Pyramid. Aliens

37 Pages·2011·2.413 MB·English

by  Steve Jackson

Stock #37-2635
C
ONTENTS
COVER ART INTERIOR ART
JohnZeleznik GregHyland
FROM THE EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 I T
N HIS
ALIEN DISADVANTAGES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
byStevenMarsh
I
THE TROJAN GAMBIT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 SSUE
byMicheleArmellini
MAKING SOMETHING ALIEN. . . . . . . . . . . 15
byAlanLeddon Whetherlurkinginthedunesnearadesertcrashorlyingin
waitbeyondthestars,alienshavehiddenintheperipheryof
EIDETIC MEMORY:
public imagination for generations. With this month’s
WARGRAVE STATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Pyramid,itistimetoputtheminthespotlight.
byDavidL.Pulver GURPS provides a solid framework to build the alien of
your dreams, but sometimes you can use help getting those
WELL PAST ALIEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 dreamsstarted.AlienDisadvantagesoffersnewwaystolookat
byJ.EdwardTremlett existing traits, with tips and tricks on how to take the seem-
inglyfamiliarstocktoolsoftheGURPS Basic Setandmake
ALIEN STARTING CONDITIONS. . . . . . . . . . 27
themfeeloutofthisworld.
byStephenP.Kohler
Everyone who’s suffered through a biology class learns to
FIRST CONTACT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 fearparasites...andthosewho’vesufferedthroughparasites
themselves have even greater fears. However, Michele
byMeganMcDonald
Armellini,authorofseveralGURPSsupplements,knowsthere
RANDOM THOUGHT TABLE: issomethingpotentiallyevenscarierthanbeingpossessedby
parasites.Learntheshockingtruth–includingathreatening
A PLETHORA OF PROBLEMS . . . . . . . . 34
racewithGURPSstats–inTheTrojanGambit.
byStevenMarsh,PyramidEditor
Are you looking to make an extraterrestrial’s thoughts,
ODDS AND ENDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 motives, and appearance truly different? Then you need
insightintoMakingSomethingAlien.
ABOUT GURPS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Doyouneedsomethingtobringtogetheralotofalienarti-
facts–plusafewheretofore-unknown(deceased)aliens?Your
next stop: Wargrave Station. This installment of David L.
Pulver’sEideticMemoryincludesGURPSSpaceshipsstatsfor
oneofthederelictvessels.
GoWellPastAlienwithsixnewextraterrestrialspecies,suit-
ableforanyspacefaringsetting.Eachoneisatleastoneaspect
short of being able to easily interact with baseline humans,
andeachismoredangerousthanthelast.
Everyone comes from somewhere, and Alien Starting
Conditionspresentsaquick-and-easymethodforcomingup
Article Colors with a homeworld . . . and how those roots can affect a
species’outlook.
Each article is color-coded to help you find your Onceyouhavealiens,youneedtomakeFirstContact.This
favoritesections. short-and-sweet collection of adventure seeds offers six ways
to encounter them, plus a half-dozen ways for them to
PaleBlue:InThisIssue encounterus.
Brown:InEveryIssue(letters,humor,editorial,etc.) Steven Marsh has problems with aliens in his Random
DarkBlue:GURPSFeatures ThoughtTable,andtheissueisroundedoutbytheusualfun
stuffinOddsandEnds,featuringMurphy’sRules.
Purple:SystemlessFeatures
Whether you’re facing first contact or are the last human
Green:DistinguishedColumnists
standing,wehavesomethingtoaugmentthealienexperience.
Humanityisknownforitscreativity–andthisissueprovesit!
Editor-in-Chief(cid:2)STEVEJACKSON GURPSLineEditor(cid:2)SEANPUNCH PageDesign(cid:2)PHILREEDand
ChiefOperatingOfficer(cid:2)PHILIPREED EditorialAssistant(cid:2)JASON“PK”LEVINE JUSTINDEWITT
ArtDirector(cid:2)SAMUELMITSCHKE ProductionArtist(cid:2)NIKOLAVRTIS MarketingDirector(cid:2)PAULCHAPMAN
e23Manager(cid:2)STEVENMARSH PrepressChecker(cid:2)MONICASTEPHENS DirectorofSales(cid:2)ROSSJEPSON
P M 2 S 2011
YRAMID AGAZINE EPTEMBER
F
ROM THE
E
DITOR
A D F wildly different human culture in a cliffhangers campaign.
UNGEON ULL
And,ofcourse,whenyou’recomingupwithanewextraterres-
OF . . . ALIENS?! trialencounter.
Good gamers take their inspiration from everywhere.
For those who’ve been reading Pyramid for a while (and GURPS is especially great about mixing pieces . . . and
specialthankstoallofyouwhomakethispossible!),youmay Pyramidisagreatspotforthoselittlebitsyouwon’tfindany-
have noticed that we’ve been drifting away from the whereelse.
“past/present/future” divide of our themes. We’re not avoid-
ingissuessetinspecificeras,butwe’realsoopentothepos-
W H , W N
sibilityofissuesthataren’ttiedtoanypointintime,orones RITE ERE RITE OW
thatspanperiods.
