Alien Races in IST

[Bob Schroeck]

Not at the moment, no...
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Mamorien]

All this hitting up of old threads reminds me that I've done my own conversions of the Kyz, the Meeranon, the races from GURPS Aliens (except Mmm, whose Mindshare is still giving me trouble), and the Del Karva, Gyre and Tivaak from David Pulver's "Cybermech Damocles" (due to an IST/Black Ops mash-up world Chris Davies came up with, which suggested combining the Confederation with Damocles' Galactic Hegemony for added crossover value). I was working from the GURPS Update guidelines for the most part, which is why I'm pretty sure I got different point values for the templates than the others who've contributed them. Anyway, here as a teaser are our host's own contributions, plus the Traders (because they're specifically named as likely Confederation material).

Kyz [45]
Attribute Modifiers: IQ +1 [20], DX +1 [20], HT-1 [-10].
Advantages: Acute Vision 3 [6], Attractive [4], Empathy (Telepathic, -10%) [14], Reputation (unconcerned with rank or status; +1 from those of lower Rank or Status) [5], Telepathy Talent 1 [5].
Disadvantages: Reputation (unconcerned with rank or status; -1 from those of higher Rank or Status) [-5], Shyness (mild) [-5], Truthfulness (12) [-5].
Features: Taboo Traits (Berserk, Bloodlust, Bully, Combat Reflexes, Compulsive Behavior, Fat, Intolerance, Toughness).

Meeran [73]
Attribute Modifiers: ST +2 [20]
Advantages: Acute Hearing 3 [6], Acute Taste and Smell 3 [6], Combat Reflexes [15], DR 1 [5], Mind Reading (Telepathic, -10%) [27], Telepathy Talent 1 [5], Telesend (Telepathic, -10%) [27].
Perks: Fur [1], Temperature Tolerance 1 [1].
Disadvantages: Code of Honor (Meeranar) [-10], Duty (to clan, 9) [-5], Impulsiveness (12) [-10], Overconfidence (12) [-5], Sense of Duty (to clan) [-10].
Features: Taboo Traits (Combat Paralysis, Double-Jointed, Hemophilia, Intuition, Magery, Sadism, Split Personality, Xenophobia).

Trader [28]
Attribute Modifiers: ST -2 [-20], DX -1 [-20], IQ +2 [40].
Advantages: Dark Vision [25], Doesn't Breathe (oxygen absorption, -25%) [15], Insubstantiality [80].
Disadvantages: Absent-Mindedness [-15], Code of Honor: Business Ethics [-5], Compulsive Behavior: Trading (12) [-5], Fanatic: Trading [-15], Hideous [-16], Impulsiveness (12) [-10], No Sense of Smell/Taste [-5], Odious Racial Habit: Extremely bizarre behavior
[-10], Truthfulness (12) [-5], Weakness: Iron [-20].
Racial Skill: Merchant (IQ+3) [12].
Racial Skill Bonus: Freight Handling +1 [2].

[Bob Schroeck]

Cool! Thanks for posting those!
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Mamorien]

You're welcome. Any of the others you'd be particularly interested in?

[Bob Schroeck]

Mmm. Rynkarians from "SuperTemps"?
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Mamorien]

And you would of course pick the only one I hadn't done. Oh well, as they say on SCANALYZER, there's no time like the present for things to happen in.

The "Abilities" section of Timekeeper's writeup says that his ability to boost his strength and speed is part of the Rynkarian racial package, the strength being boosted further in the case of Clan Rynkom by selective breeding and further yet in Artral's specific case by "various treatments" presumably meant to help him fulfill his duty as a Kwindkom. I've accordingly toned down the strength considerably. (It doesn't say whether his mind shield, and/or his Vulnerability to electricity, be part of the package as well, so I've missed those out for now, along with any attribute modifiers. Anyone with current contact information for Mark Johnson and/or Sean DeLap is invited to get in touch with them for clarification on those points.)

Rynkarian [87 points
    Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: Basic Speed +6 (Costs 4 FP per minute, -20%; Psionic, -10%) [84].
    Advantages: Enhanced Move (Ground) 1 [20], Enhanced Muscles 4 (Costs 4 FP per minute, -20%; Psionic, -10%) [23].
    Disadvantages: Vulnerability x2 (Electricity) [-40].

Finally revised to take Mark's notes into account. Edited again to combine Lifting ST and Striking ST increases into the Enhanced Muscles meta-trait from p.BIO213. Further updates as events warrant.

[Mark Skarr]

As I said in post #22, there just isn't enough data to accurately create the racial template.

The book states "Like all Rynkarians, the Timekeeper is able to boost his strength and speed through an act of will."  In that same paragraph: "The boost ability is partly psionic in nature, so it leaves a trace other psis can detect."  Hence the psionic limitation should be applied to the advantages.

