Looking for a Paratwa for Star Wars Saga

[Narco]

I'm looking specifically for Saga edition but any D20 will do in a pinch.

[Athaniar]

You're looking for a what?

[Meek]

The only Paratwa I've heard of are telepathically-linked humans from an old sci-fi series...

[Lappy9000]

'Snot on Wookiepedia, nor can I find anything on google about parawta in Star Wars.

I'm not really sure what you're asking for....

[Kagehime]

Do you mean this (http://www.theparatwa.com/), then?

[Shinobi_Guyver]

Sounds like he's talking about the Paratwa from Alternity, which means he would like a conversion to use in Star Wars SAGA edition.

While not able to do it myself (mainly due to my lack of familiarity with Alternity), here's a link to a page describing the Paratwa, including game stats, description, history, etc.

http://alternityrpg.net/viewonline.php?rid=67

[Kagehime]

Oh, I remember Alternity now!

[Narco]

Wow, I guess that's what I get for making assumptions about my audience. The Paratwa first appeared in and old Sci-Fi novel by Christopher Hinz. In it scientists discovered a process that could link two cells so that no matter what distance was later placed between them they would react to stimulus from the other. This was then tested on humans (naturally). They expected to get humans who were telepathically connected. What they got instead is one creature inhabiting two bodies, the paratwa.

Here is a thorough description:


Paratwa are "binary interlink assassins"; they are one mental and emotional being but have two separate bodies, known as "tways". They are genetically designed to exceed peak human physical abilties, giving them superhuman reflexes, senses, and movement speed. "Speed - Possibly its single greatest advantage. Genetically modified neuromuscular systems enable faster reaction times. Training from birth enhances these inbred abilities."
They are trained in every possible aspect of killing, from weaponry and unarmed combat to military strategy and tactics to duplicating the appearance and behavior of a target to the point of fooling the target's family, friends, and coworkers. This last process, known as "sapient supersedure" was commonly used by Paratwa both for counter-intelligence purposes as well as for personal advancement within human organizations (i.e. replace the man in line for promotion to manager and thus become the manager yourself). Sapient supersedure was not as commonly used amongst the lower breeds, but allowed the Ash Ock to gain control over major governmental institutions.

Paratwa are masters of the Cohe wand. A Cohe wand looks like a black egg with a small, silver tube protruding from one end. Powered by pre-Apocolyptic technology and controlled by subtle hand pressures, they are believed to be the most powerful hand weapon ever devised. Cohe wands emit a beam of black energy (capable of slicing, impaling, or melting) which remains connected to the silver protrusion even as it moves towards it's target. While only the leading 6-18 inches of the beam are dangerous, some Paratwa master a technique which uses the harmless after-trail connecting the front edge to the cohe itself as a distraction. This leads targets to avoid the after-trail while being lured into lethal front end.

While a trained Paratwa can follow a target up a spiral staircase with a cohe wand beam, the weapon is extremely difficult to use and most untrained wielders risk severe injury or death by simply activating it. The Jeek Elementals were capable of a signature technique known as the "Lariat". Wrist control allowed the Jeek to encircle the target's neck with the cutting edge of the beam and then tightening the noose, garrotting the neck from all sides evenly. [this technique is a Devastating Blow with an additional Trick Shot, adding +2CS to the OV without an accompanying negative CS to the RV - "for the sake of style."]. No other breed was capable of this maneuver.
Skills and attributes vary greatly by breed. The North American "Jeek Elementals" and the Russian "Voshkof Rabbits" are considered unbeatable in "normal combat" while even a Paratwa of a lesser breed (such as the Terminus assassins or the Japanese "Lo****o" breed) can wipe out everyone on a crowded city block within 10 seconds.

History: (from "Liege-Killer")

The first Paratwa was created in the mid-twenty-first century. Scottish scientists injected a pair of lab-bred human fetuses with cells from another artificially grown lifeform, called a McQuade Unity. Several years earlier, it was discovered that two samples from one of these primative cellular masses were capable of remaining in telepathic contact with each other, even when separated by thousands of miles.