Speaking of strange visitors landing on your doorstep . . .
I mention this, tangentially, because our alien-themed
how was this issue? You can send shadowy missives to the
issuemustseemlikeitwouldbealogicalscience-fictionissue
black-clad agents at [email protected], or expose your
– which it is! However, much of the advice here is good for
innermostthoughtsonthealienconspiracypubliclyonlineat
any presentation of the “alien” – the different, the unusual,
forums.sjgames.com.
theunearthly.
Finally,forthoselookingtowriteforPyramid–likethenew
We hope you’ll remember this issue when you start up a
namesappearinginthisissuedid!–informationisonourweb-
newfantasygameandarelookingtoinjectsomeintriguewith
siteatpyramid.sjgames.com.
anewsubterraneanrace.Orwhenyou’retryingtoproducea
Pyramid,GURPS,Warehouse23,andtheall-seeingpyramidareregisteredtrademarksofSteveJacksonGamesIncorporated.e23andthenamesofallproducts
publishedbySteveJacksonGamesIncorporatedareregisteredtrademarksortrademarksofSteveJacksonGamesIncorporated,orusedunderlicense.
Pyramidiscopyright©2011bySteveJacksonGamesIncorporated.Allrightsreserved.
Submissionofyourphotos,letters,humor,captions,andmarginaliaconstitutespermissiontoSteveJacksonGamesIncorporatedtousetheminallmedia.
AllsuchsubmissionsbecomethepropertyofSteveJacksonGamesIncorporatedandwillnotbereturned.
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purchaseonlyauthorizedelectroniceditions,anddonotparticipateinorencouragetheelectronicpiracyofcopyrightedmaterials.Yoursupportoftheauthors’rightsisappreciated.
P M 3 S 2011
YRAMID AGAZINE EPTEMBER
A
LIEN
D
ISADVANTAGES
S M
BY TEVEN ARSH
Whenitcomestodesigninginterestingaliens,GURPShas However,whatifthat’snotthecase?Whatifwhathumans
adirtylittlesecret...whichisn’tterriblylittle,isn’tverydirty, call“absent-minded”inanalienentityisactuallyaresultofa
andisn’tmuchofasecrettofolkswhopayattention. differentthoughtprocess?
Fromagame-designstandpoint,disadvantagesinGURPS As one possibility, perhaps the race is a computer-based
aremostconcernedwitheffects,notcauses.Inotherwords,the hive-mindspeciesthat“offloadsprocessingpower”ofmember
nameanddescriptionofadisadvantageisn’tasimportantas consciousness to the greater hive. A member seems “absent-
thegameeffects. minded” because the data has been uploaded elsewhere, and
Forthewould-befabricatorofoddballextraterrestrials,this accessingitrequiresconsciouseffort(theIQ,Per,orWillrolls
factopensupawidenumberofpossibilities.Sincethegame listedinthedisadvantage)togettherequestedinformationre-
effectsofdisadvantagestakeprimacyoverthedescriptions,it’s downloadedtotheindividual.
trivialtotweakthedescriptionandimplications,providedthe Orperhapsthealienspeciesexperiencestimeinafunda-
effectsarethesame. mentallydifferentfashion.Everythingthatisn’tinthebeing’s
The fundamentals of this technique are covered in immediate frame of reference is mentally shifted to some-
ModifyingExistingDisadvantages(pp.B165-166).However,as thingakintohazy“long-term”memory.Inthiscase,attempt-
a design exercise, focusing on the effects and working back- ing to snap out of the Absent-Mindedness feels similar to
wardtothecausecanallowthecreationofstrangeandinter- tryingtoremember(say)specificdetailsofachildhoodbirth-
estingpossibilities–onesthatfeeltrulyalien.Here,then,isa dayparty.
lookatmanyofthedisadvantagesfromtheBasic Set –with
anotherworldlyoutlook. A
DDICTION AND
A
LCOHOLISM
Limited Disadvantages seep.B122-123
Acentralassumptionofthesubstance-abuse-
Asdescribedonp.B110,disadvantagescanbetweakedwithlimi- baseddisadvantagesisthattheaddictedindivid-
tations.Thesecangreatlychangetheflavorofadisadvantage...ina ual in some way consciously comprehends his
waythatdoesn’tmakesenseforhuman-basedcampaigns,butthatcan addictions.However,whatifthisisn’tthecase?
bejustifiedoreasilyhand-wavedforalienbeings. Asoneexample,maybethealienspecieswas
From a conceptual standpoint, the easiest one to have firmly in uplifted by an individual with an addiction (or
mindwhenmullingoveralienpossibilitiesis“halfthetime”–which suchanindividualwas–byfactorlegend–akey
isworth-20%.Comingupwithagoodhookofwhyadisadvantage memberoftheupliftingteam).Theracecameto
is only limiting half the time can lead to some interesting alien view“sapience”and“addiction”assynonymous:
possibilities. “We drink, as Founder Rosen did, so we can
Rememberthat“limited”disadvantagesreduceitsvalueasadisad- think.” In this case, the entire species may not
vantage; a -20% limitation on a -20-point disadvantage means it’s a recognizetheproblemsassociatedwithitsaddic-
traitworth-16points.(ButseePointBreak,p.9,formoreinsight.) tions,sincethey’veliterallyhadthemaslongas
theycancollectivelyremember.
