[ericthered]

I have a setting that I was intending to write a book in long before I ran across gurps. When I came across the system, I wanted to know how the aliens would turn out. I was pleasantly suprized with some of the point totals, particuarly with how the "starfish aliens" turned out . They're -6 points, though I dare anyone to play one as a PC. physiologically, they're pretty alien.

yes, they're literally based on starfish. I did a thought experiment about it enchinoderms replaced vertebrates and got these things. Imagine taking two starfish, making them much bigger, removing the suction tubes and stacking them on top of each other... oh, and putting three pronged tips on the ends or the arms.

general stats:
ST 12
DX 8
HT 12
speed 3 (yes, 3)
move 3
360 vision
regeneration(slow)
high manuel DX 4
DR 3 (tough skin)
5 legs (cannot kick)
5 arms (short)
longevity *4
reduced consuption 3
sleepy
hibernates 1/3 of year
sleeps 12/24 the rest
Decreased Time Rate

Thats the chassis, worth -66, describing the physical shape and slow metabolism. There are then 4 subraces, designed to live in lots of places, with 60 points of advantages and an occasional disadvantage.

The subraces are designed for open space, deep ocean, land, and essentially venus. the original race came from a venus-like planet, and designed the others because... lets face it, life support for something used to venus is a pain. the lenses are 60 points each.

Vensuvians:
IQ 11
Speed -1 (total 2, yeah, they're slow)
echolocation
pressure support *100
longevity *32
hard to kill 10

OpenSpace/astroids/Ice planets:
vacume support
sealed
doesn't breathe
heals rads
radiation tolerance 5
temperature tolerance 25 (different ranges for different species)
restricted diet
deafness
cannot speak
G tolerance .3G

These are actually several kinds, but I found the only things that needed adjusting between living on astroids, ice moons and pluto was temperature range.

I think these ones are the most usable, but they're still slow (if really useful in space)

Terrestial:
ST +2 (14)
temperature range 10
pressure support *10
high pain tolerance
echolocation
IQ -1 (9)
HP +5 (17)

These ones are designed for earth. Though I'm not quite sure what you would do with one in a campaign. they're good at heavy lifting. to make them a little more useful you could even out the strength and IQ. I suppose if you let yourself wrestle one you're in trouble

Aquatic:
gills
echolocation
pressure support
temperature range
longevity *32
hard to kill 10

these live DEEP, off of the continental shelf. At the pressures that the vensuvian ones live at.



as a whole, the creatures are much more powerful as a race than as characters. The speed and decreased time rate make them useless in a short range fight. The ones with good IQ's have extreme life support requirements, and they spend long periods of time inactive.

I also figured them with out a human reference frame. all but the terrestial ones have different biochemistry, the high pressure ones are going to have increased life support, and some of the subraces probably have status differences.

as a race, they can thrive most anywhere, have much lower constraints on their civilization than we do, live much longer, and at the ranges that space combat occurs at, have no disadvantage.

If I were to play one, it would be the one who can live exposed to hard space.

I haven't actually given too much though to their psychology. If anyone wants to use them, slap some more stuff on.

The basic idea is that echinoderms have an internal skeleton, a complex outer anatomy, and are very tough creatures, but also very slow.

so you can certainly make physiologically weird aliens without a massive point cost. you just have to remember the disadvantages as well.