Gorn

Species Name: Gorn
Homeworld: Gornar (Gamma Quadrant border region, disputed space)
Physiology: The Gorn are large, reptilian humanoids with dense musculature, scaly dermal armor, and a powerful cardiovascular system. Their physical strength far exceeds that of most humanoids, and their regenerative biology allows them to recover from trauma at accelerated rates. Gorn possess high resistance to toxins and environmental extremes, but they are cold-blooded and can suffer from extreme cold exposure. Their vision is motion-sensitive, and their vocal structures make nuanced Federation Standard speech difficult—often resulting in gruff or guttural delivery.

Cultural Overview:

• Territorial Sovereignty: Gorn culture places supreme value on territory and territorial honor. To the Gorn, borders are sacred, and incursions—even accidental—can trigger lethal reprisal.
• Hierarchy and Strength: Gorn society respects dominance, physical prowess, and directness. Leaders must demonstrate competence through deed, not lineage. However, strength is tempered with pragmatism—unnecessary conflict is wasteful.
• Honor through Survival: Gorn philosophy views endurance, adaptation, and survival not only as traits but as moral virtues. Cowardice, betrayal, and wastefulness are despised.
• Slow to Trust: Long memory and cultural suspicion make the Gorn cautious about alliances, but once trust is earned, it is deeply honored and rarely broken.

Starfleet Roles:

• Gorn in Starfleet are extremely rare, typically appearing as exceptional cases: diplomatic attaches, Federation allies from independent colonies, or rehabilitated survivors of Gorn conflicts.
• When present, they serve in Tactical, Engineering (structural), or Security functions—especially where endurance and brute-force capability are required.
• Gorn officers often struggle with nuanced diplomacy and perception by others, but make formidable allies in survival and combat operations.

Species Mechanics (2e-Compatible Expansion from 1e Core):

ATTRIBUTES: +1 Daring, +1 Fitness, +1 Reason
TRAIT: Gorn

• Naturally strong and resilient: Advantage or reduced Difficulty on strength-based or endurance-based tasks.
• Thick dermal armor: may reduce or negate minor physical injuries or gain +1 Resistance vs physical damage (GM discretion).
• Cold-blooded: suffer Complications or gain +1 Difficulty in cold or sub-zero environments.
• Motion-based vision: may suffer +1 Difficulty detecting stationary objects or subjects in low movement contexts (GM discretion).
• Unrefined communication: +1 Difficulty on subtle or diplomatic social interactions unless the Gorn has trained for cultural fluency.

SPECIES ABILITY — PRIMAL TENACITY:
Once per scene, when suffering Injury, Complication, or being knocked Prone/Disarmed, you may:

• Ignore the effect entirely, but take 2 Stress immediately.
• If you are already Fatigued, the Stress becomes 4 instead.
• Reflects the Gorn's raw instinct to survive and remain on their feet under all but lethal force.