Need Help Populating a Sci-Fi Map

[Ghostman]

All of the races thus far appear to fall into the bipedal humanoid pattern. You could try looking outside that box for some more exotic things: races that move by slithering or crawling or flying, races without discernable heads, races that use trunks or tentacles instead of arms to manipulate objects.

[Gamer Printshop]

All of the races thus far appear to fall into the bipedal humanoid pattern. You could try looking outside that box for some more exotic things: races that move by slithering or crawling or flying, races without discernable heads, races that use trunks or tentacles instead of arms to manipulate objects.

One of my suggestions was for some kind of being that dwells in the breatheable layers of a gas giant. Such a creature would feature various flight capable limbs, some for distance flying, others for hovering, and probably limbs to hold and manipulate tools/weapons, but would undoubtably have no kind of legs as gas giants are normally gas only, no solid surfaces to stand on.

Another was a suggestion for an amorphous body type in a heavy gravity world, where bones would be less effective physically than other types.

I usually start with a specific exotic world or environment concept, then decide what kind of lifeform would be most ideal - and design from there.

[Tensen01]

All of the races thus far appear to fall into the bipedal humanoid pattern. You could try looking outside that box for some more exotic things: races that move by slithering or crawling or flying, races without discernable heads, races that use trunks or tentacles instead of arms to manipulate objects.

I am certainly open to ideas along these lines so long as they still are able to reasonably be player characters or be able to be interacted with by the PCs. Nothing tied to a specific exotic environment basically.

And there is a reason that most fall into that same category, I'm just fine-tuning it at the moment.

[Tensen01]

One of my suggestions was for some kind of being that dwells in the breatheable layers of a gas giant. Such a creature would feature various flight capable limbs, some for distance flying, others for hovering, and probably limbs to hold and manipulate tools/weapons, but would undoubtably have no kind of legs as gas giants are normally gas only, no solid surfaces to stand on.

Another was a suggestion for an amorphous body type in a heavy gravity world, where bones would be less effective physically than other types.

I usually start with a specific exotic world or environment concept, then decide what kind of lifeform would be most ideal - and design from there.

Okay, none of those would work for PCs or even reasonably for NPCs.

I'm new here so I really don't want to come off as a jerk, but You have ignored everything I've said and only suggested ways that you'd do it and basically told me I'm doing things wrong. No one else seems to be having a problem, if they're not sure they're asking questions, not complaining about how their idea of doing things doesn't fit with what I'm doing. If you're not willing or incapable of abiding by what I'm setting down I'd really appreciate it if you'd stop posting in this thread.

[Gamer Printshop]

I'm new here so I really don't want to come off as a jerk, but You have ignored everything I've said and only suggested ways that you'd do it and basically told me I'm doing things wrong. No one else seems to be having a problem, if they're not sure they're asking questions, not complaining about how their idea of doing things doesn't fit with what I'm doing. If you're not willing or incapable of abiding by what I'm setting down I'd really appreciate it if you'd stop posting in this thread.

I think you've misinterpretted everything I've said, there's no need to be defensive. I am not suggesting that my ideas are the only way to go, rather I design settings for publication now, and when designing a sci-fi setting this is how I do it. Now you might opt for a different way of setting development and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm just trying to offer suggestions based on how I'd do it.

Without first defining what kind of planets are in your galaxy setting, I am not sure how to create a new race. To me any race is somehow based on biology and physics. I am only trying to help you by offering some possible planetary/environment configurations which can offer clues on what a given race might look like. Once you create the anatomy, then you can start to develop the society and technology behind each race. Any RPG needs races to fit specific niches - planet, environment, biology, physics are what I start with in the process of race development.

Honestly, I cannot dream of what you might need, without some parameters to help. Just to state, "I need new races", but then offer no direction on what the specifics are to best fit your setting, how can anybody help?

There is no right or wrong about it, but we need some direction.

So I will stop posting - obviously I can't help you.

[su_liam]

I posted this to the Cartographers Guild. I'll repost here:

How many of the planets in this system are habitable. You could have mysterious and dangerous Ancient installations on many or most of the uninhabitable bodies, derelict ships perhaps of the Relay Builders and many asteroids may be positively riddled with tunnels and caverns dug long before the various races were summoned by the Relay signals.

All of these could be defended by ancient robotic defenses, occupied by space orc raiders or there might be rival explorers looking to exploit the treasures of antiquity or survive terrors they've accidentally unleashed. The possibilities for dungeon crawls could be endless.

