We've got a reasonable starting point for Combine topics so far, having covered in prior articles a little bit of their technologies, vehicles, synths, and various types of their transhuman combat forces, but before I shift over to the wild alien creatures that inhabit the wastes and outlands, I figure it would be wise to stop off at the Vortigaunt first.
This article is more experimental than the "Xen creatures" articles that will follow. While the other creatures largely follow the conventions lain out in the d20 Modern "Creature Factory" (allowing for a few imports from the later d20 SRD), this instead shapes a race a little less constrained, though still deferring to and drawing on a number of features and conventions already available in the d20 Modern system.
Vortigaunts are a sentient, alien species that was brought to Earth during the events of Half Life 1 - the Nihilanth's invasion of Black Mesa via the Resonance Cascade. As slave-soldiers of the Nihilanth, they became stranded in the wake of their master's death, and now dwell among the ruins of Earth and the remainder of Humanity under the Combine - some slave, some free.
Like all so-called "Xen creatures", Vortigaunts are not actually native to Xen, having originated elsewhere. Little is known about this homeworld, however - the Vortigaunts are not particularly forthcoming, and much of what they once knew may well have fallen out of their collective cultural memory. Further information is unavailable, and it is unknown what their society was like before their enslavement or how they ultimately became slaves.
This article is more experimental than the "Xen creatures" articles that will follow. While the other creatures largely follow the conventions lain out in the d20 Modern "Creature Factory" (allowing for a few imports from the later d20 SRD), this instead shapes a race a little less constrained, though still deferring to and drawing on a number of features and conventions already available in the d20 Modern system.
Vortigaunts
Vortigaunts are a sentient, alien species that was brought to Earth during the events of Half Life 1 - the Nihilanth's invasion of Black Mesa via the Resonance Cascade. As slave-soldiers of the Nihilanth, they became stranded in the wake of their master's death, and now dwell among the ruins of Earth and the remainder of Humanity under the Combine - some slave, some free.
Like all so-called "Xen creatures", Vortigaunts are not actually native to Xen, having originated elsewhere. Little is known about this homeworld, however - the Vortigaunts are not particularly forthcoming, and much of what they once knew may well have fallen out of their collective cultural memory. Further information is unavailable, and it is unknown what their society was like before their enslavement or how they ultimately became slaves.
Though somewhat humanoid, Vortigaunts are very clearly alien. Standing about man-high but with a stooped stature on account of their oddly-positioned head and neck, Vortigaunts appear to be a fairly uniform grey-green and of flesh and bone comparable to Earth creatures. Vortigaunts have four eyes - one primary eye and three secondary - a small, fanged mouth, three arms ending in clawed, thumbless, two-fingered hands, and digitigrade legs ending in seemingly hoofed feet. Vortigaunts share some morpholological similarities with other creatures that served under the Nihilanth, implying a shared homeworld or otherwise common ancestor, and it is implied that Antlions may have been native to their world (and shepherded by the Vortigaunts).
Though imposing, they do not appear to be particularly strong or tough creatures.
Physical characteristics likening them to reptilian, mammalian, or other Earthly creatures is indeterminate. It is not clear if, for instance, Vortigaunts give live birth, produce milk (or similar fluids), form mating pairs, and so-forth. Heat and cold tolerances are similarly unknown, though seemingly akin to a human's. They appear to be completely hairless, though they appear to have something like a navel, and lack obvious genitalia.
Vortigaunts are intelligent and introspective, possessing keen mind and sharp insight. They have their own native language, with significant complexities as well as a certain non-vocal component that evidently cannot be readily understood by other species. They are also capable of learning Earthly languages, and using them with considerable aptitude if with certain idiosyncrasies. Vorts do not appear to have any known written language - they are certainly able to read other languages, however no written form of their own has been observed. The construction of their hands may impede the use of ordinary writing implements, though typing would be well within their capabilities (if somewhat limited by the shortage of fingers).
