I. Primary Habitat and Special Attributes Basic information on a creature's habitat can be derived from the UWP of the species' homeworld. The primary determining factors are Size, Atmosphere and Hydrographics. This system is biased in favor of landbased species, a bias which is necessary to make the alien races created using the system playable by GMs and players. Any species with unusual environmental requirements has special problems that must be addressed by the designer and the GM. The environmental needs of swimmer species would make operation outside its native environment difficult, if not impossible, and care should be used when including such species in a campaign. Flyers have problems of their own, such as low body mass and delicate bone structure. Sapient triphibian species are unlikely to develop at all, and can be excluded from consideration. Amphibious species may be able to survive well for short periods without water. Primary Environment Roll Environment 01-85 Land Surface 86-00 Water DMs: If UWP Hydro = A: +20 If UWP Hydro = 3-: -10 If UWP Hydro = 0: Do not roll. Species is land-based. Water Environments Roll Zone 01-85 Shallow Regions. Species is Amphibious. 86-95 Ocean Surface Regions (0-300 meters). Species is Swimmer. 96-99 Deep Ocean Regions (300-1500 meters). Species is Swimmer. 00 Extreme Ocean Depths (1500+ meters). Species is Swimmer. DMs: If UWP Hydro = A: +20 If UWP Hydro = 7+: +10 If UWP Hydro = 3-: -10 If UWP Hydro = 0: -20 Primary Terrain Type Choose from dominant terrain types on homeworld. Typical terrain habitats are Mountain, Forest, Jungle, Arctic, Marsh/Swamp, Plains, Desert and Caves/Underground. Certain environments may grant special abilities (20% chance each): Mountain: Perfect Balance, or Climber Arctic: Heightened Resistance to Cold Desert: Heightened Resistance to Heat, or Metabolic Control Caves: Bioluminescent Parts, Silent Movement, or Perfect Direction Underground: Burrower Flyers and Soarers Roll 2d6 for 11+. DMs: If UWP Hydro = A or 0: +1 If UWP Atmos = 5-: -1 If Terrain = Mountain: +1 If UWP Size = 4-: +1 If UWP Size = 8+: -1 II. Dietary Class, Ecological Niche, and Behavior Patterns The dietary and ecological function of a species is the most important determinant of its behavior, appearance, and attitudes. Omnivorous and carnivorous species have a special advantage in achieving sapience over herbivores and scavengers (how hard can it be to sneak up on a leaf?), and so are favored by the charts below. A species' society type also can affect the level of technological advancement the species reaches, and how quickly it will progress between tech levels. Individual societies may, for example, tend to progress slowly, as any advancement is done by individuals or small groups and with little or no cooperation between groups. Hive societies may suffer from the same problem, as there may be only one individual (the queen) capable of conscious thought. Such details are left up to individual designers to determine. Dietary Class 01-60 Omnivore 61-90 Carnivore 91-97 Herbivore 98-00 Scavenger 2d6 Omnivores Carnivores Herbivores Scavengers 2 Eater Siren Filter Carrion-Eater 3 Hunter Pouncer Grazer Hijacker 4 Gatherer Killer Grazer Hijacker 5 Gatherer Pouncer Grazer Intimidator 6 Hunter Chaser Grazer Intimidator 7 Hunter Chaser Intermittent Intimidator 8 Hunter Chaser Intermittent Intimidator 9 Gatherer Pouncer Intermittent Intimidator 10 Gatherer Killer Intermittent Hijacker 11 Hunter Pouncer Intermittent Hijacker 12 Eater Trapper Intermittent Carrion-Eater Behavior Types --Cooperation-- Type Community Inter Intra Init Speed Omnivores Eater communal competetive aggressive low 1d-3, min 1 Hunter communal competetive aggressive high 1d-4, min 1 Gatherer individual cooperative passive mod 1d-3, min 