Four More Mass Effect Foes for Stars Without Number

These four creatures wrap up my series on Mass effect foes for my SWN hack.

Once again, the descriptions are lifted from the excellent Mass Effect Wiki.

Adjutant

AC 14
HD 5
AB +7
Dmg 1d8 + Special energy blast or 1d8 claws
Skill +2
Group 1d6
Save 13+
Move 40’, Leap 50’
Morale 10

Adjutants are a terror created by the terrorist organization known as Cerberus based seemingly on technology gathered somehow from the Nano-Terrors or Collectors.

Adjutants are deadly pack hunters. They initially remain hidden, observing potential victims and distracting them with subtle whispers. When they select a target, adjutants ambush them with charged projectiles that cause severe disorientation and render the target helpless. Enhanced muscle tissue gives adjutants the ability to leap surprising distances, allowing them to close in and infect their target quickly via nano-injectors in their claws.

Any living humanoid that takes damage from an adjutant claw attack must make a Physical Effect save with a -4 penalty to the roll due to the sheer effectiveness of the nanites to overpower the victim’s systems. Failure results in extreme pain that causes the victim to crumple and writhe in agony as their genetic structure is totally re-written. This process takes at least an hour to complete, but once it has begun, there is nothing that can be done for the victim other than grant them death before the process completes. Adjutants can choose whether or not to release the nanites with their attacks, usually dependent on what their Cerberus masters decide.

Adjutant energy blasts not only cause damage, but forces the victim to make a Physical Effect save or become paralyzed for 1d3 rounds as their muscles seize up.

Adjutants have access to the Stealth skill.


Klixen

AC 15
HD 4
AB +4
Dmg 2d8 fire breath
Group 1d4+2
Save 13+
Move 20’
Morale 9

Klixen are a species of crab-like insectoids from the Krogan homeworld of Tuchanka, but the Krogan and xeno-merchants have caused them to be transplanted to other worlds as well. They are large, standing around 8 feet tall with a diameter of about 10 feet. Their shells are tough, but quickly become brittle once the creature is slain.

Klixen move slowly. Even though they sport nasty looking pinchers, they only use their fire breath (range of 15’) to bring foes down and then tear apart the fallen prey afterwards. They attack en masse and seek to overwhelm foes. Once slain, the chemical sacks in their bodies explode, dealing 3d6 damage to all within 10’ of the slain Klixen. Klixen themselves take only half damage from fire attacks.

If one can freeze a Klixen before it dies, and therefore explodes, the meat to be gained from such a creature is known to be very delicious and can be sold for a premium in many starports throughout the Concord and even the Krogan DMZ.


Thresher Maw

AC 20
HD 17
AB +17/+17
Dmg 5d12 bite or 3d6 acid spit or Special
Group 1
Save 7+
Move 50’ br.
Morale 12

Thresher maws are subterranean carnivores that spend their entire lives eating or searching for something to eat. Threshers reproduce via spores that lie dormant for millennia, yet are robust enough to survive prolonged periods in deep space and atmospheric re-entry. As a result, thresher spores appear on many worlds, spread by previous generations of space travelers.

The body of a thresher never entirely leaves the ground; only the head and tentacles erupt from the earth to attack. In addition to physical attacks, threshers have the ability to project toxic chemicals and emit bursts of infrasound as a shockwave weapon.

The sonic shockwave attack can be made once every 5 rounds. It does 2d6 damage to anyone within 50’ of the Thresher Maw, and those affected must make a Physical Effect save or be dazed for 1d4 rounds. Ear plugs or other protection negates both the damage and the dazing effect.

Thresher Maws are so massive that they are considered to have 5 points of armor against non-heavy weapon attacks.


Varren

AC 13
HD 4
AB +4
Dmg 1d8 (bite)
Group 1d6
Save 13+
Move 40’
Morale 9

Varren are omnivores with a preference for living prey. Originally native to the krogan homeworld of Tuchanka, they are, like most life from Tuchanka, savage, clannish, and consummate survivors. They are pack hunters when vulnerable prey is readily available and become scavengers when outnumbered or outclassed.

Their supreme adaptability, vicious demeanor, and rapid breeding cycle have made them ubiquitous and dangerous pests on many worlds. Virtually everywhere the krogan have been, varren infestations have followed, wreaking havoc with the native ecology.

The krogan have had a love-hate relationship with varren for millennia, alternately fighting them for territory and embracing them as treasured companions. To this day, krogan raise them as beasts of war. A common subgenus of varren has metallic silver scales, leading to the rather unusual nickname 'fishdogs'.


I hope you enjoyed these creatures and find a use for them in your games. Up next will be more background information on the setting and possibly a look at another Sci-Fi Rpg that I've really come to like: Rogue Space.

Geth forces for Stars Without Number

The artifical intelligence collective known as the Geth is next up in this series of Mass Effect creatures and units for use with Stars Without Number. The history of the Geth is largely unchanged from the video games.

Once again, much of the text is swiped from the Mass Effect Wiki.

Geth
The geth ("Servant of the People" in Khelish, the language of the Quarians) are a race of networked artificial intelligences that reside beyond the Perseus Veil. The geth were created by the quarians, as laborers and tools of war. When the geth became sentient and began to question their masters, the quarians attempted to exterminate them. The geth won the resulting war, and reduced the quarians to a race of nomads.

The history of the geth's creation and evolution serves as a warning to the rest of the galaxy of the potential dangers of artificial intelligence and to the legally enforced, systematic repression of artificial intelligences throughout galactic society.

Physically, the humanoid geth resemble quarians—their hands, head shape and legs are similar—which is probably a holdover from their origins. A common design feature among geth is a single brightly glowing photoreceptor, causing some to refer to them as "flashlight heads". Geth are primarily composed of two materials: a flexible but durable outer shell, and a kind of synthetic muscle tissue that gives Geth Hoppers their incredible agility. It is actually very similar to the synthetic muscles that are standard in most cybernetic limbs used throughout the known galaxy. Geth "bleed" a white conductive fluid when shot, but they don't have any internal organs or nervous system, so the geth do not feel hunger or pain. Some geth facilities contain first-aid kits, implying that their synthetic "tissues" can be repaired using conventional medical technology.

Part of the geth's success is due to their neural network. Effectively, they "share" their processing power, distributing low-level processes like motor control and visual identification to free up bandwidth for higher reasoning and complex thought. Geth can't share sensory data—they aren't a hive mind like the rachni—but in large groups they have more to think with. An individual geth has only a basic intelligence on par with animal instincts, but in groups they can reason, analyze situations, and make tactical decisions as well as any of the organic races. However, the Geth have created units with over 11 times as many geth programs as a standard geth platform that can function intellectually on their own for reconnaissance and espionage missions, though these geth units are exceedingly rare.

Each geth is made up of hundreds of programs equivalent to VIs, all operating in parallel with one another to form a kind of emergent intelligence described as "a thousand voices talking at once". An individual geth is thus more of a "mobile platform" than an actual body; the programs that make up its consciousness are constantly being transferred and downloaded; the mind operating one of these "mobile platforms" might just as easily inhabit a starship body should it need to. Most of the time geth programs can be found residing in server hubs, which function as something akin to the organic equivalent of a city, and can run millions of geth in communion.

As all geth are networked to each other, they may communicate their exact thoughts and ideas at the speed of light. They find organic methods of communication, such as body language and spoken word, to be largely inefficient; the geth are able to communicate their thoughts flawlessly without any fear of misinterpretation. Because of this they have no true form of government and no system of rank. When a matter must be decided upon, the geth communicate all viewpoints of a situation and a consensus is made, the decision being whatever benefits the geth as a whole the greatest.

