keithcurtis

Despero vs. Willy Lumpkin. Not even Willy's ear-wiggling power would save him. Ant-Man vs. Ego Prime, the Living Planet Legion of Super Heroes vs. Power Pack Beyonder vs. Jimmy Olsen Doctor Doom vs. John Byrne (bets on who has the bigger ego?) Keith "Actually really enjoys Byrne" Curtis

Thanks for the compliment! I did it in Adobe Illustrator about 5-6 years ago. The original print was on a white background and was meant to evoke the feel of a DK book. (You know, those great Eyewitness books). As long as you don't publish it or pass it off as your own, you're welcome to exploit me to your heart's content. Hmm... that didn't sound right... The whole Solar Colonies site was done for fun when I was first learning to do HTML. I would do it differently today. I really should update it, since I have a ton of material lying around. Keith "Staggering amounts of free time... not" Curtis PS. I have Extraterrestrials and Fantasy. I haven't seen Expedition. I'll check it out.

Sorry, I agree with your points except on Barlowe. While I find his rendering technically flawless, his creations look stilted, forced and unnatural. His Puppeteer for instance looks like the "heads" were inserted like pipe cleaners, lacking a natural "flow" from the body like, say, an elephant's trunk. I could give more examples, but it would be a pointless digression. Keith "We return you to the thread in progress" Curtis

Sorry, meant to post this link. Anatomical picture can be found here: http://home.attbi.com/~TheGM/SC/tkatarans.html Solar Coly information can be found in my sig Keith "Oh, one more thing" Curtis

