Hybrids in Starships and Spacemen

For discussion of the original 1978 rules and for the revised second edition that is entering development.

Hybrids in Starships and Spacemen

Postby Grif » Sun Jun 16, 2013 3:05 pm

It’s a bit quiet around here! So, to get things moving again, and since, apparently, one item of feedback when the new edition of S&S was published was “How do I play a Terran/Tauran hybrid?”, here's my effort, originally posted on the “Old School Trek” board - I don't pretend that this is perfect, but these rules should help players to play approximate equivalents to certain characters from a certain TV show:

It is a curious feature of space opera that people from planets light years apart, and from different evolutionary origins, can find each other sufficiently attractive to fall in love, marry, and have children. A certain television series, for example, in its several incarnations, has a number of characters whose parents hail from different planets, and the way in which such characters exemplify or reject either side of their mixed heritage makes for excellent drama. This article presents methods in incorporating such characters into the Starships and Spacemen RPG.

Characters should be rolled up as normal, using one of the three methods in the rulebook. The decision should then be taken as to which mixed heritage the character is to have, then the following modifications should be made to attribute scores.

Terran/Tauran Hybrid:

Male: Subtract 1 from Charisma
Add 1 to Intelligence and Strength
Add 1 to Technical Skill
Psionic Potential Base: 2

Female: Add 1 to Strength
Add 1 to Contact Skill
Psionic Potential Base: 5

The prototype for this character heritage is a certain Science Officer. Terran/Tauran Hybrids often struggle to suppress their emotions and live up to the Tauran tradition; however, some of them reject this repression and tend more towards the Terran side of their heritage. As they mature, they often become more comfortable with their dual cultural inheritance. Terran/Tauran Hybrids are still subject to the Tauran two-year mating urge.

Terran/Zangid Hybrid:

Players wishing to have this type of character should use the Rigel attribute modifications in the rulebook. The prototype for this character heritage is a certain Chief Engineer. Terran/Zangid Hybrids have difficulty in controlling their tempers, and often seem rather volatile to their fellow crew members.

Terran/Zangid/Terran Hybrid:

Male and Female: Add 1 to Marksmanship and Strength
Loyalty Base: 7
Psionic Potential Base: -2

The prototype for this character heritage is the daughter of a certain Chief Engineer and a Navigator.

Tauran/Videni Hybrid:

Players wishing to have this type of character should use the Terran/Tauran Hybrid attribute modifications above. Tauran/Videni Hybrids are often the product of rape or unethical breeding experiments, and, when attempts are made to bring them up in the Tauran tradition, they have to struggle to suppress their emotions.

Terran/ Videni Hybrid:
No modifications to the Terran template. Terran/ Videni Hybrids in Spacefleet are often ashamed of their heritage, and attempt to conceal it, rendering them vulnerable to blackmail.

Zangid Player Characters:

Male: Subtract 2 from Technical Skill and Contact Skill
Add 4 to Marksmanship and Strength

Female: Subtract 2 from Technical Skill and Contact Skill
Add 4 to Marksmanship
Add 2 to Strength

The prototype for this character heritage is a certain Security Officer. Zangids in Spacefleet have often been brought up by humans, and have great difficulty in controlling their urges towards violence, but are very loyal to their friends, and hold to their own notions of honour.

Because of their mixed heritage, cultural as well as genetic, hybrids can be of any character class. I hope that players enjoy these rules – I make no claim as to their perfection, so, if you disagree on any point - change it!

Grif
Grif
 
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