Culturally, little is known about the species; they do not appear to have much in the way of apparent hierarchy or social organization (and in their freed state may even reject the notion), though a philosophical, poetic, and oral story-telling tradition certainly appears to exist. They appear to be able to adapt well enough to intelligent creatures, but their mannerisms and overall composure may be off-putting to those who are not well acquainted with the species.
The Vortigaunt diet is not well understood, but they are certainly at least capable of digesting meat, as they are seen consuming headcrabs and other dead creatures. They are implied carnivores - and their sharp teeth seem to support this - though may be somewhat omnivorous. Prior to enslavement, their diet was possibly based around the Antlion and their products in some fashion, as at one point they claim to have practiced "husbandry" on that species.
Beyond their essential physical and intellectual characteristics, the Vortigaunts are well known for a few seemingly supernatural powers at their command. Physically, Vortigaunts have a means to channel powerful quasi-electrical energies through and around themselves, concentrating them into a directed "beam" towards targets. This talent allows them not only the ability to injure or kill their targets, but also to provide power to electronics, charge capacitors and batteries, or to kick-start engines.
Physical characteristics likening them to reptilian, mammalian, or other Earthly creatures is indeterminate. It is not clear if, for instance, Vortigaunts give live birth, produce milk (or similar fluids), form mating pairs, and so-forth. Heat and cold tolerances are similarly unknown, though seemingly akin to a human's. They appear to be completely hairless, though they appear to have something like a navel, and lack obvious genitalia.
Vortigaunts are intelligent and introspective, possessing keen mind and sharp insight. They have their own native language, with significant complexities as well as a certain non-vocal component that evidently cannot be readily understood by other species. They are also capable of learning Earthly languages, and using them with considerable aptitude if with certain idiosyncrasies. Vorts do not appear to have any known written language - they are certainly able to read other languages, however no written form of their own has been observed. The construction of their hands may impede the use of ordinary writing implements, though typing would be well within their capabilities (if somewhat limited by the shortage of fingers).
Culturally, little is known about the species; they do not appear to have much in the way of apparent hierarchy or social organization (and in their freed state may even reject the notion), though a philosophical, poetic, and oral story-telling tradition certainly appears to exist. They appear to be able to adapt well enough to intelligent creatures, but their mannerisms and overall composure may be off-putting to those who are not well acquainted with the species.
The Vortigaunt diet is not well understood, but they are certainly at least capable of digesting meat, as they are seen consuming headcrabs and other dead creatures. They are implied carnivores - and their sharp teeth seem to support this - though may be somewhat omnivorous. Prior to enslavement, their diet was possibly based around the Antlion and their products in some fashion, as at one point they claim to have practiced "husbandry" on that species.
Beyond their essential physical and intellectual characteristics, the Vortigaunts are well known for a few seemingly supernatural powers at their command. Physically, Vortigaunts have a means to channel powerful quasi-electrical energies through and around themselves, concentrating them into a directed "beam" towards targets. This talent allows them not only the ability to injure or kill their targets, but also to provide power to electronics, charge capacitors and batteries, or to kick-start engines.
Mentally, Vorts possess some degree of psychic capabilities, partially augmenting their physical abilities but also allowing a manner of interpersonal communication at distance - and at the highest levels some degree of life-force manipulation and a limited means to perform dimensional protection.
Both of these powers are rooted in their ability to contact or tap into the "Vortessence" - some form of universal energy that is not clearly defined (as yet) anywhere in the series. Accessing this energy appears to involve using one's "Vortal Inputs", which is something that is not well defined as a physical or metaphysical organ or mechanism, but can apparently be impaired in some fashion.
Both of these powers are rooted in their ability to contact or tap into the "Vortessence" - some form of universal energy that is not clearly defined (as yet) anywhere in the series. Accessing this energy appears to involve using one's "Vortal Inputs", which is something that is not well defined as a physical or metaphysical organ or mechanism, but can apparently be impaired in some fashion.
There is the slight implication that humans may have some means of accessing the Vortessence in some fashion - more on this another time.
d20 Modern does not have a native system for creating new races, as we would later see in the later versions of the d20 SRD (particularly as published in the Dungeon Master's Guide for D&D 3.5). Thus, this attempt at creating Vortigaunt statistics is a little freestyle and the following game statistics should be considered highly theoretical until given proper play-testing. I did, however, take direction from existing material in the d20 Modern Core rulebook and other official supplements, so little of what follows is particularly revolutionary.