Apologies for length. I usually try to start with the environment that produced the race. What hardships created their civilization? The building of civilization is a direct response to environmental pressure. If the trees gave manna, if it was always a comfortable climate and nothing ever wanted to eat you, you would have no need for civilization. Look at animals in our own world and see how they have adapted. Ask yourself "Why?" a lot. Are they arboreal? Why? Do they hibernate? Why? How they reproduce is IMO, vital to designing the way they think. Do they care for children comunally? Family groups? Release them into the wild and catch them as adolescents? Why? How do they age? What happens once they can no longer reproduce? I guess my response is , develop a biology and ecology for them and the psychology will flow from that. I humbly submit the T'Katran race from my Solar Colonies campaign: The System The Alpha Centauri system is comprised of three stars. Two are very close to Sol in character, though B is a bit dimmer and more orange. Proxima Centauri is a distant companion, and although it has two small rocky planets of its own, is unsuitable for life due to its variable nature (frequent flare-ups can double the surface temperature in minutes). A. Centuria A has four planets, none of which support life. B. Centauri is the home system of the T’Katarans. It has two planets, the second of which is inhabited. The Planet Alpha Centauri B IV is a small world about seven/eighths the mass of Earth. Its surface gravity is about .75 and its surface pressure is about a third of Earth’s. It is an old world, about 5.5b years. It has lost almost all of its vulacnism, though there is evidense that it was much more active in the past. The planet is tilted about 45° from the vertical, leading to a great variation in seasons. Although not as hot as the hottest areas of earth, it can get a quite a bit colder than an antarctic winter near the poles. Water comprises about 1/8th the surface area. The seas are very shallow, since frequent glaciation has caused a scouring, “levelling†effect on the surface. At no point is the water more than a mile deep, and in most places it is less than 300 feet. It is surmised through archaelogical investigation that the seas once covered nearly twice their current extent. Much of the planet’s water is contained within the “world-tree†(see below). When life first arose, it took hold near the equator, the only place with liquid water. Some life became nomadic, following the warmer climes, while other forms developed hibernation techniques, enabling them to survive during extended cold periods. About thirty million years ago, a phenomenally successful organism developed. Mostly analagous to earthly plant life, it resembled the baobob tree of Africa in that it was a single organism with vast networks of offshoots that allowed it to cover a significant area. The later-arisen sapient species called it the “World-Treeâ€, or in their tongue, the S’akkat. The World tree has three main parts: canopy, pump and root. The canopy looks much like an earthly forest in that it is covered with shoots of photosynthetic leaves. These leaves vary from season to season, according to the available sunlight. The shoots (analagous to tree trunks) are rarely taller then five meters. The roots perform much the same function as plant roots, absorbing water and nutrients form the soil. The roots can go down as far as 200 meters. It is the pump area that has no earth-plant counterpart. The pump is similar to the circulatory system of an earth animal, but instead of blood, it transports liquid water. The pump is a tremendous web of organic conduits ranging from capillary size to diameters of several meters. Its thickness varies from ten to forty meters, although it is sometimes much thicker around a good water source. The water is kept liquid by the biologcal waste-heat of a symbiotic micro-organism. This symbiont lives in the cisterns and tubes of the pump area. The tissue of the pump system is also an insulater of great efficiency. By keeping the water liquid, the world tree has liberated most of the surface of the planet from the tyranny of the seasons. There are four main kingdoms of life. The most obvious is of course the S’akkat, which could arguably classified as a single organism. It is roughly analagous to a plant, though the pump tube possess a rudimentary musculature system and something akin to a nervous system. The second kingdom is biotic bacteria. Performing much the same function as earthly bacteria, the most significant form is the symbiotic form that dwells within the world-tree. The third kingdom can loosely be described as water-parasites. These are life forms that are directly dependant on the action of the world-tree. Resembling earthly fungi, without the nutrient laden water of the pump, they would die. The fourth kingdom is a higher order of the third. Also dependent on the world tree, they are more complex and adaptable. Some are ambulatory, and the highest order are very similar to earth animals. The T'Kataran race belong to the fourth Kingdom. They could survive a short time without the bacterial soup of the S’akkat pump, but they ultimately need it for continued health. THE T'KATARANS The T'Katarans are a race of six-limbed sentients from a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri B. They are relatively technologically backward. Their tech level is about equivalent to post-industrial earth of the turn of the twentieth century. They have been at this level for about a thousand years. Their history goes back 40,000 (earth) years. STRUCTURE Anatomy Adult - Female The T'Katarans at first glace resemble large furry spiders. The have six locomotive limbs arranged in a radial symmetry from their massive thorax. Each limb terminates in a double claw with a third opposable claw, capable of simple grasping, but no fine manipualtion. Fine motor skills are are proveided by the maniples. The maniples are tiny, four-fingered limbs that are mounted on the skull. The front of the thorax is protected by a flexible bony plate (DEF 5, 9- ACT). The ears are mounted on the thorax. Respiration is carried out by large spiracules, three to a side, located on the anterior of the thorax. The "neck" is actually a specialized limb with a joint at thorax, skull and midway between. At rest, the neck folds back atop the thorax and the head rests atop the bony plate. There is a pulmonary located in the neck to assist in blood flow. The head is wide, flat and triangular. Huge compound eyes are set at left and right extremities, the maniples are mounted below and slightly inward. The eyes are somewhat near-sighted, though their ability to distinguish detail is somewhat superior to humans. The mouth is a hard, leathery, beak-like affair with one retractable tooth. The tongue is thick grey and rope-like. A small air-bladder allows the mouth to make