Chapter 10: Forging The Galaxy

Stellar Winds    Stellar Winds Rulesbooks    Dungeon Master's Guide      Chapter 10: Forging The Galaxy

The galaxy is the setting for your campaign, where all things happen. You set your adventures there, create characters to inhabit them and make changes to them throughout your campaign. This chapter is all about creating a galactic setting and then creating a campaign to take place in it.

Table of Contents

Mapping Scales
Creating Settlements
Langauges
Tech Levels
Galatic Life

SECTION 1

MAPPING SCALES

In Stellar Winds, understanding the different scales of mapping is crucial for navigating and exploring the vast universe. We begin with the Galactic Scale, which encompasses the entire galaxy, divided into quadrants, sectors, subsectors, and star systems. This macro perspective allows players to chart courses between distant regions and uncover the grand tapestry of our interstellar setting.
Next, the Planetary Scale focuses on individual planets, offering a more localized view. This includes various scales such as continental, national, and district levels, each providing detailed information about the geography and political boundaries within a planet.
The following sections will delve deeper into each of these scales, providing a comprehensive guide to understanding and utilizing the different mapping levels in Stellar Winds.

GALACTIC SCALES

The following scales are used to map the various regions of outer space that make up the galaxy.

SYSTEM SCALE

On a system scale, 1 hex equals an astronomical unit (see the “Conversion Units” sidebar). At this scale, your map can focus on a single star system. Begin with at least one primary star (a sun) and place any number of planets or celestial bodies around it. Keep in mind the distance between the sun to each planet and the distance of the planets to one another.

• 1 astronomical unit (AU) = 93.7 million miles, which is the distance between Earth and the Sun
• 1 parsec (pc) = 5 Light Years
• 1 kiloparsec (kpc) = 50 Light Years
• Diameter of the Earth = 7,917.5 miles
• Diameter of the Sol System = 240 astronomical units (AU)
• Diameter of the Galaxy = 30,000 parsecs (pc), or 6.3 billion astronomical units (AU)
• Temperature in Outer Space = -455° Fahrenheit (-270° Celsius)

SECTOR SCALE

A scale of 1 hex for each parsec to map galactic sectors. At this scale, you can no longer see planets or other singular celestial bodies. Instead, this map shows the placement of major stars and star systems. In between your major systems you can place markers for anomalies, rifts, objects, and special locations relevant to your campaign that fall into the space between star systems.

GALACTIC REGION SCALE

On a galactic-region scale map, 1 hex is equal to 50 light-years. Only clusters of star systems are shown at this scale. There can be millions of stars in any galactic region. Major boundaries such as sector and territorial borders are shown here such as the Mid-Expanse.
This map Includes travel and trade routes, if necessary to note safer paths of travel between sectors. Between your established boundaries, you can place locations of significance to the campaign or major markers such as Arcanums.

SECTOR SCALE

A scale of 1 hex for each parsec to map galactic sectors. At this scale, you can no longer see planets or other singular celestial bodies. Instead, this map shows the placement of major stars and star systems. In between your major systems you can place markers for anomalies, rifts, objects, and special locations relevant to your campaign that fall into the space between star systems.

GALACTIC REGION SCALE

On a galactic region scale map, 1 hex is equal to 50 light-years. Only clusters of star systems are shown at this scale. There can be millions of stars in any galactic region. Major boundaries such as sector and territorial borders are shown here such as the Mid-Expanse.
This map Includes travel and trade routes, if necessary to note safer paths of travel between sectors. Between your established boundaries, you can place locations of significance to the campaign or major markers such as Arcanums

CREATING STAR SYSTEMS

The galaxy has billions of stars and thousands of known star systems. Each system has its own features, planets, and potential life forms. You can use the following steps to create a star system for your campaign. You can also use the tables to generate a quick system for an adventure scenario.

STEP 1: CHOOSE A SYSTEM TYPE

Choose the number and types of primary stars in the system or determine them randomly.

SYSTEM TYPE TABLE

1D20	NUMBER OF STARS
1-12	Single
13-17	Binary System (2 stars)
18-19	Trinary System (3 stars)
20	Add a star and roll again

PRIMARY STAR TYPE

Next, use the following tables to determine the type of each primary star. A system often has at least one star that can support the formation of planetary bodies and lifeforms. A rolled result of 20 may indicate the system has a rare star type.
Stars also emit radiation levels, which can be harmful to unprotected creatures and ships (see chapter 1 for guidance on radiation exposure).
Each type of star is described as follows.
Blue Giant. Large bright blue glowing star about 10 times the size of the Earth’s sun.
Blue-White Star. Very bright blue star about 5 times the size of the Earth’s sun.
Hypergiant. Massive star that can be 100 times the size of the Earth’s sun or more. These have an extremely short lifespan.
Neutron Star. The collapsed core of a star is approximately 15-20 times the size of the Earth’s sun and is surrounded by an extremely high magnetic field.
Orange Star. This star emanates a bright orange glow and is only slightly smaller in size and mass than the Earth’s sun.
Red Dwarf. This is an extremely small star (about a tenth of the size of Earth’s Sun) with a cooler surface and glows a dull red. Its low level of mass means it often has fewer planets within its orbit.
Red Giant. A luminous red star in its late stages of life. It’s approximately 5 times the size of the Earth’s sun and is much cooler due to its exhausted supply of hydrogen
Supergiant. HugeA star that can be dozens of times the size of the Earth’s sun. They often glow a dull red or orange, have a very short lifespan, and rarely sustain more than a couple of planets within their orbit.
White Dwarf. This is a remnant of a burnt-out star that was once much larger. It can be anywhere from 60-to 100 times smaller than the Earth’s sun. These dead stars have a very faint glow and hold much fewer planetary bodies in their orbit.

PRIMARY STAR TYPES TABLE

D20	STAR TYPE	RADIATION LEVEL
1-4	Red Dwarf	Deadly
5-8	Yellow Star	Minor
9-11	Orange Star	Severe
12-14	White Dwarf	Severe

PRIMARY STAR TYPES TABLE CONTINUED

15-16	Blue-White Star	Minor
17-18	Red Giant	Deadly
19	Blue Giant	Severe
20	Roll on the following table if a system has more than one star, otherwise re-roll.

SPECIAL STAR TYPES TABLE

D20	STAR TYPE	RADIATION LEVEL
1-6	Hypergiant	Deadly
7-15	Supergiant	Deadly
16-19	Neutron Star	Deadly
20	Black Hole	Deadly

STEP 2: GENERATE PLANETS

Choose the number of planetary bodies in your star system or roll a d12 to determine the amount randomly. Use your judgment when determining a number of planets in comparison to the type of star (or stars) there are in the system. If you have a binary system, for example, you may have some planets that follow the orbit of one star versus another.

PLANET TYPES

Use the following table to determine the features of each planet in the system. The table lists each planet’s size and surface composition, as well as its overall environment. Planets listed as habitable can support forms of organic life without the need for special equipment or technology.

PLANET SIZES

The sizes of system planets are defined as follows.

• Small planets are smaller in size than Earth (radius of approximately 4,000 miles).
• Medium planets are one to five times the size of Earth (up to a 20,000-mile radius).
• Large planets are greater than five times the size of Earth (radius greater than 20,000 miles).

PLANET TYPE TABLE

D20	COMPOSITION	ENVIRONMENT
1-3	Small to medium, rocky surface	Hot Climates, thick and toxic atmosphere
3-4	Medium to large habitable, mostly ice	Extreme cold, thin atmosphere, few lifeforms
5-6	Small, solid ice	Extreme cold, no atmosphere
7-8	Small, solid rock or diamond	Extreme heat, no atmosphere
9-10	Gas giant, large habitable	Extreme heat, thick atmosphere
11-12	Gas giant, large	Extreme heat, thick atmosphere
13-14	Garden (medium), habitable, less than 50% water	Temperate climates, life sustaining
15-16	Garden (medium), habitable, more than 50% water	Temperate climates, life sustaining
17-18	Large size 100% water and ice, habitable	Temperate to extreme cold, limited lifeforms
19-20	Gas dwarf, small-sized rocky core	Extreme cold, thick and toxic atmosphere

MOONS

For each planet, roll a d4. As a result of 1-2, it has moons. On a 3-4 it doesn’t have any. If your planet has moons, roll another d4 to determine the number of moons for that planet. Moons often have different environmental traits than the planet they’re orbiting.

STEP 3: DETERMINE SPECIAL FEATURES

Choose the number of special features the system has or roll a d4 to determine the amount randomly. Use the following table to define each feature. You can place them within the system in any location you prefer.
Potential Space Hazards. Some features can also be used as space hazards to challenge the characters. Rules for using space hazards can be found in appendix C of the Threats Database.

STAR SYSTEM FEATURES

D20	FEATURES
1-4	Asteroid belt
5-8	Large Comet
9-12	Planetary debris field (hazard)
13-15	Electromagnetic storm (hazard)
16-17	Space Station
18-19	Space Colony
20	Wormhole (hazard)

PLANETARY FEATURES

Gravity. Define the level of gravity. Planets with thicker atmospheres tend to have higher levels of gravity and vice versa.
Rotation. The length of time it takes for a planet to rotate on its axis determines the number of hours in each of its days. Small planets have smaller rotations, thus fewer hours in a day. Larger planets tend to have larger rotations and longer days. This isn’t always the case, however. Some planet types, like gas giants, may have different rotation speeds which can alter their number of hours per day.
Planets can have days that last from as short as 3-4 hours to as long as 100 hours or more.
Hydrosphere. The aquatic regions of a planet aren’t necessarily made of water. Some planets have rivers and seas made of other chemical compounds such as ammonia, or even liquid metals such as liquid nitrogen or mercury.
Terrain. Define the planet’s primary forms of terrain. Chapter 8 provides guidance on creating planetary adventure environments.
Sentient Life. If the planet is habitable, does it have lifeforms? If so, are they sentient? Creating life forms and settlements are covered later in this chapter.

ADDITIONAL SYSTEM FEATURES

You can use the features defined in step 3 to add more features relevant to your campaign. Perhaps there is more than one space station in the system. There could be an ancient ruin or creature floating within the asteroid belt. A wormhole could be made into a stable rift leading to another part of the galaxy (or universe). A planet’s moon could be something unusual such as a lifeform, a starbase, or a dormant Arcanum.

SECTION 2

CREATING SETTLEMENTS

Where civilization thrives — sprawling cities, settler colonies, and transit hubs interconnecting them over miles of terrain — can help define the nature of sentient life on any planet. A single settlement, a starting point or home base for your characters, is a great place to start a campaign and begin to develop your setting. Consider the following questions as you create any settlement in your world:

• What kind of settlement is it? Is it a city? A small colony? A space station?
• What significance does it have to your campaign?
• What does it look and sound like?
• Who governs it? Who else holds power? Is it part of a larger civilization?
• What are its defenses? How large is its military?
• Where do characters go to find gear and services?
• What type of transportation is available to other settlements or planets?
• What mega corporations, factions, and other organizations feature prominently?
• What elements distinguish it from anywhere else?
• What relation, if any, do the characters have to the settlement?

The guidelines in this section are here to help you build the settlement you want for whatever scenario you have planned. You can use or disregard any of these guidelines as you see fit.

PURPOSE

Settlements are created primarily to facilitate the story and fun of your campaign. Aside from general information, create only the features of a settlement that you know you’ll need for your game. As the characters explore more of the area, the settlement’s features will develop depending on what the characters discover and with whom they interact. Remember to keep notes as new details emerge.
Local Stop. These areas are brief stopping points for characters to rest, refuel, and resupply. They don’t need much more than general information unless you decide to make it the location for an encounter or adventure scenario.
Home Base. A home base gives the characters a place to live, train, and recuperate between adventures. An entire campaign can center on a particular city where the characters live. This type of settlement can serve as a launch point from which the characters venture off into other parts of the galaxy.
Adventure Site. These settlements serve as the main site for an adventure. A colony invaded by intelligent machines, a city gripped by fear from a string of unsolved murders, or a space station held hostage by a ruthless crime lord, are all examples of adventures that use a settlement as its primary location.

SOCIETY

The type of society that resides in the region plays a major role in the settlement’s overall theme and aesthetic.

POPULATION AND CUSTOM

Define the size of a settlement’s population and determine how they live and interact. Consider the following questions when defining a settlement’s populace.

• When did the people of the settlement arrive there?
• How many different galactic species make up the population?
• What common cultural or societal elements are shared by everyone?
• Which languages are commonly spoken, if any?
• How are necessities such as food, water, and energy harvested?
• How accustomed are people to outsiders from outside lands or other worlds?
• Are there any monuments or observances that mark major events or cultural lore?

GOVERNMENT

Settlements are often part of a larger civilization overseen by a governmental body. Consider how your settlement fits into the surrounding region, who’s in charge, who’s in charge of who’s in charge, and what other settlements fall under their control.

TECHNOLOGY

A settlement’s access to advanced technology can guide you toward establishing its overall look and feel, and help you define the sights, sounds, and smells the characters experience while they are there. Technology level would also impact many other aspects such as trade, travel, and communication.
For guidance on determining a settlement’s level of technological advancement, see “Tech Levels” later in this chapter.

FACTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS

Organizations often play a major role in a settlement’s history, culture, and government. Establish organizations or factions that are relevant to your campaign storyline or are likely to engage with the characters. Rules for creating factions and organizations can be found in chapter 7.
For each organization, decide what connection they have with the settlement and how far their reach extends. They may have members all over the planet, across the star system, or throughout the entire galaxy.

TRADE

Smaller settlements rely on trade with other settlements, including cities and other larger populations. Major roads that travel between settlements are also used as trade routes for shipping and supply.
While there can be many small businesses in a developed city or large colony, many of their trade and production companies often fall under the umbrella of a few corporations or organizations. Decide which organizations and corporations oversee the settlement’s largest trade and manufacturing operations.

CURRENCY

For consistency, cubil is the term used for the type of currency used throughout the game rules. You can trade monetary terms for more unique descriptions in your setting, or you can choose a common reference such as “credits” for the sake of simplicity.
Some societies might refer to cubils with a different term more connected with their people or government. Many also use slang terms for cubils such as “cubes” or “creds”. Some settlements don’t use cubil at all, instead having their own currency which might correspond to basic rules terms but may not be compatible with currency from other regions or planets.

TRAVEL

Larger settlements tend to also be major travel hubs, with transport paths or roads leading out to smaller towns, colonies, or stations. Define which forms of transit are used in your settlement and how they interconnect with surrounding regions.

COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA

A settlement’s forms of long-range communication can directly impact its level of commerce and travel. Define what communication forms are used within the settlement and between other settlements. How far does their communication extend? What forms of information, media, or data can be shared? Establishing this aspect also provides a better idea of what forms are used beyond the settlement’s

LANGUAGES

While developing your galaxy, you can create new languages to reflect the history and culture of each of your galactic species. You can replace the default languages presented in the Core Manual with new ones.
You can also split any new or default languages up into several different dialects.
In most circumstances, regional differences have a greater impact on language than species. Their primary language is simply the one used for ease of communication between each other and with other worlds.
In another example, nearly every spacefaring culture speaks Common as it's the established language used to facilitate trade and diplomacy. For systems where there is no interstellar trade or virtual networking, it’s unlikely a society there would speak Common at all. They may not even have an established language that is used between their different regions or cultures.

Historical Languages

Widely used languages might have ancient versions, or there might be completely different ancient tongues that characters find written in tombs and ruins. Such languages can add an element of mystery when encountered and provide interesting bits of lore that become part of your campaign.

Secret Languages

You might invent additional secret languages, such as those spoken between members of secret societies, traders, or organizations. Such languages don’t even need to be spoken. They could be limited to written symbols or physical gestures. It could also be an encrypted form of digital code such as that of the Kansai.

SECTION 3

TECHNOLOGY LEVELS

Tech levels (abbreviated as “TL”) are used to define the state and scope of technology used by a society or civilization. This state of technological development often pervades all aspects of society. This becomes more prominent at higher levels (TL 3 or greater) where communication becomes virtually instantaneous.
While there are an infinite number of civilizations that can exist within your campaign, you can use tech levels as a guide to tailoring the systems, planets, and settlements that the characters encounter during your campaign.

TECH LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS

A brief description is provided below for each tech level. These descriptions are merely guidelines and are not set in stone. You can alter these to fit with your campaign or you could leave them out entirely and create your own.
Each tech level is presented as an Earth-style reflection meant to serve as a gauge of how developed a society is. They do not necessarily define what any form of a society’s technology looks like or how it even functions.
There may be some components of one tech level that you might want to shift into a higher or lower one. Such modifications open the door for creating retro-futuristic societies such as those in steampunk, magipunk, or other parallel universe settings (see chapter 11).

TL 0: PRIMITIVE

Technology in this level of society doesn’t extend beyond the use of fire, the domestication of animals, and the invention of agriculture. Individuals living in a Primitive may be uncivilized, but not necessarily gullible, stupid, or easily frightened by advanced technology.
Common weapons in a TL 0 civilization include the club, the dagger, the spear, and the bow. An armor made from hiding or leather is possible.
Communication beyond the local settlements doesn’t exist. Travel is accomplished by foot or by simple rafts or canoes. Simple pottery, stoneworking, and woodworking are possible.

TL 1: ARCHAIC

Civilizations in this tech level have learned to work metals (or materials of similar durability) for the crafting of tools, weapons, and armor of increased sturdiness and longevity. Weapons akin to the sword and axe replace the club and the dagger as preferred tools of war. Sailing vessels are capable of relatively long voyages, and some societies may build extensive road or canal networks to link distant places.
With a refinement of artisanship and agriculture, much of the population began to develop growing cities and towns. The first corporations emerge in the form of trade guilds. Civilizations are often governed either by a feudal nobility or a form of democracy based around a strong system of business and trade.

TL 2: ENLIGHTENED

Enlightened civilizations have adopted the study of various scientific disciplines such as chemistry, electromagnetics, medicine, biology, and astronomy. Instruments such as microscopes and telescopes enable scientists to greatly extend the range of their observations and discoveries. The new reliance on science generates waves on all levels of society. Democracy evolves as economic organizations grow.
The use of the bow and similar primitive armaments vanish, replaced by weapons such as the flintlock and simple firearms. This in turn signals the end of a reliance upon heavily armored melee infantry. Cannons replace catapults in naval and siege warfare.

TL 3: INDUSTRIAL

The harnessing of hydraulic, steam, and electric power creates an explosion of commerce and industry. Communications such as the telegraph, the telephone, and the radio make true global communication possible. Further research into natural sciences creates breakthroughs in medicine and agriculture. New inventions allow for the beginnings of air and underwater exploration.
Corporations expand in power, many establishing themselves throughout the explored world. Governments are based on political and economic factors are on the rise. Military aircraft and submersibles can be found in this type of civilization. Advanced firearms such as machine guns can be available, as well as mechanized war machines such as tanks and armored vehicles.

TL 4: DIGITAL

Computer technology and electronics have revolutionized society at this level. Satellite systems and global information networks connect the population digitally.
Machine powered travel becomes commonplace as societies turn their attention toward exploring the stars beyond their world. Early forms of robotics, AI, and cybernetics are on the rise.
The emergence of international alliances begins to dissolve borders between nations. Corporations gather power and tend to either clash or mesh with government authority. Both entities resort to the use of mass informational warfare to suit their own ends. Computerized targeting systems and guided weapons become common in military use. Mass extermination weapons akin to nuclear arms and chemical rockets become ever-present.

TL 5: INTERSTELLAR

Renewable and nonexpendable energy sources become available at this level, eliminating the need for chemical or fossil fuel sources. Space exploration and colonization are possible. Digital technology evolves and becomes commonplace, leading to the development of galaxy-wide virtual networks, nanorobotics, and self-aware artificial intelligence. Mega corporations and interstellar governments emerge as new superpowers.
Scientific advances in bioengineering lead to medical applications such as molecular regeneration and cloning. Antigravity and fusion-powered vehicles are a part of everyday society. Advanced chemistry and particle physics pave the way for high-powered weapons and armor.

TL 6 +: TRANSCENDENT

At this level, science and technology allow for personal devices that can directly control and manipulate gravity, matter, and energy at the subatomic level. Travel and communications between multiple galaxies are commonplace. Transdimensional movement is possible, allowing for computer-targeted teleportation, molecular phasing, and temporal manipulation. Infinite virtual networks and evolved artificial intelligence completely blur the lines between metaphysical and conscious realities.
Digital and genetic data become their own form of currency. The merging of physical and digital sciences allows beings to become virtually immortal. Powerful personal force fields, energy absorbers, and particle weapons dominate the battlefield.

STARTING TECH LEVEL

The starting tech level in a standard Stellar Winds game set in the Stellar-Sigma galaxy would be TL5.
An established tech level doesn’t define how a society deals with beings from other planets, galaxies, or realms. Though a higher TL certainly increases the possibility, it can be as likely for some advanced societies to never have encountered any species outside of their own civilization.

SECTION 4

GALACTIC LIFE

The galaxy is filled with an endless variety of lifeforms, each with its own appearance and combination of traits. This section helps you to create a wide range of species to inhabit the worlds and environments you create.

ROLL OF A NEW SPECIES

Designing a new species is more than just determining what they look like and how they sound. You should have a purpose in mind and an idea of how these new creatures fit into your campaign. Consider the following questions when creating a new species.

• What purpose do these creatures serve in your game?
• How are they connected to other species in the galaxy?
• What unique features distinguish them from other galactic lifeforms?
• How do they interact with outsiders? How would they interact with the characters?
• Do they have arcane energy or can they use arcane powers?
• How are they governed? Do they have their own factions and organizations?
• What is their level of impact on the history and lore of your campaign?

CREATING A GALACTIC SPECIES

Galactic species creation is broken down into the following steps. Some steps have a list of options that you can choose from or determine randomly using the provided tables.

STEP 1: BASE PHYSIOLOGY

Use the Base Physiology table to determine the type of physiology your new alien species possesses. If you roll a 12, consult the Special Physiologies table instead. Each result has suggested features that can be found on the Threat Special Features table and the NPC Features table in chapter 5. These suggestions are merely guidelines to be adjusted as you see fit for your campaign.
Each result is defined as follows.
Anthropoid. These creatures are humanoid or have primary physical traits that resemble humans.
Amphibian. These are cold-blooded waterborne creatures that often breathe both air and water.
Aquatic. These creatures live, breathe, and travel primarily through water or in a water-based environment.
Avian. Mostly winged, but not all, these creatures primarily travel by flight and live in high-altitude places.
Cephalopod. Members of this type are often waterborne with well-developed heads and tentacles such as mollusks, squids, or octopi.
Energy. An energy creature’s traits are dependent upon the energy’s source. Some can be made from pure cosmic energy, negative energy, elemental energy, or even a combination of those. Some energy beings require a technological power source, such as a sentient hologram.
Extradimensional. These creatures either do not possess a physical form or are physically in a realm of space-time that is separated from our own tangible reality.
Gaseous. Possessing no solid bodies, gaseous creatures often take on similar traits to the atmosphere of their environment.
Insectoid. This denotes creatures that bare common traits with insects or arachnids, such as a chitinous shell, thorax, and three or four pairs of legs. Invertebrate. These creatures do not possess a spine or backbone. They can be found in any environment and can possess a soft hide or hardened sectional carapace.
Liquid. These creatures only exist in a liquid state, often thriving within the water bodies of their natural habitat.
Machine/Hybrid. Examples of these creatures could be any construct, cyborg, or machine life that was either made self-aware or became so themselves.
Mammal. Often noted by their hair or fur, these warm-blooded creatures have mammary glands used to feed and raise their young. Examples include cetaceans, marsupials, primates, and rodents.
Mystical. These creature types have no scientific classification and are often incomprehensible as to how or why they exist.
Plant. Plant-based creatures can take on many different aspects, though their physical traits often coincide with the flora of the planet upon which they reside.
Reptoids. These cold-blooded creatures bear similarities to other egg-laying lizards and reptiles.
Silicon-based. These are akin to living rock creatures which feed and thrive off other rock or silicon material.

BASE PHYSIOLOGY TABLE

1D10	PHYSIOLOGY	SUGGESTED FEATURES
1	Anthropoid	See “NPC Features” table
2	Amphibian	Amphibious; swim speed
3	Aquatic	darkvision; swim speed
4	Avian	Flyby; flying speed
5	Cephalopod	Amphibious; Slippery
6	Insectoid	Hive Mind; natural armor
7	Invertebrate	Constrict; natural armor
8	Mammal	Keen Senses; natural weapons
9	Plant	False Appearance
10	Reptoid	Keen Senses; cold resistance
11	Silicon based (Rock)	Natural Camouflage; tremorsense; burrowing speed
12	Special	(roll on the Special Physiology table)

SPECIAL PHYSIOLOGIES TABLE

1D10	PHYSIOLOGY	SUGGESTED FEATURES
1	Anthropoid	See “NPC Features” table
2	Amphibian	Amphibious; swim speed
3	Aquatic	darkvision; swim speed
4	Avian	Flyby; flying speed
5	Cephalopod	Amphibious; Slippery
6	Insectoid	Hive Mind; natural armor
7	Invertebrate	Constrict; natural armor
8	Mammal	Keen Senses; natural weapons
9	Plant	False Appearance
10	Reptoid	Keen Senses; cold resistance
11	Silicon based (Rock)	Natural Camouflage; tremorsense; burrowing speed
12	Energy	Energy Being
13	Extradimensional	Amphibious; swim speed
14	Gaseous	Amorphous; Incorporeal Movement; flying speed
15	Liquid	Amorphous; Natural Camouflage; swim speed
16	Machine/Hybrid	Cybernetic (or Mechanical) Body; poison resistance
17	Mystical/Enigmatic	Frightful Presence; Shapeshifter
18	Special	(roll on the Special Physiology table)

STEP 2: SIZE

Determine the size of the creature. In addition to fleshing out its description, the creature’s size determines how much space it occupies, as discussed in the Core Manual.
Microorganisms. You can also choose for a creature’s size to be even smaller than Tiny. Microscopic organisms don’t occupy any space, have no combat statistics, and are invisible without special powers or technology to see them.

CREATURE SIZE TABLE

1D6	CREATURE SIZE
1	Tiny
2	Small
3	Medium
4	Large
5	Huge
6	Gargantuan

STEP 3: LIFESPAN

Use the following table to determine how long the average lifespan of the species is. Some results may require a separate die roll. Some species may live so long they may not have a known lifespan.

LIFE SPAN TABLE

1D10	AVERAGE LIFESPAN
1	Less than 24 hours
2	24 hours to 1 week
3	Between 1 and 5 weeks
4	6 weeks to one year
5	1d10 years
6	1d100 years
7	1d10 centuries
8	1d100 centuries
9	1d10 millennia
10	Unknown/Infinite

STEP 4: INTELLIGENCE

Determine the intelligence level of your species. Each result includes an approximate Intelligence score in Parenthesis.
This is an overall average based upon societal growth and capacity for communication. Individual members of the species can possess any level of intelligence outside of this range.

SPECIES INTELLIGENCE TABLE

1D6	SPECIES INTELLIGENCE
1	Unintelligent (0-1)
2	Low (2-5)
3	Below Average (6-9)
4	Average (10-13)
5	Above Average (14-17)
6	Genius level or above (18+)

STEP 5: COMMUNICATION FORM

Choose one or more methods in which the species communicate. Each species should have at least one form of communication. Most have at least two. Some creatures possess a form of communication that only works with other members of their own species.
Communication forms are defined as follows. Speech. This is the most common communicative form. Spoken languages can incorporate any combination of vocal or digitally created sounds. Body Language. This can be anything from subtle movements and gestures to forming symbols using the position of the body or appendages. Pheromones. This form focuses on scents and other olfactory triggers. Communication in this manner is often limited or empathic. For members of other species, it can also be difficult to translate. Particles. Some creatures communicate via interaction with spores, vapor, fluids, or similar forms of matter. Light Spectrum. This includes any display of color or shades either by projected light sources or through chromatic physiology such as color-changing skin. Electromagnetism. Some creatures generate an electromagnetic field through which they speak. This may cause unintended side effects with certain forms of technology. Touch. This includes any form of gesture through physical contact. As with pheromones, this form is often limited and difficult to interpret. Telepathy. Telepathic creatures are described in the introduction section of the Threats Database.

COMMUNICATION FORMS TABLE

1D8	COMMUNICATION FORMS
1	Speech
2	Body language
3	Pheromones
4	Particles
5	Light spectrum
6	Electromagnetism
7	Touch
8	Telepathy

STEP 6: LANGUAGES

After establishing communication forms, choose what languages the species knows (unless they use telepathy). Use the average Intelligence ratings in step 4 to gauge how many languages they may have available. Keep in mind that some creatures may be able to understand a spoken language even if they can’t speak.

STEP 7: SPECIAL SENSE

How a creature sees and interacts with its surroundings can also help you decide upon its general appearance. After determining a number of special senses for your species, choose each one between blindsight, darkvision, infravision, tremorsense, and truesight.

NUMBER OF SENSE TABLE

D4	NUMBER OF SENSES
1	0
2	1
3	2
4	3

STEP 8: PHYSICAL ASPECTS

Establish the signature traits that define the physical appearance of the species. The choices derived from the previous steps should help you fill in the details, but keep in mind that your established appearance should focus on general information. Most species have a variety of minor variations within their overall appearance.
Some general questions to ask are...

• What’s their average height and weight?
• What shape is their body/torso (Long, round, conical, etc.)?
• How many limbs/appendages do they have if any?
• Do they have a head (or multiple heads)?
• What parts of their body are used for communication?
• Do they have other defining details such as hair, scales, gills, etc.?
• How do they eat or sleep, if applicable?

STEP 9: TECH LEVEL

Determine the level of their society’s technological advancement. Tech levels and guidance for applying them to your game are discussed earlier in this chapter.

TECH LEVEL TABLE

D8	TECH LEVEL
1	None
2	Primitive
3	Archaic
4	Enlightened
5	Industrial
6	Digital
7	Interstellar
8	Transcendent

STEP 10: SOCIAL ASPECTS

Determine the social disposition of your species and how they interact with others. Are they aggressive? Or perhaps they are extremely inquisitive? They could prefer to remain solitary, only resorting to conflict when their habitat is threatened.
Many of these aspects define themselves when creating settlements where members of the species reside (see “Settlements” earlier in the chapter). This also helps determine how to manage social interactions between player characters and the new species.

APPLYING STAT AND STAT BLOCKS

Depending on how the new species is utilized in your campaign, you might wish to create stats for prominent NPCs or threats. The easiest method is to use the species’ primary features and apply them to existing NPC stat blocks found in appendix A of the Threats Database.
If you require more in-depth features and stats, chapter 5 of this book provides rules and guidelines for creating creatures and stat blocks.