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Playable Species List?
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bobenhotep
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 21, 2017 9:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Revwien protocol droid really worked out to be a normal protocol droid in most respects, but looked like a cross between a Revwien and a Fallout style "Mr Handy" type robot. It did have a built in high powered comlink and a decent communications skill. I remember it using its comlink to jam the command signal for some B1 battle droids and cause them to wander about doing weird interpretive dance type stuff.
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 2:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Besalisk prospectors, Bothan, Cerean scholar, near- human curious explorer, Ithorian cynical scout, Dug pod- racer, ewok, ewok scout, ewok warrior, gungan warrior, jawa scavenger, Mon calamari, rodian tracker, sullustan trader, torgruta student of the force, toydarian deal maker, trianii cub, trianii ranger, twi'lek dancing girl, twi'lek gunrunner, wookiee, wookiee engineer, wookiee first mate.

These are the species as character templates that I like as playable characters.
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Whill
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2017 7:45 pm    Post subject: Re: Playable Species List Reply with quote

2023 EDIT: My updated version



I have multiple "tiers" of playable PC races.

0. I first ask players to play Humans. I had to add this first step due to a trend of players only wanting to plan aliens. I like the "pose as Imperials" bit too much to not want at least one Human in the party. It's just my preference. I have ran all-alien-PC adventures many times.

1. If a player is absolutely certain he doesn't want to play a Human, then they move on to the Tier 1 aliens...

Amyrmizons - This is a homebrew inspired by DC Comics Amazons and a couple species in the Hellas RPG (one of which was likely inspired by the Cree-va in D6 Space Aliens). Each character of this species is actually an entire colony of ant-like insects that together form a female humanoid shape and work together to be a sentient "person."
Ardennians
Avesians - My bird people with 5 races. None fly but some can glide. Several other avian species in the galaxy are genetic offshoots of Avesians - So a PC will often be able to look like these other species but actually be a part of my bird people.
Draconians - My dragon people visually inspired by D&D's Dragonborn.
Duros
Falleen - My take is they all don't have Prince Xizor's power-level. They have a weaker version of his ability, and his ability comes from an advanced skill only known to Falleen nobles (who are only NPCs).
Felidae - My cat people with 10 races. Several other feline species in the galaxy are genetic offshoots of Felidae - So a PC will often be able to look like these other species but actually be a part of my cat people.
Herglics
Hutts - PCs can only be the skinnier, younger (and less evil) phase of the species as described on page 1 of this thread.
Ithorians
Kentauroi - My homebrewed centauriform species. Size-wise, imagine the torso of a Tolkien/D&D dwarf on the body of a mule or pony, and the upper body looks like the WotC Svivreni art so the head is not fully horse like the WEG Svivreni art. The Equani, Nazzar, Svivreni and Thakwaash species are all genetically engineered offshoots of Kentauroi. It is the norm for members of this species to have multiple personalities.
Klatooinians
Mareens - An adapted D6 Space Aliens species of little sentient aquatic catfish with prehensile tendrils and mild electricity generation ability that allow them to control humanoid powersuits grown out of coral. They can't breath air so are in an armored water tank/cockpit in the powersuit, which allows them to interact with air breathers and travel the galaxy.
Mon Calamari
Nautolans
Quarren
Revwiens
Sarpah - Homebrew, long-lived snakes with 4 arm-tentacles and the overall body size of Sluissi.
Shistavanens
Sullustans
Twi'leks
Ugnaughts
Ureallians - My take on Han Solo's species from The Star Wars comic based on the original SW rough draft. They are slimy amphibians who evolved on a swamp planet. Ureallians are now male-only because a disease killed off all the females thousands of years ago, and the males are propagated through cloning. They tend to be thugs, bodyguards, mercs, hunters, etc.
Verinex - They look somewhat like Verpine but with 4 arms (and thus the correct 6 total limbs for insects). Verinex are similar to Verpine in some ways. Verpine were created from Verinex through genetic engineering.
Wookiees - I've only ran a handful of Wookiee PCs since I started running Star Wars in the 80s. Chewbacca is my favorite alien character in SW and I really despise players wanting to play a knock-off of Chewie, so I only allow Wookiee characters who are different from Chewbacca. To further minimize Wookiee PCs, since 1992 I've enforced the rule in the template that says the player should be able to sound like a Wookiee. I've only had 2 players who can do that, which happen to be 2 of my best friends. (I don't have their ability but I occasionally have Wookiee NPCs anyway.)
Wroonians (near-humans)
Zabrak (near-humans)

I feel the above species can all make good PCs. A lot of these species first appeared in RotJ or ANH. And of course there are some EU-only species and my homebrews. For a GM who encourages players to play Humans it may seem strange to have 27 alien species to choose from, but I have also found that players can get disappointed if you don't have a lot of options and they are are told they can't play the species they want to. The more preferable PC races available, the less likely the player will still insist on playing something else...

2. If players still want to play something other than Humans and the above aliens, then I get out my lower-tier species list of over two dozen more alien species (with five specific kinds of humans)...