Vortigaunts are intended to be played as the race itself - that is, they do not take character classes to progress - tough they may take a fitting Occupation, and gain all the benefits thereof. Instead, they take additional levels of their race, gaining powers and abilities in accordance with the chart below. This is similar to earlier versions of D&D, and seen with d20 SRD Monstrous Races, where the option to take HD for the race is offered in addition to the ability to take class levels.
Vortigaunts in d20 Modern
d20 Modern does not have a native system for creating new races, as we would later see in the later versions of the d20 SRD (particularly as published in the Dungeon Master's Guide for D&D 3.5). Thus, this attempt at creating Vortigaunt statistics is a little freestyle and the following game statistics should be considered highly theoretical until given proper play-testing. I did, however, take direction from existing material in the d20 Modern Core rulebook and other official supplements, so little of what follows is particularly revolutionary.
Vortigaunts are intended to be played as the race itself - that is, they do not take character classes to progress - tough they may take a fitting Occupation, and gain all the benefits thereof. Instead, they take additional levels of their race, gaining powers and abilities in accordance with the chart below. This is similar to earlier versions of D&D, and seen with d20 SRD Monstrous Races, where the option to take HD for the race is offered in addition to the ability to take class levels.
Vortigaunts do not appear to be particularly strong, quick, or tough, but are intelligent and insightful. They are friendly and welcoming to those they trust, but do not appear to be especially charismatic creatures - not vocally, anyways. This assumption underlies their fundamental statistics. Based loosely on the Humanoid Creature Type, they gain Feats a little slower than normal, but gain a few racial traits as a trade-off.
Formatting the Vortigaunt race like a class in d20 Modern, we have the following:
Hit die: d6
Hit die: d6
Action Points: Vortigaunts receive 5 + one-half their character level, rounded down, at 1st level and every time they attain a new level. Vortigaunts add additional points to this pool equal to their unmodified Wisdom Bonus at 1st level and each time they attain a new level.
Racial Skills: The Vortigaunt's racial skills (and the key ability for each skill) are:
Concentration (Con), Craft (Chemical, Electronic, Mechanical, Pharmaceutical) (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Investigate (Int), Knowledge (Any) (Int), Listen (Wis), Navigate (Int), Profession (Wis), Read/Write Language, Repair (Int), Research (Int), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language, Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Treat Injury (Int)
Skill Points at First Level: (7+ Int modifier) x4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 7+ Int modifier.
The Vortigaunt
| Race Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Class Features | Defense Bonus | Power Points | Reputation Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | +0 | +0 | +0 | +1 | Animal Empathy 2d4 Electroshock Attack Flux-Shifting Low-light Vision | +1 | 3 | +0 |
| 2 | +1 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Lesser Mindlink | +2 | 4 | +0 |
| 3 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +2 | 2d8 Electroshock Attack | +2 | 5 | +1 |
| 4 | +3 | +1 | +1 | +2 | Bonus Feat Combat Focus OR Precognition OR Prescience | +3 | 6 | +1 |
| 5 | +3 | +1 | +1 | +3 | 4d8 Electroshock Attack 2d8 Area Electroshock Attack | +3 | 10 | +1 |
| 6 | +4 | +2 | +2 | +3 | Mindlink | +3 | 14 | +2 |
| 7 | +5 | +2 | +2 | +4 | 4d12 Electroshock Attack 2d12 Area Electroshock Attack | +4 | 20 | +2 |
| 8 | +6/+1 | +2 | +2 | +4 | Bonus Feat Forced Mindlink | +4 | 26 | +2 |
| 9 | +6/+1 | +3 | +3 | +4 | 6d12 Electroshock Attack 3d12 Area Electroshock Attack | +5 | 32 | +3 |
| 10 | +7/+2 | +3 | +3 | +5 | Sending OR Psychofeedback | +5 | 38 | +3 |
Starting Feats: In addition to two feats that every character gets at 1st level, the Vortigaunt is proficient in its natural weapons.
