Fan Races!!

[taalismn]

Nope...haven't added them to the corporate list yet...

[Aramanthus]

I think it'd be a great addition. We can always use more companies. There is plenty of room for everyone's additions!

[gaby]

Good going

[taalismn]

Good going

Thanks...Hoping we'll have some fresh contributions/contributors here...no way we've mined out all the possible permutations of sentience...

[Aramanthus]

I agree. There is way too many possibilities out there for varieity of life!

[gaby]

Tell me what races you make are part of what canon Power block?

[taalismn]

Tell me what races you make are part of what canon Power block?

A lot of mine are nominal aaffiliates of the CCW or are indies still waffling on who to join, while a few are current (the Phleg, the Vhist) members of the TGE(and usually not voluntarily)...

[Aramanthus]

I'd be interested in hearing Gaby's question defined too.

[gaby]

What type of Political systems do you use for your Alien races you make?

[taalismn]

What type of Political systems do you use for your Alien races you make?

Advanced socialism, criminal consortiums/cartels, graft-ridden aristocracies, constitutional monarchies, techno-meritocracies, techno-democracies, neo-barb tribalism...
same old, same old...(shrug)

[Aramanthus]

Great comic! I've got everything for it too! I'd have to work on it. Although Taalismn probably will beat me to it. He's a lot more prolific! I was hoping after my computer problems ggetting fixed that there might be some new RCC's.

[taalismn]

Yalek

“Sure, working a contract for the Yaleks isn’t exactly a career-maker...I’ve heard the ‘true blood’ ‘hunters call us ‘shoplifter hunters’...It’s mostly penny-ante punk pick-ups and repo-work, but it’s steady employment...and the Yalek can be trusted to pay up front and don’t try to squeak out of paying full commission...”
-Galaxy Jim Rugburne, Bounty Hunter.

Yalek hail from the temperate world of Chimuzee II, in the Corkscrew Galaxy. Their homeworld is terrestrial-type, with a slightly heavier local gravity, higher local humidity, and a slightly higher level of background radiation from its primary, Ckipsan.
The Yalek evolved from turtle-like ancestors, and still retain a slight hunchbacked posture and protective armor(though their shells now take the form of thick leathery growths on the chest and back). Though seemingly phlegmatic, the Yalek can be quite fast and energetic if they want to...it’s just that they don’t often want to, prefering to take things easy, their cuture having attained a comfortable level of technology and economic prosperity.
Yalek history sounds pretty humdrum to the average scholar; primitive wars of dominance as their species acquired technology and expanded across their planet, a rise of global civilization, and eventually spacefaring status. But it’s what’s NOT there that interests many xenosociologists; the Yalek made a decision early on NOT to deplete their world’s resources, and made a relatively peaceful transition to a global socialist state to manage and marshal the resources necessary for their jump into space. The Yalek recognized as a people the gamble of resources that could pay off handsomely with the returns from space industry, and made necessary sacrifices for the play(the so-called ‘Resource Wars’ of the Yalek at that time were more like campus protest-riots compared to the conflicts on other worlds). Yalek made peaceful contact with other species within three hundred years of their first spaceflight, when one of their nuclear-pulse drive spaceprobes discovered an automated navigation/science station in a neighboring desert system. The Yalek bought FTL propulsion technology from the Wulfen spacers who responded to the station’s interrupted beacon, trading luxury goods and mining rights on one of their colony worlds for it. They joined the CCW some decades later, and have prospered in rather indistinguished style ever since.
The Yalek are a small star-nation; they have not travelled far beyond their home solar system and lay claim only to two desert systems aside from their origin worlds; these systems are used for mining and energy production. The Yalek however, do have a controlling interest in the Chomcha Merchandising Group(CMG), one of the few successful multi-system general department store franchises in the Three Galaxies, independent of the TGC network. The wealth this generates for the humble Yalek has made them quite comfortable, but has also made them the targets for bandits and thieves. Rather laid back by nature, the Yalek do not pursue such miscreants themselves, but instead make extensive use of bounty-hunters to deal with the problem. Thus, they have many contacts in the bounty-hunger community and have a reputation for being steady and reliable contractors for services. Yalek can be counted on to pay bounties as advertized, on time, even though the posted rewards tend to be rather small change. The Yalek are thus well-known to the bounty hunter community, with a good reputation as conscientious employers and good patrons for first-time bounty hunters just starting out.
Private citizen Yalek rarely travel abroad(though they are avid buyers of travel media, most regard it as easier to have the best of the outside galaxy brought to them, and thus most Yalek are up-to-date on the latest doings in the Three Galaxies), though their business people often travel to oversee CMG’s operations. This increased travel has opened another demand for outside security and escorts to protect these businessmen, and many of the same bounty hunting services do double-duty as bodyguards.
Alignments: Any, but most are Good or Unprincipled
Lifespan: 200 years
Size: 7-8 ft tall
Gender: Heterosexual, producing 1-2 offspring after a lengthy 11 month gestation period.
Physical Description/Appearance:
Tall and gangly, with a heavy torso and slight hunchbacked posture. The arms and legs are long and muscular, with a thick layer of skin and blubber that makes them look rubbery and boneless. The head is blunt and bulbous with a large forehead and flat face. The eyes are small and under a boney brow. The nose is a single nostril set above a lipless mouth and prominent chin. Their necks are long and thick, heavily corded with folds of skin and muscle. The sides of the head sport gill-like organs that serve as both smell receptors and ears; occasionally, these organs grow out into fringes or fans on either side of the head.
Skin tones range from brown to gray, while some ethnic Yalek groups are entirely black.
As Yalek age, they typically get heavier and lumpier, and more wrinkled, their skin thickening and becoming stiffer.
Disposition/Attitudes:
Generally laidback, even-tempered, genial, and cerebral. Yalek like leisure and security, and rarely engage in what might be thought of as extreme adventuring. Yalek are communal, and quick to share what they have with needy members of their community(even non-Yalek who have become part of the community). Yalek only really get angry personally when they see waste or somebody knowingly taking something that isn’t theirs(property, lives, money) without adequate justification. Despite their egalitarian socialism and selfless generousity at home, however, they are shrewd and patient businessbeings when dealing with offworlders, opportunistic when garnering acquisitions, and patiently playing the stockmarkets.
Physical Attributes:
IQ:3d6
ME:3d6
MA:4d6
PS:3d6
PP:2d6
PB:3d6
PE:3d6
SPD:3d6
(ISP): By Psychic Class
(PPE): 3d6
Hit Points: 70+P.E.
SDC: 140+1d6 per level of experience(A.R.: 15)
MDC: By technology
Horror Factor: None
Natural Abilities:
-Leathery Carapace(A.R. 15)
-Motion Detection---Yalek can detect movement and motion within a 10 ft+I.Q. radius of themselves, with the organs on the sides of their heads. This gives them a +1 on initiative versus surprise from the sides or behind, by invisible(but still substantial) opponents.
Psionics: Standard
Magic: Yalek do not practice magic, but they have the potential. Recently, the Yalek Communal University announced that they would be offering courses on magic, as taught by visiting UWW scholars.
Cybernetics/Bionics: Not averse to minor cybernetic augmentation, but leery of more extensive/disfiguring bionic modification.
Available OCCs: Any, but Yalek tend towards business and technical professions
RCC Skills:
Lore: Galactic(+5%)
Lore: General Law(+5%)
Business & Finance(+5%)
Skills of Note:----
Culture:
Peaceful commercial expansionists, the Yalek practice a form of enlightened socialism at home, where nobody takes any more resources than they really need, and work extra to earn anything above and beyond their need. They apparently have no problems with good old fashioned capitalism abroad, however. Nepotism plays a strong role in their society, with businesses staying in family lines for centuries.
The Yalek have an effective system militia and local defense force, but rely on their mercenary and bounty hunter contractees for actions beyond their territories.
Their technology is Galactic standard, with an emphasis on domestic civil technologies, energy efficiency, safety systems, and civil engineering. Their worlds tend to be comfortable, highly automated, and almost boringly well-run. Their military technology is concentrated on defensive systems, though they have bought extensively from other outside sources to bolster their shield and point defense technologies. In addition to their bounty hunter contract board, the Yalek also use a portion of their yearly earnings from intergalactic trade to maintain a retainer for at least a regiment of the TriGalactic Military Services.

[Aramanthus]

A cool RCC. I like the background and the beginning paragraph especially.

[taalismn]

Figured it be a good idea to have a race distinguished by their willingness to bankroll bounty hunters for easy, if not particularly well-paying, jobs....something to tide PCs over between those "Okay, THIS was unexpected---" jobs...

[taalismn]

Chukta
(Aka ‘flipperheads’, ‘skinbats’)

“What does it matter that a hundred slaves die each day on my properties? As long as they do their tasks and accomplish their work, they should be grateful that I allow them to live at all! Their only use to the Chukta is to advance our fortunes. Their own fate was so ordained the moment we conquered them!”

