Exobiology 101

What is an alien?

Until now, when building characters for use in the Costumed Adventurer Simulation Engine, the assumption has been that one is creating a human being. You know, someone from the planet earth like you or me (well, you, at least), whose physiology is, or was at least originally, in line with that of other humans. The main exception to this is when one plays a product of humanity's knowledge, such as a robot.

Those characters who don't fall within this classification are considered alien beings. The complicated thing about generating an alien character is that their origin must include details about what makes them alien, on top of everything else about them that needs to be described. And with some aliens, this can be especially tricky, depending on whatever it is that happens to mark them as an alien being.

This process begins with some basic questions.

Who Are Their People?

A vital facet of an alien character's background is the people that spawned them. Sure, the planet, dimension, or even timeline where a species was created or formed definitely matters, and will absolutely shape its society. But while these factors are important components of a people and their story, what matters most to us is what the very point of this alien civilization is.

In other words, why do these entities even exist? This can be as complicated a concern as 'they are the aggressive and occasionally antagonistic society that the players must contend with' or as simple an explanation as 'I wanted to make a cool alien character'. The former is great for games that will last for more than one session, but the latter is perfect for a 'one-shot' adventure.

Whatever the reason this species exists, no matter how much effort has been expended on deciding their purpose in the game, they'll be a permanent addition to its story. As such, the character of this alien society must be determined as well, which assists in both the development of the Judge's story, as well as helping players broadly know what to expect when one or more of its people appears.

Consider human history and society when conceptualizing an alien civilization, and then extrapolate from there based on how far removed conditions where they developed are from what humanity has enjoyed and/or endured. Thus, these new creations may be culturally close enough to humanity to be relatable, or they might be so different from us that they're almost incomprehensible.

At the same time, it's easy to fall into the trap of making an entire society monolithic in nature. One-note cultures are an unfortunate staple of fiction, particularly when there is no intention to actually revisist the beings in question once they've fulfilled their narrative purpose. Sure, such civilizations could be expounded upon at a later date, but building a bit of variety into each society is always a good idea.

Unless ubiquitous conformity to a singular tradition is the intent with a given culture, anyway.

What Are They?

After settling on the purpose of your new alien society, what makes its people different from humanity must be decided. Aliens range from those physically and visually indistinguishable from your neighbors, to entities we cannot even be perceive as living, to sanity-rending horrors whose mere presence may very well induce madness. Figuring out what kind of alien you wish to role-play includes choosing one of the following:

Humanlike aliens are those that are either completely human, or mechanically very close to that state of being. This kind of alien can represent offshoot species of humanity, or fictional species who appear completely human save for some abnormal characteristic such as pointy ears, weird forehead ridges, a particularly stout build, or perhaps green skin. Humanlike aliens may or may not have special powers.

Humanoid aliens are those sharing the same approximate shape as a human being, but have numerous special characteristics that are almost impossible to disguise. They may appear to be human-animal hybrids of some sort, like a satyr or mermaid, alien-human crossbreeds, particularly those of fae or demonic descent, or some other species that only shares the approximate dimensions of humankind.

Inhuman aliens are those who can't remotely be confused for a human being, and probably wouldn't want to be. This can include sentient, enhanced, or evolved animals, intelligent plants or fungi, distressingly large insectoid entities, strange masses of writhing bits whose function ignores the rational, or even oddities of chemistry that are alive, but probably don't register as such to us until they act.

Inorganic aliens are the kind that are way, way off the beaten path. Rarely possessing anything remotely like familiar, biological processes, this form of alien can include mineral entities, fluid life forms, living masses of gases, ostensibly limitless founts of energy, or possibly even vivified artificial, seemingly manufactured objects. In the extreme, these can include sentient locations or phenomenon.

When Did They Originate?

Costumed Adventurer Simulation Engine characters typically hail from the present, whether they're an accountant from New Mexico or an alien scourge from beyond the stars. One's game can be a period piece set in 1984 near a dormant volcano in Oregon, or take place on the line during World War IV's Antarctic Campaigns, but whenever it occurs is mechanically considered the here and now.

Characters featured during play should appear and act as they would during their current era, unless they have a compelling reason not to. Such reasons most often come in the form of temporal rifts, wacky contraptions, or mystical mishaps that can fling a body from their native place in time to another era altogether. And if one lacks the ability to traverse time by themselves, they likely aren't coming back anytime soon.

Mechanically speaking, aside from the threat of being returned to one's native era by the use of spells such as banishment or exposure to the likes of temporal static, there isn't all that much of a difference between adventurers from the past, present, or future. A temporal displacement as part of a character's origin makes for a great story element, however, as well as an explanation for abnormal knowledge they may hold.

Furthermore, it's a great way to rationalize the existence of heretofore unknown posthuman civilizations, whether they can be described as timelost or technically haven't even been created yet! Belonging to an extinct or potential people can also mean less work for both the player and the Judge, as lesser effort needs to be spent explaining why this civilization hasn't previously been heard of in the game.

However, playing a character drifting off their place in the timeline still prompts a bit of heavy lifting from one's Judge beforehand. While a time traveler's entire era of origin need not be planned out in great detail, Judges nonetheless need to account how events proceeded between the two time periods involved, at the very least - a process that often gives them countless plot hooks to riff off of.

Just make sure they're up for such work before proposing to add a time traveler to one's game.

Where Are They From?

