Random Aliens - Examples

    To show off my neat random alien tables, I decided that I would make some sample alien species. Here we have three alien species and options for characters to play them. For each entry, I have included the raw table data as well, which I may have modified slightly to make more sense.

    If you didn't see my random aliens tables, you can find them here:

Random Alien Tables

1. Biology
2. Culture
3. Planet

The Inthiolar

Raw Data

Biology: Biped; Mineral; Large; Swimming; Natural Weapons, Fast; Vulnerability; Parthenogenesis; Moderate life span

Society: TL 6 – Interstellar Age; Plutocracy; Animism, Atheism; Virtues: Material wealth and sexuality; Vices: Charity and chastity; Dozens of star systems; Unknown

Planet: Near Earth-like; Warm, Parched; Supercontinent; Unbreathable; Diverse; Moderate population; Occasional traffic; Virgin

    The inthiolar (singular, inthiol) are a race of aquatic humanoids that are about 10ft tall, but stand with a hunched posture. Their bodies are slender and streamlined, with digitigrade legs, webbed feet and hands with sharp claws, and a small, curved snout on the end of a long flexible neck. Inthiolar are silicon-based lifeforms, rather than carbon based, and their skin is actually a tough, translucent silicon-based polymer. An inthiol's internal organs are fairly visible, suspended inside their clear bodies in a medium of effervescent blue liquid. They are swift and capable swimmers, but also must keep their gills wet or risk suffocation. Inthiol are usually "male," (actually neuter) but once a year they briefly become female, during which time they can choose to reproduce by parthenogenesis.

    Inthiolar are strongly material creatures, valuing material wealth over all else. There are almost no inthiolar volunteers or charities. Most inthiol governments are plutocracies, where a citizen's voting rights are scaled according to material wealth, with the ultra-wealthy as the ruling class.

    While much of their culture was originally based around an animistic religion venerating numerous minor divinities and nature spirits, spirituality has faded with their society's development, and now the majority of them do not actually believe their religions' tenets. However, they do still agree with their religion's positive emphasis on sensual pleasure, and as such most inthiol cities have a temple which serves as a brothel.

    The inthiol homeworld is known as Tueth, and it is heavily polluted. There is one large supercontinent that is mostly in the southern hemisphere, and most inthiol cities are built on the coast and underwater on the continental shelf. The pollution, however, has caused temperatures to rise and the oceans to recede, making land near the equator uninhabitable, and drying out some cities.

    Inthiol society has achieved FTL travel and colonized a few dozen nearby star systems. This has made Tueth something of a backwater for their species, with more and more colonists leaving every day. Further, the inthiolar controlled systems are tucked into the remote edge of the galaxy, and they have yet to make contact with galactic civilization at large.

Playing as an inthiol:

As a modifier: If you don't want to take inthiol as a descriptor, you can take these modifiers instead.

• Aquatic. Numenera corebook page 127.
• Water dependent. Every day that you go without immersing yourself in water, you take 1 point of Might damage that cannot be healed until you are immersed in water.

New Descriptor: Inthiol

    Fast. +2 to your Speed pool.
    Aquatic. Numenera corebook page 127.
    Claws. Your unarmed attacks count as medium weapons rather than light weapons.
    Skill: You're trained in all tasks regarding economics or commerce.
    Water Dependent. Every day that you go without immersing yourself in water, you take 1 point of Might damage that cannot be healed until you are immersed in water.

The Orteng

Raw Data

Biology: Multi-limbed; Amphibian; Human-sized; Burrowing; Smart, Fast; Violent; Parasitic; Very Long lifespan

Society: TL 4 – Information Age; Anarchy; Polytheism, Anti-theism; Virtues: Individuality, Honesty; Vices: Community, Politeness; Hundreds of star systems; Liked

Planet: Large; Temperate, Dry; Breathable atmosphere; Dead biosphere; Sparse; Isolated; Fresh

    The orteng (singular and plural) are a race of 8-limbed amphibians with warty reddish-brown skin. They have a long, tube-shaped body about 6ft long which ends in a broad, wedge-shaped head, set with three large, round black eyes and a broad mouth full of teeth. 8 limbs stick out from their sides, all of which end in four-fingered grasping hands. The front two are the most developed, so orteng usually walk on six and use the front two for manipulation, but in a pinch they can walk on four and use four.

    Orteng are hermaphrodites, and their method of reproduction is grisly. They need only mate once, a bloody, painful affair, after which they may, at any time, lay eggs in another living thing using their hard, sharp ovipositors. Orteng grubs devour the host from within before emerging as orteng young. Orteng can live to be 200 years old.

    As amphibians, orteng are partially dependent on water. They have adapted to rely on it less, however, as a result of the unfortunate circumstances of their home planet, Maichen. Millenia ago, the orteng went to war with a species known as the shai. The shai used a weapon that teleported all of Maichen's water into the sun, turning Maichen into a desert.

    The shai were destroyed by the forces of the Orphic Protectorate, but orteng civilization has declined precipitously. Their technology has regressed to point where they can no longer build spacecraft, and the planet's biosphere is practically dead. Orteng now live in the relative dampness of small underground warrens, holding only a few thousand souls each. Prior to the cataclysm, the orteng had a theocracy, but they have since overthrown all government in favor of lawless communes, governed only by an informal code of ethics.

    Orteng are known for their intelligence and single-minded dedication, and most pursue a specific area of technical expertise. Essentially every orteng is a technician or expert of some sort, and as such they are still valued by other species. Many of the orteng's former allies also take pity on them, and since they are official members of the Orphic Protectorate, whole communes can often raise the funds to emigrate, and thus can be found on hundreds of worlds.