Over time, the geth have evolved into numerous sub-forms, ranging from the diminutive but highly agile Geth Hoppers, to the gigantic, lumbering Geth Armatures. The geth also utilize turrets and drones (rocket, assault, recon and repair drones, specifically). It isn't clear whether these are also AIs, in the same way Geth Armatures are not just tanks but platforms for geth programs themselves, or simply controlled by the geth.

Geth Trooper

AC 13
HD 3
AB +5
Dmg 2d8 (pulse rifle)
Skill +2
Group 1d6
Save 14+
Move 30’
Morale 9

These are the standard Geth platforms that most people think of when hearing about Geth. They are equipped with pulse rifles and personal shields (5). If they take no actions during 1 round, geth troopers can instantly recharge their shields to full capacity. Most are armed with pulse rifles, but some also take to high ground with mag rifles to snipe at targets.

Geth Troopers are skilled in Computers, Stealth, and Tech (robotics).


Geth Armature

AC 18
HD 10
AB +12
Dmg 3d6 (heavy pulse guns) or 4d8 (siege cannon)
Group 1
Save 10+
Move 20’
Morale 12

Geth Armatures are anti-personnel light walkers armed with heavy pulse rifles and a siege cannon. Siege cannons can only be fired once every 5 rounds. Against non-heavy weaponry, geth armatures are considered to have Armor 6. They are also equipped with Personal Shields (7).


Geth Colossus
AC 20
HD 15
AB +17
Dmg 3d6 heavy pulse guns) or 5d10 (heavy siege cannon)
Group 1
Save 8+
Move 20’
Morale 12

Geth Colossi are heavy walkers armed with heavy pulse guns and a devastating heavy siege cannon. Siege cannons can only be fired once every 5 rounds. Against non-heavy weaponry, geth colossi are considered to have Armor 8. They are also equipped with Personal Shields (9).

Geth Destroyer
AC 15
HD 6
AB +8
Dmg 3d8 (spike thrower) or 3d10 (rocket launcher) or 2d8 (plasma projector)
Group 1d2+1
Save 12+
Move 30’
Morale 10

Geth Destroyers are close combat units that are equipped with Personal Shields (6). They will wield either spike throwers, rocket launchers, or plasma projectors.

Geth Hopper

AC 13
HD 3
AB +5
Dmg 2d8+2 (mag rifle)
Skill +2
Group 1d3
Save 14+
Move 30’, 20’ leap, 20’ wall-crawl
Morale 8

Geth Hoppers are infiltration, espionage, and sniper units. They can leap up to 20’ and are capable of clinging even to shear surfaces. They are equipped with a shoulder-mounted mag rifle. Hoppers are also proficient in Computers and Stealth, allowing them to slip into enemy installations and take out automated defenses or to perform other acts of cyberwarfare. Geth Hoppers are also equipped with sensor jamming equipment that affects motion sensors, EMP detectors, and radio communication.


Geth Hunter

AC 14
HD 5
AB +7
Dmg 3d8 (spike thrower)
Skill +2
Group 1d3
Save 13+
Move 30’
Morale 10

Geth Hunters are close combat and infiltration units. They wield spike throwers, and have Personal Shields (6). Hunters are also equipped with personal cloaking devices. It doesn’t make them completely invisible, but only a faint shimmering outline is noticeable. This grants them a +3 bonus to Stealth checks, plus any enemies using ranged attacks against a cloaked hunter do so with a -3 penalty. In order to even recognize that a Hunter is incoming an enemy must make a successful Luck save. Once a cloaked Hunter has taken damage or has attacked, the cloaking is shut off and the hunter can be seen plainly.


Geth Juggernaut
AC 16
HD 7
AB +9
Dmg 3d6 (heavy pulse rifle) or 3d10 (rocket launcher)
Group 1d2
Save 12+
Move 30’
Morale 10

Similar to Destroyers, Juggernauts are powerful geth units armed with heavy pulse rifles with rocket launching attachments. They are typically equipped with 3 rockets, but some may carry more. They have Personal Shields (8).


Geth Prime

AC 18
HD 12
AB +14
Dmg 3d6 (heavy pulse rifle) or 3d10 (rocket launcher)
Group 1
Save 9+
Move 30’
Morale 12

Geth Primes are command units. They are armed with heavy pulse rifles with rocket launching attachments. Most Primes carry 5 rockets, but some with carry more. They have Personal Shields (10) and are capable of jamming detection devices and radio comms like Hoppers. Plus, Primes coordinate the attacks of other geth within 80’, granting them a +2 attack bonus while they are within range.


Next up is the final entry into the Mass Effect games (unless I decide to go ahead a do an entry on Cerberus forces) covering random creatures like Thresher Maws and Varren.

Collector Forces for Stars Without Number

In my continuing quest to combine my favorite sci-fi settings with Stars Without Number, I present my take on the Collector forces. Once again, there are some changes with established Mass Effect canon, becuase I'm not really using the Reapers as presented in the games the same way in my setting.

Also, much of the text is again snagged from the excellent Mass Effect Wiki.

Collectors
The Collectors are an enigmatic race that lives somewhere beyond the Omega 4 Relay, an Elder Relay within the same system as the space station, Omega. They are rarely seen in the Terminus Sector itself, let alone Concord space, and are generally regarded as a myth by much of the known galaxy. Definite sightings of Collectors have been made on Omega every few centuries.

They are most well known for their odd trade requests for which they offer new technologies, often of a startling level of advancement. Their requests usually involve the trade of living beings in odd numbers and varieties, such as two dozen left-handed salarians, sixteen sets of batarian twins, a krogan born of parents from feuding clans, or two dozen "pure" quarians who have never left the Migrant Fleet due to illness, importance to the fleet, or disability. One of their current interests is in healthy human psychics. No one knows what happens to the individuals concerned after the exchange is completed, but their use of Husks (see their entry) and Scions (see entry) offers clues.

The Collectors resemble human-sized bipedal insects with a chitinous exoskeleton, four eyes, and a distinct, large, tapering head along with fully developed wings that allow them to fly over short distances. Each Collector appears to be little more than a drone with no distinctions between individuals. Although they do not appear to communicate vocally, since none are heard speaking, they have been heard to cry out in pain when shot or killed.

The Collectors themselves are rarely seen since they usually operate through agents to make their deals. It has been speculated that the Collectors make these strange requests because of strange fetishes or gruesome culinary tastes. However, it is more likely that they perform genetic experiments on these subjects. Regardless of the possible danger, their requests are often granted by fringe groups because the technology the Collectors offer in return is often extremely valuable, giving any race who receives it an immediate advantage before it becomes adapted to the galactic community.

The Collectors are controlled by a single leader, known as the Collector General, who can possess any member of its species at any time, instantly turning them into the most dangerous Collector on the battlefield. When a Collector is possessed by the leader the outer surface of their body appears to crack open, revealing an orange glow that resembles molten rock.

The Collectors do not engage in direct combat, preferring instead to use "hit and run" tactics. A Collector abduction force usually consists of a single Collector Cruiser carrying many troops and Seeker Swarms. They use the swarms to paralyze their enemies and quickly send in light ground forces to mop up and take prisoners. When confronted with sufficiently heavy resistance, Collectors flee.

Collector Drone

AC 15
HD 3
AB +4
Dmg 2d6 energy rifle or 1d6 claws
Skill +1
Group 1d8
Save 14+
Move 30’, Fly 50’ (see below)
Morale 8

Collector drones are the standard Collectors that most people hear about when tales of this species are told. They are armed with strange, organic looking, energy rifles. They can fly across short distances for one round before needing to land. They can fly again after a round of rest and their flight comes with a very noticeable buzzing sound.