Insuchascenario,outsidersmaybetempted
to attempt to “cure” the species by showing them
ABSENT-MINDEDNESS there is a nonaddicted way to view the world. However, this
mayleadtogreatercomplications.Whatifthespeciesiswell-
seep.B122 tempered and functional through its addictions (discounting
OneofthecentralunspokentenetsofAbsent-Mindednessis the specific problems the addictions cause, of course) – but
that the person is . . . well, absent-minded. It’s somewhat transformsintoaruthless/dangerous/psychopathic/nonsapient
assumed that the absent-minded person has the information racewhentheaddictionisbroken?Thiscouldleadtoachal-
that’s slipping his mind, but can’t access it – due to mental lenging moral dilemma . . . especially for any heroes who
quirkordefect. fought(successfullyorotherwise)theirownaddictions.
P M 4 S 2011
YRAMID AGAZINE EPTEMBER
A yourenemiesaredead.”Theunderlyingimplicationsarethat
MNESIA
thisissomehowconsideredabadthingbysociety.
seep.B123 However, what if the species believes Bloodlust is a good
Although ill-suited out of the box for most alien species, thing? For example, their collective faith (or moral outlook)
amnesiacanmakeaninterestingpossibilitywhenlinkedwith mayviewthemortalworldasanaccursedplace,andthebest
limited disadvantages (p. 4). In particular, the -20% “half the possibleoutcomeofthisworldistodieinrighteousbattle.In
time”optionshouldproveinterestingandplayable. thiscase,Bloodlustisasignoftheirrespectand“love”fortheir
Perhaps the species experiences amnesia during nighttime fellowsapients;they’redeliveringparadise,personally!
hours(or–foramorerationalsociety–perhapshalfthespecies Ofcourse,theGMmayneedtoadjustthecostiftheadven-
suffersamnesiaduringthedayandhalfatnight).Inthiscase, turesmostlytakeplaceamongothermembersoftheraceand
memberswouldprobablydevelopasystemthatwouldenable thesocialimplicationsofBloodlustareminimal.Evenso,as
themtostayoutoftroubleduringtheiraffliction:“Thesunsets! membersoftheinterstellarcommunity,suchbeingswouldnot
Imustreturnhometoavoidthenight-mind!” beviewedfavorably.Whereadventuresgenerallyinvolveother
Orperhapsthespeciessuffersfromeachhavingtwominds– species,Bloodlustwouldlikelybeworthfullpoints,regardless
eachseparatedfromtheotherbytheamnesiacwall.In ofhowmuch“good”thealienthinkshe’sdoing!
this case, members may well view themselves as
“guardian angels” – helping or hindering them-
selves,alwaysoutoftheirownminds’eyes.(“Huh. Sense Disadvantages
..mynight-selfleft20creditsinmypockets.Ihope
hedoesn’tmindifIspendit!”) Perhapsdeficienciesinoneormoreofthesenses(suchasBad
Sight,Colorblindness,andNoSenseofSmell/Taste)actuallyrefer
B to a defect in the processing of information. For example, maybe
ERSERK
the species suffers from brains that don’t care about most visual
Seep.B124 input. In the same way that some animals considered colorblind
The Berserk disadvantage is another one that are actually capable of detecting color with extensive amounts of
workswellwithlimitations(p.4).Forexample,a training,sotoomaythealienmindhavethecapabilitytoovercome
species that is calm and collected for 100 hours, thedisadvantagebutnottheinclination.
then susceptible to uncontrollable murderous This works well with the mitigator limitation. Maybe the alien
ragesfor100hourswouldpresentaveryunusual specieshasfoundawayforitsmemberstoelevateitsvisualprocess-
gamingchallengeforspacefaringheroes.(“Solong ingunitstoalevelsimilartohumanity’s,providedtheyhaveadevice
aswe’rehidingforourlives,I’llaskagain–areyou similar to a hearing aid implanted. (The -60% mitigator limitation
surethisguywasthediplomat?”) doesn’t depend on “glasses”; anything that’s roughly as limiting,
However,thereareotherpossibilities.Aswrit- inconvenient,breakable,andmore-or-lessobviousworksjustfine.)
ten, Berserk activates when the person with
Berserk or his loved one is harmed. At the GM’s
discretion, if the possibilities of “you” or “a loved
C S
one”areroughlyequal,thenyoucanremoveoneofthosefor ANNOT PEAK
the-20%.Themostinterestingonefromanalienpointofview
seep.B125
isremovingthepersonalactivation;withthatpossibility,you
wouldhavesomeonewhowouldremaincalmandcollectedso With a limitation, Cannot Speak can represent an alien
long as he was only taking damage personally . . . but at the formofcommunication.
slightestattackagainstsomeonehecaresfor,hegoesbug-nuts.
