Show me your sophonts
- Thread starter Whitehart
- Start date
Also relevant:
And for those that haven't read Bert Chandler, some of the most usable science fiction for Traveller. I'm still convinced at least some of the GDW staff knew him well, even if Marc hasn't listed him as a reference. His stories were published in Amazing, Galaxy, F&SF and Analog, and his books generally through Ace.
And for those that haven't read Bert Chandler, some of the most usable science fiction for Traveller. I'm still convinced at least some of the GDW staff knew him well, even if Marc hasn't listed him as a reference. His stories were published in Amazing, Galaxy, F&SF and Analog, and his books generally through Ace.
Terry Mixon
Emperor Mongoose
Welcome to Liberty Hall.
Given that he started writing the "Middle Grimes" books from around 1977, AND was active in the convention scene, there is an intriguing possibility that Traveller may have influenced him in the late 70's. Although it's pretty much a given that the body of work that influenced Traveller (and of which he was a part) influenced him as well.
So the 1977 publication of "The Far Traveller", about a recently-discharged-from-the-Federation-Scout-Service John Grimes piloting a scout ship called The Far Traveller is probably just a tip of the hat to EC Tubb.
Probably.
But as a ship's Master and veteran of actual tramp freighters and naval ships, he's one of the main go-to SF authors for shipboard and ship owner feels.
Hmmm... maybe his stuff is a bit raunchy for Marc? Could explain Grimes not being in the lists of characters.
So the 1977 publication of "The Far Traveller", about a recently-discharged-from-the-Federation-Scout-Service John Grimes piloting a scout ship called The Far Traveller is probably just a tip of the hat to EC Tubb.
Probably.
But as a ship's Master and veteran of actual tramp freighters and naval ships, he's one of the main go-to SF authors for shipboard and ship owner feels.
Hmmm... maybe his stuff is a bit raunchy for Marc? Could explain Grimes not being in the lists of characters.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
In terms of a wide range of uplifted species, it's hard to beat Japanese anime.
CordwainerFish
Emperor Mongoose
Pigs... in... spaaaaaaace!
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Not only self propelled, but landed.
Grognardia
Emperor Mongoose
I shamelessly ripped off the Ur-Ukar from Fading Suns:
The Ukari are a minor human race, transplanted to the planet Kordeth (C7728648) over 300,000 years ago by the Ancients.
The most immediate physical trait setting the Ukari apart from Humaniti is their dark, almost black eyes, which lack the iris common in most human races. This stark feature contrasts sharply with their extremely pale skin, a testament to their lives spent in the shadowy depths of Kordeth's subterranean environments. The hair color of the Ukari generally ranges from white to blonde, with a small fraction sporting black hair.
Culturally, the tall, slender Ukari are renowned for their intricate body carvings. They carve their bodies with raised tattoos or carvings, spelling out their names on their faces and their deeds on their chests, arms, and legs. These ritual scars form complex patterns, each telling a unique story of personal achievements, life events, or societal status. Alongside this physical language, they also uphold a rich oral tradition
Ukari Travellers have the following modifiers applied to their characteristics: DEX+1, SOC-1.
Ukari Travellers all possess the following traits:
Alert: Ukari are hyperaware of their surroundings and the presence of threats. This atavistic awareness provides them with environmental cues that most other species cannot perceive. For example, a person hiding using the Stealth skill doesn't conceal their smell from a Ukari. Ukari receive a +1 to their Recon skill.
Psionic Abilities: All Ukari have inherent psionic potential. They are tested as children for psionic potential and so has a PSI characteristic of 2D-2 from childhood.
My daughter read this series called The Land of Stories before the first time we played Traveller together, and she kept telling me about this low-gravity world called Lollipopagust or some such where insects grew super huge, from the super happy larvae called blissworms to the extremely dangerous polycrabs, and, well, anyway she wanted to be a sophont ladybug from this world.
Anyway, I've attached my entire writeup for the world (which I made solely from her descriptions... I have since read the series and I got some details wrong, whatcha gonna do?), but here's the relevant sophont race I created (my first ever for Traveller):
Lollipopi
Hibernia is home to a single sentient species, the reclusive Lollipopi, a vaguely humanoid ladybug-like creature with vestigial wings and a protective chitin exoskeleton. In their native language, Lolli, the planet is known as Lollipopagust. Despite a low technology level and never having achieved space travel on their own, they are capable of learning and adapting to spaceflight, and while rare, it is not unheard of to encounter a Lollipopi traveller in the nearby star systems.
Lollipopi Characters
INT+1, SOC-2
Background Skills: Standard, with a preference for Navigation, Survival, and similar skills.
Traits: Armor (+2), Flyer* (none/very slow)
* While it is physiologically possible for Lollipopi to fly on a world with a 2.5 or greater atmosphere-to-gravity ratio, the 0.5 pressure / 0.7g of this planet is insufficient; any serious attempt at flight would require months or even years of rigorous physical training in an appropriate environment to develop the muscles and nerve patterns necessary.