Collector Drones can be controlled by a Collector General. These “Harbingers” take on an appearance of nearly bursting with energy. When a Collector General takes direct control of a drone, use the Harbinger stats below.

Collector Drones have limited cognitive abilities, but they do have access to the Stealth skill, but use of this skill is only applicable while walking, not while flying.


“Harbinger” Drone

AC 15
HD 5
AB +7
Dmg 2d6 energy rifle or 1d8 claws or 3d6 psionic blast
Skill +2
Group 1
Save 13+
Move 30’
Morale 10

Harbingers are Collector Drones in which the Collector General has assumed control off. The transformation takes 1 round, during which the Drone can take no action. Collector Generals only take control of undamaged drones. The drone takes on an appearance as if it were bursting with energy. This transformation destroys the drone’s wings, making it incapable of flight. This level of control can be maintained for only 20 minutes before drone is completely consumed by the psychic energies fueling it. The drone is killed even if control is released before this time is up. The energies reduce the drone to ash.

When dealing with other species, a Collector General assumes control of a Drone. Outside of meeting a General, this is the only way that other species are able to converse with Collectors.

In addition to the increased stats, Harbingers can fire a blast of psionic energy every other round instead of making a regular energy rifle attack. Plus, the energy in their shells grants them a short of personal shield that ignores 4 points of damage from every attack that hits it. This is unlike typical personal shields that will decay with each hit as this level of damage reduction stays constant. Finally, the appearance of a Harbinger has a bolstering effect on any drones within 100’ of the Harbinger, granting them a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls while a Harbinger is active.

Collector Generals can only assume control of one Drone at a time. Once either a Harbinger is destroyed by combat or by the psychic energy used to assume control, they cannot create another Harbinger for 1d6 rounds.


Collector General

AC 14
HD 7
AB +7
Dmg 1d6 claws
Skill +2
Group 1
Save 12+
Move 20’
Morale 6

Collector Generals are the rarely seen leaders of Collector groups. They typically stay aboard their starships, directing the flow of combat from the safety of their command centers. It is unknown if these are the highest form of Collector life, but they are the highest form currently known.

Outside of being able to control a drone, Generals appear to have very little in the way of combat ability. If anyone should enter into combat with a General, it will attempt to flee as quickly as possible, directing drones to keep the attackers at bay until a safe distance can be reached. Generals cannot take any actions while in control of a drone, so they will only do so when assured of their safety.


Collector Web

AC 12
HD 2
AB Not Applicable
Dmg None
Group 1
Save 14+
Move 20’ hover
Morale 10

Collector Webs are creations of the Collectors to go where their Seeker Swarms (see entry) either cannot go for some reason or have been neutralized. The webs are not really webs; they are small energy transmitters that distort space and time in a small distance around their epicenter not unlike a very weak singularity. Dark energy writhes and coalesces around the center that looks somewhat like a mass of living webs (though some have said it looks like a flurry of bat-like creatures swarming around a central point) stretching out to a radius of 20’. Anyone caught in this web is slowed down to half movement speed, and will automatically fail any Evasion save attempts. Collectors use these creations to aid in the capture and defeat of enemy forces. The Collectors themselves appear to be immune to the effects of the Collector Webs.

The only real defense Collector Webs have is that their center, the only part of a Collector Web that is solid and attackable, is difficult to discern due to the writhing dark energy field. Anyone attacking a Collector Web suffers a -2 penalty to their attack roll.


Praetorian

AC 18
HD 12
AB +12
Dmg 3d6 particle beam or 4d8 Death Choir (see below)
Group 1
Save 9+
Move Fly 30’
Morale 12

The Praetorian is a slow-moving flying Collector construction that consists of thirty deformed Husks fused together. It is armed with powerful particle beams, and protected by powerful armor (equivalent to vehicle armor 5).

The Praetorian’s most fearsome attack (as if its particle beams weren’t enough) is its Death Choir. If foes are within 30’ of a Praetorian, it will drop to the ground crushing anyone beneath it for 3d6 points of damage that fail an Evasion save to dodge out of the way. After a round of charging up (during which it cannot do anything else), it unleashes a blast of energy that does 4d8 points of damage to all within 30’ of the Praetorian.


Scion

AC 16
HD 8
AB +8
Dmg 3d10 (scion cannon)
Group 1d2
Save 11+
Move 20’
Morale 12

Though the exact fate of species captured by the Collectors is unclear, the humanoid appearance of the scions gives ghastly clues. The scion's frame and skull are similar to those of a human or asari, but the bone structure is overlaid with a metallic resin. Posthumous examination of their bodies reveals a skin tone resembling that of husks, but their transformation process seems more extensive. Like husks, they are cybernetically modified on a nano-scale so they can operate even in hard vacuum. Hoses rather than veins and muscle tissue join major portions of the body together. One arm is replaced with a construct that fits a large rifle, turning the creature into a humanoid weapons platform, and a fleshy sack is supported by the creature's back and head.

These sacks contain brain matter and spinal tissue, too much to have come from just one victim. This indicates scions are an amalgam of several individuals, with one primary victim providing the frame and several "secondaries" providing the flesh for a decentralized semi-mechanical nervous system. This decentralization makes them highly resistant to gunshot wounds; even a headshot is not a certain kill.

The scions' weapons, however, indicate that scions retain some living tissue, or at least sustain some of the same cerebral functions as those of a human psychic. The weapon creates a powerful warp effect. Given the rarity of human psychics, it seems likely that these abominations are granted their psychic abilities through the combination of numerous victims, rather than requiring a psychic victim in the first place.

Scion cannons affect all targets in a line up to 50 meters away. They feel little pain which grants them the ability to ignore 5 points of damage from any attack they suffer.


Seeker Swarms

AC 18
HD 5
AB +3 to +8
Dmg 1d3 + Stasis
Group 1
Save 13+
Move 50’ fly
Morale 10

Seekers are insects bred by the Collectors for use in attacks on colonies to collect specimens for their mysterious uses. An individual Seeker is a dangerous foe in and of itself, but the Collectors release them in swarms, and typically enough swarms to quickly cover and affect a small colony at once. They are large for an insect, about the size of an adult human’s fist. They are also highly aggressive. When a non-Collector lifeform is in sight, they will swoop in and attempt to sting their target; their venom causing a sort of stasis effect of near complete paralysis with only the victim’s eyes being able to move. Seekers have enough venom for 20 stings, once that venom is used up a Seeker dies.

A Seeker Swarm is a mass of flying seekers. Anything living that comes in contact with a Seeker Swarm is automatically attacked. The swarm’s attack roll ignores the AC of any armor that does not fully enclose the wearer, so Leather Jacks and even open helmed Combat Armor does not offer any protection, but Assault Suits and Power Armor does. Deflector Arrays and Personal Shields do not affect Seekers, but a psychic’s Kinetic Shield power will hold Seeker Swarms at bay.

Those that take damage from a Seeker swarm sting must make a Physical Effect save or become perfectly, and instantly rigid. The victim can move his or her eyes and is totally aware of everything going on around them. Psychic victims are unable to use psionic powers.

A swarm that has taken enough damage to be “killed” doesn’t mean that all seekers in the swarm are killed, but have been scattered enough to not be a threat. However, if there are at least three swarms within 100’ of each other that have been scattered, they will reform into a new swarm after 2 rounds from the scattering of the third swarm.



Next up: The Geth!

My Current Inspiration List

One of the things that I love about sci-fi is that inspiration for adventures, aliens, cultures, worlds, and tech can come from just about anywhere. With a little bit of thought, just about anything can be plausibly added to a sci-fi setting. The limits are whatever you decide to place upon yourself. Here is a sampling of some of the non-RPG and non-TV/Movie/Video Game sources I've been using to get ideas for my admittedly kitchen sink setting.

The Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction by Brian Ash

This tome, copy-write 1977, is a bit out of date, but it does an excellent job of detailing various aspects of the science fiction genre of the time through the eyes of some of the greats writers and directors in science fiction history. It discusses tech, themes of religion, mutation, the blurring of the line between man and machine, and even sex and cultural taboos. I've found it to be an excellent resource, especially if you're looking for something with a bit more of a "classic" feel to it.


Aliens, Robots, and Spaceships by Jeff Rovin

This book, collected and compiled by Jeff Rovin who has put out several books of this kind in the genres of classic monsters and for Super Heroes and Villains, does a great job of cataloging and detailing, well, aliens, robots, and spaceships from literature, movies, television, comics, and even folklore and mythology. The entries are straightforward, and many have illustrations.


Aliens in Space by Steven Caldwell

Part of Caldwell's "Galactic Encounters" series, this book takes pieces of sci-fi art and binds them together into essentially a sci-fi setting detailing the creatures found to inhabit several worlds in the galaxy. The writing is good, but always feel like a great fit for the art selected. This is the only part of the Galactic Encounters series that I own, but I plan to find copies of the others in the future.


Galactic Aliens by Alan Frank

This book is presented as a catalog of dangerous creatures found throughout man's exploration of the galaxy. The art isn't as good as many of the other books in the list, and the creatures are at time rather simplistic, but there are some interesting creatures to be found. I rather liked the Gorgons, Interstellar Vampires, and the Starbirds.


The Alien World by Steven Eisler

This is a book that's very similar to Caldwell's "Aliens in Space" as it's an art book that ties the pieces together with a backstory of a catalog of aliens of the galaxy. Some of the same pieces used in this book are also used in Caldwell's, but each author's story tied to the art is different (even then there are only a few duplicate pieces). If you like more stranger imagery in your sci-fi, this is a good book to go to and some of the art is pretty surreal, but Eisler does a good job of sort of bringing it down to Earth.


Science Fiction: The Illustrated Encyclopedia by John Clute

Similar in scope to the first book on the list, this book is much more thoroughly illustrated. Published by DK, it's a bit light on information (when compared to Brian Ash's tome), but it is a beauty to page through and with it being published in 1995 covers more modern instances of science fiction media.


Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials by Wayne Barlowe, Ian Summers, and Beth Meacham

This is my favorite book on the list. While not brimming with information, in fact many of the entries are very sparse, it does cover aliens from the books of a number of authors from James White, F.M. Busby, Jack Vance, Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven and others. Barlowe's interpretations of these often times classic examples of aliens in the literature are well researched and also very well done.

Reaper Forces for SWN

I'm adding the Reapers from the Mass Effect as a threat in my campaign, but I'm not using the galaxy harvesting backstory as presented in the games. The Reapers themselves will essentially be gigantic mechs and transports for the various ground forces presented in this article. (The Reapers will be featured in a different article, since I'm still working on them.) I'm also not calling them Reapers, they are (so far) being called the Nano-Terrors.

(Descriptions largely thanks to the Mass Effect Wiki.)

Nano-Terrors
The Nano-terrors are one of, if not the most, horrifying terrors so far encountered in the galaxy. They are an intelligence seemingly born from a plague of rogue nanobots. These nanobots are beyond anything that has been created by any of the known species, both part of the Galactic Concord and not. The nanobots behind these horrors are not too unlike the nanites driving evolution of life on Fatehpur in the Chisholm system, except these nanites are aggressive and are able to draw in other species into their collective consciousness through infection and completely rewriting vast parts of their genetic code.

No one is sure where or how the nano-terrors come from or came about. It is theorized that they could have been born out of Batarian experiments, though the Hegemony disputes this claim adamantly. Others blame a rogue AI subverting nanobot programming, but even then none of the nanobots studied have shown markers to their original purpose. The most widely accepted theory on the origin of the Nano-terrors lie with the mysterious Collectors, who were the first species to utilize Husks. Although, the technology used to create the Husks utilized by Collectors and those used by the Nano-Terrors appears to be somewhat different, but seeing as how they are the only other species recorded as having used anything like Nano-Terror tech they are a logical candidate.

The other big question is where they acquired their frigate and capital ship-sized starcraft. These robotic constructs not only transport nano-terror units around the galaxy, but are also able to fight in both space and ground conflicts, making them the most versatile spacecraft known in the galaxy. Where did these ships come from? Who is behind their construction and guiding their actions?

Species that are brought into the collective are transformed in ways to terrify those that have not been changed. To date, there have been several different varieties of Nano-Terror encountered in the Batarian Border Zone between the Hegemony and the borders it shares with Asari, Turian, and the Sol Alliance-controlled regions. Although, with the Nano-Terrors’ habit of assimilating any dangerous species, many new varieties could appear at any time.

Banshee

AC 17
HD 8
AB +10 (claws), +12 (energy blast)
Dmg 1d10 (claws) or 2d6 + special (energy blast) or 3d6 (shockwave)
Skill +2
Group 1-2
Save 11+
Move 20’ or 60’ Jaunt
Morale 12

Banshees are the corrupted asari often found leading a Nano-Terror strike force. The Reapers create them specifically from asari with active or latent predispositions to becoming Ardat-Yakshi, a rare neurological condition that enhances the asari's psionic power while causing the immediate death of anyone she mates with.

Lumbering as though in constant pain, the emaciated banshees are surprisingly durable opponents. They are devastating psions able to hurl lethal balls of energy and create shockwaves as they regenerate. What Alliance military finds most disturbing is the Banshee's ability to spawn her own warp field and seemingly teleport during combat. Although their wails have no apparent physiological effect, the psychological impact is undeniable.

When banshees die, their Ardat-Yakshi genetics twist against them, causing a biotic implosion to ensure they evade capture as their bodies wither away to dust quickly.

Banshee energy blasts have a range of 100 meters. Since they are slow moving, but hone in on targets, the attack roll when using a energy blast is increased by +2 (factored in above), but the target can make an Evasion save to avoid damage. If a target is hit with an energy blast, he must make a Physical Effect save or be dazed for 1 round. They regenerate 3 hit points per round, and release a shockwave that affects all non-Nano-Terror beings within 30 feet of them after regenerating (and only regenerating) for 2 rounds. They have 15 Psionic Points to use on their Jaunt ability, and these points regenerate at a rate of 1 point per round, even while engaging in other attacks.


Brute

AC 19
HD 10
AB +12
Dmg 2d10 (claw)
Group 1-2
Save 10+
Move 20’ or 40’ Charge
Morale 12

The brute is a hulking amalgamation of turian and krogan victims of the Nano-Terrors. Because tissue from dextro-protein species like the turians is incompatible with levo-protein species like the krogan, implants regulate the brute's body chemistry to combat organ rejection.

It is the fusion of turian military skill and krogan blood rage that makes the brute such a formidable enemy, capable of destroying armored vehicles to get to the soldiers inside. Troops are advised to keep their distance, and, whenever possible, not engage a brute alone.

Brutes are so heavily armored that they ignore 4 points of damage done from any non-heavy weapon. Plus, their claws are so tough that they can ignore 5 points of armor on vehicles (consider Gravtanks to have 12 points of Armor against Brute attacks).


Cannibal

AC 12
HD 3
AB +4
Dmg 2d6 energy pistols
Group 1d8+2
Save 14+
Move 30’
Morale 10

Cannibals are front-line Nano-Terror units created from corrupted batarians. The nickname refers to their propensity to devour the bodies of fallen comrades. This triggers a biochemical process through which the cannibals simultaneously heal themselves and grow new chitinous armor. The transformation also appears to give cannibals a greater awareness of their surroundings, leading to more strategic behavior and careful use of battlefield cover.

