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Any OTU minor race that looks like this ?

CaptRet

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I have lately been acquiring various 25mm figures to use with Traveller (particularly the old Grenadier figures). Various of the old Grenadier Gamma World human figures are quite useable. Included in a lot containing mostly such figures, I also received a Gamma World "Badder" (sort of an evolved badger). See attached links for a picture. I was trying to think of what minor race he could represent (he is equipped with a blade, and his padded garment would do for a variant of flak jacket). Any suggestions ?

https://mikemonaco.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/front.jpg

https://mikemonaco.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/rear.jpg?w=584

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/elYAAOSwQ-BdHtqA/s-l300.jpg
 
My first thought is a short Ursa. They have known colonies in Ley, Fornast, and Corridor, but do have their share of wandering PC types.
 
Thanks GypsyComet. Not thrilled with the concept of the various uplifted species during the Rule of Man (and while dolphins and simians make some sense, not sure that bears would have been a likely candidate). But at least that gives me an option. Any other possibilities out there ?
 
I'm guessing this was for other systems that went whole hog animal, or maybe oriented towards Erma Felna furry RPG play.
 
I have lately been acquiring various 25mm figures to use with Traveller (particularly the old Grenadier figures). Various of the old Grenadier Gamma World human figures are quite useable. Included in a lot containing mostly such figures, I also received a Gamma World "Badder" (sort of an evolved badger). See attached links for a picture. I was trying to think of what minor race he could represent (he is equipped with a blade, and his padded garment would do for a variant of flak jacket). Any suggestions?

The wiki team created some tools for you:

http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Bio-Identenoid

http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Mammallianoid

If you have a basic idea as to the biology of your miniature, you can see which Traveller aliens match up to it. The matches will often not be exact, but it can be a very useful tool.

I hope that you enjoy it.

Like Jim Kundert said, it does appear bear-like. Here are the bear-like species:

http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Ursinoid

Shalom,
M.
 
Any other possibilities out there ?

not full-blown species or independent uplift, but genmod "sidekick" - loyal servant, guard, and/or (in honor of the recently developing insanity) support animal.
 
Thanks Maksim-Smelchak. Those tools are highly useful, and not just for this particular example. At first glance, the Murians look like a good candidate (this fellow could be a merchant, adventurer, etc., with a flak jacket and blade). Flykiller, your genmod sidekick idea is interesting and novel. As one member of the "crew" I am developing (Mongoose 2nd ed>) is a wealthy Dilletante of the Aristocrat subclass, it certainly would be possible that she inherited one from her deceased great aunt (as well as her 25% interest in a Safari Ship).
 
Why does it have to be OTU?

Some people like to play in the OTU. I use both MTU (last 2 games) and OTU (1st game in 30+ years, and the next planned one for Jan/Feb 2020).

So it can be nice to have a mini reflecting an existing alien race.

Not that it will stop you from creating your own aliens for the OTU if you want, but can be nicer to something that at least approximates what is needed.

At one time I think I had one of the Virushi minis. Still have a Martian Metals air/raft and a bunch of 15mm humans & K'Kree, not sure if I really had that one. Had a player who played a Virushi and it was nice to have the matching mini.
 
Thanks GypsyComet. Not thrilled with the concept of the various uplifted species during the Rule of Man (and while dolphins and simians make some sense, not sure that bears would have been a likely candidate). But at least that gives me an option. Any other possibilities out there ?

GenAssist was just doing what the clients wanted. Sometimes that makes sense, and sometimes it doesn't. The Ursa were technically a failure. They just escaped before the project was "shut down".
 
Some people like to play in the OTU. I use both MTU (last 2 games) and OTU (1st game in 30+ years, and the next planned one for Jan/Feb 2020).

So it can be nice to have a mini reflecting an existing alien race.

Not that it will stop you from creating your own aliens for the OTU if you want, but can be nicer to something that at least approximates what is needed.

At one time I think I had one of the Virushi minis. Still have a Martian Metals air/raft and a bunch of 15mm humans & K'Kree, not sure if I really had that one. Had a player who played a Virushi and it was nice to have the matching mini.

I find the OTU to be a particularly rich, deep background and like having things fit it. Of course one can make up any creature or race one could wish, but somehow the idea of a shared universe is more interesting to me.
And I recently acquired a Virushi myself, for a comparatively hefty price - given that Grenadier only made the one model and only in the Alien Mercenaries set, I doubt I'll have the opportunity (or desire) to get a second. Funny, because I was able to get two Hivers and recently saw a third for sale on Ebay for a relatively reasonable price (but two Hivers are plenty !).
 
