[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by awarnock

So, I've got a couple of ideas for alien races, but I need some help designing them.

The first one is probably the simplest (and the one I've had in my head the longest at 15 years.) Basically space elves (keen eyes and ears, which are sharp and pointy; graceful; slender; etc.) They evolved on a cooler planet than earth, so they have a greater tolerance for lower temperatures. The problem is I wanted them to have serious issues when they got too hot, so is there a temperature intolerance or something for decreasing the intervals between levels of heat for a race?

The second and third races are more because the idea amuses me far too much than anything else. The idea is that both races are small, cute, cuddly, and certifiably insane/xenophobic. They both also evolved in a system that has two formerly habitable planets. It's only through sheer dumb luck they didn't do themselves in before joining galactic society at large. The problem is, I don't have any ideas for distinguishing features beyond the purely cosmetic ones. (As for why they are tolerated at all, well, a hot/cold war is good business for weapons merchants, and the live footage of the carnage from boarding actions gets surprisingly good ratings. That and I would like for the PCs to run across them without getting into a warzone.)

Thanks in advance.

A whole species cannot by definition be insane as any collective "insanity" which is compatible with group survival is meaningless as a word(it is a useful enough term for individuals simply because we have the resources to care for the mentally disabled). It can be xenophobic but xenophobia is a specific quality which has useful(if limited)aspects to it and thus could be imagined in an alien race.