DRALASITES
Characteristics
Average Size 1.3 meters tall 1 meter wide
Average Mass 65 kilograms
Average Lifespan 250 years
Reproductive System hermaphroditic, budding
Body Temperature 30 degrees Celsius
Movement
Walking 5 meters per turn
Running 60’ per turn
Hourly 3 kilometers/hour
(insert dralasite pic here)
Dralasites are short, rubbery aliens that have no bones or hard body parts. Their skin is a flexible membrane that is very tough and scratchy. It generally is dull gray and lined with dark veins that meet at the Dralasite's two eyespots.
The internal structure of a Dralasite is very different from the other races. The Dralasite's central nerve bundle (brain), numerous small hearts and other internal organs float in a pudding-like mixture of protein and organic fluids. Dralasites breathe by absorbing oxygen directly through their skin, so they have no lungs. They are omnivores, but eat by surrounding their food and absorbing it, so they also have no digestive tract or intestines.
All Dralasites go through male, female and neutral stages during their lives (these phases can be controlled with medicines). Males release spores into the air, which drift until they become attached to a female. A young Dralasite then ''sprouts'' from its mother, eventually maturing and dropping off.
Senses: The most important sense for a Dralasite is smell. They breathe directly through their skin, and the entire membrane is sensitive to odors. Their sense of smell is so keen they can identify persons by smell alone and can recognize familiar smells on objects or persons. The membrane also is sensitive to touch and to vibrations, allowing Dralasites to hear and feel.
Dralasites see only in black and white. They see shapes and light and darkness very clearly, and can see a difference between distinct colors (blue and green, for example) because one is darker than the other, but they do not see actual colors.
Speech: Dralasites have a voice box, but it works like a bellows because they have no lungs. A Dralasite's voice can vary from a soft whisper to a thundering roar and from a bass rumble to a piercing screech. Among themselves, they also use shapes, odors and touch to communicate.
Society & Customs: Dralasites are philosophical and thoughtful. Their communities are small, and many Dralasites prefer to live alone. Dralasites do not care about wealth, power or status symbols. They judge themselves by the quality of their ideas and their ability to discuss important ideas wisely. Dralasites often hold large public meetings to discuss new ideas. Discussions and debates are among their favorite ways to relax.
Steam baths are another favorite Dralasite recreation. They mix perfumes and intoxicants with the steam. These affect Dralasites the same way alcohol does a Human or Yazirian.
Dralasites are widely known for their strange sense of humor. They love old jokes and puns that make Humans groan. Many Human comedians who could not find work in Human cities have become rich performing on Dralasite worlds.
Dralasites do not normally wear clothing, because it makes breathing difficult and interferes with their sense of smell. They usually carry their equipment on web belts. When they must wear clothing to protect themselves, they use special materials that let air reach their skin.
Attitudes: Dralasites are very fond of Vrusk, because they think Vrusk have funny shapes. They get along well with Humans but are careful not to upset Yazirians, who they consider too violent.
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Elasticity - A Dralasite's skin is stretchable and supported by a complex muscle structure. This allows them to change the shape of their bodies, within limits. They can "grow" arms and legs to use for walking and handling tools and weapons, and re-absorb limbs when they are not needed.
A Dralasite can have a number of limbs equal to its Dexterity divided by 2, rounded up. The player must decide whether a limb is an arm or a leg when it is grown. For example, a Dralasite with a Dexterity score of 10 can control up to five limbs. It could have three legs and two arms, two legs and one arm, no legs and five arms, or any other combination adding up to five or less.
Growing or absorbing a limb takes five minutes. Only one limb can be grown at a time. A limb can be up to 1 meter long, and no less than 10 cm thick. "Fingers'' for handling items can be up to 10 cm long and no less than 1 cm thick.
Even though a Dralasite can have many arms, it can not fire more than two weapons at once. When a Dralasite player creates limbs, he must specify one as the dominant limb, the same way a Human must choose to be either right or left-handed. Also, despite a Dralasite's stretching and shrinking, the pattern of veins and ridges on its skin does not change, so they have a permanent "fingerprint" for identification.
