ALIENS 1						Updated 2-11-90
A Collection of Science Fiction Races for GURPS

	All the creatures listed here are unofficial, submitted by your fellow 
fans and BBSers. Some are unlicensed conversions of material from various 
sources; others are original. All are credited to the person who submitted 
them, under whatever name he/she used to submit them.
	These races were designed before work on GURPS ALIENS started, so any 
compatibility with the rules in that book is pure coincidence.



THE CLUTCH          (point cost 0, 5, or 10, depending on age)
An Alien Race from "Agent of Change," by Steve Miller and Sharon Lee
Adapted for GURPS by Lestat

     The Clutch are a large, very long-lived reptilian race, who are often 
called 'turtles' by humans for their shells and deep green color.  A clutch 
measures his age by the number of shells he has grown, starting with the first 
shell at fifty, shedding it and growing a new one every 75 years thereafter.  
Eighteen shells is an average Clutch lifespan.
     Clutch tend to take the long view.  Most don't understand the (to them) 
frantic haste with which other species act.  Clutch tend to do things such as 
warning you eight hours beforehand of a dinner invitation, so that you have 
enough time to prepare, and making a 14-year trading survey before starting a 
new product line.
	Impulsiveness is a 10 point *advantage* for a Clutch character - it 
means he will often act without considering it for an hour beforehand.
     Names are very important to the Clutch, and tend to be very long and 
descriptive.  Twelfth Shell Fifth Hatched Knife Clan of Middle River's Spring 
Spawn of Farmer Greentrees of the Spearmakers Den, The Edger is a short form 
of a Clutch name for hasty things like visas.  Other species often abbreviate 
these to one or two words in conversation, which may either amuse or irritate 
the Clutch, depending on his personality.
     Clutch society is organized into clans of several thousand. Clutch see 
other societies within this framework - they would call the Commonwealth the 
Clans of Human and Thranx.  (Not Humanx - Clutch don't abbreviate.)
     Ties within a clan are very strong, and no clan may pronounce judgement 
on or punish members of another clan.  Doing so is a very serious offense, and 
may result in the entire clan declaring war on the offending parties.
     However, clan honor is also very strong, so if a Clutch wrongs one 
outside the clan, his clan will often punish him severely and make generous 
restitution to the wronged being.  Clutch will very occasionally adopt aliens 
into their clans, if the adoptee shows much merit.
     The Clutch have a very odd sense of aesthetics - they will often take 
strange things to be works of art, such as a fire alarm or a vividly colored 
package.  (Treat this as a Mild Delusion).
     Clutch artifacts bring high prices, since everything they make is built 
to last for a very long time, by alien standards.

Advantages and Disadvantages:
     Clutch are +2 ST, -1 DX, and have the Gigantism disadvantage. They also 
have the Honesty and Truthfulness disadvantages, and a strong Sense of Duty to 
anyone in their clan.  Clutch have full Eidetic Memory, but pay normal costs 
for mental skills, because they take things so slowly.
     The shell is PD 2, DR 2.  The first and second shells cover only the 
shoulders, but later shells cover the entire back.
     Clutch get +4 to any skill involving building things in which durability 
is a factor, such as Architecture or Armoury.  Clutch cannot learn Stealth or 
Fast-Talk.
     Clutch roll for attribute losses due to age at 1000, and roll every 20 
years afterward.  At 1400, they start rolling every 10 years, and at 1600, 
they roll every 5 years.  A Clutch with the Age disadvantage gets 1 point for 
every 10 years over 1000.  A young Clutch gains 1 point (maximum 6) for every 
two years under 50, and cannot spend more points on skills than half his age.
     Many Clutch have Common Sense, Strong Will, Stubborness, and Toughness.  
Absent Mindedness, Combat Reflexes, Fatness, Miserly, Skinnyness, Sadism, and 
Weak Will are rare; Clutch cannot be Double-Jointed, Kleptomaniac, or 
Lecherous.

     It costs 0 points to be a unshelled Clutch, 5 to be in the first or
second shell, and 10 to be older.