Given the purpose and nature of a given group of aliens, players must determine where they come from next. An alien's point of origin isn't normally as important as their physical characteristics, but can be if the laws of physics are so different where they come from that they require special powers to survive in the campaign setting. Places of origin for alien characters can be one of the following:

Prime Earth: all kinds of beings that can be considered aliens come from our very own world. This can include strange offshoots of humanity living in secret societies previously hidden to ordinary man, mutant animals that are just as smart as (or smarter than) an ordinary person, or even inexplicable monstrosities living beneath the crust of the earth. Older media is replete with this sort of alien entity.

Other Earth: on the other hand, variant timelines are a great source of alien species. These can simply be humans native to adjacent timelines, universes where evolution went in a startlingly different direction than that which we know, or possibly even the products of alternate histories where dinosaurs continued evolving uninterrupted by a giant meteor.

Other World: while they are from the same universe as you or I, aliens from other worlds hail from a staggeringly different background than an earth with a somewhat different history. This can cause the evolution of any number of extraterrestrial entities, ranging from the usual science fiction folks with funny foreheads to awful terrors wrought in the crucible of a wildly divergent evolutionary timeline.

Other Universe: while the previous assumes characters primarily originating in a space-time that obeys the same laws of physics familiar to humanity, all bets are off when pondering species evolved in other universes. Hailing from higher (or just incomprehensibly different) planes of existence, the development of such alien life may or may not follow conventional causality - or even common sense.

Why Did They Leave Home?

When it comes down to it, aliens are called aliens because they're alien. They're entities vastly different from just about everyone and everything else living where they've chosen (or were forced) to call home, whether or not said home is populated by just one form or sentient life or has embraced a more cosmopolitan universe full of wildly different alien beings and cultures.

In the end, the big question is what brings our nascent alien into the game's setting? Are they taking advantage of the universe's infinte nature to hide far, far away from their homeworld? Could they be an explorer of the unknown, who simply decided they liked what the campaign's setting has to offer? Or is it even some other, less obvious carrot that attracted the alien 'here'?

While this may seem a minor detail about an alien character's history, it's truly the most important. Crossing the universe isn't easy, and doing so in a manner that means you may not be able to return home can be arduous. And while the previous may help develop an alien character's mechanical nature, in a rules sense, answering this question is where building an alien gets more personal.

Whether or not an alien's fellows are developed in any real sense before play begins, it is important to do at least this much work for the alien character being generated. Many other character types can skate on background and/or origin and/or history until after they are mechanically represented, but aliens, as stated, most often require a lot more plot-based lifting before they are introduced.

Then again, some players excel at, or even thrive while winging it. Others prefer starting out with one declared background while secretly putting their 'real' story together. As long as the Judge doesn't seize on previously declared details first, or can handle their players just making up alien societies within their (possibly) carefully crafted game, this is also doable. Ultimately, go with your strengths here.

And last, with all that pesky plot having been dealt with...

How Are They Represented?

Once all of the previous questions have been answered, or at least considered for a moment or two, it's time to translate what has been gleaned about this proposed alien character into benchmarks usable in the Costumed Adventurer Simulation Engine. The first step in this process is to determine how many super-human capabilities our new alien being will possess, as detailed on table 1.

Once a player knows how many powers their new alien will possess, they must determine what form said powers take. This is because, unlike how human characters are created, aliens frequently have inherent abilities as a simple function of their existence. Such abilities are those that all of their kind possess, beyond the human standard referenced by the rest of the Costumed Adventurer Simulation Engine.

Such abiliites may take the form of powers that let the alien character function where their kind hails from, if their home is sufficiently different from what us mere humans take for granted. Alternately, they may come in the form of whatever powers their bizarre evolutionary timeline has granted them by dint of conditions on the ground (or whatever) wherever they sprang into being. Or a bit of both, really!

Players may choose from or randomly roll on table 11a to determine which categories their natural powers spring forth from, then on tables 12 through 27, barring table 16, to narrow that down to individual powers. This is the same process that transnormal characters use to see what their posthuman status has wrought for them, and is functionlly the same save for the fact that to the alien, they're perfectly normal.

Choice is allowed here, above and beyond that which exists throughout the character generation process, because some abilities need to be adopted to make an alien character work. Undersea humanoids may require dual respiration to get by on the surface, for example, while a rocky entity might need a permanent, always-active form of transformation / self to explain their very existence as a life form.

The narrative and mechanical stress such requirements may place on the generation and continued existence of alien characters is the reason they are allowed one more power than other folks who manage the same result on table 1 (or their origin's equivalent). For those players generating an alien using the systematic method of character generation, they may simply add five (5) points when getting started.

Players may assign none, some, or all of their initial power slots to abilities that describe their people, as they see fit. The more powers they wield as a function of their kind, however, the less they'll have available from any supplemental origins of power. And that's perfectly fine, if the alien's creator wants that. Maybe they want to play an alien using off the shelf hardware, after all.

However, alternate power sources are available to aliens because a vast array of these being featured in various media have inherent powers and... something else going on with them. Think aliens visiting earth in their starships, or dread creatures from beyond the universe trespassing in our realm with sorcery. In other words, like other characters, alien adventurers may possess relatively unique capabilities.

Alien characters in the making may roll on or choose from the additional origins of power listed on table 2, if they wish to adopt any. If the result of such a roll is Combination, roll again twice to determine which two additional sources of power the alien will draw from - or, alterantely, feel free to adopt one of the common, existing combinations detailed in the Combination section, below.

