Octopus Alien Concept

[CRMcNeill]

I have this crazy idea for an alien species, but I'd appreciate some input on how to write up the template.

What I'm picturing is essentially a large cephalopoid (visually very similar to an octopus), but rather than being aquatic, this species floats through the air. This is made possible because their body naturally produces a lighter-than-air gas (hydrogen or helium, I haven't decided which, and both present interesting roleplaying possibilities). Octopuses are generally recognized as one of the more intelligent non-human species on the planet, so it's not too much of a stretch to picture a sentient variant. It's even conceivable that a species like this might have evolved in the atmosphere of a gas giant, since their species would have no need of a surface to walk on.

Some possibilities...

Strengths
-Natural flight
-Contortionist abilities (as invertebrates, octopoids can fit through extremely small gaps)
-Intellect
-Manual Dexterity (eight arms with natural grip enhancement)
Weaknesses
-Flammability (if I go with hydrogen)
-Laughter opportunities (if I go with helium, think Rigel from Farscape...)

That's just what I can think of off the top of my head.

Thoughts?
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[garhkal]

Sounds like a good concept. Additionally, since octopi are generally noted as non-combatants (they flee via that ink cloud they make), perhaps a floating one, has a different type of 'cloud' they can make
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[CRMcNeill]

[MrNexx]

My first thought is to look at how Eclipse Phase handles uplifted octopi.

If you want flying and gas-giant based, how big are we talking?

If they naturally fill with helium, a useful weakness might be reduced buoyancy over time... in their natural environment, they get more than enough helium, but stick them in a baseline atmosphere, and they have to refill every so often or they start to sink, and lose the ability to fly.
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[MrNexx]

And, for a bonus, I just saw a video of a cuttlefish changing shape to look like coral.
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“We're going to win this war, not by fighting what we hate, but saving what we love.”
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[CRMcNeill]

[Whill]

Interesting idea. I like it.

In every campaign I've ever ran, I always have an octopus bartender on some planet. A big sentient octopus sticking out of a pool of water behind the bar, filling drinks and taking payments for multiple customers simultaneously with all the arms frantically moving around in a busy cantina, doing the work of three humanoids. It can hear and understand language but doesn't speak. I have never bothered to stat out this species because it is just a background NPC that has never been involved in any game ruled action.

When I read about your concept for a floating octopus with a light gas inside it, the first thing I thought of was Watto because I think that is the explanation for their flight ability. IIRC from a design perspective, Lucas' artists told him that his concept for Watto was just not plausible. Lucas replied, "His belly is full of helium. Don't worry about it."
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[MrNexx]

Link to Eclipse Phase PDF

There's a lot that goes into it; the Octomorphs (i.e. bodies that are shaped like Octopi are on page 142), and go over some of the reasonable things they might have.

If they're naturally producing the gas, I agree that hydrogen is a more interesting option. But I like the gas bag idea... puts me in mind of the Oafa of Schlock Mercenary.
_________________
"I've Seen Your Daily Routine. You Are Not Busy!"
“We're going to win this war, not by fighting what we hate, but saving what we love.”
http://rpgcrank.blogspot.com/

[CRMcNeill]

From a basic readthrough on the uses of hydrogen, it could also be tied into whatever their defensive spray is, seeing as how hydrogen is used in the production of things like fertilizer, paint, hydrochloric acid and ammonia. As such, giving these aliens the ability to spray a foul-smelling, acidic mist could be plausibly explained as being tied to the same chemical processes that allow them to fly. Add to that the fact that hydrogen is more efficient as a buoyant than helium (apart from that whole flammability issue), and there's a lot of points in its favor. Even the flammability side effect has merit for game balance purposes (justifies giving the alien low damage resistance against energy attacks).
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[Potroclo]

Reminds me of the arboreal octopus in one of FFG's adventures. Doesn't float, but still attacks you from above
I personally don't normally allow for flying or floating PCs, I find it gives them too much of an edge. If you want to fly, get a jetpack

[MrNexx]

Of course, there IS a template for a naturally buoyant, acid-spitting, tentacled creature out there...
_________________
"I've Seen Your Daily Routine. You Are Not Busy!"
“We're going to win this war, not by fighting what we hate, but saving what we love.”
http://rpgcrank.blogspot.com/

[CRMcNeill]

[garhkal]

[CRMcNeill]

Probably simpler to just use either an increasing Damage roll against a character's Strength, with generic "wounds" that cover the effect of slow starvation.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[MrNexx]

So, just for fun, let's talk about a d6 Floating Octopus, which I will call Octo-boctos, because it's about on par with calling a greedy bounty hunter "Greedo", and less obscene than "Kitt Fisto". And it will tweak a small subset of parents, which is a bonus.