A sample Clutch character:
    Edger   Twelfth Shell (about 950 years old)      150 Points

     20 ST    14             Skills
     20 DX    11              16 Armoury/Knives  22      Clutch        11
     10 IQ    11              16 Knife           15    2 Symbospeech   11
        HT    10                                     0.5 Terranglo      9
    ---                        8 Merchant        14
     50                          Administration  11      Savior-Faire:
        Spd 5.25                 Accounting       9      Clutch        13
        Move   5               8 Diplomacy       13  0.5 Humanx        10
                               4 Leadership      12


        Advantages               Disadvantages
        *Full EM                 *Honesty
     10 Older Clutch             *Truthful
     10 Impulsive                *Gigantism
     20 Wealthy
     10 T'carais                 *See above
    --- (status 3)               
     50

    Totals:                      Quirks
     50 Attributes            -1 Very fond of music
     50 Advantages            -1 Tolerant of strange customs
        Disadvantages         -1 Likes humans
     -5 Quirks                -1 Fond of strong beer
     55 skills                -1 Very interested in art
    ---                      ---
    150                       -5


        The Edger of the Knife Clan of the Middle River gets along with the 
'hasty' races better than most of his kind - for example, he lets just about 
anyone call him simply 'Edger.'  It pleases him greatly that his dealings with 
humans require several different forms of his name.
    Edger is a very pleasant Turtle, apt to be expansive with his friends. He 
is currently winding down a trading trip - only 7 years left to go. Edger's 
clan makes the finest knives in Clutch society, which is the same as saying 
the finest knives available anywhere, each blade the product of twenty years 
of careful craftsmanship.  Edger is always very careful to say that a Middle 
River blade *will* shatter, under certain conditions, such as the total 
destruction of the building or vehicle within which the knife resides.
        Edger is suitable for a use as-is as a Patron.  If you want to tone 
him down to the 100-point level, give him a few disadvantages and reduce 
either his wealth or his status.




CHIP PCs                  65 points
by Rex Stardust

The following rules are for an Artificial Intelligence character, resident on 
a (Tech Level 8, in SJ's opinion) computer.

MMSDs and The Chip PC:
     The technology to mechanically record an individual's memories, reflexes, 
dreams and thought patterns has some interesting ramifications in the 
cyberpunk milieu, especially in the realm of artificial intelligence. 
Theoretically, it is possible to produce a run-time package for a stored 
personality. The memory and processing requirements for an AI are enormous; 
only a large corporation or government institution would be able to afford the 
hardware. Backup copies would require an immense amount of storage as well, so 
there won't be too many floating around . . .
     Players may choose to be artificial intelligence programs; most of these 
Chip PCs will be based on MMSD data. Building a Chip PC is a lot like building 
normal characters; running one is another thing entirely. True AI programs 
like Wintermute, from Neuromancer, would be built on literally hundreds of 
points, making a true AI an extremely dangerous foe.

CHIP PLAYER CHARACTERS: (65 points)
     Chip PCs start out with the advantages of Mathematical Ability, Full 
Eidetic Memory and Absolute Timing. They have the disadvantages of being 
confined to the computer system, and a social stigma; meat beings regard them 
as Valuable Property, with all that entails. Their basic stats are bought 
normally; what the statistics mean for a program are sometimes quite 
different. To wit:
     ST represents brute processing power. A chip with high ST can simply 
bring more power to bear than a smaller program. See Chip Combat, below.
     DX represents processing speed and reaction time. A high DX would allow a 
better chance to slip into someone's systems unnoticed (via Stealth), and to 
move quickly through Cyberspace.
     IQ is, basically, IQ.
     HT is the program's ability to cope with external attacks and internal 
malfunctions. The higher the program's HT, the less likely it is to crash. 
Simple applications programs (HT 1) could be crashed without any real 
difficulty, while a truly paranoid operating system with multiple backups, 
high-quality memory protection and self-repair subprograms would have an HT of 
16 or better.