Talents: Vortigaunts do not obtain Talents, even if they are player characters.
Bonus Feats: At 4th and 8th level, a Vortigaunt gains a bonus feat. These feats can be chosen from any feat that they otherwise qualify for.
Racial Features:
A Race Onto Themselves: Vortigaunts cannot take Character classes. Other races cannot become Vortigaunts. Vortigaunts may take Occupations.
Altered stats: When finalizing a Vortigaunts stats, include +1 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom, and -2 Charisma. Vortigaunts are intelligent and insightful, but somewhat inscrutable and a little unsettling to outsiders.
Animal Empathy: Vortigaunts, as a species, seem to have a knack for tending to animals - possibly as an extension of their telepathic abilities. Vortigaunts gain a +4 Racial bonus to all Handle Animal checks for creatures with an Int score lower than the Vortigaunt's Wisdom bonus.
Medium Creature: Vortigaunts are a Medium creature.
Natural Weapons: A Vortigaunt's hands end in sharp claws, capable of dealing (1d6 + Str modifier) slashing damage. They are seemingly unable to cause non-lethal damage with them.
Thumbless Wonders: Vortigaunt hands are all two-fingered, and have no thumbs. Grip is thus somewhat compromised (-2 to Strength to resist losing their grip on something they are holding), and there are all manner of implications for manual dexterity - such as the seeming inability to pick up anything particularly small or anything that can't be "scooped" up with their two fingers, or manipulating anything easily that requires a twisting motion. They likely suffer a -2 to -4 penalty on various manual tasks, particularly regarding finer tool use that hasn't been specially adapted to them.
Vorts are unable to use one-handed projectile weapons (such as pistols) with any certainty, but can use shoulder-arms with difficulty (equating to a -4 Attack roll penalty) if the weapon can be seated against the shoulder or chest (i.e. rifles are plausible at penalty, but shoulder-fired rockets and pistols are unlikely to be usable much at all). Weapon mounts would seem to largely mitigate this problem.
Single-handed melee weapons (machetes, knives, etc) are similarly compromised, at a -4 Attack roll penalty, but two-handed melee weapons (polearms, spears, etc) are probably sufficiently well-secured between both main hands to see this reduce to a -2 Attack roll penalty (we see that they can at least push a broom well enough to avoid a Non-compliance Verdict).
Finally, when Grappling, a Vortigaunt takes -2 on rolls to Grab their opponent, as it presumes the use of both hands. When establishing a Hold, a Vortigaunt may opt to use their third hand to gain a +2 Strength bonus to their subsequent Grapple check if that hand is free.
(Half Life: Alyx, which takes place between Half Life 1 and 2, evidently added thumbs to the primary two hands of the Vortigaunts. As I suppose this is now canon, you could just ignore this rule I guess.)
Racial Abilities:
Electroshock Powers (Ex): Utilizing their innate connection to the Vortessence (probably), a Vortigaunt is capable of powerful electrical discharges. This Electroshock attack is a full-round action, and damage is as indicated in the table above. A Vortigaunt's two primary hands must be free in order to use their shock powers. This attack is true electrical energy and is reduced by the appropriate energy resistance. Range increment for the attack is 50', with a maximum range of 300 feet. Note that this electrical beam is coherent and does not seem to arc.
A Vortigaunt my choose to under-power their attack, if desired - damage may be reduced down to 1d4, and an option to deal as low as 1d4 non-lethal damage per shock is also available.
This power can be scaled back further to charge or activate smaller electrical or electrically-started devices such as batteries and generators. Particularly delicate items (such as light-bulbs) are probably too difficult to scale down for, and particularly power-intensive devices may require higher levels of the power or multiple Vortigaunts to successfully activate - though they might not be able to keep something power-intensive online themselves for long.
At level 5, the attack also grows to include the ability to shock targets in a 10' radius around the Vortigaunt, which scales in damage as indicated. This attack is a full-round action that requires the Vortigaunt's main hands to be free.
