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mastereji Cadet
Joined: 07 Aug 2008 Posts: 20 Location: Fort Collins, CO
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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 10:47 am Post subject: Aliens/predators/stargate crossover campaigns |
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I was just wondering if anyone else has run a crossover campaign that included aliens/predators/stargates and if so some comments on how they ran? Did the Empire control all the stargates? Use the aliens as nasty pawns? Or hire the predators as bounty hunters? |
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Grimace Captain
Joined: 11 Oct 2004 Posts: 729 Location: Montana; Big Sky Country
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 11:37 am Post subject: |
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The most I ever did was use an Alien in my Star Wars game, but I called it a different racial name rather than "Alien". For it's brief back story, I said the group that had it was a group that had gone out to the farthest reaches of the Fringe and had found it on a planet there...the only one they could find. They helped it, so it stays with them and helps them.
But that's been about the extent of crossover than I've done in my games |
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TrueGrit Sub-Lieutenant
Joined: 02 Jun 2008 Posts: 54 Location: Leamington, Ont, CAN
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 1:48 pm Post subject: |
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Grimace wrote: | They helped it, so it stays with them and helps them. |
That has got to be one of the...... I dunno, I guess I would have gone a different way if I had a scenario that had a Giger alien in it. The whole, "Its a stray so we gave it some food and now it likes us" routine doesn't ring true. |
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Grimace Captain
Joined: 11 Oct 2004 Posts: 729 Location: Montana; Big Sky Country
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Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 7:27 pm Post subject: |
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Oh, don't get me wrong....it didn't ACT like an "Alien". It had the look, the attributes, the blood, all of that of an "Alien", but it wasn't a xenophobic killing machine. It was mean, but not towards those that helped it. It was intelligent enough to recognize its name, and to do some communication with the small group it was with, so it wasn't quite the monster that was the beasts in the movies.
So while I borrowed the body and the attributes of the Alien monster, I didn't borrow everything from it. My players (who were in a different group than the one that had the "Alien" in it) were more scared of an intelligent Alien than a simple killing machine. And, again, it was a sort of created alien for Star Wars rather than a direct crossover with the typical "Alien" of movie fame. |
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TrueGrit Sub-Lieutenant
Joined: 02 Jun 2008 Posts: 54 Location: Leamington, Ont, CAN
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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:53 am Post subject: |
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Ah, I understand now.
I never really considered them more then very cunning animals (insects even?). Perhaps the Queens have real intelligence but the aliens themselves always seemed more instinctual to me, rather then smart. Watch a cat hunt and you'll know what I mean - tigers are cunning but certainly aren't intelligent in a sentient sense.
How did it communicate with them? Hand signals? Hissing? Sign?
Did you make consideration for reproduction? Normally it takes a facehugger (awesome little pests) and a "host" to make an alien. Or was it not necessary to have that detail for your scenario? I'm curious now... |
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mastereji Cadet
Joined: 07 Aug 2008 Posts: 20 Location: Fort Collins, CO
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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 7:44 pm Post subject: things ive done with aliens, etc |
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I have some old d20 data on the aliens as a species and thier natures, abilitities, etc and they seem to very intelligent because they have a hive mind with the queen. Anyways, in one of my campaigns i used them as elite agents of a powerful sith sorcerer who happened upon a nest of eggs with facehuggers who use his dark arts and command of the force to manipulate them and their "new hosts" that he provided for them. I had most of them tainted with dark side energies but several of them became independent of the hive and he then trained them in the sith arts, thus making them sith acolytes that wielded lightsabers on top of all their other nasty attacks, the one thing i changed was their size, in that they remained medium size.
Basically, my players really really didnt like them especially the first time they came across them. Imagine being surrounded by multiple xenomorphs in red sith robes who then ignite their lightsabers. The look on all their faces was priceless. Needless to say they are nasty and I don't go that route too often.
Also, i can see your point on having a friendly one, especially a "red" one. My data states that there is an offshoot of aliens that are red in color and oppose the other ones and seek out and kill the opposing queens.
My group even sought out a "hive" of the red ones to aid them and they eventually were successful and the red ones helped them eliminate the dark side aliens and their master. |
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Grimace Captain
Joined: 11 Oct 2004 Posts: 729 Location: Montana; Big Sky Country
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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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TrueGrit wrote: |
How did it communicate with them? Hand signals? Hissing? Sign?
Did you make consideration for reproduction? Normally it takes a facehugger (awesome little pests) and a "host" to make an alien. Or was it not necessary to have that detail for your scenario? I'm curious now... |
It communicated with hisses, growls and other types of sounds that the group learned to understand, just as it learned to understand Basic.
And no, I didn't make consideration for reproduction. The scenario it appeared in didn't go to the extent of more than a day or two of interaction with the PCs, so it wasn't necessary to deal with things like "what it ate, how it reproduced, and how they dealt with injuries to it". Basically, in the game, the PCs worked with the other group for a day, then realized the group had a bit more selfish plans, and ditched them. The group with the "Alien" in it, of course, wasn't happy about the ditching and tried to get back at the PCs, but the PCs were more than cautious with the Alien and cleverly locked it in a place, along with a couple of other members of its team, that they couldn't get out of.
In the end, the PCs got away, blew up the installation, and it was never known if the other group managed to get away in time. Needless to say, if that particular group had stayed together (player-wise) they would have had an enemy of another group...one with an Alien in it.
Alas, I never got to use it again. |
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ironwolf56 Cadet
Joined: 13 Feb 2004 Posts: 6
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Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 2:14 pm Post subject: |
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TrueGrit wrote: | aren't intelligent in a sentient sense.
