RedBeardSean
Mongoose
I was writing up the Sydites for my MGT game, which actually starts in about a month. I was hoping for feedback mainly on their unusual traits, but also more generally on the culture. There's very little in canon on them, so some extrapolation and plenty of creativity went into the mix.
To be specific, I didn't want my players to say, "so the Sydites are basically for-armed space-orcs? ...and having two extra arms does nothing for them?" But on the other hand, I don't want people to play them as four-armed munchkin magnets with eight free attacks and nothing challenging to role-play about them, either.
I'm looking forward to hearing from everyone here.
-Sean
Sydites
Background
The Sydymic War two centuries ago saw the Sydite Empire destroyed by the Third Imperium, forcing the Sydites to rebuild their society and technological infrastructure. Although most Sydites are encountered in the Delta Quadrant of Ley sector, small enclaves exist throughout the Imperium. Widely considered to be unimaginative and less intelligent than most humans, they nonetheless make excellent mechanics, technicians, and soldiers. Recently, Sydites have achieved some fame and respect for their particular martial arts technique, jinub. Literally translated as “turbine”, jinub has been compared to Terran Capoeira, adapted for four arms.
Physical Characteristics
Men and women among Sydites have no gender dimorphism; both men and women stand 2.5 meters on the average, and weigh in at 130kg. Their most striking feature, though, is that they have two useable arms coming out of a rather complex double-synovial ball-and-socket joint in each of their shoulders. These arms have roughly equivalent strength each as a normal, muscular human arm; the arms on each side are offset diagonally from each other, with one shoulder slightly lower and behind the other. This provides a maximum range of motion and application of upper-body strength. Pectoral muscles are generally more well-adapted than another humans by virtue of being double-layered, with one muscle attaching to the upper/ventral arm, and the other to the lower/dorsal arm.
Sydites are interfertile with most other humans; children of such unions are most frequently quad-armed half-Sydites, as a genetic dominance is programmed into the DNA of the Sydite parent. Occasionally, a two-armed offspring will result, but often these appendages will exhibit a deformation of partial formation of secondary arms. High tech-level treatments of surgery and gene-therapy can correct these deformations into a single, useable pair of arms.
Complexion of Sydites varies between olive- and ruddy-skinned, with eye colors in brown and occasionally hazel. Hair colors tend to dark brown and black.
Behavior
Sydites are practical, realistic, and matter-of-fact, with a natural head for business or mechanics. Though they are not interested in subjects they see no use for, they can apply themselves when necessary. They like to organize and run activities. Sydites make good administrators, especially if they remember to consider others' feelings and points of view, which they often miss. Modern Sydite planetary governments tend to be participating democracies, non-charismatic dictatorships, impersonal bureaucracies, or, most commonly, fractured, balkanized worlds represented by several of these various governments. While full scale war between Sydite factions is rare, there is a great deal of skirmishing in the absence of firm, overarching control.
Lack of dimorphism between genders leads to a greatly egalitarian society among Sydites, insofar as gender roles are concerned; they do jockey for dominance to a degree in their relationships and occupations. Marriages are polyamorous, with families resembling small tribes of adults caring for children, and occasionally elderly parents, in common. Military units are completely integrated, and glass ceilings are something that other humans construct, to their detriment.
Imperial stereotypes of Sydites are well known to the latter; they are thus rather surly and defensive when they find themselves in the company of non-Sydites. When given the chance to excel, and recognized for their talents and efforts, they do make good-natured friends.
Sydites are not especially spiritual beings, having little use for religion or the trappings of spiritualism; they follow the maxim that religion is a drug used to pacify the weak-minded. Sydite funerary custom is a wake celebrating the life of the departed, the body having been disposed of by simple cremation promptly upon brain-death..
Traits
Applied Strength (Sydites can double their Strength modifier for purposes of grappling, lifting and carrying object in situations where four arms can be brought to bear on the task)
Extra Facility (Sydites can reduce the time increment of any given Dexterity-modified task by one without penalty if they have four hands free for the task)
Melee Aptitude (a Sydite gains an additional Melee attack each round; alternatively, a Sydite can make only a single melee attack and parry up to twice in a round without taking a penalty to skill checks. In both cases, the Sydite must possess a rank of Melee-1 or higher)
Notable Strength (roll 2d6+2)
Weak Intelligence and Social Status (roll2d6-2)
Characters
Sydites can be found in nearly every career in the Core Rulebook; even Journalists can be found among Sydites, though other Entertainers are rarer.