At level 5, the attack also grows to include the ability to shock targets in a 10' radius around the Vortigaunt, which scales in damage as indicated. This attack is a full-round action that requires the Vortigaunt's main hands to be free.
Flux-shifting (Ex): Vortigaunts have the ability to interact with the Vortessence, granting them communication abilities unknown to be possessed by any other species so far. This enables more developed examples of the species to perform psychic feats (which increase in potency as they further develop) but is also involved in ordinary vocal communication.
The native language of the Vortigaunts is Vorteese, and it involves both an audibly spoken and a non-spoken, psychic element. When a Vortigaunt speaks Vorteese, all ordinary members of the species perform minor non-audible manipulations as part of their expression that cannot normally be detected by non-Vortigaunts. While the spoken component of Vorteese is audible to any creature with an ear that detects in normal speech frequency ranges, the inability to pick up on the flux-shifted elements of the conversation essentially prevents other creatures from fully deciphering the meaning, even if they otherwise can pick up on and translate the vocal elements of the language. This is a natural mode of communication for Vortigaunts and does not require the expenditure of any Power Points or special training.
In addition, Flux-shifting grants all members of the species the ability to greatly extend the range of their voice without raising the apparent volume above a loud shout (about 90db). Speaking in this way likely limits the complexity of communication, but allows a Vortigaunt to send their voice out to (3 + Wis modifier) miles. Like with the rest of the language, the shout is only really intelligible to those who can Flux-shift, and like all yelling at a distance the coherency can be somewhat suspect.
In addition, Flux-shifting grants all members of the species the ability to greatly extend the range of their voice without raising the apparent volume above a loud shout (about 90db). Speaking in this way likely limits the complexity of communication, but allows a Vortigaunt to send their voice out to (3 + Wis modifier) miles. Like with the rest of the language, the shout is only really intelligible to those who can Flux-shift, and like all yelling at a distance the coherency can be somewhat suspect.
It is possible for an individual's "Vortal Inputs" to be impaired - subsequently granting them what could be interpreted as a sort-of "deafness". Flux-shifting around them is considered rude.
Low-light Vision (Ex): A Vortigaunt can see in low-light conditions twice as far as a human. It retains the ability to distinguish color at this distance. This ability is largely governed by the smaller eyes above the large primary eye.
Telepathic Powers (Ex): Vortigaunts have a variety of telepathic-type powers as a result of their ability to interact with the Vortessence. These powers are described in the chart above; they have been selected from existing examples in d20 Modern's FX powers selection, and use the Power Points infrastructure already built into the game. Uniquely, all manifestations of a Vortigaunt's power are based on Wisdom, replacing whatever stat the power typically would use.
Vortigaunt Racial Feats
These are homebrew Feats that attempt to emulate some of the more miraculous abilities seen performed by some Vortigaunts in Half Life 2 which I believe may not be a species-wide norm.Abscond
Prerequisites: Vortigaunt species, Wisdom 16+
Material Requirements: Antlion Larval Extract
Individuals with this feat can, through the channeling of Vortal energies, "bridge the here and there" with a target to whom they are Mindlinked. By passing a DC20 Wisdom check, the are capable of effectively teleporting their target to their physical location. Attempts to Aid Another can be made, but require that the helpers also possess this feat (but do not need to be Mindlinked).
Inter-dimensional Ward
Prerequisites: Vortigaunt species, Wisdom 16+, Abscond
Material Requirements: Antlion Larval Extract
Individuals with this feat can sense Vortal disruptions that correspond with an attempt to Abscond (or similar) with an individual with whom they are Mindlinked. Individuals with this feat may take an opposed Wisdom check against the individual attempting to Abscond with their charge. Attempts to Aid Another may be made, but require the helpers to also have this feat (but do not need to be Mindlinked).
Individuals with this feat can sense Vortal disruptions that correspond with an attempt to Abscond (or similar) with an individual with whom they are Mindlinked. Individuals with this feat may take an opposed Wisdom check against the individual attempting to Abscond with their charge. Attempts to Aid Another may be made, but require the helpers to also have this feat (but do not need to be Mindlinked).
