Subchapter 11-1 Alien RP

When creating an alien referee persona encounter the referee must keep in mind that she is likely creating an entire alien species. Aliens don’t merely exist unto themselves as a singular entity but are components of a species as are the anthropomorph types. Alien species are generated by the referee either to supply background and interest to a campaign or to provide the primary focus and/or conflict around which to design a campaign. Aliens are referred to as species because they can be unsophisticated animals of an unexplored world or highly developed conquering alien hordes.

There is always the possibility that an alien is the singular creation of a biological research laboratory gone civilized or some other such cloning cliché. Whether the alien is singular in existence or a member of a species, the referee should have it properly prepared.

Generating the Alien RP

Persona aliens are generated in Chapter 6: Aliens. In that chapter, the referee should record all the pertinent information about the alien created. For RP aliens, details like whether they are tool users or educated are very important. Referee persona qualities (8) only apply to an alien RP if it expresses a civilized or tool-using nature. The communication method used between the alien and the expedition is determined by the referee.

Refs should create their own aliens. Aliens custom-designed by the referee are certain to fit into the campaign or terrain that they were designated for. Creating original aliens eliminates the problem of finding that perfect creature necessary for the moment. The alien generation system creates basic creatures that do not have a place in any existing food chain, pre-designed environment, or social system. All these important points that make an alien species more realistic are left to the ref to design around the generated alien. Many referees will discover that rolling up aliens will almost certainly jog their imaginations.

Table 11-1.1 Alien Referee Persona Checklist

The table with the most 1s lists what is needed to hatch and alien referee pesona.
1)Attributes
2)Size
3)Hit Points (HPS)
4)Number of Attacks
5) Damage
6)Armour Rating
7)Description
8)Movement
9)Mutations
10)Age
11)Biology
12)Society
13) Return to Chapter 11

1) Alien RP Attributes

For convenience we have included Table 6.2: Alien Attributes here. More detailed discussion about alien attributes can be found in Chapter 6: Aliens.

Table 11-1.2 Alien RP Attributes

Generate the base set of alien Referee Persona attributes here.
Alien AttributeAttribute RangeDice Rolled
AWE, CHA3-183d6
CON, DEX, INT, MSTR0-255d6-5
PSTR0-306d6-6
Alien AttributeAttribute RangeDice Rolled

Attribute Adjustments: Not every referee wants their aliens to have the attribute ranges listed in the alien persona chapter. Often a referee will want a small alien, a dumb alien, a slow alien, or even a dumb, slow, small alien (prey). For special attributes for special aliens refer to Table 11.6: Descriptive Attribute Adjustments. The corresponding alien adjectives such as tough, strong, or smart, are not included and, when desired regular alien attribute generation should suffice.

Table 11-1.3 Downward Alien RP Attribute Adjustments

Example impact of negative descriptors on alien Referee Persona attributes. This list is not exhaustive.
DescriptionAttribute AffectedAttribute Range
UnawareAWE1-6 (1d6)
UglyCHA-5-6 (1d12-6)
WimpyCON1-8 (1d8)
SlowDEX1-6 (1d6)
DumbINT1-6 (1d6)
DocileMSTR1-6 (1d6)
WeakPSTR1-8 (1d8)
DelicateHPSSee Table 11-1.8
ShunnedSS1-50 (1d50)
SmallishSIZE0-49 (1d50-1) kgs
MinuteSIZE0-999 (d1000) gms
DescriptionAttributeAttribute Roll

Table 11-1.4 Upward Alien RP Attribute Adjustments

Positive descriptors improve attributes. Replace the attribute score with the one generated here. This list is not exhaustive.
DescriptionAttribute AffectedAttribute Effect
AlertAWE20-25 (19+1d6)
HandsomeCHA20-25 (19+1d6)
ToughCON18-25 (17+1d8)
FastDEX19-24 (18+1d6)
SmartINT19-24 (18+1d6)
ResoluteMSTR19-24 (18+1d6)
StrongPSTR21-28 (20+1d8)
ResilientHPSSee Table 11-1.8
LargishSIZE200-1600 (2d8x100) kgs
HumongousSIZE6-300 (1d50x6) tonnes
FamousSS901-1000 (900+1d100)
DescriptionAttributeEffect

2) Alien RP Size

For convenience we have included Table 6.3: Alien Size here. More detailed discussion about alien size can be found in Chapter 6: Aliens.