CHIP ADS AND DISADS
Data Storage (2 pts/level)
     This is treated exactly like the Data Jack advantage given in RP #9, 
except that personality modules may not be used. It can hold 1 pt of 
transferable skill for every two points of storage. This can be switched at 
will.

Protection  (4 pts/Level)
     This is the cybernetic equivelent of Strong Will. Protection has a direct 
bearing on a program's survival during cyberspace combat.

Self-Relocation (10 points)
     Allows the chip PC to shift his dataset at will, providing for hardware 
compatibility and enough destination RAM to support him. In a big enough 
system, a chip PC could actually hide . . .

     Other ads and disads are at the GM's discretion. No chip suffers from 
physical disadvantages. Pure AIs would be free of most mental disadvantages 
(save for Paranoia, perhaps . . .), but a stored personality could carry 
several. And anyone can have a few quirks.
     Computer operations is free for Chip PCs, and is automatically at IQ+3 
level. Computer Programming becomes M/A for a chip (it's his home turf, after 
all).
     Cracking (P/A for chips, M/VH for humans who must have Comp. Programming 
at 14+ to get this skill) is the all-purpose cyberspace combat skill. See 
Combat, below.
     Most mental skills can be used by chip PCs; check with your GM first. 
Examples: Stealth can be used to slide nondestructively through a system's 
security programs, Shadowing allows a chip to follow another program with out 
being seen, and so on.

CYBERSPACE COMBAT
     This is handled much like basic combat, with a few alterations:
     To attack another program, the attacking PC rolls against his Cracking 
skill. If he hits, the defender can make a defense roll calculated thus: 1/3 
DX (round up) + Protection. If he fails this roll, the attacker rolls damage 
(Thrust damage, based on ST), and applies it to the defender's HT. If the 
defender's HT drops below 0, the program crashes. Chips attack in DX order, 
highest to lowest. Any program that takes damage may make a (current) HT roll 
at the end of its turn. If it makes the roll, it recovers 1 HT, on a critical 
success, it recovers 1/2 d6 HT, up to it's original HT. If its HT is below 0, 
it cannot attempt the recovery roll. If the chip's HT goes fully negative, the 
program is completely destroyed.
     Recovering a crashed AI without a backup copy is an extremely difficult 
process requiring one or more Computer Programming rolls, with the program's 
negative HT as a modifier. Every successful roll adds 1d-2 to the program's 
HT. Once the program is above 0, it can recover itself, as above.

     Thanks to Walter Milliken for his technical help.


CATS AND LIZARDS: A SYMBIOTIC RACE-PAIR                  2-25-89
    by Caradon

Approximately 750 light years closer to galactic center, circling a yellow- 
white star, is the planet Tkiff. This planet is unusual, because it is the 
native world to not just one sapient race, but two: the Halzden and the 
Tyborians. Since before recorded history, these two races have been living in 
symbiotic harmony.
       The Tyborians (Tybors for short) are the powerhouses of the pair, 
having great strength and amazing constitution. Yet they are slow, both 
mantally and physically. They resemble huge humanoid lizards, covered with
thick scales.
       As a contrast, the Halzden are extremely intelligent and quick, but 
their very small size (about as big as a Terran housecat) makes them weak and 
fragile. In fact they highly resemble their Terran counterparts, with the 
obvious difference that they have six legs.
-----------------
HALZDEN: 15 pts.               TYBORS: 20 pts.
-4 ST                  -30     +3 ST                    30
-2 HT                  -15     +2 HT                    20
+3 IQ                   30     -4 IQ                   -30
+3 DX                   30     -2 DX                   -15
Chemical Dependency*   -10     Chemical Stimulation*    30
Move +1                  5     Scales (PD 1, DR 1)      20
Telepathy**             25     Berserk                 -15
Prehensile Tail          5     Honesty                 -10
Mute                   -25
Peripheral Vision       15
Overconfidence         -10
1/2 Carrying Capacity   -5
 
