TMP: Alien and Mutant Races

[WizO_Pounamu]

Now just remember, vivid though these are they would hopefully be played more as a hidden occurance, not "in your face inhuman"...

Creators, please tell me what names you would like these to be attibuted to when the techs tackle them for proper ISRP pages.

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Goblinoids in the sewers.

These beings were created as a part of the fall out, mainly from those who were exposed to large amounts of things like sewer gas or even raw sewage.
Pretty much any class of society who had any form of problems with sanitation could be affected by the Goblinoid mutagen. They would tend to live in the sewers, as they have an innate affinity to them caused by their mutations.
Mutagen Traits: They would become resistant to poisons and disease, and possibly even acid. They would have excellent nightvision, but their eyes would be impared by bright light. They are skilled in stealth, and know how to stick to the shadows to avoid being seen.
This race would be divided into two subgroups: Skulkers and Kriak(Plural and singular forms the same).

**
The Skulkers, the more common of the two subgroups, would be short, about three to four feet tall at the most. Their faces would be built similarly to those of bats, wider than average humans, with a
flat, upturned nose and ears that rise up at the sides of their
heads. Their arms would be a bit longer in proportion to their body size than a human's, and their bodies would be lightweight, probably averaging around 35-40 pounds, with heavier specimens being rare due to the conditions they live in. They'd tend to walk stooped over forward, with their arms low, almost dragging their knuckles. They'd move faster than one would expect from their strange gait, kind of a two legged loping similar to that of a crocodile.
Their voices would be somewhat gurgling, and they'd speak in a strange dialect of whatever standard language they spoke before being mutated.

Skulkers would tend to disguise themselves as best as possible.
Considering their dwelling places in the sewer systems, they would have limited access to good quality clothing, so most likely they would wear tattered rags. Hooded sweatshirts, loose clothing, large hats, pretty much anything that would conceal their forms enough to make them seem to just be abnormally short humans. For the most part, they would fair decently as long as they kept out of mainstream society, and would be able to move about in back alleys and on the streets as easily as present day homeless individuals would, it would just be a matter of how well they can act the part.
Skulkers are somewhat reclusive, but curious beings. They tend to be skiddish around things that they are unfamiliar with and may even
show signs of fear or anger should they be face to face with
something that is completely abberant to them, such as a standard nightclub or other heavy traffic surface dweller hangout. Some Skulkers may be more outgoing, but the skiddishness would remain in all but the rarest individuals.

**
The Kriak would be a bit taller than average humans, roughly six and a half feet tall, and often weaighing as much as a well muscled human. Their faces would be constructed similarly to those of rats, with a short snout and whiskers, sharp incisor teeth, and ears that slope backward. Their bodies are covered in thick, dark brown or black fur, and they typically wear only primitive clothing. They have crocodile-like tails that extend from their back and are covered in greenish-brown scales that are roughly three to four feet long, depending on the Kriak's height. They move about as fast as a human does, and can move on all four limbs at a slightly increased speed if need be. They can communicate in a raspy version of normal language, and also have their own language that is similar to that of rats, a system of clicks and chitters that forms complex thoughts.

Kriak would be far less likely to try and mingle with the surface
dwellers, as they prefer to remain among their own kind. Best disguises would be long coats with heavy and deep hoods, which wouldn't be very inconspicuous, but would be less likely to draw attention than their normal appearance. Due to their preference for primitive clothing, they are loathe to wear such trappings, as they see heavy clothing as 'fur for the weak'.
Kriak are highly reclusive, and as a whole, rarely leave their sewer homes. They see the surface dwellers as being beneath them, and as such, are very unlikely to befriend a human in most cases. They consider themselves to be the kings of their kind, and see the Skulkers as their servants, regardless of how true or false that tends to be. They tend to react violently to the same things that cause Skulkers to become skiddish, giving them a reputation as a barbaric race.

(kriak: see image)

 

[WizO_Pounamu]

Aliens

One of the planets in the Federation that has contacted Earth is Gorion (pronounced Gor-eye-un?) which is home to two sentient races. These two races are actually slipt off versions
of the same parent race, ones that divided due to an internal power struggle. After the division, the two races evolved into a pair of distinguishable new societies.

The Glimparu, a more humanoid race, is the more degenerate of the two societies. And the Genpaklah, a more reptilian race, are the more righteous, humanitarian of the two. These two races are likely to confront each other on sight, most often the Glimparu being the ones to initiate it, and usually doing so by instigating humans to act against the Genpaklah.

(Historically, it was the Genpaklah that sent representatives to Earth prior to the negotiation of the Treaty. The Glimparu only began to appear near Earth once the sucess was publicised throughout the Federation.)