Rekindle the Light
Prerequisites: Vortigaunt species, Treat Injury +6 Ranks, Wisdom 15+Material Requirements: Antlion Larval Extract
By imbibing Larval Extract and reaching out into the Vortessence, a Vortigaunt may attempt to revive a fully dead being. The deceased individual cannot have been dead for more than one hour per level of the Vortigaunt resurrecting them. Upon resurrection, the formerly deceased individual recovers 1 (rolled) HD worth of HP per level of the Vortigaunt that resurrected them. This process requires a DC20 Wisdom check, and takes five minutes. Individuals may Aid Another without this feat, but must themselves imbibe the Larval Extract.
Channeling the Vortessence, a Vortigaunt can help stabilize an injured creature's Vortal Form. By expending 1 Power Point and passing a DC15 Wisdom check, the Vortigaunt prevents their Dying target from losing 1 HP that round. The Vortigaunt must be in touch range of the Dying individual that they are targeting.
By imbibing Larval Extract and reaching out into the Vortessence, a Vortigaunt may attempt to revive a fully dead being. The deceased individual cannot have been dead for more than one hour per level of the Vortigaunt resurrecting them. Upon resurrection, the formerly deceased individual recovers 1 (rolled) HD worth of HP per level of the Vortigaunt that resurrected them. This process requires a DC20 Wisdom check, and takes five minutes. Individuals may Aid Another without this feat, but must themselves imbibe the Larval Extract.
Resist the Dark
Prerequisites: Vortigaunt species, Treat Injury +2 Ranks, Wisdom 13+Channeling the Vortessence, a Vortigaunt can help stabilize an injured creature's Vortal Form. By expending 1 Power Point and passing a DC15 Wisdom check, the Vortigaunt prevents their Dying target from losing 1 HP that round. The Vortigaunt must be in touch range of the Dying individual that they are targeting.
Vortigaunts as Characters (Player or otherwise)
Vortigaunts are intelligent and fully playable as characters, but have some unique quirks that more involved roleplayers may want to keep in mind.
Mechanically, the only thing that is missing out of this race compared to a regular class are Talents. Instead, they potentially gain extra Action Points per level based on Wisdom, and gain a number of racial abilities instead. The Action Point bonus is perhaps explained through their connection to the Vortessence giving them a slight, underlying edge. Talents are of somewhat questionable utility, so this is not so much a disadvantage (and indeed an additional Action Points in exchange are possibly overkill - though you do gain fewer feats).
As Vortigaunts cannot take classes - including Advanced Classes - they miss out on everything those would offer that can't otherwise be had in Feats. In theory, the additional abilities help compensate for this, but only actual play will reveal shortcomings (or over-corrections). This limitation may be further compounded by the fact that I only provide up to 10 levels for a Vortigaunt - once you max out, that's kind of it for advancement. If a player's Vortigaunt survives past level 10 and wishes to keep progressing, you may be able to take a page out of the old "Epic 6" system's advice for D&D 3.5 and offer additional feats periodically (such as the XP intervals where they would hit level 12, 16, and 20 otherwise). Alternatively, do nothing, and highlight that Vorts might actually come up short in that regard.
Thematically, Vortigaunts have a unique manner of speech - for instance referring to people by their name with "the" prefixed - for example, "the Alex Vance" or "the Freeman". They do this when referring to themselves, almost always in third person if using a name. They often seem to prefer using the word "we" instead of "I" when referring to themselves as well - possibly because there is a "we" in the form of some established psychic connection. As Half-Life Roleplay has its own communities out there, a few guides exist that can be gleaned from to suit one's own campaign.
Also indeterminate is just how long a Vortigaunt lives and much of anything about their lifecycle - including if the Combine Suppression Field works on them or not - given that it does not apparently work on the likes of Earth-native birds, leeches, and other Xenian creatures we encounter, there is a case to be made.