The Chukta are a race of humanoid amphibians and TGE-wannabees who inhabited a planet just outside the limits of Golgan expansion and were thus below the notice of the Republik. Sadly, the Chukta began space exploration soon after the Golgans hastily pulled out of that particular sector of their frontier, leaving a mothballed fleet base that the Chukta discovered. The Chukta acquired advanced Galactic technology practically overnight, but haven’t acquired more advanced moral behavior, and the Chukta soon began a campaign of invading nearby non-spacefaring worlds(worlds the Golgans had left alone as not being threats) and enslaving them. Emboldened, the Chukta have cut a swath through the less-advanced peoples of the local systems, and have swaggeringly set themselves up as lords of creation in their own minds, bullying and abusing anyone who doesn’t have their strength of arms. With no one to offer them any resistance(the Chukta believe that the Golgans left their area of space far longer ago than they really did) the Chukta Empire feels now is their time to reach for greatness and galactic supremacy. With their three slave worlds whipped to produce war material for their small(but powerful) space fleet, the Chukta were gearing up to take on the next nearest inhabitable system....which unfortunately for them was also claimed by the larger and equally expansionist Zyganian Empire.
The Chukta may have had three systems under their thrall, but three pre-FTL slave worlds(especially with the sort of heavy-handed mismanagement the Chukta practice) does not a galactic power make. This time, the Zyganians got to play hero. The Zyganians, assisted by several other contingents from other independent systems, trounced the Chukta and rolled their empire back to their home systems, taking away two of their slave worlds.
Currently, the Zyganians regard the Chukta as a distant threat(compared to the Golgans)...Having beaten them back and taken away one of their worlds(Alebia), the Zyganians are keeping an eye on the Chukta, but with three other independent systems pursuing more aggressive containment against the Chukta Empire, the Zyganians feel comfortable for now turning their attention to other matters, and send what logistical and financial support they can to their allies to handle the problem.
For their part, the Chukta are currently outraged at this sacrilegious defeat of their ‘destiny’....The Zyganians and their allies are being painted as a vast, dark, alien conspiracy to deny them their rightful place as rulers of the galaxy. While the military whips up the populace into a jingoistic furor for another go at driving out the aliens from ‘their’ worlds, the Conclave directing the Chukta dominion is busy trying to fix the blame for the various military debacles; pretty much everybody with an ax to grind and a back to stab at court is looking to find somebody else to set up to take a fall. Thus, the Chukta are likely to be at this, spinning their gears, for several years, before they can make any serious effort at launching another offensive(barring the emergence of some single strong leader). In the meantime, the Chukta maraude nearby systems, ambush unwary travelers in the sector, and send small punitative raids at the Zyganian/Alliance forces beseiging their systems.
The Chukta are charitably called ‘neo-barbs’; they have gained technology and power far beyond their cultural advancement. Even though they have established an interstellar empire, and have come to blows with other species, they are still a fractious, in-fighting, divided species. Chukta warlords in positions of power scheme to acquire more power and outdo their rivals...and though unification in the face of maintaining an interstellar empire has smoothed out the worst of the tribal infighting, sabotage of rivals and even assassination is not unknown; the Chukta became fond of using slave species as third-party expendable assassins in their powerplays.
Chukta have a society akin to elephant seals; dominant male bulls preside over harems of females, and fight for territory and prestige. Status is vitally important to male Chukta, and a proper male seeks to advance his fortunes and gather a following as quickly as possible, establishing himself and his bloodline as unassailable by lesser males. Not surprisingly, Chukta keep a close eye on their potential rivals, enemies, and future conquests, and the smart and successful ones maintain ongoing intelligence files on any others who might threaten their power.
Female Chukta are only slightly less onerous in their bigotry and ambition. They seek to secure the future of their children and the advance of their males’ houses by marrying well. Their powerplays may be less obvious, but no less vicious, and the humiliation and outright elimination of potential rivals and threats is commonplace. Sometimes, this even sets them at odds with their official male mates, especially when his actions threaten the female’s own interests(such as power and status within a household). However, a few couples(an a noteworthy few purely monogamous couples) have made both love and ambition connections; these couples have proven especially effective and dangerous in Chukta politics.
The Chukta are a fourth-rate technological power, at best a third-rate power, with equipment several centuries behind that of nations like the Republik. They possess FTL starflight, contra-gravity, megadamage weaponry, and nucleonics, but their A.I. systems and forceshielding lags well behind other local star nations. Their military, however, is disproportionately large, and they are still capable of threatening less advanced societies and worlds in their corner of space.
Alignments: Any, but most(80%) are Miscreant or Diabolical.
Lifespan: 180 years
Size: 6-7 ft tall, 200-400 lbs
Gender: Heterosexual
Physical Description/Appearance:
Hairless humanoids with thick, loose, rubbery skin draped over their muscular frames. Their arms are proportionately longer, ending in large four-digited long-fingered flippers. The head is bald, with thick folds of skin around the neck. The ears are small and set close to the head, while the eyes are small and dark, set in heavily-bagged sockets. The mouth is wide, with a joweled face and broad jaw, and the nose above it is large and blunt. Fleshy ‘fringes’ may grow from the undersides of the arms; these may be groomed and decorated among Chukta, similar to hair. About 25% of Chukta will grow 2d10 similar fringes on their heads. Their legs are shorter and bandier; Chukta are slower than humans on dry land, but excellent swimmers. Skin varies in color, between green-grey to a ruddy red.
Disposition/Attitudes:
Bullying, arrogant, and ambitious. Chukta regard those weaker than themselves as chattel, to do with as they please. Even among themselves, a Chukta who surrenders to a stronger rival may lose their possessions and titles, females, and freedom...even their lives if the dominant Chukta so desires. Slave-species are culled and killed without a thought. Talking with a Chukta is possible, but only if the Chukta feels in a position of some power, and can afford to be magnanimous with his attentions. Bachelor Chukta yet to make their fortunes can be downright manipulative and scheming if they sense others need them, and they can use other beings to advance their fortunes. Betrayl is a way of life among them.
An established Chukta can be quite courteous and gentile, a collector and appreciator of fine things, as long as he feels in charge and secure.
Among themselves, the Chukta pride themselves on dealing with each other with sly, cunning, manipulative schemes and powerplays. With other people, such subtlty is set aside in favor of brute force(chastizing entire slave populations with carpet bombing or tactical nuclear ‘prodding’ is considered perfectly acceptable). Despite efforts by the Conclave to cut down on assassinations and power-maneuvering, their legistlation has come to naught, mainly because many of those promoting the measures were too busy trying to secure their positions and gain support via the very means the proposed laws were supposed to curtail.
A very rare few Chukta seem to have what could be considered ‘civilized’ mores, and are open and sympathetic to other peoples, and willing to listen to reason. These Chukta(or ‘Unkti’, for ‘trash’) are seen as lazy, demented, or defective, and few ever hold any sort of power, let alone mate within the fiercely competitive Chukta society. Most Chukta regard known Unkti as little better than slave-stock themselves, and cast them from their households when identified. The more manipulative Chukta have been known to play on the economic desperation of Unkti, to use them as pawns in various schemes.
Physical Attributes:
IQ: 3d6
ME: 3d6
MA: 3d6
PS: 4d6
PP: 3d6
PB: 2d4
PE: 4d6
SPD: 4d4 running, 6d6 swimming
(ISP):---
(PPE): 2d6
Hit Points: 1d6x10+P.E.
SDC: 2d6x10+15
MDC:----
Horror Factor: 8
Natural Abilities:
*Amphibious---Chukta still retain some of the amphibious qualities of their ancestry, but not as much as they once did...They can hold their breaths for their PE x2 in minutes, and add +1d6 to their underwater speed.
*Leathery Skin---Chukta have a thick layer of tough skin that has an effective A.R. of 9, and reduces damage from cold-based attacks by 10%(note, however, that the recent trend among high-class Chukta to indulge in various perfumed baths can soften their skin to an A.R. of 7)
Psionics: None
Magic: None; no potential
Cybernetics/Bionics: The Chukta have only recently developed cybernetic and bionic technology, and are reluctant to try it out on themselves until they’ve figured out what it will mean for their society. Currently, only very wealthy or very desperate Chukta will submit to implant/augmentation surgery, though testing on slaves is readily acceptable.
Available OCCs: Chukta can choose any OCC, but most gravitate towards men-at-arms professions(warriors or assassins) or administrative positions(Rogue Scholar, Rogue Scientist) in charge of slave plantations and conquered territories.
RCC Skills:
Math: Basic
Military Intelligence(Specifically, other Chukta)(+10%)
Use and Recognize Poison(+5%; female Chukta get +10%)
Swimming(+5%)
W.P. Knife
Skills of Note:
Rogue Skills:(+5%)
Culture:
Patriarchal Racial Supremacist, Military Expansionists; powerful dominant males preside over harems of females. Males typically scheme and powerplay, while remaining cooperative with the overall goals of the species, while the females seek to marry their daughters to powerful(or potentially powerful) males, and prepare their sons to overachieve, to build up their Houses. Arranged marriages for political alliance are the norm for the Chukta. Young unattached males are typically driven from their patriarch’s House upon reaching maturity, and must seek to establish their fortunes, curry favor(and females) from other Houses, or successfully challenge an older patriach for his position. Modernization, however, has diminished the old practice of direct combat for the position of patriarch; many older established males learned to acquire the services of young mercenaries, with the promise of patronage in their advancement(forcing young bulls to decide if it is best to directly challenge, and have to go through a retinue of bodyguards and assassins for a dubious change at acquiring prestige, or work AS a bodyguard or assassin for the favor of a powerful patriarch in a slower climb to power).
The most powerful Houses rule the Empire through the Conclave, taking tribute from, and meting out favors to, the lesser Houses. Favor comes in the form of bloodline females, land grants on conquered worlds, slaves, and other wealth. Within the Conclave, the political wheeling and dealing is more subtle and devious, but none the less vicious, for the lack of open assassination, with the senior Houses often using(and sacrificing) lesser Houses in elaborate power games.
The Chukta believe that the Golgans left their sector of space millenia ago, and are largely unaware that the Republik is still around. They MIGHT learn from the Zyganians that their unwitting Golgan benefactors are still in existance, and MIGHT appeal to the Golgans for help against a common enemy in the Zyganian Empire. However, the Golgans are likely to be as horrified by Chukta rapaciousness and the treatment of their subject-races as anybody else, and will refuse to support them, or have anything to do with them. The Golgans won’t join in the blockade of the Chukta, regarding them as the Zyganians’ problem. Only if the Chukta were somehow able to throw off the Zyganian blockade and start directly threatening Golgan interests, would the Republik move against them.

[taalismn]

interesting rcc. btw hoe do you escape writers block

Pure mental brute force....
Plus it helps I don't have a social life....

[taalismn]

THing is....when I HAVE time...I'm either too tuckered out, or subject to those minor aches and pains that nevertheless make a few hours of sitting and typing physical hell...
Yah can't win....

[taalismn]

interesting rcc. btw hoe do you escape writers block

Pure mental brute force....
Plus it helps I don't have a social life....

you sacrifice your social life for my enjoyment of extra phaseworld supplements. what a good minnion

Damnit! I wanna come out of the closet! I wanna kiss a girl! I don't want William Shatner to make 'Saturday Night Live' jokes about my life!!!!

[Aramanthus]

Don't worry Taalismn. I'm sure you'll find a way to wrangle a social life in eventually.

[taalismn]

Duck-foot won't allow me to...and if he does, he'll demand my first-born in servitude, to replace me...

[Aramanthus]

I wouldn't worry too much about that. I thought we had that agreement before that Johny come lately arrived to think that he has a right to your first born. That way your first born is transported to a parallel world and we give him a clone.

[taalismn]

His lawyers, which I'm advertantly responsible for, already thought of that...

[Aramanthus]

That maybe so. But our agreement predates his claim! And if they don't like that I'll sic a few adult dragons on them. Those dragons owe me!

[taalismn]

Ghekken----Minions of Yongrrllyth

“Prawl!! More Ghekk died fighting the Perfect on Mosem than native Mosem ever lived! There are mountains of Ghekken shell rotting in the jungles, and lakes and streams lined with our dead! And you refuse me a drink, you sweaty little softskinned vrok, because my ‘credit isn’t good’?! My people have paid for a thousand, a million, a BILLION drinks on your miserable planet already!”