More habitable worlds could also harbor ancient installations and wreckage of their own or be good places for overland adventures. Perhaps you could have fusion-powered hot air balloons sailing between floating cities in the storm-ravaged atmosphere of a gas giant.

Look at all those new pictures of Ceres and Pluto and tell me you don't see whole worlds to map on mere asteroids and dwarf planets. Imagine a castle looming over Philae's landing site. This isn't necessarily a project you can fit into one map. You could do anything from an atlas with pages dedicated to each world in the system to a single map with the larger planets represented as textured balls and a brief notation of what's present on each body. Or you could start with the latter and work your way to the former.

In addition to what I've already mentioned, you could have acid seas, fierce alien jungles, deep frozen tunnels under planet-girdling glaciers, etc.

Look at all the moons and planets of the Solar System and then add fantastic elements. Not just fantastic. Steal ideas from conventional science fiction, westerns(ala Firefly), and horror genres. Perhaps something like Lovecraft's Mi-Go or Old Ones lurk or sleep under the ice of some outer planet or bake under the sands and stone of some inner planet.

Additionally:
I'm assuming the Vries, Uon, Human Kexx and Autons are capable of coexisting and cooperating in a united party. I also assume the Drenn live in similar environments to the others. The Drenn, though pretty unremittingly hostile to the others, are capable of communication and reasoning with the others. To the point at least that one can use bargaining or trickery to get them to spare one's life or freedom or even discuss some mutually beneficial arrangements.

Exotics may live in similar environments to the others, but be sufficiently alien as to be incapable of communication. They may be uncompromisingly hostile or they may generally be peaceable unless provoked. The nature of what may provoke them may be mysterious, confusing and seemingly unpredictable.

Other exotics, such as Tumey's Krakens or Gas Dragons may live in environments completely unsuitable for Humans(etc), but they could still be a threat to the floating cities or hot air dirigibles' operations. They may also be useful allies for operations in those environments if characters can communicate with them and arrange cooperation.

A lot of how this works would depend on how closely you want to hew to the Fantasy genre. If all your foes are strictly evil and you deal entirely in a shirt-sleeve environment, then that will set particular and strong limitations on the sorts of adventures and environments that will be of interest to you...

[Tensen01]

Thanks for posting here, I haven't been following on CG.

All of the Terrestrial planets are habitable to one form or another. The Core planets are all Habitable by the Core PC Races, though some wouldn't be as comfortable on other planets. Udilon has a higher gravity and is a bit warm and Voranna is a little too Oxygen Rich to be perfectly comfortable. The Kexx don't seem to care about any of that they thrive just fine. Every named dot other than the Gas Giants is habitable and may have habitable moons.

I assume all the non-core planets are about 50/50 Inhabited and uninhabited. I assume some of the races which were called didn't make it. But the idea is that each individual system is comprised of planets that are similar to each other in atmosphere, but not particularly similar to the other Systems. As if each system was designed for a specific group of lifeforms(They were). Obviously, that's what Environment Suits are for :D

Yes, the Core PC races coexist and cooperate pretty well, though they don't exist under any sort of united government, but their governments definitely have agreements and such, especially after what happened with the Drenn.

Speaking of the Drenn, yes they are Intelligent and capable of communication, though opinions would be split on whether they can be reasoned with. Them being in their own system (They breathe a very different atmophere) hasn't helped, they've basically set up a Drenn Empire, having conquered the other races that arrived to settle in that system (The Goblinoid equivalent races).

My problem with lots of Exotics, such as the aforementioned Gas Giant species, is that I find it highly unlikely that they could have developed Interstellar travel, which they'd need to to have arrived. All of the native planetary species are non-sapient and are basically animals and "monsters" so they would basically be monsters, which I am fine with, but would not fit as PC Races which is mostly what I have been working on.

I think, like most Fantasy, all the enemy races are either Evil or Animals without evil intentions. But there are Space Suits and Ships so Environments aren't a hindrance for adventuring.

[LD]

>>The Question is... How did they get here? Because they definitely didn't come on their own ships.

Insects can be hard to kill; they probably hitched a ride on the side of ships. Don't die in the vacuum of space, can survive the G-forces from the intergalactic transit, can latch on tight, etc.

[Tensen01]

>>The Question is... How did they get here? Because they definitely didn't come on their own ships.

Insects can be hard to kill; they probably hitched a ride on the side of ships. Don't die in the vacuum of space, can survive the G-forces from the intergalactic transit, can latch on tight, etc.

Yeah that's what I figure, I'll just have to figure out who brought them... Or maybe noone knows and they all blame each other. Hope you like the image I found for them. needed an Insect that still looked a bit cute.