As it also says that his was further increased by his eugenics program, we don't know what the base-line Rynkarian has.  It also states "greater inherent and potential strength than others of his race" which doesn't clarify if they mean direct physical strength or application of ability.

Timekeeper's Combat Reflexes wasn't linked to his Basic Speed--it was a stand-alone advantage.  There's no way to know if it was part of his Racial Template or not.  I would assume he gained in during his training.

I'm betting, though, his 2d Vulnerability to Electricity is racial.

ETA:  And the ST is totally different.  In 4e, TK's base ST would only be 17.  His boost would only give him a +8 ST (+9 if you're feeling generous).
ETA2:  Derp!  I saw this and, twice, forgot to mention it (because I'm derpy sometimes).  You'd only need the Lifting/Strking ST to cost 2 FP each the way you're doing it.  Otherwise, you're charging 8 FP per use of the Enhanced ST.

[Mamorien]

Revised Rynkarians are forthcoming. In the meantime, I've picked up Supers Adventures from W23 and am working up racial packages for the Raveners (from "Jupiter Blues") and the Zyrani and Shindaroth ("The Web of Zyrane"), even though neither of those is necessarily IST canon. (Okay with you, Bob?)

[Bob Schroeck]

Oh, sure, have fun. Why should I be able to tell you what to spend your free time doing?
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Mamorien]

Revised Rynkarians are here (see above), and here are some "friends" to go with them! First, because Chris specifically name-checked them in the Ultra-Tech thread, and because they come with a bonus courtesy of CJ Carella:

Kronin [79 points]
Attribute Modifiers: DX +1 [20].
Advantages: DR 1 [5], Danger Sense [15], Fatigue Attack 1 (Malediction: Size and Speed, +150%; Telepathic, -10%) [24], Mind Reading (Telepathic, -10%) [27], Mind Shield 1 (Telepathic, -10%) [4], Telepathy Talent 1 [5], Telesend (Telepathic, -10%) [27].
Disadvantages: Bloodlust (12) [-10], Code of Honor: warrior [-15], Fanatic: warrior's code [-15], Honesty (12) [-10], Sense of Duty to unit [-10].
Racial Skills: Beam Weapons (Pistol)-IQ+2 [4]-12, Broadsword-DX [2]-11, Karate-DX [4]-11, Shield (Force)-DX+1 [2]-12.

Tierneju yiKronin [13 points]
Prerequisites: Telepathy Talent 1+.
Skills: Broadsword, Free Fall, Judo, Karate, Shield (Force), Stealth, Throwing.
Techniques: Arm Lock, Back Kick, Feint, Spinning Attack.
Cinematic Skills: Breaking Blow, Power Blow, Pressure Points.
Cinematic Techniques: Flying Jump Kick, Lethal Kick, Lethal Strike, Pressure-Point Strike.
Perks: Acrobatic Feints, Acrobatic Kicks, Technique Adaptation (Feint).
Optional Traits
Advantages: Damage Resistance, psi powers with the Telepathy limitation.
Disadvantages: Code of Honor (warrior), Sense of Duty.
Skills: Acrobatics, Beam Weapons (Pistol), Jumping, Knife, Staff.

(The Meeranon presumably have a similar style, which this could represent with a little adjustment.)

EDIT to fit the format used in Pyramid #3/69's "Mind and Body" article.

[Mamorien]

And, because I can't believe I didn't think of them sooner, I dug out my PDF of GURPS Shapeshifters, and here we are:

Enyyna [834 points]
Attribute Modifiers: DX +2 [40], IQ +3 [60], HT +4 [40].
Secondary Characteristics: HP +8 [16], Basic Move -3 [-15].
Advantages: 360° Vision [25], DR 50 [250], Doesn't Breathe [20], Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30], Immunity to Radiation [15], Injury Tolerance (Homogenous) [40], Morph (Improvised Forms, +100%; Unlimited, +50%; Mass Conservation, -20%; Needs Sample, -5%) [225], Reputation +2 (as philosophers and deep thinkers, galaxy-wide) [10], Social Scientist 1 [10], Temperature Tolerance 5 [5], Unaging [15], Unfazeable [15], Universal Digestion [5], Very Fast Regeneration [100].
Disadvantages: Charitable (12) [-15], Chummy [-5], Invertebrate [-20], Monstrous [-20], Pacifism (Total nonviolence) [-30].
Quirks: Attentive; Broad-Minded; Find most off-Go'h'elaan planetary environments dull; Staid. [-4]
Racial Skill Bonus: +2 to Philosophy [2]*.
Sport (lens) [+20 points]: Replace Pacifism with Megalomania [-10].

* EDIT: Includes the +1 from Social Scientist.