Table 11-1.5 Alien RP Size

Determine the size descriptor and wate of the alien referee persona.
Die Roll (d100)Alien SizeWate Range (kgs)How To Roll Wate
01-05Tiny0-9d10-1
06-25Small1-50d100/2
26-75Medium51-100d100/2+50
76-96Large105-6005d100+100
97-00Gigantic606-66006d1000+600
Die RollAlien SizeWate (kgs)Dice combo for wate

Minute Alien Size: Any alien that is Tiny has a chance to be Minute instead. There is a 1 in 6 chance that a tiny alien being minute. Minute aliens are very small and cannot be reasonably run by a player but can be introduced by a referee. Minute aliens have a WATE of  1 to 1000 grams (1d1000). No Minute alien will have a WATE greater than a kilogram. Minute aliens have half the HPS that were rolled for the corresponding tiny alien and PSTR is reduced to one quarter that of the tiny alien’s. All other attributes and measurements remain the same.

Humongous Alien Size: Any alien that is Gigantic has a chance to be Humongous instead. There is a 1 in 6 chance that a gigantic alien is humongous. Humongous aliens have a WATE of 6 to 300 tons (1d50 times 6). Such aliens are impossible for a player to run but can be introduced by the referee. None of the humongous alien’s attributes are different from those of the corresponding gigantic alien.

3) Alien RP Hit Points

For convenience we have included Table 6.4: Alien Hit Points here. More detailed discussion about alien hit points can be found in Chapter 6: Aliens.

Table 11-1.7 Alien RP Hit Points (HPS)

Size, CON, and chance determine the amount of HPS an alien referee persona has.
Alien SizeHit DieAmount of Dice RolledHPS Range
Tinyd41d4 per point of CON0-100
Smalld61d6 per point of CON0-150
Mediumd81d8 per point of CON0-200
Larged121d12 per point of CON0-300
Giganticd201d20 per point of CON0-500
Alien SizeHit DieAmount of Hit Die RollHPS Range

Table 11-1.8 Alien RP Hit Points (HPS) Adjustment

Change the HPS as needed to reflect the alien referee persona's nature.
DescriptionHPS EffectHow to Calculate
Delicate, absolute1 HPS per CON HPS = CON
Delicate, relative-30% HPSHPS times 0.7
Resilient, absolute20 HPS per CONCON times 20
Resilient, relative+30% HPSHPS times 1.3
DescriptionAttributeEffect

4) Alien RP Number of Attacks

For convenience we have included Table 6.5: Alien Number of Attacks here. More detailed discussion about alien number of attacks can be found in Chapter 6: Aliens.

Table 11-1.9 Alien RP Number of Attacks

How often does the alien attack per combat unit.
Die Roll (d100)Number of Attacks
01-101 per 2 units (1/2 per unit)
11-801 per unit
81-902 per unit
91-963 per unit
97-994 per unit
00Ref's Own Table
Die RollAttacks Per Unit

(5) Alien RP Damage per Attack

For convenience we have included Table 6.6: Alien Damage, and Table 6.7: Alien Attack Type here. More detailed discussion about alien damage and attack type can be found in Chapter 6: Aliens.