Abednedos
Bimms (non-human furred mammalians)
Bimms (near-humans)
Bith
Bothans
Clawdites (shapeshifting ability may be nerfed from lore so they aren't OP)
Devaronians
Ewoks
Fondorians (near-humans)
Gamorreans
Gran
Gungans, Common (like Jar Jar and Tarpals, not Nass)
Humans: Corellians
Humans: Clones
Humans: Etti
Humans: Hapans
Humans: Lorrdians
Iakaru
Jawas
Meerians (amphibian Ithorians based on SW(ANH) concept art, not the EU Meerian species)
Mrlssti (near-Avesians)
. Avesians: Mrlssi
Neimoidian (near-Duros)
Pykes (the fishlike Canon version as they appeared in TBoBF)
Rodians
Shard/Droid Symbionts
Sluissi
Squibs
Svivreni (WEG version)
Trandoshan
Verpine


Of course the ":" means that the race is just a distinct population of the species listed first (but genetically still the same species).

3. If a player still wants to play something other than any of the above 50+ species (usually players who had a specific species in mind from the beginning), then I let them pitch me on their character concept. This can include other species from any aspect of the franchise or an original alien species. If we can come to an agreement on the species, stats, PC template and overall character concept, then the PC can be approved.

There may sometimes also be some campaign-specific species options that come in at some level above.
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Last edited by Whill on Sun Feb 26, 2023 12:25 am; edited 11 times in total
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Falconer
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 5:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Out of curiosity I did a little project for myself, and I figured I would share. I looked at four “core” Star Wars RPG products from throughout the years and made a list of what species they offered for players. Parentheses means the species is printed in a separate section and is stated to be available only with special permission from your GM.



I didn’t include anything from the PT or NJO in this chart, mainly since it was meant to be comparing apples with apples.
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Whill
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 12:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice chart, Falconer. Thanks for posting that. I've got all those species except, Aqualish, Noghri, and Tusken Raiders.
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garhkal
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 2:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Whill wrote:
Kentauroi - My centauriform species. Size-wise, imagine the torso of a Tolkien/D&D dwarf on the body of a mule or pony, and the upper body looks like the WotC Svivreni art so the head is not fully horse like the WEG Svivreni art. The Equani, Nazzar, Svivreni and Thakwaash species are all genetically engineered offshoots of Kentauroi.


You do know there already exists a centaur like race for SW. The Sliudar..
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Giant Tourtiere
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 2:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting chart. Noghri would be on my 'absolutely not' list, while I have no problem with players wanting a Jawa or Tusken Raider PC, as long as they also have no problem with the baggage that comes along with such a choice.

I'd be more likely to want to discuss a potential Wookiee character carefully than either of those options.
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 12:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

garhkal wrote:
Whill wrote:
Kentauroi - My centauriform species. Size-wise, imagine the torso of a Tolkien/D&D dwarf on the body of a mule or pony, and the upper body looks like the WotC Svivreni art so the head is not fully horse like the WEG Svivreni art. The Equani, Nazzar, Svivreni and Thakwaash species are all genetically engineered offshoots of Kentauroi.

You do know there already exists a centaur like race for SW. The Sliudar..


I assume you mean Sludir (click here). They are nothing like centaurs except for having more than 2 legs (Sludir have 8 limbs, not 6). They're reptiles not mammals. Here is a Kentauro:



Kentauroi destroyed their homeworld and now they are generally peaceful. They each harbor multiple personalities. They are nothing like Sludir.
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garhkal
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 11, 2017 11:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I always thought the sluidar were 4 legged and 2 armed... In that case, your centaur-like race is a unique one from what i have seen of aliens..
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Falconer
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 9:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Giant Tourtiere wrote:
Noghri would be on my 'absolutely not' list

Just curious as to why.

Quote:
while I have no problem with players wanting a Jawa or Tusken Raider PC, as long as they also have no problem with the baggage that comes along with such a choice.

Same with Ewoks, IMO.
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Giant Tourtiere
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 9:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Falconer wrote:
Giant Tourtiere wrote:
Noghri would be on my 'absolutely not' list

Just curious as to why.


I never really liked the concept of 'secret race of crazily badass assassin aliens' to begin with, and with the way they're set up in the books I have a lot of difficulty seeing how you get one plausibly shaken loose to be a PC. The way they're statted up is then very powerful, and the 'all these guys work for Vader' is potentially a strong resource all by itself.

I guess I see them as an idea that I don't love to begin with and with not enough drawbacks to balance all their upside.

Quote:
Quote:
while I have no problem with players wanting a Jawa or Tusken Raider PC, as long as they also have no problem with the baggage that comes along with such a choice.

Same with Ewoks, IMO.


I've never had anyone want to do it, but an Ewok would be fine. I guess you might have to be a little creative if you wanted one pre-Battle of Endor, but there's no real reason one couldn't have hitched a ride with some obscure scout or other.
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 12:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I never cared for the Noghri concept either. I do have my versions of some Zahn species in my SWU (such as Bimms, Herglics, Sluissi, Svivreni), but I'm not sure Noghri even exist in my SWU.