The Ghekken are crab-like minions of Yongrrllyth, and another species that has a grudge against Naruni Enterprises. Like many others, the Ghekken entered into dealings with the Naruni out of necessity, got a great offer on armaments, accepted and signed, but failed to read the nanoprint, and were sunsequently ruined.
The Ghekken feel particularly miffed, because they were the victors in a war against a particularly vicious species of genetically engineered humanoids calling themselves the Perfect...The Perfect claimed to be the apex of ‘HUMAN’ evolution and selective breeding, complemented by gene-grafts, that produced a race of eighteen-foot tall, leathery-skinned humanoids, they claimed were ‘perfect’.....The Perfect were supremely self-centered, xenophobic, and treated all other races they encountered as slave stock or bacteria to be sterilized away....
The Ghekken were arguably no better, having bullied and taken over two neighboring races, but at least they treated their subjects much better(more akin to the colonial empires of Earth). When the Ghekken first made contact with the Perfect, it was war at first sight...The Ghekken General Staff agreed that the Perfect could not be allowed loose in the Three Galaxies, and they bent their entire dominion and its resources to wiping out the Perfect. They managed to persuade a few allies to join them, and Naruni Enterprises cheerfully agreed to supply the combatants with anything they might need to deal with the emergency. Battle was joined, and the Ghekken were in the forefront, and, despite their earlier reputation for being bullying conquerors, showed a valor and courage few had previously suspected. The Ghekken became obsessed with destroying the Perfect, and even freed their colonial possessions, to devote their full time and resources to containing, and permanently stopping, the Perfect. Even when their allies faltered, the Ghekken kept fighting, sending their own troops to cover the fronts that wavered. The Ghekken ended up mobilizing almost all of their population, with the schools training Ghekken children how to fight and operate high-tech weapons systems almost from as soon as they could walk, in anticipation of eventually being drafted into the military. The war lasted some eighty years, cost the Ghekken millions of lives and trillions in credits in war material and assets, but the end saw the Perfect and their monster fleets obliterated. A threat to the Three Galaxies had been eliminated, and the Ghekken and their allies stood bloodied, but triumphant, over the remains of the Perfect.
Then the Naruni hit them with the bill.
Having just saved the galaxy from at the very least centuries of bloodbath, the Ghekken thought this demand unreasonable at the very least...They refused, citing the offers and agreements the Naruni had made to supply the anti-Perfect alliance with needed munitions at the onset...But the Naruni cited implanted legalese that proved that they HADN’T agreed to supply the alliance without the eventual hope of payment....and prompt repayment of wartime loans once the war was over and the thread of the perfect nuetralized. Again, the Ghekken refused to pay a cent of payment for weaponry they had thought was being given to the alliance in lieu of soldiers...So the Naruni took them to court. The befuddled and shellshocked Ghekken found themselves badgered by treaty inspectors, a slew of allegations of atrocities, treaty and contract violations, and gross misconduct in their galactic affairs. The Naruni in charge of the Ghekken/Anti-Perfect Alliance account was particularly demanding(perhaps seeing that the final peace would bring down sales in the sector, and so was determined to squeeze out every last ounce of profit he could), forcing the Ghekken to pony up not only the cost of the weapons, but the legal fees as well.
Worse set, several of the races the Ghekken had shed blood defending, sided with Naruni in court. Though the Ghekken were by now aware of the intimidation tactics the Naruni practiced to put people in line, the betrayl still came as a bitter blow. Though they seceded from an alliance that would have been the seed of a new galactic power, but which now was almost wholly owned as a vassal-state by Naruni Enterprises, the Ghekken paid a heavy penalty for their relative freedom. The Ghekken lost most of their empire in the process, having won the war but lost the court battles.
The Ghekken now see themselves as criminally wronged by their own arms suppliers and by their sector of the galaxy in general. The majority of Ghekken have joined Yongrrllyth in an effort to poke a sharp stick in Naruni’s eye and get back some of what they lost...There they serve as security muscle, ship crews, and mercenaries for the Splugorth arms dealer. The remainer of the Ghekken seek to scratch out a living in the handful of teritories left them, and many have taken to piracy and organized crime to support themselves and their organizations. Worse yet, some of the OLD Ghekken conquerors may be re-emerging in their collective psyche...which doesn’t bode well for their fair weather allies in the old alliance.
Alignments: Any, but most Ghekken are Aberrant(50%)or Anarchist(20%)
Lifespan: 120 years
Size: 7-9 feet tall
Gender: Heterosexual, producing clutches of 1-3 live offspring at a time. Form nuclear families, with juveniles reaching sexual maturity at 15 years, and social maturity at 21 years.
Physical Description/Appearance:
Look like a cross between a daddy-longlegs spider and a spider-crab; eight long spindly legs supporting a turret-like body covered with craggy and spiked chitinous armor. They have four long reedy arms ending in three-fingered claws. One side of the body sports a cluster of two large protrudant oculars, surrounded by four smaller eyes, and clusters of fine sensory hairs and hearing pits line the edge of their shells. Their exoskeletons are a light brown-beige at the edges, dark brown to ruddy red at the centers of their shells. Females can be distinguished by their slightly larger size(10-20% larger), different arrangement of ventral body plates at the rear of their main shell, and a distinctively colored rosette pattern on their undersides. Ghekken are fond of laser-tattooing their shells, and adding additional spines(implants) or bands of paint to their shells is a fad that has rolled around several times in their history.
Disposition/Attitudes:
Heady with past glories and sacrifices, and ever mindful of past grudges and betrayls, most Ghekken come across as cynical, bad-tempered, and sour. Many Ghekken readily look for fights with other sentients, especially if they feel they’re being disrespected. They tend to be contemptuous of galactic law, alliances, and grand galactic treaties, their former allies, and ‘big brother’ organizations in general.The CCW is regarded with some disdain, and most Ghekken feel the CCW’s law system is part of the problem that allows groups like Naruni Enterprises to get away with the sort of things they do, and that the CCW blindly allows NE to do what they want. Thus, TVIA inspectors poking around their business will readily raise Ghekken ire. It would take something major, like the CCW turning around and publicly denouncing Naruni Enterprises, then actively hunting them, for the Ghekken to change their minds about the CCW. The Ghekken are also leery of Hartigal Combine, seeing them as merely another shade of the Naruni spectrum; it would take some MAJOR convincing for the Ghekken to cozy up to HC.
Physical Attributes:
IQ: 3d6
ME: 3d6
MA: 2d6
PS:5d6(considered Superhuman)
PP: 3d6+3
PB: 2d6
PE: 4d6
SPD: 1d4x10
(ISP): By Psychic Class
(PPE): 2d6
Hit Points:-----
SDC:---
MDC: 3d6x10 MD +1d6 MD per level of experience
Horror Factor: 9
Natural Abilities:
*Armored Exoskeleton---Natural Megadamage Beings
*Thermal Vision---Ghekken can sense heat like a terrestrial rattlesnake, ‘seeing’ thermal signatures around them, at 200+I.Q. ft range.
*Multiple Limbs(4) ---+1 attack
*Pincers---+1d6 to damage from a nip/claw attack
*Running Claws---Ghekken have small sharp claws on their feet that they can dig in like stabilization pylons, giving them a +3 to Maintain Balance, +10% to Climbing skills
Psionics: Standard; psychic Ghekken were typically assigned to special military units during the heyday of their dominion; those who survived could rise to quite prestigious positions. Since the collapse of their dominion, however, psychics are in the same boat as the rest of their people, and likely to be a lot more bitter about their loss of status and opportunity.
Magic: Have the potential
Cybernetics/Bionics: Any; the Ghekken invested heavily in prosthetic replacement parts for their veterans, and full conversion combat cyborgs were not uncommon.
Available OCCs: Any high-tech OCCs, but most Ghekken gravitate towards Men-at-Arms professions, and a substantial number are criminals, such as Smugglers and Space Pirates
RCC Skills:---The old Ghekken FP basic military training standard reigmen still holds to this day, in Ghekken schools:
Hand to Hand: Basic(Can be upgraded by using ‘other’ skills)
Military Ettiquette(+5%)
Forced March
Read Sensory Instruments(+5%)
Weapons Systems(+5%)
W.P. Knife
W.P. Rifles
W.P. Energy Pistols
Skills of Note:
Climbing gets a +10% from their claws
Culture:
The once-great Ghekken Federated Protectorates that once controlled eighteen systems, has now shrunk to three, the rest having been sold off to cover their debts...their remaining worlds are now overcrowded or run down, their economies working to support the flood of refugees leaving their former colonial possessions, or to service remaining parts of their debt to Naruni(which they STILL haven’t managed to pay off entirely).
Weapons of Note:
Before they came into conflict with the Perfect, the Ghekken possessed a fairly advanced military technology, but hadn’t developed much in the last hundred or so years of their empire because their physical abilities were so much greater than those of their subject races. The Ghekken could easily run things using technologies developed against their own robust physiologies, but running into the Perfect forced them to crash develop new weapons and technologies. When they simply couldn’t match the advanced Perfect technology, they were increasingly forced to turn to Naruni Enterprises to keep them up-to-date.
Many of the older Ghekken weapons still exist and are in service, and Ghekken take a perverse amount of pride in keeping the older weapons serviceable, while manufacturing new ones to the old patterns.

*Ghekken Punch-Rifle
The Ghekken, prior to adopting Naruni plasma weapons as their main armaments in the Anti-Perfect War, relied on a heavy autorifle that fired 18mm armor-piercing discarding sabot rounds meant to punch through a Ghekken’s hard shell.
Weight: 32 lbs
Range: 2,500 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot, 1d6x10+5 MD per 5-shot burst ; on a natural 18-20, does CRITICAL damage
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 45 round clip

*Ghekken Punch-Pistol
The GPP is a smaller, less powerful, handgun firing armor-piercing bullets that are designed to fragment inside a target, causing extensive soft tissue damage.
Weight: 8 lbs
Range: 800 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD single shot, 9d6 ND per three shot burst; on a natural 19-20, does CRITICAL damage, and against megadamage organic beings, the metal fletchette needles work their way into the wound, causing excruiating pain; victim must save versus M.E. , once every melee)or lose 1 APM, and HALF bonuses to strike, parry, dodge, and roll, until the wound either heals or the shrapnel is flushed out/removed.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 21 rds

[Aramanthus]

Excellent new RCC! I'm wondering if some restaurant might be able to handle them in large enough cooking gear?

[taalismn]

Excellent new RCC! I'm wondering if some restaurant might be able to handle them in large enough cooking gear?

You'd either have to be demonic or really, really, stupid to try eating a GHekken...they have really bad attitudes and a grudge against a lot of folk...A lot of Ghekken veterans train their kids against the day that they'll get to slaughter Naruni Enterprises, and for the time being, they work for Yoncatech, selling guns and killing other people for pay...

[Aramanthus]

I know! Stilll they are a very cool RCC!!! Thank you for sharing them. I'd still like to know if I can find those crushing devices for eating shellfish. And then you'd still have to have one heck of a pot for cooking them and the size of the stove would have to huge too!

[taalismn]

Hollomorphs

“I don’t see why I have to suffer the indignity of being stuffed naked inside this damn thing! I admit it; I’m just a shoplifter, not a psychopathic slayer!!! I deserve to be treated with some understanding!!!”
“Because you picked the locks on your handcuffs the last seven times you were transported to prison, escaped three times, and have become a general pain in the ass for the Yalek judicial system, for a ‘mere’ shopliftter! This way, we KNOW you aren’t hiding a lockpick or two up your sleeve! Oh, and that ‘thing’ you’re stuffed inside? -IT’s- name is Officer Pwham, and it’s a twenty year veteran of the force, so be polite.”
Hey There.
“EEEKKKKK!!!”
Don’t Give Me No Trouble, Girl, Trying to Force Your Way Out, And I’ll Give You No Grief. I’ll Even Let You Walk On Your Own If You Cooperate; Otherwise You Ain’T Moving Except Where I Want You To, And You’ll Ride All The Way To Your New Cell.