When devouring fallen Nano-terror units, cannibals heal 5 points of damage and add 1 point of armor to their AC. They can do nothing else while doing this, and being attacked does not halt the process. They can only add 4 points of armor by devouring fallen nano-terrors.


Harvester

AC 18
HD 13
AB +13/+13
Dmg 4d10/4d10 energy cannons
Group 1
Save 9+
Move 30’ or
60’ fly
Morale 12

The sight of a Harvester in flight nearby is one of the first indications that a Nano-Terror invasion is underway. Their massive wingspan allows them to quickly cover the distance between them and their prey.

In the Harvester's mouth are two heavy guns that fire in an alternating pattern. The Harvester's most fearsome quality, however, is that its appearance guarantees that Nano-Terror ground troops are not far behind.


Husk

AC 13
HD 2
AB +2/+2/+2
Dmg 1d4/1d4/1d6 (claw/claw/bite)
Group 2d10
Save 14+
Move 30’
Morale 12

Husks are the aggressive, mindless foot soldiers of the Nano-Terror armies. They are created by impaling either living or dead humans (and near-humans) on mechanical spikes that rapidly extract water and trace minerals and replace them with cybernetics. These cybernetics reanimate the lifeless flesh and tissue, transforming the bodies into horrifying killing machines.

The Nano-Terrors use large groups of husks to overwhelm the enemy. The husks' inability to feel pain, as well as their tendency to attack in groups, makes them particularly deadly adversaries.


Husk Abomination

AC 14
HD 4
AB +4/+4/+4
Dmg 1d4/1d4/1d8 (claw/claw/bite)
Group 1d2+1
Save 13+
Move 30’
Morale 12

Abominations are Husks that are imbued with explosives that go off whenever they are made non-functional, spreading super-hot plasma over a 40’ area for 2d10 damage. Their bite attacks are more deadly thanks to the high temperatures in their bodies making their already sharp teeth exceedingly hot as well.

The only visual difference between a Husk and an Abomination is some of the cybernetic wiring is red in color. Plus, they give off a very perceptible wave of heat to those in melee range.


Marauder

AC 15
HD 5
AB +7
Dmg 2d10 pulse rifle
Skill +2
Group 1d6
Save 13+
Move 30’
Morale 10


Marauders are harvested turians that command and protect other Nano-Terror troops. The lean, armored creatures present a significant threat in and of themselves, but they are especially dangerous when leading a task force.

Alliance marines have observed marauders fortifying husks and cannibals by enveloping them in a ribbon of energy that forms a scabby shell of armor. For this reason, when Alliance soldiers encounter a marauder alongside husks or cannibals, standing orders are to target the marauder first.

If a marauder does nothing else for one round all other Nano-Terror units within 20’ get a +2 bonus to AC until they are damaged. Plus, due to the hive-mind that all Nano-Terrors share, any Nano-Terrors within 50’ of a Marauder have their actions coordinated, granting them a +2 bonus to attack rolls while a Marauder is still in action.

Marauders also have access to the Stealth skill and can use it with a +2 bonus.


Ravager

AC 16
HD 6
AB +7/+7
Dmg 3d6/3d6 energy cannons
Group 1d2
Save 12+
Move 20’
Morale 12

Ravagers are former rachni that the Nano-Terrors have transformed into heavy artillery through a process of implantation and genetic modification. As walking organic turrets, they can sustain and inflict considerable damage.
Ravagers bear egg sacs that spawn swarmers. If the sacs are destroyed, either during combat or upon the ravager's death, their entire contents burst forth to charge the enemy and explode on contact. A dead ravager expels a caustic gas and an acidic puddle.

Alliance scientists have theorized that it is easiest for the Nano-Terrors to maintain control over units of rachni genetic extraction because of the species' neurological predisposition for hive-mind consensus.

Unless targeted by a called shot, there is a 25% chance each time a Ravager takes damage that a swamer sack has burst. Anyone directly adjacent to a Ravager when a swarmer sack bursts suffers 1d6 points of damage from the acid. See the Swarmer entry for details, but each sack holds 3 swarmers. Once 4 sacks have burst, no others will.


Swarmers

AC 10
HD 1/4
AB +0
Dmg 1d4 (explosion)
Group 3d6
Save 17+
Move 20’
Morale 12

Swarmers are synthetic-organic creatures presumably derived from Rachni Workers and mutated by Nano-Terror technology. Swarmers can be spawned by puncturing one of the large orange sacs found on Ravagers or by destroying Gestation Pods.

Swarmers are not generally dangerous on their own. Their only attack method is to leap at foes and explode. Their real danger comes from several leaping at the same foe, which can quickly dwindle armor and health.

Using D&D resources with SWN

One of the things that sold me on using "Stars Without Number" for my sci-fi setting was the "old school" feel to the rules. While I may not be as enamored with some of the mechanics of the pre-3rd Edition D&D rules, I vastly prefer the simiplicity and precieved malleability of the rules. There's not as much there to balance. Really, balance is really secondary to getting what you want out of the system, and I like having that pro-GM feel to the rules. It's one of the main things that I missed when the 3rd Edition rules came out. Really, much of this is a matter of perception, but I point to creature stats to solidfy my point. In 3rd edition games, the stat blocks for creatures greatly grew in size. Not only were there more stats, but so many of the stats modifed other parts of the creature entry. If something was miscalculated or simply missed, the creature wasn't "correct" in terms of the rules. In so many reviews of 3rd edition (and beyond) monster books, so much of the reviews dealt with calculation errors made in the statblocks. That's all well and good, but it got to the point (with me at least) that it seemed like so much of the focus was on the math and mechanics that little attention was placed on the thematics. Sure, a statblock may be complete rubbish, but if the fluff of the creature was good the stats could be fixed.

The simplified statblocks for older D&D games, and especially for SWN, are a big boon. I can easily eyeball and throw together some stats for creatures and NPC's on the fly with a the appropriate level of toughness that I'm looking for. Sure, I could do that with D20 games, but since there's less to SWN statblocks, it's easier and quicker to do. Honestly I'd much rather focus on the "fluff" than the crunch anyway. That's where the real fun of creation comes for me.

Since SWN is inspired (mechanically, that is) by older editions of D&D, I've found myself pouring through my old D&D monster books looking for creatures that would be a good fit in a sci-fi setting. "Conversion" is a breeze. Magical abilities can easily be reworked as psionic abilties or general special abilties. Beyond reworking background information, much of the "work" is already done, which frees up a ton of time to focus on the fluff.

So far, I've been working through the Al-Qadim Monstrous Compendium Appendix. Here are a couple of the entries from a "Xenobestiary" that I'm putting together for my setting:

Ammut
AC: 16
HD: 6
AB: +5
Dmg: 2d8 or 1d8/1d8 (Bite or Claw x2)
Group: 1-12
Save: 12+
Move: 30’, 40’ Sw, 10’ Br
Morale: 14

Ammuts are named due to their resemblance to creatures from ancient Egyptian legend. Ammuts are found on the desert planet of Qadim, The creature resembles a cross between a crocodile, a lioness, and a hippopotamus in mannish form. They have the tail and scaly legs of the crocodile, the tubby belly and thick neck of a hippo, and the sleek arms and head of a humanoid lioness. They are fat, bloated animals, and they are completely oblivious to their surroundings when feeding.

