| Alien |
Beyond the great powers of the Core Worlds, countless other sentient species look to the stars.
Not every interstellar traveler belongs to one of the common ancestries. The Core Worlds are vast, containing countless single-system species, vassal states, and forgotten colonies. This ancestry is a toolkit for playing a member of one of these unique peoples. In coordination with your Game Master, you can use the suggestions below to define your homeworld, appearance, culture, and place in the galaxy. Your choice of an Alien Heritage will then provide the mechanical foundation for your character, reflecting the environment that shaped your people.
Player and GM should work together to determine the Alien’s traits, language and details of your unique character.
If you want to play a character who is entirely of your own creation, truly unique, and defined by a memorable and custom-built backstory, you should play an Alien.
You Might…
- Come from a small, overlooked world that was recently absorbed into the territory of a major power like the Riadian Coalition or the Inza Technate.
- Hail from a planet rich in a rare resource, making your people a target for the relentless exploitation of a galactic megacorporation.
- Be one of the last survivors of a homeworld that was lost to a natural disaster or a forgotten war, seeking a new home for your people.
Other’s Probably…
- Have absolutely no idea what species you are, lumping you in with the generic and often dismissive term “xeno.”
- Mistake you for an unusual-looking variant of a more common ancestry.
- Form a stereotype of your entire species based solely on your individual actions and personality.
Physical Description
The diversity of life in the galaxy is nearly infinite. Your people’s appearance is up to you, but is often shaped by the environment of your homeworld. A species from a high-gravity world might be short, stocky, and powerfully built with dense bones, while a species from a low-gravity world could be tall, willowy, and fragile, perhaps with membranes for gliding. Aquatic aliens from ocean worlds might be streamlined and amphibious, with gills, fins, and bioluminescent patterns. Some species may not even be carbon-based, with bodies of living crystal, silicon, or gaseous energy contained within a complex suit. Consider the world your people came from, and let your imagination define your form.
Society
Your society’s structure and place in the galaxy can vary immensely. Perhaps you are a Vassal State, a species that has been peacefully integrated into the Riadian Coalition for centuries, with your own representative in the Assembly. You might be from an Isolated Kingdom, a single-system monarchy that has only recently achieved FTL travel and is now taking its first, cautious steps onto the galactic stage. Your people could be Corporate-Owned, with your entire homeworld functioning as a resource plant for a powerful corporation, and your people as its indentured employees. Or you might hail from a Post-Scarcity Utopia, a society that has solved its internal struggles and now looks to the stars with boundless curiosity.
Names
Example Names Xylos, Q’rell, J’an D’oe, Twelve-Blossoms, Deep-Swimmer, Smith, Echo, Valerius-4, Grak-kin
Beliefs
The philosophies and religions of the lesser-known species are as diverse as their forms. Your people might follow an Ancestor Cult, venerating the spirits of their progenitors as guides and protectors. They could practice a form of pantheism, believing their homeworld is a single, divine, living entity—The Living World. Conversely, they might have embraced Pragmatic Materialism, a philosophy that rejects all spirituality in favor of science and observable fact. Some species, upon discovering the great powers, have even formed Star-God religions, cargo cults that worship the powerful fleets and technologies of the Core Worlds as divine manifestations.
Popular Edicts Ensure others know the name and story of your people. Learn and adopt the customs of the dominant culture to ensure your safety and survival. Prove through great deeds that your people are worthy of respect on the galactic stage.
Popular Anathema Allow your people or your culture to be dismissed as irrelevant or generic. Draw unnecessary and negative attention to your alien origins. Bring shame or disgrace to your people through failure or cowardice.
Mechanics
Hit Points
Your ancestry Hit Points depend on the size you choose (see below): 6 HP if you’re Tiny or Small, 8 HP if you’re Medium, or 10 HP if you’re Large.
Size
Choose the size appropriate to your alien:
Tiny, Small, Medium, or Large
Speed
Determined by your heritage
Attribute Boosts
Determined by your heritage
Attribute Flaw
Determined by your heritage
Languages
- Common
- A language common in the Core Worlds (or a custom language unique to the ancestry).
- Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it’s positive). Choose from the list of common languages and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).