Char Gen House Rule Writers Are Racist
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The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
I made an "Intelligent Species Generation System". It might lean a bit to o much towards bipeds. I dont consider myself bipedist. What an odd topic...
Supplement Four
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I did it because: (A) I had some new players to Traveller, and I wanted to work in aliens later -- once they are comfortable with the game; (B) All my PCs are human, at this point; (C) the base CT chargen rules are for humans; (D) Humans are the most numerous beings in the Traveller universe.
In CT, aliens all seem to have modifiers off the human rules (well, a lot of them, anyway).
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
WJP, it's more than modifiers where chargen is concerned. The Aslan actually have totally different careers. All 4 of your points, though, are very true.
Wouldn't that be 'speciest' not 'racist'? Or even xenophobic? (...xeno-ist?) 
Basic CT rules do not include aliens. Aliens are covered in the alien modules. Player published material tends to avoid reprinting anything in the main manuals that it has not diverged from (like basic mustering out tables). Besides, these are HOUSE rules, so if the authors want Humaniti to be represented, that's their business; it is your responsibility to add the race-specific house rules for games at your house.
The point of some of the more discussed house chargen rules has been either campaign specific (so you have no right to bitch there about not covering aliens
or to consolidate systems and to get LBB1/S4-ease char gen with characters that match LBB4-6 expanded chargen in skillset. That also means NOT complicating it with the AM1-8 stuff. In addition, those alien-specific careers only apply in that aliens' home region/services! An Aslan who serves in the Imperium is not doing 8 year terms, and follows the standard rollup. This is stated in the module itself. There are a few extra rules regarding gender-skillset restrictions, but thats about it.
I'm working on a variant of Employee's chargen rules and will include the various alien races (theres that word again), but as modifiers, for the most part.
For example, the Aslan sheet would specify what the gender-profession restrictions are, and adapt but not directly incorporate the Aslan specific professions. The Aslan would still use Navy, not the two split enlistee/officer careers. Instead of 8 year terms, the Aslan must serve 2 terms in a row with no re-enlistment roll allowed.
A race-specific additional skill table may be offered, as well as a new 'Race benefits' table - a 3rd mustering out table - that can be rolled on (or, perhaps, MUST be rolled on, with most of the results specifying that the player's roll falls under the career specific table).
But that's a lot of work, and that will occur once I've finished doing up the sheets for the core professions and finish my research into incorporating per-year duties as modifiers to per-term survival/decoration/promotion rolls.
Basic CT rules do not include aliens. Aliens are covered in the alien modules. Player published material tends to avoid reprinting anything in the main manuals that it has not diverged from (like basic mustering out tables). Besides, these are HOUSE rules, so if the authors want Humaniti to be represented, that's their business; it is your responsibility to add the race-specific house rules for games at your house.
The point of some of the more discussed house chargen rules has been either campaign specific (so you have no right to bitch there about not covering aliens
or to consolidate systems and to get LBB1/S4-ease char gen with characters that match LBB4-6 expanded chargen in skillset. That also means NOT complicating it with the AM1-8 stuff. In addition, those alien-specific careers only apply in that aliens' home region/services! An Aslan who serves in the Imperium is not doing 8 year terms, and follows the standard rollup. This is stated in the module itself. There are a few extra rules regarding gender-skillset restrictions, but thats about it.I'm working on a variant of Employee's chargen rules and will include the various alien races (theres that word again), but as modifiers, for the most part.
For example, the Aslan sheet would specify what the gender-profession restrictions are, and adapt but not directly incorporate the Aslan specific professions. The Aslan would still use Navy, not the two split enlistee/officer careers. Instead of 8 year terms, the Aslan must serve 2 terms in a row with no re-enlistment roll allowed.
A race-specific additional skill table may be offered, as well as a new 'Race benefits' table - a 3rd mustering out table - that can be rolled on (or, perhaps, MUST be rolled on, with most of the results specifying that the player's roll falls under the career specific table).
But that's a lot of work, and that will occur once I've finished doing up the sheets for the core professions and finish my research into incorporating per-year duties as modifiers to per-term survival/decoration/promotion rolls.
The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
Some care should be given so as to not get too distracted in the quest for universal inclusion. I tested a game once that used a "universal" pronoun for all the he said/she said. The result was so distracting that it became funny. Unfortunately I can't remeber the actual word used...
I am reminded of "Loretta" in Life of Brian...
I am reminded of "Loretta" in Life of Brian...
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
Not the original ones in the JTAS, IIRC. They were modifiers on the typical human careers. Then, when the alien books came out, they were more fleshed out.