(insert 3-view dralasite pic here)
Lie Detection - All Dralasite characters begin with a 1-in-20 chance to realize when someone is lying to them. The Dralasite must be communicating face to face with the character, and the Dralasite player must tell the referee he is trying to detect a lie. The referee rolls d20 secretly. If the result is 20, the Dralasite knows whether the person is telling the truth. If the die roll is 19 or less, the Dralasite does not sense that the person is lying. This special ability can be improved by spending experience points (see IMPROVING CHARACTERS).
Ability Scores – A Dralasite receives a +1 Strength or Constitution bonus (player’s choice) offset by a –1 Dexterity adjustment. Dralasites with a 13+ in both PR scores will gain a 5% XP bonus while having a 13+ in one and a 16+ in the other will net a 10% bonus. Consequently, a PR score of 6-8 will have a –10% penalty and a PR of 3-5 will be –20%. Bonuses & penalties are cumulative, for example a Dralasite with a Strength of 8 (-10%) and a Constitution score of 13 (+5%) will end up with a –5% penalty.
Primary Skill Area: A Dralasite begins the game with either the Bio-Social or Military PSA.
Restrictions: Dralasites use twelve-sided dice (d12) to determine their hit points. Unless the Dralasite has previously stretched itself up to near-human size, they may not carry or use any long weapons or items.
(insert dralasite pirate pic here)
HUMANS
Characteristics
Average Size 1.9 meters tall
Average Mass 80 kilograms (male) 55 kilograms (female)
Average Lifespan 200 years
Reproductive System heterosexual, viviparous
Body Temperature 37 degrees Celsius
Movement
Walking 10 meters per turn
Running 20 meters per turn
Hourly 5 kilometers/hour
(Insert K.D. human pic here)
Typical adult Humans are approximately 2 meters tall, and have two arms and two legs. They are warm-blooded omnivores with internal skeletons. Both hands have four fingers and one opposable thumb, which allows them to grip and use tools. Their arms are jointed at the shoulder, elbow and wrist. Their legs are similar, being jointed at the hip, knee and ankle. Humans walk upright.
Human skin color varies over a wide range, including pale white and pink, tan, pale yellow, red, brown and black. This color does not change as the Human matures. Most Humans have hair covering the top and back of the head, and males also have hair on their chins and throats. Hair color varies from white and yellow to red, brown and black, gradually changing to gray as the Human ages.
Senses: Humans have color vision, sensing the spectrum between infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths. They have good depth and motion perception. Their hearing covers a range from 16 to 27,000 cycles per second, with good separation and direction-sensing qualities. Their skin is touch-sensitive. Their senses of taste and smell are not as highly developed as their sight.
Speech: Humans speak by forcing air from their lungs through a larynx or voice box and shaping sounds with their lips and tongue. They can create a wide range of sounds, and have no difficulty speaking Pan-Galactic and Yazirian languages.
Society & Customs: Human society centers around the family. A family generally consists of a father, a mother and 1 to 6 children. Families usually group together into communities for mutual support and protection. Community size varies widely; several Human cities are known to have populations above 5 million.
Of all the star-faring races, Humans are the most varied. As a race they are not as warlike as the Yazirians, as businesslike as the Vrusk or as thoughtful as the Dralasites. Yet, individual Humans can be found who surpass even the most violent Yazirians, the most dedicated Vrusk and the most philosophical Dralasites. Humans tend to value individuality and personal freedom more than anything else, but they do not hesitate to work together to reach a common goal or to protect themselves from attack.
To members of the other races, the most puzzling aspect of Human behavior is their curiosity and love of adventure. Many Humans are willing to put themselves in great danger simply to see something new or go somewhere no one has ever gone before. Some Humans (a very small percentage) seem to actually enjoy being in danger, thriving on the excitement of a life-or-death situation. This type of behavior has never been observed in normal members of the other races. Even the Yazirians, known for their violence and fits of rage, try to avoid taking unnecessary risks. This spirit of adventure has served Humans well, however, as most major exploration missions organized by local 35 governments or private companies are led by a Human.