sound. T'Kataran speech sounds to human ears to be mostly consonants and glottal stops. Careful listening can make five vowel sounds plus a true glottal stop. T'Katarans have no history of music, though they are capable of hearing pitch. The body is entirely covered with hair with the exception of claws, mouth, maniple digits, and plate. Part of the underbelly may be hairless in advanced age. Coloration tends to be black with yellow, orange or red stripes. In some individuals, this may be reversed. All adults are female. Juvenile-Male The juvenile form of the T'Kataran is basically a pupal stage. At this point in their development all are male. The male T'Kataran resembles a large termite, and is somewhat repulsive to human eyes. Their are fat, hairless and have rudimentary limbs. They are incapable of caring for themselves. Their eyes are single-faceted, and the the neck-limb is very short but flexible, lacking the middle joint. The maniples and beak are similar to the adult form. Egg The T'Kataran egg is about the size of a softball.It will grow to about the size of a soccer-ball before hatching. It is grey and leathery, similar in texture to the T'Kataran mouth. BIOLOGY T'Katarans are warm-blooded, carbon-based life forms with similar amino acid structure to humans. They can eat many of the same foods a human would eat, but they are primarily vegetarian. They are adapted for a colder climate than humans and are capable of hibernating for decades at a time. Such hibernation is extremely stressful for a T'Kataran and they will go to great lengths to avoid it. Most modern T'Katarans have never hibernated. They have an endoskeletal structure for locomotion and an exoskelatal carapace under the fur for protection. (DEF 1) The front part of the carapace is extra-thick concealing the brain (DEF 4) SENSES Sight: T'Kataran's are near-sighted and see best in the longer wavelengths. They do NOT have infravision, but they are more likely to detect a heat source or luminous object than humans. (-3 range, +3 luminous or hot objects) Hearing: T'Kataran atmosphere is very thin (about twice Mars) and the T'Katarans have developed good hearing to compensate. The hairs of the carapace pick out sound (Telescopic hearing and +3 hearing perception. Smell: T'Katarans have no taste of smell. Taste: T'Kataran taste is far superior to human, and taste organs are to be found in the beak and the maniples. The T'Kataran environment is bacteria-rich and parasite-rich and they have developed the ability to test for the safety of what they eat before they actual place it in their mouths. (+3 taste perception, detect poison) Touch: The maniples of of a T'Kataran are slightly less sensitive than human hands (-3 touch Perception) REPRODUCTION A T'Kataran will mate twice in its life. When it is hatched as a pupal male form, it will require the same care and training as a human child for about ten years. At this point it will become sexually mature. When conditions are right, it will mate with as many females as possible for a period of about a month. Then hormonal changes will allow it to spin a coccoon. It will ie in this chrysalis for 6 months, slowly changing sex and gaining adult characteristics. What emerges is a young female, ready to be trained for her life's task (see Culture and Behavior). A female decides when to sexually mature. When she is ready, she will mate. If the first male does not result in pregnancy, she will try different males until fertilized. Three months later she will lay a clutch of 5-10 eggs. These will be tended in a communal nursery. Racial clues allow a parent to know which children are hers, but all children are the responsibility of the warren and those females who have devoted their life to the Nursery. After reproducing, the female becomes sterile, but retains her female characteristics. T'Katarans live for about 70 earth years, not including any time spent in hibernation. CULTURE AND BEHAVIOR T'Katarans are caste-oriented. These castes are divided along professional, rather than biological lines. The male pupal period of education helps the T'Kataran discover his aptitudes. While in the chrysalis, it will develop the physical, mental and emotional attributes necessary to perform its life's function. T'Katarans are remarkably well-adjusted because of this. Warfare is uncommon to T'Katarans and social inequity is a concept they don't understand. CHARACTER BITS FOR ROLE PLAYING Emotion is shown by the color of the eyes: Red Anger/Fear Blue Calm/Sleepy Gold Humor/Pleasure Green Curiosity/Concentration T'KATARAN LANGUAGE CONSONANTS B P D T G K L M N R S Z Ch Kh Cr Pr Pt @ ! * B as in English, but unvoiced P very similar to “B†but softer D as in English, but unvoiced T very similar to “D†but softer G Hard G as in English, but unvoiced K very similar to “G†but softer L pronounced with a short inhaling sound M pronounced with a sharp kissing noise S pronounced with a long inhaling sound G really “@â€, but used when it is more pronounceable by humans Z pronounced “ts†as in “Tsar†R always voiceless and rolled Kh pronunced as ch in the hebrew word “Lechiem†CH pronunced as ch in the word “church†Tr, Pr, Cr, etc. a consonant followed by “r†is a long, rolled voiceless “râ€. “Tr†is similar to whispering the word “tree†(not “chreeâ€) @ is made clicking the back of the tongue Frequently used for an intial sound unpronounceable by T’Kataran tongues or a final “ing†! is made by clacking the tongue away form the hard pallet frequently used for “lo†* is a sharp snap of the tongue frequently used for a final “n†or “da†or “ta†or “ning†Consonants that have voiced and aspirated forms (i.e. B/P, D/T) are all aspirated. The difference between the two is vanishingly subtle to human ears, but distinct to T’kataran listeners. All double consonants represent diphthongs. (i.e. the double-n sound in the English word “pen-knifeâ€). So, “S’akkat†is pronounced “Sssahk-kahtâ€, not “Sssahkat†VOWELS All vowel sounds are very faint, almost indistinguishable from a glottal stop. Careful listening can pick out differences. A f A alter E f E y I k I lt O r O ll U b U tton ‘ peculiar stop or joining of two words or consonants ree is a long, rolled voiceless “r†simalar to whispering “tree†(not “chreeâ€) MORE PRONUNCIATION GUIDES T’Kataran’s have no voice box. Therefore, a human speaker should never use their vocal chords, but should use a “stage whisper†for proper effect. Grammar is far beyond the scope of this paper. A particular word can have different meaning depending on the words preceding and following it, and its position in the sentence. Word meaning relies heavily on context. A direct translation of the language would be very difficult to interpret. Katara The World T’katra Sister of the world (Adults) S’akkat The World-Tree S’arka (name) a communicator/ambassador Brakha (name) a life-path finder Dobra Pupa (male) Ek Egg (one of the few homophones!) Keith "Long-winded" Curtis