To be specific, I didn't want my players to say, "so the Sydites are basically for-armed space-orcs? ...and having two extra arms does nothing for them?" But on the other hand, I don't want people to play them as four-armed munchkin magnets with eight free attacks and nothing challenging to role-play about them, either.
I'm looking forward to hearing from everyone here.
-Sean
Sydites
Background
The Sydymic War two centuries ago saw the Sydite Empire destroyed by the Third Imperium, forcing the Sydites to rebuild their society and technological infrastructure. Although most Sydites are encountered in the Delta Quadrant of Ley sector, small enclaves exist throughout the Imperium. Widely considered to be unimaginative and less intelligent than most humans, they nonetheless make excellent mechanics, technicians, and soldiers. Recently, Sydites have achieved some fame and respect for their particular martial arts technique, jinub. Literally translated as “turbine”, jinub has been compared to Terran Capoeira, adapted for four arms.
Physical Characteristics
Men and women among Sydites have no gender dimorphism; both men and women stand 2.5 meters on the average, and weigh in at 130kg. Their most striking feature, though, is that they have two useable arms coming out of a rather complex double-synovial ball-and-socket joint in each of their shoulders. These arms have roughly equivalent strength each as a normal, muscular human arm; the arms on each side are offset diagonally from each other, with one shoulder slightly lower and behind the other. This provides a maximum range of motion and application of upper-body strength. Pectoral muscles are generally more well-adapted than another humans by virtue of being double-layered, with one muscle attaching to the upper/ventral arm, and the other to the lower/dorsal arm.
Sydites are interfertile with most other humans; children of such unions are most frequently quad-armed half-Sydites, as a genetic dominance is programmed into the DNA of the Sydite parent. Occasionally, a two-armed offspring will result, but often these appendages will exhibit a deformation of partial formation of secondary arms. High tech-level treatments of surgery and gene-therapy can correct these deformations into a single, useable pair of arms.
Complexion of Sydites varies between olive- and ruddy-skinned, with eye colors in brown and occasionally hazel. Hair colors tend to dark brown and black.
Behavior
Sydites are practical, realistic, and matter-of-fact, with a natural head for business or mechanics. Though they are not interested in subjects they see no use for, they can apply themselves when necessary. They like to organize and run activities. Sydites make good administrators, especially if they remember to consider others' feelings and points of view, which they often miss. Modern Sydite planetary governments tend to be participating democracies, non-charismatic dictatorships, impersonal bureaucracies, or, most commonly, fractured, balkanized worlds represented by several of these various governments. While full scale war between Sydite factions is rare, there is a great deal of skirmishing in the absence of firm, overarching control.
Lack of dimorphism between genders leads to a greatly egalitarian society among Sydites, insofar as gender roles are concerned; they do jockey for dominance to a degree in their relationships and occupations. Marriages are polyamorous, with families resembling small tribes of adults caring for children, and occasionally elderly parents, in common. Military units are completely integrated, and glass ceilings are something that other humans construct, to their detriment.
Imperial stereotypes of Sydites are well known to the latter; they are thus rather surly and defensive when they find themselves in the company of non-Sydites. When given the chance to excel, and recognized for their talents and efforts, they do make good-natured friends.
Sydites are not especially spiritual beings, having little use for religion or the trappings of spiritualism; they follow the maxim that religion is a drug used to pacify the weak-minded. Sydite funerary custom is a wake celebrating the life of the departed, the body having been disposed of by simple cremation promptly upon brain-death..
Traits
Applied Strength (Sydites can double their Strength modifier for purposes of grappling, lifting and carrying object in situations where four arms can be brought to bear on the task)
Extra Facility (Sydites can reduce the time increment of any given Dexterity-modified task by one without penalty if they have four hands free for the task)
Melee Aptitude (a Sydite gains an additional Melee attack each round; alternatively, a Sydite can make only a single melee attack and parry up to twice in a round without taking a penalty to skill checks. In both cases, the Sydite must possess a rank of Melee-1 or higher)
Notable Strength (roll 2d6+2)
Weak Intelligence and Social Status (roll2d6-2)
Characters
Sydites can be found in nearly every career in the Core Rulebook; even Journalists can be found among Sydites, though other Entertainers are rarer.