Segments of this McQuade Unity were injected into these fetuses in the hope that two genetically different humans would develop a permanent telepathic link. Instead, the two fetuses metamorphosed into a single consciousness. The McQuade Unity enabled their brain patterns to interlace - to develop as one entity. The result was a creature with a single discrete awareness - one mental/emotional consciousness - yet inhabiting two randomly selected physical bodies.

In 2058, the New Jersey-division of Intellitech Hydrocomco released the first brood of combat Paratwa onto the world armaments market. From a military standpoint, they were an instant success. By the year 2070, with the world coming apart at the seams and over a hundred mini-wars being fought on any given day, the demand for these Paratwa increased astronomically. By the year 2080, there were over thirty different breeds available from the genetic labs of two-dozen countries. Warriors, bodyguards, and assassins...the genetic labs created them and sold them to the highest bidder. Accelerated developmental programs were used to train the Paratwa. The breeding labs utilized drug and neuromuscular enhancers - anything that might give their Paratwa an edge over the competition.

By the time a binary interlink reached the age of five, it had already learned to hunt and kill its own food. They were trained in all methods of hand combat and were given state-of-the-art weaponry. By 2090, there were two breeds - namely the Russian Voshkof Rabbits and the North American Jeek Elementals - that were considered undefeatable in normal combat situations.
During the final days, some seven thousand Paratwa assassins were believed to have directly responsible for the deaths of over one hundred and fifty million human beings. Under the guidance of the ruling caste, the Ash Ock (Codrus, Theophrastus, Sappho, Aristotle, and Empedocles), the Paratwa reached new heights of destruction. With intelligence well beyond that of even human genius (as well as being the only Paratwa capable of unlinking and operating as separate beings), the Ash Ock were able to plan in terms of centuries rather than years. The nuclear and biological obliteration of Earth in 2099 was believed to have destroyed all of the assassins, along with much of humanity. However, the Ash Ock had foreseen the Apocalypse and prepared for it. While believed dead by humankind, at least three of the ruling caste survived. Mankind had left Earth in two ways: to the colonies or into space on long range colonization ships. Many Paratwa avoided the stringent screening processes involved in immigration to the colonies and bought passage onto the less restricted colonization ships. Once on their way, the Paratwa took over the ships.

Description:

Paratwa vary in appearance as much as any other people - in fact, even the two tways of a single Paratwa may look nothing alike, as Paratwa are often/usually created from two, non-genetically related fetuses. Add to this the fact that every Paratwa is trained to be a master of disguise (capable of posing convincingly as the opposite gender with little effort) AND has no problem with undergoing cosmetic alteration in order to pose as another person, and you find that even a specific Paratwa may not look the same from day to day.

Personality:

Paratwa live to kill other living things. Paratwa personalities vary by breed, nationality, and particular quirks, but they share that one trait universally. "If Paratwa have one weakness, it's their predictability. Most assassins are rigidly territorial, doing their killing within small geographic areas. A few even had homes in respectable suburban communities."..."They were creatures specialized almost to the point of absurdity, and such specialization inevitably led to the formation of strong habits. Repeated actions were predictable actions."

"Incest between tways occurred, but it was more common for the Paratwa to acquire a pair of sexual partners or share a single partner. For some reason not fully understood by students of Paratwa psychology, many of the creatures became pedophiles."

All Paratwa must "flex", a process not fully understood by even the most advanced Paratwa physiologists. Flexing is the mental orgasm of being totally out of control. In theory, a way in which a Paratwa releases internal pain that has been suppressed during years of training and rigorously imposed discipline. It is a need to kill in a completely uncontrolled and inhibited manner; this may be done through the killing of large numbers of humans or wild or domesticated animals. If this is not done in regular intervals, the pain and stress overwhelm the Paratwa, causing it to risk going berzerk at inopportune times.