You might be overpowered if You need to go to the Chessex booth and ask if you can roll ALL their dice every time your turn comes around. If you GM refuses to give you any points for "Hunted by CKC, 14-" because "A disadvantage that is not disadvantageous is not worth any points." Your costume symbol is a magnifying glass and a stop sign. Keith "and that's only my DNPC" Curtis

The activation roll just lets me choose between two sets of defenses, armored and unarmored. Hit loctions require that roll to be indexed to a list and add in the possibility of called shots. More work, not a lot, I grant, but it's work we don't want to do. I have a database that handles all combat and can optionally do all that in one step, but it ultimately comes down to what my players feel comfortable with. Also, the genre I am running can loosely be described as Post-Apoc sword and sworcery. In order to retain the look and feel of the genre (half naked barbarians swinging big swords who somehow manage to survive from adventure to adventure without disability), armor is scarce. If I were to enforce hit locations, that would make the illogicality of the genre stand out like a severed thumb. Not realistic certainly, but neither is the genre. How can good playing reduce the chance of a facial wound? I assume you mean by wearing a helmet. It sounds to me like you like modelling real-life medieval combat and that's cool. But no one in the Fellowship of the Ring for instance wears a helmet except Gimli. Not one has a missing eye or a long facial scar. It all comes down to what you are trying to simulate. How does this differ from using armor on an activation? Players can still go down with a lucky hit. The rules are't that different. Keith "Genre fiend" Curtis

Going against the flow, here. I don't think it is in any way essential. We use hit loc.s for color only, ala Champions. We use armor on an activation. It all depends on the style you want to play. If you are playing high fantasy, you might not want your characters walking around with lopped off arms and facial wounds every third combat. Ignoring hit locations makes combat faster and decreases the bloodlust of the characters. After all, if they can o for those x2 body locations, so can their enemies. Hot locations make combat more deadly and that may not be your goal. Keith "you hit me in the where?" Curtis

Careful, Aquaman is the linchpin, the crux, the essence, the keystone, the wampeter of the Superfriends. Keith "Just ask Darren" Curtis

AAARGH! I get nearly every Hero book before it hits the shops as an artist comp copy. No show so far for TE. Keith "Tina! Why hast thou forsaken me!?" Curtis

Isaac Asimov wrote a story about this. Aliens did indeed find it. It turns out that all technological species do this just before they are invited to join the Galactic Federation. They were coming to destroy the Earth, though. It seems we were the only species that sent out pictures of ourselves... naked! Earthling Perverts. Keith "Porn spamming the universe" Curtis

Re: Nightwing is Dick Grayson Of course, you know by revealing this, you have activated Superhero Guidebook Law #24, i.e. the Joe Chill clause. Expect to have your memory wiped, be killed by your friends before you can reveal it, or to die some other miraculously untimely death. There's always a slight chance that you could use that knowledge to impress Nightwing and become his protegee, but only if you don't reveal it to anyone else fir-- Oops. Better buy some Life Insurance... Keith "but not from me" Curtis

