Gorlians

AncientClikk's picture
AncientClikk
January 14, 2008 - 1:05pm
Hey folks! Long time lurker, former member of SFDT (my old account info was FUBAR, so I have reincarnated as the Ancient Clikk)...

I'm just...ASTONISHED...at all the amazing goodness in this place. It is almost overwhelming. The magazine is phenomenal, and everyone is so into this old game. Love it!

Anyhoo...I'll throw this topic out for discussion...anyone know what the heck a Gorlian is? Anyone have a write-up? If not, let's get to work...

Perhaps it's a sub-race of Yazirian? Or its a well-know clan/family/gang? Perhaps its like many of the flotsam races of the Frontier - a refugee from the Sathar or an ancient traveller with a bad attitude?

Discuss!
Comments:

Anonymous's picture
Corjay (not verified)
March 2, 2008 - 6:05pm
Oops. Wrong thread. :P

Will's picture
Will
March 3, 2008 - 9:03am

I like the Gorlian write-up, tho' I agree with Bill about the ability mods, especially to DEX/RS.

I just have one question: What happens to the losers of Gorlian duels and to those that are culled?

Do they become steak?

"Yes, waiter, I'll have the Gorlian Porterhouse dinner, medium rare, hashbrowns scattered well, double covered."

"You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so."


—Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation

Procene's picture
Procene
March 3, 2008 - 1:21pm

Thanks for the feedback!  Thanks to Corjay for the art, and thanks to CleanCutRogue for playtesting these guys and refining the details.  I agree with your modifications, and yes, I do think you're right, a +20 modifier to STR/STA is enough.  Otherwise they would be too much; in the case of Dreevale the Vrusk, the Gorlian would probably kill him with a single punch.  I also think the modifiers to INT/LOG and DEX/RS are right on; I should have thought of them, and they make a lot of sense to me.  I don't want Gorlians to be stupid, because they aren't, just primitive compared to other species, but capable of learning.  Also, if they are that big, they are going to be a bit slower than other races...sort of like the Gorn in Star Trek, as was pointed out...but not so slow they are useless. 


Also, I do like Smoot's suggestion that they have damage reduction of some type, due to being from a high gravity world.  But that might be too much for one species.


Once again, thanks to all--I think the final product will be great, and I am very happy that others are looking forward to see the fellas in print.  I can't wait to see them either!


Procene's picture
Procene
March 3, 2008 - 5:34pm
Thanks for all the feedback, thanks to Corjay for the art, and thanks to CleanCutRogue for playtesting and refining them.  To clear up any confusion, yes, it was my intent that Gorlians get just a +20 STR/STA modifier.  I agree that an additional +20 modifier would be too much; if that were the case, in the example with Dreevale the Vrusk, the Gorlian would probably kill him with one punch.  Sorry that wasn't more clear.  I also agree with the idea of modifying both INT/LOG and DEX/RS both by -10 only.  I don't want this species to come across as stupid brutes, but primitive beings that are capable of learning.  And it does make sense to have them slightly slower, sort of like the Gorn of Star Trek, as someone pointed out.  But not so slow as to be useless.

SmootRK wrote:

Possibly if you want to demonstrate the effects of a high gravity or high density world, you could give them some sort of damage reduction due to their density (like a permanent Skeinsuit effect).

I like this idea too.  Thanks for all the great ideas--this is what is great about this forum; these are things that I would have never thought of.  I'm very happy that so many of you like these fellas are are looking forward to seeing them in print.  I can't wait, myself!

Procene's picture
Procene
March 3, 2008 - 5:36pm
Sorry for the double-posting!

Procene's picture
Procene
March 3, 2008 - 5:48pm
Will wrote:

I just have one question: What happens to the losers of Gorlian duels and to those that are culled?

Do they become steak?

Good question!  My idea was that modern Gorlians only engage in combat to the death to become a chieftain.  Other duels are non-lethal by intention, although fatalities do happen.  In the past, all Gorlian duels were to the death, but over time, they realized they were going to become extinct if they kept it up.  So, they were smart enough as a culture to change their customs, so the duels became not "to the death."  But not for the faint of heart!  Gorlians duels are still brutal, and would kill or maim beings from other species.  Indeed, that does happen quite often among the bulls. 

As mentioned before, "chieftain" combat is to the death, always.  There can only we one "Alpha Bull" in any herd!
 
"Yes, waiter, I'll have the Gorlian Porterhouse dinner, medium rare, hashbrowns scattered well, double covered."

LOL!!!