With that settled, the next thing players generating an alien must do is determine their new character's ability scores. How a player does this depends on what kind of alien they attempt to generate and what additional origin(s) of power they draw their abilities from. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, alien characters can use the best options available to them on table 3 when determining their ability scores.

A humanlike alien utilizes table 3a to find their Strength, Endurance, and one mental ability score, table 3b to generate their Fighting, Agility, and another mental ability score, and finally table 3d to determine their remaining mental ability score. This is the process for generating a normal human's ability scores, but isn't constrained by normal human limits, as shown in the Ability Scores chapter.

Other aliens utilize the same process as humans with a transnormal or technological origin. To wit, they roll on table 3a to determine one ability score, table 3b to determine the next three ability scores, and table 3d to determine their final three ability scores. Players generating non-humanlike aliens, or aliens bolstered by these origins of power, may choose the order these rolls are made in.

If the alien in process wields sorcery or psionics, they'll tend closer to humanlike beings in their ability scores. They use table 3a when determining Strength and Endurance, table 3b for their Fighting and Agility, and table 3d for their three mental ability scores. This assumes the mage or psi is to be a humanlike alien; if not, they can default to the process used by other alien types if they wish.

Finally, aliens featuring one or more divine founts of power may use tables 3b, 3d, and 3f to roll for two of their ability scores each, and then table 3h for the seventh. They may choose which of these tables determine which ability score, as can transnormals and high tech characters, but their higher possible ability scores lend a lot more gravity to these choices during character generation.

Should players have access to hyperkinetic ability scores, upgrade rolls on table 3b to table 3c, rolls on table 3d to table 3e, rolls on table 3f to table 3g, and rolls on table 3h to table 3i. All characters save for those with immortal power sources roll on table 3a to determine their Resources, while those with divine providence on their side may do so on table 3b. All characters begin with a Popularity of zero (0).

Finally, once the ranks of an alien's ability scores have been ascertained, players must sort out how powerful their inherent abilities are, should they possess any. Roll on table 3b to determine the rank of half of one's natural alien abilities, and table 3d for the other half. If hyperexhaustive and hyperkinetic ranks are available to the character, upgrade those to table 3c and 3e, respectively.

Once these rolls are complete, players may gamble on any two ability scores of their choice, potentially shoring up areas on their new alien they feel could use assistance. The only limits in this regard are the results on table 4 themselves, as well as the power rank ceiling for their campaign. If you're not already aware of this cap for heroic (or villainous) power, ask your friendly neighborhood Judge!

Once a prospective alien entity has resolved how many powers they have, how many origins those powers can be drawn from (besides their native abilities), and finally their primary ability scores, it's time to get more specific. The following is a short walkthrough of the process required to generate powers for each kind of character in the game, with the dozens of tables necessary presented afterwards.

When determing what powers, spells, or psionics the alien will possess, consider that the instructions and tables below are a wildly condensed set of instructions for building characters that utilize the associated origins of power. It is highly recommended that players consult character generation rules for each origin type they will wield if not already unfamiliar with the process in question.

At any rate, the six sources of power an alien might supplement their basic abilities with include:

Transnormal Power Origins

The first step in creating an alien whose powers are supplemented by a transnormal origin is to determine what form those ascendant abilities take. Did the alien receive bonus powers after exposure to freakish radiation or bizarre chemicals? Is he or she a mutant? Or did they die, only to rise again as a super-alien? Assuming choice isn't part of the equation, figure this out by rolling once on table 5.

Recall that all transnormal character types feature a bonus of sorts, a unique characteristic that helps to define them in relation to other transnormals. These bonuses are applied to such beings after the rest of character generation is complete, which often allows them to have ability scores or power ranks that (with the Judge's permission) can even exceed their campaign's power rank ceiling.

• Altered aliens may bolster any two ability scores of their choice by +1 CS.
• Arisen may bolster any one ability score and any one power rank by +1 CS.
• Composites may bolster their Strength by +1 CS, and gain the Fast Healing quirk.
• Degenerates may bolster their Fighting and Strength by +1 CS.
• Descendants may bolster their Intuition by +1 CS, and may add any one +1 CS offered by their parents' origin.
• Mutants may add +1 CS to their Endurance score and +1 CS to any one power rank.
• Reanimates may add +1 CS to their Psyche score and +1 CS to any one power rank.

With an alien's transnormal component determined, it's time to actually figure out which powers it provides the character. Roll on table 11a to determine the category a power belongs to, and then use that to roll on the indicated power category table (12 through 27, save for table 16) to home in on an individual super power. Once the power is determined, head on over to the Powers document to read it.

Players should do this because, at the beginning of almost every power description in the CASE, there is a list of related powers, abilities that dovetail with the indicated power. If the alien will draw any more abilities from this origin, players may either choose one of these related powers for his or her next power selection(s), or may instead roll randomly again.

Theme characters (or at least themed power sets) are more easily assembled when a player can add related powers to one or two abilities which are randomly generated, instead of just dealing with a hodgepodge of completely random powers. Though that, too, can lend itself to the creative process, tying numerous disparate abilities together into a cohesive whole!

Recall that some powers are vastly more potent than others. These particularly versatile abilities occupy more than one power 'slot' on a character, whether chosen or rolled up randomly. Powers like this will have a number in parenthesis after their name (such as (2), for instance), which determines how many power 'slots' they use up when added to one's character.