1 Carnivores Siren individual competetive passive high 1d-4, min 1 Pouncer individual competetive aggressive high 1d-4, min 1 Killer either competetive aggressive high 1d-3, min 1 Chaser communal competetive aggressive mod 1d-2, min 2 Trapper individual competetive passive high 1 Herbivores Filter individual cooperative passive low 1 Grazer communal cooperative passive low 1d-2, min 2 Intermit. individual either passive mod 1d-4, min 1 Scavengers Carr Eater communal cooperative passive high 1d-3, min 1 Hijacker either competetive aggressive high 1d-4, min 1 Intim. communal competetive aggressive low 1d-4, min 1 "Society" describes whether a species is group or individually oriented. Individual societies are not necessarily composed of solitary beings; they may be organized into small families of 2-6 individuals. Communal societies have several seperate descriptions, which are listed on the next table. "Initiative" refers to the ability of an individual of the species to take action when left on its own. Species of high initiative have a high degree of independence and can function well alone. Those with low initiative tend to band together in large herds, and individuals have trouble functioning and may become neurotic when separated from others of their same species. "Intraspecies" refers to how well an individual being gets along with members of its own species. Cooperative species may compete with each other for reproductive rights, but be more unified when searching for food or other vital resources. Competetive species may cooperate when searching for food, but then fight over nearly everything else. "Interspecies" refers to how well the species relates to other races. Aggressive species will claim territory and actively defend it, and even attempt to take territory and resources from other species. Passive species tend to try to coexist peacefully with others, and prefer not to fight. Individual Societies Roll Basic Unit 01-70 Family 71-00 Solitary "Family" oriented societies consist of small groups of individuals, usually a single mating pair and two to four children. "Solitary" societies are entirely individually based. Individuals can tolerate members of their own species only long enough to trade or to reproduce. Communal Societies Roll Basic Unit 01-60 Family or Clan 61-95 Herd or Pack 96-00 Hive "Family or Clan" refers to a small group of family units, all related, with a single "alpha" pair functioning as head of the group. Breeding between related individuals is usually restricted, with interfamily breeding being preferred. External breeding is usually unrestricted. Families may be subsets of larger groups. Competition between groups at any level may be strong. Examples: lions, deer, Aslan, Humans "Herd or Pack" indicates a large number of individuals of the same species, organized into several subunits, with a single "alpha family". Breeding between individuals within the herd is unrestricted but may be affected by social standing. Examples: hyenas, wildebeest, K'Kree "Hive" refers to eusocial societies where a a single breeding female controls all activity within a large group of creatures. All males are fertile and permitted to breed with the "queen", and all females except the queen are sterile. Competition for breeding among hive females may be either high or low, depending on the age and strength of the queen (and designer choice). Examples: bees, naked mole rats, Chamax III. Physical Description Symmetry Roll 01-94 Bilateral 95-00 Radial DMs: If Flyer: -5 If Swimmer: +5 Internal Temperature Roll 01-95 Endothermic (Warm blooded) 96-00 Exothermic (Cold blooded) DMs: If Swimmer: +10 Skeletal System Roll 01-95 Endoskeletal 96-00 Exoskeletal DMs: If Radial: +10 Weight and Physical Stats Roll Weight STR DEX END 01-05 