The Tonk

Thomas,

You hit it right on the head. I wanted the Tonk to be alien but not all that
much so. Their even temperednes makes them slow to rouse even though
they might crush in CQB.  I think that's a good trade off -

Good in CQB but hard to get there.

I really do appreciate all the good suggestions I'm getting from the veterans
here.
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Eli said he wanted them to be "even tempered" and "steady in combat". That
means they might take lower rated tests for casualties or perhaps even for
abandoning wounded. Or they might always be treated as one motivation level
higher than they actually are.

However, the down side of this is they probably
aren't easily goaded into the excited, switched-
on state that CQB (Close Quarters Battle) often requires. They'd probably
remain a little more cool and detached. I might simulate this by
making their close assault initiation tests a +1
or +2 difficulty (not their tests to stand, which
should be easier, as they don't panic). Also, they may not suffer Panic or
Terror the same as normal troops.

The trick is to recognize the shortcomings that go with each benefit. You want
to make them different, but not just "better".

The Tonk are starting to sound like Ents, which could lead to harder
communications rolls (no one is in a hurry to communicate). Say, down 1 die
type?

Michael Brown

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