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
I think there's a Vegan write up in the JTAS with notes on making Vegan characters (mods on the human careers again).
You can find published details for Vegan characters in GT: Rim of Fire.
For T20, I wrote up something years ago and posted it to the library here:
http://www.travellerrpg.com/cgi-bin/Trav/file/pfile.pl?action=view&itemid=68&h=&s=
Hope this helps,
Flynn
For T20, I wrote up something years ago and posted it to the library here:
http://www.travellerrpg.com/cgi-bin/Trav/file/pfile.pl?action=view&itemid=68&h=&s=
Hope this helps,
Flynn
I purposely discourage alien PC's for the sole reason that few people can play an alien without making them just "a guy in a rubber suit". The only exception to the rule are Vargr who, being Terran mammals and basically only as different from dogs as humans are from monkeys, are relatively easy to understand.
The others, IMHO, are so different that it's difficult for me as a GM to present them for extended periods without humanizing them. Recognizable motives and ambitions are normally fine for humaniti and aliens who live among humans, but native Aslan, Vegans, and K'kree (Hivers and Droyne are all together out of bounds) should be extremely alien to humans. IMTU, aliens often do things totally unexplainable to humans, just to remind the PC's just how different from humans they are.
IMHO, this heightens the space opera feel; where aliens are truly alien, not bunk mates and the PC's really are on their own. MTU isn't necessarily human centric, but the game play is.
The others, IMHO, are so different that it's difficult for me as a GM to present them for extended periods without humanizing them. Recognizable motives and ambitions are normally fine for humaniti and aliens who live among humans, but native Aslan, Vegans, and K'kree (Hivers and Droyne are all together out of bounds) should be extremely alien to humans. IMTU, aliens often do things totally unexplainable to humans, just to remind the PC's just how different from humans they are.
IMHO, this heightens the space opera feel; where aliens are truly alien, not bunk mates and the PC's really are on their own. MTU isn't necessarily human centric, but the game play is.
Here's something that might help you a little. They are tables for generating racial encounters, but it could give you a start or ideas for chargen. Humaniti dominates the tables. The Minor Alien and Minor Humaniti are, of course, skewed towards the campaign I was going to run.
Dameon
ENCOUNTERS WITHIN IMPERIUM (2D6)
2 Major Alien
3 Humaniti
4 Humaniti
5 Minor Alien
6 Humaniti
7 Major Alien
8 Humaniti
9 Minor Alien
10 Humaniti
11 Minor Alien
12 Minor Alien
MAJOR ALIEN (3d6) (+2 Rimward/-2 Coreward)
3 Zhodani (Humaniti not found often in Imperium)
4 Vargr
5 Vargr
6 Droyne
7 Vargr
8 Droyne
9 Vargr
10 Vargr
11 Aslan
12 Droyne
13 Aslan
14 K’kree
15 Aslan
16 Hiver
17 K’kree
18 Hiver
HUMANITI (2d6) (+2 Rimward/-2 Coreward)
2 Vilani
3 Minor Humaniti
4 Vilani
5 Major/Minor Hybrid
6 Vilani/Solomani Hybrid
7 Vilani/Solomani Hybrid
8 Vilani/Solomani Hybrid
9 Minor Humaniti
10 Solomani (Solomani Sphere)
11 Minor/Minor Hybrid
12 Solomani (True Terran)
MINOR ALIEN (4D6)
4 Eslyat
5 Xapoqi
6 Murian
7 Orangutani (Uplifted Terran)
8 Huosua
9 Jenda
10 Kokasha (Minor Vargr)
11 Peth
12 Yntsai
13 Chirper (Minor Droyne)
14 Eibokin
15 Hana Saka
16 Dolphini (Uplifted Terran)
17 Gniivi
18 Llellewyloly (Dandelion)
19 Ithklur
20 Danin
21 Muan Gwi (Vegan)
22 Akeed
23 Ulane
24 Shalli
MINOR HUMANITI (3D6)
3 Sylean
4 Geonee
5 Darrian
6 Cassilldan
7 Iziri
8 Jonkeer
9 Wuan
10 Sylean
11 Answerin
12 Mermani
13 Lamura Teg
14 Bye-Ren
15 Suerrat
16 Halkan
17 Tapazmal
18 Sylean
Dameon
ENCOUNTERS WITHIN IMPERIUM (2D6)
2 Major Alien
3 Humaniti
4 Humaniti
5 Minor Alien
6 Humaniti
7 Major Alien
8 Humaniti
9 Minor Alien
10 Humaniti
11 Minor Alien
12 Minor Alien
MAJOR ALIEN (3d6) (+2 Rimward/-2 Coreward)
3 Zhodani (Humaniti not found often in Imperium)
4 Vargr
5 Vargr
6 Droyne
7 Vargr
8 Droyne
9 Vargr
10 Vargr
11 Aslan
12 Droyne
13 Aslan
14 K’kree
15 Aslan
16 Hiver
17 K’kree
18 Hiver
HUMANITI (2d6) (+2 Rimward/-2 Coreward)
2 Vilani
3 Minor Humaniti
