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232 Posts |
 Posted - 15 Jun 2005 : 04:44:57
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(Standard GM disclaimer - Ezra, Annissa, Alectrona, Musa or Antonio... read no further)
My game spoiler follows...
Also potential spoilers for those who don't want to know anything about Symbiotes.
Inspired by some of the 'Nights Dawn' references on the forum, I thought I'd jot down some notes on 'Edenist' ideas and see what people thought of them.
Affinity Gene
Inspired by the ‘Nights Dawn’ universe.
The ability to perceive the life-web is normally assumed to be an ability restricted to Symbiotes. Under certain circumstances however, this ability can be activated in other life forms without conversion.
The ability may be present as a latent gene or acquired through some poorly understood mechanism but the effect is to grant the recipient some of the perceptual powers of a Symbiote (or more accurately, access to the same level of life-web perception as a Symbiote, whether it is via the same mechanism or not).
The gene does not grant any of the metamorphic powers of a symbiote,
Abilities
Web Location
Similar to the Eskatonic rite “Celestial Alignment” this ability allows one with the gene to know their location within a given living system (following the greater Gaia hypothesis, a solar system is the largest sub-unit of the web).
Sense Life
The ability to locate concentrations of living matter or at least know the general direction in which a concentration lies. With greater levels of success, a specific life form can be located.
Empathy
The ability to sense the emotions of another being connected to the Life-web
Communion
Sharing of thoughts via the life-web.
Utilise Biotech
Potentially symbiote biotech could respond to affinity gene carriers as though the bearer were a symbiote.
Bits I am still trying to work on
Is the affinity gene and any other ‘power’ mutually exclusive ? On a game balance level I can see why they ought to be.
However, if one takes a biologically reductionist approach, the gene is just another sort of perception – Like the Hironem perception and manipulation of S’ssu (the perception of which is available to humans via eye transplants).
Resistance to Psi/Theurgy
Symbiotes have no resistance to any occult power. I am tempted to have someone with the affinity gene have a lowered resistance to any ‘telepathic’ powers unless they have developed ‘stoic mind’. This would represent their mental WAN having no real security unless consciously developed.
Conversion by symbiotes
The gene is not ‘taint’. However, I suspect that an individual with the gene would convert in a less chaotic fashion than a normal human – Potentially being able to exert more willpower on their own conversion. |
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336 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jun 2005 : 07:01:40
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Another way of interpreting "no resistence to occult powers" is a "sensitivity to occult powers". This explains how the powers manifest to begin with - in touch with the Wyrd - and the weakness is the lack of defensive mechanisms that are the result of closing oneself to the Wyrd.
Buy it as the Occult trait Meta. |
WARNING: May contain nuts. http://www.geocities.com/lrudling
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Posted - 15 Jun 2005 : 14:33:23
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| Nice to see more fans of the Edenists here. I was thinking of a campaign along the lines of Naked God myself. An occult meta for this might work. |
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Posted - 15 Jun 2005 : 14:49:37
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Etheric's fabulous FS idea: a recessive gene in normal (i.e. non-Symbiot) DNA that allows certain individuals to have some of the powers of true Symbiots WITHOUT suffering Symbiosis. Thanks, etheric.
Perhaps an ancestor of such a so-called Affinity Gene had contact with a certain Annunaki gargoyle or philosopher stone or was a volunteer/victim of some genetic experiment during the 2nd Republic or even by a member of the Supreme Order of Engineers. |
www.yahoogroups.com/group/alternateuniversewithouthumans note: on this blog, I'm known as fadingsunsjvj I'm also a member as newmarduk on the Steve Jackson Games forums [url]http://forums.sjgames.com[/url] I also have a Web site combining Fading Suns with Babylon 5: [url]http://geocities.com/fadingsunsjvj/babylonfivefadingsuns.html[/url] [url]http://geocities.com/fadingsunsjvj/b5fs2.html[/url] [url]http://geocities.com/fadingsunsjvj/b5fs3.html [/url] [url]http://geocities.com/fadingsunsjvj/b5fs4.html[/url] |
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232 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2005 : 04:05:05
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Another spoiler for my campaign (Ezra, Antonio, Musa, Alectrona or Annissa... you had SO better not be reading this -grin-)
AND a spoiler for lifeweb
One of the possibilities for the origin of the 'Affinity gene' I am considering is Daishan. The symbiote scientist who completed the vaccine against symbiosis could also have been working on a means to give sentients a glimpse of the lifeweb without having to convert them - On the principle that someone who grew to love the lifeweb once they had seen it would either ASK for conversion OR live their life in such a way as to help protect it, which from a symbiote point of view is a win/win result.
It would not show as taint on any of the existing tests for symbiosis and could very easily spawn an entirely new culture based around non-converted sentients using biotech (e.g. Edenists)
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232 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2006 : 04:37:43
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This plot element is beginning to show it's head in my present campaign.
I've altered the rationale to being part of a bene gesserit style breeding programme orchestrated by the high matriarchs in House Xanthippe.
In my campaign, the Xanthippe have a 'mystery cult' structure, a bit like a female led Mithraic cult. The Measure can be read as a basic handbook but at each level of initiation, the cultist is taught to read the secret codes within the text / interpret the symbolism.
'Affinity' is the long hoped for result of the breeding programme, a way for the House to build the 'Edenist' society in which there is no crime or injustice. Unlike in the 'Nights Dawn' books though, the Edenists are not Athiests and see the affinity trait as a way of helping create a society that can more easily achieve grace. However, the Church would almost certainly see this as Heretical.
The Symbiotes have somewhat thrown the Xanthippe into a tizzy, the idea of biological based communion has just become even more unacceptable in the eyes of the Church.
Which is a shame... as the programme is very nearly ready, the first bloodlines with recessive Affinity are ready to be cross-bred.
Of course, one of my party is a Xanthippe and she's had her gene go active early... |
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Posted - 27 Jan 2006 : 23:18:52
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| I loved that series. Although I would view the affinity gene more along the lines of the Beast friend psi path, modified a tad of course, to allow for a concensus type entity. (Adamists all the way!) |
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Posted - 28 Jan 2006 : 07:03:43
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I've only recently picked up 'Erbians bestiary' so hadn't got the beastfriend rules to rip off work from. Now that I do, I may well be using them as a template. I'll use a 'meta' stat to cover the power I think, something that's not Theurgy or Psi per se. |
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Affinity Gene - An idea in progress.