Shal looked at the new prisoner and knew despair again...the new ones....they just didn’t know...They fought and they railed against their condition and their confinement, they tried to raise hope in those who were here longer, they threatened, they begged...and in the end the result was the same...the slavers beat them down....and often beat everyone in the pens, regardless of whether they were acting up or not....Shal had learned the lesson long ago; there was no escape from the Dark Coven...It was easier to submit, to give in, and to hope for a quick death, than to court the displeasure of the Keepers by resisting..
This new one was no different; stripped and chained, beaten, and bloody, and...damn his soul...still deviant....Time and again, Shal had risked everything by trying to get the newcomer to shut up, to convey that the misery would be worse for all of them, if the newcomer kept bringing the ire of the masters..Instead, he’d kept taunting them, and the guards had kept beating him, over and over again, until they finally threw the brutalized mess back in a cell and stomped off.
...And now the damned newcomer was awake again and eyeing Shal with a GRIN...No,no, Shal was ignoring this one! Let the fool try to recruit him in some crazy scheme to escape?! No! Shal knew better by now!
But some perverse sense kept dragging Shal’s attention to the newcomer...and this time Shal saw movement...With a shock, Shal suddenly realized the newcomer had slipped one of his arms out of his chains! Somehow, maybe lubricated by his own blood, the newcomer had wormed his hand out of the shackle holding it! No, no! Shal wanted to scream! The penalty for attempting to break the bonds that held slaves was torture for everyone in the pen! Shal wanted to scream to the guards!
Then Shal saw the freed hand slip into one of the many scars and wounds criscrossing the newcomer’s abused body. With horror, Shal watched as the hand worked open a bloody wound, openning its edges, and slipping INSIDE....With mounting horrid fascination, Shal watched silently as the hand re-emerged with, not bloody organs, but a gleaming of metal!
With a quick movement, the hand swept out and to the side, and with a dull thunking, embedded something in the wall. Then the hand darted back inside the newcomer’s abdomen, re-emerged with another thing, and repeated the gesture. Before Shal could comprehend, the wall next to the newcomer sported a pattern of embedded metal slivers. Then the newcomer STOOD UP, slidding off the remaining shackles, and stepped to block Shal’s view...Just as a humming emitted from the far wall, and a flash that Shal swore he could see THROUGH the newcomer, lit the dark slave pen.
When Shal openned his eyes again, and blinked away the after-flash, the newcomer slouched aside to reveal a softly glowing portal of light set in the far wall...a portal through which SHAPES began to appear...DARK shapes...TALL shapes...Shapes clad in flanged armor that Shal could recall only seeing in dreams before...Shapes that moved, as in those dreams, and bent the metal bars of the pen like paper chains, and moved with lethal grace...
Warlock Marines....

Hollomorphs are unusual shapeshifting aliens that may be compared to sentient sponges. They are upright hollow vessels of flexible, spongy material that can reshape their exteriors to imitate a variety of other species.
Hollomorphs(their own name for themselves is, as best as Humans can represent, it is [subsonic key E]*emm[pheromone substrate H43254 at 3p/milllion for 1.2 seconds][subsonic key A]8geh8*iiiiii) hail from the high-gravity planet Tulnh, in the UWW-claimed regions of the Anvil Galaxy. It is not known how the Hollomorphs attained sentience, but it is presumed that their ancestors were motile sponge-like lifeforms that learned defensive mimickry and evolved intelligence in order to survive predator action. However, there is evidence that Tulnh was once the site of an ancient Splugorth colony, and many of the lifeforms of the planet show signs of Biowizardry modifications in their ancestry, so it is entirely possible that the Hollomorphs may be the result of ancient Splugorth experimentation gone feral.
Hollomorphs came to the attention of the Three Galaxies through freetraders who visited their homeworld. Through both legitimate contact or outright highway banditry(depending on who you ask), the Hollomorphs acquired advanced technology and access to space several decades ago. A number of the more adventurous have begun exploring the Three Galaxies(and beyond), soon finding employment in a variety of roles, both legitimate and illegal....
Among other things, Hollomorphs have found ways to make a living in galactic society as wearable sentient clothing, acting as psuedo-symbiotic garments. A number of law enforcement agencies also use Hollomorph agents to assist in the transport of prisoners, the beings acting as living straitjackets who can keep watch on their captives at all times. Others serve as next-to-the-skin bodyguards and personal assistants, keeping an eye on and about their employers even when the hiring parties aren’t looking out for themselves. While some may find this attention annoying at times, Hollomorph personal assistants are considered well worth the money and the annoyance, often saving their ‘wearers’ from accidental poisonings and costly social faux paus.
Hollomorphs who elect more illict livelihoods can make a living as smugglers, concealing contraband within their hollow bodies. This usually works for more primitive worlds, but more advanced worlds often have security scanners that can see through the Hollomorphs’ outward fascade, so Hollomorph smugglers often line their inside cavities with special sensor-deflecting materials or carry electronic and chemical spoofers to throw off such devices. One Hollomorph criminal managed to acquire and retain control of the Majez crime cartel through at least three changes of the top spot ‘don’; despite the assassination of two of the cartel’s leaders, it was only discovered later that the people supposedly in charge were only lieutenants in the cartel; the real leader was the trademark clothing they wore, that was really running the organization....
Alignments: Any
Lifespan: 210 years
Size: 4-7ft tall
Gender: Hermaphroditic budders. Hollomorphs ready to procreate will spend several hours twining limbs with each other exchanging bodily fluids, and will each produce 1d6 buds on their bodies that drop off after eight months to form new individual Hollomorphs. The youngsters will stay around one or both parents for 1d4 years before heading off on their own.
Physical Description/Appearance:
A branched column of spongy material, with motile fringes at the ends of the branches, but can mimic the appearance of just about any humanoid.
Disposition/Attitudes:
Tend to be quiet and laconic when dealing with others, at least until they’ve absorbed enough of the common culture to be able to convincing pass in it. Many Hollomorphs will adopt the mannerisms, slang, and attitudes of those around them(making them ‘sponges’ in the metaphorical sense as well). Hollomorphs, especially when imitating clothing, can remain quiet and unobstrusive for hours, even days, without saying a thing, but will volunteer their wisdom and observations in a second if so prompted.
Physical Attributes:
IQ: 3d6
ME: 3d6
MA: 3d6
PS: 4d6+4
PP: 3d6
PB: 3d6
PE: 3d6+4
SPD: 3d6
(ISP):-----
(PPE): 2d6
Hit Points:---
SDC:---
MDC:(Minor)P.E.+1d6x10+1d6 MD per level of experience, plus any modifiers from skills/training will be in MDC, but at HALF values.
Horror Factor: A Hollomorph disguised as a normal being, being seen sliced open, would have a H.F. of 12
Natural Abilities:
*Polymorph Exterior----Hollomorphs can alter their external appearance to mimic the appearance of other lifeforms, including branching their bodies to form limbs(however, their stats remain the same; Hollomorphs do not, for instance, gain additional actions/attacks per melee by growing extra limbs). They can change the external texture and color of their skin, and simulate hair/fur growth.
For the average Hollomorph with little time to practice, their ability to disguise themselves and pass themselves off convincingly as a specific species or individual is roughly 40% +2% per level of experience. Hollomorphs with advanced training(skills usch as Disguise, Grooming, Performance, etc...) gain a +5% per each skill dedicated to the art of personal camouflage. With a little more study and experience, they can simulate bruising, sweating, and with preparation beforehand(ingestion of special chemicals) even bleed convincingly when cut.
Such form alteration takes 3d6 minutes to produce a generic representation of a lifeform(bland, unfinished features, and the skin looks off, but the limbs are in the right places, and could pass in a dim light or concealed under clothing), 7d6 minutes for a more specific, but still undistinguished example, and 2d4x10 minutes to replicate a specific individual.

*Superior Hearing, Sense of Smell, and Sense of Taste--_Can detect and identify substances with great acuity: specific odors: 70%+5% per level of experience, smell toxins and chemicals 50%+4% per level of experience, recognize individuals by smell 50%+3% (5% per level if the person has ‘worn’ the hollomorph), track by scent 40%+3% , identify common substances by taste 70%+4%, recognize exptic substances by taste 30%+5%

*Resistance to Physical Damage---Hollomorphs take 1/4 damage from physical strikes, punches, kicks, crushing attacks, and concussive blasts.

*Regeneration---Hollomorphs can seal up rents and holes in their bodies, and regenerate lost limbs with relative ease; heal 3d6 points of damage per half-hour.

Vulnerabilities:
*Humidity---Hollomorphs don’t do well in arid conditions. They quickly dry out in desert conditions without regular water intake, suffering the effects of dehydration TWICE as fast as normal humans. They take DOUBLE damage from spells like Dessicate

*Hollomorphs are susceptible to caustic attacks like acids, taking DOUBLE damage from such attacks.

*Hollomorphs have poor eyesight....Even when imitating human eyes, their maximum visual acuity range is roughly HALF that of a normal human’s. This means that in order to imitate the appearance of another being, they have to get quite close to study them.

Psionics: None
Magic: None
Cybernetics/Bionics: None; Hollomorphs cannot accept cybenetic or bionic implants
Available OCCs: Any, except magic and psychic(and those that require cybernetic/bionic implants). Hollomorphs favor adventurer OCCs like Smuggler, Floater, Spacer, and the like
RCC Skills:------
Skills of Note:
Languages(+5%)
Lore: (+3%)
Culture:
On their murky, humid homeworld, Hollomorphs have a multitude of regional powerblocs, ranging from tribal headsman-style organizations, to socialist democracies. No one power dominates, though several regional powers have united in about a dozen alliances in support and maintain advanced industry and spaceport facilities. The Hollomorphs have not yet been able to build their own starships(currently the best they’ve been able to build on their own are transatmospheric shuttles and near-space craft), and are dependent on foreign designs and technology for their starfaring capabilities.

[Aramanthus]

Very nice! I especially like how the article starts with a prisoner being stored in one. Very cool RCC!

[taalismn]

Yep...figured for something a little different....

[Aramanthus]

Still it makes for a fun new RCC for people to try out.

