 September 12, 2015 - 8:35am | I did a picture a while back of an armored fish with one eye: and I thought that doing up a whole ecology of creature all with one eye would be a worthy effort which could lead to a planetary report for a new planet and ecosystem for player characters to visit. this lead to the cycolpian lambrey:  Recently I got inspired to actually begin a "whole earth ecology" treatment of this . I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
September 12, 2015 - 9:10am | Since a big singular eye is one of the defining characteristics I'm going with a dim world, either lots of clould cover or perpetual could cover. Musing about this whiel at work I decided on frequent electical discharges/lightning which with the suggestion of moisture from the cloud cover would mean that the local wild life has developed immunity to electricity- electric swords are non effective. and some creatures might also have the ability of the terran electric eel to generate a significant electrical discharge (was kind of fun in a perverse way to watch the yahoos on Naked and Afraid XL getting zapped by the electric eel they had speared but still needed to kill) With frequent lightning strikes I want a dangerous plant/low bush that evolved a defense from lightning in that it acts as a ground and channels lightning into its roots harmlessly . Root system is an X meter diameter from the plant and on a lightning strike use a grenade bounce table to determine if a PC is in the area where the lightning gets channeled too for some hair raising referee wants to screw with the PCs fun. Anti shock implants will be a good idea on Cyclops, I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
September 12, 2015 - 9:21am | Daytime is dim and night time is pitch black photosynthesis is a problem- actually its not present. the lightning rod bush with its lightning disappation properties actuallys is the catalyst for the food chain. it pumps energy into the ground which empowers complex reactions in micro-organisms which produce fertilizing compounds that feed the lightning rod bush and other plants and animals. the aquatic bio-zones dont have an analog for the lightning rod bush. Micro-organisms do form the base of the food chain but a portion of the energy for the aquatic food chain comes from plants and animals falling into and dying in water. most of the aquatic life forms are a scavenger in some way- thus the cyclopean catfish and lamprey. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
September 12, 2015 - 9:24am | The big eyes are about light collection and the real eye sight of most cyclopean creatures is sonic based. Most aquatic forms rely on very sensitive feelers in conjunction with the light gathering eye. Note to self work on a blind angler fish that evolved a single eyestalk that emmits bio luminesence. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
September 22, 2015 - 8:46am | Lightning and the lightning rod bush are key to the life cycle on Cycplopus. Energy from lightning is dispersed into ground and energizes the micro- organisms in the soil. Making areas around these bushes very fertile. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 30, 2015 - 5:00am | Sum up: red giant or other dim Star, planet with active water cycle and 100% cloud cover making the world overcast and dim during the day and very dark to pitch black at night. Biology on planet is driven by electrical discharged by frequent lightning strikes which energize microbial life at base of food chain. I'm loathe to include primitive sapient but ancient ruins (200-1000 years) is cool as the could have R would be there from some already existing space faring sapient. Terrestrial life forms have a wonderful ngle large eye with nictating membranes to protect against lightning flashes. Eye is about light collection and provides limited sight while most creatures use echo location for more detailed sight. Aquatic lifeforms have large eye to detect light and motion but use incredibly sensitive feelers for more detailed sensing. All creatures immune to electric weapons like electric swords and most are made more aggressive against individuals wearing sonic screens which that can see the shape of the field when its operating. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 30, 2015 - 5:11am | Candidates for source of the ruins: 1) sathar. 2) klikks. 3) eorna exploration ship lost before the Day of Doom. 4) ship manned by core four from early in history. 5) tetrarchs ruins but these would date to 10,000 years ago. 6) other either referee's choice or invention. 7) unknown and unknowable meaning ruins are presented as unknown race and mystery is left unsolved. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 30, 2015 - 11:48am | Tempted to merge this with the isle of dread/ planet of dread thread in adventure writing project. http://www.starfrontiers.us/node/6537. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 November 30, 2015 - 2:24pm | There is a one-eyed GW mutant human/oid race I started conversion on. I have made them smaller than the Dragon Mag had them basically they are now all NBA sized, they absorb and eat metals. They might fit in? "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
December 1, 2015 - 4:49am | Dunno have to look at it, are they sapient? Metal eaters adds a new dimension. They would be powerfully attacked to visiting Star ships for obvious reasons. Have to wonder what happens to the race when they exhaust all surface deposits of metal. Perhaps the seas are high in metals and there are creatures that excrete metal as a shell like the real world snail that does the same? Typically their food chain involves these creatures and the lightning rod bush which would need a method of conducting lightning but when an off world ship shows up they come around like raccoons to garbage. This has the effect of stranding the ship and crew making the planet a true Sarragasso sea of lost ships. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
