GURPS: TREK - THE UNAUTHORIZED SOURCEBOOK SECOND EDITION - SECOND PRINTING --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- SECTION FIVE D - ALIENS - PART FOUR --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- This section includes new aliens for use in Trek campaigns. All these races were designed by Chris Beiting, who may be contacted at: beiting@vax.ox.ac.uk for more information. I would like to thank him here for his contributions to this sourcebook. Any comments about this section should be sent to: tmp_harkins@dirac.physics.jmu.edu "Mr. B." GURPS: Trek - Section Five D - Aliens - Part Four - is Copyright (c) May 1996. See GURPS: Trek - Section One B - General - Part Two - Overview - for more information. --------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents - Part Four ----------------------------- Bolians Dolphins El Aurians Haliians Nausicaans =============================================================== BOLIANS (+10 points) -------------------- Attributes: ----------- DX +1 (+10) IQ +1 (+10) Advantages: ----------- Alertness - One level (+5) Amphibious (+10) Disadvantages: -------------- Appearance: Unattractive (-5) Curious (-10) Enemy, Moropans (rarely) (-10) Quirks: ------- (no racial) Required Skills: ---------------- Area Knowledge: (Homeworld) at IQ (0) Language: Bolian at IQ (0) DESCRIPTION: ------------ Bolians come from the planet Bolarus IX. They are a race of bald, blue-skinned humanoids with a prominent ridge running down the center of their heads and bodies. Only young females possess any body hair, and that only on their scalps. They evolved from an aquatic race and are still very at home in the water, although they are fully comfortable on land. Bolians are staunch allies of the Federation. Several have risen to positions of great importance in the Federation and in Starfleet. Many turn their liability of racial curiosity into an advantage by occupying research or investigative jobs. They have only recently made peace with the Moropans, a rival race, although this peace is fragile one. Perhaps as a consequence for being hairless, a few Bolians display an odd fascination for humanoid hair, and go on to become hairdressers. Mot, on the Enterprise-D, was one such. Of course, the fact that humanoids often tell their hair dressers things they wouldn't tell anyone else hasn't been lost on them... =============================================================== DOLPHINS (+74 points) --------------------- Attributes: ----------- Enhanced ST 16/14, with limitations: (+35) -No fine manipulators -No Fatigue bonus DX +2 (+20) HT +2 (+20) Advantages: ----------- Enhanced Move (Swimming) +1 (+10) Alertness - Three Levels (+15) 3-D Spatial Sense (+10) Blunt Teeth (+0) Nictating Membrane (+10) Peripheral Vision (+15) Pressure Support (+10) Sonar (+25) Disadvantages: -------------- Dependency (Air, Hourly) (-20) Impulsive (-10) No Fine Manipulators (-50) Shortened Lifespan - Two levels (-20) Quirks: ------- (no racial) Required Skills: ---------------- Acrobatics at DX (+4) Area Knowledge: (Homeword) at IQ (0) Language: Dolphinese at IQ (0) DESCRIPTION: ------------ _Tursus truncatus_ and _Tursus truncatus gilli_, Atlantic and Pacific bottlenose Dolphins, respectively, are one of the truly rare Federation races which developed to a very high degree of sentience and sophistication as a fully aquatic race with no fine manipulators of any kind. Their story has resulted in considerable embarrassment for the Federation. By the time Terran Cetacean Protection Acts were enacted in the late 21st century, most of the larger breeds of cetacean were extinct. Surviving cetaceans, such as dolphins, were officially protected, and while some in the scientific community believed they were intelligent, all attempts at communication with them had failed. Eventually, Terrans discovered space travel, and devoted their energies to communication with extraterrestrial humanoids. This situation changed drastically in 2286 when an alien Probe of unknown origin came to Earth and began broadcasting a signal to its target race, the by-then extinct humpback whale. When no answer was forthcoming, the Probe boosted its signal to such a degree that planetary destruction was imminent. Thanks to the timely intervention of the crew of the Enterprise-A aboard a commandeered Klingon vessel, a breeding pair of humpback whales, "George" and "Gracie", were rescued out of time from extinction, and the Earth was saved from the Probe. The origins and message of the Probe remain a mystery to this day, but careful analysis of some of its signals proved to be the key to opening communication with some of the cetaceans of Terra. Contact had been previously elusive before due to the great sophistication and highly alien nature of the cetacean mind. Meaningful communication with the now-refurbished race of humpback whales still eludes Federation scientists, but it has been established with Dolphins, who are now full members of the Federation. The fact that the Federation had made contact with hundreds of intelligent species, while overlooking several on its own capital world, has proved a severe embarrassment, and a source of much ridicule and propaganda from the Cardassian Union and the Romulan Star Empire, among other places. Dolphins neither have nor desire the capacity to manufacture advanced technological items, but they are very keen to work with the Federation and the voice-activated, water-resistant equipment it can provide. Because they are highly sophisticated and live in a three-dimensional environment, Dolphins have proven to be some of the galaxy's most accomplished navigators, surpassed only by the Medusa. However, the practical difficulties of working with Dolphins are only slightly less great than those of working with Medusa, so they do not serve in Starfleet to a degree commiserate with their ability. Nevertheless, an elite group of twelve dolphins comprises the Guidance and Navigation