Taboo Traits
0 points
A "taboo trait" is an attribute level, advantage, disadvantage, or skill that is off-limits to members of the race. This, too, is worth 0 points. Normally, only mundane traits are labeled "taboo," as exotic or supernatural traits require the GM's permission in any case.
Genengineered Taboo Traits
Some genetic constructs undergo selection to screen out or mitigate undesirable traits; therefore, certain advantages or disadvantages may be forbidden to individual characters built with such racial templates. A forbidden advantage or disadvantage is called a taboo trait. It costs no character points to assign a taboo trait to a racial template.
For instance, a character can normally have Berserk as a personal disadvantage, even if it isn't in his genetic template. However, if Berserk is a taboo trait for his template, then it cannot be taken. Taboo traits that cover a general class of disadvantages do not prevent specific disadvantages within that class from being part of the racial template. The prohibition is also lifted for disadvantages that are acquired after birth (e.g., due to a proteus virus or brainwashing).
One way to add a taboo trait to a template is through genefixing.
Some possible genefixed taboo traits are:
Taboo Trait: Genetic Defects
TL8: Prohibits taking attributes more than 2 below the average for an adult with that genetic template. Also prohibits the disadvantages Bad Sight, Colorblindness, Dwarfism, Dyslexia, Gigantism, Hemophilia, Innumerate, Night Blindness, No Sense of Smell/Taste, Non-Iconographic, and Short Attention Span, or any other disadvantages normally explained as resulting from hereditary defects, e.g., an inherited Neurological Disorder or Susceptible to Disease disadvantage.
Taboo Trait: Unattractiveness
TL9: Prohibits an Appearance of Unattractive or worse, as well as Bad Smell, Bowlegged, Fat, Overweight, Very Fat, and Very Unfit.
Taboo Trait: Aggressiveness
TL9: Manipulation of genes governing certain hormone-producing glands may create a non-aggressive genotype which prohibits Bad Temper, Berserk, Bully and Stubbornness.
Taboo Trait: Mental Instability
TL9: Prohibits Chronic Depression, Delusions, Flashbacks, Guilt Complex, Kleptomania, Low Self-Image, Lunacy, Manic-Depressive, Megalomania, Obsession, On the Edge, Paranoia, Phantom Voices, Pyromania, and any Compulsive Behavior or Phobia worth -10 points or more.
Taboo Trait: Individual Disadvantage
Individual disadvantages which could be taboo traits are Lecherousness (TL9), Shyness (TL9), and Laziness (TL10). It's impossible to gengineer against (or for) more complex disorders, such as specific Obsessions or Phobias.
Other Taboo Traits
Taboo Trait: Fixed ST
TODO
Taboo Trait: Fixed IQ
Domestic Animal and Wild Animal meta-traits include fixed IQ. Even a one-point increase in IQ would make a beast a genius of its kind. However, allowing an occasional animal of any species to be IQ 6 makes for some interesting pets!
Taboo Trait: Fixed DX
TODO
Taboo Trait: Fixed HT
TODO
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