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Argh this is a pet peeve of mine, the word you're looking for is not sentient it's sapient. Anything that can perceive individuality (meaning can tell the difference between itself and things not itself) is sentient. Sapient means capable of problem solving and more advanced thought. It's not an all or nothing thing either, it's more a scale. So a cat is somewhat sapient too but nowhere near a human. Interesting side fact, modern humans are not Homo Sapiens, that can refer to many types of hominids like Neanderthals (Homo Sapiens Neanderthalis), we're actually Homo Sapiens Sapiens. But uhh anthropology rant over..back on topic.
Aliens from the aliens movie (called Xenomorphs by the way if you wanted to know, with the quasi-official scientific name of Linguafoeda Acheronsis) are kinda like space ants. So yes, they're a more instinctual, hierarchal species. The "common" type much less sapient than praetorian subtype (the kind with the longer skulls that guard the Queen) and Queens. |
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Ankhanu Vice Admiral
Joined: 13 Oct 2006 Posts: 3089 Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
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Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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ironwolf56 wrote: | ... Interesting side fact, modern humans are not Homo Sapiens, that can refer to many types of hominids like Neanderthals (Homo Sapiens Neanderthalis), we're actually Homo Sapiens Sapiens. But uhh anthropology rant over..back on topic.
Aliens from the aliens movie (called Xenomorphs by the way if you wanted to know, with the quasi-official scientific name of Linguafoeda Acheronsis) are kinda like space ants. So yes, they're a more instinctual, hierarchal species. The "common" type much less sapient than praetorian subtype (the kind with the longer skulls that guard the Queen) and Queens. |
Only the genus name is capitalized.
Taxonomist rant over _________________ Hotaru no Hishou; a messageboard about games, friends and nothing at all.
Donate to Ankhanu Press |
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masque Captain
Joined: 16 Mar 2006 Posts: 626 Location: Houston, TX
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Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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ironwolf56 wrote: | Interesting side fact, modern humans are not Homo Sapiens, that can refer to many types of hominids like Neanderthals (Homo Sapiens Neanderthalis), we're actually Homo Sapiens Sapiens. |
As long as we're being taxonomical, it's actually Homo sapiens sapiens. The genus (Homo) gets capitalized, the species (sapiens) does not.
EDIT: Dammit, I had that typed, but then I had to go lock out a valve, so you beat me to it. _________________ Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid. |
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Esoomian High Admiral
Joined: 29 Oct 2003 Posts: 6207 Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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ironwolf56 wrote: | TrueGrit wrote: | aren't intelligent in a sentient sense.
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Argh this is a pet peeve of mine, the word you're looking for is not sentient it's sapient. Anything that can perceive individuality (meaning can tell the difference between itself and things not itself) is sentient. Sapient means capable of problem solving and more advanced thought. It's not an all or nothing thing either, it's more a scale. So a cat is somewhat sapient too but nowhere near a human. Interesting side fact, modern humans are not Homo Sapiens, that can refer to many types of hominids like Neanderthals (Homo Sapiens Neanderthalis), we're actually Homo Sapiens Sapiens. But uhh anthropology rant over..back on topic.
Aliens from the aliens movie (called Xenomorphs by the way if you wanted to know, with the quasi-official scientific name of Linguafoeda Acheronsis) are kinda like space ants. So yes, they're a more instinctual, hierarchal species. The "common" type much less sapient than praetorian subtype (the kind with the longer skulls that guard the Queen) and Queens. |
It's a pet peeve of mine too.
And even the 'common' xenomorphs display reasoning and problem solving skills, especially in Aliens 4 when several xenomorphs killed another xenomorph in order to release enough acidic blood to escape.
Anyway back on topic if you search older threads here on the pit you'll find quite a few crossover threads. I recall one had a Jedi needing to borrow a blaster pistol because a lightsaber is the wrong weapon to use on something that bleeds acid (which always had me wondering how acid clots or why xenomorphs don't bleed to death) _________________ Don't waste money on expensive binoculars.
Simply stand closer to the object you wish to view. |
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obidancer Lieutenant Commander
Joined: 20 Mar 2004 Posts: 230 Location: New York, NY
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Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 4:31 pm Post subject: |
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that's the prime example why it's so great to be a member of this forum... I just love you, guys. No joke. |
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hisham Commander
Joined: 06 Oct 2004 Posts: 432 Location: Malaysia
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Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 9:47 pm Post subject: |
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Esoomian wrote: | (which always had me wondering how acid clots or why xenomorphs don't bleed to death) |
This was addressed by the Alien novelization. "Bleeding acid" is nothing more than hyperbole. The acid is supposed to be just part of the skin structure, sandwiched and pressurized between two layers of polysaccharides IIRC, which causes it to spurt when breached. It's more like a defense mechanism. _________________ The Enteague Sector | Cracken's Collection of Crackpots
In D6, of course. |
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Esoomian High Admiral
Joined: 29 Oct 2003 Posts: 6207 Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:05 pm Post subject: |
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Wow thanks for that! I'd been idly wondering about that for ages! _________________ Don't waste money on expensive binoculars.
Simply stand closer to the object you wish to view. |
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hisham Commander
Joined: 06 Oct 2004 Posts: 432 Location: Malaysia
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Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:41 pm Post subject: |
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Esoomian wrote: | Wow thanks for that! I'd been idly wondering about that for ages! | However much the explanation actually makes sense there, I think it's been overriden by the rest of the movie franchise which has everyone saying "ZOMG! ACID FOR BLOOD!" and no one corrected them by saying otherwise.
Especially in Alien Resurrection, where 1) They had the aliens on hand for study 2) Those aliens can also spit acid, thus negating the skin defense mechanism argument.
Sigh. _________________ The Enteague Sector | Cracken's Collection of Crackpots
In D6, of course. |
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