* - The Tybors' attributes can be increased temporarily when a Halzden injects 
certain chemicals from its body to the Tybor's (+1 ST, +1 HT, +2 DX, +2 IQ). 
This increase diminishes at a rate of +1/attribute/hour (after the first hour, 
there will only be a bonus of +1 to DX and IQ) unless the Tybor remains with a 
Halzden (not necessarily the same one), who can give him another injection.
       For their part, the Halzden require certain chemicals in order to 
remain healthy. When the stimulating chemicals enhance a Tybor, they change 
into the chemicals vital to the Halzden. Without these chemicals, the Halzden 
lose HT at a rate of 1 pt./24 hours. This damage cannot be healed by normal 
means. Cheap replacement chemicals are available ($5/dose), but they only slow 
the loss down to 1 pt./48 hours. Only about an ounce of chemical-laced Tybor 
blood is required. A Halzden will normally ride about on a Tybor's shoulder, 
near the base of the neck which is the optimum place for chemical 
injection/removal (the area, naturally, has no pain sensors). The injection 
and removal is performed with a hollow, sharpened tube, located under a 
Halzden tongue.
 
** - The Halzden are Telepathic (see GURPS Horror or Horseclans for more 
info), but this ability is limited; they have a Power of TP7 when 
communicating with other Halzden, but a Power of only TP3 when communicating 
with other races. As against this, a Halzden can temporarily "take over" 
another being's vocal chords in order to be heard over a distance. This takes 
no skill roll if the subject is willing; otherwise it requires a Telesend roll 
at -6.

	Normally, Halzden and Tybor children are "bonded" shortly after birth. 
A bonded pair normally remain together for all their lives, but may go 
separate ways if they so choose. Due to their relatively low intelligence and 
speaker/steed double function to the Halzden, Tybors are usually referred to 
as "mounts" by persons of all races (i.e. "that Halzden and his mount..."). 
They are, however, capable of individual thought, although they sometimes 
prefer their Halzden rider to do the thinking for them.
       Halzden are not able to carry much equipment; their Encumbrance ratings 
are reduced to one-half normal (No encumbrance=ST pounds, Light=2*ST, etc.) A 
Halzden's prehensile tail is able to lift objects up to ST pounds, and is 
easily able to manipulate such objects (a laser pistol, for instance...).
	Halzden normally remain on all sixes, though they can stand upright 
for short periods of time. Their front paws are capable of fine manipulation 
of objects (+2 to Surgery and Lockpicking skills). Also, their long necessity 
of climbing up to a Tybor's shoulder (among other things) has given them a +2 
to Climbing skill.

KZINTI - based on Larry Niven's "Known Space" stories       100 points
by Rex Stardust

	I'll assume you know the background. If not, look them up in 
Chaosium's Ringworld (Explorer book); or read Niven's Ringworld, Ringworld 
Engineers, and The Man-Kzin Wars (recently released) for background et. al...
	Ads, Disads: Kzin characters get tripled ST, +2 to DX, and a base HT 
of 10/18. Their thick pelt protects for PD 1/DR 1. They have the advantages of 
Night Vision, Acute Hearing (+2) and Combat Reflexes (those that don't won't 
make it past adolescense). They have the disadvantages of Bloodlust, Gigantism 
and Bad Temper (no, kzinti don't often have Berzerk. It only *seems* that way 
to other races...). Optional and common (dis)ads include Megalomania (''Now I 
can conquer the universe, as is my right!''), Bully, Impulsiveness, 
Overconfidence, missing arm/leg/etc. (few kzinti, however, are too proud to 
wear prosthetics), Strong Will, and Danger Sense. Addictions are looked on as 
a supreme shame, and the addict will often avoid other kzinti, and reside in 
human space. Kzinti claws are treated as daggers, and they can bite a grappled 
foe (P/E skill) for cutting damage appropriate to their ST (see page B136).
	All Kzinti have the Hero's Tongue as their natural language, and must 
pay to speak human languages (M/H, since their mouths are not really built for 
it). In addition, they will all have numerous battle-related skills, both 
personal and shipboard.
	There are only four Kzinti social levels, and each level above the 
first costs 10 points. Status affects reaction rolls much like Reputation, at 
least among other kzinti.
	Level 1 (default, no bonus): The Kzin's name is styled to his 
profession: Speaker to Animals, Alien Technologies Officer, Engineer. Usually 
of non-noble birth; probably hasn't done anything particularly heroic...
	Level 2 (10 pts, +1 reaction): The kzin, either through noble 
parentage or notable deeds, has earned a partial name: Chuft-Captain, 
Tzak-Navigator, Chjarrl-Interrogator, Kdapt-Preacher. Usually of comfortable 
wealth.
	Level 3 (20 pts, +3 reaction): The kzin has earned a Name through 
heroic actions. : Chmee, Hraoulr, Kfreeou, Ftanss, or anything else resembling 
a cat's sneeze. May be Filthy Rich. In wartime, he may even own his own 
battlecruiser.
	Level 4 (30 pts, +5 reaction): Royalty; a member in good standing of 
the Kzin Patriarchy. Usually will have the suffix -Rrit attached to their 
name. Usually unavailable to PCs.
	Lower status than 0 is possible; criminals, fallen nobility (if they 
survived...), telepaths and so on will be of negative status; paid for at -5 
points per level, with the resulting -1 modifier per level. It is strongly 
advised that no kzin PC start with better than a partial-name. Names should be 
earned in play by heroic deeds.