Example:CannotSpeak(Onlywhendeprivedofmoderate
Suchapossibilitywouldbegoodforamonk-likespeciesthat
light,-20%)[-12].
valuessolitude;theycouldesteemtheirprivacyandbecareful
inbuildingstrongrelations,specificallyforthepossibledanger Inthiscase,thealiencannormallymakenoise,butsome-
theyposeifalovedoneisthreatened. how relies on light to turn those growls/trills/whatever into
something resembling speech. (If the race can wear lights or
B otherwisecompensateforthislimitation,thatmayormaynot
ESTIAL
beworthamitigator...it’suptotheGMtodeterminehow
seep.B124 muchofapainitistowearanight-lightallthetime!)
The Bestial disadvantage is ideal for limitations (p. 4). If
C
halfthetimeyouareacalmsapientbeing,andtheotherhalf HARITABLE
you’reaslatheringbeast-man,that’scertainlyalien.
seep.B125
B LikeBloodlust,Charitableisanothertraitwhereadifferent
LOODLUST
worldview can be represented by the same disadvantage. In
seep.B125 this case, maybe the alien species considers those in need as
potentially being the literal disguised prophet of their faith,
The Bloodlust disadvantage is one where the game
who commanded the species to help those in despair. In this
mechanicscanbeeasilyculledfromtheunderlyingimplica-
case, Charitable isn’t because of an innate goodness in the
tions.Inthiscase,thegameeffectsare“youtrytomakesure
species’hearts,butratherfearofoffendingthecosmos!
P M 5 S 2011
YRAMID AGAZINE EPTEMBER
C Confusedcanalsorepresentspeciesthatexistinadifferent
HUMMY
temporalrealitythanthenorm.Forexample,ifthespeciesviews
seep.B126 realityasaseriesofcollapsingpossibilities–leadingtothereal-
Fromagame-designstandpoint,theChummydisadvantage’s ity that we experience – then increased stimulus means more
soledrawbackisitspenaltieswhendeprivedofoutsidecontact. timelinestowhittledown.Nowonderthealienisconfused!
Whilethere’sanimplicitassumptionthatthisisasocialormen- Theupshotofgoingwithsuchalternatepossibilitiesisthat
talaffliction,there’snoreasonitcouldn’tbeaphysicalone. Confused might actually represent a greater mental acumen
Insuchacase,thealienspeciesreliesoncloseproximityto than mere mortals possess. (You try keeping track of holo-
other sapients to maintain its biochemical equilibrium (or graphicconstructsand/oralternatetimelines...)
whateverotherjustificationisused).Inthisfashion,Chummy
couldrepresentapsychicspeciesthatdependsonmentalcon- D
READ
tact, an android race that uses interpersonal contact as a
meansofgeneratingaconstantstreamofrandomdata,orany- seep.B132
thingsuitablyexotic. The two core components of the Dread disadvantage are
The upshot of such an interpretation is that you can end “automatic detection” and “compulsion to move away from
upwith“Chummy”alienswhodon’tactuallyenjoyspending thesubstance.”
timewithothersapients! Thereareanumberofpossibilitiesawould-bealiencango
withhere,butperhapsthemostinterestingis“oth-
ersofitsspecies”!Thiswoulddefinitelybestrange,
and it’d ensure that any members the heroes
Those Who Are Missing
encounter would be the only one around. (Of
course, then it’s up to the GM to devise how the
Many disadvantages are already open-ended enough that they
speciescanpropagate...)
aren’t terribly fertile ground for trying to come up with different
angles. For example, Compulsive Behavior doesn’t consider why
you’redoingwhatyou’redoing! EASY TO READ
This doesn’t mean these open-ended disadvantages can’t be
viewed from an alien viewpoint. Rather, they’re too open-ended to seep.B134
devote much time to here. The guidelines for coming up with an As an alien twist, what if Easy to Read only
alien Code of Honor or Delusion are no different than coming up applies to other species? In this case, the alien
withoneforanyotherentity! species may find itself in shock that its methods
Foramore-technicalexaminationofdisadvantages,seeGURPS ofsubterfugearelesseffectiveagainsttherestof
Space,pp.220-224. thecosmos.
The value of the limitation required to modify
thedisadvantagewoulddependonhowcommonit
isforthespeciestointeractwithoutsiders,although
C P
OMBAT ARALYSIS – as a baseline – it’s incredibly similar to “Only on aliens,”
which is worth -30% or -40%, depending on the world (p.
seep.B127
B110).
For an alien possibility, Combat Paralysis might be linked
withsomeadvantagethatonlytakeseffectwhileparalyzed. E S S
XTRA LEEP AND LEEPY
Forexample,aspeciesmighthavesomesignificantdefen-
sive capabilities that activates during paralysis – combining seep.B136,154
theadvantagesofapossumandaturtle.