Playing as an orteng:

As a modifier: If you don't want to take orteng as a descriptor, you can take these modifiers instead.

• Partial Water Dependence. You must immerse yourself in water at least once a week, or the difficulty of all tasks requiring strenuous physical activity is increased by 1, due to your skin drying and cracking. This persists until you immerse yourself. If this time is spent in a high-humidity environment (like the rainforest), you can last two weeks before drying.
• Violent. When combat breaks out, you must kill or otherwise incapacitate at least one creature, or succeed on a level 4 Intellect task, before you can stop fighting.
• Skill: You are trained in numenera, or in one area of knowledge of your choosing.

New Descriptor: Orteng

    Smart: +4 to Intellect pool.

    Fast: +2 to Speed pool.

    Partial Water Dependence. You must immerse yourself in water at least once a week, or the difficulty of all tasks requiring strenuous physical activity is increased by 1, due to your skin drying and cracking. This persists until you immerse yourself. If this time is spent in a high-humidity environment (like the rainforest), you can last two weeks before drying.
    Violent. When combat breaks out, you must kill or otherwise incapacitate at least one creature, or succeed on a level 4 Intellect task, before you can stop fighting.
    Skill: You are trained in numenera, or in one area of knowledge of your choosing.

    Inability: You are foul tempered and have no respect for authority. Increase the difficulty of pleasant social interaction with non-orteng by 1. If the person to whom you are speaking is a religious authority of some sort, increase the difficulty by 2.

    Extra Equipment: You have a set of light tools. If you already have light tools, you have a set of heavy tools. If you have both, you have one extra oddity, chosen by the GM.

The Kreothi

Raw Data

Biology: Quadruped; Fish; Small; Flight, Swimming; Smart, Shapeshifter; Squishy; Hermaphroditism; Very Long Lifespan

Society: TL 5 – Space Age; Military Dictatorship; Monotheism, Moderate Observance; Virtues: Pride, Politeness; Vices: Honesty, Humility; Thousands of star systems; Ambivalence

Planet: Tiny; Warm; Moderate water; Countless islands; Breathable atmosphere; Fecund biosphere; Congested, bustling transit hub; Fresh. One or two previous worlds

    Kreothi (singular kreoth) are a race of soft-bodied aliens with four tentacle-like limbs radiating out from a sac-like central body, which contains organs and sensory apparatus. At full height, kreothi stand about 4ft tall. Their four limbs can serve as either ambulatory limbs or manipulators. Kreothi are boneless, and they can deform their body into a variety of shapes. They can spread out their limbs into broad fins, making them adept swimmers, and they can even glide with them. Kreothi are hermaphrodites who reproduce by internal fertilization and laying eggs. They can live to be 300 years old.

    Kreoth culture is based on overt displays of ability and bragging. Bragging is not only encouraged, but expected, and kreothi will often list a few of their proudest accomplishments when introducing themselves. However, they are an extremely proud people and easily offended. Their society has an elaborate system of etiquette, and personal disputes are often resolved by non-lethal duels.

    The kreoth religion is based on the worship of a single deity, Erdos, who is supposedly the first of the kreothi and credited with filling the void with planets and stars. The majority of kreothi worship and genuinely believe in Erdos's existence, and non-believers are viewed with suspicion and distaste.

    Danasos is the kreoth homeworld, a warm world of countless large islands and shallow seas bursting with life. Practically all of the islands host a crowded metropolis, and the population is over 15 billion. They have just recently come out of a period of political upheaval, where the previous governmental system of hereditary nobility was overthrown by a military junta, headed by the decorated and much adored General Amron (level 6, military tactics level 8).

    However, as a result of the war, kreothi honor culture, and the congested conditions of Danasos, the kreothi have spread far and wide across the galaxy, some seeking safety or better living conditions and some fleeing to escape their shame at losing a duel. Kreothi also find they prefer to be surrounded by other species, as they find it easy to look down on them. As such, kreothi can be found in small numbers on thousands of worlds.

Playing as a kreoth

As a modifier: If you don't want to take kreoth as a descriptor, you can take these modifiers instead.

• Squishy. -2 to your Might pool.
• Inability: Your natural hauteur is off-putting. Increase the difficulty of all pleasant social interaction by 1.
• Deformable Body: You can reshape your body to suit a task. If you take one action to reshape your body, you gain an asset on swimming, slipping loose from bonds, or any other such task where this might be helpful.

New Descriptor: Kreoth

    Squishy. -2 to your Might pool.
    Smart. +4 to your Intellect pool.

    Inability: Your natural hauteur is off-putting. Increase the difficulty of all pleasant social interaction by 1.
    Deformable Body: You can reshape your body to suit a task. If you take one action to reshape your body, you gain an asset on swimming, slipping loose from bonds, or any other such task where this might be helpful.
    Gliding. You can take a turn to reshape your body into a parachute. With a level 4 Speed check, you can glide half as far as you fall, and you take no fall damage. If you fail, you take only half damage.

Final Thoughts

    So as I have hopefully demonstrated, it's quite possible to take a bunch of random nonsense and turn it into something useful, with a bit of thought. If none of these alien races interest you, then I hope at least you get some utility out of the tables. 

    Further, some of you may have noticed that I occasionally referred to something called the "Orphic Protectorate." I mentioned that I intended to make a galactic federation type organization, and that's it. You can expect a more detailed write up coming soon. Until then, you have any ideas or suggestions for improvement, then by all means, let me know.