Jjeinn-tae
2011-05-07, 10:52 PM
Welcome! Here you will find the rapidly growing setting information for an alternate galaxy, populated by D&D races instead of the normal... At least what I can put down without spoiling my campaign. To get an idea of it, I suggest you start with the "Background History" if you can afford a long read.
Background History (courtesy of El_Pablo)
It has been four thousand years since the fall of Kentron. The glory of the galaxy. Back before the stars could be sailed when the home worlds of the many races were linked by the divine gates, and travel was just as likely to occur by accident than by design. Kentron, home of the humans, hub of the great wheel of worlds, as much a mess as it was a prize, was fought over by the many races which had gate access. Then, a great darkness came. There are some who say the gods made war on each other. Others claim it was the mortals, the humans, who made war on the gods. Only one truth still remains. Kentron is no more. The worlds lay divided, and the human survivors of a lost homeworld live by the light of alien stars. Everything changed when goblins found a way to access an inner power. A power that brought order to their race, and made machines that many today still see as impossible. The elves bitterly say it was greed that motivated the goblins. The humans jealously blame overpopulation. However, it was the greenskins who first sailed the stars. There colonies were a mix optimism and unending invasion based upon the other races perspectives. However, starship technology was founded, and the old races found each other a thousand years later. The galaxy was rediscovered one planet at a time, the human race found only intact on the most remote of worlds, where crossbreeding was impossible. Still the sang songs of their lost home, a home still not found to this day.
The galaxy began to be colonized without limit or control, and chaos began to spread among the stars as the colonies moved farther from their original homeworlds. The goblins also began a decline, and slowly their technology ceased to function quieting the unworldly machines which had made colonization originally possible. The goblins start to develop more pacifistic traditions and sought to understand at a greater level a Force they only recently begun to understand has a spiritual nature. Their learning is offered to others as the goblins find their numbers dwindling. The goblinoid colonies start to become barren or ruled by the other races, the the green thread that still linked the chaos of the colonized worlds snapped.
Dwarves and Orcs see their chance for a power grab as the races' natural fortitude and strength lends themselves to an easier power grab in a galaxy without magic, and they manage to conquer much of the known worlds, save for the kobolds who have taken to new non-Force technologies, and advanced by leap and bounds. The kobold konfederation became a syndicate who sold weapons to the two warbound races leading to an intergalactic conflict known as the Consolidation War. For three hundred years, the dwarves and orc fought across the worlds with primitive slug throwers, ill-equipped shuttles, human mercenaries, and orbital drop salvos. When the battle came across elven worlds the children of the fey sought independence from either group further fracturing the galaxy. It was during this chaos that the kobolds further developed light drive technology and could futher explore the outer rim. They found the desert world of Athas, the syndicate of the thri-kreen, the slave pits of the halflings, and their primitive space transport. The konfederation and kreens came to a powerful alliance in the opportunities of the war by bringing in lizardfolk troops from other kreen controlled planets. However, the kreen did not double deal like the konfederation. They wanted their presence to be known and force the winner. That winner would also be the highest bidder, and those were the dwarves. This formed the Toril alliance named after the world on which the pact was signed by all three groups. The orcs seemed to have no chance, and they fell back.
The Consolidation War was won by the dwarves who started organizing the known galaxy with the Toril league. However, the dwarves discovered themselves in questionable company as the konfederation used its league access to remain independent, and the thri-kreen abused the league as a means of ensuring safe transport of illicit goods beyond the reach of planetary governments. The dwarves themselves became fractured after only a hundred years without the common cause of the war. Their hatred of the orcs remained, but they were pacified restricted to a small corner of space without league permission. As well, orc lives were short, and orc memories shorter, the homeworld and colonies of the orcs began to run over in number, and civil war erupted among themselves. The Toril alliance became a buffer to that conflict, and their presence soon returned the taste of galactic war to the tusk of the orc worlds. The great thane of the dwarves became consumed with the orc threat as many of the lesser thanedoms opted out of the Toril league from the perceived problems with the standards of government. It was under the shadow of the orc threat, to representatives of a crumbling league, that the goblins returned to the forefront of galactic affairs. Their teachings were becoming formalized, and their students spreading across the galaxy spreading study of a universal power called the force. The league did not believe the goblins story until that goblin displayed his power, but they still did not believe when those goblins also spoke of powers of prophesy and of a great darkness that threatened the galaxy. The great thane only snapped at the goblin speakers informing him how aware he was of the orc threat. The goblin tried to continue, but he was kicked out of the league chambers. The great thane would not see that goblin again until much later, after those very chambers were a smoking ruin being trod upon by the boots of the zern overlords.
