Happy Friday the 13th! Time for another installment of "This Day in Anthro History"...perhaps not completely holiday-appropriate, but at least it involves a cat...!
On October 13, 1973, the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode "The Survivor" aired for the first time, introducing the world to Lieutenant M'ress and the cat-like alien species known as Caitians. After all, every self-respecting SF or fantasy universe needs at least one group of cat people, am I right?
Caitians would later be documented in live action Trek (like the admiral below who appeared in The Voyage Home) and, somewhat unfortunately, seem to have been ported into the new movies' timeline as catgirls with a more human appearance.
And while they might be the best-known of the bunch (maybe...), Caitians certainly aren't the only cats to have graced the Trek (and associated) universes over the years. You can read a little more on this here...
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Thanks for stopping by! Now, everybody head on over to Halls of the Nephilim and check out what +Justin Isaac has cooked up for release on this Friday the 13th...!
While I'm "working" on getting more traditional archetypes figured out for Light City, +Justin Isaac of Halls of the Nephilim has been thinking outside the box on what should be included in Swords & Wizardry Light-based supers. His first Light City One Shot has just hit OneBookShelf, and it's awesome! You should go check out The Super-Pet!
Apparently Justin's thinking of changing up the cover. I dunno...I like it!
Given my love for both comic book heroics and my own super pets, this is actually a class that I knew was going to have to happen at some point, and Justin's done a great job with presenting a broadly useful (and fun!) character option (that can even handle robot assistants!).
Look for a character or two to be statted up here later in the week...!
I wasn't sure what I wanted to feature for today's #MonsterMonday, so I conducted an informal survey of my cats to see what they would like to read about. They were nearly unanimous in requesting the most frustrating creature they have ever encountered...
Very little is known about the true origins of The Dot. The most common belief is that it is a semi-sentient, extradimensional being that enters our realm for the sake of curiosity. However, many people believe that it is actually a hyperintelligent creature made of pure energy that desires only to drive us mad. Most cats do agree on one thing: They need to get it.
A number of variants of The Dot have been reported, including green and red forms. These may be different individuals or alternative expressions of the same mystical force. The Dot is usually seen in close proximity to small cylindrical machines of no apparent use or value, although a connection between the two has never been confirmed.
The Dot is often found near beings of feline heritage, as well as (strangely) projections of PowerPoint presentations.
Here are some basics for using The Dot in your game. The rules are presented in the generic form of the GRIND...which I plan on overhauling at some point in the near future...
Level 5
3 HD
Exceptional DEX, expertise in Stealth (Hiding/Moving silently)
No defense bonus due to armor
Attack: 1 sting (1D damage)
The Dot can only be damaged by magical or super-scientific weapons.
While capable of a painful and potentially deadly sting, The Dot rarely engages in combat. Its most common action is to speed in between and around the appendages of beings who observe it, occasionally moving onto walls or other surfaces. It will often disappear from view entirely; in these cases, it may be hiding beneath another structure or temporarily located in its dimension of origin.
Whenever The Dot unexpectedly disappears, any character that attacked it in the last round of combat must make a roll/save vs. Wisdom (or Sanity, if your game has that). If successful, the character is unaffected. On a failed roll, however, the character gains 1 Dot Madness point. Acquiring these points leads to the following penalties:
1 point: 1 in 6 chance of being unable to act in any round.
2 points: 3 in 6 chance of being unable to act in any round.
3 points: Unable to take actions, temporary penalty of 10 to Intelligence
4 points: Falls unconscious.
Dot Madness points disappear at a rate of 1 per 15 minutes' time and can be cured by magical means.
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Unsurprisingly, it wasn't difficult to find a ton of videos online that feature cats facing off against this horror...
(Also, I don't have The Cat Hack and have no idea if there's something like this already featured there; if so, my apologies for any toes I may have stepped on. And if not...well, here's a monster that you might want to use in The Cat Hack...)