Many alien biologists have wondered how the Human race could have survived long enough to build a civilization and colonize new planets; compared to other creatures in the galaxy, Humans are not especially strong or quick, and are no smarter than the other races. However, Humans are very inventive and adaptable. They manage to survive and even flourish in areas other races consider uninhabitable, by adapting themselves to the new conditions with surprising speed. This and the Humans' love for gadgets and hardware led to the appearance of a popular saying among Vrusk, ''Mr. Human and his Indestructible Junk Show.'' Despite this condescending attitude, Vrusk and the other star-faring races have learned to respect Humans.
Attitudes: Humans are one of the most open and accepting of the known races. They get along very well with Dralasites, and their similarity to Yazirians usually is strong enough to overcome the usual negative reaction to a Yazirian's pushiness. Many Humans, however, are mildly nervous around Vrusk. Human psychologists blame this on the Vrusk's resemblance to a giant insect. (Many Humans dislike insects, and some are actually afraid of them.)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Humans have no special abilities, however since they emphasize training and education more than the other races, players who are starting new Human characters get to add 1 to any one of the eight ability scores while suffering no penalties applied to other scores.
Primary Skill Area: Humans may start the game with any PSA. The PR will depend on the PSA, Military will have a Dexterity PR, Technical will be Intelligence, and Bio-Social will be Wisdom. Any PR of 13+ will enjoy a +5% XP bonus, 16+ will gain a 10% bonus. PR scores of 6-8 will receive a –10% penalty while PR scores of 3-5 will incur a –20% penalty.
Restrictions: Humans use ten-sided dice (d10) to determine their hit points.
VRUSK
Characteristics
Average Size 1.5 meters tall by 1.5 meters long
Average Mass 85 kilograms
Average Lifespan 175 years
Reproductive System heterosexual, ovoviviparous
Body Temperature 38 degrees Celsius
Movement
Walking 15 meters per turn
Running 35 meters per turn
Hourly 6 kilometers/hour
(insert two-gun weilding vrusk here)
Vrusk look like large insects. Eight legs grow from their abdomen, four on each side. Their torso is upright in front of the abdomen. The torso is humanoid, with two arms connected at the shoulders. The head is above the shoulders. Vrusk hands are circular pads with five fingers spaced evenly around the edge. A Vrusk's shoulders are double-jointed, so they can rotate their arms in a full circle without straining any muscles. They can reach any point on their abdomen or behind their backs easily.
A Vrusk's body is covered by a carapace (hard shell). This shell is jointed at the Vrusk's elbows, hips, knees, etc. The carapace protects the Vrusk from bruises, cuts, scratches and other minor injuries. Unlike insects, Vrusk have an internal skeleton to support their bodies. Young Vrusk have a blue carapace with bright orange near the joints. As the Vrusk gets older, its carapace changes to dull green with yellow joints.
Vrusk have large eyes that are protected by a hard, clear covering. The mouth is surrounded by four eating mandibles. The two larger mandibles hold food while the small ones tear it apart and place it in the mouth. They are omnivores. Vrusk have lungs, and breathe through many small nostrils under their abdomens. This arrangement makes it difficult for Vrusk to swim.
Senses: Vrusk have very good color vision, but they see more of the short wavelengths (blue and ultraviolet light) than Humans do, and less of the long wavelengths (orange and red). Their sense of smell is centered in their antennae, and is slightly better than a Human's. They also can touch with their antennae. Their hearing is about the same as a Human's.
Speech: Vrusk speak by combining clicks produced by their mandibles and buzzes produced by a plate in their mouths.
Society & Customs: Vrusk are hard-working and practical. Their society is organized around independent corporations. To a Vrusk, the company he works for is his family and his nation. The company determines everything about the Vrusk's life; who he lives with, what his job is, where he travels, etc. Vrusk give their company name before their personal name.
Vrusk have two types of corporations: conglomerates and trade houses. Conglomerates have business interests in many areas. A single conglomerate might have divisions that build computers, operate farms, train lawyers and set up colonies. A Vrusk that works for a conglomerate usually works for only one division, and might not even know what other divisions the company owns. Trade houses, which are more common in the Frontier, specialize in one type of business. Because all Vrusk working for a trade house do the same work, trade houses usually work together. For example, a trade house that builds farming equipment would hire accountants from an accounting house to keep their financial records. Business between companies is regulated by laws that are so complex no one besides Vrusk have ever fully understood them.