Subtracting the cost of Morph, the Enyyna template is worth 609 points, which is actually above the 500-point limit of the 3e version, but I decided not to buy it down with limitations.

[Mamorien]

I wonder how this racial package compares with the one Ken Hite (would have) worked up for Reality Mameluke...

Gormelite [1 point]
Attribute Modifiers: ST +2 [20], HT +3 [30].
Advantages: DR 1 [5].
Disadvantages: Bad Temper (12) [-10], Bully (12) [-10], Greed (12) [-15], Overconfidence (12) [-5], Paranoia [-10], Reputation (fight-happy primitive screwheads, -2) [-10].
Racial Skills: Axe/Mace-DX [2]-10, Brawling-DX+2 [4]-12.

[Bob Schroeck]

Thank you! Reading an Enyyna template again makes me wonder if Conqueror has gotten too used to being a binocular humanoid over the past few decades, and if he'd have problems readapting to his base form...
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Mamorien]

Good question. How urgently it needs an answer depends on how much coverage you decide to give Krypton-3 in the finished product.

[Bob Schroeck]

All the Krypton parallels are summarized on a single page; that chapter is relatively short. So... not much.

Of course, I always have hopes of resurrecting the entire Super Rebels project... if SJG bites on IST25, maybe I'll repitch that as a PDF.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Mamorien]

After some consideration, I can state that sounds like a plan to me.

Also, it occurs to me that K-3's divergence from K-1 and -2 may be Conqueror surviving the destruction of Dinalvar. (Shapeshifters says his was a narrow escape, after all...)

[robkelk]

All the Krypton parallels are summarized on a single page; that chapter is relatively short. So... not much.

Of course, I always have hopes of resurrecting the entire Super Rebels project... if SJG bites on IST25, maybe I'll repitch that as a PDF.

The current Line Editor had not even heard of Super Rebels until I mentioned it on the SJGames forums last year. I don't know whether that's a good sign or a bad one...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Bob Schroeck]

Heh. It is a dead project from 20+ years ago, after all...
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Mamorien]

I just had a cockamamie thought. (Actually, I've had it before; this is just the first time I've remembered it while I was sitting at my computer.)

We won't be able to use the GURPS Aliens races exactly as written because we'll need to work out their racial superpowers. (Most of them, anyway; the psi-powers of the Kronin and Banduch, for instance, are known quantities.)

[Last Free Human]

Is it established that all sapient species have super powers? Or is it only the ones that the Seeders helped?

The Markann for instance may have bred any such things out of their species as they tinkered so much that they made it impossible for them to even breed. The crab-thingies (too tired to remember the name) have sonic blast as their racial gift. The Geronians (if I am remembering correctly) wiped most of the species out in a cataclysmic atomic apocalypse and the survivors may simply have not had any gifts.

M
Michael R. Smith (lastfreehuman@gmail.com)
GURPS IST Aleph Wordpress (http://istaleph.wordpress.com/)
GURPS IST Aleph Twitter (http://twitter.com/IstAleph/)
Trek This! Wordpress (http://dthiller.wordpress.com/)
My Blog (http://lastfreehuman.wordpress.com/)

[Mamorien]

Is it established that all sapient species have super powers? Or is it only the ones that the Seeders helped?

Good point, but we don't know how much overlap there is between those sets for post-Seeder species.

The Markann for instance may have bred any such things out of their species as they tinkered so much that they made it impossible for them to even breed.

Actually, the tinkering is what made it possible for them to breed after the female Markann got wiped out in the war, but that's only a minor nitpick on my part.

The crab-thingies (too tired to remember the name) have sonic blast as their racial gift.

The Verm, and true dat.

The Geronians (if I am remembering correctly) wiped most of the species out in a cataclysmic atomic apocalypse and the survivors may simply have not had any gifts.

It's possible (and it's Gerodians).

BELATED EDIT: "got been"? How in Harold's name did I only just now notice that?

[Bob Schroeck]

I never said one way or another. However... I cannot see the Seeders as being omnipresent, and they must have gotten their idea for racial powers from somewhere. Off the cuff, I'd say that no more than half the current races in the Galaxy are Seeder products.

However! It is obvious to me that it is not that case that Seeded means automatically Has Powers, or vice versa: there are non-Seeder races with powers (as the Bestiary makes very clear, one species' super power is another's everyday ability), and Seeder races that never needed to evolve powers (or somehow evolved out of or past them).
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Mamorien]

http://www.warehouse23.com/products/gur ... -sparrials

When I feel I can spare the money, I mean to pick it up and see how much alike Beth and I were thinking. (And to see the template for presumed future GURPS Aliens books, at least one of which I'd like to write.)

Also, notice that "sparrial" is now capitalized as a common noun, as per Systems Alliance rules.