As the Foreword says, the Minbari are one of the least understood species in the entire galaxy. Very powerful, they keep themselves to themselves. They have a deep spirituality, but do not prosyletise or even discuss their faith with other species. Indeed they rarely discuss any of their actions or motivations with anyone else: they merely act. One their first encounter with the Earth Alliance, a misunderstanding led to an all-out war that nearly destroyed humanity - and then they turned around and sailed away without taking matters to what was surely a forgone conclusion. They also have an annoying air of superiority, clearly thinking themselves to be above everyone else... but they do not articulate why they rate themselves so highly. Yet, there's a lot to know about them if you get the chance (or are one, of course).
One of the main purposes of this book is to provide sufficient information for someone who wishes to play a Minbari character. It's a lot more than an altered stat block and a strange bone crest on your head... but the first section deals with creating Minbari characters. With them being physically superior to human beings it might have been difficult to balance them out, but the author went for a reduced Charisma stat to reflect their aloof behaviour. All Minbari belong to a caste, and it's the first thing that you need to pick: will the character be Religious Caste, Warrior Caste or Worker Caste. Other things flow from this choice, so choose wisely!
Next, we take a look at Minbari Biology including anatomy, physiology and development. There's clear evidence of considered thought providing realistic explanations of how come Minbari are stronger and faster than human beings, and it goes into condiderable depth about all aspects of their bodies and indeed minds. There is information about their birth and development, senses, puberty, and ageing... and even whether or not they can interbreed with other species. Physical needs such as atmosphere, gravity and diet are discussed, with a note that their specialised diet is wrapped up in both physical needs and religious ritual. They are pretty resistant to disease, but they are still susceptible to some - and there's information here including the appropriate rules should you want to fill your game with ailing Minbari! There are aksi some subraces to play with.. but I'm still waiting to find out how caste is determined!
Moving on, a look at Psychology and Sociology. It's important to recognise that they are not just funny-looking humans, but a completely different species in thought processes as well as in appearance. For a start, everyday life is filled with ritual and tradition. Children are raised communally rather than by their parents alone, although they are grouped according to clan, the wider family. And here we find out about caste selection: most children join the caste their parents belong to, unless they show specific aptitude for another. This choice is made in the early years, around the age of five, and there's no indication of how much the young person's wishes are taken into account. At that age they probably don't have much of an opinion anyway... but there is limited opportunity to change later on. There's a wealth of information about how individuals interact with society, how they are educated and grow, marry... and even how they regard the elderly and handle death. There are also notes on language, lore, and the arts; and then there's a more detailed discussion of the caste system and how it permiates every aspect of Minbari society.
Next comes a discussion of Minbari Organisations... although caste is probably the most socially significant identifier for a Minbari, there are other groups they may become involved in or be influenced by, some of which cut across caste boundaries. Oddly few are overtly political, although they often serve some perceived need that the group of Minbari feel should be addressed. The best-known group is the Grey Council, the premier ruling body for the Minbari people, and possibly Valen's greatest legacy. The history and organisation of the Grey Council is discussed here. Next up is the Minbari Military, which is not composed or run solely by members of the warrior caste. Indeed, numerically each caste has equal representation - even if warrior caste members are the most expert at warfare on the whole. There's plenty of detail on organisation, ranks, starships and more. Finally, there's a break-away religious group, the Followers of the First Ones, who venerate the ancient races rather than the figures from the past followed by most Minbari.
The next topic to be explored is Minbari History, a vast sweep from their prehistory to the present: and as they are (apart from the Ancients and maybe the Vorlons) the oldest species currently active in the galaxy, that's quite a lot to get through. From earliest days the Vorlons have been present guiding and moulding the Minbari... but to whose benefit? Civilisations rose and fell, wars were fought, a bunch of telepaths arose and considered themselves above everyone else, it's a rich history to delve through if you have a mind to do so. Then the Shadows turned up, and later - in recent times - there was the war with Earth, their inexplicable surrender just when it looked like they'd won, and their involvement in the Babylon Project.
The Minbari Federation isn't just a single planet, of course, and the next section looks at the Worlds of the Minbari Federation. There's sufficient information here to lay groundwork for a visit to any of the colonies or indeed Minbar itself, with a couple of cities thereon to explore. That is, if they'll let you in, assuming you are not Minbari. They can travel freely around the Federation. There's a note on running games out here, and plans for the Shen 'Tan space station, possibly the only location non-Minbari will get to see - this is a class of station, rather than a specific one, and used extensively as 'high ports' for worlds under Minbari control.
Next, a look at Minbari Technology. As an old and advanced species, their devices are highly developed and sophisticated and few other species can match them, and they have several unique technologies that other species just haven't even thought about let alone invented. They can be quite secretive and go to great lengths to protect their technological advantage. The concept of 'going shopping' is quite foreign to most Minbari. They meet their few needs by contacting an artisan directly and either purchasing from their existing stock or arranging for the required item to be custom-made. Their main technological advances have been in artifical gravity, crystalshaping, metallurgy, and space technologies. Only the smallest of their ships requires the use of an external jump gate, for example. Various personal weapons (including of course the Minbari Fighting Pike or denn'bok) are discussed, and necessary game statistics and rules are provided. Likewise other items of equipment are also covered, along with clothing, heavy weapons, and vehicles both civilian and military of all sizes and uses, ground cars to spacecraft.
We then move on to Minbari Characters. The preceding chapters have expanded on what has been revealed about the Minbari in the TV show, now here is the lowdown on creating Minbari characters - as player-characters or non-player characters alike. It's all soundly-based in what we have already learned about the species, resulting in characters that really are Minbari, not just a collection of statistics. Notes cover such things as the Minbari tendency to focus single-mindedly on whatever they study until it is mastered, depth rather than breadth of knowledge, and on putting a Minbari twist on existing skills as well as adding new ones. There are new feats as well, and some prestige classes to aspire to.
Finally, there's a section on Minbari campaigns, aimed at the GM. The difficulties of having mixed-species groups are covered - there's a lot of scope for discord between a Minbari and just about every other species, and this has the potential to be very disruptive in your game. Or it can lead to some powerful roleplaying, provided it's kept under control. Even if you have a bunch of Minbari, inter-caste differents can affect the group dynamic. There is also a discussion of how the Minbari view other species, and how - if left unchecked - they'll interact with them. That leaves the impression of Minbari as xenophobic and viewing themselves as superior to anyone else. Not the best starting point for a multi-species game. Yet remember that player-characters are supposed to be a cut above everyone else. Handled careful, there's plenty of scope for incorporating them into your game, and there are plenty of ideas here as how to go about doing it... as well as ones for all-Minbari campaigns that explore this species' potential to the full. Sample Minbari characters, probably for NPC use, are provided along with the statistics for some of the better known ones from the TV show.
This work brings the Minbari to vivid life, and provides plenty of ideas for incorporating the species as well as individuals into your game, maintaining their distinctive flavour.
Return to The Minbari Federation Fact Book page.
Reviewed: 6 December 2019
