Hivers as NPCs (personality-wise)

[dayriff]

How do you play NPC Hivers when your PCs interact with them? Do they have as wide a personality variation as humans? Are their traits that they always have or never have? What have Hivers done that has made them memorable in-game?

I'm interested in using Hivers as the "major NPC race next door". They have an interesting biology, and they seem like an easy alien race for humans to get along with. I figure it would be reasonable to have a lot of them roaming around Imperium space on one business matter or another. At the same time, I don't want them to be just reskinned humans.

I've been consulting the Traveller wiki, and all the Manipulation stuff is cool for a creepy background. I particularly like the fact that it means the attempted Manipulator has to make a full record of his intentions beforehand, like some kind of movie villain. Lots of plot hooks in such a data record falling into PC hands!

Yet at the same time, not every Hiver is going to be interested in sticking an "M." in front of their name. What are they like day-to-day? Would it be a good idea to let a player have one as a PC?

 

[Gruffty the Hiver]

...<steps out of the shadows>...

How do you play NPC Hivers when your PCs interact with them? Do they have as wide a personality variation as humans?

Yes, but their emotions are non-existent, except for a massive fear of close-up combat and a seriously high level of curiosity. Jokes, insults, barracking, cajoling: none of them work on Hivers; they're Travellers equivalent of the Vulcans. A human might say to a Hiver (in jest): "Go f*ck yourself!". The Hiver would reply: "I cannot do as you suggest as I have no reproductive organs suited to the activity you describe. However, we can shake hands, if you wish? No? This is not an acceptable alternative for you?" They are interested in a diverse range of topics, but not all Hivers are interested in all things. They can be obsessive about things, too: smell collection (for those Hivers that have a sense of smell and actively collect smells) can lead to tricky situations...

Are their traits that they always have or never have?

Hivers are *always* scared of face-to-face combat - it' sonly the degree of fear that varies. Hivers prefer long-range combat and weapons - missile strikes, nukes, that sort of thing. Hivers abhor violence, and employ the Ithklur to be violent on their behalf, as Hivers feel that the death of any sentient being is a wasted life. Hivers are always interested in *something*, even if it's just one topic. Only 50% of Hivers have a sense of smell, and even this is somewhat unpredictable - a Hiver with a sense of smell can wake up one day and find it cannot smell anymore then, 2 years later, the reverse happens - or not, as the case may be. Hivers are *not* psionic beings - they do not have any psionic potential and never have any psionic abilities. Conversly, you cannot use psionics to read ia Hiver's mind, nor to control it or instill fear in it; however, a Psion can use psionic powers to lift one up and throw it across the room.

What have Hivers done that has made them memorable in-game?

All sort of things: stopped the K'kree-Hiver war with the introduction of gravy and social isolation as a pastime (seriously, get Classic Traveller Alien Module 7 Hivers)....oh yeah I forgot: we killed Strephon :wink: ....

I'm interested in using Hivers as the "major NPC race next door". They have an interesting biology, and they seem like an easy alien race for humans to get along with.

That's only because that's what the Hivers what you to think and feel.... :shock:

I figure it would be reasonable to have a lot of them roaming around Imperium space on one business matter or another.

Whilst the Hivers *do* venture into Imperial space, they are not there mob-handed. They have some trading companies, a few Embassy missions, some travellers/researchers, but there isn't a massive Hiver presence in the 3I. Indeed: it is rare to find a Hiver as far away from home as the Spinward Marches.

At the same time, I don't want them to be just reskinned humans.

It's diffcult to make them convincing at first, but keep trying...

I've been consulting the Traveller wiki, and all the Manipulation stuff is cool for a creepy background.

Why thank you! The presence of my tentacles there remains.....

was I particularly like the fact that it means the attempted Manipulator has to make a full record of his intentions beforehand, like some kind of movie villain. Lots of plot hooks in such a data record falling into PC hands!

Indeed! Which is why Hivers will use Manipulation to ensure that that information does not fall into the wrong hands and, if it does, an "accident" can be arranged to prevent the information being made public via a short-term Manipulation.

Yet at the same time, not every Hiver is going to be interested in sticking an "M." in front of their name.

Hoorah!! Someone else who thinks the same as I!! :mrgreen:

What are they like day-to-day?

There's no definitive description of a typical Hiver day, but they do need to eat/drink, sleep, use the bathroom, interact with other HIvers and "shake hands" and so on.

Would it be a good idea to let a player have one as a PC?

My instinct says to tell you "no" but another side of me says "don't deny you rplayers the opportunity to be creative" - i.e. it's your call - if you think the player can hack it, go for it.

 

[dayriff]

Thank you for the responses, that was very helpful.

Hivers are *always* scared of face-to-face combat - it' sonly the degree of fear that varies. Hivers prefer long-range combat and weapons - missile strikes, nukes, that sort of thing. Hivers abhor violence, and employ the Ithklur to be violent on their behalf, as Hivers feel that the death of any sentient being is a wasted life.

A rather admirable trait and one that makes them seem fairly sympathetic, despite how alien they are in other ways.

I'm interested in using Hivers as the "major NPC race next door". They have an interesting biology, and they seem like an easy alien race for humans to get along with.

That's only because that's what the Hivers what you to think and feel.... :shock:

I figure it would be reasonable to have a lot of them roaming around Imperium space on one business matter or another.

Whilst the Hivers *do* venture into Imperial space, they are not there mob-handed. They have some trading companies, a few Embassy missions, some travellers/researchers, but there isn't a massive Hiver presence in the 3I. Indeed: it is rare to find a Hiver as far away from home as the Spinward Marches.

