Environment
Every species evolves to survive a particular environment. The conditions of its homeworld shape its physiology, instincts, culture, and behavior. Begin by selecting the primary environment in which your species evolved. You may choose an environment that fits your concept or roll 2D on the Environment Table. The chosen environment does not automatically grant any Talents or Drawbacks, but it provides strong suggestions for traits the species may possess.
| 2D Roll | Environment |
|---|---|
| 2 | Barren |
| 3 | Desert |
| 4 | Forest |
| 5 | Glacier |
| 6 | Jungle |
| 7 | Mountain |
| 8 | Ocean |
| 9 | Plains |
| 10 | Wetlands |
| 11 | Mixed |
| 12 | Exotic |
Barren: Barren worlds are harsh, lifeless places where survival is difficult. They may be rocky wastelands, toxic badlands, irradiated deserts, or worlds with little atmosphere. Water and vegetation are scarce, and life is often adapted to extreme conditions. Species from barren environments are typically resilient and resourceful but may struggle in more hospitable climates.
Common Traits: Specific Terrain Survival, Environmental Tolerance, Environmental Vulnerability, Reduced Dependency, Resistance.
Desert: Deserts are dry ecosystems characterized by sparse vegetation, limited water, and extreme temperature fluctuations. Days are often scorching while nights become bitterly cold. Frozen deserts and tundra environments are included in this category. Species from deserts are often efficient conservers of energy and moisture, capable of enduring long periods of hardship.
Common Traits: Specific Terrain Survival, Environmental Tolerance, Environmental Vulnerability, Reduced Dependency, Acute Senses
Forest: Forests are dominated by dense plant life and towering vegetation. They support rich ecosystems filled with herbivores, predators, and countless smaller lifeforms. Species from forests often develop keen senses, agility, and adaptations for navigating dense terrain.
Common Traits: Specific Terrain Survival, Acute Senses, Climbing, Camouflage, Environmental Vulnerability
Glacier: Glacial environments are dominated by ice, snow, and extreme cold. Whether permanent frozen worlds or planets experiencing an ice age, life here must endure low temperatures and limited resources. Species from glaciers are typically hardy and resistant to cold but may suffer in warmer climates.
Common Traits: Specific Terrain Survival, Environmental Tolerance (Cold), Environmental Vulnerability (Heat), Insulation, Resistance.
Jungle: Jungles are warm, wet ecosystems with dense vegetation and extraordinary biodiversity. Life thrives at multiple levels, from the forest floor to the upper canopy. Species from jungles are often agile, adaptable, and well suited to navigating complex environments.
Common Traits: Specific Terrain Survival, Climbing, Acute Senses, Camouflage, Environmental Vulnerability
Mountain: Mountain environments are defined by rugged terrain, steep elevations, and thin atmospheres. Geological activity is often common, creating dramatic landscapes. Species from mountains are generally sure-footed, physically hardy, and accustomed to operating in difficult terrain.
Common Traits: Specific Terrain Survival, Environmental Tolerance, Sure-Footed, Climbing, Environmental Vulnerability.
Ocean: Ocean environments range from shallow coastal waters to abyssal depths where sunlight never reaches. Life may be fully aquatic, amphibious, or adapted to coastal regions. Species from ocean worlds frequently possess adaptations related to swimming, pressure resistance, or amphibious lifestyles.
Common Traits: Aquatic, Amphibious, Specific Terrain Survival, Environmental Tolerance, Environmental Vulnerability
Plains: Plains and grasslands are open environments with relatively little cover. Life here often depends on speed, endurance, and awareness. Species from plains are frequently nomadic, migratory, or adapted to traveling long distances in search of resources.
Common Traits: Specific Terrain Survival, Increased Movement, Acute Senses, Stamina, Environmental Vulnerability
Wetlands: Wetlands include swamps, marshes, bogs, and other waterlogged environments. These ecosystems are rich in life but often difficult to navigate. Species from wetlands commonly possess adaptations for swimming, climbing, or surviving in humid and unstable terrain.
Common Traits: Specific Terrain Survival, Amphibious, Environmental Tolerance, Camouflage, Environmental Vulnerability
Mixed: The species evolved in two dominant environments. Roll twice on this table or choose two environments that fit your concept. Combine elements from both, ignoring any results that do not make sense.Examples include:
- Glacier + Plains = Tundra
- Mountain + Forest = Alpine Forest
- Wetlands + Jungle = Mangrove Swamp
- Ocean + Mountain = Island Archipelago
Common Traits: Varies
Exotic: The species evolved in an unusual environment not represented by the standard categories. Examples include:
- Volcanic worlds
- Underground cave systems
- Floating continents
- Gas giant atmospheres
- Crystal ecosystems
- Artificial habitats
- Low-gravity asteroid colonies
- Foldspace anomalies
Exotic environments often produce the strangest lifeforms and may justify unusual Talents, Drawbacks, or Special Talents.
