Krogan
Attribute Dice: 11d
DEXTERITY: 2d/4d
KNOWLEDGE: 1d/3d
MECHANICAL: 2d/4d
PERCEPTION: 3d/4d
STRENGTH: 5d/6d
TECHNICAL: 1d/3d
Special Abilities:
Shoulder humps: Krogans store fluids and nutrients in their shoulder humps. They can survive three times as long as a human without food or water.
Resilient: Krogans have secondary, and sometimes tertiary, internal organs. This makes them remarkable resistant to long-term damage. Poisons and other injuries are usually just ignored. Thy enjoy a +2d bonus to resist poisons, toxins, and radiation.
Armored Hide: Krogan have thick skins which provide an armor bonus of +1d physical and +2 energy.
Resilient: Krogans have secondary, and sometimes tertiary, internal organs. This makes them remarkable resistant to long-term damage. Poisons and other injuries are usually just ignored. Thy enjoy a +2d bonus to resist poisons, toxins, and radiation.
Armored Hide: Krogan have thick skins which provide an armor bonus of +1d physical and +2 energy.
Story Factors:
Long lived: Krogan can live up to 1,000 years.
Rapid breeding: Krogan gestation is only 7 weeks.
Genophage: Due to a genetic disease, only one out of every krogan birth is viable.
Rapid breeding: Krogan gestation is only 7 weeks.
Genophage: Due to a genetic disease, only one out of every krogan birth is viable.
Move: 11/13
Size: 2.1 to 2.5 meters
The krogan are a species of large reptilian bipeds native to Tuchanka, a world known for its harsh environment, scarce resources, and over-abundance of vicious predators.
Biologically, the krogan are a hearty species, able to live for millennia. The large shoulder humps on a krogan store fluids and nutrients, which enable them to go for long periods without food or water. Krogan also possess multiple instances of major organs, having secondary and even, at times, tertiary organ systems, in case any are damaged. A krogan individual possesses a thick hide, which is extremely hardy and very resistant to cuts, scrapes, and contusions. Krogan are also highly resistant to radiation, poisons, and extreme temperatures. Force-using individuals are rare, though those who do possess the talent are typically quite strong in their abilities and are often viewed with suspicion or fear, which is percieved as a beneficial trait for leaders among krogan. Krogan eyes are placed on the sides of their heads, for superiormonocular vision reminiscent of prey animals. Most Krogan stand over 2.1 meters tall, and can weigh up to "at least five hundred pounds".
Roughly 2000 years ago the krogan were a primitive tribal species trapped on a world suffering through a nuclear winter of their own making. They were liberated from this state by the salarians, who "culturally uplifted" the krogan by giving them advanced technology and relocating them to a planet not cursed with lethal levels of radiation, toxins or deadly predators. But the salarian intervention was not without an ulterior motive. At the time they were engaged in a prolonged galactic war with the rachni, a race of intelligent space-faring insects. The salarians hoped the krogan would join them as soldiers to stand against an otherwise unstoppable foe. The plan worked to perfection: within two generations the rapidly breeding krogan had the numbers not only to drive back the advancing rachni, but the ability to endure the harsh conditions of the rachni worlds. They were able to pursue them to their home worlds, find the rachni queens, and eradicate the entire species.
Once hailed as the saviors of the galaxy for their successful destruction of a dangerously xenophobic and powerful spacefaring insectoid race known as the rachni, the krogan are now a shadow of their former prominence. Flush with confidence following their defeat of the rachni and the recognition of the other races and their subsequent leniency towards the krogans' obvious ambition for an empire of their own, the krogan began colonizing worlds at a dangerous rate, eventually forcibly colonizing inhabited worlds and encroaching upon Imperial territories, drawing the attention of the Empire. Unwilling to curtail their activities and relinquish those worlds and territories belonging to other races, the krogan rebelled against the Empire. Initially successful against the combined forces of the Empire, the krogan were defeated by a salarian-developed genophage which rendered only one out of every thousand krogan births viable.
Once infected with this weapon, the krogan were unable to maintain their numbers despite their short seven-week gestation period, and through attrition were eventually defeated. Due to the continuing effects of the genophage and their belligerent nature, the krogan are a dying species and are trapped in a downward spiral of apathy and violence. Some krogan hire themselves out as mercenaries, assassins or muscle for various organized crime syndicates; others manage to make out a living through brigandage and piracy. Many krogan still consider themselves at war with the galaxy at large and are still incorporated into small war parties or clans traditionally led by warlords. Increasingly, however, the krogan have taken to fighting amongst themselves for territory, resources, and even over those few krogan females who are still capable of producing offspring. Due to their slow extinction, most krogan are becoming increasingly pessimistic and self-centered. Few krogan have any interest in anything other than fighting or the acquisition of material wealth, even to the point of ignoring any possible way of countering the genophage.