Finally, once the powers of an alien's transnormal component have been ascertained, players must determine that individual's specific power ranks. Roll on table 3b to determine the rank of half of one's transnormal abilities, and table 3d for the other half. If hyperexhaustive and hyperkinetic ranks are available to the character, upgrade those to table 3c and 3e, respectively.

For more information on generating transnormal characters, please refer to the Transnormality Treatise.

Technological Power Origins

Alien characters who receive some of their powers via technology find that their technological abilities function for them in the same fashion as human high tech characters. In other words, the only real difference between technology-based adventurers is how one with their ascendant technology they happen to be. In other words, they are device wielders, cyborgs, or robots, as detailed on table 6.

All technological powers come with a built-in limitation, which is what sets characters who wield them apart from folks with other origins. Bear this in mind when determing the power rank such abilities will operate at, because these limitations do bolster the ranks of the powers they curtail in the normal fashion. All of these limitations are considered weak in strength, unless players choose otherwise.

• Device wielders' powers suffer from the portable limitation, meaning they can be stolen (or shared).
• Cyborgs suffer from implant rejection syndrome, a character limitation causing their hard-wired gear to destabilize their very minds.
• Robots generally feature the languorous, proprietary, or reprogrammable character limitation (pick at least one).

With an alien's technological component determined, it's time to actually figure out which powers it provides them. Roll on table 11a to determine the category a technological power belongs to, and then use that to roll on the indicated power category table (12 through 27, minus table 16) when homing in on an individual super power. Once that first power is determined, head on over to the Powers document to read it.

Players should do this because, at the beginning of almost every power description in the CASE, there is a list of related powers, abilities that dovetail with the indicated power. If the alien character will draw any more abilities from their technological origin, they may either choose one of these related powers for his or her next power selection(s), or may instead roll randomly again.

What this does is allow a player to build an alien character whose high tech abilities are closely related to one another, if so desired. Players may go either way when generating aliens with access to advanced technology, however, for the abilities their gear has is determined by their knowledge, their resources, their individual whims, and whatever technology their people have developed.

Another concern when determining the technological powers a character will possess is what form they manifest in. The ascendant abilities of high tech characters are uniquely related to their physical source, and a high tech hero, villain, or other adventurer must at least explain where they come from. This explanation needn't be anything requiring a master's degree, though, as many comic books can attest.

All partially technical alien beings may gain powers via items that are external to their body. While otherwise intact alien beings who are the users of high tech devices solely gain their technological abilities via these implements, cyborgs and robots can designate one or more of their powers as sourced via disconnected devices as well, should they so choose.

Furthermore, the form the technology-based part of an alien takes may provide them bonus powers. Cyborgs either possess the equivalent of hard points, based on the MS of their implants, or body armor if they feature a full body replacement. Robots also benefit from body armor as a bonus power, along with Unearthly (100) ranked resistance to disease and poison (unless their concept would indicate otherwise).

Recall that some powers are vastly more potent than others. These particularly versatile technological abilities occupy more than one power 'slot' on a character, whether chosen or rolled up randomly. Such powers will have a number in parenthesis after their name (such as (3), for instance), which determines how many power 'slots' they use up when added to one's character.

Finally, once the powers of their alien character's technological component have been ascertained, players must determine that individual's specific power ranks. Roll on table 3b to determine the rank of half of one's high tech abilities, and table 3d for the other half. If hyperexhaustive and hyperkinetic ranks are available to the character, upgrade those to table 3c and 3e, respectively.

For more information on generating technology-based characters, please refer to the Technical Reference.

Sorcerous Power Origins

Alien sorcerers are only as durable as others of their kind, which may or may not be hardier than a human. An alien character wielding magic need not undergo special changes to their physicality to cast spells, only the training required to do so. Bearing that in mind, the only net difference between how one wizard brandishes magic at others is the school of magic they were trained in, as determined on table 7.

With one's school determined, it's time to sort out what magic an alien caster of spells possesses. Characters wielding magic can generally choose half of their spells, starting with their first. This is because it's often vital for wizards to begin play with at least one spell explicitly belonging to their school of magic - and subsequent choices let them better guide their overall magical journey.

When generating spells randomly, refer to table 28 to determine which type of spell is to be generated, then tables 29 through 46 to sort out each spell. If 'school spell' is the result, players can typically only choose from those belonging to their own path of the obscure, but each mystical school has one or two other traditions that dovetail with their own; see the Book of Magic for more on this.

Furthermore, the optional entreaty spells from the Entreaty Spells document are included as well, as it does consist of a pre-made class of beings that can be entreated for power - not to mention dozens of entreaty spells to showcase what magic of this type is capable of. Should the Judge feel aliens wouldn't know of the Anunnaki, they can replace table 32 with one that features entreaty spells based on other lore.

In addition to their many spells, all sorcerers may begin play with one magical artifact - even alien characters who are only partly dedicated to mysticism receive this bonus! Generate this magically infused device as one would any ordinary spell, but recall that as an item, it is subject to the portable limitation, which may drastically increase its power depending on just how unique it is.

Note that spells with a (2) or (3) listed after them count as either two spells or three spells, respectively, or cost an amount of points per rank equal to the normal amount times that multiple; spiritual link, for instance, occupies two spell slots or costs two points per rank. Spells with an asterisk in parenthesis (*) are special in cost; see their spell description for more.

