Neomen

[JmOz]

Working on some disads for a new race called the Neomen

 

They are geneticaly engineered slaves of humanity. Society has moved forward somewhat sense they have been created. Some areas have them as freemen, while others still have them being slaves. Anywhere they go they are descriminated against.

 

So I am thinking:

 

vulnerable to sonics (x2 Common, 20 points)

Descriminated against (VF, Major)

Descriminated Against (Infrequent, Major) ---Players version

 

Upgrade to slavery +5points

 

The players version is less frequent as the campeign will be very mobile, scouting missions type things (They are a crew of an exploration vessel)

 

There are going to be 2-4 different types of new men, Alpha's for instance will have additions to there Strength & Con, thinking I will also have some bred for speed, intelect, and Presence

[Lawnmower Boy]

Re: Neomen

 

Who needs genetically-engineered slaves when you have Generation X?

Not to wallow in bitterness any further, have you considered this angle?

[Badger]

Re: Neomen

 

I vaguely remember a cartoon about a decade ago. Where humanity fought a war vs. a race of slaves they genetically engineered for work on Mars, that eventually gained their freedom, but hostitilities remained and they declared war. Forget the name of the cartoon but, the race was known as Neo Sapiens. I'll try to look after dinner for more info.

[Badger]

Re: Neomen

 

Well, it is only wikipedia but, their is an article of them under Neosapien (evidently one word *shrugs*). It may at least give you some ideas. Evidently, the name of the show was Exosquad. It was a rather, meh, show, but anyhow.

[McCoy]

Re: Neomen

 

They are geneticaly engineered slaves of humanity. Society has moved forward somewhat sense they have been created. Some areas have them as freemen, while others still have them being slaves. Anywhere they go they are descriminated against.

If they're genetically engineered, maybe something to make them weak willed, easier to control? Lower EGO, or penalty to EGO roll, or Vulnerability to mind control? Or maybe even Vulnerability to Presence Attacks by humans?

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Neomen

 

Four year life-span?

 

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: Neomen

 

Seems to me that if creating a slave race, one really has to build in "safeguards" to prevent them from going all Spartacus on you. Some heavy-duty Psych Lims (via pre-programming and even some alteration of the brain itself) would seem a sensible move - "Must Obey Orders", perhaps, or "Must Obey The Law"? Makes it difficult for Neomen PCs, I know, but perhaps explorer/scout types are expected to be fairly independant, anyhow.

 

Distinctive Features. You do NOT want your brand-new slave race to look just like regular people. That would sort of make the non-slaves (customers) ... uncomfortable. So they are probably designed to have very specific "differances" in appearance. Also seems conceivable that there may not be much individuality in looks, either - the various sub-types are probably designed to look a lot alike.

 

Reproduction. Getting into uncertain territory here. Would the bunch who create these slaves necessarily want them to be able to reproduce unaided? Probably not, I think, if just so the creators can keep on making a profit via mass-priducing replacements. Also, if (horrors of horros) there is ever a slave revolt, limiting their reproductive capabilities means less grief in the long haul.

[JmOz]

Re: Neomen

 

Four year life-span?

 

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

not catching the refrence, sorry

[McCoy]

Re: Neomen

 

not catching the refrence' date=' sorry[/quote']

Bladerunner

[matrix3]

Re: Neomen

 

Reproduction. Getting into uncertain territory here. Would the bunch who create these slaves necessarily want them to be able to reproduce unaided? Probably not, I think, if just so the creators can keep on making a profit via mass-priducing replacements. Also, if (horrors of horros) there is ever a slave revolt, limiting their reproductive capabilities means less grief in the long haul.

 

Considering what lengths companies go to today in order to keep people from harvesting seeds from their patented GM crops and replanting the next year, making the farmers buy seed year after year, I don't see the companies letting their creations reproduce. They would want to keep selling their product, so building in a biological obsolescence and making the creations sterile would only make sense.

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Neomen

 

Seems to me that if creating a slave race' date=' one really has to build in "safeguards" to prevent them from going all Spartacus on you. Some heavy-duty Psych Lims (via pre-programming and even some alteration of the brain itself) would seem a sensible move - "Must Obey Orders", perhaps, or "Must Obey The Law"? Makes it difficult for Neomen PCs, I know, but perhaps explorer/scout types are expected to be [i']fairly[/i] independant, anyhow.