Once hailed as the saviors of the galaxy for their successful destruction of a dangerously xenophobic and powerful spacefaring insectoid race known as the rachni, the krogan are now a shadow of their former prominence. Flush with confidence following their defeat of the rachni and the recognition of the other races and their subsequent leniency towards the krogans' obvious ambition for an empire of their own, the krogan began colonizing worlds at a dangerous rate, eventually forcibly colonizing inhabited worlds and encroaching upon Imperial territories, drawing the attention of the Empire. Unwilling to curtail their activities and relinquish those worlds and territories belonging to other races, the krogan rebelled against the Empire. Initially successful against the combined forces of the Empire, the krogan were defeated by a salarian-developed genophage which rendered only one out of every thousand krogan births viable.
Once infected with this weapon, the krogan were unable to maintain their numbers despite their short seven-week gestation period, and through attrition were eventually defeated. Due to the continuing effects of the genophage and their belligerent nature, the krogan are a dying species and are trapped in a downward spiral of apathy and violence. Some krogan hire themselves out as mercenaries, assassins or muscle for various organized crime syndicates; others manage to make out a living through brigandage and piracy. Many krogan still consider themselves at war with the galaxy at large and are still incorporated into small war parties or clans traditionally led by warlords. Increasingly, however, the krogan have taken to fighting amongst themselves for territory, resources, and even over those few krogan females who are still capable of producing offspring. Due to their slow extinction, most krogan are becoming increasingly pessimistic and self-centered. Few krogan have any interest in anything other than fighting or the acquisition of material wealth, even to the point of ignoring any possible way of countering the genophage.
The harsh krogan homeworld conditioned the krogan psychology for toughness just as it did the body. Krogan have always had a tendency to be selfish, unsympathetic, and blunt. They respect strength and self-reliance and are neither surprised nor offended by treachery. The weak and selfless do not live long. In their culture, "looking out for number one" is simply a matter of course. Krogan have powerful territorial instincts which serve them well in combat, but can create problems; when traveling on starships, for example, krogan find sharing quarters nearly impossible.
Most krogan trust and serve no one but themselves. This solitary attitude stems in part from a deep sense of fatalism and futility, a profound social effect of the genophage that caused krogan numbers to dwindle to a relative handful. Not only are they angry that the entire galaxy seems out to get them, the krogan are also generally pessimistic about their race's chances of survival. The surviving krogan see no point to building for the future; there will be no future. The krogan live with an attitude of "kill, pillage, and be selfish, for tomorrow we die."
Female krogan rarely leave their home worlds, focusing on breeding in an attempt to keep krogan numbers from declining too quickly. The few remaining fertile females who can carry young to term are treated as prizes of war, to be seized, bartered or fought over. Recently, it has been noted that the females of the krogan species live in clans separate from that of the males. Envoys are sent out from the female clans to determine who amongst the males is worthy to visit the female clans. Due to the effects of the genophage and the lack of fertile females, this happens often and many male krogan sire children from one female.
The closest they come is to establish ritualistic burial grounds called the Hollows, where the skulls of their ancestors are displayed to remind them of "where we all come from, and where we all go." The Hollows are as sacred as any krogan place can be, and violence there is forbidden. Several krogan also mention a place called "the Void" which seems to be the krogan version of the afterlife.
Krogan are divided into numerous clans. Membership in a clan allows a krogan to own property, join the army and apply to serve under a battlemaster. Young krogan undergo a rite of passage that is overseen by a shaman respective to the clan the krogan wishes to join. In clan Urdnot, this rite consists of battling various wild fauna on Tuchanka, ending with an encounter with a thresher maw. Merely surviving for five minutes is considered proof of worthiness, but killing the thresher maw increases the initiate's prestige and standing. Few outsiders have seen the rite of passage take place, even though there are no rules in krogan tradition that state that a non-krogan can't help with the undertaking of the rite by acting as the participant's krantt. The rite of passage and all other rites and traditions are preserved by the clan shaman. The shaman must undergo lengthy and torturous rites to assume the position, and is required to give up his name. Because of this level of commitment, the shaman is one of the most respected members of a clan.
After their defeat in the Rebellions, the very concept of krogan leadership was discredited. Where a warlord could once command enough power to bring entire solar systems to heel and become Overlord, these days it is rare for a single leader to have more than a thousand warriors swear allegiance to him. It is speculated that their instinctive aggression and territorial nature prevent the krogan from forming any kind of centralized government or parliament that is not based on fear or obedience.
Traditional krogan tactics were built on attritional mass-unit warfare. Equipped with cheap, rugged gear, troop formations were powerful but inflexible. Command and control was very centralized; soldiers in the field who saw a target contacted their commanders behind the lines to arrange fire support.
