Re: Garudan O.C.C.
Garudan R.C.C.
The Garudans are a humanoid race that outwardly resemble a mix of cat, fox and human. They have long fur covering parts of their bodies, a foxlike tail and unusual three toed feet that look more like tripods. They are sleek, slender, and agile both in body and mind.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Garudan physiology, however, is their heightened mental awareness and their ability to enter a dream like state that appears to give the Garudans otherworldly insight and knowledge. And according to the aliens, they believe it even gives them glimpses of the future. Garudans are always partially in the Hin state, but can submerge themselves fully when the need arises, giving them nearly super-human capabilities.
This altered state is caused by their planet’s atmosphere, which is a chemical blend unique to their world. In fact, the Garudans must breathe certain trace gases from their world constantly or they will die. All Garudans who leave their home world of Garuda must wear a specialized breathing apparatus that mixes these gases with the outside air.
The Garudans became involved with the war against the Invid when Zor tried to seed their world with the Invid Flower of Life. Zor hoped that whatever effects the atmosphere had on the Garudans was a sign that the Flower of Life could grow there. He hoped that the altered state of consciousness achieved by the Garudans had some link to Protoculture and the heighten state of awareness experienced by the Invid when they consumed the flower. He was wrong. He could get the flowers to grow and take root, and could artificially pollinate them (a secret he took to his grave), but the flowers were a mutated strain that could not be used to create Protoculture.
The Invid swept down on the Garudans without mercy and the Garudans, whose technology was about equivalent to the 1950’s Earth, had no defense. Fortunately, this lack of an ability to fight spared their planet and population significant damage, but they have lived under the iron claw of the Invid Regent ever since. Being forced to work Flower of Life farms which, while unable to provide the Invid with Protoculture, can be used to create the vital nutrient fluids that the Invid need to survive.
The Garudans are a brave, honest, loyal and deeply religious people, seeing their visions and abilities from the Hin as a spiritual experience. They are by nature peaceful, and prefer to avoid violence unless absolutely nessary. However, once a Garudan has determined that he or she must fight to protect their friends and loved ones, they are fierce, dedicated combatants.
Garuda is a planet that appears to be covered perpetually in mist, but in actuality it is draped in gases that are toxic to most other species. The planet is mostly flat and covered in marshes and bogs. Humans and other aliens cannot breathe the atmosphere safely without some kind of filter to keep out the natural gases and spores that make the Garudan atmosphere so unique. Every melee round (15 seconds) that a human or other air-breathing alien species breathes unfiltered Garudan air they must make a save vs gases (14 or better) or take 1D4 points of damage directly to hit points. A successful save means no damage. Roll again for every melee round of exposure.
Moreover, anyone who breathes the air may begin to experience euphoria, wandering off as the air continues to kill them, with no sense of where they are or the danger they face. However, a successful save vs. gases means that the person takes no damage (for that melee round) and there is a 10% cumulative chance for every successful save that they will enter the Hin. Once a non-Garudan enters the HIn, they no longer have to make a save to avoid damage until their duration in the Hin is over and then they suffer double the penalties of a normal Garudan and are again in danger of taking damage from the toxins in the air, (begin rolling again for each melee round).
Garudans, Slightly smaller than humans, the Garudans are dexterous, spiritual, quick and stealthy. They have a tribal society with no high technology. Their rebreathers were designed by the Robotech Masters, and sold to them at cutthroat prices when they wanted to explore other worlds. In combat they prefer stealth and subterfuge to striking their enemies directly. In their occasional battles against the Invid on their own world, their most successful tactic is destroying an Invid Hive airlock to let the native atmosphere filter inside to affect the Invid not inside mecha.
The Garudans are quick learners, curious about the universe around them, and fascinated by technology. Yet, they are content in the tribal ways of their people and resist any effort to modernize Garuda once the Invid are driven off. Besides the occasional weapon or high tech tool, they have little interest in bringing the high technology of the universe home, but they most certainly love to travel and see the wonders of worlds they dreamed existed.
Garudans are extremely affable and get along well with virtually every other species, with the exceptions of the Invid and the Preytonians, the former because they are conquerors and have an extremely alien mindset, and the latter because they tend to be arrogant and self-centered for the Garudans’ taste. However they are polite to all as long as they feel that they themselves are respected and valued.
The Hin
The Hin is an altered state of mind all Garudans can enter by focusing their thoughts and inhaling deeply if the trace gases in their rebreather. Naturally, they breathe a mix of their home world’s air and that of atmosphere around them (typically an Earth-like atmosphere). When they fully enter the Hin, they breathe only from the rebreather, meaning their time in the Hin state is limited until they can recharge their breathing apparatus.
Most of the time, Garudans are only partially in the Hin state, and the benefits are reflected in their normal attributes and bonuses (see below). However, when they enter the Hin fully, they seem to lose contact with what we consider normal, rational world. The very wind talks to them, they get glimpse of the past, present and future, they anticipate their enemies’ attacks, and paths to goals and knowledge not normally attainable become apparent.
It takes a full melee round (15 seconds) for a Garudan to submerge into the HIn. When not on their home world and using a rebreather, they can remain in the Hin for 1D4 mintes per level of experience. When fully submerged in the Hin, the Garudans gain the following special abilities and bonuses. These abilities are always “on” as long as the Garudan is fuly submerged in the HIn;
See the Path: The Garudan focus on his or her objective, and the direction they need to go will appear to glow brightly. It takes two melee actions of concentration, and the ability as long as they maintain their concentration. Provides the Garudan with Land Navigation of 75%.
