Jump to content

Alien Conversions


AlHazred

Recommended Posts

Re: Alien Conversions

 

If you have Galactic Champions check out the hive-mind aliens there' date=' they use the +x INT idea as well -- and it might not be bought, I'm not sure.[/quote']

 

Yep, you're right, I see that they do. They are the Nibu Gemani (pp. 113-115) for anyone who wants to look them up. The INT gain is a bit of a "cheat" though, since they don't pay for that ability. It's a pretty neat write-up, though. A planet of these guys would be pretty nasty!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Re: Alien Conversions

 

Well, they say if you want something, the best way to make sure you get exactly what you want is to make it yourself.

 

Besides, the thread was almost to page two! :)

 

Kzin

 

Val..Char...Cost

21...STR....11

13...DEX....9

10...CON....0

15...BODY...10

10...INT....0

10...EGO....0

10...PRE....0

10...COM....0

 

4....PD.....0

2....ED.....0

2....SPD....0

6....REC....0

20...END....0

36...STUN...5

 

10"/20"..RUN....0

2"..SWIM...0

4"..LEAP...0

 

Characteristics Cost: 35

 

 

Cost PowerEND

10 Bite: HKA 1/2d6 (1d6+1 w/STR) \n1

12 Claws: HKA 1d6 (2d6 w/STR); Reduced Penetration (-1/4) \n1

4 Heavy: Knockback Resistance -2" \n0

2 Fan-Shaped Ears: +1 PER with Hearing Group \n0

2 Keen Sense Of Smell: +2 PER with Normal Smell \n0

8 Long Stride: Running +4" (10"/20" total) \n1

4 Burst Of Speed: Running +10" (10"/20" total); Increased Endurance Cost (x8 END; -3 1/2) \n16

Powers Cost: 42

 

 

Cost Skill

8 +1 with All Combat

 

0 Acting 8-

0 AK: Home Planet Or Region 8-

0 Climbing 8-

0 Computer Programming 8-

0 Concealment 8-

0 Deduction 8-

0 Language: The Hero's Tongue (idiomatic; literate)

0 Paramedics 8-

0 Persuasion 8-

0 PS: Character's Job, Trade Or Hobby 8-

0 Shadowing 8-

0 Stealth 8-

0 Tactics 8-

0 TF: Personal Use Spacecraft

Skills Cost: 8

 

 

 

 

Val Disadvantages

20 Psychological Limitation: Code Of Honor (Common, Total)

Disadvantage Points: 20

 

Base Points: 75

Experience Required: 0

Total Experience Available: 0

Experience Unspent: 0

Total Character Cost: 85

 

Height:2.40 m

Hair:Orange-red

Weight:97.00 kg

Eyes:Yellow

Appearance:Kzinti are descended from feline ancestors, giving them a catlike appearance. They stand average about 240 cm tall, and weigh around 200 kilograms. They have orange-red fur everywhere on their bodies except the palms of their hands and on their long, rat-like tails. Kzinti ears are strange, being ridged somewhat like a bat's wing - kzinti can flatten their ears against their skull or fan them out to increase their ability to hear soft sounds. Kzinti are uniformly heavy-framed, being stocky by physiology. Their legs are short for their height, giving them a stunted appearance despite their great size.

Personality:Kzin culture is dominated by a warrior's spirit, codified into a code of honor, which rigidly defines acceptable (male) kzin behavior. The kzinti warrior spirit causes most kzin to be extremely brave and honorable, but also tends to drive kzinti to reckless behavior. Kzinti earn names. Most kzin have only a simple name derived from their profession (such as Speaker-to-Animals, a xenodiplomat); kzin who distinguish themselves earn the right to have a simple personal name along with their profession-name (e.g., Chuft-Captain), but such kzin are extremely rare. Kzin who earn eternal fame and boundless glory might earn a full name, but such is surely an epochal event of unrivalled magnitude. Among the things that kzin find shameful are addictions; a kzin with an addiction is considered an animal by his peers. Unfortunately for kzinti, the only kzin telepaths are created by exposure of kzinti to a telepathy drug - few show any signs of telepathic ability from this, and the drug is instantly addictive. Thus kzinti telepaths are among the most shamed kzin in existence.

Quote:"In challenging a Kzin, a simple scream of rage is sufficient. You scream and you leap."

Background:Kzinti (singular kzin) are a race of extraterrestrials that arose on a planet circling 61 Ursa Majoris. Descended from a predatory species of hunters, they fought a series of four extraordinarily destructive wars with humanity (the Man-Kzin Wars), which humans eventually won. Each war cost the kzinti two-thirds of their finest warriors. Those kzin who remain are somewhat less aggressive and violent than their ancestors. While the kzinti planetary authority (an autocratic hereditary monarchy called the Patriarchy) downplays the losses the kzinti suffered, kzin fathers now routinely teach their children that human meat is not good to eat.