[Steerpike]

My problem with lots of Exotics, such as the aforementioned Gas Giant species, is that I find it highly unlikely that they could have developed Interstellar travel...

This makes sense... unless the Void can be used for interstellar travel. Another possibility might be biotechnology; maybe gas-giant aliens never developed metallurgy, but they became master-breeders and/or are somehow natural genetic engineers (could also be Void-assisted) and eventually grew themselves some starships. Not that you need to include things like gas giant species if you don't want to.

[Tensen01]

My problem with lots of Exotics, such as the aforementioned Gas Giant species, is that I find it highly unlikely that they could have developed Interstellar travel...

This makes sense... unless the Void can be used for interstellar travel. Another possibility might be biotechnology; maybe gas-giant aliens never developed metallurgy, but they became master-breeders and/or are somehow natural genetic engineers (could also be Void-assisted) and eventually grew themselves some starships. Not that you need to include things like gas giant species if you don't want to.

Ooooohhh, the Void stuff is something I never even considered. It's not that I don't want to include them, it's that I'm still finding it hard to imagine a race that lives in the clouds of a gas giant would even get to the point of knowing there's something beyond. We know there is because we can see it, they wouldn't be able to even leave their specific layer.

Anyways, like I said, they'd be okay for a pre-existing "monster" but not for an actual sapient species.

[Ghostman]

What about a race that's adapted to life in the vacuum of space? They could originate from a low-gravity planet without an atmosphere, and possess some natural means of propulsion that they use for short distance flight in their homeworld. Characters of this race would be able to exit airlocks to space"walk" outside a vessel without the need for a spacesuit, but they'd need some technological assitance for communicating with other races (since sound can't be heard in a vacuum, they'd prolly communicate visually, which could be translated to a computerized voice and back by some kind of device).

[Tensen01]

So I think, unless inspiration strikes I'm going to say I'm good on PC races. And by "PC Races" I means the races that inhabit the central worlds as they can all survive in a similar atmosphere. I'm thinking System B is primarily reptilian-appearing races, and C is Insect/Crustacean races.

B is your Evil empire; Orcs, Goblinoids, Kobolds, various other corrupted species that were conquered by the "Orcs" before they arrived here, and plenty of Monsters in the form of pets and livestock they brought.

C is basically going to be kind of a no mans land simply because there's been next to no contact with any of the Species there, due to the aforementioned idea that they're so different that communication is next to impossible. Maybe these are the Void Travelers, sort of the equivalent of Demons and angels in D&D, you know they exist, they are powerful beyond reason and you've seen them, but their motives are so alien that it's difficult to comprehend them.

Have not yet decided what to do with Proxima(p)

[Tensen01]

Alrighty, after much flipping and flopping I was finally able to find some artwork(From icarus miniatures) that perfectly represents what I was thinking for the Drenn and their ilk. I also found some better art for the Vries. So here's an updated image. Be sure to click the image to see the large image.

From left to right:
Vries (Elves), Uon (Dwarves), Humans, Vexx (Kender), Auton (Warforged), Dreen (Orcs), Grahl (Goblins), U'Grahl (Hobgoblins), Void Born (Dragons?)


Now that I have a copy of Fantasy AGE it's time to stat them up, as much as that system Stats anything.

[Steerpike]

It seems to me that the Blackout and the engineered, haven-like nature of the System are the most unique aspects of the setting. Obviously all of the refugee-species here are capable of interstellar flight, so presumably the Blackout is somehow "ongoing" outside the system; or, if the stars have literally been extinguished, maybe there's just nowhere to go.

I'm not sure if you want ideas for the Blackout, but here are a couple:

- some kind of interstellar nano-swarm/grey goo ecophage that arrives at a system, envelops the star in a dyson bubble, drains the star of energy, consumes any planets/asteroids and other matter to replicate itself, and then moves on to the next system. The System is protected by some kind of shield that the swarm can't penetrate (yet). The swarm could also infect organisms, making them zombie-like agents.

- light-sucking mythical star-vampire things from out of the Void that got into this universe somehow and are now just straight-up eating stars (somewhat similar to the C'tan). They're kept out by a series of blessed/arcane wards encircling the System, like a gigantic magic circle in space. Their mortal thralls, though - given dark gifts, of course - can cross the circle.

- some sort of bizarre solar plague spread between the stars making stars literally sick and then killing them. The System's star appears to be immune to the disease, having been somehow "innoculated." Maybe creatures irradiated by the diseased light of a sickly star become monstrous...