Hin Combat: The Garudan calls on certain heroic ancestors by name, appearing to gain their fighting prowess. The Garudan receives and additional +1 on initiative, +1 to strike, parry and dodge; Hnd to hand Commando skill while in Hin combat.
Ghostwalking: The most powerful ability granted by submersion in the Hin, this ability appears to allow a Garudan to temporarily pass through solid object. But more like a miniature space fold, with the Garudan unsure of where he will emerge, which can lead to its own risk.
The Garudan activates this ability by walking up to the structure he wishes to enter and touches it, concentrating for one melee round. The Garudan is disoriented for a moment before appearing inside the structure. There is a 30% +5% per level chance the Garudan will appear precisely where he wanted to appear inside the structure or on the other side of the wall. A failed roll means that the Garudan was still in the structure, but appeared 1D4X 100 feet (between 30.4 m and 121.9m) off target. Regardless of whether the attempt was on target or not, the use of this ability takes the Garudan out of the Hin state and he suffers all of the usual penalties. This can be dangerous if he is attempting to penetrate an enemy stronghold, as he could find himself in the middle of an enemy garrison in a week state.
See Aura: While fully in the Hin, the Garudan can see an aura around everything. All things organic and inorganic, have an aura. This aura has many distinctions and indicates things to the Garudan normally invisible to the ordinary eye.
Seeing an aura indicates the following
Estimate the general level of experience. Low (1-3), medium (4-7), high (8th and up).
The presence of magic (no indication of what type or power level).
The presence of psychic abilities (again, though, not the type or power level).
High or low base of Potential Psychic Energy (P.P.E.)
The presence of an unusual aberration and/or indicates a serious illness, insanity, or that the individual is not what he or she appears to be, could be a mutant or supernatural, but does not specify which.
This ability has a range of 60 feet (18.3m) and the target must be visible. Note: A Garudan cannot tell one’s alignment by using this power.
Hidden Knowledge: While in the Hin state, the Garudan has a number of skills that are not available to them normally. The source of this knowledge is usually attributed to ancestral spirits who have taken a special interest in the Garudan. Each Garudan should choose three skills from the following list. Note: The Garudan has those three skills at 75% whenever he is fully in the Hin state. Out of the Hin state, the Garudan does not have access to the knowledge, even if he was just using the skill minutes ago.
Skills (select three)
Anthropology
Cryptography
Holistic Medicine
Intelligence
Lore: Invid
Lore: Master
Lore: Zentraedi
Military Tactics Philosophy
Penalties: When Garudans submerge their psyche into the Hin, they are not fully cognizant of that is going on around them in reality. They have very little ability to operate technology beyond handheld weapons. As a result the Garudan cannot access skills from the categories of Electrical, Mechanical, Pilot, or Pilot Related. The only skills they can access from the communication category are Barter, Cryptography, Language, Performance, Public Speaking and Sing.
Moreover, while in the Hin, the Garudan cannot read, operate computers or other technological devices. This is because they do not see the words from a book, just its aura. They cannot tell small details like rank pin or watch video from a screen. They also cannot see colors and everything is a sort of vague indistinct grey. They recognize individual s not from their facial features, but from their auras.
Coming out of the Hin leaves the Garudan slightly disorientated for 1D4 minutes. He or she is -2 to Perception rolls and Initiative, -1 Attack per melee and -10% on all skills. The Garudans cannot re-enter the Hin for at least 24 hours unless they are on their home world, in which case they can enter the Hin at will without the penalties of coming out of it.
Garudan R.C.C.
Alignment: Any, but most tend to be Principled (20%), Scrupulous (40%), Unprincipled (20%), and Anarchist (10%).
Attributes: I.Q.: 2D6 +6, M.E.: 2D6 +10, M.A.: 2D6 +6, P.S.: 2D6 +4, P.P.: 3D6 +10, P.E.: 3D6, P.B.: 3D6, Spd.: 1D4X10 +10
Hit Points: P.E. attribute number to start, +2D4 additional per level of experience, start at level one.
S.D.C.: 20, plus any from their O.C.C. of choice.
M.D.C.: By armor only.
Height: 4 feet +3D6 inches (1.2m 1.7m)
Weight: 80 +1D6X10 pounds (40.5 kg to 63 kg)
Natural Abilities: Nightvision 1,200 feet (366m) , exceptional hearing (about twice as a human’s hearing) and retractable cat-like claws that do 2D4 S.D.C . damage. They also possess the skills climbing, detect ambush, and Prowl at +10%.
Bonuses: +3 on Perception Rolls, +2 on initiative, +1 to parry and dodge, +2 to roll with impact, +3 to Pull Punch, impervious to poisons and gases while wearing their rebreather, +2 save vs insanity, +2 to save vs magic.
Combat: All Garudans Possess Hand to Hand: Expert, regardless of O.C.C., but it improves to commando when in Hin combat.
Available O.C.C.’s: Most Garudans who leave their home world are educated by others or join the United Earth Expeditionary Force, as there is no formal education system on Garuda and most Garudans are not educated beyond tribal wilderness skills they learned from their parents and the tribe members. Most who were off-world before the Invid invasion have been trained by Tirolians and can select the Tirolian Partisan O.C.C. The others are likely to join the Expeditionary Force Marines as infantry or mechanized infantry, where they make like M.O.S. selections that put their natural talents to good use, like the scout sniper or STORM Team M.O.S. They also make excellent Veritech pilots, but have to wear modified armor that accommodates their feet, tails and breathing requiremnts. They cannot use the Cyclone Veritech Motorcycle or Hovercycle.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:53, Sun 04 Sept 2016.