12kg 1d6 2d6+2 1d6 06-15 25kg 1d6+2 2d6+1 1d6+2 16-35 50kg 2d6-2 2d6 2d6-2 36-65 100kg 2d6 2d6 2d6 66-85 200kg 2d6+2 2d6 2d6+2 86-96 400kg 3d6 2d6-1 3d6 97-00 800kg 3d6 2d6-2 3d6 DMs: If Flyer: -50 If Swimmer: +30 If Homeworld Size = 9+: +10 If Homeworld Size = 4-: -10 If Exoskeletal: -30 Nervous System Number of Brains 01-95 One Brain 96-00 Two Brains (it is 90% likely that the second brain only handles physical coordination and does little or no thinking.) Location of Brain (roll once for each brain) 01-95 Brain is in a head 96-00 Brain is internal to body DMs: If Radial: +15 Bilateral Body Arrangement Tail (There is a 5% chance that the tail serves as manipulative organ in addition to the being's hands.) 01-65 No tail 66-99 One tail 00 Two or more tails Feet/Legs (or other locomotive limbs) 01-70 2 legs 71-90 4 legs 91-93 6 legs 94-96 3 legs 97-98 1 leg 01-98: hopper with Perfect Balance 99-00: gastropod with Speed 1/2 (this would be the most irritating species ever discovered) 99 5 legs 00 7 or more legs Arms (or other manipulative limbs) 01-80 2 arms 81-90 1 arm 91-95 4 arms 96-99 3 arms 00 5 or more arms Radial Body Arrangement Legs and Arms There will always be the same number of each type of limb; roll only once. There is a 60% chance that the limbs function as both legs and arms, as in the Hivers. 01-60 3 legs and 3 arms 61-95 4 legs and 4 arms 96-99 5 legs and 5 arms 00 6 legs and 6 arms Extremities (digits and toes) 01-95 1d6+1 fingers 96-00 1 tentacle-like finger Foot Orientation 01-40 Plantigrade (heel on ground) 41-80 Digitigrade (toes on ground) 81-95 Unguligrade (elephant-like pad) 00 Other Amphibians and Swimmers automatically have Flipper-like feet, so this table is irrelevant to them. Body Coverings Major Coverings Roll Endoskeletal Roll Exoskeletal 01-55 Hairless Skin or Hide 01-65 Chitin 56-70 Fur or Hair 66-00 Bony Carapace 71-80 Tortoise-like Carapace 81-90 Scales 91-00 Feathers or Down There is a 20% chance of the species having two major body coverings and a 5% chance of it having three. Natural Weaponry 01-85 None 86-00 Yes (If weaponry is present, roll on the Animal Sizes and Weaponry Table, T4 p.152) DMs: If carnivore: +20 If exoskeletal: +10 Natural Armor 01-90 None 91-00 Yes (reroll on table below) Roll Armor 01-35 1 36-65 2 66-75 1 Rigid 75-85 3 86-95 2 Rigid 96-98 4 99 3 Rigid 00 4 Rigid DMs to first roll: If Carnivore: -5 If Scavenger: +5 If Herbivore: +10 Automatic if Exoskeletal Reproduction Production of Young 01-85 Live-bearing 86-99 Egg-laying 00 Other (cloning, budding, fission, etc) Sexes 01-10 One sex (parthenogenic or asexual) 11-90 Two sexes 91-99 Three sexes (male, female, transient) 00 Four or more sexes (male, female, parent, transient) Modifiers: Hive societies always have three or more sexes (queen, male, drone) IV. Sensory Information Typically, a species will have one major sense that is stronger than the rest, and one sense that is weaker. "Normal" acuity is roughly equivalent to human capabilities. Major/Minor Senses 01-30 Visual 31-60 Auditory 61-85 Olfactory 86-90 Tactile 91-99 Taste 00 Psionics Roll twice on this table. The first roll is the major sense, and the second roll is the minor sense. Sensory Acuity Visual 01-05 Reduced acuity 06-20 No color vision 21-60 Normal 61-65 Light-enhancing 66-70 Light-reducing 71-75 Infrared bias 76-80 Ultraviolet bias 81-85 Telescopic vision (farsighted) 86-90 Microscopic vision (nearsighted) 91-95 Other 96-00 Two of the above DMs: If major sense: +20 If minor sense: -20 Auditory 01-05 Decreased sensitivity 06-55 Normal 56-65 High-frequency bias 66-75 Low-frequency bias 76-85 Heightened sensitivity 86-90 Sonar 91-95 Other 96-00 Two of the above DMs: If major sense: +20 If minor sense: -20 Olfactory 01-05 Decreased sensitivity 06-65 Normal 65-95 