Since the genophage, the krogan can no longer afford the casualties of the old horde attacks. The Battle Masters are a match for any ten soldiers of another species. To a Battle Master, killing is a science. They focus on developing clean, brute-force economy of motion that exploits their brutal strength to incapacitate enemies with a swift single blow of overwhelming power. This change of focus from mass-unit warfare to maximal efficiency has increased employment demand in the fields of security and 'muscle for hire.' Due to the unsavory reputation of the krogan, most of these jobs are on the far side of the law.
Battle Masters are not 'spit and polish,' but they do believe in being well-armed and equipped, preferably with a gun for each limb. They are callous and brutal, but methodical and disciplined. They use any means at their disposal to achieve their goals, no matter how reprehensible. Hostage-taking and genocide are acceptable means to ensure a quiet occupation with few krogan casualties.
Force-users are rare among the krogan. Those that exist are viewed with suspicion and fear. The krogan see this aura of fear as a useful quality for an officer, and often promote them. Combat drones and other high-tech equipment are likewise in short supply.
Most krogan trust and serve no one but themselves. This solitary attitude stems in part from a deep sense of fatalism and futility, a profound social effect of the genophage that caused krogan numbers to dwindle to a relative handful. Not only are they angry that the entire galaxy seems out to get them, the krogan are also generally pessimistic about their race's chances of survival. The surviving krogan see no point to building for the future; there will be no future. The krogan live with an attitude of "kill, pillage, and be selfish, for tomorrow we die."
Female krogan rarely leave their home worlds, focusing on breeding in an attempt to keep krogan numbers from declining too quickly. The few remaining fertile females who can carry young to term are treated as prizes of war, to be seized, bartered or fought over. Recently, it has been noted that the females of the krogan species live in clans separate from that of the males. Envoys are sent out from the female clans to determine who amongst the males is worthy to visit the female clans. Due to the effects of the genophage and the lack of fertile females, this happens often and many male krogan sire children from one female.
The closest they come is to establish ritualistic burial grounds called the Hollows, where the skulls of their ancestors are displayed to remind them of "where we all come from, and where we all go." The Hollows are as sacred as any krogan place can be, and violence there is forbidden. Several krogan also mention a place called "the Void" which seems to be the krogan version of the afterlife.
Krogan are divided into numerous clans. Membership in a clan allows a krogan to own property, join the army and apply to serve under a battlemaster. Young krogan undergo a rite of passage that is overseen by a shaman respective to the clan the krogan wishes to join. In clan Urdnot, this rite consists of battling various wild fauna on Tuchanka, ending with an encounter with a thresher maw. Merely surviving for five minutes is considered proof of worthiness, but killing the thresher maw increases the initiate's prestige and standing. Few outsiders have seen the rite of passage take place, even though there are no rules in krogan tradition that state that a non-krogan can't help with the undertaking of the rite by acting as the participant's krantt. The rite of passage and all other rites and traditions are preserved by the clan shaman. The shaman must undergo lengthy and torturous rites to assume the position, and is required to give up his name. Because of this level of commitment, the shaman is one of the most respected members of a clan.
After their defeat in the Rebellions, the very concept of krogan leadership was discredited. Where a warlord could once command enough power to bring entire solar systems to heel and become Overlord, these days it is rare for a single leader to have more than a thousand warriors swear allegiance to him. It is speculated that their instinctive aggression and territorial nature prevent the krogan from forming any kind of centralized government or parliament that is not based on fear or obedience.
Traditional krogan tactics were built on attritional mass-unit warfare. Equipped with cheap, rugged gear, troop formations were powerful but inflexible. Command and control was very centralized; soldiers in the field who saw a target contacted their commanders behind the lines to arrange fire support.
Since the genophage, the krogan can no longer afford the casualties of the old horde attacks. The Battle Masters are a match for any ten soldiers of another species. To a Battle Master, killing is a science. They focus on developing clean, brute-force economy of motion that exploits their brutal strength to incapacitate enemies with a swift single blow of overwhelming power. This change of focus from mass-unit warfare to maximal efficiency has increased employment demand in the fields of security and 'muscle for hire.' Due to the unsavory reputation of the krogan, most of these jobs are on the far side of the law.
Battle Masters are not 'spit and polish,' but they do believe in being well-armed and equipped, preferably with a gun for each limb. They are callous and brutal, but methodical and disciplined. They use any means at their disposal to achieve their goals, no matter how reprehensible. Hostage-taking and genocide are acceptable means to ensure a quiet occupation with few krogan casualties.
Force-users are rare among the krogan. Those that exist are viewed with suspicion and fear. The krogan see this aura of fear as a useful quality for an officer, and often promote them. Combat drones and other high-tech equipment are likewise in short supply.
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