[DhAkael]

Race Name: Shaemarian
Description: The Shaemarian race are very human-like D-B's that have migrated from their native planet / dimension to other lands across the megaverse. Why this race has spread out is an enigma deeply rooted in their religion. Many thousands of years in their past, the people of Shem'Ra IV were faced with a potential catastrophe; the pre-industrial Shem Ma Ra Nens (Translation; Daughters of light) were becoming extinct. Shem'Ra IV was undergoing a brutal ice age, and the oviparous (egg laying) Shem Ma Ra Nens were finding their eggs wouldn't quicken. All seemed lost for these people, except for the intervention of an as yet unknown deity.
The benign goddess, (later called Shaemaria the Light -Bringer) took pity upon the inhabitants of Shem'Ra IV, and began to help the Shem Ma Ra Nens to evolve/adapt to their now harsh environment. Shaemaria altered them genetically to withstand the extreme cold of their homeworld, and so that their eggs may survive to hatch. To further assist the Shem Ma Ra Nens, Shaemaria taught them the secrets of technology, and within only 70 years, the now renamed Shaemarians were equal to early 20th. century Earth. The price for this assistance was for the Shaemarians to worship only Shaemaria, to renounce war among themselves, and to dedicate themselves to stand against evil and tyranny throughout the megaverse. The Shaemarian people gladly accepted.
Modern Shaemarian culture is based on a religious and biological matriarchy (due to the fact that only one male is born to 8 females). Most female Shaemarians (68%) are involved with the priestesshood in one capacity or another, and of that number, 30% are knights of Shaemaria called the Shem-Rahn (q.v.). Almost all warriors among the Shaemarian people are female. The male population are, surprisingly (for a matriarchy), very highly respected. Most males are given the positions of scientists, technicians, medics and scholars. Those males who gain positions within the temples are given the tasks of archivists and medics/technicians to the knight caste.
Technology for the Shaemarian race is above par with most Tri-Galactic races within the CCW of the Phaseworld dimension. Psylite-tech & magitech, nanotech, gravitic & contragravitic technology, and robotics are moderately more advanced. Dimensional travel has recently been developed over the past 300 years, and is directly responsible for the presence of Shem-Rahn Templar Knights in many parts of the megaverse.
Note: The Shaemarians on Rifts Terra are aware of the fully synthetic android Shemarrians in the Eastern regions of North-America. The temple matriarchs therorize that someone / something may have encountered their race prior to the Shaemarian people traveling to Earth, and distorted what they observed to create the Shemarrain nations’ tribes. So far, it is believed that an alien A.I. emulated a twisted version of the Templars and filled in the blanks with bits and pieces of other humanoid amazon cultures. The matriarchs are partly correct (Haegen may have had a couple of precognitive flashes while he dreamed up his femme-fatale army), but have not found all the pieces to pin-point who / what has done this. Standing orders for Shem-Rahn and other Shaemarians on encountering these more agressive, unliving, reflections of themselves is approach with caution and respect, report back any findings and if possible befriend one of the tribes to “show them the way of the lightbringer.”
For their part, Haegen and ARCHIE-3 have only heard vaugue rumours of goody two-shoes pretenders, horning in on their schtick. So far they haven’t been able to capture any of the Shem-Rahn to interogate and / or take apart. Seems like something keeps tipping these battle-wenches off to when ARCHIE or Haegen decide to take a peek-see (6th sense and telemechanics give the Temeplars an advanced warning).

Alignments: Any, though rarely evil (respect life too much)
Attributes: Almost identical to humans.
S.D.C.: 3D6 plus O.C.C. and physical skill benefits (used to harsh environments).
Horror Factor: None, but 10 horror/awe factor if encountered and recognised as a Templar Knight.
P.P.E.: 1D8 plus 1D4 per Lvl., unless a mage/priest class.
Natural Abilities: Resistant to cold & will not suffer cold damage to -25 centigrade, excellent 20/20 vision, able to see a mouse move at 500 ft, resistant to snow-blindness & sun-glare.
Combat: As per H.T.H. training.
Damage: As per H.T.H. or weapon.
Bonuses: +1 to initiative, +2 Vs. blinding attacks, +2 perception.
Psionics: Minor (01-80) or major (81-00)
Average Life-Span: 100 terran standard yrs.
Common O.C.C.'s: Female; Priestess, ley-line walker, Battle mage (either Manhunter styled, Warlock Marine or Federation of Magic, GM’s discretion). turbo-jock, or Knight of Shaemaria (see later).
Male; scientists, scholars, techno-wizards, medics, and mechanics.
Skills of Note: All Shaemarians are literate and fluent in their native tongue (98%), and most have elven / dragonese at +15% of base skill unless taken as an O.C.C. / O.C.C. related skill.
Habitat/Environment: Can adapt to most M-class (Earth-like) environments, but are most comfortable in colder temperatures, say around 10c average high.
Enemies: All creatures of evil and most despotic regimes. These people love the Transgalactic Empire, and the Coalition.
Allies: Creatures of good alignment, and most peaceful (not exactly pacifist) cultures.
Physical Description: Very human-like pale skinned D-B's, with naturally exotic coloured hair and large hawk-like eyes.
Size: Females; 5ft. 6 inches, to 6ft. 8 inches. Males; 5ft. 3 inches, to 6ft. 1inch.
Weight; Females; 148 to 195lbs. Males; 150 to 180lbs.
Notes: Shaemarian females are oviparous (egg layers). Typical gestation of a normal Shaemarian egg is about 7 months, and the child is hatched fully formed and able to walk within 3 days of hatching. Hatchlings resemble 3 year old human children with a soft coat of down, which is shed in about 2-3 terran standard weeks. Shaemarians mature very rapidly both physically and mentally, becoming adolescent in about 3 years, at which time their biological maturation rate slows down to approximately homo-sapiens norm.
Shaemarians can actually breed with humans, but the chance of a viable hatching / birth is only about 25% if the Shaemarian parrent is female, and only 10% if male. Crossbreeds invariably inherit almost 95% of their traits from the Shaemarian parent.

Shaemarian Knight O.C.C.

A full 30% of Shaemarian females who are involved with the military become Kinghts of Shaemaria; the Shem-Rahn. These female warriors are the elite of the elite of the martial caste. The knights undergo several years of intensive physical and spiritual training from early childhood, very similar to the regime experienced by apprentice Cyber-knights (qv.). At the end of their apprenticeship, those women who are deemed worthy by the temple are given the rank and trappings of their new calling, Shem-Rahn It is the duty of the newly appointed knights to then choose how they shall then serve; either as guardians of their people, or to go forth and hunt down evil and tyrany wherever it may lie in the Megaverse.
Unlike their Rifts Earth counterparts, the Cyber-knights, Shaemarian knights typicaly work in teams of at least 3-5 members. The reason for this is because it is expected these teams remain somewhat autonomous, as they will usualy be light years or dimensions away from any support. To this end, each member of a team of knights will specialize in one area (i.e.; scout, pilot, field scientist, etc. See below), in the hopes that the squad will have the necessary cross section of skills to cover most contingencies.
It is interesting to note that a sizeable number of Shaemarian Knights arived on Rifts Earth in 98 PA. By the year 103 PA a small colony of Shaemarian people took up residence in Lazlo city, with the blessing of both General Xarl and Councilor Plato. To date, a temple of Shaemaria the Light Bringer has been established in Lazlo, providing spiritual guidance and medical aid to many dispossessed young females, as well as a formidable force of trained warriors to aid in deffense of the city (this is part of the treaty between the Lazlo city council and the High Matriarch of the Shaemarian colonists). Only a select few know the reason behind the arival of the Shaemarians, and those few are remaining quiet on the subject.
Psionic Powers: Almost all Knights of Shaemaria are considered to be major psioncs, with a fair percentage being of master level. The special abbilities, ISP and psionic powers are the same as the psionic type rolled. All OCC skill bonuses are halved if the Shem-Rahn is a master level psychic (due to devoting part of their training to developing their psionic powers).
01-75 Major Psionic
76-80 Eruptor Psionic; Burster or Zapper equivelent
81-95 Nullifier equivelent
96-98 Psi-tech equivelent
99-00 Mind Melter equivelent; usual starting powers, but only recieves 1 normal and 1 super psionic power up to level 5, and afterwards can only take 1 power per level from one of the four categories.
Attribute Requirements: High I.Q., M.A., P.S., and P.E. of 10 or higher are strongly suggested but not required. A high M.E. stat, 15 or better, is required if the character is to be a Shaemarian Templar (qv.), because the tranfer to a robotic body may cause mental shock in some cases, even with the advanced artificial senses built into the frame.
Note: Starting alignments are restricted to good or unprincipled. Evil (rogue) knights are stripped of rank and executed if caught abusing their power.
Special Bonuses: Add +1D4 to M.A., M.E., P.S., and P.E. attributes. Also add 1D6+4 to Spd. and 1D4X10 to SDC. +2 to initiative, +3 to perception, +1 attack per melee and +1 Vs. Horror factor every 3 levels. These are in addition to other attribute or skill bonuses.
Permanent P.P.E. Base: 6D6
O.C.C. Experience Table: Cyber-Knight or the master psionic type (if applicable), which ever is higher.
O.C.C Skils:
Literacy and fluency: Shaemarian (98%), and speaks Dragonese / Elven at +20%
Languages (select 2 at +20%)
literacy (select 2 at +15%)
Lore: Demon (+20%)
Antrhopology / Alien Civs. (+15%)
Paramedic (+10%)
Land-Nav (+12%)
Horsemanship: Knight (+15%)
Climbing (+10%)
Body Building
Gymnastics (+5%)
WP Ancient (2 of choice); 1 WP may be taken as a kata
WP Modern (2 of choice)
Hand to Hand: Martial Arts (Shao-lin equivlent; see "Ninjas & Super-spies" if allowed by GM)
O.C.C Related Skills: Select 6 other skills. Plus select 2 additional skills at level 3, 3 additional WP's at level 5, and 2 more skills at levels 6, 9, & 12. All new skills start at first level proficinency. In addition, the Shem-Rahn can either opt for a specialized package of 6 other skills (see below for list), or just select 6 other OCC related skills.
Communications: Any.
Domestic: Any.
Electrical: Basic only (unless specilized).
Espionage: Any (+5%).
Mechanical: Basic only (unless specialized).
Medical: None (unless specialized).
Military: Any (+5%).
Physical: Any (+5% where applicable).
Pilot: Any
Pilot related: Any (+5%)
Rouge: Any.
Science: Any.
Technical: Any (+5%)
W.P.: Any
Wilderness: Any (+5%)
Secondary Skills: Select 6 secondary skills, +2 at levels 5 10 and 15. All skills start base skill level and IQ bonus only applies.
Skill Specilization Packages: The Shaemarian knight may take any one of the skill packages below.
Pilot: Any 6 skills listed under the Space Pilot Skill Program on Pg. 195 of the Aliens Unlimmited: Galaxy Guide.
Science: Research at +15% and any 5 skills listed under the Technical Scientist Skill Program on Pg. 197 of the Aliens Unlimmited: Galaxy Guide.
Scout: Tracking (general), Detect Concealment, Wilderness Survival, Camoflague & 1 Wilderness skill of choice at +15%, and the skill of Cartography / Map-Making at 30% +5% per level (not as well developed as the Wilderness Scout OCC).
Diplomat: Research, Public Speaking, General Law / Protocols (usually used after research has been done on the culture being interacted with) and Philosophy at + 15%, 1 lore or history skill at +20% and Grooming & Wardrobe at +10%.
Armourer: Weapons Systems, Field Armourer, Demolitions Disposal at +15% and Robot Mechanics & Electronics plus one mechanical or electrical of choice at +5%
Standard Equipment: Thermo-Kinetic EBA (typically heavy crusader style) with 1D4 upgrades (see Pgs. 38-39 of Naruni Wave 2, or TW based). Light body-armour with force-field belt (45 MDC; same as Naruni style). 2 sets dress clothing and 3 sets civilian. Ceremonial robes & vestements. Survival pack. Medical Kit with IRMSS and RMK. Palm-computer equal to the Phaseworld Holographic Personal Computer with 1D4 data crystals. Super-Solar recharger unit (1 short e-clip equivelent per 6 hours of sunlight). Holy Symbol of Shaemaria.
Weapons consist of the Aura-Sword (equal to a phase-sword), choice of one other high-tech melee weapon. 2 SDC weapons of choice. Energy pistol and either an energy rifle (both with 3 extra e-clips a piece), or G-Bow (uses gravitonic technology to accelerate arrows to railgun speed) with 1D4+1 sets of 12 arrows.
Personal mode of transport varies from knight to knight, but typically is a riding animal or its robotic equivelent. Other favoured vehicles are hovercraft & bikes or Contra-Gravity packs (usually having stubby wing stabilzers).
Money: Starts with 1D6X1000+1200 in tradable hard currency, like gemstones, metals / alloys or items of value.
Cybernetics: Not as disruptive to the Shaemarian as for most races, due to specialzed aura-stablizer technology that does minimal interference to their psionic (or magical) abilities. Used for medical or minor enhancements only though. Will avoid more primitive cybernetic technologies unless required for critical injuries, such as bio-system organ replacement. Full conversion bionics are avoided, as the Soulgraft process for Templars (see later) bypasses the need for combining organic and mechanical parts.