At any rate, once a player has determined which magical abilities they have access to, whether it comes in the form of a spell or an ensorcelled implement, they must determine what rank they operate at. Thaumaturges may utilize table 3d to roll up all their spell ranks, though if hyperkinetic and hyperexhaustive ranks are available in the campaign, make use of table 3e, instead.

For more information on generating magic-wielding characters, please refer to the Book of Magic.

Psionic Power Origins

Psis are generally beings who intently train their minds, bodies, and souls to unlock the secret abilities hidden within us all, though psionics sometimes emerge due to extreme circumstances. Aliens channeling this origin of power for some of their ascendant abilities generate them in a very similar, but slightly different, manner than ordinary psis, starting with a roll on or choice from table 8.

Results that would indicate either a natural psi or a believer with additional psionic training have been removed from this table in Exobiology 101. This differs from the standard character generation process in the Manual of the Psi because these results are, technically speaking, someone who 'double dips' into psionics as an origin of power, drawing from it in two distinct fashions.

Those formally trained to master their psionic powers do so via traditional, intermediate, or casual schooling. These methods control which disciplines of power a trained psi may draw from and when, and each features a powerful benefit that offsets the lack of choice or power availability inherent to them. If it isn't chosen, the training method a psi will use is sorted out on table 9.

With the specific nature of their psionic activation sorted, alien characters making use of this power origin may begin to determine the psionics they will begin play with. Natural psis and believers will use table 47 to indicate whether their next power will be an art, talent, or skill, while trained psis will always generate powers in that specific order before beginning again.

Alien psis then roll on table 48 to see which discipline from which that first power issues forth. This affects their subsequent power choices, depending on how their powers were activated. Trained psis must gain nine powers from that first discipline before they can begin training in a new one, while intermediate psis need only master three from a discipline before they can draw from another.

Other psis, whether casually trained, possessing natural powers, or empowered by their potent beliefs, have more flexibility. They have the option of changing the discipline they draw from each time they add a new psionic, should they desire. Psis undertaking a more casual method of schooling have a more limited power selection, though, which is why there are two versions of each power table available.

Once the type and discipline an alien psi's next power will draw from is determined, players may roll on tables 49 through 75 to choose determine the specific psionic they'll be adding to the mix. They may then repeat this process as necessary, depending on their specific kind of psi activation, for as many other ascendant abilities that will result from their access to this origin of power.

Consider that not all psionics are created equal. Those psi powers with a number in parenthesis after them (perhaps (4), for example), occupy that many power 'slots', or cost that many points per rank they are bought at; causality control, for example, is a psimantic art that fits this description. Psionics with an asterisk in parenthesis (*) are special in cost; see their power description for more.

The only caveat to the above is that traditionally trained psis must take the root power of a discipline first. That's an essential component to how their psionic education proceeds, thus even aliens using traditional psionics must follow this rule. Intermediate psis need not begin a discipline by choosing that root power, but won't actually master a discipline until they've accomplished this.

Once all the powers an alien will utilize from this origin of power have been determined, the player behind them must complete them with power ranks. Psionic powers all utilize table 3d when sorting out their initial power ranks, unless the character wielding them has access to hyperexhaustive and hyperkinetic power ranks. If this is the case, they should utilize table 3e, instead.

For more information on generating psionic characters, please refer to the Manual of the Psi.

Immortal Power Origins

Deific beings are those rare few whose ascendant abilities are derived, either in whole or in part, by their interactions with the power of faith. An alien character dipping their toes into the divine may have multiple founts of power to draw from, but this one, the one that frequently involves a perpetual existence, is often the most desirable. Common deific power origins are showcased on table 10.

As one can see by investigating the nature of these immortal origins of power, there is a stark difference between each (reincarnators and preincarnators notwithstanding). While the numenplyer, aspirant, empowered, and legacies lack additional abilities besides what they roll up next, the rest each possess a bonus power that describes how they scoff at the concept of mortality, as follows.

• Quintessential variants possess the quintessential variation power as a free bonus.
• Reincarnators possess the reincarnation power as a free bonus.
• Preincarnators possess the preincarnation power as a free bonus.
• Demigods possess the apotheosis power as a free bonus.
• Abstract beings possess the abstraction power as a free bonus.
• Gods possess the immortality power as a free bonus.

With a deific being's immortal component determined, it's time to actually figure out which powers it provides the character. Roll on table 11b to determine the category a power belongs to, and then use that to roll on the indicated power category table (12 through 26) to home in on an individual super power. Once the power is determined, head on over to the Powers document to read it.

Players should do this because, at the beginning of almost every power description in the CASE, there is a list of related powers, abilities that dovetail with the indicated power. If the alien character will draw any more abilities from this origin, players may either choose one of these related powers for his or her next power selection(s), or may instead roll randomly again.

Theme characters (or at least themed power sets) are more easily assembled when a player can add related powers to one or two abilities which are randomly generated, instead of just dealing with a hodgepodge of completely random powers. Immortal beings in particular benefit from powers that seemingly work together to describe who and what they are, as that helps them to accumulate the power of faith!

Recall that some powers are vastly more potent than others. These particularly versatile abilities occupy more than one power 'slot' on a character, whether chosen or rolled up randomly. Such powers will have a number in parenthesis after their name (such as (5), for instance), which determines how many power 'slots' they use up when added to one's character.