ForanalienoutlookonExtraSleepandSleepy,realizethat
Example:CombatParalysis[-15];DR5(Accessibility,Only – from a game standpoint – these disadvantages merely
when Combat Paralysiss is triggered, -30%; Force Field, requiresthepersontohavesomethinglikesleep.Forthatmat-
+20%)[22]. ter,evenwithoutthisdisadvantage,therulesonlyrequirethat
someoneneedasleep-likemotionlessperiod.(Gameeffectsfor
Thiswouldleadtoaveryalienoutlookwhereit’sbeneficial
sleep–orlackthereof–areonpp.B426-427.)
to“freezeup.”Inatenseenoughsituation,itcouldbethedif-
As an example, let’s look at a race with Sleepy that sleeps
ferencebetweenlifeanddeath–butintheoppositewaythat
halfthetime(whichisalsotheequivalentofExtraSleep[-8]).
suchparalysisisconsideredlife-threatening!
Bytherules,theyneedanextraeighthoursofsleepanight,for
atotalof16hours.Followingtheguidelinesofp.B154,some
CONFUSED possibilitiesforhowthismightbreakdowninclude:
seep.B129 • Aslug-likespeciesthatneeds16straighthoursofsleep.
• Atemporallyunusualracethatcanremainactivefor16
The Confused disadvantage is one that can represent all
hours before their minds leave their bodies for 32 hours
kinds of interesting alien outlooks. For example, the race
(althoughthemindscanbe“resummoned”inawaysimilarto
mightonlybeabletokeeptrackofacertainnumberofobjects
wakingsomeoneup).
at a time – maybe members recreate everything they see as
• Ahyperactivespecieswhosemembersareawakeforone
mentalconstructs,andhavinglargernumbersofitemstokeep
hour,thenfranticallysleepsfortwo.
trackofmeansthateachindividualobjecthaslessdetail.
P M 6 S 2011
YRAMID AGAZINE EPTEMBER
But that wasn’t the case with Tweel; it was just that
we were somehow mysteriously different – our minds
were alien to each other. And yet – we liked each other!
– Stanley G. Weinbaum, “A Martian Odyssey”
• A techno-organic species that requires eight hours of Asoneexample,analienspeciesmightactuallybeasymbi-
“normal”human-stylesleepanight,pluseighthoursofstand- oticunionoftwodisparatelifeforms.Eachlifeformrequires
inghibernation-recharging. a“normal”amountoffood,butthefoodneededisincompati-
ble . . . and there’s only so much throughput that the gestalt
Provided the amount of time required to be inactive is
body can use to process material. It would definitely seem
roughlythesame,there’snothingthatdictates“sleep”mustbe
alientoseeaspeciesconsumingtwowildlydifferenttypesof
definedsolelyas“eighthoursinacomfybedwithMr.Snuggles.”
foodinashortperiodoftime.
It’suptotheGM’sdiscretionifandhowmuchmealscanbe
F
LASHBACKS combinedinasitting.(Agoodruleofthumbtoconsideristhat
mosthumanswhotrytoeatallthreedaily-requiredmealsat
seep.B136
once would find themselves with a massive stomachache.)
Asaracialtrait,perhapsFlashbacksdonotactuallyrepre- EveniftheGMpermitsmorethanonemealtobeconsumed
senthallucinationsoftimesgoneby.Theimportantaspectof in a sitting, the time required should be similar to the time
Flashbacksisthepotentialithastoremovethesuffererfroma neededtoeateachmealsseparately(orslower–seetheSlow
currentframeofreference. Eaterdisadvantageonp.B155).
Thinkingoutsidethebox,Flashbackscanrepresentliterally
anythingelse: I
NSOMNIAC AND
• Traumaticmemoriesofothermembersoftherace(either
L S
aspecificmember–twoaliensarealwayslinkedtoeachother IGHT LEEPER
–oranotherrandommemberofthespecies).
seep.B140,142
• Racialmemoriesofbygoneeras.
• Visionsofalternaterealities. Again,byturningtheconceptof“success”and“failure”on
itsear,evenastraightforwarddisadvantagesuchasInsomniac
Regardless of the option chosen, none of these should be canbecomesomethingthatbuildsaliencharacter.
particularly useful . . . but they should still provide an alien For example, suppose a hive mind relies on utilizing con-
experience: “Forgive me. When I am stressed, my mind sciousnessenergyfromitsmembers.Thehoursofsleeplostto
retreatsto10,000,000yearsago.” Insomniacareactuallytappedintothehivemindtosortcol-
lective thoughts. The species as a whole manages to acquire
F A enoughhoursfromitsracialinsomniatokeepthehivemind
RIGHTENS NIMALS
functioning.However,individualmembersallfindthemselves
seep.B137 witharacialneedtodonatesleeptimetothehive;thus,mem-
Anothergoodoptiontotietolimiteddisadvantages(p.4), bers view success on Insomniac rolls (permitting sleep) to
Frightens Animals opens up a lot of strange possibilities to actuallybesignsofpersonalfailure–they’renotcontributing
help make a race feel alien. For example, maybe the species enoughtothecollective!
committed some cosmic atrocity sometime in the past.