I recently acquired a Virushi

Cool find!

He's a bit small for 25mm or 28mm, and a touch big for 15mm, but that just makes him versatile as a mini.

Aside from the expressly defined uplifts, Traveller has generally been good about avoiding the obvious Terran analog aliens. This means having a race of oddly badger-like aliens is less cliche than it would otherwise be.
 
Cool find!

He's a bit small for 25mm or 28mm, and a touch big for 15mm, but that just makes him versatile as a mini.

Aside from the expressly defined uplifts, Traveller has generally been good about avoiding the obvious Terran analog aliens. This means having a race of oddly badger-like aliens is less cliche than it would otherwise be.

I totally agree with you regarding the Virushi miniature's size - it is larger than the Grenadier K'Kree, but then they are a bit small too. Still, the three are all fine sculpts by Grenadier that are faithful to the Traveller artwork (what I like about the Grenadier figures). And their Aslan was less reminiscent of an uplifted cat and more clearly alien than other representations (and more faithful to the original picture of an Aslan in Classic Traveller).
 
"loyal servant, guard, and/or (in honor of the recently developing insanity) support animal"

Rocket Raccoon for the win

Funny thing, Rocket's *comic* back story is basically all of those, by way of Halfworld. His MCU version appears to be a lot simpler in that regard, though we've only heard hints of his early life.

The current take on the OTU, glimpsed in Agent and strongly implied in the pages of T5.X is that there are native alien races all over. The Majors are well documented, while the Minors fall into roughly three categories.
-Mold Breakers: those that challenge the Vilani definition of Minor Race. The Aslan do so successfully and are considered a Major, while the Suerrat were beaten down politically and wear the Minor label grudgingly despite being some 60% of the population of Ilelish Sector. In case you haven't looked at the total population of Ilelish, that's a LOT of Suerrat.
-"Standard" Minor Race: possess jump in many cases but didn't develop it themselves; less that 10% of the members of these races are more than 10 parsecs from home. Nearly all documented Minor Races fit here
-Shut-Ins: less than 1% of these populations would even consider leaving home, and most of them never do; found only on their own world, whether due to inclination or some physiological barrier to travel. These are frequently NOT documented even in developed sectors. The Crawni (Craw/Spinward Marches) and the Denuli Shriekers are perhaps the best known in print.

The second and third groups are huge, and act to allow you, the Player and/or Referee, to play just about anything you like.

As a quick and dirty solution I'd use Aslan stats for the Badders (higher Strength and Endurance, lower Dexterity, natural claws), sketch in a social structure that gives the player something to build on, and let the rest write itself. Homeworld would ideally be either in or near the campaign zone.
 
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There really are "Minor Races" and minor races. I could see where some would be more influential than others. I would adjudge it in part by the tech level reached. Even if your race didn't independently arrive at jump travel, if your world's average tech level is 7- 9 or above and you have colonized multiple worlds you probably register in the politics of the Majors (and even more so if you have colonized multiple systems). Your race is probably not a major player (pardon the pun) in the Great Game, but probably an important client state or or even a make-weight for a Major. Your technological infrastructure is probably able to reverse engineer a some of the more sophisticated technology in general interstellar use. (And the opposite would be true if your race has yet to break into the Industrial Age - you probably would be living on an Amber Zone world).
 
Did a quick check on Shapeways and sadly no Virushi (Aslan though). Wonder if that could be done? While it is a niche product I can see getting that sculpt or others. Be nice to have representative minis for the major and the not so major races. Ael Yael for the win (I played one once, took the high road :) )
 
Did a quick check on Shapeways and sadly no Virushi (Aslan though). Wonder if that could be done? While it is a niche product I can see getting that sculpt or others. Be nice to have representative minis for the major and the not so major races. Ael Yael for the win (I played one once, took the high road :) )

The same Shapeways maker also has a Hiver (not cheap though). Perhaps someone can suggest some other races to him.

For anyone looking for that Aslan or Hiver (both right out of the original Traveller artwork), the Shapeways maker is Dodger's Stuff (he also makes a Pierson's Pupeteer, and a range of D & D "inspired" creatures)
 
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