Finally, once the powers of their alien character's divine component have been ascertained, players must determine that individual's specific power ranks. Alternate between tables 3b, 3d, 3f, and 3h to do this, though in campaigns with access to hyperexhaustive and hyperkinetic ranks, roll on tables 3c, 3e, 3g, and 3i, instead. As you can see, the more divine powers one has, the mightier they can be!

For more information on generating divine characters, please refer to the Deionomicon.

Combination Power Origins

While most human adventurers typically only draw from one well when developing ascendant capabilities, aliens don't necessarily follow that trend. Perhaps a given entity's society doesn't have such hard and fast rules between origins of power, or maybe access to multiple power sources is a given for them. As such, aliens wielding more than one type of ascendant ability are more common than you'd think.

When Combination comes up on table 2, an alien has the choice of rolling on the table two again, adopting several additional founts of power, or they can choose one of the pre-existing combination power forms described in the Costumed Adventurer Simulation Engine. The process of generating characters with these is presented in the Combination Character Cookbook, as well as the other linked character creation guides.

Either way, the general process of creating a combination alien is the same as it is for a human with a multiple origins of power. Where aliens differ, however, is that some of their ascendant abilities may already be accounted for before they even start dipping their toes into other power sources. This may limit how many powers they can utilize from each additional origin, thus diluting their overall effect.

This thus requires a careful balancing act for players as they generate their alien with a combination power origin. How many powers do they want inherent to their kind, and how many will come from their transnormal augmentations and/or high tech devices and/or magical spells and/or artifacts or hard-earned psionics and/or divine providence? It ultimately depends on players' idea for their aliens, really.

This can be especially fraught when one considers that some powers are much more potent than others. Especially versatile abilities tend to occupy more than one power slot during character generation, which can further limit how many origins of power the alien can effectively dip their toes into. Such abilities usually have a number behind their name in the power / spell / psionic rolling tables, below.

(workin' on it)

For more advice on producing alien characters utilizing combination origins, please refer to the Combination Character Cookbook.

Power Tables

Spell Tables

Psionics Tables

Empathic Powers

Metapsi Powers

Psikinetic Powers

Psimantic Powers

Psimotive Powers

Psipathic Powers

Superpsi Powers

Technopsi Powers

Theonic Powers

And then...

Once all the powers an alien character will draw from their various origins have been determined, and ranks have been rolled for each, the player behind their creation may gamble on those ranks if they wish. As does every other character type, aliens may gamble once if they possess between one and three powers, twice if they have between four and six powers, and thrice if they can wield even more.

Limitations

Players are often unhappy with the ranks they've rolled up for their character. Even after adjusting various ranks with gambling attempts, they're just not satisfied with what they've come up with. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, as sometimes one has a specific vision in mind for their character. This is where limitations come in! A player may subject their character to limitations to make them more powerful.

Limitations come in two distinct flavors: power limitations and character limitations. A power limitation is just that, an altering of how said power works to the detriment of the player, as compared to others who can use this ability. A power so limited may not affect certain objects or beings, can only be used during certain specific time periods, or may otherwise work in a manner others may find unusual or restrictive.

Character limitations, however, change the nature of every power a person uses, not just one. A character limitation may simply be a power limitation that 'works' on every single power, an alteration to the basic function of powers in general, or even some other constraint that seriously hampers how a character operates (such as an inability to move without the aid of powers).

At any rate, the severity of the limitation determines just how much of a power boost the character may receive. Limitations come in four flavors: weak, strong, very strong, and extreme. A weak limitation is just that, a minor crimp in an ability's effectiveness, and only offers a +1 CS. Each successive limitation provides a further +1 CS to the power's rank, but as their names imply, they become increasingly constraining.

Alternately, a character can take a limitation on a power to replace one already built in to it; some powers, like those involving time, have several such constraints already baked in. With the Judge's permission, players may swap out one limitation for another, as long as the new limitation would be equally as inconvenient, which allows a player to better craft the character they imagine in their heads.

Enhancements

Similarly, a player might have more than enough power (or might think such, at any rate), or simply wants more 'bang for their buck' out of their existing power roster. If this is the case, they may decide to empower their abilities with enhancements. Like limitations, enhancements have four levels of power, including weak, strong, very strong, and extreme, each of which adds a subsequent -1 CS modifier to one's power ranks.

In exchange for suffering from the effects of this modifier, the character's ability will benefit from an improvement of some sort. Moving a power up one speed or range category is considered a strong enhancement, while two is an extreme enhancement. At the same time, a power can be given a hyperkinetic rank if not already rolled randomly, serving as an extreme enhancement to the specific power it applies to.

Like limitations, enhancements are difficult to apply across an entire character, though this isn't impossible. While speeds and ranges vary from power to power, things such as initiative penalties can apply to all of a character's actions and powers. Alternately, one might opt to gain a hyperkinetic ability score, which is considered a weak character enhancement (thus applying a -1 CS to all of one's powers).

Usually, the reduction in rank an enhancement inflicts is enough to make up the difference. This can make purchasing new powers more difficult down the line, though, particularly if a character enhancement is in effect; a new power to be affected by an enhancement must be bought at a rank high enough that, upon applying the negative CS, it will at least work at the normal starting value.

Quirks

Slightly more palatable than limitations or enhancements, quirks are minor changes to a character that either saddle him or her with some disadvantage, or enhance a trait of theirs. They can also be used to raise the rank one or more of a character's powers work at if so desired, within the confines of that system. The quirks rules have more on this, but the quirk tables are presented here, for convenience.