Sand People are great antagonists on Tatooine but I really don't see one becoming a galactic adventure, so I would be severely disinclined to allow one. Plus, what do they even look like? I already allow Jawas who we also don't know what they look like, but I can see one being a PC a lot more. I really like the idea of a Force-sensitive Dark Side Tusken Raider villain.

I would open to an Aqualish PC if a player sold me on the character concept, especially if the PC went against type.
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 2:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Giant Tourtiere wrote:

Quote:
Quote:
while I have no problem with players wanting a Jawa or Tusken Raider PC, as long as they also have no problem with the baggage that comes along with such a choice.

Same with Ewoks, IMO.


I've never had anyone want to do it, but an Ewok would be fine. I guess you might have to be a little creative if you wanted one pre-Battle of Endor, but there's no real reason one couldn't have hitched a ride with some obscure scout or other.


For me, my big issue with that is it seemed NONE of the rebels had even heard of/seen one before.. So you would have thought some strange small fury animal that seems to be canabalistic that made it off a strange planet a # of years ago, would have gotten out amongst the Shipper grape vine..
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 8:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

garhkal wrote:
Giant Tourtiere wrote:

Quote:
Quote:
while I have no problem with players wanting a Jawa or Tusken Raider PC, as long as they also have no problem with the baggage that comes along with such a choice.

Same with Ewoks, IMO.


I've never had anyone want to do it, but an Ewok would be fine. I guess you might have to be a little creative if you wanted one pre-Battle of Endor, but there's no real reason one couldn't have hitched a ride with some obscure scout or other.


For me, my big issue with that is it seemed NONE of the rebels had even heard of/seen one before.. So you would have thought some strange small fury animal that seems to be canabalistic that made it off a strange planet a # of years ago, would have gotten out amongst the Shipper grape vine..


No you're right, but if I had a player who really wanted to do it and I thought would play the character well, I think it's relatively easy to say that it's a big galaxy and that one stubby stone-age biped might not really garner *that* much attention.

Obviously if you then got to the point where this character is known to the Rebellion and they therefore know about Ewoks before Endor, things arguably unfold differently there, but 1) maybe not that much and 2) if you really hate that idea then the Empire can easily build Death Star II someplace else. Again, it's a big galaxy and the only criteria they seem to have had was 'secluded'.

Whill wrote:

Sand People are great antagonists on Tatooine but I really don't see one becoming a galactic adventure, so I would be severely disinclined to allow one. Plus, what do they even look like? I already allow Jawas who we also don't know what they look like, but I can see one being a PC a lot more. I really like the idea of a Force-sensitive Dark Side Tusken Raider villain.

I would open to an Aqualish PC if a player sold me on the character concept, especially if the PC went against type.


If it was a campaign that started on Tatooine I think you could sell a Tusken Raider getting caught up in whatever and following along for the ride. I could also see a Tusken Raider who had their clan wiped out by stormtroopers seeking out the Rebellion. I mean, it wouldn't be the first thing I'd suggest to a player but if they wanted to do it and had a good story I'd be ok.

I'm always in for players wanting to do an alien character that's at least somewhat against the prescribed 'types' in the material, which are simultaneously useful and problematic.

Glad I'm not alone about the Noghri.


edit: fixing quotes
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Whill
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 9:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

garhkal wrote:
Giant Tourtiere wrote:
I've never had anyone want to do it, but an Ewok would be fine. I guess you might have to be a little creative if you wanted one pre-Battle of Endor, but there's no real reason one couldn't have hitched a ride with some obscure scout or other.

For me, my big issue with that is it seemed NONE of the rebels had even heard of/seen one before.. So you would have thought some strange small fury animal that seems to be canabalistic that made it off a strange planet a # of years ago, would have gotten out amongst the Shipper grape vine..

Ewoks aren't cannibalistic because they don't eat their own kind.

I agree that none of the Rebels on Endor had ever heard of an Ewok, but there are thousands of sentient species in the galaxy and no one knows them all. There are enough rare species in the galaxy that travellers would encounter new species fairly often without warranting investigation of a lone Ewok.

A cantina in garhkal's SWU...

Freighter Captain: I was beginning to think you weren't going to make it.
Rebel Agent: I ran into some old friends.
Captain: I leave for Corellia tonight.
Rebel: Good. I'll bring the package to you at 1900.
Captain: And payment.
Rebel: Of course. Thanks for the drink. (starts to get-up)
Captain: Whoa, hold on there. I want to tell you about this new sentient species I encountered the other day.
Rebel: What?
Captain: He was the cutest little thing.
Rebel: Look, I've got to...
Captain: Looked just like my granddaughter's teddy bear, but he was about as half as tall as we are. He was partially covered with clothes and carried primitive weapons, but definitely sentient.
Rebel: Captain, I'll just...
Captain: What's the rush? What's the point of cargo transport and rebellion if we don't stop and talk about the new species we've seen?
Stormtroopers: It's him! Blast them!

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