Animals are able to sense the truth behind this galactic K
LEPTOMANIA
betrayalandreactaccordingly.
seep.B141
I C Whathumansocietyviewsas“kleptomania”maymerelybe
NCREASED ONSUMPTION
a representation of another urge. For example, an alien race
seep.B139 thatviewsorderasbeingvitalaboveallelsemaysee(orbelieve
In broad terms, the advice for Extra Sleep (p. 6) applies it sees) hidden patterns in the universe. Taking things from
here. Provided that the material consumed is roughly analo- PointAanddeliveringthemtoPointBismerelytheirwayof
gous to “meal,” and the consumption periods are spaced far imposing the universal order they perceive. (In this case, the
enoughaparttobeinconvenient,the“meals”canbeanything self-controlrollisthealien’swillingnesstoforestallreturning
theGMpermits. thatitemtoitsrightfulplace.)
P M 7 S 2011
YRAMID AGAZINE EPTEMBER
AracialKleptomaniamaybeconsideredbythespeciesas core, Low Self-Image is a self-fulfilling prophecy; as a racial
righteous,necessary,ormerelyinconvenient.Thismayormay disadvantage, it could represent any species with an aug-
notaffectthevalue(dependingonhowmuchtheGMviewsthe mented view of success/failure probabilities. Thus, for exam-
point value of Kleptomania is tied to the social penalties for ple,thespeciesmaybetime-sensitive/precognitive/psychic;its
stealing).However,dependingonwhattheracialKleptomania memberssensewhentheyaremostlikelytofail.
compelsthethieftodowiththepurloineditems,itmaystillbe
areallyinconvenientdisadvantage! N -I
ON CONOGRAPHIC
L seep.B146
ECHEROUSNESS
Coupledwithlimiteddisadvantages(p.4),aspeciesmight
seep.B142 beNon-Iconographicincertainsituations.Forexample,arace
TheunderlyingjustificationofLecherousnessisassumedto might not be able to process any images or symbols above a
be rooted in lust. However, there’s nothing in the description certainsize,orwithacertainproperty(say,thecolorred).In
that relies on that origin to make the disadvantage work. All fact,thespeciesmaynotbeabletoperceiveimagesinthatsit-
that’sneededisanoverwhelmingurgetounitewithothers. uation...leadingtointerestingsituationswherethealienlit-
Thus, for example, perhaps a race with Lecherousness erallycan’tseeasignthat’sinfrontofitsface.
merelyfeelsacompulsiontoformconnectionswithothers.A
techno-organic race might view those unions as broadening O E
N THE DGE
thewebofinterconnections,likeacomputerrouterreaching
outtoeverynetworkitcanestablishahandshakewith. seep.B146
Anabsenceofaself-preservationinstinctisthe
only“qualifying”aspectofOntheEdge;thereason
whythepersonlacksaself-preservationinstinctis
R
ELATIONSHIP opentointerpretation.Alienspeciescouldhaveall
kindsofadvantagesthatmitigatethedownsidesof
D
ISADVANTAGES dying. In fact, depending on the traits possessed,
the alien species may not even fully comprehend
Manydisadvantages(suchasNoSenseofHumorandOblivious)
the concept of dying . . . at least, not in the same
center around the character’s inability to sense certain aspects of
waythathumanitydoes:
interpersonal relationships. However, it’s entirely possible that an
“Why did you do that! Are you trying to get
alien species can – in fact – detect humor/motivations/etc., but
yourselfkilled?”
chosesnottorevealoractuponthatknowledge.
“...IamnotsureIunderstandthequestion.”
For example, a race might view humor as being intensely per-
sonal; such people would no more acknowledge jocular behavior
O
than humans would compare private body parts with a complete VERCONFIDENCE
strangeratafast-foodrestaurant.
seep.B148
This doesn’t affect the game mechanics of these disadvantages,
butitdoespreventafrustratedalienfromblurtingoutthefactthat Fromagamestandpoint,overconfidencerelies
hedoescomprehendallusionsorjokes,buthasbeenchoosingnotto on the person getting into sticky situations that
acknowledgeit. mayormaynotbetoomuchtohandle.Itdoesn’t
depend on the overconfident individual actually
believinghewillprevail!
Thisleavessomewiggleroomforalieninterpreta-
L tions. For example, a species might view itself as being cata-
ONER
logersofreality;allsituationswithatleastaslightpossibilityof
seep.B142 success should be encountered and assessed. Such an
“Overconfident”alienmaynotactuallybelievehewillsucceed,
Aswritten,theLonerdisadvantagemerelycompelstheper-
buthewillbelievethathecouldsucceed...andthusfeelscom-
sontowanttoavoidcontactwithothers.There’sagreatdeal
pelled to give it a try. It would probably be disconcerting to
ofleewayastowhytheLonerwantstobealone.
encounter an extraterrestrial who charges forward “overconfi-
Perhaps the sensory abilities of the species require a fair
dently,”whileitmuttersaboutitsinabilitytoaccomplishagoal.
amount of time to process and assimilate information. If so,
theyneedalonetimebecauseseeingoutsidesapientsinterferes
P
withthememoriestheystore(similartohowopeningadark- HOBIAS
roomdooraffectsadevelopingpicture).
seep.B148
L S -I Foratrulyalienoutlook,considerthataphobianeednotbe
OW ELF MAGE
somethingthatcanactuallybeexpressedinawaythatmakes
seep.B143 sense to a human. For game balance, all that’s required is a
roughappreciationofhowlikelythesituation–whichisoth-
TheLowSelf-Imagedisadvantagehasasitsactivationhook
erwiseundefinedandindefinable–istoarise.(Comparewith
abeliefthattheoddsareunfavorable.Itdoesnotrequirethe
the existing phobias on pp. B149-150 to find one that feels
sufferertoactuallyfeelbadabouthimselforhisabilities!Atits
roughlyaslimiting.)