Table 11-1.10 Alien RP Damage Per Attack

Determine the damage range per successful attack.
Alien PSTRTinySmallMediumLargeGigantic
0-5d4d6d10d12d20
6-10d6d8d12d203d10
11-15d8d10d203d103d12
16-20d10d123d103d124d10
21-25d12d203d124d104d12
26-30d203d104d104d125d10
Alien PSTRTinySmallMediumLargeGigantic

Table 11-1.11 Alien RP Attack Type

Attack types are generated and described below.
Die Roll (d100)Attack TypeExamples
01-75Type ABite, punch, lick, rake, gore
76-97Type BSpit, breath, quill, spray
98-99Type CBullet, lazer, dart, ray
00Ref's Own Table
Die RollAttack TypeExamples

6) Alien RP Armour Rating

ALIEN ARMOUR RATING (AR) = 500 + 3d100

7) Alien RP Description

For convenience we have included Table 6.10: Alien Body Parts here. It is important to keep track of each body parts terrain type to determine the alien RPs movement rate. The special adornment tables are not included here, but can be found in Chapter 6: Aliens.

Table 6.10 Alien Body Parts

Each alien rolls four times on the table, once for each of Head, Torso, Arms, Legs. The bracketed letters represents what that body part moves best in. l=land, w=water, a=air, s=sessile.
Die Roll (d100)(d6) 1-23-45-6
01-02Alligator (l,w)Gorilla (l)Platypus (l,w)
03-04Amoeba (w)Grasshopper (l,a)Porcupine (l)
05-06Amphioxus (s-w)Guinea pig (l)Preying Mantis (l)
07-08Anemone (s-w)Hammerhead (w)Priapolid (w)
09-10Ant (l)Hawk (a)Pterosaur (a)
11-12Anteater (l)Hectapus (w)Puffer fish (w)
13-14Antelope (l)Hippopotamus (l,w)Rabbit (l)
15-16Ape (l)Horse (l)Rat (l)
17-18Armadillo (l)Horseshoe Crab (l,w)Raven (a)
19-20Barnacle (s-w)Jellyfish (w)Rhinoceros (l)
21-22Bat (a)Kangaroo (l)Scorpion (l)
23-24Bear (l)Kelp (a,w)Sea Star (s-w)
25-26Beaver (l,w)Koala (l)Sea Spider (w)
27-28Beetle (l,a)Ladybug (l,a)Sea Urchin (s-w)
29-30Blimp (s-a)Lamprey (w)Seagull (l,a,w)
31-32Blue Whale (w)Lemur (l)Seahorse (w)
33-34Brontosaur (l)Leopard (l)Seal (w,l)
35-36Budgie (a)Lion (l)Shark (w)
37-38Butterfly (a)Lizard (l)Sheep (l)
39-40Cactus (s-l)Lobster (w)Shrimp (w)
41-42Camel (l)Lynx (l)Skunk (l)
43-44Capybara (l,w)Mammoth (l)Sloth (l)
45-46Cat (l)Manta Ray (w)Slug (l)
47-48Caterpillar (l)Marmot (l)Snail (l)
49-50Centipede (l)Mite (l)Snake (l)
51-52Chimpanzee (l)Mockingbird (a)Sperm Whale (w)
53-54Cicada (l,a)Mole (l)Spider (l)
55-56Clam (w)Moose (l)Sponge (s-w)
57-58Cockroach (l)Morel (s-w)Squid (w)
59-60Conifer (s-l)Mosquito (a)Stegosaurus (l)
61-62Coral (s-w)Moth (a)Swan (l,a,w)
63-64Cow (l)Mouse (l)Tarantula (l)
65-66Crab (l,w)Mule (l)Tarsier (l)
67-68Crocodile (l,w)Mushroom (s-l)Tasmanian Devil (l)
69-70Dog (l)Nototherium (l)Termite (l)
71-72Dolphin (w)Opossum (l)Tick (l)
73-74Do do Bird (l,a)Orangutang (l)Tiger (l)
75-76Dragon (l,a,w)Orca (w)Triceratops (l)
77-78Dragonfly (a)Osprey (a)Trilobite (w)
79-80Duck (l,a,w)Ostrich (l)Turtle (l,w)
81-82Elephant (l)Ox (l)Tyrannosaurus (l)
83-84Fern (s-l)Oyster (w)Viper (w)
85-86Ferret (l)Paramecium (w)Vole (l)
87-88Fly (a)Penguin (l,w)Vulture (a)
89-90Frog (l,w)Piranha (w)Walrus (l,w)
91-92Gila Monster (l)Pig (l)Wasp (a)
93-94Giraffe (l)Pillbug (l)Wolverine (l)
95-96Goat (l)Planaria (w)Wombat (l)
97-98Goose (l,a,w)Plasmodium (w)Worm (l)
99-00None (s)None (s)Ref's Own Table
Die Roll 1-23-45-6