Potentially an issue for Player Characters, Vortigaunts do not appear to make ready use of human or Combine weaponry - in battle, they seem to rely on their powers alone (probably because they have no thumbs). They are also never depicted as wearing armor (though one is seen wearing a lab coat). Productivity in manual tasks is also suspect unless some adaptations are made.
Example Vortigaunt Warrior
Here's an example low-level assault troop type, the likes of which Gordon Freeman was rather intimately familiar with. Though generally insightful, not all members of the race are given over to the academics and intellectual pursuits - something still quite useful in the Combine dominated world.
CR 1; Medium-size Vortigaunt; HD 2d6+2; hp 10 (6-14); Mas 13; Init +2; Spd 30ft; Defense 14, Touch 14, Flatfooted 12 (+2 Dex, +2 Race); BAB +1; Grap +3; Atk +3 Melee (1d6+2 lethal, natural weapon); Full Atk +3 Melee (1d6+2 lethal, natural weapon), or +3 (2d4 Electroshock Attack); FS 5ft by 5ft; Reach 5ft; AL Any; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +2; AP 0; Rep +2; Str 14 (+2), Dex 15 (+2), Con 13 (+1), Int 13 (+1), Wis 11 (0) , Cha 6 (-2).
Occupation: Blue Collar (Climb, Handle Animal, Intimidate)
Abilities: 2d4 Electroshock Attack, Animal Empathy, Flux-shifting, Low Light Vision.
Feats: Alertness, Power Attack
Skills: Climb (Str) +3, Concentration (Con) +5, Handle Animal (Cha) +2, Intimidate (Cha) +3, Listen (Wis) +7, Navigate (Int) +4, Search (Int) +6, Sense Motive (Wis) +2, Spot (Wis) +7, Survival (Wis) +5, Treat Injury (Int) +3
Possessions: None
Power Points: 4
Example Vortigaunt Adept
While Warriors may bore out victory in direct combat, battles are more often actually decided in laboratories and workshops, where the more learned of the species truly excels. Though still dangerous in a fight, their true weapon lies behind their eye.
CR 3; Medium-size Vortigaunt; HD 4d6+0; hp 14 (4-24); Mas 10; Init +1; Spd 30ft; Defense 14, Touch 14, Flatfooted 12 (+1 Dex, +3 Race); BAB +3; Grap +4; Atk +4 Melee (1d6+1 lethal, natural weapon); Full Atk +4 Melee (1d6+1 lethal, natural weapon), or +4 (2d8 Electroshock Attack); FS 5ft by 5ft; Reach 5ft; AL Any; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +2; AP 0; Rep +2; Str 12 (+1), Dex 13 (+1), Con 10 (+0), Int 15 (+2), Wis 17 (+3) , Cha 6 (-2).
Occupation: Academic (Computer Use, Decipher Script, Research)
Feats: Attentive, Educated (Physical Sciences, Technology), Studious
Skills: Computer Use (Int) +3, Concentration (Con) +5, Craft (Chemical +6, Electronic +6, Mechanical +6, Pharmaceutical +6) (Int), Decipher Script (Int) +4, Gather Information (Int) +7, Handle Animal (Cha) +0, Investigate (Int) +5, Knowledge (Physical Sciences +8, Technology +8) (Int), Listen (Wis) +5, Navigate (Int) +3, Read/Write Language (+1, English, +1 Combine), Repair (Int) +6, Research (Int) +10, Search (Int) +4, Sense Motive (Wis) +7, Speak Language (+1, English), Spot (Wis) +5, Survival (Wis) +5, Treat Injury (Int) +3
Possessions: None
Power Points: 6
Design Notes
I intentionally kept to as much existing material as possible for this design. This is most notable in the Psychic Powers and most of the Abilities - powers are basically all RAW, excepting based on Wisdom, and the abilities are mostly RAW if anything close existed. The innate Claw attack (higher damage than a Humanoid's) was taken from the claw mutation in Future.
The electroshock powers were based on intuition more than anything, and may not be strong enough to remain viable at later levels - I'd considered things like a Wisdom bonus to damage (due to better psychic control I guess) though such flat bonuses do not scale well. I had also considered requiring it to cost power points, but nothing in the games Vortigaunts are part of would seem to indicate that they have a limit on how often they can cast.