So, from all this information I could make this creature myself, I just wanted to know if someone had done the work already and could save me a bit of time :smallbiggrin:.

[Shinobi_Guyver]

Wow, I guess that's what I get for making assumptions about my audience. The Paratwa first appeared in and old Sci-Fi novel by Christopher Hinz. In it scientists discovered a process that could link two cells so that no matter what distance was later placed between them they would react to stimulus from the other. This was then tested on humans (naturally). They expected to get humans who were telepathically connected. What they got instead is one creature inhabiting two bodies, the paratwa.

Here is a thorough description:


Paratwa are "binary interlink assassins"; they are one mental and emotional being but have two separate bodies, known as "tways". They are genetically designed to exceed peak human physical abilties, giving them superhuman reflexes, senses, and movement speed. "Speed - Possibly its single greatest advantage. Genetically modified neuromuscular systems enable faster reaction times. Training from birth enhances these inbred abilities."
They are trained in every possible aspect of killing, from weaponry and unarmed combat to military strategy and tactics to duplicating the appearance and behavior of a target to the point of fooling the target's family, friends, and coworkers. This last process, known as "sapient supersedure" was commonly used by Paratwa both for counter-intelligence purposes as well as for personal advancement within human organizations (i.e. replace the man in line for promotion to manager and thus become the manager yourself). Sapient supersedure was not as commonly used amongst the lower breeds, but allowed the Ash Ock to gain control over major governmental institutions.

Paratwa are masters of the Cohe wand. A Cohe wand looks like a black egg with a small, silver tube protruding from one end. Powered by pre-Apocolyptic technology and controlled by subtle hand pressures, they are believed to be the most powerful hand weapon ever devised. Cohe wands emit a beam of black energy (capable of slicing, impaling, or melting) which remains connected to the silver protrusion even as it moves towards it's target. While only the leading 6-18 inches of the beam are dangerous, some Paratwa master a technique which uses the harmless after-trail connecting the front edge to the cohe itself as a distraction. This leads targets to avoid the after-trail while being lured into lethal front end.

While a trained Paratwa can follow a target up a spiral staircase with a cohe wand beam, the weapon is extremely difficult to use and most untrained wielders risk severe injury or death by simply activating it. The Jeek Elementals were capable of a signature technique known as the "Lariat". Wrist control allowed the Jeek to encircle the target's neck with the cutting edge of the beam and then tightening the noose, garrotting the neck from all sides evenly. [this technique is a Devastating Blow with an additional Trick Shot, adding +2CS to the OV without an accompanying negative CS to the RV - "for the sake of style."]. No other breed was capable of this maneuver.
Skills and attributes vary greatly by breed. The North American "Jeek Elementals" and the Russian "Voshkof Rabbits" are considered unbeatable in "normal combat" while even a Paratwa of a lesser breed (such as the Terminus assassins or the Japanese "Lo****o" breed) can wipe out everyone on a crowded city block within 10 seconds.

History: (from "Liege-Killer")

The first Paratwa was created in the mid-twenty-first century. Scottish scientists injected a pair of lab-bred human fetuses with cells from another artificially grown lifeform, called a McQuade Unity. Several years earlier, it was discovered that two samples from one of these primative cellular masses were capable of remaining in telepathic contact with each other, even when separated by thousands of miles.

Segments of this McQuade Unity were injected into these fetuses in the hope that two genetically different humans would develop a permanent telepathic link. Instead, the two fetuses metamorphosed into a single consciousness. The McQuade Unity enabled their brain patterns to interlace - to develop as one entity. The result was a creature with a single discrete awareness - one mental/emotional consciousness - yet inhabiting two randomly selected physical bodies.