Table 6.11 Head Adornment

An accent for the head if desired.
Die Roll (d12)Head Adornment
1Antenna(e)
2Antler(s)
3Ears (Table 6.10)
4Horn(s)
5Knob(s)
6Peak(s)
7Plume(s)
8Quill(s)
9Spines(s)
10Tufts(s)
11None
12Ref's Own Table
Die RollHead Adornment

Table 6.12 Torso Adornment

An accent for the torso if desired.
Die Roll (d20)Body Adornment
1Arms Adornment
2Bump(s)
3Crest(s)
4Head Adornment
5Hole(s)
6Knob(s)
7Knurl(s)
8Lumps (wet)
9Lumps (dry)
10Ridge(s)
11Ruff(s)
12Scales
13Slime
14Spine(s)
15Spout(s)
16Tree(s) small
17Vine(s)
18Wing(s)
19None
20Ref's Own Table
Die Roll Body Adornment

Table 6.13 Alien Arms Adornments

Like bangles but built in.
Die Roll (d10)Arms Adornment
1Adhesive
2Claws
3Hands (human)
4Hooves
5Magnetic
6Paws
7Pincers
8Talons
9Tentacles
10Ref's Own Table
Die RollArms Adornment

8) Alien RP Movement Rate

Aliens can move up to one hex/unit per point of DEX. Denizens may hop, slither, scuttle, slime or gallop along with whatever form of locomotion is listed as legs in their Description. The type of creature part that is used to describe the alien’s locomotion will move at the designated movement rate regardless of what the description is. For instance, an alien that looks like a snail could move as fast as an alien that looks like a leopard.

Table 11-1.13 Alien RP Movement

Land, air and sea movement for the alien RP.
Movement TypeQuartered MovementMovement Rate
Land (l)(total Land) divided by 4times DEX in h/u
Air (a)(total Air) divided by 4times DEX in h/u
Liquid (w)(total Water) divided by 4times DEX in h/u
Sessile (s)Non movingno movement
Movement TypeQuartered MovementMovement Rate

9) Alien RP Mutations

Aliens have a chance of getting mutations; however, they are not generally considered mutations but natural abilities that function the same as mutations. An alien’s mutations apply to the entire species and are more like naturally evolved defensive or offensive abilities. Therefore, alien mutations are not considered mutations in the usual sense – as if they were abnormalities or variations from the norm. Occasionally mutations may force changes in the creature’s physical description as determined in the Description section. If a player running an alien wishes to mutate, she cannot adjust her chance of mutation like humanoid personas can.

Mental Mutations: The chance of an alien having a mental mutation is equal to the alien’s MSTR attribute. An alien with a 15 MSTR would have a 15% chance of having a mental mutation per mutation check. The player stops checking for mental mutations as soon as a roll is failed. So if the player were to roll 11 and 16, her alien would have one mental mutation. These mutations are described in Chapter 58: Mental Mutations.

Physical Mutations: The chance of a creature having evolved a physical mutation is equal to the creature’s CON. For example, a CON of 10 has a 10% chance of having a mutation. Once the alien has a mutation, there is an equal chance of having another. The alien can keep getting additional mutation-like abilities if it keeps making its percent chance. If the player with the alien that has a 10 CON were to roll 3, 9, and 41, her alien would have two physical mutations. The mutations are described in Chapter 59: Physical Mutations.

