 February 14, 2012 - 12:35pm | I have been toying with the idea of creating a creature (bipedal, humanoid) that has the ability to produce an electrical charge like an electric eel does. The idea is that it is a built in electro stunner. I am not sure where I want to take him as far as level of sapience yet. I don't even know how how set I am on it being humanoid. The organs to produce the charge might dictate a different body design. I initially had the idea of it being a rather wimpy looking being. With its innate ability, it would be a shock for a first encounter in more ways than one. Of course, this could be entertaining in a low intelligent creature as well. An alien watchdog with a new twist. Right now I just am sure I want to come up with a creature concept that is based on some bizarre reality.What are your thoughts? |
 February 20, 2012 - 9:06am | I like the idea - how far you take the sapience is up to you. With that said I'd look at this two ways;
 I wonder if the fact that eel's live in salt-water have something to do with their charge ability? |
 February 22, 2012 - 1:46am | In an upcoming issue of SFman you will see an example of an alien that is similar to what you are talking about. It might give you some ideas for this being. |
 August 14, 2012 - 4:19am | Dont the Zethra do this- the dragon alien that's a ball with a ring of short tentacles around its crown? On Earth I seem to remember that its not just electric eels that generate electricity like this but that the electric eel is simply the most famous. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 August 16, 2012 - 7:56pm | I was considering adding this ability to the Edon race in the Titan Rising Setting. I would use it as bio-electric current that can build up like a static charge. I would use it as a close range melee attack only but it would pack a whallop which is dangerous in open air and possibly dealy under water. For a pic of the Edon check on my Titan Rising Project downloads page |
August 16, 2012 - 8:12pm | The electric alien could be a small one. Kind of like a gremlin. They can enter computer systems and cause havoc. Maybe before they were discovered they just lived in a very highly charged electrical atmosphere. Then they were discovered by someone and were being studied. Now like an infection they spred through computer systems and cause glitches, sometimes bad ones. Thought for an adventure. What would happen if these little aliens were not noticed and had enterd the survey equipment. Then they were transfered to the ship. After that the got into a space station. So the survey team did not realize their problems were cause by an entity, but when they left the station their problems stopped. Now the PC's are hanging otu at the station waiting for their next job, and wham, creepy problems start happening. I saw an episode of DS9 where something like this happened. It would make a great mystery adventure. |
August 16, 2012 - 8:32pm | The zethra had the ability to operate electrical equipment. Personally I'd go for a species that had a 1d10 damage or stun ability (limited number of combat rounds 1 or 1-3). In water they get a big wallop of 3d10 but must make a STA save or take 1d10 feed back damage themselves while in the water. they'd be able to fry unshielded electronics but not manipulate them. For a game mechanic I would make it that the character has a 1st level skill in electric discharge. it operates like any other weapons skill and they get a number of "shots" that equal to their skill level failure of a combat roll means they were unable to discharge and thus dont loose a shot. the skill is raises at the in PSA rate for weapons skills or at the in PSA rate for whatever house rule you are using. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 16, 2013 - 8:24am | What if this was a creature that looked like a sting ray or manta ray that lived in a dense atmosphere, that is highly chaged as specified earlier. Thus its able to fly and has dolphin level intelligence. It can fry electronics and zap characters or stun them. The atmosphere they live in is highly charged and characters walking around in it get zapped for damage and stun randomly every so often reqiring the tech character to cobble together a wearable lightning rod for every one as well as having to ground the ship. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
