They Came From the Stars - The Races

Rather than including the standard dwarves, elves, and halflings of typical fantasy, I opted to go with more unusual races instead. I included the saurians (reptilian humanoids, similar to lizardfolk from D&D), talans (a feline race resembling furred, humanoid cats), and the Forged (a race of living constructs inspired by Eberron's warforged).

Humans

Native to Taladar, humanity is the fastest-growing race in the system. Humans were the first race to discover the voidships of the Ancients, leading to the first exodus from Taladar and the colonization of the system. Humans make up the majority of the system's colonists, having the easiest access to voidships.

Racial Traits:

Humans gain one extra Edge at character creation.

Saurians

The saurians are a race of reptilian humanoids. As with the other races, they are native to Taladar, living mostly on the various island chains and around the coastal areas on the two continents. A generally curious race, most saurians saw the voidships as a welcome chance to explore the system.

The saurians resemble lizards that walk upright. Their skin is covered in scales, usually colored green or black. Their eyes are typically yellow or bright green. The males have a crest on their heads that raises or lowers depending on their mood, while the females have a similar structure beneath their chins. They have long tails that reach to the ground when they stand, and their lower legs are bent backward, like those of an iguana. Their fingers end in sharp claws, and they have strong jaws and teeth that resemble those of an alligator.

Racial Traits:

Outsider – Saurians have a -2 Charisma penalty.

Natural Weapons – Saurians can use their teeth, tails, or claws in combat for STR+d6 damage.

Racial Enemy – The talans rose up against a saurian empire a thousand years ago. The old enmity survives in one form or another even to the present day. Saurians have a -4 penalty to Charisma when dealing with talans, and vice versa.

Natural Swimmer – Their tails give saurians an advantage in the water, granting them a +2 on Swimming rolls and increasing their swimming Pace to their Swimming skill.

Warm Natured – Though not cold-blooded, saurians are uncomfortable with colder temperatures. They suffer a -4 penalty to deal with cold-related environmental effects.

Talans

The talans are a feline race, originally from the jungles of Taladar. They are the longest-lived race, having a natural life-span of hundreds of years if not cut short by illness or violence. The talans were the ones to lead the resistance of the saurian empire a thousand years ago. Since that time, they rose up to install the largest government on Taladar, the nation of Thesala. Based in the interior of the western continent, Thesala is a theocracy, led by the talan Elders and spiritual leaders.

Physically, the talans are humanoid and typically stand between five and six feet tall. They are covered with fur. They typically have a striped pattern, though the precise colors differ between individuals. Their lower legs resemble those of large cats, and their hands have stubby fingers that are closer to cat paws than a human hand. Their eyes are large and round, with green or gold being the most common colors. Their teeth are sharp and pointed, in keeping with their strictly-carnivorous diet.

Racial Traits:

Agile – Talans are graceful and dextrous. They start with a d6 in Agility rather than a d4.

All Thumbs – Talans dislike mechanical pursuits, preferring magic to mundane technology. They automatically have the All Thumbs Hindrance.

Low-Light Vision – The talans' feline eyes give them enhanced vision in dark places. They can see in the dark and ignore penalties for Dim and Dark lighting.

Racial Enemy – Since the talans overthrew the saurian empire a thousand years ago, talans and saurians have never been comfortable with each other. Talans have a -4 penalty to Charisma when dealing with saurians, and vice-versa.

Natural Weapons – Talans have retractable claws in their fingers. They can use these claws in combat to deal STR+d6 damage.

The Forged

A race of living constructs, the Forged are a race that were originally created by the Ancients. Human explorers discovered the secrets of creating them more than fifty years ago, just before the discovery of the voidships. The Forged are not numerous, given that only powerful magic can animate them.

The Forged are built to resemble the existing races. The majority are shaped like humans or saurians, but several are built in the image of talans. However they are shaped, they still have the same racial characteristics, and they are unmistakably synthetic. Their bodies are built from many materials, from bone to wood to steel. Their eyes typically give off a soft, blue glow.

Racial Traits:

Construct – The Forged, as synthetic beings, are immune to poison and disease, do not suffer additional damage from called shots, add +2 to recover from being Shaken, and Construct Wild Cards never suffer from Wound Modifiers.

Slow – The Forged are not as quick as other races and start with a Pace of 5.

Intolerant of Cold – The synthetic bodies of the Forged grow sluggish in the cold. They suffer a -4 penalty to deal with cold-related environmental effects.

Naturally Armored – The bodies of the Forged are crafted from naturally hard materials, such as bone or metal. This gives the Forged a +2 to their Armor.