 

Distinctive Features. You do NOT want your brand-new slave race to look just like regular people. That would sort of make the non-slaves (customers) ... uncomfortable. So they are probably designed to have very specific "differances" in appearance. Also seems conceivable that there may not be much individuality in looks, either - the various sub-types are probably designed to look a lot alike.

 

Reproduction. Getting into uncertain territory here. Would the bunch who create these slaves necessarily want them to be able to reproduce unaided? Probably not, I think, if just so the creators can keep on making a profit via mass-priducing replacements. Also, if (horrors of horros) there is ever a slave revolt, limiting their reproductive capabilities means less grief in the long haul.

 

These are all good points: you don't want your 'slaves' (I don't like that word one bit, BTW.) to have disadvantages which get in the way of their work. Nor do want them getting out of control. My suggestion would be a Susceptibility; something which will not be encountered accidentally, but can easily be deployed against them if they get out of line. And it's best if the actual nature of the susceptibility is kept secret until needed. (unknown complication!)

 

Don't look at me,

Xavier Onassiss

[JmOz]

Re: Neomen

 

Here are the current 3 package deals, Alpha, Beta, Gamma. Each is specialy designed for a type, each is also assumed to have 10 points of skills appropriate for there duties (making each package 25 points)

 

Neoman Alpha (Brawn)

5 1) +5 STR

5 2) +5 CON

-2 3) -2 INT, must be placed in characteristics (-2 Active Points)

-2 4) -2 Ego, must be placed in characteristics (-2 Active Points)

-3 5) -1 MDCV, must be placed in characteristics (-3 Active Points)

3 6) Resistant Protection (1 PD/1 ED)

3 7) +5 STUN

2 8) +2 BODY

2 9) +2 REC

2 10) +10 END

 

Neoman Beta (Brains)

1 1) +1 CON

3 2) +3 INT

6 3) +3 DEX

5 4) +1 OCV

 

Neoman Gamma (Social)

-2 1) -2 STR, must be placed in characteristics (-2 Active Points)

6 2) +3 DEX

3 3) +3 PRE

5 4) Life Support (Immunity: All terrestrial diseases)

3 5) +1/+1d6 Striking Appearance (vs. all characters)

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: Neomen

 

These are all good points: you don't want your 'slaves' (I don't like that word one bit' date=' BTW.) to have disadvantages which get in the way of their work.[/quote']

 

Yeah. Neither do I, but I'm also in favour of calling a spade a bloody shovel. Just no way to dress this stuff up nicely, nor should we.

 

My teeth were on edge for all of those ... suggestions of mine. Guess I'll take that as a good sign, and a warning of what I could be like if I ever went totally DarkSide.

[JmOz]

Re: Neomen

 

I;m sorry this is offencive to others, I hope to explore some issues of racism in this campeign, thus the second class citizen status. It is also why I am going to let them reproduce, and not be hardwired to obey as they would be to effective forms of control. Having said that I do appreciate the sensitivy of this issue.

 

I do like the idea of a chemical agent that can affect them but not humans, originaly I was just going to have them take extra damage from a common attack type (Sonics are the most common personal weapon in this world. Little risk of damage to ships, non leathal.)

[Lucius]

Re: Neomen

 

I have a couple of ideas.

 

Perhaps originally they were sterile due to a built-in congenital defect, like blockages in the vas deferens and falopian tubes. Now that they are no longer property, they are free to have this surgically corrected.

 

Or, reproduction is only possible with a specific artificial hormone. After emancipation, the company or companies who had held that substance as a trade secret used in their own breeding programs were required to make it available at cost. This means these characters can only become parents as a deliberate choice.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

2XPalindromedaries

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: Neomen

 

I;m sorry this is offencive to others' date=' I hope to explore some issues of racism in this campeign, thus the second class citizen status. It is also why I am going to let them reproduce, and not be hardwired to obey as they would be to effective forms of control. Having said that I do appreciate the sensitivy of this issue.[/quote']

 

I think those of us involved on this thread fully realize that. Certainly, nobody has started frothing at the mouth or flaming anybody just yet. More than can be said for certain other subjects and threads.

