind of pony-tail, and most have grey, brown or yellow eyes. Their faces and necks have bony and often spiky ridges along the browline, skull, and jawline. Babies are cloned in Jem'Hadar cloning facilities, and grow to their full size within days. They are operational in about 3 or 4 days, and rarely live more than 15 years.
  Almost all Jem'Hadars lack a vital isogenic enzyme needed for survival, an enzyme they find in a drug that the Founders feed them. This drug is known as Ketracel White, or simply White. It also increases the Jem'Hadars concentration faculty and dispenses(???) them from having to eat, dring, and sleep. Lack of White induces in the Jem'Hadars a destructive rage that ends up by death. This is a dependence specifically engineered by the Founders to reinforce their control over them.
  
• <B>Homeworld:</B> The Jem'Hadars have no homeworld to speak of. Unlike the Vortas, they are a fully genetically engineered race, and do not stem from any original specie.
  
• <B>Culture:</B> When speaking of the Jem'Hadar culture, it is rather difficult to differentiate between what's been implanted by the Founders, and what's "original". As for the Vortas, the Dominion somehow is the Jem'Hadars' culture. The Founders genetically created them. As such, the Founders are their gods. This, even if most Jem'Hadars have never actually seen a founder in their limited life span.
  Unlike the Vortas though, the Jem'Hadar have been given a rather strong cultural identity by the Founders, a culture that sometimes surpasses the Founders expectations and often puzzle their Vorta leaders. So that they would be easier to control, the Jem'Hadar have been given somthing similar to a code of honour, ironically not unakin to the Klingon traditions. Like the Klingons, Jem'Hadars live for the fight. Like the Klingons, Jem'Hadars consider it honourable to die in combat. It is an honour for them to be allowed to serve the Founders in doing so. Unlike the Klingons, they have been genetically engineered to achieve this, which is why very few Klingons respect the Jem'Hadars. Unlike the Klingons, the Jem'Hadar who manage to survive and reach old age is respected and listened to.
  The Jem'Hadars are usually put in units of 9 soldiers. The most capable is the Jem'Hadar First. He controls the whole unit. Immediately under him is the Jem'Hadar Second, who commands all soldiers below him, and in turn the 3rd, 4th, and so on until the Jem'Hadar 9th. When the first is killed, the Jem'Hadar Second usually takes his place at the head of the unit, etc. Obedience is one the primary virtues in the Jem'Hadar unit, and failure to comply is usually punished by death.
  
• <B>Language:</B> Dominion.
  
• <B>Common Names:</B>
  Family:
  Male: Not applicable.
  Female: Not applicable.
  
• <B>Favored Profession:</B> Jem'Hadar are once and foremost soldiers. Only a few get to develop into something else. Those that run the Dominion's heaviest ships are allowed to enter the Dominion equivalent of Starship Officer with the associated EP. Similarly, Jem'Hadar Firsts (and sometimes Seconds) may have lived long enough to enter a Starship Officer EP, or a Special Forces EP.
  
• <B>Species Adjustments:</B> Pres -1
  St +2, Vit +1, Ag +1
  
• <B>Species Abilities:</B>
  + Shroud (A technique based both on the subspace biotransposer cells present in the Jem'Hadar's skin (a trait from the Tosks that the Founders genetically implanted them) and the intense concentration allowed by the White: the Jem'Hadar are able to render themselves invisible to normal eyes, as well as most man-held scanning devices. This comes at a price: A shrouded Jem'Hadar cannot move faster than a careful walk nor attempt any action that requires the mind to focus in any way. Shrouding also consumes white (1 min shrouded needs the equivalent of 1 hour unshrouded), which explains why Jem'Hadar low on white have difficulties to shroud (Jem'Hadars who manage to shake their addiction to White lose temporarily their ability to shroud, until they manage to regain the required concentration again). In game terms, shrouding requires a test based on the Willpower reaction. Difficulty is 5 when under white influence, 15 otherwise. When successful, it gives a +10 bonus to hiding when completely motionless, and +5 to hiding and stealth when moving very slowly, and that even if the searching party has sophisticated devices like tricorders at hand). Note: Another way to emulate shroud in game terms could be to make it a psionic skill ...
  + White (With White, the Jem'Hadars need not sleep, nor eat, nor drink. They tire very rarely (Fatigue penalties are applied at one level lower than their actual level). Of course, Jem'Hadars not addicted to White do not qualify for this.)
  <B>Compulsory Flaws:</B>
  + Devotion (Founders),
  + Addiction (Ketracel White, level 2: Jem'Hadars must consume White a least once per day),
  + Short Life Span (about 20-30 years),
  + Cloned (No childhood (simply use Military Upbringing for Personal Development), procreation impossible).
  
  (As presented here, the Jem'Hadars are a 13 or 14 points race, depending on how you rate the Shroud ability)
  
• <B>Notable Jem'Hadars:</B>
  + Goran'Agar: One of the Few Jem'Hadars whose genetic makeup included a mutation that enabled him to survive without White. He then attempted to free his men from the White too, believing this was due to the influence of a specific planet's atmosphere. When he (and Dr. Bashir) failed to achieve this, he decided to handle his rampaging mens alone.
  + Remata'Klan: Jem'Hadar third, his unit and Capitain Sisko's crew got stranded on the same planet. Informed by Sisko that he had been betrayed by their Vorta supervisor, he chose to lead a hopeless fight against the Federation crew and die rather than not obeing his orders.

[Calcoran]

Errm ... isn't there a way to indent one's posts? I keep trying to do this and vBulletin keeps ignoring my indentations ...

Anyhow ... comments? Thoughts? I know I didn't put the Founders in there ... I found them a little hard to emulate so that they would be suitable as a PC ... and as a matter of fact I see them more as a plot device most of the time ... but I'd be interested to see anyone's take on a CODA version of the Founders.

[Karg]

Nice work!

Now for the tricky part, How about the Founders?

Karg

[Calcoran]

Aawww come one, the Jem'Hadars and Vortas <I>were</I> tricky! Do you think assigning stats for a genetically engineered race so that it stays balanced is easy?
Those youth nowadays! No respect for hard work! Aaaalways wanting more!

[qerlin]

Like 'em. Like 'em a lot.

coda-fy...man, we're all getting mileage outta this...

[tmutant]

The hard work is much appreciated. Personally, I consider the Founders more of a plot device than a character race.


Jem Ha Dar and Vorta are useful especially since I just started a post Dominion War Gamma Quadrant campaign.

[CaptainMatt]

Im running a Dominion War series, and this is pretty close to what I have. But yours is nice and nearly typed out so I printed it out and stuck it in my NG so I wont lose them. Nice Job.

And Hey, I havent even came up with something for the Founders, even though they have appeared in my series.