Damage for the shock attack starts off at roughly a small revolver's worth of damage, scales up to an assault rifle at level 3, improves further at level 5 and 7, and reaches roughly the same average damage as the M72 LAW at level 9. This seems OK on paper, with the trade off being that no Feats would seem to improve it, the attack always being a full-round action, and that it only can strike one target. For close-in defense, there is an area attack that lags in damage and does not go very far - similar to what some Vorts appear to do in combat during the second game title.
I decided to alternate general powers back and forth between psychic and electricity to better ensure there are no empty levels. I figure a "minimum functional adult" for most real job roles are level 2, based on the examples given in the d20 Modern core book - thus a level 2 Vortigaunt has the essential powers that describe the species (some psychic powers, some electrical powers). That said, some levels appear to me as being a little on the empty side - Level 6 leaps out in particular. Perhaps something there doubling your level 4 selection's bonus would not be too far out of sorts.
I shied away from going for a full "hive mind telepathy" because while that seems to be a thing in fannon I don't believe that's actually the case in the official games - otherwise the Resistance would almost never need radios, and Vorts do not seem to be commonly used as communications devices (this is also why in spite of Psi-like Abilities not normally requiring the use of Power Points, I decided to require them anyways). The Vortigaunt that ended up in Nova Proskpet was, however, somehow able to send messages a long distance as he was being tortured - I suppose "Sending" can do that, and that perhaps he was a higher level agent.
While the "flux shifting" psionics and lightning-weapon are classic to the species, I had contemplated offering a split progression between a more "psi-minded" and "battle-minded" progression. One would offer improved telepathic capabilities (Mindlink, Sending) while the other would have offered enhanced combat capabilities (Combat Focus, Prescience, Claws of the Bear, etc). Ultimately I decided that, since this is a general species model, to roll it up into one. A vestige of this approach exists in a slight divergence at level 4 offering a few options in abilities (most of which are actually several levels behind the curve at that point) alongside a Feat and an Attribute point. Something, perhaps, for a future revision.
The Racial Feats are entirely made up, and serve to describe the particularly unusual things we see the Vorts doing in the game - blocking the G-Man from reaching Alyx, rescuing Alyx from the Citadel, bringing Alyx back to life, etc. These aren't normal, at-will powers - Vortigaunts can't teleport between places that we can tell, blocking the G-Man was a group effort, as was bringing back Alyx from both the Citadel and from death. At least one of those had a clear material component - larval extract - as well, which I extended to the rest for arbitrary game balance reasons.
One potential flaw this might have is a degree of MAD. Wisdom gets a slight boost which helps a little with all the Wis-based abilities, but hitting with the electroshock requires Dexterity, and claws benefit from Strength. Constitution is also useful for improving your limited HP pool as well as your ability to use Concentrate. There's also the possible issue of granting unusable powers - to use Mindlink, for instance, you apparently need Wisdom 14 (again as they're based on Wisdom and not the RAW spell's Charisma). That basically forces a bit of optimization for players if they wish to use those abilities. Such are the vagaries of a class-and-level-based system, I suppose.
Closing
I think I've done enough damage for one post. This is the first homebrew race I've created in ages, and the system's a little lacking (on top of there being a little real official guidance to work with). I've never had a great handle for balance, and I suspect this class is a little out-of-wack as a result - even I can see parts that are probably a little too clunky to jive well at the table. But, it's for an obsolete game engine and is unlikely to ever actually see use, so who can say? I will eventually share this out to a few existing d20 Modern communities at some point, so if they have any suggestions they may well end up being folded into this presentation here (unless this example is so badly done as to warrant a "Devise and Revise" edition). Feel free to provide inputs here as well!
Up next we have a series of other "Xen Creatures", written up to varying degrees of quality. Those upcoming were all initially written prior to this article, and some degree of evolution in design thought can be seen as the series progresses, though they fundamentally stick as close to the built-in creature design system as they can.
Thanks for reading!
Cheers!
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