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For example, an alien species has a concept of flerhan. specificorusefulinformation,butitdoesmeanthatwhenevera
Humanscan’tperceiveit,butit’sarareauraofforeboding;itcan memberoftheraceisaroundothers,hehearsaconstantwhis-
befoundanywhere,butit’sslightlymorecommonatdusk,in pering, “SOONsoonsoonsoonDIEdiediediedie ...” This makes
enclosedplaces,andinthepresenceofanacquaintancewhose using any of the affected skills more difficult (it’s hard to use
nameyou’reunsureof.TheGMdecidesthisisroughlyaslimit- Savoir-Faireonsomeoneaboutwhomyoukeephearingoddtor-
ing as triskaidekaphobia (fear of the number 13). At certain mentingwhispers).
points,thealienwillsay,“Thisroomwiththethreepostersand
aplantfeelstooflerhan”or“Thelonepieceoftoastnexttotwo U
NLUCKINESS
eggsisaflerhansituation,”andthenreactaccordinglywithfear.
seep.B160
The game effects of Unluckiness merely note that some-
thingwillgowrongfortheafflicted.Theoutlookonthiscanbe
We can’t let you go. You’re alien.Forexample,theracemaybesensitivetoprobabilities,
anditviewsitscollectiveUnluckinessasdrawingoutthemis-
dangerous to us. Don’t fight;
fortuneoftheuniverse,likearaciallightningrod.Inthiscase,
it’s no use. theymaywelllookdownonotherspecies:“We’recleaningthe
cosmos;whatareyoudoing?!”
– Jack Belicec,
Unluckinesscanalsobelinkedwithotherdisadvantages.As
in Invasion of one example, maybe the Unluckiness is tied to Pyromania,
such that everytime the alien suffers an unfortunate setback
the Body Snatchers
he feels a compulsion to restore balance by unleashing fire
(fightingthechaosoffortunewiththechaosoffire).
T E , T B
HE ND HE EGINNING
P
YROMANIA
By looking closely at each disadvantage and thinking of
seep.B150 how to make it “different” but the same, you can come up
with strange and wonderful alien encounters. Plus, since
The core game consideration of the Pyromania disadvan-
you’re starting at the game effects and working backward,
tage is the need to set fires. An alien species could have all
these entities will be perfectly balanced with the existing
kindsof...alienoutlooksastowhythatisdesirable.Maybe
BasicSetrules.Theuniverseawaits...andit’sstrangerthan
they view fire as a fundamental force of the universe that
youthoughtpossible!
deservestobesetfree.Maybetheyfearahell-likeafterlife,
andbyunleashingfireinthisrealm,lessfireisavailable
totormentthehereafter.
Point Break
S A S
HORT TTENTION PAN
If using limitations on disadvantages (p. 4), be careful to
makesurethattheresultantdisadvantageisroughlyofasim-
seep.B153
ilar level of inconvenience. (As an extreme example, “Has
ManyofthepossibilitiesforAbsent-Mindedness(p.4)
Berserk every other decade” is not worth a -20% limitation,
apply to Short Attention Span. All that’s required is that
even though it’s limiting “half the time”!) As a simple proce-
thealienbedistractedfromtasksafterafewminutes.
dure, eyeball the final point cost of a limited disadvantage
Forexample,maybethealienspeciesexistsinacross-
againstsimilarlypriceddisadvantages;a-5-pointdisadvantage
dimensionalform.Everyfewminutesheswapsbackand
shouldberoughlyaslimitingasHidebound,a-15-pointdisad-
forthbetweenalternatedimensionsthatareprogressing
vantageshouldbeasaffectingasKleptomania,a-25-pointdis-
almost–butnotquite–identicallytothe“real”timeline.
advantage should hamper an entity as often as Mute, etc.
Thismakesitdifficulttomaintainanytaskbeyondafew
Tweak the percentage of the limitation as needed, or simply
minutes. In this reality, the alien is defusing the bomb
handwave a correct point cost into being and call it a new
and has all the yellow wires cut, with the blue wires
name(seetheadviceonpp.B165-166formoreinsight).
remaining;suddenly,thealienshiftsrealities,soitseems
Also, remember the advice in this article is primarily
thewhitewiresarecutandtheredonesseemtobeleft.
intendedfortheGMdesigningalienspecies,wherepointval-
Orisittheblueones?Wherewashe,again?
uesaren’tasferventlycontrolled.Consultyourlocalgalactic
authoritiesbeforeusingthistechniqueforPCs.