10) Alien RP Age

All personas except for robots have a projected life-span. The idea of an alien only living for a certain amount of time is a reflection of its biological nature. The life spans of aliens can be very alien indeed when compared to those of humanoid personas. Once the alien category has been determined on Table 11-1.14: Alien RP Age Category, the possible age in years needs to be determined. First generate the total lifespan, and then the possible age in years of the alien can be calculated. More detailed information about alien age can be found in Chapter 6: Aliens

Table 11-1.14 Alien RP Life Stage

The life stage of the alien RP sets the groundwork for calculating all other age elements.
Die Roll (1d100)Alien Age
01-05Child
06-15Adolescent
16-65Adult
66-90Older
91-99Aged
00Ref's Own Table
Die RollAlien Age

Table 11-1.15 Alien RP Maximum Age

Determines maximum age of the alien RP.
Die Roll (d100)Maximum AgeDie Roll
01-101-101d10
10-2510-601d6 x 10
26-7550-12050 + (1d6 x10)
76-85110-160100 + (1d6 x 10)
86-93160-250150 + (1d10 x 10)
94-95100-6001d6 x 100
96-95100-12001d12 x 100
99100-1000001d1000 x 100
00Ref's Own Table
Die RollMaximum AgeDie Roll

Table 11-1.16 Alien RP Life Stages

Which component of the alien RP maximum lifespan is spent in each life stage. I.e., how many years does an alien RP spend as a child.
Life StageProportion of Life Span
ChildFirst 1-10%
Adolescent1-6%
Adult10-80% (10d8)
OlderRemaining Life Span
AgedLast 1-4%
Life StageProportion of Life Span

Extremely Short Life Spans: If the alien RP’s life span in years is less than 10 years there is a 1 in 6 chance that the aliens lifespan will be measured in months or days or hours. Really short life spans should have an impact on how the alien’s function in their biology and how they live their existence.

Table 11-1.17 Extremely Short Alien RP Lifespans

Parameters for alien RPs with extremely short (progeny) life spans.
Die Roll (1d100)Time UnitDuration
01-02Minutes1-100 (1d100)
03-07Hours1-100 (1d100)
08-15Days1-30 (1d30)
16-30Weeks1-50 (1d50)
31-99Months1-12 (1d12)
00Ref's Own Table
Die RollTime UnitDuration

Extremely Long Life Spans: If the alien RP’s life span is more than 1000 years there is a 1 in 6 chance that the alien will have a maximum life span of 1-1000 million years (1d1000 times 1000000). Yes of course this changes everything about how the alien behaves, it’s culture, and it’s history.

11) Alien RP Biology

All of the alien information up to this date is considered biology but the biology covered here represents superfluous information that will only subtly affect the nature of the alien; whereas the previous biology represented factors that affect the attributes of the alien personas like movement, combat abilities, size, etc.

Biology gives a very brief description of where the alien fits into its ecological system. The biome describes the terrain that the alien is accustomed to living in. The last five tables provide some extra insight into what makes an alien tick. They may seem trivial at first but can be very important under certain circumstances.

Table 6.18 Alien Biology Checklist

Determine the basics of an alien's biology for purposes of history and fun.
a)Alien BiomeTable 6.19 Alien Biome and
Table 6.20 Biome Characteristic
b)Energy SourceTable 6.21 Alien Energy Source
c)Procurement StrategyTable 6.22 Alien Energy Procurement Strategy
d)ReproductionTable 6.23 Alien Reproductive Method
e)Habitat TypeTable 6.24 Alien Habitation Type
f) AromaTable 6.25 Alien Aroma

6.19 Alien Biome

Yields a basic description of the type of terrain, or even world, that alien comes from.
Die Roll (d100)Biome Type
01-08Coniferous
09-16Deciduous
17-24Desert
25-32Farm
33-40Grassland
41-48Industrial
49-56Megalopolis
57-64Oceanic
65-72Ruins
73-80Tropic Forest
81-88Tropic Grassland
89-99Tundra
00Ref's Own Table
Die RollBiome Type