The ammut can attack either with their vicious bite for 2d8 or with two sets of raking claws for 1d8 each. If they bite, their gaping jaws may be unhinged, allowing them to swallow smaller than man-sized creatures on a natural roll of 20. This process is slow and requires 1d4 rounds to complete. During this time, the creature being swallowed is slowly forced into the ammut’s gullet with its jaws and hands. Creatures being swallowed may attack to inflict double damage at a -4 penalty to hit with small, thrusting weapons such as knives or daggers.

In addition to their physical attacks, ammut can roar deafeningly once per turn. All creatures within 20' must make a Physical Effect saving throw or be deafened for 1d10 rounds. The ammut can undertake no other action during the round it roars.

Ammut are equally at home fighting on land or in water and suffer no penalties to attacks when underwater. Their acute senses of smell and hearing allow them to attack normally in the dark as well, but they must make a morale check and suffer a - 2 attack roll penalty when exposed to sunlight or other bright light.


Buraq
AC: 15
HD: 5
AB: +6/+6 or +6
Dmg: 1d6/1d6 hooves, or 1d12 bite
Skill: +1
Group: 1-4
Save: 13+
Move: 50’
Morale: 14

The buraq are a strange species of equine-like creatures found primarily on Sultus-IV, but some can be found travelling the galaxy with a group of trusted companions. The buraq are dappled grey and white horses with a human-like face. Larger than an ass and smaller than a mule, their coats shine with a rich luster that signals their vibrant health and strength. The buraq’s dappled coat grows more brightly colored on its hindquarters, with speckles of green, blue, brown, and black. Its tail is a long fan of red, green, gold, and blue, with “eyes” like a peacock's tail. Its silverish hooves never need to be shod.

Buraqs are sapient and will observe newcomers for a time before making themselves known. Even though they are sapient, due to their physical limitations they have no technology of their own. Some have been captured and sold into slavery thanks to their inability to truly deal with advanced technology. Some buraq have found passage on starships among groups of off-worlders they trust. While there is little that a buraq can offer a crew in as far as being a crew member, some have found a calling in advising others in matters of politics and business, which it seems they are a quick study.

Although the buraq can serve as a warhorse, it rarely takes any pleasure in such service. When it does serve in battle, it avoids the fray and prefers its rider take a position of leadership without getting entangled in the melee. (A buraq allowing another being to ride it is a sign of great sincere respect and caring for the rider; a boon granted to very, very few.) If necessary, it can strike with its hooves for 1d6 points of damage each or bite for 2d6 points. A foe hit by both hooves is automatically knocked down and trampled for an additional 2d6 points of damage per round until he spends a complete round getting out from under the buraq’s hooves.

Although it is very rare, some buraq have been known to exhibit psionic talent. Most tend to be biopsionics or telepaths, but all disciplines are open to them.


The stats above are changed little from how they appear in the MC, but with just a few tweaks to the background of the creature, and they are good fit for any sci-fi/fantasy campaign. This ability to pull from a vast supply of material made SWN my go-to choice for a sci-fi system. Even pulling in material from D20 sources is rather easy due to being able to eyeball the stats. "Conversion" isn't the chore that it would be with any number of other systems I could have used. Since most of my gaming library is either D&D or D20 System based, I've got a lot of areas to pull ideas from.

WARNING!!! MICROSCOPIC LIFEFORMS ONBOARD!!!

I had plans to get a couple posts fleshing out the Galactic Concord and the History of Mankind posted, but then the flu went through the house like a whirlwind. It started off with the baby Friday morning. Saturday night my wife and I were knocked low by the bug and then Sunday morning my oldest was getting sick. Thankfully, we're all on the mend.

I hope to resume regular posting later on this week. Thanks.

Precursor Species

“Precursor” is a term used to describe the beings that came before the species that now inhabit the galaxy. These long dead beings are a constant source of debate, study, and in some sectors, worry. Some have left detailed records of who they were and what they hoped to accomplish, while others have left few clues that they existed beyond ruins and cryptic writings. In some cases, technology has been left behind with strange and wondrous power, which has set off a gold-rush to discover ancient technologies for both power gain and profit.

Below is a smattering of some of the known Precursor species and some details to their origins and the dangers left behind.

Prothean:

The Protheans controlled a vast empire of worlds that stretched across much of worlds that are now part of the Galactic Concord over 30,000 years ago. They were (are) are an amphibious humanoid species with empathic abilities. Much of their record keeping related to the creation of memory stones that they used to house their memories. Those that touch these items have their minds filled with images and sounds of the Protheans that used the stones before. However, few people are able to make sense of the images they are bombarded with, which can lead to sickness, insanity, and in some cases death due to severe brain hemorrhaging.

In 2254, on the planet Eden, while excavating Prothean ruins, workers stumbled upon a complex that housed 500 Protheans in cryogenic suspended animation. After much study and many months of deliberation among members of the Galactic Concord High Council, it was decided to wake a single Prothean. The researchers were unsure if any of the Protheans would be able to survive after such a long time in suspension, but the revival was successful. However, waking that first Prothean initiated the revival sequence for all of the other pods. The newly awakened Protheans were aggressive when confronted by armed guards and sadly, several died during the initial confrontation. However, peaceful, yet tense, talks were established between the Prothean survivors and the Concord delegation. The revival of the Protheans, while kept secret for many months, was eventually leaked and caused an intense stir among both the public and other stellar governments, even among Concord members that are not represented in the High Council. Shock, awe, fear, and anger spread throughout the galaxy. Some wanted the Protheans kept under strict control, especially when the news that they were an aggressive and sometime ruthless people bent on military dominance to control the species they subjugated. Others petitioned the Concord to allow the Protheans to set up a colony and find their own way in the galaxy. What was finally decided was that the Protheans would be allowed to set up a colony where the current colony of Horizon now stands. (This decision was met with fierce opposition and a couple of terrorist attacks against the colony by pro-Human groups outraged that the human colonists had to move to another location on Eden.) The Protheans now number around 1,500 and are provisional members of the Galactic Concord.

The discovery of the Protheans shed light on a few mysteries of the origin of some species and served to only deepen the mystery of others. The Protheans were always romanticized as a peaceful and intellectual people. This was due largely to very few artifacts that could be described as weapons were ever found among Prothean ruins, and most of the artifacts were in the form of memory stones and their architecture spoke of peaceful designs with gardens and brightly lit terraces. However, while Prothean cities and settlements were beautiful and peaceful, they subjugated other species by force and admitted to decimating species that “had the audacity” to fight against the Empire. This has lead to many objections among some Concord members, many of whom have suffered under the yoke of oppressive regimes, to their provisional membership to the Concord. Plus, it has complicated matters in a religious sense for some species. The cephalopod Hanar built a religion around worshipping the Protheans (who they call the “Enkindlers”)

Protheans have stated that the Collectors were a mysterious species even in their time, with the same strange requests as they do today. The Stoneburners and Glassmakers were long dead even in their time as well. They also talked of other species that invaded the galaxy from “elsewhere” and were repelled that sounded very similar to the Illithids that attempted to invade the galaxy in 2216. They also revealed that they were not the creators of the Elder Relays, and that their scholars theorized that the relays have been in existence for far longer than the Protheans were a sentient species. Also, they mention a species whose description is very close to what researchers today know as the Prometheans that they had some sporadic and even violent contact with, which puts a wrinkle into the theory that the Prometheans were a driving force in the development and near-dominance of humanoid life throughout the known galaxy.