Amen! The Galaxy is one honkin' BIIIIG place. If you're going to locate a particular star it is either: A. So close to earth that to show it on the galactic scale would require them to overlap. or B. So dang bright no reasonable liveable world could exist there. Unless you're dealing with local space (i.e. within ~50 LY), there's no real point to strive for any kind of accuracy. The Terran Empire spans a respectable percentage of the galaxy. Keith "Imperial Cartographer" Curtis

I forgot about GURPS IST. Great sourcebook, though I would place it second to Strike Force. Keith "Allston fan" Curtis

Aiiii! This is one of the few times Steve has gotten his copies before me. They must be magic, indeed. Keith "West Coast" Curtis

I used to use GURPS Space a lot. With Star Hero, that's a thing of the past. I also subscribe to Pyramid, since that lets me read the playtests. Keith "Make Mine Hero!" Curtis

Re: I can;t keep up! HERO system: The Ultimate Diet Aid! Keith "Down 16 pounds since the New Year" Curtis

I think part of the problem is in the range of damage. A strong character with an axe might do (say) 2d6 HKA. That's anywhere from 2-12 Bod per attack, not assuming skill levels or maneuver modifications. To make an armor it cannot penetrate requires a minimum 12 DEF, even more if you include the aforementioned modifiers. If the range of damage was 3-5 Bod, you could rule that things impervious to battle axes would have to have 6 DEF. Then your rocket launcher that does 5-8 Bod would be virtually guaranteed to get through. Characters would have to be scaled down in body to match of course. I figure the Real Weapon limitation is probably a lot easier to implement. Besides, having tried to destroy objects with other objects in real life (and who hasn't?), there are a LOT of variables. A well-made wooden door can take an awful lot of axe-pounding. A cheap one might be destroyed by a well placed kick. Try breaking up a modern sofa with a sledg-hammer. Pretty simple. Now try breaking up a sofa 40 years old with that same sledgehammer. You'll be at it all afternoon. This last was a real life experience. A good GM should be able to convince a reasonable player that one particular barrier is more impervious than another. Keith "No laws were broken, and only two small pieces of funiture were destoyed to make this post" Curtis

Pretty cool. I wish they would give more attributions to the images, though. Keith "Give credit where it's due" Curtis

That is so deeply disturbing on so many levels... Keith "Not gonna sleep well tonight" Curtis

That's always one of the problems to world creation. If you have a world whose origins are lost to antiquities ("The Before Times") you can never TELL anyone what's really going on, or it destroys the mythic quality. Keith "Silly player, can't you recognize a plot device?" Curtis

I have to agree on this one. 51 seems rather excessive. Any 3 point Int skill is automatically 19-. This seems so far beyond the realm of other characters that I couldn't bring myself to allow it for a PC, but would only reserve it for gods. Keith "And only really, really smart gods, at that" Curtis

Dang, LL! You are the players' friend! Keith "What HE said" Curtis

Re: Re: Re: Post-Apoc Creatures Metamorphosis Alpha was an OOOOLD RPG. Basically, it was a lost generation ship with all kinds of mutated beasties. Gamma World was a Post-Apoc RPG with a real High-fantasy feel. Both were very similar to D&D in basic approach. Keith "Old-timer" Curtis

I start by deciding the genre I want to run. Example: Fantasy Then I think about the story elements I want: Odd races, lost cities, adventurous tone, etc. Then I think about how such a world could come to be. Post apocalypse leads to a rise in a new "magic" technology. Mutations have created new races. Then I begin writing details. History, special game mechanics, magic systems and so forth, all geared to support the game world as I envisioned it. I may repeat some of these steps several times, revising as I go until I feel comfortable that I have "got it right." Then I begin with specifics: Maps, cities, prominent NPCs, recent detailed history. Finally, I write a short fiction piece to see if the details all work thematically. The last world I created was The Savage Earth The inital fiction piece (which is admittedly heavy on exposition) can be found here