Table 8.11 Biome Characteristic

Modifier of a biome.
Die Roll (d100)Biome Characteristic
01-10Normal
11-20Toxic
21-30High Gravity
31-40Low Gravity
41-50Thin Atmoshphere
51-60Dense Atmosphere
61-70Underground
71-80Aboveground
81-90Mountainous
91-99Extraplanetary
00Ref's Own Table
Die RollBiome Characteristic

Table 6.21 Alien Energy Source

Determines what the alien consumes for food.
Die Roll (d8)Energy Source
1Herbivore
2Carnivore
3Omnivore
4Chemosynthetic
5Photosynthetic
6Detritovore
7Psionic
8Ref's Own Table
Die RollEnergy Source

Table 6.22 Alien Energy Procurement Strategy

Determines the most common method how the alien acquires it's energy source.
Die Roll (d8)Procurement Strategy
1Ambush
2Chase
3Hunt
4Trap
5Infect
6Infest
7Store
8Ref's Own Table
Die Roll (d8)Procurement Strategy

Table 6.23 Alien Reproductive Method

How the alien persona makes more alien personae.
Die Roll (d8)Reproduction
1Mitosis
2Oviparous (hatched)
3Spores
4Viviparous (Marsupial)
5Viviparous (Placental)
6Parasitic
7Fusion
8Ref's Own Table
Die RollReproduction

Table 6.25 Alien Aroma

What the alien smells like to other personae.
Die Roll (d100)Alien Aroma
01-03Alcohol
04-06Apples
07-09Ashes
10-12Bananas
13-15Beans
16-18Beer
19-21Bologna
22-24Bread
25-27Chives
28-30Chocolate
31-33Cigarettes
34-36Cinnnamon
37-39Corpses
40-42Estrogen
43-45Grease
46-48Hay
49-51Hemlock
52-54H.P. Sauce
55-57Ink
58-60Leather
61-63Lemons
64-66Methane
67-69Oats
70-72Oranges
73-75Pork
76-78Rubber
79-81Salmon
82-84Sawdust
85-87Spruce
88-90Swamp
91-93Tar
94-96Tuna
97-99Whiskey
00Ref's Own Table
Die RollAlien Aroma

Table 6.24 Alien Habitation Type

The alien's preferred location for rest and storage and shiny objects.
Die Roll (d12)Habitation Type
1Burrow
2Cave
3Dam
4Hive
5Hole
6Hollow
7Home
8Web
9Foliage
10Trees
11None
12Ref's Own Table
Die Roll (d12)Habitation Type

12) Alien RP Society

Alien society is something for the referee to carefully consider and prepare for her campaign. Alien societies can even be the basis for an entire campaign. The differences in values, architecture, and social organization alone amongst alien cultures would be beyond the duration of a life time of study.

Most of the persona aliens will be rogues or outcasts that have rejected their alien culture thus allowing them to form their own cultural niche. The referee cannot possibly prepare a detailed alien society each time a player generates an alien persona. For the most part, alien personas will not be members of galactic societies or developed countries. If some idea of the alien’s society is necessary but total preparation is not, the referee should turn to Chapter 11: Referee Personas and determine the society’s religious, political, and philosophical beliefs.

Table 11-1.18 Alien RP Society

What kind of a society does the alien RP hail from.
Die Roll (1d100)DescriptionExplanation
01-50FeralPart of ecosystem only.
Cannot see tools or artifacts.
51-79Feral
plus mundane tools.
Part of ecosystem.
May harvest.
80-85Feral
Plus mundane tools
Plus language
Talks about ecosystem.
May harvest.
May organize.
86-89Tool UserUser of the ecosystem.
May use artifacts.
90-91Tool
Plus language
May use artifacts.
Will be organized.
92-94EducatedHas natural class skills. Has language.
Ecosystem is a choice.
95-97Educated tool userClass training.
Will use artifacts.
Not part of ecosystem.
Will be organized.
98-99EnlightenedFree thought.
Cultures.
Interconnectivity.
00Ref's Own Table
Die ROllDescriptionImplication

13) Return to Chapter 11