Stoneburners: (Taken from the Alternity Alien Compendium by TSR) The Stoneburners are a mysterious cephalopod species that left strange, and often times sinister, ruins on dozens of worlds in the Ullarus Sector and especially on the planet Yellow Sky in the Tychus system. Due to the heavily chlorinated atmosphere metallurgy was impossible, so the Stoneburners studied more “esoteric” sciences that seem more like magic to contemporary scientists. They seemingly colonized other worlds by opening dimensional portals. They were also masters of genetic and matter manipulation. Stoneburner ruins have been deemed off-limits to Concord researchers as well as by many other stellar governments. This is due primarily to the strange fluted black spires that comprise the sites are guarded by stasis fields, automated defenses, surviving horrors of Stoneburner genetic experiments, and the danger of the creatures known as Dimensional Horrors. Still, scientists still get funding (and a healthy dose of military back-up) to set up orbital outposts to study these sites in hopes of unraveling some of the secrets of Stoneburner science.


Glassmakers: (Taken from the Alternity Alien Compendium by TSR) The Glassmakers are a seemingly extinct species that colonized many systems throughout the sectors that make up the stellar region known as The Verge. The planet of High Mojave in the Mantebron system (in sector Verge Delta 5) has the highest concentration of Glassmaker sites, with dozens of complexes scattered throughout the planet. Glassmakers are called such because their technology consisted primarily of energy conducting substances not unlike glass. However, the “glass” created by the Glassmakers is much stronger and resistant to damage, with a tensile strength on par with advanced steel alloys. They were also adept as the creation of constructs made from these substances as well. One of the Glassmaker creations, the Arachnon, blurs the line between a living being and artificial construct. The Orbweavers found at the centers of several Glassmaker sites are essentially living fiber optic computers. The Arachnons encountered have all being violently aggressive, but a few Orbweavers have proven to be quite helpful to those that discover them, but are still cryptic with much of their information on their creators and their sciences. Most Orbweavers, however, have been merciless in their defense of their installations. Whether this is a sign that they have intelligences of their own or a sign of differing factions in Glassmaker society is unclear. Virtually nothing is known about what the Glassmakers looked like. It is theorized that they may have been an arachnid-like species due to the appearance of their creations and the web-like construction of their ruins.


Prometheans:

The Prometheans or “Seeders” as they are sometimes called were a humanoid species credited with the evolution of humanoid life throughout much of the galaxy. Very little is known about these beings except that they were an ancient species of powerfully built humanoids that stood nearly 2.5 meters tall. Only a few Promethean ruins have been discovered, one of which contained remains of some members of the species. What is known is that they were a space-faring species that studied heavily in genetic manipulation. They experimented with their own genetic code, which shares similarities with many other species from humans, to vulcans, to even “animalistic” species like the Vargr and Caitians, and even much of the mundane animal life on many planets leading some researchers to suggest that they also experimented with blending their genetics with that of animals as well. This theory of “Promethean Seeding” (also called the “Unified Theory of Evolution”) is still widely discredited, but thanks to research into the extremely adaptable Promethean DNA structure it has gained momentum and even acceptance in the scientific community.

Most Promethean sites are on interdicted planets. It appears that the Prometheans weren’t solely concerned with the creation of intelligent, even benevolent, life, but also created horrors as well. It isn’t certain, but the presence of the dreaded Xenomorphs on several of the planets that hold Promethean ruins seems to suggest they were behind the creation of these terrors.

Much like the Protheans, Prometheans have become the focus of religious cults. While none of their “Seeder Cults” match the size of Hanar Enkindler worship, they can be found in more systems. Few of these cults are connected to each other, and most have vastly different focuses of worship. Most are benign, but some of the cults have been classified as dangerous terrorist groups thanks to their desire to capture and study Xenomorphs in order to “unleash the righteous fury of the Creators upon the sinful galaxy.”


Preservers: The Preservers are sometimes theorized to be the same as the Prometheans, but among scientists that don’t adhere the theory of Promethean Seeding they posit that the Preservers are largely to credit with the vast number of very similar species found throughout the galaxy. These researchers point out the number of planets discovered to house human, fraal, and Eldar-like lifeforms that appear to have developed out of specific societies like the Platonians that appear to have developed from an ancient Greek society, and the Amerinds that have a distinctly Native American culture. Most of these planets have no sign of there having been any other lifeforms present, although Amerind did have an advanced planetary defense system in place to protect the planet from the numerous planet-killer meteors found in the system. Plus, those that scoff at the theory of the Preservers point out that many of these species are different from humans in subtle, yet important ways that can’t entirely be attributed to environmental adaptations. They suggest that certain society-forms are inherent to similar species. In any case, there is little to no physical evidence to suggest the existence of the Preservers beyond the similarities in societies.

Personal Shields for SWN

I'm going to go a head a post this now since I am working on my Xenobestiary and this tech is used in several of the entries, primarily my write-ups on the various forms of Geth from the Mass Effect series of games.

Personal Shield units are Tech Level 5 items that can either be worn on a belt or added to the following armors: Combat Field Uniforms, Assault Suits, Land Warrior Armor, and Powered Armor. These items create a kinetic barrier similar to those generated by Field Emitter Panoplies. They protect against all forms of attack, but the more damage absorbed by a personal shield the more the shield degrades. Personal Shield units come in varieties from 5 to 10. When a wearer is stuck by a successful attack, the personal shield lessens the damage done to the wearer by the shield’s rating. So a soldier wearing a personal shield (5) would take 5 points less of damage than he would have otherwise taken. However, each time that a wearer of a personal shield takes damage that exceeds the protection, the effectiveness drops by 1. Damage that does not exceeds the protection offered by a personal shield does not deplete the effectiveness of the shield. Shields will regenerate effectiveness by 1 point each round that the wearer has not taken damage. Personal shields require 1 Type A power pack to operate for a 24 hour period.

The costs given below are for Standard units/imbedded units. Imbedded units are personal shield units that have been integrated into armor and the price given is the additional cost added to the armor for both the shield unit and the time and expertise to add it to the armor.

Shield Rating: Cost
5: 1,500/+1,650
6: 2,000/+2,150
7: 2,500/+2,650
8: 3,000/+3,150
9: 3,500/+3,650
10: 4,000/+4,150

On the number of Intelligent species...

Some of the complaints I’ve often heard about Space Opera-style games/books/movies is there being too many species and too many humanoid species. I don’t necessarily agree with the first complaint, and I’ll explain why below, but the second complaint has merit. Humanoid aliens, and “forehead” aliens at that, are easy. Take a human, apply some strange or theoretical societal constructs to the beings, add some cranial ridges, and “eureka!” you have a new alien species. For TV and movies this is simply a matter of simplicity as it takes a lot more time and effort to create a believable non-humanoid alien than it does to apply make-up to an actor. However, I still see lots of humanoid aliens in literature as well, even when the hurdle of special effects are removed from the equation. I’m not calling authors lazy, but it is dramatically easier to imagine believable humanoid lifeforms than it is to imagine sentient oozes, crystals, etc. in a believable fashion.

I’ve said that I don’t agree that there are too many alien species, even in a universe as seemingly “crowded” as that of Star Wars or Star Trek. The setting I’m adapting to Stars Without Number is very much a “kitchen sink” setting. There are literally hundreds of alien species in my GM’s bullpen that I can call up to put against the players or allow the players to try out for themselves as a PC. So with the complaint of there being too many alien species (well, sentient aliens that is), I’ve come up with this justification: It is estimated that there are roughly 200 billion stars in the Milky Way. Most of those are believed to have planets, an average of 1.6 planets per star (though that number may very well increase as we discover more and more exo-planets). Now, the chance of there being a planet in the “Life Zone” of a star is pretty small, let’s say one half of a percent. That still leaves us with 1 billion stars that could support life. Out of those billion stars, maybe only 1% (these figures are obviously generous) of those have sentient life, leaving us with 10 million systems with sentient life. Even if the chances were still way smaller than that, there’s still that possibility that maybe the galaxy is more diverse than we ever thought. Plus, with this being a space opera setting, which borders on the fantastic as much as it does the scientific (even more so actually), grand cosmopolitan galactic societies appear a bit more plausible. These figures are also only taking into account that there are planets in the “goldilocks-zone” and therefore is at least in some way similar to life as we know it; not really taking into account lifeforms that may not require water or higher temperatures to thrive.