From the farthest reaches of the galaxy came the zern. Strange alien creatures, the zern were cruel beyond imagination. Creatures capable of adapting their bodies and dealing with the over abuse of Force which had ultimately crippled the early goblin race. It was in mutation and adaptation that the specialty of the zern lie. They twisted the minds and bodies of all those they encountered until a proper slave race had been tamed. The zern first were found by the kobolds, but those explorers were captured, their technology stolen, and twisted into the first of the dragons and the dragonwrought kobolds. It was this mixed force that began sweeping the galaxy. Every planet upon which they landed a new race was derived from its inhabitants. Aglarond, home of the elves, gave birth to the vicious trolls from a lesser developed race, the splinterwaifs from the dryads, and insane battle briars from the more dignified thorns. Azer, homeworld of the dwarves, was bastard father to the goliaths, and the duergar. This motley assortment of forces expanded and grew over every world they conquered, each new race a slave to the zern. The Toril league gathered its collective might, but were no match for the strange powers of the zern, and its mutated warriors. The great thane himself came to lock into combat with zern army with the largest collection of forces the league could muster. They were routed in less than a year, and the great thane injured in battle against Dorathus, overlord of the zern. It was during this battle that the great thane witnessed the zern's power, and remembered a small green man who had once prophesied doom to the league. Crippled and more than a century older, the great thane traveled to the goblin homeworld. There he found himself with an impossibility, that same old goblin still alive a century later staring at him not with the fire of emphasis from a hundred years prior but stooped with weariness and the responsibility for a galaxy's fall. The great thane begged for the goblins' help, and the old patriarch said he could have it, but it would be no use. The great thane silenced him once more. The fight was not over. They would need the orcs.
The scattered forces of the league began a new campaign that lasted over five decades slowly ceding lands to the seemingly endless zern horde. The kobolds had increased their technology endlessly, introducing the first true star fighters, but the zern adapted technology as quickly as they did biology. Secretly, the league fought to keep the zern away from orc space as that old goblin landed there. At the end of fifty years, the orcs launched an offensive on the zern in tandem with goblin strike teams who focused on killing only the alien overlords. The zern were driven back world by world, and each found themselves being incorporated into the orc empire under the united imperial clans. Those planets joined willingly, and offered warriors both natural and recovered mutants to the massive orc force. The zern found themselves spread to thin against a force growing in number and momentum. The zern mustered their forces on the fringe world of Eberron only to find themselves faced with a new threat. The heat of the orcs had allowed the kobolds to create a new technology, the battle droid. The mix of mechanical and military forces slowly enclosed the alien army, and the zern ovelords were forced to the fore front of the lines. They were all too surprised that the orcs had somehow adapted to fighting with and against the Force without the two groups ever having met until a green rain from the sky in the form of goblin commandos wielding both force power and weapons. Dorath was undone when the alchemical twisted blades of force energy he thought indestructible was cleft in twain by a humming blade of pure light.
The rest of the zern fleet fled known space, and the goblin forces dived into light speed after them. Hoping to end the threat those aliens posed to the galaxy. Those few goblins that remain act mostly as caretakers of a homeworld slowly recovering from an unsustainable population, and the confused goblin economy of unusable relics. The galaxy found a measure of peace under the orc empire, as its original satraps to the known worlds sought to better their own planets populations in an effort to gain power over the imperial council as a whole.
However, another thousand years has lapsed. The goblins are but a shadow seen in the empire, and the zern a nightmare forgotten. The satraps no longer work or even live on the planets they govern instead currying favor among the imperial clan council as a whole in a bid to control the entire galaxy. The orc empire has long held tyrrany over the majority of known space, but the kobold trade konfederation is revolting against the maneuvers to consolidate wealth in orc coffers. Secretly, they prepare to secede from the overreaching empire. The elves have convinced the trees of their homeland to repel all foreigners on either side of the upcoming fight, and they are even growing harvests of killoren warriors as an army ready to protect their colonies in the skies. The dwarves have once again militarized their planetoid colonies creating powerful defensive space stations for whichever side their thanes will claim allegiance. Halfling scavengers and pilots sell their skills to the highest bidder in a bid to escape the desert slave arenas for the vicious thri-kreen syndicate on their home world. As the tensions rise, a goblin addresses and gives warnings which fall deaf on the 40,000 ears of the imperial clan council. He speaks of a great of a great darkness that threatens the galaxy. The council's arbiter only snapped at the goblin speaker informing him how aware they were of the impending civil war. The goblin tried to continue, but he was dismissed off of the council's floor...
In this galaxy, there are 10 "Major" races, being ones frequently found in the galaxy. These are: Orcs, Dwarves, Kobolds, Elves, Humans, Thri-Kreen, Halflings, Goblins, Gnomes and Lizardmen. The Zerns' conquest practically doubled the sapient species in the Galaxy, and there were many more beyond the main ten; bringing the overall total to some rather large, undecided number. Currently, we only have the main 10, sans Lizardmen.