December 1, 2015 - 5:47am | I will find the rough and try and get them posted, they where tall new sps of human so think NBA players with metallic features, one eye, I gave them a mining background however that could be all changed. I decided that they could go into space or use modern tech if they took a few precautions and tended to use other materials to their advantage. Since they had started as a GW race the possibility of such tech, if they where the survivors of another civilization then that would work... They would not say they built the ruins in all probability. "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
December 1, 2015 - 10:47am | Tall humanoidIsh metal eating creatures. I'd lean I the direction of primitives. Large size also suggests other creatures of large size making the planet potentially dangerous environ which is what the Isle of Dread module was suppose to be with dinosaurs wandering around. Also any ruins on the planet would have been picked clean of metal materials long ago such that they can be explored but ancient tech that the PCs can co-opt will be limited, no one is walking away with alien vorpal death ray guns on their equipment list. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
December 1, 2015 - 11:45am | The rough draft for these guys is in the Download area of Tch's Projects the file is called Cycloptron. They clearly started as mutated up giant type Cyclop type creature in concept. I just think they have potential once shrunk down a bit & some thought put into them. If they ever got past basic tools their abilities could be an asset not just a liability for them. They can probably smell the metals, imagine a geologist cycloptron working for mining companies, tasting the purity and so on. Alternate technology specialists, sabotage experts for example. I was going to have these guys be fans of a sport like basket ball but different, where height is an advantage. They would find other tall humanoids attractive and exotic with two eyes. I am inclined to suggest their tough skeleton system actually might give them an advantage on higher G worlds. I am considering some revisions to them some minor some more major. Right now they are very GW but then that was part of their charm to me. Anyhow check them out and feed back welcome. Another thought is the Starmist race could have come from the world you are working on, but your natives could be different, not the domesticated ones of the Klikks, possably the Starmist population has been genetically modified or breed to be different from more native populations? Maybe they where at least as advanced as 21st century when the Klikks attacked their world? "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
December 1, 2015 - 12:38pm | Heliopes are a good call too. In that case the metal eating creature will be small to medium and just an animal. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
December 1, 2015 - 2:01pm | A Cyclopian Vole infestation would be a ship or space station nightmare if it consumes metals/absobs them. If the Heliopes became the sentient life form you could have very different culture(s) then you see on Starmist. It would not take much to send a culture back to primitive conditions and Vrusks might be either feared or reveared if the Klikks where made responsable for raids on the planet either after the civilization collapsing event or they straight up attacked the world maybe stripted it of a specific resource and left. "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
December 7, 2015 - 5:36am | I like the heliopes and klikk angle and the vrusk characters being feared. 2 reactions to the fear: worshipful of a god but when they suspect the vrusk of not being as powerful they attack out of fear. Fun times for the PCs. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
December 7, 2015 - 5:49am | A metal eater: "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
January 6, 2016 - 1:50pm | Talking with a biologist friend about this and she suggested a creature with the sensing pits in the shsrk's nose to detect electricity. This to me is very doable and it puts this creature on a collision course with the players in that it will home in on everything with a power source. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 6, 2016 - 1:52pm | Would it be too cliche to make the metal eating creature similar in size and look to the rust monster? I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 6, 2016 - 4:47pm | The metal eating creature normally eats the lightning rod tree for its metal content which has been secreted into channels running the length of the trunk and the root system. They're not well suited to eat materials from the frontier but can't help themselves as its like candy to them. They derive other nutrients from the wood pulp of the tree but when the gorge on Frontier metals it causes severe health effects for them. Landed Star ships will require a ground to disperse lighting energy which is as simple as a metal rod pounded in the ground and connected by cable. This ground would be a prime target and important equipment could/would be damaged by electrical surges from lightning if the ship is ungrounded. Players will have to take measures to protect or guard it. Lest too much damage be done to the ship. There will have been an ecological collapse I the past where these metal eating creatures had decimated the trees. This gives you sporadic trees surrounded by circles of plant life like poka-dots of life in a barren landscape.one large plateau does not have any of these creatures therefore it's a dense forest full of life and some primitive heliopes. Outcast tribes of heliopes wander the wasteland hunting the metal eaters and trying to protect some lightning rod trees from the metal eaters. Thus we have 4 distinct environments: aquatic (which doesn't need in-depth development), barren ground, barren ground and lightning rod tree oasis', and plateau with klikk ruins. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 6, 2016 - 6:21pm | Isotope dating of remains and ruins: how do the players determine the age of ruins or remains? Carbon 14 in environments with carbon based life and the presence of the carbon 14 isotope. I'm tempted to just say life on this planet is carbon based and allow for carbon 14 dating after the science team member does some skill checks to determine the normal levels of C14. However if someone was to suggest a more exotic isotope that could get bound up in a metabolic process in much the same way C14 does I'd be all ears. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 January 6, 2016 - 8:39pm | There are lots of isotopes. Carbon-14 is convenient becuase it has a reasonable half-life, 5730 years, and is really abundant. If you've got plants that incorporate metal you could use silver-108 (half-life 408 years), nickel-63 (HL=100.1 yrs), nickel-59 (HL=76,000 yrs), or myabe even lead-202 (HL=52500 yrs). Unfortunately, all the other elements with half lifes around that of C-14 are very rare. You can find a full list here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_radioactive_isotopes_by_half-life The real trick to dating using radioactive isotopes is figuring out what the parent composition is first. So there would probably need to be a series of analyze samples rolls to get the baseline (maybe each one improves accuracy) and then an analyze on the "dead" sample to determine the difference. And that doesn't account for any environmental changes that might have affected the starting values in the past. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
January 7, 2016 - 1:30am | Silver 108 sounds good for dating ruins and remains from the previous 1000 years. Going with this planet being the nativity planet of the heliopes, well the proto-heliope. As the klikks came and modified, manipulated, re-engineered them to suit their purposes. The klikks visited Starmist 700 years ago so they had to be on Cyclops prior to that so the isotope dating needs to be ideal for dating in the 800-1000 year range many of those mentioned would give fairly accurate dates. The more successful sample analysis by the science character will reduce the Margin of error. This will be important for the PCs to determine if klikk activity here pre or post dates klikk activity on Starmist. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 7, 2016 - 6:27am | Talking with a biologist friend, the suggestion was made that life on this planet could be silicon based instead of carbon. It's close to carbon, is a semi conductor, can be used in fiber optics, and could work with the ideas in play about lightning and lightning rod trees. I just checked on the conductivity issue and its conductivity increases with heat (opposite) so we might consider greenhouse environment for cyclops I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 January 8, 2016 - 11:31pm | The klikks visited Starmist 700 years ago... It just hit me how contemporary the clikks are. They dropped the heliopes on Starmist in 900 pf, then the vrusk, dralasites, and humans meet on the frontier in 300 pf. I kept thinking of them as ancient and combining that with extinct but that is not required to be so. It would be interesting it dating of sites around the frontier shows that the clikks show up every 1200 years or so at sites and now people start speculating that the frontier is due for another clikk visit. -iggy |
January 11, 2016 - 5:10am | What if the klikks were like locusts, showing up every X # of years? I've postulated before that since the klikks dropped the heliopes on Starmist at about the same time the sathar were boot stomping the eorna and since the klikks felt the need to build such a god-awful big tank that they were in active military operations with the sathar a millennium ago. However here we are a 1000 years later only the worms are in evidence. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 May 6, 2016 - 6:39pm | What if the klikks were like locusts, showing up every X # of years? I like this idea. Joe Cabadas |
May 9, 2016 - 8:56am | If the klikks are like locust showing up every X # of years then they must take steps to prepare for their dormancy and re-inergence. It makes you wonder if their past actions in Starmist might have been influenced by their "preparation" doctrine. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
May 12, 2016 - 7:26pm | Good point... on the dormancy. They might also have a territory they roam through "harvesting" resources (including new servant races) on a sort of long term schedule. "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
May 18, 2016 - 9:48am | Military equipment and servant race were "stockpiled" on Starmist but the klikk vessel never made it home (lost) thus no other klikk knew about the cache on Starmist nor its location. Thus heliopes society evolved independently of klikk influence for 700 years. The tank is still operable after 700 years because the klikks design things with their long cycle dormancy in mind and the tank also had some sub systems that helped maintain it. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