I should clarify there. I meant "next door" in a very literal sense, the idea being that this would take place in a Sector of the Imperium that is right next to (or even includes) worlds controlled by the Hiver Federation. I even have vague plans for a "Neutral Zone" in between where lie worlds that both the Imperium and the Hiver Federation have pledged to leave alone and that includes "unaligned" planets with both races. (Obviously I'm willing to take a few liberties with OTU interstellar geography and history here. Why not?)

So it's to be expected that you're going to see a few more Hivers around than if you were in the Spinward Marches. (Incidently I'm also messing with geography enough to have the Solomani in as the third corner of an area where the three spaces sort of come near each other.)

was I particularly like the fact that it means the attempted Manipulator has to make a full record of his intentions beforehand, like some kind of movie villain. Lots of plot hooks in such a data record falling into PC hands!

Indeed! Which is why Hivers will use Manipulation to ensure that that information does not fall into the wrong hands and, if it does, an "accident" can be arranged to prevent the information being made public via a short-term Manipulation.

Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of what happens if the Manipualtor meets an unexpected accident and hasn't properly safeguarded the dispostion of his stuff. If the PCs "know the future", as it were, what do they do with that knowledge?

 

[Gruffty the Hiver]

what happens if the Manipualtor meets an unexpected accident and hasn't properly safeguarded the dispostion of his stuff. If the PCs "know the future", as it were, what do they do with that knowledge?

No Manipulator would leave the plans for a Manipulation without fail-safe systems in the event of revelation or discovery - these systems are built into the main plans of the Manipulation itself. All plans for Manipulations have to be lodged with the Manipulations Club of Guaran who act as executors in the event of revelation or discovery. In addition, TNE introduced the highly useful concept (IMO) of the Terminal Manipulation, which is used in the event that things go wrong and the manipulation is revealed, discovered or fails, or the creator of the manipualtion is uncovered and exposed. A Terminal Manipulation is just that: everything, and everyone one, involved with or having knowledge or evidence of the manipulation, is terminated in an effort to cover up the failed manipulation and bring it to an end (i.e. terminate it). So the original Manipulator would include clauses like:

"Should this manipulation be revealed before it can be initiated, or the plan is compromised in some other way, then the follow events should be initiated:.......".

The Manipulations Club of Guaran would then put the Terminal Manipulation plan into action via the designated Executor of the Manipulation.

...then people would start to mysteriously disappear or turn up dead across charted space.... :shock:

 

[EDG]

The thing about Manipulation is that it is, for all intents and purposes, the study and application of memetics (go look up "memes" if you're unfamiliar with such things) - one obvious real application is how advertisers persuade people to buy stuff. Manipulation is subtle, long-term, and can be a really effective method of persuasion because the people being manipulated often won't even realise it's happening.

Of course that can give Hivers a reputation that could precede them somewhat, with some claiming they can just change your mind instantly through their Manipulative Powerz . But maybe they just want people to think that

 

[dayriff]

what happens if the Manipualtor meets an unexpected accident and hasn't properly safeguarded the dispostion of his stuff. If the PCs "know the future", as it were, what do they do with that knowledge?

No Manipulator would leave the plans for a Manipulation without fail-safe systems in the event of revelation or discovery - these systems are built into the main plans of the Manipulation itself. All plans for Manipulations have to be lodged with the Manipulations Club of Guaran who act as executors in the event of revelation or discovery. In addition, TNE introduced the highly useful concept (IMO) of the Terminal Manipulation, which is used in the event that things go wrong and the manipulation is revealed, discovered or fails, or the creator of the manipualtion is uncovered and exposed. A Terminal Manipulation is just that: everything, and everyone one, involved with or having knowledge or evidence of the manipulation, is terminated in an effort to cover up the failed manipulation and bring it to an end (i.e. terminate it). So the original Manipulator would include clauses like:

"Should this manipulation be revealed before it can be initiated, or the plan is compromised in some other way, then the follow events should be initiated:.......".

The Manipulations Club of Guaran would then put the Terminal Manipulation plan into action via the designated Executor of the Manipulation.

...then people would start to mysteriously disappear or turn up dead across charted space.... :shock:

I wouldn't presume to argue with you about the nature of Hiver precautions. Let me rather say that I consider such statements expressions of the ideal, which is not always reflected the imperfect world that sophants must live in. In a big galaxy, unlikely accidents will occur, sensibly taken precautions can fail at the worst possible moment, security can prove insecure, and perhaps... perhaps even a being who by all rights should be smarter and more sensible may be inclined, whether from hurry or hubris, to cut a corner here or take a chance that shouldn't have been taken there.

And the Club on Guaran will certainly act... just as soon as they hear there is something to act about and can dispatch an agent back to do the acting, something that may take some little time in practical reality.

Hey, it might be as unlikely as an Imperial Communique falling into PC hands, but that too is a plot I'm sure has been used.

 

[Gruffty the Hiver]

If there is one thing that Hivers also are is *cautious*. They keep things well and truly under wraps until absolutely the last minute; the absolute bare minimum people have any idea that somethingmay, possibly be going in the background.

Consequently, within the OTU especially, uncovering of manipulations by other races is, shall we say, rarer than rocking horse sh*t.

Remember: we killed Strephon.... :shock:

...or so the rumour says.... :shock: :shock:

 

[rust]

Hey, it might be as unlikely as an Imperial Communique falling into PC hands, but that too is a plot I'm sure has been used.

Just take a look at the official CT adventure Kinunir, where an Imperial
Warrant could fall into the hands of PCs, giving them the full authority
of the Emperor himself ... :shock:

 

[aspqrz]

but their emotions are non-existent, except for a massive fear of close-up combat and a seriously high level of curiosity

Fear of a seriously high level of curiousity? :shock:

Well. That explains a lot about Hivers travelling outside of Hiver Space ... they're ... deranged. :lol:

Phil