Ideas: Non-carbon based lifeforms

[LightPhoenix]

Silicon-based life forms don't look like rocks - they look like life forms. You probably cannot tell the chemical basis from gross physical appearance.

That said, silicon chemistry is often fairly different from carbon chemistry.

As one example, the Si-H bond is more reactive than the C-H bond. Methane (CH4) is flammable but basically un-reactive with air or water. Silane (SiH4) on the other hand is highly reactive with air, spontaneously combusting when in contact. Their reaction products can differ as well; methanol burns in air to become gaseous carbon dioxide; silanol becomes silicon dioxide - sand.

Look, you're a carbon based life form, right? Does that mean you can... turn into a shower of diamonds...?

Look away, now look back. I am now diamonds!

 

[Mishihari Lord]

I used some silicon based life in my game world in two different areas. This is in no way based on real science but it may spark some ideas. There were both plan and animal analogs.

The plants mostly looked like tall grass and ragged trees, and they were very hard and sharp. Walking through the tall grass unprotected resulted in damage.

Most of the animal analogs looked like large spiders or similar insects, with similarly tough hides, and many spun sharp rocky webs.

Everything was clear or nearly clear, in the visible spectrum, making seeing any life forms difficult. (They were opaque to ultraviolet light and saw in that spectrum so they didn't have any trouble) The noises produced by the animals were ultrasonic, thought quite loud, with just a little bit in our audible range. Neither the plants nor the animals required air.

These life forms were found in two different places in my world, one was just the other side of a dimensional gate, and the other was in an area of very high mountains and plateaus the upper areas of which were entirely outside of the atmosphere.

 

[nedjer]

I used some silicon based life in my game world in two different areas. This is in no way based on real science but it may spark some ideas. There were both plan and animal analogs.

The plants mostly looked like tall grass and ragged trees, and they were very hard and sharp. Walking through the tall grass unprotected resulted in damage.

Most of the animal analogs looked like large spiders or similar insects, with similarly tough hides, and many spun sharp rocky webs.

Everything was clear or nearly clear, in the visible spectrum, making seeing any life forms difficult. (They were opaque to ultraviolet light and saw in that spectrum so they didn't have any trouble) The noises produced by the animals were ultrasonic, thought quite loud, with just a little bit in our audible range. Neither the plants nor the animals required air.

These life forms were found in two different places in my world, one was just the other side of a dimensional gate, and the other was in an area of very high mountains and plateaus the upper areas of which were entirely outside of the atmosphere.

Ideas are what I'm after (Within reasonable limits), none of my players will actually pull me up or get into lots of high tech or chemical detail. I like to lend events/ play some authenticity, but there's no need to be authentic.