Greetings all,
I read over the stuff from GDW. I thought over the effects of the
planetary environment of the character. (That was really all that
they included.) So...
Gravity:
It's pretty easy to understand why a person from a high gravity
planet would have a +1 strength. However, I do not understand why
such a person should suffer a -1 to agility (dexterity). Consider:
you and I are used to an environment where objects fall at 9.8
meters per second acceleration. Now, what about someone who is
used to objects falling at say 15 meters per second per second?
That means that they will have to be 50% faster in terms of
reaction to catch a falling object, or to recover from stumbling or
whatever.
So, dexterity (agility) would be Higher, not lower in such an
environment.
Low surface gravity of the homeworld will have the opposite
effect unless the planet has sufficient technolgy to provide grav
plates for health reasons.
Atmospheric Pressure: (Low partial pressure of Oxygen)
Persons in a low pressure environment have an increased efficiency
of lungs. (Something about elevated red blood cell production, I
believe.) It is well known that person's unused to such low
pressures have difficulty exerting themselves in such an
environment. The converse has been shown to be true in that long
distance runners sometimes train at high altitudes.
Thus, atmosphere's with low pressure will tend to increase one's
constitution (endurance). Higher pressures than normal will tend
have the reverse effect.
I do not really understand why a person on an airless world would
have an increased agility (dexterity) though. An object will have
less drag when it falls, but that really only comes into the
picture when you are trying to catch a falling feather:
Insufficient grounds for a +1 agility.
In my estimate, these physiolgical effects will be well known and
used in high tech societies. So, your Imperial Military Forces
will operate aboard ships with a slightly lower pressure, and with
the gravity turned up slightly higher than normal. In combat they
depressurize completely, and artificial gravity is lowered to
reduce strain on the hull (and prevent falling structural beams a
la Star Trek).
Asteroid and orbital based societies will also take advantage of
these physiological effects. Lower pressures tends to put less
strain on a ship's hull and life support systems, though they would
not increase gravitation to above 1G, but they would not employ
artificial gravity below 1G as that induces some physiological
health penalties.
However, if these asteroid or orbital societies do not have
artificial gravity (or centrifuges), there's gonna be severe
problems: brittle bones, little musculature, heart problems, etc.
etc. etc.
Thus: High Gravity planets: Strength +1
Agility +1
Low Gravity planets: Strength -1
Agility -1
High pressure planet: Constitution -1
Low pressure planet: Constitution +1
Hope this helps,
Scott 2G Kellogg