WOD: Aliens

By Ed Payne

Average Alien Warrior

Nature:	Alien
Demeanor:	Alien
Physical:	Strength 5, Dexterity 5, Stamina 5
Social:	Charisma 0, Manipulation 0, Appearance 0
Mental:	Perception 3, Intelligence 1, Wits 2
Talents:	Alertness 4, Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Dodge 4, Intimidation 5
Skills:	Stealth 4
Knowledges:	None
Disciplines:	Auspex 1, Celerity 3, Fortitude 3, Obfuscate 1, Potence 3, Protean 2, Blood of Acid (see Sabbat Player's Guide, pg 113 with the following change: This acid will eat through wood, metal, and glass).
Backgrounds:	Hive 5
Virtues:	Callousness 3, Instincts 5, Morale 5
Humanity:	0
Willpower:	8, (if for some reason an Alien is separated from his hive for an extended period its willpower will drop a point for every week of separation. If this would result in its willpower dropping below 0 the Alien becomes lethargic and dies.)
Role Playing Hints:	You live for your hive and your Queen. Protect them at all costs, your life is insignificant. Think ant.

Facehuggers

Nature:	Alien
Demeanor:	Alien
Physical:	Strength 3, Dexterity 2, Stamina 4
Social:	Charisma 0, Manipulation 0, Appearance 0
Mental:	Perception 2, Intelligence 1, Wits 1
Talents:	Alertness 2, Athletics 2, Brawl 3, Dodge 3, Intimidation 2
Skills:	Stealth 2
Knowledges:	None
Disciplines:	Celerity 1, Fortitude 2, Obfuscate 1, Potence 2, Infestation (see below), Blood of Acid (as above).
Backgrounds:	None
Virtues:	Callousness 3, Instincts 5, Morale 5
Humanity:	0
Willpower:	7, (when a facehugger is released from its egg it must find a host soon or it will die. Subtract a point from its willpower for every day out of the egg, the facehugger dies when it reaches 0 willpower).
Role Playing Hints:	The host is everything. You will plant that egg or die.

Alien Queen

Nature:	Alien
Demeanor:	Alien
Physical:	Strength 6, Dexterity 6, Stamina 7
Social:	Charisma 0, Manipulation 0, Appearance 0
Mental:	Perception 4, Intelligence 2, Wits 3
Talents:	Alertness 4, Athletics 4, Brawl 5, Dodge 5, Intimidation 5, Hive Control 5
Skills:	Stealth 4
Knowledges:	None
Disciplines:	Auspex 1, Celerity 4, Fortitude 5, Obfuscate 1, Potence 5, Protean 2, Blood of Acid (as above), Poison Tail (see Alien combat below)
Backgrounds:	Hive 5, Nest 3
Virtues:	Callousness 4, Instincts 5, Morale 5
Humanity:	0
Willpower:	9
Role Playing Notes:	Propagation of your Hive is your purpose in existence, you will always survive to further the Hive.

Alien Disciplines

As is obvious, these are not actually true disciplines, but rather approximations of Alien abilities as would apply to the Vampire system. And as such there is no Blood limit to these powers.

Infestation

This ability allows Aliens to reproduce by placing an egg inside a host's chest cavity to incubate over a period of 12-48 hours (this time is an estimate, and I make no proof of scientific accuracy.) This is done by a facehugger attaching itself to its host's face and inserting a tube down the host's throat. The facehugger will insert the egg within a period of 12-24 hours after which time the facehugger will fall away from the host, and die. To pull a facehugger from its host would require an immense feat of strength, and would certainly kill the intended host. (The difficulty would be 8 and you'd need at least 6 successes.)

After the Alien embryo finishes incubating, it will proceed to eat its way out of the host killing the victim in the process. It'll take the embryo just a round to escape from its host and the Alien will then flee to a safe area (preferably in the Hive) where it will grow to full size within 24 hours. The Alien is significantly weaker during this time, but how this applies to game stats is up to the Storyteller. (I'd suggest a -4 modifier to its abilities, which improves by 1 for every 2-3 hours of time passed. This isn't perfect, but I'm open to suggestions.)

Notes: How infestation would affect a Kindred is purely speculation upon my part, but here goes. Given the choice between a kindred or kine the facehugger would obviously chose the kine, but if this was not possible for some reason it should be possible for the facehugger to infest a kindred. Presumably, the Alien embryo needs the warmth and organic matter of the host in order to incubate, so for an embryo to survive within a kindred host would require large amounts of blood. The embryo would consume 1 blood point every hour, which would make for one helluva ravenous kindred. (Also, the embryo would consume blood while the kindred slept as well -- in addition to the usual blood point loss for a day's sleep.) I also theorize that it could be possible that the incubation period would take longer within a kindred's anatomy, but that is pure hypothesis. If the embryo did finish incubating, then its leaving the kindred host wouldn't neccessarily kill the kindred. Since the kindred no longer possesses vital internal organs which would be torn apart by the embryo it's possible that the kindred could survive the process, but would be considerably injured. I figure the embryo would cause 8 dice damage to the kindred (no soak allowed except from Fortitude) for every round it attempts to break free. The embryo should need to inflict 5 health levels damage to break free from the kindred chest cavity. Yes, this damage would be aggravated.

As to how infestation would affect a Lupine, I'd say that it would be the same as for any other mortal. It'd kill the Lupine. Dead.

Alien Combat

Maneuver	Accuracy	Damage
Bite	5	Strength +2
Punch	6	Strength
Grapple	6	Strength
Claw	6	Strength +2
Kick	7	Strength +1
Body Slam	7	Special
Tail	8	Strength +1, plus 5 dice damage every round for the next 3 rounds. This attack may only be performed by Alien Queens.

Well that's it folks. I haven't playtested these concepts as of yet and I'd like to see somebody else's input on this one. Get in touch with me through the list.

After seeing this as we uploaded it once again I noticed a possible problem: As I said previously an alien embryo implanted within a kindred host would consume a blood point every hour even while the kindred sleeps. Now this would mean that once this vampire went to sleep he'd enter Torpor, because the embryo would consume so much blood. This would even be the case during the shortened days of winter. So how to have pity on your players (or should you)? If you are of the squeamish of heart you could change the embryo's consumption to one blood point every two hours. If not you could just screw the player and let him/her suffer.

Also, would the embryo survive in Torpor with the host? Ok that'll do it until the next revelation.