**
The Glimparu appear similar to humans. They stand about six feet tall on average, with the males and females being about the same height, and have similar proportions to humans but a far more dense body mass, resulting in a weight roughly 150% that of a human of the same size. Their eyes tend to be either pitch black or bright purple. They lack any form of visibly pupils, instead glowing slightly and seeing heat patterns rather than light patterns, a form of natual infra-red. Their skin is typically similar to humans in texture, lacking scales or any form of thickened skin. They are typically pale blue in complexion, although some are more greenish and others more purple. They speak fluently and sound like humans, often using their similarities to take advantage of humans who would seek to befriend them.

The Glimparu have the easiest time mingling with human society, using body make-up and dark sunglasses or colored contact lenses to conceal their true nature. They tend to have difficulty matching colors and blending them, as they see using heat rather than light and cannot distinguish color as a normal human can. This usually results in appearances similar to those resulting from someone who is color-blind finding clothing without assistance, with mismatched colors being commonplace.
The Glimparu are wholy and utterly evil, having no compunctions about using and abusing those around them. They often take advantage of the benefits that humans could provide them, and are merciless when it comes to using their natural gifts to do so. Due to their appearances, humans can often become wrapped up in various Glimparu schemes without even realizing it.

 

[WizO_Pounamu]

**
The Genpaklah stand roughly seven feet tall on average, and are covered in dark green scales from head to toe. Their eyes are typically light yellow or red, and are similar to those of a snake.
Genpaklah come in two varieties, Lizard-like, and Serpent-like. Both breeds use the same hissing language, similar to terrestrial reptiles. These races are likely to be seen as being evil, but are almost always good, with very few exceptions.

*
The Lizard-like breed have heads similar to those of iguanas, with razor sharp teeth and small horns dotting their brows. They are much stronger and more resiliant than humans. Their agility is somewhat lower than humans, and they move with a slow gait, tending to plod along. They are generally benevolent in attitude, tending to be kind to others until threatened in some extreme way.

The Lizard-like Genpaklah generally refuse to disguise themselves as they see it as a form of deciet that the Glimparu would use as a weapon. This can result in great danger for the Genpaklah, but they see it as a worthy cost as it holds to their values of truth and honor.
Lizard-like Genpaklah are inherently good, altruistic, and generous individuals who would stop at nothing to protect an innocent. They value honor and justice above all else, and uphold that law and kindness should go hand in hand as tools against the forces of evil.
They are mournful that most humans would view them as being evil just for their appearance, and tend to work behind the scenes whenever possible, preferring to help without being seen. However, when they must step forward they do so, taking the associated risks as necessary and trying to prove that they are not the enemy of the populace that they are assumed to be.

 

[WizO_Pounamu]

*
The Serpent-like breed of Genpaklah have heads similar to those of vipers, with fangs that contain a venom capable of poisoning most Earthly creatures. They are far more agile than humans, and are extremely flexible. Due to the lack of a fused rib-cage they can coil their own torsos nearly in half. However, they are physically weak, lacking the same strength as their Lizard-like brethren. The Snake-like Genpaklah are a bit quicker to act, but are also more forgiving, tending to give others more chances to redeem themselves.

The Serpent-like Genpaklah have different views from their brethren, seeing disguise as a necessary evil and are willing to conceal themselves if need be. They use their technology to make themselves appear human, usually with holograms and projected images.
Serpent-like Genpaklah are most like what a human would consider to be a freedom fighter, one willing to right the wrongs of the world without being limited by the laws around them. They value and respect the individual's freedom over all else, seeing free will that is chosen to do beneficial acts as the ulimate expression of true good. They see an oppresive society as anathema and will rebel against it with all of their resources available.

 

[WizO_Pounamu]

**
Empyreans are the stereotypical aliens often seen in the movies. They average four and a half feet tall and weigh no more than seventy pounds, with long spindly limbs and disporportionately large bald heads. Their pale grey skin is smooth and totally hairless. Except for their large dark lidless eyes, their faces have no features to speak of - no external ears,
a pair of nostrils, and a lipless slit for a mouth. They have four long fingers on each hand, any one of which can be used as an opposable thumb.
Although their species has both male and female sexes, their androgynous appearance makes it hard for other races to tell them apart.

Empyreans are endlessly fascinated by high-tech gagetry, and excel at anything with a scientific or technological basis. Those encountered on Earth are members of their Explorer Corps, and tend to be starship crew or scientists, although the occasional diplomat will also be encountered.

Empyreans are a peaceful (some might say cowardly) race and prefer to avoid combat whenever possible. They are typically armed with an energy weapon that functions like a stun gun in melee, or like a taser at a distance.


