How Do You Create Your Alien Bad-Boys?

[Mithras]

OK, you have a great idea or a campaign and a setting that isn't 3i, and now you need your big bad alien species. Bad guys of the campaign. What do you do?

Lift out from Traveller?
Lift from other SF?
Brainstorm?
Use some alien creation rules?

 

[rust]

Usually a combination of "brainstorming" and "alien creation rules".

In most cases I have a basic idea for an alien creature and then use rules
like Flynn's Guide to Alien Creation to add some of the details that were
not covered by my concept.

For example, I "knew" that the basic creature archetype of Pandora would
be aquatic with eight limbs - four tentacles with claws and four fins - and
that it would be able to sense electromagnetic fields, sound and vibrations,
but that it would otherwise be blind.
Flynn's Guide then added that it is cold blooded, hermaphroditic, egg-lay-
ing, and a couple of other things I had not thought of.

 

[Mithras]

I have Flynn's Guide,but not used it yet. Glad to read it has its uses.

Unconnected: rust, does it irk you that James Cameron used the name Pandora for his world?

 

[rust]

Unconnected: rust, does it irk you that James Cameron used the name Pandora for his world?

Not at all. I knew that I used that name before he did, but I am a nice guy
and will not sue him. 8)

 

[kristof65]

I handle it exactly like rust. In addition to Flynn's guide and brainstorming, I reference the Writer's Digest Science Fiction writing series books on World Building and Aliens.

 

[Mithras]

Mm, I have the World Building book which is de rigeur for every Traveller GM in my opinion!

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

I use 'Flynn's Guide to Alien Creation' and then alter the results until I'm happy using personal tables and notes that can be used for animals too (to get a reasonably consistent feel to an ecology).

I don't use the 3rd Imperium setting... it's too 1970's TV movie.

 

[dmccoy1693]

If I was doing my own setting, it would be human only and the aliens would be bad guys (StarShip Troopers style). But currently I"m running Babylon 5 so its just the aliens from the setting book.

 

[Charakan]

I don't use the 3rd Imperium setting... it's too 1970's TV movie.

One of the things I like about the 3I is that it can be used to create those 40s to 70s scifi stories that I grew up reading.

However these days I've begun to feel its very limiting - at least in its 1105 incarnation, I'm going to have to buy a laptop for gaming so I can use my 1248 pdfs, means I'll have to stop buying books for a while.

I'm not completely caught up in retro SF, when Neuromancer came out it totally blew me away and changed the way I thought about SF forever. I also really enjoy Iain M Banks (definitely my favourite SF author to date and his non-SF stuff is really good too) and what he's done for space opera type settings.

Anyway I've gone off at a tangent, I voted for alien creation rules, I've messed around with Flynn's guide and its rather good.

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

Ah, but it can't do 'Lensman'... no banks of screens.

I think the 'Algebraist' is perhaps my favourite, but there again I like portions of 'Matter' and 'Consider Phlebas' too.

 

[Charakan]

I find Consider Phlebas the most difficult of Banks' books to read, I really like the Algebraist and Use of Weapons.

I see what you mean about Lensman (wasn't there a GURPS Lensman supplement or is that just wishful thinking on my part?).

 

[Blix]

I use a mix of brainstorming and alien creation rules. Usually I brainstorm the alien, and then use the rules to translate it into game mechanics.

 

[chrisdw]

I use a mix of brainstorming and alien creation rules - normally the ones from GURPS Space 4e.

 

[Mithras]

I need some aliens for a new campaign idea (RAF in space type thing), so I'll look at my Flynn's Guide ... or use sentient robots .... not decided.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

I use a mix of brainstorming and alien creation rules. Usually I brainstorm the alien, and then use the rules to translate it into game mechanics.

This is usually what I do as well, although I have to admit that most of my brainstorming is coming up with ways to combine ideas that I have read or seen.

 

[rinku]

I brainstorm, though naturally I'll end up with influences from any number of sources. Have to look up the guides you guys have mentioned!

 

[BP]

Coming up with aliens is no problem for me. But,

• My aliens are always good guys!

Your question reminds me of 'Enemy Mine'

 

[Cleon the Mad]

I don't use the 3rd Imperium setting... it's too 1970's TV movie.

A pox on thee for saying such. ( ).

Okay, I'm not that much of a grognard. In fact I left a forum due to too many doing the "They changed it, now it sucks" trope about Mongoose Traveller and being too much of CT grognards.

But anyway, seriously without flaming except in jest, I do like the OTU/Third Imperium setting and mostly use canon aliens. Having said that, although they are at least close to canon I do pull some of the aliens from the third edition GURPS Traveller modules (The minor race ones that were included along with the two or so major races in each). But I haven't used any alien creation book/suppliment nor pulled any from other fiction or games personally.