PUPPETEERS - from Larry Niven's "Known Space" stories        80 points
by Rex Stardust
	Again, I assume you know who these are. For those that don't, check 
the sources listed above for kzinti...
	Ads, Disads, Quirks: Puppeteers get +4 to IQ, and doubled Move. Their 
flat, brainless heads (both of them...) are considered to be hands, with ST-3 
and DX+3 when used as such. All puppeteers encountered outside of the Fleet of 
Worlds are Ambidextrous, have alertness +3, Common Sense, Danger Sense, 
Peripheral Vision (360 degrees, since both heads have an eye and can face 
anywhere...) and Voice (a very sensuous contralto). By way of racial disads, 
they have Pacifism (total non-violence, though some can buy this up to 
self-defense only) and Cowardice. To be a non-Coward is a 10 point advantage, 
and is always coupled with some form of insanity.
	By definition, any puppeteer met off the Fleet of Worlds is insane, 
and *must* have at least one of the following disads: Megalomaniac, 
Manic-Depressive or Suicidal (see below), Paranoia, any number of odd phobias 
(always severe, when they exist at all, although as a rule puppeteers are not 
superstitious, and shouldn't have quirks or phobias of that nature), 
Impulsive, or some bizarre Odious Personal Habit.
	Some common quirks are: one-head talker (absolutely refuses to use the 
other head for anything but handwork), xenophilic, actually enjoys 
spaceflight, and others that most humans would consider normal...
	In a combat situation, a puppeteer may kick with it's hind leg for 
Thrust+3 impaling damage. It takes one turn for a puppeteer to ready its hind 
leg for a kick. The kick is always at DX+2, and may never be learned as a 
skill (indeed, most will never admit that it can be done...)
	Puppeteers may go catatonic if the situation becomes too dangerous 
(i.e., engaged against obviously superior odds). When in this state, they are 
curled up in a tight ball and are of no use to anybody. A puppeteer may remain 
in this state for several hours... 
		Manic-Depression (-15 points): At times of stress (and insane 
puppeteers are usually under a lot of stress), a PC with this disad may shift 
from one state to the other on a failed IQ roll. During the manic phase, a 
puppeteer may behave with extreme zeal, boldly insulting and challenging 
others, demonstrating a sense of humor, and in general being quite active and 
impulsive. Some have even taken (and enjoyed) roller-coaster rides while in 
the manic state. During the depressive cycle, a PC will be generally morose 
and useless (roleplay it!), moaning softly, even whining about how rotten 
things are, or isolating himself for days on end.
	Suicidal (-10 points): This is where puppeteers consider most races to 
be. Will freely walk into dangerous situations, and is not subject to 
puppeteer catatonia. Probably enjoys computer games.