Vrusk also love beauty, harmony and order. The goal of most Vrusk is to become wealthy, collect art, and live in peace. Their love for beauty makes them unwilling to get into fights that do not involve their company. However, Vrusk that are defending their company will do anything to remove the threat permanently.
Vrusk adventurers, however, do not belong to a company. Some are independent businessmen, some are company employees who were fired, and some are just too rebellious to put up with company rules. A few start their own companies and eventually become leaders in their communities.
Attitudes: Vrusk get along well with the other three races. They respect the Yazirian custom of choosing a life enemy, and feel at ease around Dralasites because they are careful and skillful planners (though they are annoyed by the Dralasites' sense of humor). They understand Humans the least because, to a Vrusk, Humans seem unpredictable and a little lazy.
Special Abilities
Ambidexterity - All Vrusk are ambidextrous (they can use both hands equally well). Players with Vrusk characters do not need to choose whether their character is right or left-handed. Vrusk can shoot weapons, throw grenades, write, catch or grip with either hand.
Comprehension - Because Vrusk have such a complicated society, they are able to understand all sorts of social dealings. All Vrusk characters start with a Comprehension score of 18. This score is the character's chance (roll18+ on d20) to figure out any type of social dealing that the player himself can not. For example, a Vrusk is following a Human he thinks is a spy for another company. He follows the Human into a bar and sees him talking to a group of rough looking Yazirians, occasionally glancing over his shoulder. Then the Human hands some money to the thugs and leaves the bar. The Vrusk player is not sure what the Human was trying to do, so he tells the referee he wants to use his Comprehension ability. If he rolls 15 or less on a d100, the referee will tell him that the Human paid the Yazirians to attack the Vrusk if he tried to follow the Human from the bar. A character's Comprehension score can be increased by spending experience points (see IMPROVING CHARACTERS).
Ability Scores – A Vrusk receives a +1 Dexterity bonus offset by a –1 Strength or Constitution adjustment (player’s choice). A Dexterity score of 13+ will inherit a +5% XP bonus and 16+ will gain a 10% bonus. Dexterity scores of 6-8 will have a –10% penalty and 3-5 will get a –20% penalty.
Primary Skill Area: Vrusk begin the game with either the Technical or Bio-Social PSA.
Restrictions: Vrusk use eight-sided dice (d8) to determine their hit points. Certain equipment will require modification for use, such as space suits and vehicles, often with an additional cost. NPC vrusk are never chaotic unless they are antagonists to the party.
YAZIRIANS
Characteristics
Average Size 2.1 meters tall
Average Mass 50 kilograms (male) 60 kilograms (female)
Average Lifespan 140 years
Reproductive System heterosexual, viviparous
Body Temperature 39 degrees Celsius
Movement
Walking 10 meters per turn
Running 30 meters per turn
Hourly 4 kilometers/hour
(insert female yazirian pic here)
Yazirians are tall, thin humanoids. They have long arms and legs and slender torsos. Two large flaps of skin grow on either side of their bodies, attached along their arms, torso and legs. When a Yazirian raises its arms, this membrane is stretched tight and forms a sort of wing. Under certain conditions (explained under Gliding). Yazirians can glide short distances using these wings.
Yazirians have muzzles and high foreheads, giving them an animal-like appearance. Their heads are surrounded by manes and collars of hair, which varies in color from glossy black to pale yellow. Their skin color ranges from gray to light tan. Because their bodies do not sweat, Yazirians pant to keep cool. They are omnivores.
Yazirians have four knuckles (one more than Humans) on their fingers and toes. The inside toe is opposed like a thumb, allowing them to grasp things with their feet. The tips of their fingers and toes end in broad, ribbed pads, giving them an excellent grip. These characteristics, combined with their animal-like appearance, earned them the nickname "monkeys."
