Cosmic Encounter Aliens: Filch

With their genteel, sophisticated tribes the Filches have refined the art of acquisition to a high aesthetic. The most judicious and subtle thefts are memorialised in legend and song. Lately they have taken to eyeing the depths of space and thoughtfully rippling their tentacles.

 

 

Traveller

Notable Dexterity: +2

Weak Endurance: -2

Multiple Actions: Filch have access to a second, non-combat, ‘hand’ only action each turn.

Fame replaces social standing.

Homeworld: Siirt A385933-E Hi, Ht,

Starport A, Size 4.8k km, Dense atmosphere, 50% water, Population in the billions, self-perpetuating oligarchy, law level 3, Tech level 14.

Starblazer

Filch have the following traits:

• Tentacles [Stunt]

1. Minor weakness to physical (melee) attacks.

General

The Siirtan, or Filch, are a strange species, somewhat like the Terran octopus or squid but much more beautiful and even bird-like in their appearance and their grace. Another bird-like quality is a fondness for shiny things and the establishment of social prestige upon wealth, particularly wealth gained through guile and theft. Something that makes them enormously unwelcome on other worlds that have had contact with them before.

Legends of Anglerre/Cloak of Steel: Animal Men

Since my first choice of system for a second edition of Cloak of Steel can no longer go ahead I’ve turned my thoughts back to Legends of Anglerre and Starblazer and the version of FATE that is to be found in these books, as well as my own subspecies of FATE derived from these for Agents of SWING. This and the previous article about this might be considered preliminary, probing thoughts towards how that edition might look.
Cloak of Steel doesn’t have many playable races. Really you’r down to humans (with their various cultural differences) and the half-men. The result of magical experimentations in the past and, now, a self-perpetuating human subtype looked down upon as less than human in many quarters.

Half-Men

Half-Men are the result of ancient manipulation of human and animal essences to produce something that is not, quite, either. A half-man’s personality tends to express itself in the animal traits that they grow into and while some show the special capabilities of their animalistic appearance this is by no means true of all.

Typical Occupations: Worker, warrior, technician, beggar, criminal, slave.

Half-Men Aspects

Downtrodden

Half-Men are usually at the bottom of the social heap in the societies of Tierplana. This can be good, and bad, for them.

Invoke: Being ignored, eliciting sympathy from some quarters, being underestimated.
Compel: Being considered for promotion, being trusted, high/middle class society.

Determined

Due to their social situation the half-men have a lot to prove, both to others and to themselves.

Invoke: Reinforcing your will, keeping going against the odds.
Compel: When you really should give up and not carry on, losing your temper against the prejudiced.

Half-Man Stunts

Half-Man stunts are typically based around their animal ancestry or appearance and grant a +2 bonus where they apply. For example a dog man might choose from the following stunts, though this by no means describes them all:

• Bloodhound: +2 when tracking/sensing smells.
• Keen hearing: +2 when using aural senses.
• Terrible Jaws: +2 damage on a bite.
• Cheerful disposition: +2 when cheering people up or in most informal social situations.

Other possibilities might include claws, paralytic poisons (at fair strength), swimming, gills, even flight. All of which should be considered skills at that level +2, modifiers or powers. Multiple stunts may be stacked for increased effect, at the Games Master’s discretion.