Names: Since Empyreans normally communticate via telepathy, their actual names are impossible to pronounce. Instead, they choose simple names that other species can call them by. The convention they use on Earth is that every name contains only three letters (in the English alphabet) and has but a single syllable. Example: Cor, Del, Gar, Joh, Lin, Mai, Val, Xon.
They sometimes use common human names that meet this criteria, such as Bob, Ann, Jim, or Sal. However they are none too familiar with human culture, and sometimes get the gender of a name mixed up. (So it is quite possible to meet a female Empyrean who calls herself Ned.)

Biology & Ecology: Empyreans produce only genetically engineered offspring, without the direct use of the parent bodies as host. As a result, gender differences among their kind, both physical and social, have atrophied. Some Empyreans are amused by the quaint courting rituals of other species, others find the very idea repulsive.

Empyreans are accustomed to food that is heavily processed. Other races would consider it bland and tasteless. Occasionally an Empyrean will sample "foreign food," but anything coarse in texture or heavily spiced can make them quite ill. They have a very low tolerance for alcohol and controlled substances.

Racial Traits: Empyreans are dextrous and highly intelligent, but are accustomed to low gravity and are physically frail.

Telepathy: Empyrians communicate with each other telepathically, and only speak when dealing with other races. Their vastly different brain structure does not allow them to read the minds of non-Empyreans.

Low-Light Vision: An Empyrean can see twice as far as a human in
starlight, moonlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

(D20 stats avaliable for this race on request, but in the interest of keeping it ISRP I will not post them here now.)

 

[Obsidianjaerc]

Not sure if this is a good idea but a good,balanced selection of alien races exsist in the Alternity line of products. A few of them were stated in d20 Modern:UA but that doesnt matter since this is ISRP

There are the The Tsa, Mechalus, Weren, Seshayen,Mechalus and the Fraal


Sesheyan
1.7m tall, 40kg. They have a bulbous head encircled by eight small eyes and capped by large, pointed ears. A light muscular frame. Powerful wings that extend to a 6-meter span spread from the back and a long tail with an expandable fan-shaped tip. The wings can be folded tightly against the ypper back. Few of them have left their planet because they haven't invented space fairing ships themselves. They can learn to use hich tech equipment but most don't feel comfortable with it. Most become free agents. The can easliy see in the dark but bright light iratates them greatly.

T'sa
1.4m tall. Lightning quick with a fast mind as well. Sleek, reptilian form, with the legs of a runner. Covered by small scales.Most humans find them to be extremely likable. Loves to tinker with technological items. Stays with a group till the bitter end if he joins one. Does everything quickly, always on the move. The make great tech ops. Also often found as free agents, diplomats and mindwalkers. Very seldom Combat specs. They are very fast when provoked and their scales are tough.

Weren
2.2m tall, 180kg. Covered in thick fur, with a powerful form and wicked claws. When they embrace a new idea or belief, they become zealots, do everything with great intensity. Built for battle, but love to talk and share ideas. Strict codes concerning honor, combat etiquette and noble acts. Most are combat specs, though a few become diplomats. They are quite tough and resistant to punishment.Camouflage: It's fur shimmers and changes color to match his surroundings, making him hard to see in natural surroundings.

left: weren, middle:T'sa, right:Sesheyan

If you think this is a good idea I'll scrape together some stuff on the other races I mentioned.If not I'll edit/kill this post.

You can also find out all sorts of info on these races on the Web , the Wizards Alternity Boards and old Alternity books as well as in the d20 Modern Urban Arcana and Menace Manuel books.

 

[WizO_Pounamu]

Thanks Jaerc, but a huge part of this is that TMP is to be a player-created setting, not a collection of things we could grab from other places.

In saying that, if there's support for using them, we can look at it. Does that make sense? hehe

The other question is, how would these creatures conceal themselves in human surroundings (because the emphasis is on aliens being discrete) and how many races do we have before we have too many? After all, there are likely to be some players creating their own races or playing one unofficially from wsomewhere else...

- Pounamu

 

[Asia_Draleon]

whatever happened to that alien cat race i heard about?...

...*hint hint*

 

[Ssussunriyh]

I take that the Empyrean pictured is sipping a Shirley Temple, rather than a martini?

(For the record, the Empyreans were my creation. Thanks for including it, Pou. :tiphat: )

 

[WizO_Pounamu]

whatever happened to that alien cat race i heard about?...

...*hint hint*

Simple. No one wrote one up.
I am at loathe to write up a cat-like alien race myself for two reasons:
1, it would probably end up similar to the one I already have in a homebrew world. That's probably cheating.
2, I'm behind on my TMP and school assignments as it is. I'm not entirely sure why Adele hasn't threatened me with beheading yet.

If you want to write one up, cool! Just keep in mind that they do need to be able to hide somehow, so the blatent cat-folk we currently have in ISRP probably aren't the best as a template. ><

Ssussunriyh, I still don't know "what name" you'd like them attributed to.

- Pounamu