4 Vilani
5 Major/Minor Hybrid
6 Vilani/Solomani Hybrid
7 Vilani/Solomani Hybrid
8 Vilani/Solomani Hybrid
9 Minor Humaniti
10 Solomani (Solomani Sphere)
11 Minor/Minor Hybrid
12 Solomani (True Terran)
MINOR ALIEN (4D6)
4 Eslyat
5 Xapoqi
6 Murian
7 Orangutani (Uplifted Terran)
8 Huosua
9 Jenda
10 Kokasha (Minor Vargr)
11 Peth
12 Yntsai
13 Chirper (Minor Droyne)
14 Eibokin
15 Hana Saka
16 Dolphini (Uplifted Terran)
17 Gniivi
18 Llellewyloly (Dandelion)
19 Ithklur
20 Danin
21 Muan Gwi (Vegan)
22 Akeed
23 Ulane
24 Shalli
MINOR HUMANITI (3D6)
3 Sylean
4 Geonee
5 Darrian
6 Cassilldan
7 Iziri
8 Jonkeer
9 Wuan
10 Sylean
11 Answerin
12 Mermani
13 Lamura Teg
14 Bye-Ren
15 Suerrat
16 Halkan
17 Tapazmal
18 Sylean
Dameon,
Your table on Major Aliens seems to indicate that the K'kree are located rimward rather than coreward, as the chance of meeting them is higher to rimward. That's not the case in the OTU.
You might consider a HIWG Quadrant approach, where Charted Space is split into quarters in this manner:
</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;"> I | II
-------
IV |III</pre>[/QUOTE]It becomes easier to create lists appropriate to a region of space when you put a little focus on it.
Also, one of the canonical limitations that Minor Races experience is that they rarely travel more than 10 parsecs from their homeworld (placing them, at best, up to a subsector away from their homeworld.) There are notable exceptions that are more widespread, but I don't feel that your table reflects those exceptions accurately. (For example, the Vegans are rarely seen more than a sector away from the Solomani Rim. The Akeed are really a minor race of the Gateway Domain, and probably never leave their quadrant or perhaps their sector. This is, of course, only my opinion, and only applicable if you are using a stricter OTU as your base model.)
As a suggestion meant only to help, it may be better to simply have a spot or four (or even eight) dedicated to "Local Minor Race" which can be determined based on your location, rather than hard-coding a specific Minor Race.
That is, of course, only if you wanted to make more generic tables.
Despite my comments above, I really like what you've come up with. The concept is very sweet, and is something I will consider for my next Traveller/Sci-Fi campaign. Nice work, good Sir.
Thanks,
Flynn
Your table on Major Aliens seems to indicate that the K'kree are located rimward rather than coreward, as the chance of meeting them is higher to rimward. That's not the case in the OTU.
You might consider a HIWG Quadrant approach, where Charted Space is split into quarters in this manner:
</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;"> I | II
-------
IV |III</pre>[/QUOTE]It becomes easier to create lists appropriate to a region of space when you put a little focus on it.
Also, one of the canonical limitations that Minor Races experience is that they rarely travel more than 10 parsecs from their homeworld (placing them, at best, up to a subsector away from their homeworld.) There are notable exceptions that are more widespread, but I don't feel that your table reflects those exceptions accurately. (For example, the Vegans are rarely seen more than a sector away from the Solomani Rim. The Akeed are really a minor race of the Gateway Domain, and probably never leave their quadrant or perhaps their sector. This is, of course, only my opinion, and only applicable if you are using a stricter OTU as your base model.)
As a suggestion meant only to help, it may be better to simply have a spot or four (or even eight) dedicated to "Local Minor Race" which can be determined based on your location, rather than hard-coding a specific Minor Race.
That is, of course, only if you wanted to make more generic tables.
Despite my comments above, I really like what you've come up with. The concept is very sweet, and is something I will consider for my next Traveller/Sci-Fi campaign. Nice work, good Sir.
Thanks,
Flynn
BlackBat242
SOC-14 1K
Nice resurrection of a 10-year/5-month dormant thread where the OP made a blanket accusation in the thread title that we are all racist.
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