Hiver Alien Module and Attributes Question

[Shadowfax]

I was looking at my Hiver Alien Module the other day and noticed that on page 24 that the hivers only roll 1D6 for their Strength, Dexterity and Endurance!? Is this correct?

I mean, I knew that Hivers are weaker than humans, but why would they have less DX? A lower Endurance could be coupled with lower Strength I suppose, but even this seems strange to me. One D6 is not very much.

Even more confusing is when I then looked at the Hiver High Guard section on page 30 and discovered that here the Hivers roll 2D6. I am guessing that the 1D6 was a typo right?

Also, it seems that Hivers should be able to take more damage due to their physiological structure. IMTU I gave them an extra 2D6 of "Damage absorbtion points" to account for their carapace and fibrous tissues and durability.

Anybody got any input/feedback on this score?

 

[Supplement Four]

I don't think it's a typo.

 

[Gruffty]

I was looking at my Hiver Alien Module the other day and noticed that on page 24 that the hivers only roll 1D6 for their Strength, Dexterity and Endurance!? Is this correct?

Nope, that's incorrect, see below.

I don't think it's a typo.

It most definitely is a typo, as shown in the text extracts from CT AM7 below (my emphasis is in bold):

Six characteristics are generated randomly for Hiver characters. The first five - Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Intelligence, and Education - are identical to the standard human attributes and are recorded in the UPP in the normal manner. The sixth, Curiosity, replaces Social Standing in importance and position in the UPP.

All attributes are rolled with two dice. Characteristics initially range from 2 to 12; they may rise as high as 15, or may be reduced to 1 during the character generation process.

Generate personal characteristics (2D): Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Intelligence, Education, Curiosity.

1. Generate character. A. Generate the six personal characteristics 2D each.

The original Hiver Contact! article in JTAS 13 gave (IMO) the correct DMs to be applied to the 2D throws when generating characteristics for Hivers:

Hivers are low gravity creatures, and are weaker than humans. The flexibility and number of their limbs will make them more dexterous. Apply a DM of -2 to Strength and Endurance, +1 to Education, and +2 Dexterity.

I don't know why these DMs weren't carried forward to CT AM7, as they make sense to me. I also brought this up when I read the DMs for Hiver characters in MGT:

Hivers have Notable Intelligence (+2) and Weak Dexterity (–2).

Hivers should be physically weak with low Strength and Endurance scores (as they come from a low G/size 5 world) but very dextrous with a high Dexterity score, as they have a total of 36 "fingers" to potentially use. In my previous OTU-based games, I used the following characteristic throws for Hivers:

Strength = 2D-2
Dexterity = 2D+2
Endurance= 2D-2
Intelligence = 2D+2
Education = 2D+1
Curiosity = 2D

Note that, using my houserule throws above, no characteristic can ever be lower than 1 when initially generated.

HTH!

Gruffty Teh Hivorz

 

[BlackBat242]

Just a note... Like Shadowfax, my copy of the original CT AM7 has, on page 24 left column,
"1. Generate character. A. Roll personal characteristics (1D): Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Intelligence, Education, Curiosity."


However, as Gruffty points out:
Page 18 says:

Six characteristics are generated randomly for Hiver characters. The first five - Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Intelligence, and Education - are identical to the standard human attributes and are recorded in the UPP in the normal manner. The sixth, Curiosity, replaces Social Standing in importance and position in the UPP.

All attributes are rolled with two dice. Characteristics initially range from 2 to 12; they may rise as high as 15, or may be reduced to 1 during the character generation process.

Page 26 says:
"Generate personal characteristics (2D): Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Intelligence, Education, Curiosity.

Page 28 says:
"1. Generate character. A. Generate the six personal characteristics 2D each.

Page 30 says:
"Generate personal characteristics (2D): Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Intelligence, Education, Curiosity.


So with 4 of 5 saying 2D6, I'd go with that.



Further, I would add Gruffty's characteristic modifier list from the JTAS article that originally described the 6-limbed puppet-masters (and the Int mod from MGT).

 

[DonM]

You guys are scary. I was just adding the missing modifiers from JTAS to the AM7 errata, and found the 1D thing on page 24.

But I do appreciate all the references being in one place!

 

[Gruffty]

You guys are scary.

...we just want you to *think* we're scary