DEX 3D/5D
KNO 2D/4D
MCH 2D/4D
PER 2D/4d
STR 1D/3D
TCH 2D/4D

(Why the stats they have? I like to design from a base of 12D-24D as an attribute range, unless something absolutely must change. I'm picturing these as smaller, about Ewok size, but with a lot of Dexterity)

Special Abilities:
Float: Octo-boctos float naturally, using reserves of hydrogen generated within their body. They tend to remain at a height of approximately 2m, but can moderate their buoyancy to sink as lower or higher. They can ascend and descend at .5m per round as part of any other action, and 1m per round as a non-roll action.
Normal movement for Octo-boctos is quite slow; a mere 1, with 3 as the maximum. Furthermore, if they are floating free, every 1D of damage will push them half a meter along the vector of the attack. However, if they can reach tentacle-holds on walls or other protrusions, they may move by Climbing, and at Climbing speeds, and are immune to the push.
Alternatively, they can Jet or Plume.

Jet: Octo-boctos move slowly most of the time, but are capable of accelerating to great speed for brief bursts. As an action, they may roll up to STR and move half that distance, in meters, in a single round, in a straight line. However, they do not control this movement precisely; they pick a vector and move, and will suffer falling damage if they encounter a solid obstacle before the end of their jet. An Octo-bocto may devote less than their full Strength to movement; every die spent requires 10 minutes of normal breathing to recover. (For example, and Octo-bocto with 2D+1 strength may choose to Jet with 1D+1 die of Strength, then jet immediately, on a different vector, with their remaining 1D of Strength. Said character would be unable to jet at all for 10 minutes, at which point they would regain 1D of Jet ability).

Plume: Octo-boctos may use their Jet in another way. While their usual jetting movement is an expulsion of local atmosphere, Octo-boctos can choose to expel near-pure hydrogen, with explosive effects. "Pluming", as it is called, allows the Octo-bocto to expel fire for 1 meter for ever 1D of Strength that they devote to pluming, simultaneously Jetting in the other direction. The fire will do damage equal to the amount of Strength the Octo-bocto devoted to the attack, and is aimed with a special skill, Plume, which is based on Dexterity; all attacks with Plume are at short range. Like Jetting, dice used for Plume return at the rate of 1D per 10 minutes of normal breathing.

Tentacles: Octo-boctos have eight, strong, boneless arms, lined with powerful suction cups. Individually, each arm is not as strong as a human, but the Octo-bocto can naturally Combine Actions with the arms for Strength tests; so, if an Octo-Bocto with 1D Strength is able to devote all eight arms to a task, they may act as if their strength is 3D+1 (1D for the first arm, +2D for six additional arms, and +1 for the 7th). This applies for all Strength tests and skills, save tests made to resist damage and Jet or Plume.

Boneless: Octo-boctos seldom fall, but not infrequently impact walls and other hard objects at a high rate of speed when Jetting and Pluming. Their boneless nature gives them +2D armor against blunt force trauma, be it running into a wall or being hit by a speeder. This may not apply, at the GMs discretion, if the force is not quite blunt enough; it will protect quite well against a board, not so well against a board covered in spikes. However, they also take +1D damage from Blasters and fire-based weapons; constantly containing and exhaling flammable gases has its disadvantages.

Story Factors:
Weird Bodies: For whatever reason, the species of the galaxy are most often based on a relatively common plan... 1m-2m in height, with four limbs, and a protruding head. There are some variations on that; the legless Hutts, the symbiotic Paaerduag; but the plan is common enough that it is predictable.
Octo-boctos are nowhere near any of those.
Their tentacle-like arms are agile enough that most things designed to be used by hand are they pose no trouble to an octo-bocto, but equipment designed for a whole body, or even a creature with a back, can pose an issue. At the Game Master's discretion, many devices will pose a 1D to 2D penalty to use, and others (such as clothing and armor) will be completely unable to be used as intended. Furthermore, even custom-ordered equipment must be designed and manufactured to the octo-bocto's exact dimensions, adding 50-100% to costs.

EDIT: The parts I always forget

Move: 1/3
Size: ~.5m in diameter, with arms that are another 1-1.5m
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"I've Seen Your Daily Routine. You Are Not Busy!"
“We're going to win this war, not by fighting what we hate, but saving what we love.”
http://rpgcrank.blogspot.com/