Powers/Tactics:Kzinti attack with little-to-no warning, either with weapons or, in a pinch, with tooth and claw. By instinct, they are excellent close combatants, having the size and speed to dominate a hand-to-hand struggle. However, their impatience causes them to commit themselves to foolish risks, and this more than anything else contributed to their losses in the Man-Kzin Wars.

Campaign Use:Kzinti are the quintessential warrior race from the classic Known Space novels of Larry Niven. They proved to be so popular that the classic space combat game Star Fleet Battles included them along with the more familiar Klingons, Vulcans, and Romulans of Star Trek.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: Alien Conversions

 

Yeah, but I'd say hold on a bit. I have a few more in the pipeline.

 

Mind you, I haven't had the time to reread all the books I'd have to read to be thorough. Instead, it occurred to me that I have all these sci-fi sourcebooks, that already have the aliens statted out in different systems. Much easier to convert from one system to another.

 

The Kzinti, Bandersnatch, and Puppeteer will be from the Ringworld RPG. The Dirdir and Pnume will be from GURPS Planet of Adventure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: Alien Conversions

 

Hmm, your write up doesn't mention that modern Kzin females are sub-sapient.

 

Personally, I'm going to have a go at the critters from When the Devil Dances.

Yeah, but it's an abbreviated description anyway. The Background could easily be three pages of dense text.

 

Besides, there could conceivably be kzin on other worlds (or the Ringworld) who did not breed sentience out of their females.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: Alien Conversions

 

If anyone wants to have a real challenge, try statting up 'Ixtl' from A.E. van Vogt's Voyage of the Space Beagle (also illustrated in Barlowe's book). [We are talking 'Galactic Champions-plus' power levels here...]

 

Other van Vogt creations that might be worth working on are the Rull and the Ezwal from War Against the Rull, plus the genetically-modified '*****' from Voyage of the Space Beagle.

 

From another source entirely, what about the Seltorians from Star Fleet Battles? [their ships look like mutant shaver plugs but they make a nice 'hive swarm' race].

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: Alien Conversions

 

Here’s a few I’ve been tinkering with.

Larry Nivin and Jerry Pournelle

Motie’s: from the “Mote in Gods Eye” and “The Gripping Hand”

 

Jerry Pournelle’s

Sauron Soldier: “Codominium”/”War World Series”

Sauron Cyborg: “Codominium”/”War World Series”

 

S.M. Sterling’s

Draka: from various “Draka” novels

 

From Game Designers Workshop (GDW) 2300AD game setting

Kafer

Pentapod

Yili

Eber

 

Harry Turttledove’s

The Race: “Worldwar” alternate history series

 

David Gerrold’s

Morthan: “Starhunt” series

Various types of Chtorr: "Chtorr" series

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: Alien Conversions

 

David Gerrold’s

Various types of Chtorr: "Chtorr" series

 

I have GURPS: War Against The Chtorr and debated trying to do a conversion from GURPS to HERO. Only problem was... I've never read any of the books.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: Alien Conversions

 

Here’s a few I’ve been tinkering with.

Larry Nivin and Jerry Pournelle

Motie’s: from the “Mote in Gods Eye†and “The Gripping Handâ€

 

Jerry Pournelle’s

Sauron Soldier: “Codominiumâ€/â€War World Seriesâ€

Sauron Cyborg: “Codominiumâ€/â€War World Seriesâ€

 

S.M. Sterling’s

Draka: from various “Draka†novels

 

From Game Designers Workshop (GDW) 2300AD game setting

Kafer

Pentapod

Yili

Eber

 

Harry Turttledove’s

The Race: “Worldwar†alternate history series

 

David Gerrold’s

Morthan: “Starhunt†series

Various types of Chtorr: "Chtorr" series

I would be interested in anything you've done on 2300 are you looking to post them on these boards.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: Alien Conversions

 

From the Star*Drive RPG. I've never played it, but the book looks interesting. Is it worth getting for stuff to rip off, even if you never plan to run the system or the setting?

 

 

http://paizo.com/store/downloads/wizardsOfTheCoast/alternity/starDrive

 

Paizo have these as electronic downloads. Noticed them as I was after some old D&D stuff for maps. I have a copy of the rules I bought of ebay again looking for maps and ideas to convert but I wasn't too impressed with it and haven't given it too much of a look.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: Alien Conversions

 

I have GURPS: War Against The Chtorr and debated trying to do a conversion from GURPS to HERO. Only problem was... I've never read any of the books.

I have. But I preferred the way it was originally going. When he rewrote sections of the series during a reprinting run, he added a bunch of stuff I didn't like. So I'm not really willing to reread them right now.

 

Maybe when he finishes it. I have a feeling, based on what he rewrote and his responses to questions during a particular interview, that I won't like the way it ends. And after Stephen King's Dark Tower, I think I'll need some time beforehand to detox...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...