Alien Sex and Reproduction in Traveller 5

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Ah, the Joy of Aliens.

Personally, my feeling toward the subject comes from early reading of the Pride of Chanur so I tend to lean toward the human/sophont mating/pair bonding being just fine and kinda cool. Can they breed? That I doubt without genetic engineering, but they could try and see what happens.

And Vladika your use of the definition of the word "bestiality" is incorrect, we just haven't had a real world reason to come up with a term for human/non-human sophont relationships, though perhaps Xenophilia would work.

I am enjoying the hell out of this thread and people's reactions to it. And I can't lie, it amuses me to no end how many people play a science fiction role playing game that have problems with humans and non-human sophonts being in a relationship. Don't hate, motivate! :devil:

 

[Vladika]

Personally, my feeling toward the subject comes from early reading of the Pride of Chanur so I tend to lean toward the human/sophont mating/pair bonding being just fine and kinda cool. Can they breed? That I doubt without genetic engineering, but they could try and see what happens.

And Vladika your use of the definition of the word "bestiality" is incorrect, we just haven't had a real world reason to come up with a term for human/non-human sophont relationships, though perhaps Xenophilia would work.

I am enjoying the hell out of this thread and people's reactions to it. And I can't lie, it amuses me to no end how many people play a science fiction role playing game that have problems with humans and non-human sophonts being in a relationship. Don't hate, motivate! :devil:

Incorrect or not, I quoted the source used. BTW the correct spelling is in fact "bestiality".

Urban Dictionary: beastiality also referred to as "inter-species erotica". The art of performing a sexual act with a member of another species.

Also it isn't a matter of hate. Read the highlighted parts and see if you think they are appropriate for all readers, young or old.

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Responses.

Yeah, well, sometimes me and spellcheck do miss such things. Also, it isn't a word I find a lot of use for so have not memorized its spelling.

As for the 13 year old thing, sounds about the time to start dealing with such things before they start trying to find out for themselves if the parents are not telling them anything. Then again, I am terribly liberal about things like sex, drugs and rock and roll (though I tend toward techno/electronica myself). I mean I was around that age when my mother explained sex and reproduction to me. Funny thing is that I laughed at the method then, can't get enough now. Ah, the wonders of aging.

 

[Epee]

In my somewhat off-color quote about, "seasons, spines, smells, teeth and claws", I intended to address the fact that reproduction isn't the same for all higher species. If you work with the assumption that all sophonts are evolved from lower species, then sex may not hold the same "ambiance" for them as it does for humans. For example; for as sentimentally and romantically regarded creatures as the Grey Whales, reproduction resembles gang rape more than anything else. Crocodiles, on the other hand, as wickly vicious as they seem to human sensibilities, as quite tender with one another during their, "special time together".

 

[Blue Ghost]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nfg-Y9ketE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emJDB0w3EYg

 

[Spaceresearcher]

Just to remind certain individuals that were talking about inter-alien interaction here, nothing more. I'd also like to note that I did not mention the B word.

If you wish to compare interspecies relations to the B word, then that's your mind talking, not mine.

As to how the cross breeding occurs(genetic engineering or otherwise), is completely up to the players and the ref.

What Traveller presents is a 'what if' such a being existed? How would you play that character. EG, none of us are responsible for how we emerge into the universe. That's one thing that is completely out of our control.

Already I can see that certain fellow Travellers are uncomfortable with the idea of inter-species relations and this fascinates me. My advice to those Travellers would be to create an unlikely alien character and game with them. Put yourself in there world. That's a magic part of RPGing. (T5 has rules for these individuals which is a real credit to this great new addition to the official Traveller line. )

However the best part of Traveller for me, is you get all this in a universe where you can travel the stars finding all kinds of characters to bump into along the way(no pun intended or otherwise), where old technology meets new technology and above all there's massive room for space opera galore.

 

[Blue Ghost]

What's the "B" word

 

[robject]

What's the "B" word

Carnal knowledge with animals.

 

[robject]

As to how the cross breeding occurs(genetic engineering or otherwise), is completely up to the players and the ref.

Since this is the T5 forum: that's what the Chimera rules are for.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Carnal knowledge with animals.

oh

 

[pennshome723]

Well I pretty much use the Star Trek approach, if it looks humanoid in build most likely they can play with each other. Now weather they can actually mate and produce children, then that is a whole other matter.

I will say this, in my 37 years of RPGing and 25+ yrs of GMing I think I can count on One hand and using one finger how many times mating has ever come up in a game setting. Now the player that brought it up was a Social Pig in real life, so that would explain that!!!

 

[rancke]

Well I pretty much use the Star Trek approach, if it looks humanoid in build most likely they can play with each other. Now weather they can actually mate and produce children, then that is a whole other matter.

Relationships between humans and humanoid non-humans is an old SF trope. There's no reason why you can't treat that sort of thing within a PG rating.


Hans

 

[cuTTer]

Relationships between humans and humanoid non-humans is an old SF trope. There's no reason why you can't treat that sort of thing within a PG rating.


Hans

Tell me more about this earth thing called kissing?

 

[GypsyComet]

Sure, but a PG rating means "cut to the female brushing her hair and Kirk putting his boots back on".

 

[pennshome723]

Well if it ever came up, I would have fun at the PCs/Players expense :rofl::file_23::file_23::file_23::rofl:

 

[Vladika]

I will say this, in my 37 years of RPGing and 25+ yrs of GMing I think I can count on One hand and using one finger how many times mating has ever come up in a game setting. Now the player that brought it up was a Social Pig in real life, so that would explain that!!!

Relationships between humans and humanoid non-humans is an old SF trope. There's no reason why you can't treat that sort of thing within a PG rating.
Hans

I would seriously like to thank both of you for these two posts. The Trope is one thing but much of this thread was way beyond appropriate.

It could have, and should have, stayed within the PG bounds.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Tell me more about this earth thing called kissing?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw6jB8UmxZo

 

[aramis]

Well I pretty much use the Star Trek approach, if it looks humanoid in build most likely they can play with each other. Now weather they can actually mate and produce children, then that is a whole other matter.

I will say this, in my 37 years of RPGing and 25+ yrs of GMing I think I can count on One hand and using one finger how many times mating has ever come up in a game setting. Now the player that brought it up was a Social Pig in real life, so that would explain that!!!

I run Pendragon - families and children are part of the trope for the long term campaign.

Pocket Empires has a fast enough time scale to trigger this.

I've had characters for whom the issue of interfertility of human subspecies was an issue in traveller.

A lot of the issue is the nature of one's games.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Another of my favorites;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNmwwz07ftA

 

[Spaceresearcher]

Is anyone wondering about the weddings for inter-alien relationships?

Could be an interesting part of an adventure.