[taalismn]

allrriiighhhtttttt!! New material! And I actually get to watch this time...
Nice writeup!

[DhAkael]

allrriiighhhtttttt!! New material! And I actually get to watch this time...Nice writeup!

Would you believe that this idea is over 16 years old?
I've been fiddling with it off & on ever since the Sourcebook 1 (first edition, first printing) came out, but it never really "flowed" properly. With AU:GG and the various Phaseworld books, I finally had enough canon material on hand to make this work.
Just tweaking the Templars now and should have them posted in a day or two.
Yes, the Templars are a bit powered over norm ("Psionics in robot bodies?! Absurd!" ~J.Q. Ruleslawyer), but held beside the Cosmo-kannigits and heck, even Star-elves, sorry, these girls are jussssssst about right.

[taalismn]

Then you gotta rough-stat Shaemaria the Light -Bringer...
Yeah, it's all right to create the occasional Munchkin Minion species...I had the Sumi created along similar lines, only they had intense magic energy, some thousand years of war and selective breeding in a pressure-cooker environment, and the blessing of a New Goddess....

I suddenly have this image of the Ecotroz-Shemar, the Archie-Shemarrians, and the Shaemarians knocking heads in New England...

Now you need more Warsteads...
Hmmm...cybertriceratops with twin gun-horns?

[DhAkael]

Then you gotta rough-stat Shaemaria the Light -Bringer...
Yeah, it's all right to create the occasional Munchkin Minion species...I had the Sumi created along similar lines, only they had intense magic energy, some thousand years of war and selective breeding in a pressure-cooker environment, and the blessing of a New Goddess....

I suddenly have this image of the Ecotroz-Shemar, the Archie-Shemarrians, and the Shaemarians knocking heads in New England...

Now you need more Warsteads...
Hmmm...cybertriceratops with twin gun-horns?

Nah.."I have a cunning plan..."

[Aramanthus]

Nice RCC and the OCC that goes with their race! Looking forward to the Templars.

[DhAkael]

Shem-Rahn Templar Robots

The Shem-Rahn are given the task of defending their people, and seeking out evil among the megaverse (see file "Shaemarians" for details). Exceptional warriors may choose to become Templars, transferring their life force into a robotic body.

The robot is constructed to resemble as closely as possible the flesh and blood body of the knight to better stabilize the transferred intelligence. A Quantum-crystal power source is used in place of a nuclear cell, as well as a psylite capacitor to allow the Shem-Rahn to use her psionics & technowizard systems.

Another unique feature of the Templar's robotic body is the ability to mesh their torso with the F’Tark Riss battle-bot, becoming centauroid in form. This grants the Shaem-Rahn greater stability and control, allowing her to combat the enemy without having to give orders, or try to retain a firm seat.

When the Shaemarian has her soul placed into the robotic frame, the body is placed into temporal stasis, until such time as she chooses to become flesh again, or the mechanized shell is destroyed. The soulgraft is a simple and painless process, and can be reversed at any time, as long as the flesh body and robot are in physical contact (or the soul returns from a destroyed frame). Most Templars (30%) don't choose to return to the realm of flesh if at all possible, being satisfied to live for centuries in their robotic bodies, fighting evil wherever it lies.



Model type: Shem-Rahn Temple Guardian Battle-frame

Class: Self-Sufficient multi-purpose humanoid combat robot system

Control System: Lifeforce transference

M.D.C. By Location:

*Head (sensors)- 90

Arms (2)- 100each Hands (2)- 15each

Legs (2)- 125each

**Main Body- 350



*Destroying the head will cause the robot body to shut down, and send the character into stasis in the lifeforce matrix located in the main body. The head is -3 to strike on a called shot.

**Depleting the main body's M.D.C. will cause the robot to shut down, and force the controlling intelligence into stasis. If the main body is damaged below -60 M.D.C. the robot is completely destroyed and the life force within may be lost (30%), or sent back to its body.

Note: The Shem-Rahn guardian can wear extra armour, & has a special suit created for it (see later).



Speed

Running: 60mph. (96 kph) max speed. Note that the act of running can be maintained indefinitely.

Leaping: The legs are strong and well suited for leaping. Leaps are limited to 20ft. high or lengthwise. Running leaps in excess of 40mph. add 10ft. to the distance.

Flying: Only by use of an external grav-pack, or jet-pack.

Range: The Quantum Crystall cell allows for decades of operation before needing to recharge the unit, even under continuous use. The controlling mind needs only 4 hours of mediative rest every 24hrs. to prevent psychological damage.



Statistical Data

Height: 7 feet +2D4 inches (varies between warriors)

Width: 3 feet +1D6 inches (varies between warriors)

Weight: 400 lbs. (-10% prowl)

Physical Strength: equal to P.S. stat of 40 (robotic)

Cargo: Sub-Space dimensional storage; 2 holsters (one per hip) for sword & staff respectively, and one Dimensional envelope for the armour, lightning lance and other esential gear. Equal to long-term D-Pocket and D-Envelope temporal mage spells, and are attuned to the Shem-Rahn battleframe at the time of the first Soulgraft. Uses 10 I.S.P. to remove or put back an item.

Power Systems: Primary; Quantum Crystal Energy Matrix with 50 years of use at maximum output.

Secondary; Psilite crystals. 500 I.S.P for powering the psi-tech & technowizard features

I.S.P. is replaced at 10% per hour or by the character, ley-lines, or another.

Note: psionic abilities and P.P.E. are transferred as well as the intellect. 10% of the characters own PPE and ISP remain with the flesh & blood body in stasis.

Sensors and Options

Optics:

1) Advanced robot optic system including I.R., U.V., & passive night vision with a 2000ft. range.

2) Laser targeting and combat computer (I.R. laser is located in the forehead, disguised as a ruby-like decoration).

3) Telescopic sight 6000ft. range & 20ft. viewing area.

4) TW Aetheric Scanner; combines See Aura, Sense Magic, See Dimensional Anomaly, and See the Invisible into the optics.

Uses 100 I.S.P. per use and remains active for 12 minutes.





Audio:

1) Advanced audio system with universal cyberjack, and short range radio / scrambler 50mile rng.

2) Human voice simulator (single voice).

3) Ultra-sound transmitter.

4) Universal translator (40% accuracy).

Micro Radar: Can identify 30 targets and simultaneously track 10. 1mile max range.

Energy Scanner: Used to determine source & type of various radiations & EM Flux; wether the source is artificial or natural and what type.

Range is 1000 ft.

Auto-Mapper: Using gaviton emissions, sonar and LiDAR this system construcs a crude map that is displayed in the Shem-Rahn’s peripheral vission. 50ft. area real-time view, but can be added to up to a 5 km area before the buffer needs to be purged; +15% to land-navigation skill checks while active.

Densitometer: Meassures the density of an object, determining if it is SDC or MDC, and if it is hollow or soild. 50ft. range.



Options and Special Features



1) To simulate their natural appearance, the Shaemarian warrior 'bots have a synthetic flesh and muscle overlay placed on the artificial body. Artificial hair and realistic eyes are also used to complete the illusion of a living body. Each battle frame is made to resemble the warrior's natural features. If more than 600 S.D.C is inflicted to the synth-flesh coating, it will reveal the robotic endoskeleton (H.F. 14!).

However; the knees, elbows, ankles and wrists will show the hypercarbon joints with synflesh blending smoothly with the joint. Also the gem-like lens in the forehead may also indicate a more than flesh and blood nature.

2) The body has an automatic nanite repair system stored internally. This system repairs 2D6 M.D.C. per hour for up to 8 hrs. to each damaged component, or 3D6 S.D.C. to the exterior coating, before requiring 16hrs. to recharge. The nanites can also repair electronic damage at 80% skill level. Raw materials may need to be provided for extensive damage (over 75% MDC loss).

3) Molecular disassembler units take the place of a digestive tract. This allows for the soul-grafted warrior to partake of food & drink to satisfy the living soul, but also serves a useful function. The organic substances are broken down into useful molecular components that may be used later for the auto-reapir systems.

4) Each Shem-Rahn warrior frame is unique, and will have typically have 1D4 other psi-tech, TW or robotic features built in, along with cosmetic stylizations.



Special Armour

The Templar knights are provided with a suit of super-light, thermo-kinetic plate armour and an arm mounted shield.

Depending on rank, the colours available are; white for 1st. to 5th. level, sapphire blue for 6th. to 10th. level, and white with gold trim and blue decorations for 11th. to 15th. level. Unlike the ARCHIE-3 gynoids, the armour of the Shem-Rahn is designed for movement and protection, and has none of the spines or frills. The plates are conformal and rounded / smooth to facilitate deflection of attacks.

Weight: 75lbs. -15% prowl M.D.C.: Helmet- 80 Arms- 70 each Legs- 100 each Main Body- 275

Shield- 100, +1 to parry; may be enhanced with either a force field projector or a TW Mirror Shield (Rifter #2 or Book of Magic).