Senses: Yazirians’ senses of hearing, smell, and taste are equivalent to a Human’s. Because they evolved from nocturnal hunters, however, their eyes are adapted to seeing in dim light. They can not see in complete darkness. They usually wear dark goggles when they must work in sunlight. In bright light, Yazirians without dark goggles must subtract 3 from any Dexterity checks and skills dependent on Dexterity.
Speech: Yazirians have no trouble speaking Human languages or Pan-Galactic. Their own language is a combination of Human-type sounds and snarls and growls.
Society & Customs: Yazirian communities are divided into large, loosely organized clans. All the members of a clan are related to each other. In the past, clan ties were very strong. The clans had traditional enemies and allies, and they struggled constantly for power and land. Since the Yazirians moved into space, they have learned to cooperate more and the clans have become less important. Despite this, Yazirians still have a reputation throughout the Frontier as proud, fierce fighters.
A custom Yazirians have kept intact is the selection of a life-enemy. When a Yazirian chooses a life enemy, he dedicates his life to destroying, overcoming or outdoing that enemy as completely as possible. In the past, a Yazirian would choose an enemy clan or clan member as his life-enemy, but now the choice is much wider. A Yazirian scientist could name an incurable disease as his life-enemy, or a Yazirian trader could choose a competing company. The scientist would try to find a cure for the disease; the trader would try to build up his own company so it is more powerful than his enemy's, or even try to drive the other company out of business.
A Yazirian gains honor by striving to defeat his enemy. Yazirians with powerful life-enemies are respected and admired. A Yazirian that defeats its enemy does not need to choose another, but some Yazirians do. There is no set point in a Yazirian's life when he must choose a life-enemy, and some Yazirians never choose one. A Yazirian that dies without having chosen a life-enemy is considered unlucky.
Typical Yazirian clothing is a large, brightly colored cape and tunic, a waist belt and two belts crossed over the chest. Dark goggles are worn in the daytime. Yazirians do not like shoes, however when necessary, they wear mitten-like shoes.
Attitudes: In general, Yazirians like Vrusk and Humans. They occasionally lose their patience with Dralasites, because they are slow and would rather discuss ideas than act on them.
Special Abilities
Battle Rage - Yazirians train themselves to go berserk in battle. A berserk Yazirian gets a bonus of +20 to hit in melee. Yazirian characters start with a Battle Rage score of 5, and a 5% chance to go berserk at the start of a battle. This chance can be increased by spending experience points (see IMPROVING CHARACTERS) to raise the Battle Rage score. Battle Rage lasts as long as the Yazirian keeps fighting; it ends when the Yazirian rests for five minutes.
Gliding - Yazirians can glide short distances using the membranes along their sides. A Yazirian can glide 1 meter for every meter he is above the ground when he starts. He must start at least 10 meters above the ground. The maximum distance a Yazirian can glide depends on the gravity of the planet, as shown below which is graduated for 10-meter increments in height.
YAZIRIAN GLIDING TABLE
Gravity/Max. Glide
.6G/150 m
.7G/100 m
.8G/50 m
.9G/25 m
1.0G/10 m
Yazirians cannot glide on planets with gravities below .6 or above 1.
(insert gliding yazirian pic here)
Ability Scores – A Yazirian receives both a +1 Dexterity and Intelligence bonus offset by a –1 Strength and Constitution adjustment. Yazirians with a 13+ in both PR scores will gain a 5% XP bonus while having a 13+ in one and a 16+ in the other will net a 10% bonus. Consequently, a PR score of 6-8 will have a –10% penalty and a PR of 3-5 will be –20%. Bonuses & penalties are cumulative, for example a Dralasite with an Intelligence score of 5 (-20%) and a Dexterity score of 15 (+5%) will end up with a –15% penalty.
Primary Skill Area: Yazirians may opt for either the Military or Technical PSA.
Restrictions: Yazirians use eight-sided dice (d8) to determine their hit points.