The Races:
The Big 3
Orcs:
Orcs are the current power in the Galaxy, having established the current Empire long ago. Their society is a strange blend between noble and savage, benefitting greatly from the law of their rule. They average in height between 1.8 and 2.4 meters tall with outliers in a range of 1.6 to 2.6. Hair is straight and black, and they have kept many of their more tribal traditions even to this modern day. Certain styles of facial or normal hair may signify that an Orc is a great warrior, scholar or even an outcast, and it can be offensive to higher Orcs in the social echelons to imitate these styles.
Orcs can most often be found as either Soldiers or Nobles, with almost all Orcs able to handle various varieties of primitive weaponry, such as an axe. Scouts and Scoundrels often are outcast Orcs, seeking to find success through a path that has no honor in their society.
Jedi among the Orcs are rare, and often of the Imperial Court, this code focuses opening oneself to their inner demons. All Orcs share an inner beast of a rage that may surface in combat, but the Imperial Guard have learned to harness this rage through an understanding of the force. Even Orc Jedi not of the Imperial Court tend to use the signature Force Pike of the Court.
Traits:
- +4 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom
- Medium Size
- 6 square move
- Darkvision
- Rage (As the Wookie ability)
- Weapon Familiarity: Orcs proficient with Simple Weapons are proficient with Atlatls, Cesta, and the Orc Flamberge
Dwarves:
Dwarves had an empire, their unreasonable fortitude, and resistance to the new magic of the era almost set them up for an unbeatable conquest. But what the Dwarves didn’t anticipate was the sheer numbers of sapient creatures in the Galaxy. As soon as an external threat or two came up, the “Toril League” popped like over-ripe fruit.
In the new Empire, the Dwarves still have a moderate amount of influence; controlling most of known space does not just vanish overnight. And indeed, it does not vanish over many millennia. Dwarven skin and hair is as varied as humans, and they average from 1 meter to 1.5 meters tall. Many dwarves fall slightly below the 1 meter range however.
Dwarves often become Soldiers or Scouts, following in the footsteps of a rich military tradition. Nobles are not uncommon either, and often are well respected in Dwarven society, if not as much as an accomplished general. Scoundrels, provided they are of the law-abiding variety are well loved, but a lawless dwarf is a dwarf in exile. Dwarven Jedi are incredibly rare, as their resistance to The Force limits their ability to use it. Those few Dwarves that do become Jedi often follow the old Goblin traditions to the letter.
Traits:
- +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma
- Medium Size
- 4 square move
- Darkvision
- Extreme Fortitude: Dwarves may reroll any Endurance check, even in threatening circumstances. They must keep the reroll, however, even if it is worse.
- Force Resilience: A Dwarf’s Defenses are counted as 2 higher when defending against the force. Unfortunately, this lowers Dwarven connections to the force, Dwarves only get half the bonuses to the Use the Force Skill from feats (added all together, than rounded down) compared to normal.
- Weapon Familiarity: A Dwarf proficient with Simple Weapons is proficient with The Dwarven Bearded Axe. Dwarves proficient with Rifles are proficient with the Dwarven Snub Rifle.
Dwarven Culture (Courtesy of El_Pablo)
The Clans In dwarven society, a clan is no different than a place. The dwarves who come from a single region, and that region share one name that is the clan. Most dwarves only have a given name and a clan name. Those who's lineage grants them authority or rights to property carry the parental name from whom those rights are derived. Often these are the rights to rule the clan. These rulers are also the only ones to identify themselves by the clan's proper name for Vestyr that is Brailn of which he is heir. Other dwarves who are in the clan often use derivatives of the original name to show their origin (Brailnov, Brailnish, Brailnek for example). Even clan regions which have no ruling family, called the freeholds, keep to this tradition though everyone uses a derivative name often with the suffix, -frey. Despite the huge size of the galaxy, many dwarves feel a strong yearning to belong to the home of their ancestors, and many inherited clan names are still found mostly in the area from which they come.
The clans may seem an outmoded concept, and many point to the similarity to the orc culture as a sign of its backwardness. However, no dwarf would criticize a tradition because "another race found it so great they needed to copy it". Mostly, the clan system helps mold economic as well as social ties. Any dwarf would hire, buy from, sell to, or trade with a clan member before any other. This favoritism helps maintain a clan's strength and prosperity even among the konfederation and imperial company offerings. Also, it fosters strong competition. This is because a dwarf does not always go with a clansmen's company or business unless it is equal to what is elsewhere. Only the best businesses have been able to spread across whole dwarven planets or dwarven space, and those businesses are rarely rivaled in quality throughout the rest of the galaxy. To offer something to a dwarf outside the clan is a sign of great merit to the recipient.
