Science Fiction Species

Intelligent species other than humans are often encountered in science fiction settings, particularly space opera.

For example, it's possible PCs could run into mutants in a postapocalypse game, cyborgs in a hard science fiction setting, or either one plus any number of alien species in a space opera game. Or the player characters might be of such a species themselves.

The GM may decide to handle species with narrative description (and maybe advice on how to adapt the type and focus you already have) rather than introduce additional mechanics. For example, if you're a 7-foot-tall furry rigellian, it might not change your stats or skills—though it may have interesting roleplaying challenges and benefits.

However, the GM might decide to offer species choices that do grant mechanical benefits. In this case, choosing the Rigellian species would change your stats.

If the GM decides that species with mechanical benefits are appropriate for their game, they may give you the choice to gain one described here and/or a species they've created to suit their setting. Species offer a one-time package of characteristics for your character, much like a descriptor.

Science Fiction Species List

• Aarak
• Cyborg
• Delph
• D'nec
• Drakain
• Human
• Mutant
• Naron
• Prota
• Rigellian
• Stelan
• Vendeer
• Zantari

Aarak

Aaraks like you hail from a canyon-carved volcanic world that enjoys an embarrassment of thermals, updrafts from when the wind streams over mountains and ridges, and "cloud streets" of aligned lanes of cumulus clouds running parallel to the wind. Feathered, light-boned, and described as "avian" by certain other species, you've left your homeworld, looking for adventures (and thermals!) on other planets and habitats.

You gain the following characteristics:

• If jumping from a height elevated by at least 30 feet (9 m) from your surroundings, you can glide a long distance before landing at some lower point in range.
• You reduce your falling damage from a fall by one wound severity.
• You don't get a GM intrusion if you roll a 1 on a dodge roll.

Cyborg

You sport a variety of cybernetic implants, some of which replace missing organs you would have had if you were a human, with others designed to enhance whatever biology you still possess. You might have been born of a birthing process all the people of your colony undergo, willingly augmented as part of a stint of military service, or assimilated into a cybernetic collective against your will (from which you later escaped)—or you might be ignorant of why you're half machine. Most days, you figure it doesn't matter. It's not what you're made of that counts; it's your actions.

You gain the following characteristics:

• You don't get a GM intrusion if you roll a 1 on a Might defense task.
• You are trained in hacking.
• You inflict +1 damage with melee attacks via conducted electricity.

Delph

Delphs are welcome almost anywhere, usually because of their skin artistry—your people's metachrotic ability to create colorful, unique designs and patterns across your entire body, including your luxurious head tendrils. When you really apply yourself, you can make amazingly beautiful patterns (or help camouflage yourself in some environments if you have about ten minutes to create a new design on your skin). What's less well known is your people's capacity to produce intraspecies pheromones (usually whether you want to or not) that almost anyone—delphs and other species—find alluring, or at least pleasant.

You gain the following characteristics:

• You can apply an asset to positive social interactions (whether you're using persuasion or deception) if your pheromone affects whoever you're talking to.
• When you take ten minutes to update your skin design for a certain environment, you gain an asset to stealth tasks in that environment.

D'nec

Like your fellows, you are a 4-foot (1 m) tall humanoid with glowing eyes. The D'nec are a nomadic species capable of repairing broken or scavenged electronics, engines, robots, and other devices, and then find a market for the reconditioned results. Though raised with the same disciplines as other D'nec, you struck out on your own, hoping to find new opportunities and new experiences the average D'nec can't even imagine.

You gain the following characteristics:

• You gain 1 extra point to your Intellect Pool each time you use a recovery.
• You are trained in systems operation.
• You inflict +1 damage with light ranged energy weapons.

Drakain

Your skin is ridged with lines of bone and you likely stand at least 6 feet (2 m) tall. Some might compare drakain to humans, but only the foolish would do so aloud. You and other drakain deeply value combat and honor, believing that death in battle is among the most glorious of ends. After all, yours is a proud warrior people, and drakain have parlayed their prowess into great empires in the past. You cherish your birthright, but that doesn't keep you from befriending beings of other species and exploring opportunities that come your way.

You gain the following characteristics:

• You can take one more minor wound than normal.
• You are trained in intimidation (except against other drakain).
• You inflict +1 damage with bladed weapons (or high-tech versions of the same).

Human

Humans are among the youngest species, and perhaps that's why—when considered as a whole—they're more given to explore, conquer, and expand their communities, even if that means taking from other species or other humans. Individually, Humans couldn't be more diverse. Which means you could be under 5 feet (150 cm) tall and barely 100 pounds (45 kg), or well over 6 feet (180 cm) tall and weigh in at 250 pounds (113 kg); have blue eyes or brown, black, green, or some other variation; have no hair, flowing golden locks, amazing dreads, a mohawk, or some other rakish cut; be all about your faith, exploring ancient places, keeping evil at bay, enriching yourself, or some other disposition; and so on. What's definitely true is that you are not afraid to strive for what you want and believe in.