In 2058, the New Jersey-division of Intellitech Hydrocomco released the first brood of combat Paratwa onto the world armaments market. From a military standpoint, they were an instant success. By the year 2070, with the world coming apart at the seams and over a hundred mini-wars being fought on any given day, the demand for these Paratwa increased astronomically. By the year 2080, there were over thirty different breeds available from the genetic labs of two-dozen countries. Warriors, bodyguards, and assassins...the genetic labs created them and sold them to the highest bidder. Accelerated developmental programs were used to train the Paratwa. The breeding labs utilized drug and neuromuscular enhancers - anything that might give their Paratwa an edge over the competition.

By the time a binary interlink reached the age of five, it had already learned to hunt and kill its own food. They were trained in all methods of hand combat and were given state-of-the-art weaponry. By 2090, there were two breeds - namely the Russian Voshkof Rabbits and the North American Jeek Elementals - that were considered undefeatable in normal combat situations.
During the final days, some seven thousand Paratwa assassins were believed to have directly responsible for the deaths of over one hundred and fifty million human beings. Under the guidance of the ruling caste, the Ash Ock (Codrus, Theophrastus, Sappho, Aristotle, and Empedocles), the Paratwa reached new heights of destruction. With intelligence well beyond that of even human genius (as well as being the only Paratwa capable of unlinking and operating as separate beings), the Ash Ock were able to plan in terms of centuries rather than years. The nuclear and biological obliteration of Earth in 2099 was believed to have destroyed all of the assassins, along with much of humanity. However, the Ash Ock had foreseen the Apocalypse and prepared for it. While believed dead by humankind, at least three of the ruling caste survived. Mankind had left Earth in two ways: to the colonies or into space on long range colonization ships. Many Paratwa avoided the stringent screening processes involved in immigration to the colonies and bought passage onto the less restricted colonization ships. Once on their way, the Paratwa took over the ships.

Description:

Paratwa vary in appearance as much as any other people - in fact, even the two tways of a single Paratwa may look nothing alike, as Paratwa are often/usually created from two, non-genetically related fetuses. Add to this the fact that every Paratwa is trained to be a master of disguise (capable of posing convincingly as the opposite gender with little effort) AND has no problem with undergoing cosmetic alteration in order to pose as another person, and you find that even a specific Paratwa may not look the same from day to day.

Personality:

Paratwa live to kill other living things. Paratwa personalities vary by breed, nationality, and particular quirks, but they share that one trait universally. "If Paratwa have one weakness, it's their predictability. Most assassins are rigidly territorial, doing their killing within small geographic areas. A few even had homes in respectable suburban communities."..."They were creatures specialized almost to the point of absurdity, and such specialization inevitably led to the formation of strong habits. Repeated actions were predictable actions."

"Incest between tways occurred, but it was more common for the Paratwa to acquire a pair of sexual partners or share a single partner. For some reason not fully understood by students of Paratwa psychology, many of the creatures became pedophiles."

All Paratwa must "flex", a process not fully understood by even the most advanced Paratwa physiologists. Flexing is the mental orgasm of being totally out of control. In theory, a way in which a Paratwa releases internal pain that has been suppressed during years of training and rigorously imposed discipline. It is a need to kill in a completely uncontrolled and inhibited manner; this may be done through the killing of large numbers of humans or wild or domesticated animals. If this is not done in regular intervals, the pain and stress overwhelm the Paratwa, causing it to risk going berzerk at inopportune times.



So, from all this information I could make this creature myself, I just wanted to know if someone had done the work already and could save me a bit of time :smallbiggrin:.

Oh

<.<

That book sounds interesting (it was one of the results in my search) but I assumed you wanted a conversion from one game to another instead of an entirely new creation.


Wait a minute... *reads spoiler text* *rechecks link in my previous post*

Well ain't you in luck. The Paratwa in the book have already been created for the Alternity system. So all that is needed is a conversion to SW:SAGA, with mechanical and flavor "tweaks" until it meets your preferences.

[Lappy9000]

Wow, I guess that's what I get for making assumptions about my audience.

Yeeeeah, the more specific the better :smallbiggrin: