3.1.1 Race Design Checklist

Home World Ecosystem

Gravity

___ Zero gravity, 0-0.25g (1 AP, extra agility)

___ Low gravity, 0.26-0.5g (0 AP)

___Normal gravity, 0.51-1.3g (0 AP)

___ High gravity, 1.31-2.5g (1 AP, extra strength)

___ Jovian gravity, 2,51+g (2 AP, extra strength and durability)

Atmosphere

___ No atmosphere (1 AP, ignore hull breach crits)

___ Thin atmosphere (0 AP)

___ Normal atmosphere (0 AP)

___ Thick atmosphere (0 AP)

___ Jovian atmosphere (1 AP, can colonize some uninhabitable worlds)

Note: Water-breathing races fall under the heading of thick atmosphere. Creatures from the very bottoms of large oceans would qualify for the Jovian atmosphere advantage.

Climate

___ Plutonian climate, -200+ deg. (0 AP – race is built as extremophile cold-world natives, below))

___ Cold climate, -101-200 deg. (1 AP – treat as one level of radiation resistance, under the normal four level cap, but only applicable to cold Class Z terrestrial worlds)

___ Normal climate, -100-130 deg. (0 AP)

___ Hot climate, 131-200 deg. (1 AP – treat as one level of radiation resistance, under the normal four level cap, but only applicable to hot [not molten rock] Class Z terrestrial worlds)

___ Venusian climate, 201+ deg. (0 AP – race is built as extremophile hot-world natives, below)

Body Type/Morphology

___ Arthropod (spider-like)

___ Avian (bird-like)

___ Canine (dog-like)

___ Crustacean (crab-like)

___ Feline (cat-like)

___ Humanoid (human-like)

___ Insectoid (insect-like)

___ Marsupial (kangaroo-or platypus-like)

___ Mustelinae (otter-or weasel-like)

___ Piscine (fish-like)

___ Pithecine (ape-like)

___ Ratite (ostrich-like)

___ Saurian (warm-blooded lizards)

___ Ungulate (hoofed cattle, deer, camels)

___ Ursoid (bear-like)

___ Other (including non-terrestrial forms)

Racial Traits 

___ Adaptable (10 AP, functions as 3 levels of radiation resistance but only on habitable worlds)

___ Carnivore (0 AP)

___ Chameleon (1 AP)

___ Combat reflexes (10 AP, +10% targeting) - Note: Incompatible with standard Battle Computer Technology

___ Defensive tactical aptitude (5 AP per level; 5 point DEFENSE bonus)

___ Ergovore (0 AP)

___ Extra Agility (2 AP, Allows DEFENSE 5/10 tag for gunboats/fighters, limited to two levels)

___ Extra Durability (1 AP, Allows +1 Hl for infantry-type ground forces only)

___ Extra Intelligence (5 AP, Allows +20% to RPs spent on R&D)

___ Extra Strength (1 AP, Allows +1 Bm or Tp rating for infantry-type ground forces only)

___ Flight, advanced (2 AP, psionic or gravitic ability

___ Flight, natural (1 AP, wings, gas bags, swimmers)

___ Fruitivore (0 AP)

___ Fungivore (0 AP)

___ Herbivore (0 AP)

___ Hivemind (15 AP) (no SR figured; not normally subject to any form of civil unrest; functions at a 100% tax rate continually without economic penalty; cannot engage in deficit spending; +30% against hostile espionage attempts; 100% break off level for all ground units; ground units cannot surrender; colonies cannot be conquered but only exterminated or driven into the hills; must set a tax rate for conquered planets but suffer an additional –100 SR penalty on those colonies; cannot normally make use of flag officers or graded crews)

___ Assimilation (5 AP, available only for races with Hivemind) (allows conquered populations to be treated as normal populations of that species)

___ Metavore (10 AP, available only for races with Assimilation) (allows for Assimilation in a matter of hours or so, with benefits at GM discretion)

___ Likable (10 AP; one shift toward Peaceful for Neutral through Xenophobic NPR reactions)

___ Metamorph (2 AP, can shift into many forms at will) - Note: Metamorphs also require the Chameleon advantage.

___ Mutation (10 AP, the race can evolve new forms)

___ Natural armor (1 AP; Game effect is to allow +1 Sh rating to ground forces only)

___ Natural bureaucrats (5 AP per level; +1 to graded administrator skill rolls; limited to two levels)

___ Natural colonists (5 AP per level, 10% off colonization costs, included in Expense Management Tech limit)

___ Natural factory workers (5 AP per level; 25% bonus to factory build rates or output)

___ Natural fighter pilots (5 AP per level, maximum four levels, 5 point target and DEFENSE bonuses for fighters)

___ Natural gunboat crews (5 AP per level, maximum four levels, 5 point target and DEFENSE bonuses for gunboats)

___ Natural mecha pilots (5 AP per level, maximum four levels, 5 point target and DEFENSE bonuses for mecha)

___ Natural officers (5 AP per level; +1 to graded officer skill rolls; limited to two levels)

___ Natural researchers (5 AP per level, 10% off R&D costs, included in Expense Management Tech limit)

___ Natural reverse engineers (5 AP per level; provides R&D bonus for reverse engineering)

___ Natural scavengers (5 AP; can recover RP’s from battle sites)

___ Natural scientists (5 AP per level; +1 to graded scientist skill rolls; limited to two levels)

___ Natural shipwrights (5 AP per level; +3 to shipyard build rate)

___ Natural soldiers (5 AP per level, maximum two levels, 10 point target and DEFENSE bonuses for ground troops)

___ Natural spooks (5 AP per level; +1 to graded spymaster skill rolls; limited to two levels)

___ Natural starship crews (5 AP per level, maximum four levels, 5 point target and DEFENSE bonuses for starships)

___ Natural tinkerers (5 AP per level, 30% funding bonus to Development R&D)

___ Natural theorists (5 AP per level, 30% funding bonus to Discovery and most Research R&D)

___ Natural weapons (1 AP; Game effect is to allow +1 to Bm or Tp rating to ground forces only)

___ Omnivore (0 AP)

___ Psionic ability (10 AP, specify a major discipline, if any)

___ Radiation resistant (5 AP, can colonize worlds as if they were +1 Class “better” (i.e. Class X as Class V, etc.); the maximum effect of this ability is to convert a planet's class by +4 Classes (for 20 AP); minimum colonization multiple is 1.0x)

___ Shapeshifting (1 AP, single form)

___ Sneaky (5 AP) (+20% to espionage spending)

___ Tactical aptitude (5 AP per level; 5 point target bonus, 5% boarding combat AR and DR bonus)

___ Wartime researchers (5 AP) (+40% to R&D spending, but only during wartime)

Biology/Physiology

___ Copper-based metabolism (-10 AP, natural habitats are rare - Effect on game play would be to lower the frequency of inhabitable worlds by 50% (i.e., there would be a 50-50 chance for any inhabitable world that it is suitable for races with copper-based metabolisms))

___ Standard carbon-based biology, Standard earthlike DNA (0 AP)

___ Levo-twisted amino acid biology, Nonstandard, oppositely-twisted DNA (0 AP)

___ Mechanized metabolism (10 AP, any terrestrial, non-acid atmosphere world is a potential colony - Mechanized races treat all terrestrial planets as Class T worlds for colonization purposes; Mechanized races may not possess psionics or psionic abilities)

___ Methane-based metabolism (0 AP - Allows a race to colonize Gas Giants as Class S worlds; terrestrial planets may not be colonized)

___ Silicon-based metabolism (10 AP, rocks are common - Silicon-based life forms are capable of using any type of terrestrial planet as if it were a Class V world; All terrestrial worlds, no matter their actual class are treated as Class V worlds in this regard)

Example: The Hee'Dra, a race that lives in the upper atmosphere of methane gas giants, are not Jovians. Their eco-system has a cold, thick atmosphere with normal gravity rather than Jovian gravity. The Hee'Dra would, however, possess methane-based biologies. On the Excel spreadsheet Technology page, the Hee'dra would have a listing as follows,

Home World Ecosystem

Gravity             - Normal

Atmosphere      - Thick

Climate              - Cold

Racial Description

Octopoid morphology

Methane-based metabolism/physiology (0 AP, allows colonization of gas giants as Class S worlds; terrestrial planets may not initially be colonized)

Omnivorous

Variant native environments:

Each of these may be taken as a variant of copper-based, standard carbon-based, or levo amino acid based biology. In the case of copper-based forms of these, 50% of inhabitable worlds of any class are ordinarily inhabitable environments for this life form. All others of any class are treated as if they were uninhabitable Class Z terrestrials,

___ Aquatic species (0 AP, but requires 1 AP purchase of Jovian atmosphere native pressure – All habitable terrestrial worlds – Class M through X – are treated as Class P. Other terrestrial worlds are not colonizable at all by aquatic species, absent special technology.)

___ Cold world natives (0 AP - These beings treat uninhabitably cold terrestrial worlds as Class S for colonization. All other terrestrial worlds are considered uninhabitable and are treated as Class Z for colonization.)

___ Hot world natives (0 AP - These beings treat uninhabitably hot terrestrial worlds as Class S for colonization. All other terrestrial worlds, including molten rock worlds, are considered uninhabitable and are treated as Class Z for colonization.)

___ Molten rock world natives (0 AP - These beings treat molten rock worlds as habitable and their native environment, and colonize them at the Class T rate. Other hot Class Z worlds are habitable worlds but colonized at the Class X rate; they’re pretty marginal by their standards. Any other terrestrial world is treated as uninhabitable and Class Z for colonization.)

___ Psionic ability (10 AP for the first ability, which may be Level I, Level II, or ESP; 5 AP for subsequent Level I or ESP abilities, 10 AP for subsequent Level II abilities)

Level I - Listening

___ Harmonizing (halved SR penalties)

___ Translating (communication bonuses)

___ Linking (psionic datalink)

___ Calling (interstellar psionic communication)

___ Intercepting (taps into Calling)

Level II – Interfering

___ Shrieking (psionic ECM effect)

___ Cloaking (hides units prior to attack)

___ Masking (psionic disguise talent)

___ Casting (generates illusory duplicates)

___ Burning (increased ground combat ratings due to psionic torture of enemy)

___ Hushing (counters Shrieking)

___ Illuminating (counters Cloaking and Masking)

___ Reading (mind-reading)

___ Scattering (counters Casting)

___ Quenching (counters Burning)

Level III – Controlling (Normally only available to monsters and NPR “bad guys”)

___ Eating (consumes victims’ neurotransmitters)

___ Chilling (lowers enemy break off levels)

___ Twisting (psionic personality re-engineering)

___ Flaying (psionic enslavement in ground combat)

___ Breeding (contagious Flaying)

Extrasensory Perception

___ Dancing (DEFENSE bonus through spatial awareness)

___ Finding (psionic security/counter-intelligence operatives)

___ Seeking (psionic attraction to unusual phenomena)

___ Echoing (psychometry)

___ Dreaming (precognition, though not reliable)

On the Technology page within the Hee’Dra workbook, there would be a listing as follows,

Racial Traits

Psionics: Dreaming (10 AP, allows occasional glimpses of future events)

Racial Attitudes

___ Total Pacifism (-10 AP) (may never arm any units, conquer anyone, or engage in hostile activities; must always attempt diplomatic solutions to conflict, retreat at hostile action, and set any break offs at 25% or lower)

___ Pacifism (-5 AP) (may not arm more than 50% of their units, conquer anyone, or initiate hostile activities; must always attempt diplomatic solutions to conflict, retreat or surrender at hostile action, and set any break offs at 50% or lower)

___ Peaceful (-2 AP) (may not arm more than 75% of their units, conquer anyone, or initiate hostile activities; must always attempt diplomatic solutions to conflict, retreat or surrender at hostile action, and set any break offs at 75% or lower)

___ Cautious (0 AP) (no particular attitude-based restrictions)

___ Neutral (0 AP) (no particular attitude-based restrictions)

___ Belligerent (0 AP) (no particular attitude-based restrictions)

___ Hostile (-2 AP) (must arm 25% or more of their units, and set break offs at 25% or more always; will usually fire first and rarely attempt peaceful diplomacy)

___ Very Hostile (-5 AP) (must arm 50% or more of their units, set break offs at 50% or more always, and attempt firing first in first contact situations and conquest or genocide before peaceful methods in diplomatic situations)

___ Xenophobic (-10 AP) (must arm 75% or more of their units, set break offs at 75% or more always, and attempt to conquer or destroy all other species without any peaceful option under any circumstances; may not back down from any confrontation)

___ Totally Xenophobic (-20 AP) (must arm every single unit, set break offs at 100% always, and attempt to conquer or destroy all other species without any peaceful option under any circumstances; may not back down from any confrontation)

___ Merely political attitudes (any attitude above may be taken so as only to have the political and diplomatic restrictions without those on break off levels or unit design for one half the AP bonus)

On the Technology page of the Hee'dra workbook would be a listing as follows,

Racial Attitude - Hostile (-2 AP, must arm 25%+ of all units, set break off levels to 25%+, will usually fire first and rarely attempts peaceful diplomacy)

Racial Starting Bonus (variable AP costs)

___ +25% starting fleets (10 AP)

___ +25% starting bases (10 AP)

___ +25% starting colonies (10 AP)

___ +25% starting ground forces (10 AP)

___ Additional starting surveys/sector maps (1 AP per additional 10 non-empty sections surveyed, 1 AP per adjacent sector mapped, 5 AP per standard sector fully surveyed (ie, every non-empty section in it is either colonized and surveyed or not colonized and surveyed), 10 AP per additional sector (one you don't normally start off occupying at all) fully surveyed)

___ Cultural optimism (5 AP per level - +5 SR)

___ Flexible society (5 AP; easier changes in long-term SR modifiers)

___ Linguistically “vague” (-3 AP, alien races must learn to communicate with race through R&D)

___ Linguistically “impossible” (-10 AP, alien races simply cannot learn to communicate with race)

___ Natural general economics (5 AP per level; +5% to RP production)

___ Natural productivity (5 AP per level - +5% RP production)

___ Natural psions (5 AP; -1 AP cost for each psionic ability, psionics research boosts; 5 more AP for second level – reduced psionic ability surcharges)

___ Natural traders (5 AP per +1% of partner’s base income in trade relations)

___ Pacifist sentiments (0 AP – different SR modifiers for military size and political state)

___ Psionic latency (5 AP; race counts as psionic for later research or trade, even without pregame psionic abilities)

___ Saurian trade advantages (20 AP, allows trade through war zones; trade blocked only by war on your state itself)

___ Sneaky (5 AP per +20% to espionage funding)

___ Societal resignation (10 AP – all SR penalties halved)

___ SRP source homeworld (10 AP)

___ “Tight lips” (5 AP - The race has a native sense of civic responsibility that complicates espionage attempts against it which come into any contact with the natives. Such espionage attempts receive a 20% penalty to effective funding. Counter-espionage funding receives a bonus of 10% to effective funding. However, this sense of civic responsibility tends to insure an active public participation in government, which will translate into more effective popular protest of unpopular government policies.)

___ Virulent isolationism (5 AP – SR bonus from avoidance of trade relations)

Technological Achievements (10 AP ea.)

Each technological achievement costs 10 AP. Many technologies may have some prerequisite technology which requires obtaining that (by spending 10 AP) before the follow-on technology may be purchased.

There are far too many Technological Achievements to be fully listed and or even party defined here. Players are encouraged to consult on the technological achievements they wish their race to possess in order to obtain full definitions and functions or to obtain any (or all) of the Fire On The Suns New Technologies handbooks (Volumes 1-5) which are available for purchase as pdf files.

On the Technology page of the Hee’Dra workbook there would be a listing as follows,

Technological Achievements

Biotechnology (10 AP, allows baseline biotechnology (see below))

Conventional Ship Photovore Arrays (10 AP, allows conventional ships to use photovores to satisfy supply needs)

Techno-organic Interfaces (10 AP, allows interfaces between conventional and biotechnology systems)

Nanoswarms (10 AP, allows allows Nanoswarm Class Weapon System (NS))

Nanite Glands (10 AP, allows replacement of Nanoswarms aboard ship)

Mecha (10 AP, allows mecha type units)

Racial Disadvantages:

During the species creation process players may choose to give their races additional disadvantages for an AP bonus. There are general disadvantages, and then there is the selling off of acquired technology, taking instead a lower tech level.

While all race design is subject to GM approval, disadvantages can make it very easy to create a seriously unbalanced race. These are often of the sort that either can’t sensibly have made it to space at all, or would represent long-term unplayability that a player might not realize.

Racial Disadvantages

___ -50% starting fleets (+10 AP)

___ -50% starting bases (+10 AP)

___ -50% starting colonies (+10 AP)

___ -50% starting ground forces (+10 AP)

___ Bellicosity (+5 AP; SR and PSR penalty if not at war)

___ Blasé society (+5 AP; SR bonuses divided by 3)

___ Compulsive traders (+5 AP, suffers PSR penalties for failure to get trade agreements with all possible trade partners)

___ Compulsive interventionism (+5 AP; suffers SR and PSR penalties for non-involvement in known wars)

___ Cultural mercantilism (+5 AP; cannot have any trade or free communications relations)

___ Cultural pessimism (+5 AP - -20 SR)

___ Culturally “tight” (+5 AP, cannot assimilate conquered colonies into own state (not available to Hiveminds))

___ Exceptional activism (+5 AP; increased PSR penalties)

___ Fixed economy (+5 AP; tax rate changes treated as long-term SR modifier changes)

___ Free Society (+5 AP, susceptible to spying, +20% to hostile espionage funding)

___ Highly Territorial (+10 AP; 50% or more of fleet must remain inside borders; 75% or higher break offs inside territory; no defensive alliances; no free trade agreements or free trade agreements traced through one’s territory)

___ Intolerant taxpayers: doubled SR penalties for high taxes, halved SR bonuses for low taxes (+5 AP)

___ Irritable society (+5 AP; doubled SR penalties)

___ Limited psionics (+2 AP; available only to races that take a psionic ability; race does not otherwise count as psionic for later psionics research or trade)

___ Linguistically Vague (+5 AP; communications with other species require research efforts)

___ Loss sensitivity (+2 AP per type; SR penalties from loss of fleet units, ground forces, bases and infrastructure, or colonies)

___ Low Industry (+5 AP, colony RP output reduced by 20%)

___ Low Military Initiative (aka Clueless) (+5 AP, any enemy has a first-strike effect in combat)

___ Nasty: SR penalties to states with relations with the race (+5 AP)

___ No graded entities (+5 AP; cannot ever raise graded officers, administrators, scientists, etc.)

___ Non-academic (+5 AP, RPs dedicated to R&D funding are reduced 20%)

___ Obsessive expansionism (+5 AP - -20 SR and –20 PSR in any turn without a 10+% increase in base economic size from previous turn)

___ Obsessive reearchers (+5 AP; SR and PSR penalties if less than 50% available RP’s spent of R&D)

___ Poor starship crews (+5 AP; 10 point target and defense penalties for spacecraft with crews)

___ Prime directive (+2 AP; cannot have relations with non-space-faring cultures)

___ Unstable government (+5 AP - -40 PSR)

___ Weak (+5 AP, -20% on ground combat die rolls)

On the Technology page of the Hee'dra workbook there would be a listing as follows,

Racial Disadvantages

Culturally 'tight' (-5 AP, contact with other races is strictly limited)

Highly territorial (-10 AP, race defends its territory and space aextremely aggressively)

Linguistically 'vague' (-3 AP, alien races must learn to communicate with race through R&D).

Technological Disadvantages:

___ Armor: Race does not possess Ablative Armor Technology (+2 AP)

___ Basic Datalink: Race does not possess Datalink Technology and suffers a handicap researching it (+2 AP)

___ Basic Multitargeting: Race does not possess Multitargeting Technology and suffers a handicap researching it (+2 AP)

___ Basic Point Defense Systems: Race does not possess Point Defense Systems Technology and suffers a handicap researching it (+2 AP)

___ Beam Weapons (+2 AP, Race does not possess simple beam weapons, species has a 0 Gen beam-type weapons systems)

___ Cargo Bays: Race does not possess Cargo Bays (+2 AP)

___ Fighters (+5 AP, Race does not possess the capability to construct space-capable fighters, limits race to Aerospace Fighters only)

___ Graded entities (+2 AP, Race cannot raise graded officers, administrators, or scientists initially)

___ Gunboats (+5 AP, Race does not possess the ability to construct gunboats)

___ Heavy Industry: Race does not possess Heavy Industry or Light Industry (+2 AP)

___ Magazines: Race does not possess Magazines (+2 AP) – no missile stowage, one round worth of missile combat only.

___ Minefields (Small & Large): Race does not possess Mine Warfare technology (+2 AP)

___ Mining Technology: Race does not possess Mining Technology (+2 AP)

___ No FTL (+10 AP, this species has not achieved FTL capabilty, each section traveled requires 50 turns to cross; Note: This is one of the most fundamentally crippling disadvantages in the game and, though it should probably be worth 20 AP rather than only 10, has been set at this level intentionally so as to not encourage players to take it)

___ No Missile Technology: Race does not possess simple rockets, missiles, missile launchers – this means species has 0 Gen rocket launchers and missile weapons (+5 AP).

___ No Non-Biotech (+5 AP; A species with this disadvantage has simply not developed conventional spacecraft systems. It does not have the technology for conventional starships, fighters, gunboats, bases, or any system for any such unit that cannot be used on the biotech equivalents of such units. (Note: this disadvantage assumes the race does have biotechnology.) Most likely, the general look and feel of that culture will also be radically different, but this is not strictly reflected in game mechanics.

___ No Nuclear Technology: Race does not possess nuclear technology -- this means the race possesses 0 Gen weapons and power system (+10 AP)

___ Railguns/Mass Drivers (1000): Race does not possess Railgun/Mass Driver Technology (+2 AP)

___ Reduced FTL Speeds (+2 AP per –1 WF equivalent, Race's Cruise/Max speeds reduced by 1 WF equivalent, if this is taken to 0 then use the no FTL disad instead)

___ Suppressed Science: Race does not possess simple R&D Technology (+2 AP) – i.e. no labs, science stations, etc.

___ Shields (ablative): Race does not possess Shields Technology (+2 AP)

___ Ship/Base Construction Rate (standard 1st Gen starting rate is 3 hull points per turn (2nd Gen is 6 hull pts/turn)): Race's starting Construction Rate is reduced (+1 AP per each –1)

___ Shipyards: Race does not possess Shipyards Technology (+2 AP) -- race cannot build ships until Shipyards Technology has been developed.

___ Smaller Bases: Maximum base hull sizes reduced (+2 AP per 15 hull pts reduction in starting sizes allowed)

___ Smaller Ships: Maximum ship hull sizes reduced (+1 AP per 3 hull pts reduction in starting sizes allowed)

___ Training Camps: Race does not possess Training Camps (+2 AP) -- Ground Forces cannot be produced without Training Camps.

On the Technology page of the Hee'dra workbook would be a listing as follows,

Technological Disadvantages

None

Followed by a short accounting statement,

APs Spent: 50

APs Remaining: 0

Note that the AP spent are totaled at the bottom of the list. The GM checks these totals for authenticity and may require a player to take more or less disadvantages if necessary.

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