Cortex for ExoSquad and Gargoyles

I've been a fan of tabletop role-playing games since I was nine or ten. I started with D&D but branching off into Robotech (with the RIFTS system), Shadowrun, Paranoia, Call of Cthulhu. My new group is playing with two systems that are new to me, Battlestar Galactica (using the Cortex system) and Hollow Earth.
Cortex is a great system, and available for free download. I immediately fell in love with it, and think it works very well for lowish-tech science fiction universes. It was designed for Firefly and adapted for BSG and other universes. A buddy of mine asked me what system would be good to run a Starship Troopers and Cortex immediately popped into my head.  This turned to a conversation of how well the system would work for such diverse universes as Alien, ExoSquad, and Gargoyles.Of course, Gargoyles and ExoSquad both include pretty neat races that should be open to PCs, the Gargoyles and the NeoSapiens. We came up with some bundles, so I thought I'd share them.

Gargoyle Bundle: null cost

Assets:

Enhanced Movement (Gliding): D8 (With enough height and knowledge of local air currents, Gargoyles can glide for miles.)

Enhanced Movement (Climbing): D6 (Gargoyles climb extraordinarily quickly.)

Inherent Weapons (Claws): D4 (Their claws can shatter stone)

Inherent Armor: D4 (Their skin is tough and tends to deflect weapons.)

Complications:

Stone Sleep: D10 (At sunrise, Gargoyles turn to stone regardless of where they are and what they are doing.)

Memorable: D8 (Gargoyles stand out in a crowd.)

Duty: D4 (Almost all Gargoyles have at least a moderate compulsion to protect their home.)

I thought about doing one for the Children of Oberon race, but they seem to be too varied to stat out in a meaningful way. If a PC really wants to play one, the GM will have to just get creative.  I would suggest giving them Immune - non-iron weapons (D12 + D2) as a pretty standard attribute.  Mutates might be a fun bundle to make up, though.

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Neo Sapien Bundle: D12 cost

Assets:

Enhanced Manipulation: D2 (Neo Sapiens have two thumbs (and two fingers) on each hand, as well as prehensile toes. Add to tests where fine dexterity is paramount.)

Natural Athlete: D4 (Neo Sapiens are at the apex of human capabilities.)

Tough: D4 (Neo Sapiens are tougher than their stats might indicate.)

Head for Numbers: D4 (Neo Sapiens are brilliant, especially in technical matters.)

Simple needs: D2 (Neo Sapiens can survive on comparably few calories, and can digest almost anything organic to achieve those calories.)

Always Awake: D6 (Neo Sapiens don't need sleep.)

Fast on Your Feet: D2 (Neo Sapiens have long legs and move swiftly.)

Enhanced Senses: D4 (Neo Sapiens see very well in low-light conditions, and have exceptional hearing.)

Lightning Reflexes: D2 (Neo Sapiens have unnaturally fast reflexes.)

Hardy Constitution: D4 (Neo Sapiens can shrug off the ill effects of drugs or disease with ease.)

Formidable Presence: D2 (Neo Sapiens are 8 feet tall and built like linebackers. They tend to intimidate.)

Longevity: D2 (Neo Sapiens can live, and be vital, approximately twice as long as Homo Sapiens.)


Complications:

Vulnerability - Trauma: D6 (Neo Sapiens who suffer sever physical trauma, such as the loss of more than half of their life points, are at risk for contracting Auto Mutation Syndrome, a degenerative and inevitably fatal disease. They must make a hard endurance check or contract the illness.

Sterile: D4 (Neo Spaiens cannot reproduce normally, divorcing them from the cycle of life and denying them any form of familial relationship.)

Analysis Paralysis: D4 (Most Neo Sapiens are unable to think on their feet. The unexpected can confuse them. When encountering unfamiliar or unexpected situations, step down all attributes by one for D4 rounds.)

Conventional Thinking: D4 (When attempting be truly original or creative in tactics or technical matters, Neo Sapiens are often at a loss. Subtract D4 from rolls under such circumstances.)

Memorable: D4 (In addition to being eight feet tall and blue, all Neo Sapiens have a unique geometric tattoo prominently on their forehead.)

Animal Enmity: D4 (Animals can sense something unnatural about Neo Sapiens. Dogs bark at them and domestic animals resent their handling.)

Note: Many Neo Sapien villains have Prejudice (Humans) to help offset the cost of this bundle, though of course any Neo Sapien in the Exo Fleet would be unlikely to have such a complication. 

This is obviously an extremely potent bundle, reflecting how they were portrayed in the series. For most campaigns, I would advise no more than one Neo Sapien per party. GnomeStew has an excellent article on the reasoning behind such a limitation

Gargoyles

One thousand years ago,
Superstition and the sword ruled.
It was a time of darkness.
It was a world of fear.
It was the age of Gargoyles.
Stone by day, warriors by night,
We were betrayed by the humans we had sworn to protect,
Frozen in stone by a magic spell for a thousand years.
Now, here in Manhattan, the spell is broken, and we live again!
We are defenders of the night!
We are Gargoyles!

For those of you who don't know Gargoyles was a cartoon from the mid 90's. It was a well-written, well acted series with complicated story arcs and nuanced characters. Without going into crazy details, they had a 65 episode run and a spin-off series of sorts. The whole first season and half of the second season are available to date.

I certainly enjoyed Gargoyles when it first aired, but what really impressed me about the show in later years was how accessible Greg Weisman, one of the original creators of the property, has made himself. There is a huge archive of questions that fans have asked him, organized by subject or by year, that further enrich the tapestry that is Gargoyles.

In recent months, Gargoyles has returned in comic book form. A twelve-issue story called Clan Building has been released from Slave Labor Graphics. It's a direct continuation of the 65 issues of Gargoyles, written by Weisman and with some excellent art. Needless to say, the story is excellent. It's available as Clan Building, collected in two trade paperbacks.. There is also a six issue black&white mini series called Bad Guys featuring some of the more memorable secondary villains of the show. I think it's wonderful that the show could come back after more than a decade in this new medium.

Finally, for those of you who are already big Gargoyles fans, Bowen Studios is releasing a gorgeous Goliath Statue! It clocks in at a pricey $270, so it's certainly not for everyone. But if you're into comic and sci-fi statues and have disposable income, it's pretty gorgeous.

And this this is nominally a Transformers blog, I'll point out that there is a high degree of crossover between the actors from Gargoyles and the actors from Transformers. Frank Welker played Bronx, though of course he's in everything. Bill Fagerbakke plays both Broadway and Animated Bulkhead. Jeff Bennet plays both Brooklyn and Animated Prowl. Keith David, the lead in Garoyles, also played Barricade in the Transformers 2007 movie game. There are a few more, though the show that REALLY overlaps with Gargoyles in terms of acting talent is Star Trek: Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, Michael Dorn, Brent Spiner, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew, LeVar Burton, Colm Meaney, Nichelle Nichols ... wow!

So, there you have it. Gargoyles, one of the best American sci-fi cartoons ever. Check it out!