Normally, quirks are a voluntary affair - players may or may not use quirks, as they see fit. They are presented below, in the format of random rolling tables, for two reasons. The first is for the Judge's use, to quickly generate random characters when time is of the essence. Alternately, a player may roll randomly if he or she wants or needs a quirk and doesn't know what to pick. Not that they're bound by such a roll, of course.

Quirks are divided up into the beneficial and deleterious quirks of a physical, mental, and role-play nature. Those quirks which cost (or grant) two quirk points are noted with a two in parenthesis (2), while those that can be taken at multiple levels are noted with an asterisk in parenthesis (*).

Note: when building aliens that are partial device users, as opposed to cyborgs or robots, players receive one free quirk point at this stage of character generation. If using the systematic method to build a character, players may instead add a point to their character, which is ostensibly for use when purchasing quirks, but may be designated for any other purpose if desired.

Talents

The talents your freshly built alien character begins play with can be determined per any other character type, beginning by rolling up their number of initial talents on table 83. Then, roll for the category each talent will belong to on table 84. To finish up, roll for individual talents using tables 85 through 92, one table for each applicable category of talents.

However, the actual talents a character has really should be determined by his or her origin. Keeping this in mind, the Judge may well opt to let a player choose some (or all of) the talents their alien possesses, allowing him or her a lot more creative control over their character. Another thing to consider is that a talent can function at a higher 'level' than normal.

There are three 'tiers' of talents, each providing an increasing bonus to ACTIONs applicable to said talent. When generating these heightened skills, however, note that they cost more; a level 2 talent counts as two talents, while a level 3 talent counts as four. This can get expensive fast, but is a great way to showcase what your character is really good at.

Also, some talents cost more than others, even before higher talent levels are considered. A talent that has a number in parenthesis counts as that many talents during character generation; these are mostly background talents, but others can cost more as well. Similarly, the Student talent costs all of one's initial talent slots, for it by definition implies that a body does not have any other talents.

Note: when building aliens that are partially device users, as opposed to cyborgs or robots, players may add two additional talent slots at this stage of character generation. If using the systematic method to build a character, players may instead add two points to their character, which are intended to be spent on talents, but may be repurposed for any other use, if desired.

Contacts

Also presented for convenience is the table used to detail the initial number of contacts a new character possesses; it is available as table 93 in Exobiology 101. Table 94, then, lists the types of contacts an alien character may have upon the start their career, if the player needs any ideas; one need not roll up contact types randomly if they don't wish to.

Like (most) quirks and talents, contacts can be taken at one of three levels of importance; for example, a police contact might be a beat cop (level 1), an FBI operative (level 2), or even an Interpol agent (level 3). Similarly, contacts of a higher level cost an increased amount of contact 'slots' - a level 2 contact counts as two contacts, while a level 3 contact costs four contact 'slots'.

Aliens have the option of adding their kind as a contact. This doesn't mean every individual matching their origins will be a reliable source of aid, so much as they tend to react more favorably to the character when encountered. This reflects the fact that most aliens are far, far from home, and it's often quite nice to run into a (hopefully) friendly face within the campaign setting.

Note: when building aliens that are partial device users, as opposed to cyborgs or robots, players may add two additional contact slots at this stage of character generation. If using the systematic method to build a character, players may instead add two points to their character, which would ideally be used to purchase contacts, but may be designated for any other purpose if desired.

Equipment

On top of all of their stupendous, ascendant capabilities, alien characters also have their pick of conventional, mundane equipment. These devices won't be the kind that make or break their style, for the most part, but they often fill in holes on an adventurer's roster when needed - or, at the very least, add a bit of luxury to their life.

Common equipment a character can possess depends on their Resources. One may automatically have any gear with a price equal to his or her Resources rank or less, and may start out with materials of up to their Resources rank +2 CS with but a small explanation (the character has a McMansion ™ that she paid off previously). Anything more exorbitant must be approved by the Judge, but isn't necessarily out of the question.

It's mostly just a matter of feasibility and availability at that point.

And Last, But Not Least

Once everything else has been determined about a new character, any transnormal bonuses they receive as a part of their particular origin(s) should be applied. These are always placed on a character last, to let them enhance the results of random character generation. In fact, if the Judge is willing, the ranks enhanced by such bonuses can even be allowed to exceed his or her normal campaign power limits!

Systematic (Point Based) Character Assembly

Players start with fifty-five (55) points with which to build an alien character. They may spend these points as they wish, only limited by the campaign's power level ceiling. For example, a plane-spanning campaign may limit characters to Shift Y (200) or less on most ranks. Ask the Judge about his or her campaign limits before proceeding any further, if you're not sure what they are!

To begin with, determine how far above (or below) the norm the character will be in each ability score; for our purposes, the 'norm' is Typical (6). For every +1 CS a player applies to each spend one point, and for each -1 CS applied to these values, add one point. The sky is the limit with an alien character, though humanlike aliens may hew closer to normal human limits (which are detailed in the Ability Scores chapter).

A starting character is assumed to have Typical (6) Resources and a Popularity score of zero (0). One may alter these ability scores as they can any other, though at double the cost for each CS; Monstrous (75) ranked Resources would cost twelve points, for example. If one intends to purchase the Heir to Fortune background talent, they shouldn't alter this 'base' Resources score any. Health and Karma are determined normally.