Common Traits: Varies
Biological Origin
With your environment selected, determine the biological origin of your species. This represents the type of organism from which the species evolved and helps define its physiology, instincts, and natural adaptations. Choose one origin that best fits your concept. The origins below are broad categories intended to cover a wide variety of lifeforms. Feel free to customize or refine them to suit your setting. The listed traits are suggestions rather than requirements. Not every member of a lineage develops the same adaptations.
| 2D Roll | Origin |
|---|---|
| 2 | Plant |
| 3 | Soft Invertebrate |
| 4 | Insect |
| 5 | Reptile |
| 6-7 | Mammal |
| 8 | Hard Invertebrate |
| 9 | Aquatic |
| 10 | Avian |
| 11 | Synthetic |
| 12 | Energy Based |
Plant: Plant species derive energy from sunlight, nutrients, and moisture. Most are rooted and immobile, though some have evolved mobility or other unusual means of locomotion. Plant civilizations often perceive the universe differently than animal species, possessing unique concepts of time, survival, and social interaction. Plant species are frequently patient, communal, and highly adapted to their environment.
Common Traits: Natural Weapons (Spores, Thorns, Vines), Nutritional Requirements (Sunlight), Alien Outlook, Environmental Dependency, Regeneration
Soft Invertebrate: Soft invertebrates evolved from boneless organisms such as worms, slugs, snails, cephalopods, or similar creatures. Their bodies may be highly flexible, capable of squeezing through tight spaces, changing shape, or manipulating multiple objects simultaneously. Soft invertebrates often possess unusual anatomies that differ greatly from humanoid norms.
Common Traits: Extra Body Parts, Tentacles, Elasticity, Flexible Physiology, Delicate Build, Alien Outlook
Insectoid: Insectoids evolved from arthropod-like creatures, including insects and arachnids. Most possess segmented bodies, exoskeletons, multiple limbs, and highly specialized sensory organs. Their societies often emphasize efficiency, cooperation, caste structures, or instinctive behavior patterns.
Common Traits: Extra Body Parts, Natural Weapons (Mandibles, Claws, Stingers), Natural Armor (Carapace), Climbing Claws, Wings, Delicate Build, Alien Outlook
Reptilian: Reptilian species descend from scaled vertebrates such as lizards, serpents, turtles, or crocodilian creatures. They are typically resilient, adaptable, and physically robust. Many reptilian species evolved in warm climates and may be less comfortable in colder environments.
Common Traits: Natural Armor (Scales), Natural Weapons (Claws, Fangs), Environmental Incompatibility (Cold), Keen Senses, Environmental Tolerance (Heat)
Mammalian: Mammalian species descend from warm-blooded vertebrates that nourish their young and generally possess fur, hair, or similar biological features. Mammals are among the most adaptable and behaviorally diverse forms of life. Because of this versatility, mammalian species may possess almost any combination of traits.
Common Traits: Varies
Hard Invertebrate: Hard invertebrates possess rigid external shells or exoskeletons instead of internal skeletons. This category includes crustacean-like creatures and other heavily armored arthropods. These species are often physically durable but may be less flexible than other forms of life.
Common Traits: Natural Armor, Extra Body Parts, Natural Weapons (Claws, Pincers), Environmental Incompatibility, Atmospheric Incompatibility
Aquatic: Aquatic species evolved from creatures that spent most or all of their lives in water. They may resemble fish, amphibians, marine mammals, cephalopods, or entirely unique lifeforms. Some aquatic species remain dependent upon water, while others have adapted to life on land.
Common Traits: Amphibious, Aquatic Adaptation, Atmospheric Tolerance, Environmental Incompatibility, Pressure Resistance
Avian: Avian species evolved from feathered, winged creatures adapted for life in the skies. While some retain the ability to fly, others have become ground-dwelling species while retaining avian characteristics. Avian species are often highly mobile and possess exceptional spatial awareness.
Common Traits: Wings, Gliding or Flight, Keen Vision, Delicate Build, Alien Outlook
Synthetic: Synthetic species are artificial beings created through technology rather than natural evolution. They may be robots, androids, biomechanical organisms, uplifted artificial intelligences, or self-replicating machines. Synthetic life often struggles with concepts such as emotion, instinct, or individuality, depending on its origins.
Common Traits: Environmental Tolerance, Atmospheric Immunity, Dependency (Power Source), Alien Outlook, Natural Armor
Energy-Based: nergy beings are composed primarily of electromagnetic, plasma, psionic, or other exotic forms of energy. They often exist outside normal biological constraints. Such entities are extremely rare and usually require significant customization.
Common Traits: Environmental Tolerance, Exotic Physiology, Alien Outlook, Dependency, Special Abilities.
Ecological Niche
Every species occupies a role within its native ecosystem. Predators hunt. Grazers consume vegetation. Scavengers survive on what others leave behind. The niche a species evolved to fill often shapes its instincts, senses, social structures, and methods of survival. Choose one Ecological Niche or roll 1D on the table below. Plant species may skip this step unless they actively prey upon other lifeforms. The listed traits are suggestions rather than requirements.
| 1D | Ecological Role |
|---|---|
| 1 | Herbivore |
| 2 | Omnivore |
| 3 | Carnivore |
| 4 | Scavenger |
| 5 | Symbiote |
| 6 | Apex |
Herbivore: Herbivores survive by feeding on plant life and avoiding predators. Their survival often depends upon awareness, speed, camouflage, endurance, or passive defenses. While some herbivores are cautious and group-oriented, others can be surprisingly aggressive when defending territory, resources, or offspring. Species descended from herbivores often possess heightened awareness of their surroundings and strong defensive adaptations.
Common Traits: Natural Armor, Camouflage, Enhanced Senses, Danger Sense, Night Vision, Increased Movement, Metabolic Difference
Omnivore: Omnivores consume both plants and animals, allowing them to exploit a wide variety of food sources. This flexibility often encourages adaptability, curiosity, and innovation. Because omnivores can thrive in many different circumstances, they display tremendous diversity in behavior and physiology. Species descended from omnivores are among the most adaptable lifeforms in the galaxy.
Common Traits: Any
Carnivore: Carnivores survive by hunting and consuming other animals. Predatory species often develop specialized senses, weapons, stealth, speed, or cooperative hunting strategies. A carnivorous ancestry does not necessarily produce aggressive societies, but it often leaves a legacy of keen instincts and efficient problem-solving abilities. Species descended from carnivores frequently possess traits associated with tracking, pursuit, and combat.
Common Traits: Natural Weapons, Enhanced Senses, Night Vision, Danger Sense, Increased Movement, Metabolic Difference
Scavenger: Scavengers survive by exploiting resources left behind by other creatures. Rather than overpowering prey, they rely upon patience, awareness, adaptability, and resilience. Scavengers often develop strong senses for locating food and exceptional tolerance for hostile environments or questionable meals. Species descended from scavengers are frequently resourceful and capable of thriving where others cannot.
Common Traits: Enhanced Senses, Environmental Tolerance, Metabolic Difference, Disease Resistance, Reduced Dependency
Symbiote: Symbiotic organisms evolved through close cooperation with another species or lifeform. Their survival depends upon mutual benefit rather than competition. Some may have once lived within larger organisms, while others formed partnerships so integral that their evolution became inseparable. Species descended from symbiotic ancestors often place great value on cooperation, community, and interconnected relationships.
Common Traits: Empathy, Telepathic Potential, Dependency, Enhanced Social Abilities, Environmental Tolerance
Apex: Apex species evolved with few natural predators. Rather than relying on speed or camouflage, they became dominant through strength, intelligence, adaptability, or overwhelming physical advantages. These species frequently possess powerful natural abilities and a strong sense of territoriality or confidence. Species descended from apex organisms often view themselves as natural leaders or competitors.
Common Traits: Natural Weapons, Natural Armor, Enhanced Senses, Presence Bonus, Environmental Tolerance
Technological Development
As intelligent species develop, they create tools, societies, and eventually civilizations. One of the easiest ways to measure a species’ progress is by examining the most advanced technology it possesses. A species’ technological development influences its culture, government, transportation, communication, warfare, and ability to interact with other civilizations.
Most newly discovered species tend to possess lower technology levels. As civilizations become more advanced, they are increasingly likely to have already encountered neighboring species or joined larger interstellar communities.
Remember that technological development is rarely linear. Different societies may achieve breakthroughs in unexpected orders. One civilization may develop advanced computing before mass communication, while another may master genetic engineering long before achieving spaceflight.
The Technology Level represents the most advanced capabilities commonly available to the civilization.
Choose a Technology Level or roll 2D on the table below.
| 2D | Technological Development |
|---|---|
| 2-3 | Primitive |
| 4-5 | Feudal |
| 6-7 | Industrial |
| 8-10 | Atomic |
| 11 | Information |
| 12 | Spacefaring |
Primitive: The species relies on stone, bone, wood, and other natural materials. Communities are typically tribal or nomadic, and scientific understanding is limited. Examples: Stone Age cultures, hunter-gatherers, early agricultural societies.
Feudal: Agriculture supports large populations, cities emerge, and organized governments become common. Metalworking, sailing vessels, and early mechanical devices may exist. Examples: Medieval kingdoms, city-states, early empires.
Industrial: Mechanization transforms society. Steam power, combustion engines, factories, mass production, and widespread transportation become possible. Examples: Industrial Revolution through early modern societies.
Atomic: The civilization harnesses advanced energy sources and develops global communications, aviation, computers, and nuclear technologies. Examples: Modern Earth to near-future Earth.
Information: Information networks dominate society. Artificial intelligence, advanced automation, genetic engineering, cybernetics, and highly sophisticated computing become commonplace. Examples: Mature interplanetary civilizations.
Spacefaring: The species has mastered practical space travel and routinely operates beyond its homeworld. Colonies, orbital habitats, and interplanetary commerce are common. Depending on the setting, faster-than-light travel may also be available. Examples: Galactic civilizations, stellar empires, interstellar federations.