Alien Stereotypes

[Eodin]

Re: Alien Stereotypes

 

Take a look at my free Trek Hero books (PDFs), for a vast array of aliens you can steal.

 

http://www.starherofandom.com/h_trekhero/index.php is the site

 

The FASA Trek link is

http://www.starherofandom.com/h_trekhero/FASATrek.pdf

 

The TNG Trek link is

http://www.starherofandom.com/h_trekhero/TNGHero.pdf

 

You've got everything there from the powerful Talosians to the sentient plant Phylosians to the shapeshifting Vendorians and Antosians, and more.

[Clonus]

Re: Alien Stereotypes

 

Wise Mystic

Cold Scientist

Honourable Warriour

Brutish Warriour

Primitive in Tune With Nature

Conniving Villain

Bald Bulgy Headed Mentalist

Unscrupulous Merchant (Similar to conniving villain, except without the megalomania)

[clsage]

Re: Alien Stereotypes

 

I'm putting together a Star Hero campaign universe and need a diverse array of aliens to populate it. I'm looking for all of those stereotypical stables of space opera and epic SF aliens' date=' such as the cat people, the detached emotionless people, the machine people, the people who love archaic weapons, etc.....[/quote']

 

In addition to the various excellent suggestions already given, you

might want to take a gander at the Hero System Beastiary for

possible species packages (eg: Bear People of Algol 5 ? Use the

stats from page 133-136 as a basis....etc). And there are several

sections with templates that could prove usefull for species

generation, either straight for the stats or for starting point ideas.

 

And for some existing species packages for you to use, take a

gander at:

 

http://www.starherofandom.com/b5/packages.php

 

as well as most of the rest of Starherofandom.com ()

 

...And you might want to give

 

http://www.usandacat.com/herohq/campaigns/Star%20Aria.pdf

 

a gander too......

 

-Carl-

[Clonus]

Re: Alien Stereotypes

 

It's also worth noting that more often than not cold blooded species get typecast as implacably hostile to humanity, particularly the arthropods whereas while it is easy to get into a fight with furbearing mammals, humanity is usually expected to get along with them given time except when it is humanity's fault that the conflict continues.

[Maur]

Re: Alien Stereotypes

 

It's also worth noting that more often than not cold blooded species get typecast as implacably hostile to humanity' date=' particularly the arthropods whereas while it is easy to get into a fight with furbearing mammals, humanity is usually expected to get along with them given time except when it is humanity's fault that the conflict continues.[/quote']

 

That is usually because the arthropods (with only a few exceptions) are just scaled up bugs. The same drives that smaller bugs have are in the larger ones with only a little more intelligence (think Brain bugs from Starship Troopers). It is kind of hard to negotiate or get along with a species when its only thinking about food and shelter. If you aren't part of its colony then you are either a threat or food (or both).

 

We can get along with the mammalian-like species since, in the long run, we find we both have very similar motivations, needs, desires, etc...

[Shadowsoul]

Re: Alien Stereotypes

 

Here's a thought. Although it may not be very helpful for a serious campaign.

What happens when the mighty human galactic empire encounters the greys in space i.e. those strange aliens who used to abduct humans, impregnate them, flit around their skies, mutilate their cattle and perform unspeakable acts of probing?

That would be quite a fun meeting as the horde of terran battleships turns up at the grey's home planet and demands to know what all that stuff was about.

If you wanted to actually use this race seriously then they could be described as long term economic and military spies/investigators. They study young species to discover how powerful and dangerous they are likely to be and what their weaknesses are and then sell the information to potential neighbours and conquerors. The stuff with cows and crop circles could just be some off the clock recreation to worry the locals.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Alien Stereotypes

 

That reminds me of a wonderful scene from Babylon 5, when the local magistrate on B5 was adjudicating a complaint by a human against one of those little grey aliens. The human alleged that his ancestor was abducted and "probed" by the alien's ancestor, and demanded compensation.

 

When the judge asked for the alien's plea, it wordlessly held up a sign with some esoteric symbol written on it. The exasperated judge asked for a translator.

[clsage]

Re: Alien Stereotypes

 

That reminds me of a wonderful scene from Babylon 5, when the local magistrate on B5 was adjudicating a complaint by a human against one of those little grey aliens. The human alleged that his ancestor was abducted and "probed" by the alien's ancestor, and demanded compensation.

 

When the judge asked for the alien's plea, it wordlessly held up a sign with some esoteric symbol written on it. The exasperated judge asked for a translator.

 

And for those who wish to use the afformentioned species....

 

http://www.starherofandom.com/b5/package_deals/vree.php

 

 

-Carl-

[Dust Raven]

Re: Alien Stereotypes

 

Here's a thought. Although it may not be very helpful for a serious campaign.

What happens when the mighty human galactic empire encounters the greys in space i.e. those strange aliens who used to abduct humans, impregnate them, flit around their skies, mutilate their cattle and perform unspeakable acts of probing?

That would be quite a fun meeting as the horde of terran battleships turns up at the grey's home planet and demands to know what all that stuff was about.

If you wanted to actually use this race seriously then they could be described as long term economic and military spies/investigators. They study young species to discover how powerful and dangerous they are likely to be and what their weaknesses are and then sell the information to potential neighbours and conquerors. The stuff with cows and crop circles could just be some off the clock recreation to worry the locals.

 

Oddly enough...

 

My campaign is intended to be serious, as least as far as the environment, science, etc is concerned. However, I was planing on using the "gray men" in a way. In this campaign, Earth was been conquered and occupied by an alien race extremely similar to the gray man physical archetype (except they are taller than humans rather than shorter). This occupation has recently ended and while the Earthers are now free, most have a deep hatred for this race despite being treated extremely well by them during the occupation.

[Nyrath]

Re: Alien Stereotypes

 

In the ancient TV show "Quark", Ficus was an intelligent plant, and thus without emotions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quark_%28TV_series%29

 

There was a hive mentality in "Battle Beyond the Stars." Along with a space-trucker and a valkyrie.

http://geo_lit.tripod.com/id1.html

[palaskar]

Re: Alien Stereotypes

 

Don't forget the "cute" aliens and the plant aliens. (i.e. fuzzis and Cotatai.)

[Bygoneyrs]

Re: Alien Stereotypes

 

I feel the best answer is to create your own Aliens that fit your GM point of view and

tailor them to meet what you are looking for in them.

 

Penn

[austenandrews]

Re: Alien Stereotypes

 

Matt "Asimov-Rules" Frisbee

 

Are those from something Asimov did?