Archive through April 04, 2002
Star Fleet Universe Discussion Board: Prime Directive RPG: RPG PLAYTESTING:
Archive through April 04, 2002
Not really. If we do anything in that regard, it'll be an article in MODULE PRIME, and I have no immediate plans to write one.
It has been hinted at (especially in books, Final Reflection for example) that Spock was only possible due to artificial genetic manipulation to cause sucessful inter-species offspring.
The only other times that 'breeding' happened in post TOS, beyond the G:PD scope.
Robert
Robert: I agree.
Spock would be a candidate for both Unusual Background and Unusual Biochemistry, if not the classic example thereof. A quote from McCoy: "Jim, I swear his physiology was designed to torture me!" J
In TNG, ANYTHING could breed with anything.
I still blame a time warp and TNG for how we ever ended up with Clamatto.
Robert
The Next Generation... where Xenophilia is not just a job, it's an adventure!!
In that case, Kirk was ahead of his time... :-)
In oh so many ways.
Moving this from the Feline Empire board.
[2.4.8.2] Orions (female) [6 Points]
o Attributes: -1 ST [-10]; +1 DX [10].
o Advantages: Cool [1], Fashion Sense [5], Pitiable [5], Very Beautiful [25].
o Disadvantages: Jealousy [-10], Lecherousness [-15], Uneducated [-5]
Personally I would remove Fashion Sense and Pitiable and replace with HT+1. Higher HT is more helpful for the Sex Appeal skill.
But higher HT also gives them a lot of other things, like more "hit points" and better rolls on unrelated HT-based skills. Those two items alone are why I would resist gving them additional HT!
And don't forget that Fashion Sense can give you a +1 on reaction rolls, Pitiable can give you +3, and Very Beautiful gives you a +2 vs the same sex, and +6 vs the opposite sex!
With all those pluses going for them in bed, what do they possibly need higher HT for? 
Every single mention I've ever heard about Orion females has been along the lines of the template I built for them. Out of 20 or so people who have seen this RT, you're the first one to make a negative comment.
If someone wants to run one as a Star Fleet officer, there is no reason they cannot, as long as they buy off their three disadvantages (as they are no-nos for anyone wanting to buy an Academy template). This would mean that the RT costs 36 points, 46 if you throw in an Unusual Background like "raised by a Star Fleet officer". 46 is low, compared to some others.
I do not see any of this as a problem which makes it necessary to change the RT.
Actually my reason for not liking the RT was I've never liked Fashion Sense and Pitiable as advantages. But if they fill your needs thats ok.
Like we say in the book, repeatedly: the GM can change anything he or she wants. I'm not trying to blow off your opinion here, just saying that everybody who has seen that RT liked it; as one person said, "Green Orion Slave Girls -- woo hoo!" (you know who you are!)
I've used several of the Advantages and Disads in ways they were never intended to be used, and I expect know I'll take some flak over it. BUT...the special effect of the advantage/disad suited the game mechanic I was trying to invoke.
Pitiable is a good example of this. Veltressai Quads get "Lovers Distraction (trigger: mindshare with other Quads)" not for any cinematic reason, but because the Mindshare link they share may disrupt a member's concentration at a critical point -- like in the middle of combat. Kzinti Telepaths get "Bardic Immunity (as a Telepath)" because Kzinti society gives them the same type of "don't kill the messenger" protection which that advantage defines.
Like Norm Abrams says, use the right tool for the right job. The names may not fit, but if the game mechanics work I'll use 'em every time.
Hmm, not being familiar with the old FASATrek much, did Orion society get covered? I could swear I rememeber a supplement dealing with them.
Yes they did. Those Orions came in many different colors. Green, Gray and Orange I think, Its been a few years since I saw the supplement.
yes orions had many flavors, I have the supplement, as a matter of fact I have all the supplements
Well, we aren't allowed to use stuff that was created by them, so our orions will come in green only.
Remember: "Its not easy being green."
FASA Orions: Green, grey, and red. One of the best things to come out of FASA Trek, and one that I will definitely use in my own gaming more than once.
That said, short of someone licensing the material from whomever holds the rights now that FASA's gone (and, I'd guess, getting said usage approved by Paramount - and I'd rate the former as much more likely than the latter), I know I won't see that stuff published by anyone else.
Multicolored Orions? Sounds pretty dorky to me. Stick with the green ;)
Bah! Besides the Gorns are already multicolored!
It's not bad enough that they got "Hey look, GASs!" for their SFB gimmick. Now people want to take the unique multicolored nature away from them in GPD.
Remember that the Gorns get the plasma carronade in the future product, so they'll have a true gimmick in due course.
I know, was being tongue-in-cheek 
I'm looking for playtest info on Kzinti male and female characters and also Klingons. Is it available? I'm writing some fiction and would like to incorporate as much prime directive factor into it as possible.
Also, will we have to buy the Gurps main rulebook to use GPD?
GPD is structured so that if you ONLY own the GPD rulebook, you can play everything except ship vs ship combat. You would need SFB or GURPS Space to do that. You can do more cool stuff if you have other GURPS books, but you can play for years with just GPD (assuming you're willing to make up your own planets to visit).
The GPD core rulebook is designed as a stand-alone product to allow you to generate characters and give you background information on our universe. You don't need any of the other 50+ GURPS books that are in print, but if you do have them, you can use them to add detail and flavor to your campaign.
We will be coming out with Racial Sourcebooks in the future, but the one with the Kzintis (GURPS FELINE EMPIRES) isn't going to be out before 2003. GURPS KLINGONS is scheduled for August 2002, assuming SVC can find the time to write it. «very VERY evil grin»
Re Kzinti Racial Templates: there are two options: Kzinti females are either sentient, or they aren't. In the excellent books by Larry Niven and others, they are non-sentient, and that is the opinion we have here in the SFU. Other people don't like that and want to run sentient female Kzinti; in any event, in the end it is up to the GM as to whether he wants them in his universe or not.
I had wanted to put the RTs for Non-sentient Female Kzinti and Kzinti Telepaths in GPD, but there is just no room, so they're going to go into MODULE PRIME ALPHA which is scheduled for late June or early July (as one of our Origins products). But if you look uptopic, I posted those all three RTs there a couple of weeks ago (or else in the FELINE EMPIRES topic here, I forget).
Out of curiosity, may I ask what kind of fiction are you writing, Hugh?
I noticed that 'Federation' hasn't been on the list.
While the core book has great amounts of data for the Federation, surely there is enough material left untouched that they might get a book too?
Robert