H.T.H. Combat Bonuses

The Templar retains all her combat experience when she transfers into the robotic battle frame. Due to the amplified reaction time that the Shaemarian warriors' mechanized body has, 1 additional attack is added to the characters existing number per round. All martial arts moves and special attacks may be performed without penalty.

Note: All H.T.H. attacks may be M.D., or tuned down automatically to inflict S.D.C..

Damage: Assuming strength is set to full robotic PS.

Restrained punch: 1D4 MDC

Punch: 2D6 MDC

Power Punch: 4D6 MDC (takes 2 actions)

Kick: 3D8 MDC

Leap Kick: 5D8 MDC (takes 2 actions but inflicts critical damage results).

Compiled Bonuses: This includes sensor bonuses, but not mtrl. arts or W.P. training. +2 to strike with ranged weapons, +6 to strike H.T.H., +8 to dodge +7 to parry, +8 to parry with shield, +3 initiative.

Attributes of Note

P.S. 40 (Lift and carry 1,000 lbs. /1800 kg), P.P. 26, Spd. 88 (60 mph. / 96kph.).



Weapon Systems

1) Psi-Bolt Projectors: Each hand contains a psylite force projector that fires out blasts of TK energy. The blasts are slightly more powerful than the normal mind bolt ability, using less energy, and causing greater damage.

Damage: 4D6 M.D. per bolt R.O.F.: single or double blasts as per # of attacks Range: 1500ft.

Payload: 2 I.S.P. per blast from internal battery Note: as with normal mind-bolts, a +4 to strike bonus is used.



2) Aetheric Forceblade Broadsword (thigh): This weapon creates a sword of incredible power, combining a telekinetic field and Lightblade spell. The combination of energy and physical substance allows for the warrior to inflict damage against allmost all opponents, even if protected by supernatural immunites or energy resistance, and add her strength to the blows. The hilt contains a series of magicite & psylite crystals with the main projector placed where a blade would start. When activated, a cross-guard folds out and a translucent blade of glowing telekinetic force extends 3ft. from the main crystal. Each force blade is keyed to its owner, so if disarmed, an enemy can't activate the sword. The weapon is stored in a special dimensional pocket on one of the Shem-Rahn’s thighs; the physical component being a concealed slit in the synthflesh, and coverd (usualy) by the armour plates.

M.D.: 1D4X10+6 plus punch damage. X2 damage to creatures vulnerable to light / holy weapons. Range: Melee

Payload: 50 I.S.P. per 6 minutes. May be pre-charged before use.



3) Force Staff (thigh): A potent energy weapon, the force staff can telescope from the size of a pencil to a 2m forcefield generator instantly. The extended staff is surrounded by an aura of static electricity and high-frequency emissions which cause massive molecular upset. The user is immune to the effects (her bio-patterns are pre-programmed in), and can attack twice per action with the staff.

Range: melee Damage: 5D6 S.D.C. + P.S. bonus. Payload: 10 minutes before needing 1hr. to recharge. Each activation uses 1 minute of power regardless of time used.

Notes: The force staff will inflict an equal amount of M.D. to mega-damage creatures. Characters wearing M.D.C. body armour will be effected as if hit by a neuro-mace or stun-stick (standard saving throw). Stored in same manner as the forceblade, on opposite thigh.



4) Optional Force Mace (thigh): In place of the force staff, the Shem-Rahn may instead carry the force mace. The weapon consists of a telescoping handle that goes from 10cm to nearly 70cm with a round striking head about 5cm in diameter. When activated, the striking head projects a sepherical force-field nearly double the diameter and can either deal stunning damage like an over-powered neuro-mace or armour crushing blows. The handle contains a rechargeable powercell

Range: melee Damage: Stun;1D4 S.D.C. + P.S. bonus & Save Vs. Non-lethal poison, or lose initiative and suffer -5 to attack and defense rolls & -10% to skills for 1D6 melees. Impact; 3D6+3 MDC & punch damage. May either do stun or impact damage, not both; takes 1 action to switch modes. Payload: 10 minutes before needing 1hr. to recharge. Each activation uses 1 minute of power regardless of time used.



5)Shaemarian Gavitic-Railgun: The railgun used by the Templars, called Lightning Lances, are coincidentally similar in design to the weapons used by ARCHIE-3's gynoids. Though comparable to ARCHIE's design, the lightning lance is subtly different. Using gravitic compensators and accelerators, the Shaemarian lance fires a cloud of dozens of armour-piercing flechettes at over 10 times the speed of sound, ionizing and igniting the air along the projectiles path. This makes the lightning lance an unbeatable armour buster. Also, the ‘lance doesn’t need ferrous or EM conductive materials for its projectiles, opening up the use of specilized ammunition, either conventional or techno-wizardry enhanced.

These gravitic mass-drivers are equipped with their own 5 year. micro-fusion power cells, as well as an integral laser targeting computer.

Range: 6000 ft. (1828m) R.O.F.: As per # of H.T.H. attacks. Damage: 3D4X10 M.D. per flechette cluster. See below for specilized rounds. Payload: 6 interally and 12 per external magazine, or 220 rounds per belt-fed ammo pack. Weight: Gun-128lbs., 5lbs. per magazine, 30lbs. per ammo pack.

Note: Targeting computer adds +2 to strike.



Other Ammunition Types: Usually the conventional alternate projectile types are carried in separate magazines (never in quantities for an ammo-pack), while TW specialty rounds are individualy hand-loaded as necessary.

Sky-Reacher; Ram-jet enhanced solid slugs. Range is doubled and requires 1 action to aim prior to firing. Damage unchanged.

Smasher; Solid high-density single projectile. Range is halved but effect is simmilar to an AP missile plus 30% chance of knockdown. Damage otherwise unchanged.

Hunter; Single projectile fired at lower velocities. Uses nano-circutry computer tracking system and micro gravitic motor to alter its flight path to strike a target. Additional +3 to strike along with other applicable bonuses. Damage is only 1D4X10+10 MDC per round.

Burner; Anti-proton warhead projectile. Blast radius of 20ft. and radition burst (Save Vs. lethal posion or radiation sickness may occour).

TW Tangler; Magic net at level 6 power.

TW Storm-Scourge; Lightning enhanced flechette cluster. Does double damage to creatures / targets vulnerable to electricity.

TW Purifier; Combination of anti-magic cloud, expell demons, lifeblast and energy disruption. Will inflict full damage to any supernatural creature (including undead, vampires, lychnathropes & spirit / energy beings), plus the target must roll vs. both the anti-magic cloud and expell demons effect seperately. This is an extremely rare TW projectile, with most Shem-Rahn only ever having 1D4+1 on their person at any one time.

TW Maelstrom; Using techno-wizardry principles simmilar to the Rift Projector Cannon, the maelstrom round creates a tear in the space-time continuum on impact, causing enourmous damage to anything in the blast area. See Pg. 156 of dimension book 2: Phaseworld for damage & effects, but devide damages by 10 and the results that apply to ships (such as FTL failure and the like) will effect any vehicles or power armour as if they had taken critical damage (I.E.; FTL Gone, means engine / reactor is missing). Blast Radius is 100ft.! Any given team may only have 1D4 of these projectiles, and only by dispensation by their Matriarch-Captain.



6) Other Weapons: Energy rifles, pistols, melee weapons and TW weapons may be carried and used by the Shem-Rahn Templar dependant on mission and personal tastes. Typically a back-up vibrosword (or their Aura-Blade from when they were flesh & blood), Vibro-knife and a pistol of some sort will be part of the Templars kit as well as the weapons already described. Other weapons unique to the Shaemarians will be listed in a separate section.



Templar Battle Steed

These remarkable robotic equines are the pride of the Shaemarian Templar Knights. The controlling program is equal to a mid-level A.I. with animal like behaviour patterns included. Each battle steed is designed to resemble the omnivorous equines native to Shaemara IV (the F'Tark Riss; essentially horses with two slashing fangs), though still being obviously robotic.

To connect with its Shaemarian mistress, the head folds forwards into a storage compartment in the foreward chest area, leaving the lower neck open for the Templar to socket in. While "jacked-in" to her steeds body, the Templar has total control of the equine torso, but loses the drone A.I.'s possible actions in exchange.



Model Type: F'Tark Riss Robot Battle Steed

Class: Fully Autonomous Aniform Vehicle and Combat-Frame Unit

Control System: Drone Artificial Intelligence

M.D.C. By location:

Forelegs (2)- 200 each Hindlegs (2)- 275 each *Head- 90 **Main Body-450

* Destroying the head of the robot will eliminate all sensors, and shut down all autonomous functions. -2 to strike.

** Depleting the main body M.D.C. will shut the unit down and initiate an automatic repair function. If M.D.C. is reduced below -100, the unit is permanently destroyed. The body has an automatic nanite repair system stored internally. This system repairs 2D8 M.D.C. per hour for up to 8 hrs. to each damaged component, before requiring 16hrs. to recharge. The nanites can also repair electronic damage at 80% skill level. Raw materials may need to be provided for extensive damage (over 75% MDC loss).



Speed

Running; 120mph. max speed, and can run indefinitely without tiring / shutting down.

Leaping; Running jumps are 50ft. long and 20 ft. high.

Flying; 75mph. max. A system of hover jets are concealed in the upper legs and chest that engage when needed. Max flight time is only 3hrs. before needing to cool off.

Range; Fusion reactor with 10yr. life.

Size; 9ft. in length & 6ft. tall at the shoulder. Weight; 1.3 tonnes

Attributes of note; P.S. 40 (robotic), P.P. 26, P.B. 9, Spd. 386, I.Q. 7



Skill Program: Programmed to respond to verbal and radio commands from its owner, or any person designated by the owner. Can understand Shaemarian and elven at 98%, and English at 70 %, while an onboard language translator can interpret most languages after 3D4 minutes analysis at 30%. Basic military programming package is also included.



Combat Abilities: Sensors and bonuses the same as the Templar frame (base bonuses only), and 4 actions per turn.

+2 to strike with ranged weapons, +6 to strike H.T.H., +8 to dodge, +3 initiative.

Box with foreleg- 1D6 M.D. Rear kick- 2D6M.D. Double rear kick- 4D6M.D. (2 actions)

Trample- 1D4X10M.D. (all actions) Bite- 1D6M.D.

Weapon Systems

1) Eye Lasers: Installed in each eye is a short range laser blaster.

Damage: 2D6 M.D. per single blast, 4D6 per double R.O.F.: single or double blasts as per # of attacks

Range: 800ft. Note: +5 to strike bonus from targeting and programming.



2) Weapon Pods (2): On either flank an auxiliary weapon pod may be mounted. These weapons are only used if heavy combat is expected. Pods are limited to a medium plasma ejector or mini-missile launcher. Each mount can rotate 360 degrees, and tilt 30 degrees back or 15 degrees forward.

Damage: Plasma; 6D6 M.D. per single blast, 1D6X10+10 per dual blast. Mini-missile; as per warhead.