An opposed Popularity score (negative for heroes, positive for villains) is worth two points, no matter how great it is.

Before purchasing an alien's powers, one should determine their powers' origins, if this has not already been decided, for they may include bonus powers up front, or added benefits down the line. When buying powers, spells, or psionics, each rank in each power costs one point, starting at Feeble (2) rank. Again, the upper rank of each ascendant ability is only limited by the campaign's power level ceiling.

Those alien characters with a partially divine origin for their powers need not purchase their bonus power via the point-based system. The player building a character with this kind of ability may roll randomly for a power rank, if their bonus inherent has one, and then spend points to increase its rank further if desired. But points need not be spent on this power during character generation.

Costs can be controlled by adding limitations, which can apply to either one or all of a character's powers. Whether applied to one power or globally to the character as a whole, weak limitations reduce the cost of a power by one point, strong limitations by two points, very strong limitations by three points, and extreme limitations by four points. Consider the effect of such limitations before counting those point savings!

Remember that all powers have a minimum cost of one (1) point, no matter how limited they may be.

Moving the other direction, a player may enhance their powers. A weak enhancement increases the cost by one point, strong enhancements add two points, very strong enhancements raise the cost by three points, and extreme enhancements add four points to a power's final cost. Such enhancements include improving the range or speed categories of a power, as well as other augmentations to its functionality.

Remember that many powers cost more than the base value; the blood of Qingu spell, for example, costs three points per rank. Powers with a heightened cost are noted in the character generation tables listed above (those with numbers in parenthesis after the name). Limitations and enhancements are multiplied in value by this cost; for instance, a very strong limitation on ultimate power would reap a fifteen point discount.

If one's Judge allows their use in his or her campaign, one thing to consider is the use of Hyperkinetic and Hyperexhaustive rank qualifiers. These can each be purchased in the point system if allowed, being treated as either an extreme enhancement (in the form of a Hyperkinetic power) or an extreme limitation (in the form of a Hyperexhaustive power). Creating a hyperkinetic ability score is a weak character enhancement.

Both can be very unbalancing in their own way, however, so check to make sure their use is okay.

Once a character's powers are determined, he or she may purchase talents and contacts as they see fit, each costing one point. If one would like heightened talents or contacts (both come in three tiers), they must pay two points for a level two talent or contact, or four points for a level three talent or contact. The Student background talent costs five points, but cannot be purchased with any other (save for Heir to Fortune).

Note that alien characters who draw power from external high tech devices as one of their origins may add four points here, ostensibly for talents and contacts, but players may direct their placement as they see fit.

A player may use remaining points to purchase beneficial quirks - or add a few points to pad weak areas with deleterious quirks. Most quirks give (or take) one point, but if purchased at a higher level, they function in much the same way as talents or contacts in this regard (two points for a level two quirk, four points for a level three quirk). Also, quirks without level but that count double cost (or give) two points.

Note that alien characters who draw power from external high tech devices as one of their origins may add one point here, ostensibly for quirks, but players may use them as they see fit.

Next, determine what gear the character possesses. As is the case with randomly generated characters, aliens built with points may choose any standard gear that is readily available in the campaign, as long as its cost falls within a few CS of their Resources rank. If they want something more expensive, the player must give a good reason for such, though the Judge has veto power over improbable items.

Finally, add those bonuses that the character's origin affords him or her if they have a transnormal power source.

Once the player is out of points, it's up to the Judge to look over what the player has wrought. Does the character's math add up? Does it fall within predetermined campaign limitations for power level? Are such aliens suitable for their game? If nothing appears to be wrong, and the Judge likes what he or she sees, they should approve what a player has created, and then allow them to complete the last portion of their character's creation.

Assuming they didn't actually start with such.

Filling in the Blanks

Once all the basic details concerning your character have been ascertained, it is time to 'fill in the blanks,' or to detail all of their personal and background information, the stuff you can't quantify with dice rolls or points. Who are they? What do they look like? Where are they from? What are they like? How did they acquire their astounding collection of differing super-human abilities?

All of this character information must be determined by the player to make it truly his or her own, and to really 'flesh them out'. This is often the most difficult portion of the character generation process, the portion where many tend to fail. However, with a little effort and some serious consideration, the answers to these questions can make that sheet of paper with all the funny words on it really come alive!

Sample Aliens

The final chapter of Exobiology 101 consists of a small ensemble of sample aliens. These are provided as examples of how Exobiology 101 can be used to represent various aliens in the Costumed Adventurer Simulation Engine. Though as always, if you don't think such representations fit what you have in mind for your own game, feel free to concoct your own variations on a theme!

Ghouls: like their mindless lessers, ghouls arise due to the intervention of magic, exotic chemicals, or viruses. However, they're stronger and more intelligent, qualities that make them far more dangerous than their zombie 'relatives'.

Zombies: whether raised by magic or chemicals or viruses, zombies are a grave (pardon the pun) threat to humanity as a whole. Though usually mindless and incredibly awkward, zombies can be tenacious in their pursuit, and terrifying in large numbers.

For Reference

Exobiology 101 is far from complete, by any definition of the term. I have mostly built out the character generation rules for alien beings, thanks to my having done so with the Combination Character Cookbook, but have yet to add a blurb about combinations in Exobiology 101. Then, I have to decide where to go from there. I'll get on that as time permits, of course, but I have no schedule yet, sorry.

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Questions or comments? Contact the author at your convenience!