Help wih Species Design & Extraordinary Abilities

[Tranquilis]

Hi all! I'm currently enjoying Prime Directive D20 Modern by ADB. Although its official setting is obviously the Star Fleet Universe, it's perfect for running any sort of Star Trek game. Although D&D was my first "roll" playing game, FASA's Star Trek: RPG was my first "role" playing game, and I've had a blast assigning d20 Modern stats to create PC Star Trek races. I've done extensive work on roughly 30 so far and am loving it!

I do have a couple of questions about Extraordinary Abilities:

1.) By the looks of it, Ex Abilities can be beneficial OR detrimental (e.g. Light Sensitivity, Technophobic). It strikes me as odd that these would even be considered Ex Abilities. I guess the reasoning is that it is pertinent to know they can't be "dispelled" via magic, etc.?

2.) Since a Star Trek setting (at least my setting) is devoid of any sort of magic, Supernatural and Spell-Like Abilities don't exist (at least with those descriptors). With that being the case, would distinguishing an ability as Extraordinary even matter?

Lastly, with number 2 being the case, I'm having a bit of trouble distinguishing between Ex Abilities and Natural Abilities. For instance, it would seem to me that Scent (Ex) would just be a natural ability for certain species/races.

Thanks in advance for your help and comments!

 

[Ahnehnois]

You're right that "extraordinary" doesn't mean "good" in the context of d20 rules. You'd also be correct to say that the distinction between the various descriptors is meaningless. The point of having Sp, Su, and Ex designations is to discern what works in antimagic and what provokes attacks of opportunity.

Obviously there's no antimagic or equivalent effect, and there's no reason to even use attacks of opportunity if you're playing futuristic and no one fights in melee.

The distinction between extraordinary and natural abilties is fairly arbitrary and even more irrelevant. I'd just ignore all these terms and give the races what you want them to have.

 

[Empirate]

... if you're playing futuristic and no one fights in melee.

Ahem... what about the Klingons? Wouldn't a warrior wielding a bat'leth receive AoOs?

 

[Ahnehnois]

Ahem... what about the Klingons? Wouldn't a warrior wielding a bat'leth receive AoOs?

I would ignore that rule for a future game, as CoC d20 does (but not d20M, to be fair). In any case, the actions likely to provoke an AoO would be ranged weapon use or skill use requiring concentration, not spell-like abilities.

 

[Sekhmet]

The distinction between extraordinary and natural abilties is fairly arbitrary and even more irrelevant.

If I'm not mistaken, the entire point to have extraordinary abilities be different is to nerf Polymorph spells.
Oh, the havoc one could wreak by being able to acquire extraordinary qualities earlier.

 

[Dandu]

2.) Since a Star Trek setting (at least my setting) is devoid of any sort of magic, Supernatural and Spell-Like Abilities don't exist (at least with those descriptors). With that being the case, would distinguishing an ability as Extraordinary even matter?

How exactly are the powers for wormhole aliens and the Q handled?

 

[Empirate]

Would you really suggest that those need mechanical representation? The way I see it, the Q is an unstatted DMPC put into the show just to annoy the PCs (read: Enterprise crew), while the wormhole aliens or prophets are just a plot point, not even NPCs.