Even if we take a much more realistic view by using the equations devised by Duncan Forgan at the University of Edinburgh (source), by adding in 3 factors for how intelligent life can evolve on a planet (difficult to form but easy to evolve, easy to form but difficult to evolve, and being seeded by an extraterrestrial body) he comes up with a range of 361 to 37,964 different intelligent species in the galaxy. Those odds are nowhere as good, but both equations only think of life as we know it and don't factor in the possibility of silicon-based life or something other than carbon and water-based life (such as life here on Earth). Even then, with the possibility of anywhere from 361 to almost 38,000 intelligent species, I feel like I've got enough wiggle room to add in the species I want and still be within the confines of what could possibly be believable without straying too far into the realm of out-and-out fantasy.

My “justification” for the prevalence of humanoids in the setting isn’t really supported by any science. It’s tied more to the back-story and the mysteries of the setting. There are a lot of similar species, especially where humans are concerned, in the setting. Humans appear to be the “template” for life throughout the cosmos. There are many theories to why humanoid forms, and human forms at that, appear more than other bio-forms. These theories range from humanoid forms represent the most malleable and successful form brought forth through the trial and error of evolution to humans being the template for life selected by the “Precursor” species known as the Seeders or the Prometheans. Nobody know for certain, but with so many near-human species being found throughout the galaxy it is considered one of the great mysteries of science.

Speaking of Precursor species that will be one the next topics I cover in this series about my SWN setting…

Science Fiction RPG's

Last year only saw one post from me. I don't make New Year's resolutions, but I'm going to try and make 2013 a more active one here on Worlds Galore. That said, I want to discuss Sci-Fi RPG's.

For a while now I've been in a major sci-fi kick. This is largely due to my entertainment outlets. I've been replaying the Mass Effect series again (just finished my third complete play-through of all three games in order) as well as having just started a Star Trek Online account, reading The New Space Opera Vol 1, and watching Farscape and Star Trek (TOS and TNG) on Netflix. I’ve always loved sci-fi rpg’s, but it’s usually been Star Wars-based and while Star Wars is one of my most beloved universes, I’ve been longing for something else, something a tad bit more science than just fiction. Thanks to this, I’ve been on the look-out for a new sci-fi rpg system.

Just like with fantasy gaming, I’m wanting something that’s going to be easy to run, easy to play, and pretty malleable when it comes to the system. I’ve found that I really like Stars Without Number, even moreso now that Other Dust is out and I can add in mutations to the setting without trying to modify Mutant Future’s mutations rules or entirely creating them myself. However, there are still some things that I don’t like about SWN. First off is that I don’t like the human-centric focus of the setting. This is a focus that is tied very closely to the rules. I like my sci-fi more in the “Space Opera” vein of Star Wars, Star Trek, Farscape, Babylon 5, etc. with lots of aliens and beings all interacting in some capacity. Plus, while I enjoy the idea of mankind crawling out from under the rubble of a fallen civilization, I prefer that more for games like Gamma World or any zombie apocalypse game I should run. Another sticking point for me is that I don’t like the “old-school” AC system. I prefer the contemporary climbing AC rules brought about with 3rd Edition D&D. However, I like how SWN handles starships, starship battles, cybernetics, and so on; things I don’t want to try to re-create or I haven’t found in other sources that I like better. To alleviate these issues, I went through the rules, essentially re-writing them in spots to strip out as much of the setting material as possible as well as to modify the system more to my liking. What I was left with was something much more to my liking while still being able to utilize the great material for SWN as well as other OSR and D20 System-based resources at my disposal.

Some of the changes I’ve made: Ascending AC, modified the attribute bonuses (9-10 are baseline, with a -1/+1 bonus for every 3 points above or below that base, so 11-13 grants a +1 bonus, while 8-6 grants a -1 penalty), and species use a simple -/+ system for attribute rather than having to have a certain score in a stat or stats to play a certain species.

Setting-wise, it is heavily inspired by Mass Effect. I added in the Mass Effect relays (called “Elder” Relays) to the setting to allow for faster intergalactic travel (while still keeping the relays down to only one per sector, so drilling distance can still hamper ships that just can’t get beyond the system the relay rests in). Reapers are there, but I’m toying with changing them from a force that decimates advanced cultures every 50,000 years to a rogue nanobot collective. Still very dangerous, but not one on par with what’s found in the Mass Effect games. The primary focus is on the political play of the Galactic Concord, which is a large, and growing alliance of stellar nations of various species. The Concord is similar in many respects to that of the Federation in Star Trek, though it works more like a UN rather than a stellar nation in and of itself. There are many threats ranging not just from the Reapers, but also from criminal syndicates, invasion remnants (both the Yuuzahn Vong from the Star Wars Expanded Universe and the Illithids of D&D fame have attempted and failed to dominate Concord space and are still found in pockets throughout the galaxy), rogue stellar nations, vast alien intelligences and so forth. As I continue to work on the setting, I’ll provide more detail.

Currently, my work on the setting has been primarily on getting system where I want it. I consider that job pretty much done, so now I’m working on the species found in the galaxy, as well as converting over weapons, armor, creatures, and robots from other games. Since I’ve wrapped up my previous project of characters for MSH, this has become my gaming focus…now if I just had more time to actually play…

Titanic Book of Characters Volumes 1-6 and two other bonus volumes!

It's been over a year since my last post...again...I really need to try and make a more concerted effort to get something up here more often. However, that is not the reason for this post. I have "completed" what is quite possibly my biggest project to date: The Titanic Book of Characters for the Classic Marvel Super Heroes RPG. These volumes are a collection of characters drawn from official sources like the Gamers Handbook to the Marvel Universe series, as well as downloaded from websites like Classic Marvel Forever, Ben Riely's MSH Page, and several others whose names escape me. No background information is listed with any of the characters, just the stats needed for play. Some of the characters' names were changed were they conflict with current Marvel sources. There are also a few characters converted to FASERIP from Mutants and Masterminds, and a handful of homebrewed characters as well.

The primary goal of this project is to build a character base to start forming my own MSH game. It started off simply enough, but ballooned into a massive catalog of characters. I've also got two additional volumes detailing Supporting Cast characters and Alien Races that became part of this sprawling project. I hope to start the actual world-building at some point. I'll likely even post my write-ups here. As it stands, these 8 voluumes aren't even the end of it. I'm already working on Appendixes for both the Titanic Book of Characters and the Supporting Cast book. With thousands more characters out there, I'll be constantly adding more characters to this database.

I want to stress that I didn't create most of these stats. Most were lifted from official sources. The characters from DC, Wildstorm, Atlas, Valiant, Archie, etc. were created by other people. Sadly, I didn't have the foresight to make a note of all the various creators back when I originally downloaded the characters. I take credit only for my own creations. All I've done here is compile the characters into a collected series of books. Because of this, I've hesistated posting these documents, and I'll remove them if there are any objections. Otherwise, I hope you find them to be a good resource for characters for your MSH games.

Here's the links:
Titanic Handbook of Characters Volume 1
Titanic Handbook of Characters Volume 2
Titanic Handbook of Characters Volume 3
Titanic Handbook of Characters Volume 4
Titanic Handbook of Characters Volume 5
Titanic Handbook of Characters Volume 6
Supporting Cast Codex
Alien Races