R.O.F.: single or double bursts as per # of attacks / single missiles or volleys of 2

Range: Plasma gun 2000ft. Mini-missiles about 1 mile. Payload: Plasma guns effectively unlimited, or 8 mini-missiles per pod.

[taalismn]

Franaj
“I really hate having to deal with Franaj crime scenes, especially if it’s a Franj that’s been murdered....the living ones either always rush the autopsy, or else their damn auto-cleanup eliminates the evidence before we can get to it...We got a hundred open cases of Franaj disappearing offworld, and we don’t know if they got kidnapped, wandered off the network, or died, and went poof!, because we can’t find a body! Makes eliminating the possibilities all the harder because we have to get extra careful searching for trace evidence!”

The Franaj are a philosophical people native to the pastoral world of Humoly in the Anvil Galaxy. Franaj are composites of both animal and plant life, having attributes of both. Being a merged symbiosis of plant and animal, the Franaj feel an acute awareness of the closeness of nature, the cycle of life, and the interdependency of lifeforms. Many become ardent advocates for nature conservancy, strict pollution and environmental exploitation controls, and caps on colonization of virgin planets. Other Franaj are experts in the fields of bio-remediation, agricultural genetic engineering, and phytochemical research.
Humoly is an agricultural world that does brisk business with several other worlds in its sector, selling agricultural goods and foodstuffs to the mainly industrial planets of the CCW. The Franaj have successfully detered the efforts of several large offworld agricorps to move in and modernize their agriculture, creating their own locally-administered brandname and agricorpthat markets ‘wholesome’ foods. Humoly NutriSoul also markets Franajan AnkaSol and LugGin, both fermented juice beverages popular with connoisseurs.
Franaj have an almost pathological fear of graveyards(of which there are none on Humoly), embalmed corpses, mummies, and the Undead...Their own funeral rituals involve cremation or total mulching of the remains into an unrecognizable form, the faster to speed the assimilation of the no longer relevent physical form into the ecosystem, and the freeing of the spirit into the next realm of existance. A Franaj who is not properly obliterated within 8 T-days of death is considered to be damned to wander the material plane forever, never to taste the next level of existance. Many Franaj travelling abroad, for that reason, often get special ‘deadman’ implants that within hours of the Franaj deceasing, will release powerful destructive acids or thermo-active chemicals that incinerate the body(another favorte method is to travel with pets of certain species who act as scavengers on their homeworld, the animals rapidly devouring their masters’ corpses). Franaj stay clear of the permanent and visible grave sites of other species, and only the bravest will venture into temples and churches known to have crypts and other burial chambers. The Franaj are one of the few civilized species who will NOT allow the Poluznik people to visit their world.
About twenty years ago, a particularly aggressive religious splinter-sect of the Franaj came up with the idea of re-making some of their more aggressive neighbors, and curing them of their animal tendancies by converting their meat-fed metabolisms to a more self-contained photsynthetic symbiosis similar to their own. They engaged the services of several genetic engineering labs to create a process to do exactly that, and then managed to weaponize the result as a virus, which they then attempted to release at several busy trade hubs in nearby space. Unfortunately, in their rush to deploy their ‘blessing’, the symbiotic process wasn’t thoroughly tested; of the several hundred people who contracted the ‘Green’, half of them died from metabolic failure, and another quarter of those exposed were crippled as their bodies attempted to cope with the massive shift. The Franaj extremists were quickly exposed and captured, and the ‘Green’ brought under control. However, the jailed radicals point to the survivors, now successfully photosynthetic, as proof of their valid concept and enlightened goals. (Ironically, several of the biotech firms involved, unknowingly, in the incident, would later perfect a slower-acting, and more controlled, form of the process, and offer it up as a successful biomod on the open market).
Alignments: Any
Lifespan: 110 years
Size: 8-10 ft long, 6-7 ft tall, and 300-400 lbs
Gender: Heterosexual, forming lifebonds with the opposite gender and producing 1d4 children after a 10-month gestation period. Reach sexual maturity at 12 years, and generally considered to be adults at 20 years of age.
Physical Description/Appearance:
Eight-limbed centuroids, with thick, worm-like bodies carried by four seemingly boneless legs. The front of the body segment rears up to present the remaining four limbs as manipulators. The head is thick and adorned with what looks like a broad-rimmed leave crown or straw hat...These are reflectors, concentrating light on the translucent dome of the head through which thick green growth can be seen...the brain is really in the upper spine. The rim of the broad head sports eight small eyes, with four larger eyes in the front of the head, above a broad shovel-like mouth. Franaj are typically light green or blue-green, often with speckles of brown, black, or red adorning their skin.
Disposition/Attitudes:
Peaceful. largely pacifistic, agrarians. They are typicaly slow and contemplative, taking their time about things. They rarely take aggressive action, but do have tempers; if pushed too hard, they can and will fight back, but typically only long enough to drive off their antagonist, or escape.
Franaj are easily spooked by graveyards and other permanent death/burial sites and practices...they can handle memorials all right, but avoid actual burial/interment sites like a disease. They regard such places as holding unassimilated souls, not accepted into either the cycle of the environment again, nor ascended to the next plane of existance...the conditions for those souls becoming insane and destructive....As such, Undead(including animate skeletons and zombies) get a +2 to Horror Factor Rating with regards to Franaj. Franaj zombies, if they ever exist(ed) would automatically get a Horror Factor of 15 among the Franaj.
Physical Attributes:
IQ: 3d6
ME: 2d6+18
MA:3d6+12
PS: 3d6+12
PP: 2d6
PB:2d4
PE: 5d6
SPD: 2d6
(ISP):M.E. +2d6+1d6 per level of experience
(PPE): 4d6
Hit Points: 95+P.E.+1d6 per level of experience
SDC: 250
MDC:----
Horror Factor:-----
Natural Abilities:
*Quick-Healing----Franaj heal quite fast; 1d6 SDC/HP per 15 minutes(double that rate if rooted in soil, in sunlight, and in a meditative trance).
*Superior Peripheral Vision---Franaj can see in a full 360-degrees around themselves, and are impossible to surprise from behind.
*Photosynthetic---- Franaj can live off as little as a gallon of water and pound of topsoil a week, provided they have enough sunlight(at least 3 hours of sunlight or UV-rich light a day).
*Affinity With Plants---Franaj have a natural affinity for plants, and will easily pick up the language of other plant-evolved sentient species within a matter of 1d4 weeks(+10%). They also have a +1 to dodge and parry attacks made by plant beings and monsters(and, in fact, have a chance, equal to their combined ME and MA, of being IGNORED by carnivorous or monstrous plants).
Psionics:(Minor)
Select 3 powers from Sensitive or Healing, plus an additional power from Sensitive, Healing, or Physical at levels 3, 6, 9, and 12.
Magic: Possible, but uncommon; magic-using Franaj are typically Mystics or Elemental Warlocks(Earth and Water are the most common there). The Franaj have also learned of the magic known as Biomancy, and are intrigued by it...They’ve gone so far as to send several delegations to follow up where they’ve heard it’s practiced, in hopes of enticing the practitioners of it to teach them.
Cybernetics/Bionics: None; Franaj distrust cybernetic and bionic technology
Available OCCs: Franaj gravitate towards non-combat, scholarly professions. Franaj rarely take weapons or combat skills, but it isn’t unknown, and there are a few misfits who comprise the Franaj planetary defense forces who are of soldier professions. There ARE Franaj criminals, as well, mainly in smuggling and the drug trade.
RCC Skills:
Identify Plants and Fruits(+10%)
Gardening(+15%)
Skills of Note:
Wilderness and any plant-based skills(like Bonsai, Floral Arrangement, Holistic Medicine, and agriculture) get a +5%
Culture:
Pacifistic Socialists(but engaged in offworld capitalism). Violent Franaj are typically seen as aberrations; either treated for insanity, drifted into the criminal class, or recruited into the small planetary defense forces.
Franaj have Galactic-level technology, especially in the fields of genetics and agriculture. They are members of the CCW, and have extensive galactic trade dealings.

[Aramanthus]

Nice write on the Templars DhAkael! Only thing I noticed was there were two 4)s in their weapon systems and after the fours you have a 5).
Nice new RCC Taalismn! I like their fear of grave yards!

[taalismn]

Nice write on the Templars DhAkael! Only thing I noticed was there were two 4)s in their weapon systems and after the fours you have a 5).
Nice new RCC Taalismn! I like their fear of grave yeards!

Thanks....Figured some major cultural/mental vulnerabilities were in order...

As for the Templars...YOWZAH!
Yep, you got some pretty decent minions there to help you carve out your own little dimensional empire...

[DhAkael]

Nice write on the Templars DhAkael! Only thing I noticed was there were two 4)s in their weapon systems and after the fours you have a 5).

DOH!

[DhAkael]

Nice write on the Templars DhAkael! Only thing I noticed was there were two 4)s in their weapon systems and after the fours you have a 5).
Nice new RCC Taalismn! I like their fear of grave yeards!

Thanks....Figured some major cultural/mental vulnerabilities were in order...

As for the Templars...YOWZAH!
Yep, you got some pretty decent minions there to help you carve out your own little dimensional empire...

Thanks, though the templars are relatively rare.
They are after all the elite of the elite of the martial caste

[taalismn]

So'right....Still...
I also recall eons ago stumbling on somebody's effort to create a epic space opera with Palladium...It was mostly Robotech, but had such fun things as a Human Coalition in space, and a Shemarrian space nation...
Sadly, that website is long gone and extinct(not even cached copies), and I'm not sure I saved all of it to disc or hardcopy, but I remember such things as Shemarrian Boarding Pods, and space-capable Monstrex...
Getting ideas?

[DhAkael]

So'right....Still...
I also recall eons ago stumbling on somebody's effort to create a epic space opera with Palladium...It was mostly Robotech, but had such fun things as a Human Coalition in space, and a Shemarrian space nation...
Sadly, that website is long gone and extinct(not even cached copies), and I'm not sure I saved all of it to disc or hardcopy, but I remember such things as Shemarrian Boarding Pods, and space-capable Monstrex...
Getting ideas?

Already have 'em
Explorator "Falcon" corvette-class starship (which actualy resembles a falcon), using nano-fludic alloy hulls and multi-dimensional interior, for greater internal volume.
High-Matriarch Templar battleframe (roughly 24 ft. tall and well... only to be used in extreme situations).
Dimensional index repository, to keep track of where their sisters are across the megaverse.

Generally, the Shaemarian people tend NOT to go for large capitol ships (not that they don't have them), seeing diplomacy as being the first logical choice before using the big-stick approach.

[taalismn]

Sounds good..

[taalismn]

That's why I hang extra fly-strips from the ceiling of my quarters....

[Aramanthus]

I think that it'll be cool to see more of your creations DhAkael. I'm always happy to see new RCCs.

[DhAkael]

technically very OLD R.C.C.
As I said, nearly 17 years in the making.
Finally have it finessed enough for sharing

[Aramanthus]

I know we are looking forward to seeing more on them. Along with the others.