SATHAR
Characteristics Average Size 3.5 meters long Average Mass 55 kilograms Average Lifespan unknown Reproductive System hermaphroditic, unknown Body Temperature believed endothermic Movement Walking 10 meters per turn Running 20 meters per turn Hourly 3 kilometers/hour (insert sathar trooper pic here) Sathar are long, worm-like creatures. Their bodies are divided into segments, like an earthworm's. They do not have a skeleton. Instead, they support their bodies hydrostatically, by pumping liquid into the segments so they become hard. A shiny, clear slime coats their skin. Scientists believe they are warm-blooded, but no live specimen has ever been studied. A Sathar's head tapers toward its mouth, which is circular and ringed with teeth. Each of their two eyes has two pupils. Four tentacles, two on each side of the body, are arranged about 1 meter below the head. The first pair is slender and weak-looking, and about 1 meter long. These end in four smaller finger-like tentacles. The second pair of tentacles is stronger and about 1.2 meters long. Both of these tentacles end in a paddle-like pad. This second pair is used for heavy lifting, while the smaller tentacles are used for fine work and for holding small weapons. A Sathar moves by slithering across the ground with the first meter of its body raised. They also can coil like a snake, raising 1.5 meters of their bodies from the ground. The color of Sathar skin varies from yellow to brown. The tentacles are the same as the body, but with a slight greenish tint. The underbelly is pale pink. A pattern of dots, speckles and stripes decorates the back of the head. These patterns are natural on some Sathar, but are tattoos on others. Some survivors of Sathar attacks have reported that Sathars are not affected by electrical shocks or doze grenades, but these reports have never been confirmed. Senses The Sathar's double pupils give it very wide angle vision. They can see objects in front of them and to both sides at the same time. They smell through two pits in front of their eyes. The sharpness of their senses is not known, but UPF biologists assume their hearing, smell and taste is about the same as a Human's. Speech Captured recordings show that Sathar can speak Yazirian and Human languages as well as PanGalactic. They hiss and lisp when they speak. Their native language has never been translated. Society and Customs Almost nothing is known about Sathar society. They have tried to kill every alien creature they have met in the Frontier, usually with alarming success. No one knows why the Sathar attack so viciously or what they hope to gain. All attempts to contact the Sathar peacefully have failed. No Sathar has ever been captured alive, because they kill themselves before they can be taken. In one case, an entire Sathar ship self-destructed to avoid being captured. Freeze fields have been applied to several dead Sathar in an attempt to have them revived, but biologists have not been able to find a revival technique that works on them. Scientists have proposed several theories, based on reports from observers. The most widely accepted was written by Gdtlask Gltak, a Vrusk sociologist. Gltak's theory states that all Sathar belong to military units called cadres. The markings on the back of the Sathar's head identify its cadre. Each cadre trains its members as soldiers from the time they are born. Gltak theorizes that Sathar attack alien worlds because their military society would fall apart if there was no enemy to fight. Readers are warned that this is only a theory. Until a Sathar is captured alive, their true motivation will not be known. Attitudes All Sathar should be considered hostile and dangerous. Citizens of the Frontier who encounter Sathar are required by law to report the incident immediately. If escaping is impossible, citizens are advised to attack on sight, as friendly approaches have always failed in the past. Sathar also are known to use Dralasite, Human, Vrusk and Yazirian agents to overthrow Frontier governments, terrorize citizens and disrupt trade. Like the Sathar themselves, these agents are extremely dangerous. Suspicious beings should be reported immediately. Citizens are discouraged from attacking Sathar agents, as most are trained and experienced killers. Classified Information Ability Scores – A Sathar receives a +2 Charisma bonus offset by both –1 Intelligence and Dexterity adjustments. Primary Skill Area: Sathar tend to progress in Military and Technical PSAs but can “begin” with any PSA. Restrictions: Sathar use eight-sided dice (d8) to determine their hit points.>
The following information is secret, and should not be given to players until they discover it in the course of the game.
Hypnotism A Sathar can hypnotize a character by talking to him in a non-combat situation. The character must make a Logic check; if he fails, he is hypnotized. A hypnotized character will think the Sathar is his friend, and will want to cooperate with it. He will see things the way the Sathar describes them, if his other senses do not contradict what the Sathar tells him. (For example, a character would not believe that a fire was a pool of water). A Sathar can command a hypnotized person to do something at a specific time, and to forget that he has been hypnotized until that time. For example, a character could be commanded to turn off a security system at midnight.