Anyway, I've attached my entire writeup for the world (which I made solely from her descriptions... I have since read the series and I got some details wrong, whatcha gonna do?), but here's the relevant sophont race I created (my first ever for Traveller):
Lollipopi
Hibernia is home to a single sentient species, the reclusive Lollipopi, a vaguely humanoid ladybug-like creature with vestigial wings and a protective chitin exoskeleton. In their native language, Lolli, the planet is known as Lollipopagust. Despite a low technology level and never having achieved space travel on their own, they are capable of learning and adapting to spaceflight, and while rare, it is not unheard of to encounter a Lollipopi traveller in the nearby star systems.
Lollipopi Characters
INT+1, SOC-2
Background Skills: Standard, with a preference for Navigation, Survival, and similar skills.
Traits: Armor (+2), Flyer* (none/very slow)
* While it is physiologically possible for Lollipopi to fly on a world with a 2.5 or greater atmosphere-to-gravity ratio, the 0.5 pressure / 0.7g of this planet is insufficient; any serious attempt at flight would require months or even years of rigorous physical training in an appropriate environment to develop the muscles and nerve patterns necessary.
ResslynHalvik
Banded Mongoose
That is so touching
mavikfelna
Cosmic Mongoose
I haven't done them up in Traveller but my primary sci-fi race is the Nanri Guild World. They are a verminoid, decended from a mouse like scavenger prey animal on a planet in the Lesser Megalomanic Cloud.
Race Name: Mir-Par-Fah, literally the people of the land
Home Star: Rista G0 dwarf star, means Sun Star
Home World: Mir-Fan, means Home
They are short, about 4' on average, bipedal mice with digitigrade legs and large ears and eyes. They are furry all over without long hair. Males are bigger and stronger on average but not overly so. Male and female dimorphism makes gender reasonably distinct, with females bearing live young and providing them with milk via mammaries. Birth rates are actually fairly low, as pups per litter are rarely more than one or two, though larger litters are possible.
Some time after they developed FTL travel, the Flit Drive that uses universal harmonics to sync the ship with a new location nearly instantly over dozens of light years, they discovered their star was unstable and tearing itself apart. They had about 100 years to get away before it destroyed everything. So they built ark ships designed to fly for thousands of light years to escape the region of instability.
It isn't known how long the arks travelled, and many were lost on the journey, but 2 arks with nearly a million survivors in cold sleep arrived at a cool world with an F6 star that they simply named Rista-chi, Sun 2. The world was named Nanaris, or unhome, and they began to call themselves the Nanris, lost people.
Alot of their tech and history was lost due to computer failure and damage so they struggled to rebuild a stellar society for many years but within a century they had regained the Flit drive and began to explore and expand again.
Race Name: Mir-Par-Fah, literally the people of the land
Home Star: Rista G0 dwarf star, means Sun Star
Home World: Mir-Fan, means Home
They are short, about 4' on average, bipedal mice with digitigrade legs and large ears and eyes. They are furry all over without long hair. Males are bigger and stronger on average but not overly so. Male and female dimorphism makes gender reasonably distinct, with females bearing live young and providing them with milk via mammaries. Birth rates are actually fairly low, as pups per litter are rarely more than one or two, though larger litters are possible.
Some time after they developed FTL travel, the Flit Drive that uses universal harmonics to sync the ship with a new location nearly instantly over dozens of light years, they discovered their star was unstable and tearing itself apart. They had about 100 years to get away before it destroyed everything. So they built ark ships designed to fly for thousands of light years to escape the region of instability.
It isn't known how long the arks travelled, and many were lost on the journey, but 2 arks with nearly a million survivors in cold sleep arrived at a cool world with an F6 star that they simply named Rista-chi, Sun 2. The world was named Nanaris, or unhome, and they began to call themselves the Nanris, lost people.
Alot of their tech and history was lost due to computer failure and damage so they struggled to rebuild a stellar society for many years but within a century they had regained the Flit drive and began to explore and expand again.
Tom B
Cosmic Mongoose
I had written some sci-fi stuff that I was never entirely happy with. There were lots of intelligent species. Some were little more than notes like the armoskunk, 2m long armadillo type creatures, release a noxious smell as defence. Others were fully fleshed out. I think I put one of them, a centauroid species up here.
One that I plan to use in a scenario are Danton's Pixies. 1m tall pixie-type screatures. They live in a matriarchal society on a low gravity, high atmospheric pressure world. They fly and are extremely belligerent, always fighting each other but if you earn their trust they'll be loyal.
I was looking for such a world in the Vargr extents where they could come from but haven't found one yet.
Then there are the insectoids and wasps, their biologies are intertwined in a very interesting and disturbing way.
Also, from a previous discussion on here, there was talk of space going species. So I've spent some time developing them.
One that I plan to use in a scenario are Danton's Pixies. 1m tall pixie-type screatures. They live in a matriarchal society on a low gravity, high atmospheric pressure world. They fly and are extremely belligerent, always fighting each other but if you earn their trust they'll be loyal.
I was looking for such a world in the Vargr extents where they could come from but haven't found one yet.
Then there are the insectoids and wasps, their biologies are intertwined in a very interesting and disturbing way.
Also, from a previous discussion on here, there was talk of space going species. So I've spent some time developing them.