Increased sensitivity 96-00 Other DMs: If major sense: +20 If minor sense: -20 Tactile 01-50 Normal 51-60 Heat tolerant 61-70 Cold tolerant 71-80 Pain tolerant 81-90 Heightened sensitivity 91-95 Other 96-00 Two of the above DMs: If major sense: +20 If minor sense: -20 Taste 01-80 Normal 81-95 Heightened sensitivity 96-00 Other DMs: If major sense: +20 If minor sense: -20 Psionics 01-50 Clairvoyance: Sense 51-65 Telepathy: Life Detection 66-75 Clairvoyance: Clairvoyance 76-85 Clairvoyance: Clairaudience 86-95 Clairvoyance: Clairvoyance/Clairaudience 96-98 Full Clairvoyance 99-00 Full Telepathy Location of Sensory Organs There should be 1-6 sensory organs of each of visual, olfactory and auditory senses. All organs of any single sense should be located in the same area of the being's body. Radially symmetrical species have as many organs of each type as they have arms and legs. Location 01-80 Head (if any; if not, roll 1d20+80 for 81-100) 81-95 Body 96-98 Arms 99-00 Legs V. Special Abilities The abilities listed below are provided to add "color" to an alien species. Roll 12+ on 2d6 for a species to have one or more special abilities. Either roll from the chart below, or choose an appropriate ability. 01-03 Perfect Sound Imitation: The alien can exactly duplicate another being's voice or the sounds it makes, within the alien's hearing range. 04-06 Perfect Balance: Roll 9+1d6 for DEX. Hoppers receive this automatically. 07-09 Metabolic Control: Can survive for up to 30 days without food or water, but must rest for 1-6 days afterward. 10-12 Mimicry: The alien has a strong resemblance to another creature from its homeworld, usually a predator. 13-15 Electrical Generation: 1d6 damage + Formidable END check to avoid 2d6 minutes of stun, requires 1d6 minutes to recharge 16-18 Heightened Immunity to Poison: May be specific to homeworld biology; On 11+ on 2d6 it is universal or adaptable. Resisting the effects of an organic poison requires a Difficult END check. 19-21 Heightened Immunity to Disease: As Poison Immunity above. 22-24 Psionics: The creature has naturally fully developed psionics, usually Clairvoyance or Telepathy. 25-27 Rapid Healing: 1d3 times normal healing rate 28-30 Filtered Respiration: The alien can breathe in tainted atmosphere without a filter. 31-33 Expanded Lung Capacity: The alien can breathe in atmospheres down to 1/2 of native pressure 34-36 Perfect Recall 37-39 Savant-like Calculation 40-42 Chameleon-like Covering: Permits fast concealment in the alien's natural environment (or terrains resembling it). 43-45 Magnetic Field Detection: The alien can detect strong magnetic fields when within 100 meters of them. 46-48 Odor or gas generation: Pheremones, irritant or poison 49-51 Climbing Ability: Gains Claws or sticky pads. 52-54 Perfect Time Sense: Relative to homeworld rhythms only 55-57 Natural Psionic Shield 58-60 Perfect Sense of Direction: An extension of Magnetic Field Detection, this enables the alien to detect the magnetic fields of planets it visits. Planets with no such fields (such as Mars) will cause disorientation and confusion. 61-63 Bioluminescent Body Parts: This may be a communication system. 64-66 Temporary Vacuum Resistance: Natural armor equal to 4/Rigid. 67-69 Silent Movement: +1 to surprise, native Stealth-2 skill. 70-72 Amplified Sonics: The being has powerful vocal cords and enlarged lung capacity, and can naturally produce sounds as if using a bullhorn. It can be heard up to 1d6 kilometers away. 73-75 Gills: This is available to swimmers or amphibians only. 76-78 Burrowing Skills: automatically gains Claws as weapon. 79-81 Hibernation: The being can slow its metabolism as if on Fast drug for ENDxd6 days. 82-84 Extremely Long Lifespan: 2d6x100 years. 85-95 Other special ability 96-00 Two from above chart