research team for the Galaxy-class starship project. Other Dolphins may be found working for Starfleet in other capacities. Dolphins met without access to Federation technology have the additional disadvantages of Mute (-25) and Primitive x11 (-55). =============================================================== EL AURIANS (+116 points) ------------------------ Attributes: ----------- IQ +2 (+20) HT +1 (+10) Advantages: ----------- Cultural Adaptability (+25) Eidetic Memory - One Level (+30) Empathy (+15) Temporal Inertia (+15) Unaging (+15) Disadvantages: -------------- Compulsive Behavior: Listening and Collecting Stories (-10) Enemy: Borg (rarely) (-10) Quirks: ------- (no racial) Required Skills: ---------------- Area Knowledge: (Homeworld) at IQ (0) Bard at IQ (+2) Language: El Aurian at IQ (0) Psychology at IQ (+4) DESCRIPTION: ------------ El Aurians are a very rare and mysterious race about whom very little is known. In form they are standard humanoids who display a broad range of racial phenotypes, comparable to Terrans. Their homeworld was probably somewhere on the borders of the Beta and Delta quadrants. El Aurians first became known to the Federation in the late 23rd century, after their homeworld was destroyed by the Borg, although there is evidence to suggest that individual El Aurians had visited various Alpha and Beta Quadrant worlds (including Earth) before the founding of the Federation! The few surviving displaced El Aurians have found their way into the Federation and the ranks of Starfleet, although seldom if ever in positions of importance. They seem to prefer to operate quietly in support positions. Much of this seeming reticence comes from the El Aurian racial character. They appear to be natural lore-keepers, and use their phenomenal lifespans and memories to collect the stories and life experiences of various sentient beings. They preserve this knowledge for their own kind, and only occasionally share it with non-El Aurians. They are a highly personably and empathic race, and as such are very willing to help other sentients work out their problems, especially if the end result is a good story for the "good listener"! Possibly as an offshoot of their prodigious memories, El Aurians are extraordinarily sensitive to disturbances in the space/time continuum, and will usually remember the original version of history if a change is made in time. Because of their great age, El Aurians can conceivably start a game with a _huge_ number of skills, so they are not recommended for beginning players, unless the Gamemaster allows a very young El Aurian character. Although they can fight when necessary, El Aurians are by and large a docile people. The behavior of Dr. Soran in 2343 which resulted in the destruction of the Enterprise-D should be considered highly atypical. They are actually capable of ageing, but not in any meaningful humanoid sense. =============================================================== HALIIANS (+25 points) --------------------- Attributes: ----------- (no racial) Advantages: ----------- Appearance: Attractive (+5) Telepathy: Limitations - Touch Only -10%, Power level 2 (+8) Object-Based -10% -Telesend at IQ (+4) -Telereceive at IQ (+4) -Emotion Sense at IQ (+4) Disadvantages: -------------- Impulsiveness (-10) Quirks: ------- (no racial) Required Skills: ---------------- Appreciate Beauty at IQ (+2) Area Knowledge: (Homeworld) at IQ (0) Language: Haliian at IQ (0) Meditation at IQ (+8) DESCRIPTION: ------------ Haliians come from the planet Haliia, and are one of the Federation's few naturally psychic races. In form they are slim, spare, attractive humanoids with dark skin and a slight bony ridge above the eyebrows. Culturally, they are a passionate, artistic, and graceful people inhabiting a world of great beauty. However, most tend to act before they think, and some can be very difficult for other humanoids to work with. Nevertheless, a number have joined Starfleet with great success. All Haliians are naturally partially telepathic. They can boost this ability through physical contact with large glowing crystals they call Canars. Canars are most frequently used in meditation as a mental focus. However, two Haliians (or one Haliian and another being, even if they are not psychic) who are each in physical contact with a Canar may enter full mental rapport. This is most often, though not exclusively, used by two Haliians to create an emotional rapport preparatory to intimacy. Some rare Haliians may be psychically skilled enough to have passed beyond the need of Canars. =============================================================== NAUSICAANS (+37 points) ----------------------- Attributes: ----------- ST +4 (+45) IQ -1 (-10) HT +2 (+20) Advantages: ----------- Damage Resistance - One Level (+1 DR) (+3) Fangs (+10) High Pain Threshold (+10) Disadvantages: -------------- Appearance: Ugly (-10) Bad Temper (-10) Bully (-10) Stuttering (-10) Quirks: ------- Likes to use Traditional Melee Weapons (-1) Required Skills: ---------------- Area Knowledge: (Homeworld) at IQ (0) Language: Nausicaan at IQ (0) DESCRIPTION: ------------ Nausicaans are a race of large, hirsute humanoids with thick manes of predominantly reddish hair, bony facial features, and sharp fangs which fold over a complicated, inhumanoid mouth. Because of the shape of their mouths, they have difficulty speaking Federation Standard and other humanoid languages, which gives them an appearance of stupidity that they do not entirely deserve. However, they are one of the Federations' least socially-redeeming races, being bad-tempered, surly, and violent. Few have made it into the ranks of Starfleet. Most have found work in the Federation as bouncers, thugs, and enforcers - positions where their liabilities are advantages. A casual bar brawl with some Nausicaans cost Captain Picard his heart, forcing him to make use of a bionic replacement. ===============================================================