S
HYNESS
seep.B154
A A
TheShynessdisadvantageissimilartoLoner(p.8),andcan BOUT THE UTHOR
beapproachedsimilarly.Asthatdisadvantage,thereasonwhy
StevenMarshisafreelancewriterandeditorwholivesout-
thealienavoidscontactwithstrangersisopentointerpretation.
sideofIndianapolis,Indiana,withhiswifeandson.Formore
Forexample,maybethespeciessenses(orbelievesitcansense)
detailsabouthim,seehisRandomThoughtTableonpp.34-35.
thegenerallifespanofallsapients;thissensedoesn’tyieldany
P M 9 S 2011
YRAMID AGAZINE EPTEMBER
T T
HE ROJAN
G
AMBIT
M A
BY ICHELE RMELLINI
Somethinghasattacheditselftohim. builtcities,forthePeople’sconvenience,eachofthemcarry-
–CaptainDallas,inAlien ingoneofthePeopleonhisback.
The intelligent, mind-controlling parasite is a classic sci-
Disaster, Nearly
ence-fictiontrope.Stereotypically,suchentitiesalwaysseemto
wanttobehostedbyhumans.However,goodideasstemfrom Just as the People had begun exploring space, disaster
mixingupthefamiliar.Theentitiesdescribedhere–thePeople strucktheirhomeworldintheformofafreakflarefromtheir
–seemunabletoaffectus.Instead,theyhavechosenashosts sun.Mostofthelifeformsthatwerecaughtintheopensoon
apowerful,peacefulspecieshumanityknowsandconsidersan died from radiation. Forests burned, and one of the icecaps
ally.ThePeopleseemwillingtoexploitthatspecies–evensac- melted,swampingcoastalareas,destabilizingtheweatherpat-
rificeit–toattackthoseofEarth. terns,andcausingfurthermassivelosses.ThePeople’sciviliza-
Thisparasiteisasneakywaytoalienateanalreadyknown tionwanedtoaflickeringcandleasthedepletedpoolofBeasts
civilization, adding a fresh twist to situations where the GM was hit by epidemics. Large swaths of land were no longer
cannot easily introduce a new space empire. What follows is inhabitable. The People weren’t even sure that their planet
onebroadexampleofhowthethreatcanbeaddedtothecam- wouldremainviable.
paign,leavingthedoorsopenforasinistersituationsetup.The
factionsinvolvedhavebeengivengenericnames;thesecanbe To the Stars
alteredtosomethingmoreappropriateandflavorful.Inpartic-
Fortuitously,thefriendlySpacefarersappeared.Theywere
ular,theSpacefarersshouldbeanestablishedalliedalienrace
ledtobelievethattheBeastsweretheintelligentbeings,each
withinthecampaign.Theheroes’civilizationisassumedtobe
hostinganon-sapientsymbiont.ThePeoplesawthemastheir
humansolelyasalabelingconvenience.
ticket out of their wrecked planet. They waited until the
Spacefarersestablishedafairlyregulartraffic,naïvelypro-
vidingrelieftotheendangeredcivilization.Then,thePeople
In All Realms Fantastic tookcontrolofthecrewsofseveralstarships.
Thingsprovedmoredifficultthanexpected.Thebiochem-
These body snatchers do not need to be limited to a
istrywasdifferent.SeveraloftheSpacefarersandsomeofthe
spacefaring setting. In a fantasy setting, they could take
Peoplehadlethalallergicreactions.Onlythemostadaptable
controlofthosecute,peace-lovingelves,too.
ofthePeoplemanagedtomasterthealienthoughtprocesses,
andthestrongest-willedoftheSpacefarerswereimpervious
tomindcontrol(necessitatingthehosts’death).Inaddition,
theSpacefarers’blooddidnotprovideallthenutrientsthePeo-
O U T
NCE PON A IME pleneeded,andPeoplewhodominateSpacefarershadtomake
theirservantseatchemicalsthatwerevitaltotheirmastersbut
The People lived in the ocean. They fed like lampreys,
long-termpoisonstotheSpacefarersthemselves.
attachingtheirmouthtoananimalandconsumingitsblood
Eventually,thePeoplemanagedtotakecontrolofoneofthe
withoutkillingit.Theywereexternalparasites.
Spacefarers’planets,namedSaldeh.However,itwasasmall,
Theirpreferredtargetsweremarinemammals,theBeasts.
underpopulatedoutpost,acolonyofahugeempire.Itwasalso
When these began the evolutionary process that brought
thebeginningofthequestforgalacticdominance.
themontodryland,thePeoplewentalong.TheBeastsdevel-
opedintelligenceandprehensilelimbs,bothofwhichhelped
N
them in getting rid of the blood-sucking parasites – almost. OW
This, indeed, sparked the People’s evolution, too. They
The People are still struggling to keep their home planet
became more intelligent and acquired ways to control their
alive,andtheywanttoliveonthebacksoftheircomfortable
hosts. Over the millennia, this relationship became some-
Beasts, not on those unhealthy Spacefarers. They are ruth-
thingofasymbiosis;evenifthePeopledominatedtheBeasts,
lesslyexploitingtheresourcesoftheSpacefarers’colonytothis
they needed them .. . as well-trained animals. The Beasts
end,butthosearelimited.
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YRAMID AGAZINE EPTEMBER