You gain the following characteristics:

• Choose a second descriptor and add its benefits to your regular descriptor.

Mutant

Savage forces strong enough to destroy a world left you transformed. Perhaps through latent mutations passed down from ancestors that survived the apocalypse, or because something about you reacts when exposed to radiation or some other mutagenic source, you've gained mutations. You might look relatively similar to others of your species, or you might have one or more obvious physical differences that make it hard to disguise your nature—work with your GM to decide your specific features. Not that you necessarily want to hide what you are; you might wish to proudly display what makes you different and, to your mind, better.

You gain the following characteristics:

• You don't get a GM intrusion if you roll a 1 on a Might defense task.
• Choose any tier 1 ability from any focus; work with your GM to adapt that ability as your mutation.

Naron

You are descended from a species of natural telepaths that communicate naturally mind-to-mind, not via spoken language. Standing about 5 feet (1.5 m) tall, your prominence—usually a subtle glow that faintly silhouettes your bald head—moves in slow waves when you're relaxed, or flashes and pulses when you're excited or stressed (unless you consciously suppress it). The naron are generally a peaceful people, but some of you have found the wider galaxy offers interesting opportunities in all walks of society among creatures where psi is a rare to vanishing trait.

You gain the following characteristics:

• You can't produce vocal sounds but instead telepathically communicate with one, some, or all intelligent creatures within short range as easily as if you were talking back and forth out loud.
• You are trained in persuasion or deception.
• You are trained in recognizing motive.

Prota

Your flesh is akin to stretchy clay in that you can change your overall shape between a basic sluglike blob (or circular sphere) to a being with up to several pseudopods useful as your arms and legs. Your control over your shape is limited; you're unable to exactly replicate other creatures or objects, but you can evoke their shapes, though it takes you about ten minutes to achieve a new shape. Prota are rare—your homeworld was destroyed by war long before you were born. You rarely encounter others of your kind, so you've learned to get along with other beings, some of whom you've come to regard as your friends or found family.

You gain the following characteristics:

• You can take one more minor wound than normal.
• You are trained in persuasion.
• You gain an asset to a specific task that you've shaped your body for.

Rigellian

As a rigellian, you are a 7-foot (2 m) tall humanoid covered in thick fur. Rigellians are renowned for their strength, loyalty, and roaring language. Most rigellians are peaceful and enjoy life on a technologically advanced homeworld orbiting a distant blue supergiant star. While you may share the sense of honor most of your kind possess, you've probably left home behind to pursue adventure in the wider galaxy.

You gain the following characteristics:

• You don't get a GM intrusion if you roll a 1 on an athletics task.
• You are trained in systems operation.
• You inflict +1 damage with ranged projectile weapons.

Stelan

If not for the angularity of your features compared with humans, outsiders would be hard-pressed to tell you apart. However, your difference in temperament is more obvious. It only takes a few minutes in your presence to understand that stelans prize rational thought above everything, having little use for gut feelings, emotions that cloud sound judgment, and the value of anecdote in the face of compiled data.

You gain the following characteristics:

• You don't get a GM intrusion if you roll a 1 on an Intellect defense task.
• You are trained in gathering information.
• You can choose to force your target to lose its next turn instead of dealing damage with a successful unarmed attack.

Vendeer

You are a vendeer, which means that you are 9 feet (2.5 m) tall, slender, and purple-skinned. Your mane-like "hair" makes you slightly more sensitive to psychic phenomena, especially the thoughts and emotions of other creatures, intelligent or not. Vendeer are native to a lush forest moon, and though not technically advanced, your kin enjoy rich cultural and spiritual lives. But the lure of other planets and stars pulled you far from home, and now you pursue a life far different than that of the hunter-gatherers you left behind.

You gain the following characteristics:

• You don't get a GM intrusion if you roll a 1 on a recognizing motive task.
• You are trained in perception.
• You inflict +1 damage with spears (or high-tech versions of the same).

Zantari

Your antennae give you improved senses and your thick skin helps insulate you against the cold of the icy moon your people call home, but otherwise you appear humanoid. However, appearances can be deceptive, as zantari have five genders, which outsiders find difficult to distinguish. As a zantari, you value honor, ritual combat, and military service, but also artistry. Others sometimes describe you as emotional, but for you that's a compliment—without intensity of feeling, how could life be worth living?

You gain the following characteristics:

• Reduce the severity of wounds you receive from ice and cold by one step.
• You are trained in perception.
• You inflict +1 damage with ranged energy weapons.