 

I do like the idea of a chemical agent that can affect them but not humans' date=' originaly I was just going to have them take extra damage from a common attack type (Sonics are the most common personal weapon in this world. Little risk of damage to ships, non leathal.)[/quote']

 

You have, say, a mining base with Neomen workers; you obviously need to think about where these chemicals are placed (presumably built into the air recirculation system), how well they are protected against tampering (concealment and fortification), how fast they can be used (and reach full effect), and exactly whom has the authority to trigger their release. Plus their actual effect, come to think of it.

 

Given that this is a space-oriented set-up, there may still be need to be other safeguards as well. "What if" the Neomen on a given base or ship somehow neutralize the chemical boobytraps meant to keep them in line? Let's say the chems fail to trigger, or don't reach full coverage because some areas are sealed off, or whatever. Which means that the Neomen have control of a self-contained ship / base (or portion thereof), and the main tactical options for the ... owners would then be to either starve them out or send in the Marines.

[JmOz]

Re: Neomen

 

I have a couple of ideas.

 

Perhaps originally they were sterile due to a built-in congenital defect, like blockages in the vas deferens and falopian tubes. Now that they are no longer property, they are free to have this surgically corrected.

 

Or, reproduction is only possible with a specific artificial hormone. After emancipation, the company or companies who had held that substance as a trade secret used in their own breeding programs were required to make it available at cost. This means these characters can only become parents as a deliberate choice.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

2XPalindromedaries

 

I like the hormone idea actualy. It gives me a story idea where someone is experimenting with a way to modify humans to allow interbreeding, the players will have to rescue the scientist, his "slave" (Girlfriend, actual love between them), and deal with law enforcment trying to stop them...

[JmOz]

Re: Neomen

 

Have to take a close look at the rules but I am thinking of the chem agent being a Con based susceptible entangle, or maybe a simple "Paralyzed when breathing in [chem agent X], requires con roll to be free afterwards" (Infrequent/fully imparing)

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Neomen

 

Or...we could activate the lysine contingency. (Yes, it's another movie reference. Yes, it's relevant to the discussion.)

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: Neomen

 

Or...we could activate the lysine contingency. (Yes' date=' it's another movie reference. Yes, it's relevant to the discussion.)[/quote']

 

Tell ya what. If any Neomen start exhibiting "cheetah speed" and the like, I am SO out of there.

[Sundog]

Re: Neomen

 

Have to bring this up: what's the economic point behind their existence?

 

Slavery is an economic condition. Owning people only makes economic sense when you need large quantities of labour that only humans can provide. This is why slavery experienced a massive drop-off in Europe after the invention of the Horse-Collar (which allowed a Horse, which costs roughly the same to maintain as a man, to do more work than a human being), a further drop off during the Industrial Revolution's beginnings (why a man when it can be a machine?) and why it persisted in the US so long (Cotton. Only human labour could pick it).

 

What do the Neomen provide that machines, animals or hired labour can't provide more economically?

[Steve]

Re: Neomen

 

The new Kazei 5 book has quite a lot on replicates (which humans think of as organic robots). I'd recommend it for a look on this subject.

[Old Man]

Re: Neomen

 

What do the Neomen provide that machines, animals or hired labour can't provide more economically?

 

I was going to say sex, but...

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: Neomen

 

I was going to say sex' date=' but...[/quote']

 

Indeed.

[Lawnmower Boy]

Re: Neomen

 

Have to bring this up: what's the economic point behind their existence?

 

Slavery is an economic condition. Owning people only makes economic sense when you need large quantities of labour that only humans can provide. This is why slavery experienced a massive drop-off in Europe after the invention of the Horse-Collar (which allowed a Horse, which costs roughly the same to maintain as a man, to do more work than a human being), a further drop off during the Industrial Revolution's beginnings (why a man when it can be a machine?) and why it persisted in the US so long (Cotton. Only human labour could pick it).

 

What do the Neomen provide that machines, animals or hired labour can't provide more economically?

 

Gaah! No! No more with the horse collar! Even Marx had a better grip on the "end of slavery" than Lynn White.

That said, I agree completely with Sundog. Paying people seems to work really, really well. Getting them into debt, and then paying them well works even better. Just ask those of us paying off our student loans.