Fantasy Races and Space Aliens

[1of3]

I had that problems a few months ago with the game Itras By. It's a steamfantasy world in a city rules by a giant spider with all kinds of crazy happening. The introductory adventure in the book strangely is a mystery story about a haunted house. I didn't get in the mood at all because why would my character find that one thing strange?

In D&D it might be easier. There are a few monsters that can be considered quite alien. Flumphs, Modrons, Sahuagin worked for me, when I wanted to have "very strange people to talk to". If that fits your idea of alien, I don't know.

 

[Raduin711]

I think part of the problem is that your typical fantasy world is already populated by alien races, we just don't think of them that way. Illithid, for example, are pretty alien. In fact they may have been an attempt at doing just that... given their physiology and reliance on psionics instead of magic, could very well have been a race that crash landed on Oerth or whatever fantasy world they inhabit.

But I think to be truly alien... you really have to stretch your imagination. You have to look away from the humanoid form and try to imagine what else might be out there, but since we have never SEEN an animal from another planet, much less a sentient race, it's kind of hard to imagine without basing it on something that lives on this planet... Illithids are basically octopus-people, aboleths are fish with tentacles, etc. true aberrations, like the gibbering mouther, are blobs with mouths and eyes attatched.

I would say find something in this world that you look at and think of as truly alien... maybe mix in the qualities of another animal... and base your race on that.

 

[Alzrius]

The aliens are also not inherently hostile.

That helps a little, but unless I missed a post somewhere, you haven't told us what kind of aliens you want. They tend to fall into one of three distinct categories:

1) Open and Benevolent - "Live long and prosper."

2) Reclusive and Amoral - "And then...after they mutilated the cattle, they...they...probed me!"

3) Monstrous and Hostile - "Nuke the planet from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."

You've ruled out number three, so which of the remaining sort are you going for?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

RE: Illithids

Depending on edition and sourcebook, Illithids are from the Far Realms or the far, far future. So yeah, pretty much aliens.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illithid

 

[GMMichael]

One way might be as "Demons/Wizards from the Dark Sky".

I forget who said it but - "Any advanced enough technology is indistinguishable from magic."

Wow. That thread ninja looked like it was painful. Hope you're okay.

But I can't believe I'm the first to point out THIS usage of aliens. Unless someone ninjas me...

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Well, no ninja-ing, but I have a campaign world that essentially does that...

 

[Jhaelen]

Well, most rpgs already feature creatures that might work as 'aliens'. Cthulhuesque beings have already been mentioned. Imho, alien beings should be different from native species in one or several of their basic functions:
- diet: their metabolism should be unable to derive nourishment from 'native' sources. Think 'thaumavores'.
- reproduction: it could be asexual, or they could have more than two sexes.
- communication: they should not use a (spoken) language. they might be telepathic or even weirder - remember Planescape's Dabus?

Personally, when portraying 'extradimenional beings', I'm fond of giving them effects that alter reality in a limited but distinctive way close to them, e.g. they might drain colours from their surrounding, cause objects to float, etc.

 

[Oversquid]

I'm not really looking for Cthulhu entities either, just beings from another planet, and how do I justify them being from that other planet, rather than on the same planet as the elves and orcs and humans?

 

[Wangalade]

if you want the aliens to be different, don't follow classic examples. most aliens and fantasy races that characters interact with are humanoid in form. they are ussually vertebrates with arms, legs, and a head, sometimes a tail or wings. but when it comes down to basic anatomy, fantasy races aren't very different. so make the aliens actually be different. i have found good inspiration in looking at artist renditions of extinct fossilized creatures, and i'm talking about things other than dinosaurs. have the aliens adapted to a truly alien environment. what would a creature that lives in a gas giant look like? don't make them look human at all, use different forms of communication, etc.

 

[WayneLigon]

How do I include space aliens in a fantasy world consisting of elves, dragons, orcs, krakens, subterranean horrors, and other fantastical creatures, while keeping the space aliens feeling "alien"?

You might want to look at whatever incarnation 'Empire of the Petal Throne' is in, these days.