 October 28, 2011 - 6:10am | The Star Frontiers' Recipe for Creating Aliens: Write 1-3 paragraphs in each of the following topic headings and you will have an alien. Physical Appearance and Structure Senses Speech Society and Customs Attitudes Special Abilities The above should only take about 1-2 pages Alpha Dawn got away with this since it rooted its core 4 into a setting. However, anyone checking out the Core Four project on this site will realize that much more could have been done with them. I dont believe new races are very playable as PCs or even NPCs if all they have is the above. I would contend that an alien race with only the above is only half finished. Add some Seasoning: To round out an alien spend some time 2, 3 or 5 paragraphs describing the environment that it evolved in. It's homeworld will have many different environments, describe a few. Do these different environments impact how the alien lives? or its culture? Tackle some of the Botany and Zoology of this alien's homeworld. If the alien has wings then perhaps many other creatures from its ecosystem also have wings. Is there a one world culture for this alien? or multiple cultures like on Earth? Write some history in broad brush strokes. Describe a holiday or religious festival commonly practiced. Write a planetary brief- Now the alien has a place where is lives and can be identified with. More importantly, a busy GM can take this alien and quickly deploy it in a game and doesn't have to work up the "seasoning details" and can just focus on getting together his adventure. The seasoning should take 2-4 pages. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 October 28, 2011 - 7:31am | How about "quirks"? How about the races feelings towards;
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October 28, 2011 - 8:50am | How about "quirks"?
That stuff could easily be covered under Attitude with a paragraph. How about the races feelings towards;
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
October 28, 2011 - 12:13pm | I would list it all out like a check list. If it applies you write something, if not you don't. IMO |
 October 15, 2012 - 1:56pm | I strongly recommend the book, "Aliens and Alien Societies" by Stanley Schmidt (edited by Ben Bova). |