The FortressesDuring the war of Consolidation, the dwarf king ordered the creation of super space fortresses by converting orbiting planetoids into space stations. Technology was less advanced, and the age of star fighters had yet to come. Therefore, the best defense against incoming space traffic was larger land to space defenses which were limited in scope, and smaller space to space arms. The planetoids were designed to capitalize on their placement by allowing the more powerful land to space weapons to be anchored in space as opposed to the small weapons capable of being supported on smaller satellites. The fortresses were successful especially in holding back the orc hordes until the Toril Alliance was forged. However, the planetoid fortresses were largely defensive, being unable to travel outside of usually a two system range. To this day, only Niflhelm the cometary fortress is capable of entering light speed. When, the zern invasion began, the fortresses had been shut down since they were so far from orc space where the true danger was thought to lie, and only one fortress was ever outfitted for battle during that entire war. It was however that fortress, Bifrost, which slowed the Zern long enough for the orcs to launch their counter invasion.
The fortresses require large populations to operate and man since all planetoids are a combination of self-sustaining space station and fortress, though few are truly self-sustaining. When the fortresses were completed, the king of the dwarves considered each fortress a thanage and granted the title of Thane to warriors who would lead clans to man the fortresses and defend dwarven space. The largest fortress was granted the title of Great Thane which came with the responsibility of overseeing and organizing the new thanages. The thanages also gained access to shipping rights in the space they guarded and mining rights withing a similar area. At first, those rights were granted mostly for security purposes, but no thane was foolish enough not to take advantage. The land-bound nobles, generally called princes for the most common title, first mocked the lesser thanes. That first generation of mockers lived long enough to realize the control of off world shipping and mining rights gave the thanes more economic rights to the whole of the galaxy than they would ever have. It was therefore, during the Toril Alliance that the dwarf clans assembled themselves underneath the thanes with those supporting princes forming blocs of support. In seeing this trend, the dwarf king granted control of the Toril Alliance to the Great Thane. After that, the dwarven royal family became more of a symbol than a true political power. The authority of the crown is strongest on Azer where its holdings reside, but its wealth is still legendary throughout the galaxy.
With the fall of the Toril alliance, the authority of the thanes waned. The orcs respected the existing government structure, but, without the threat of war, the fortresses were to expensive to maintain. Many thanes put the planetoids in orbit with small maintenance crews, and they maintained their wealth by slowly selling off mining rights for profit. The shipping lanes for the dwarves became smaller sources of income as ships stopped coming past unmanned planetoid stations and therefore avoiding fees. Several clans turned to mercenary work or bounty hunting as a means of continuing to supply security but avoid becoming penniless. Clan Brailn is an exception to this rule, Goremore the last thane of Brailn inherited the clanr ruler at a young age. The fortress passed to him skipping a generation as his father was too busy with mercenary work to bother with a hunk of rock he saw as a pocket book drain. Goremore's father was still a leader in the clan as the Brailn had become a militant clan like many of the thanages. Though, Goremore discovered the reason the fortress was costing so much money was because his grandmother, the previous thane was pulling all the mining rights back into the clan, lowering revenues. It took a few years before the new thane discovered why. The mining and shipping revenue could easily be many times that of the mercenary ventures of the clan. The fortresses were simply ill-equipped to support such things. His grandmother had been traveling constantly to kobold space to observe their operations and learn from them. Goremore followed in her advice, and began upgrading the fortress. Brailn gained more living space, more storage, docks, means of energy capture, and even an ever advancing system of hydroponic plant growth. To counter criticism, he also constantly upgraded and expanded the military capabilities. The planetoid fortress may be more vulnerable since its shell is no longer a layer of rocks lined with guns, but it's defensive capabilities are on par with many larger space stations and its abilities as a space port and mining base are the best in the region. It was for these reasons that his son Strodhelm became a businessdwarf involved in both shipping and mining using the clan rights his father controlled. Slowly, the dwarves of Brailn stopped ignoring their fortresses and fighting for others and transitioned to merchants and miners. Still, the costs of upgrading and maintaining the planetoid consumes a large portion of the wealth generated by the clan, but Strodhelm is still considered one of the most profitable dwarves alive. New imperial guidelines designed to curb the power of the konfederation are a growing threat to the economy of Brailn which Vestyr is determined to undo.
Dwarven GovernmentThe clans are organized in a very simple manner. Each clan sends councilman based on the clan's size. Usually, councilmen are picked from the clan's eldest and wisest, but some clans have other methods (some even by simple lottery). The council used to serve only as counsel to the royal family, and groups of councilmen were formed into societies for their fields of expertise. As communication improved, the princes and thanes of clans were able to hold more sway over their councilmen and powerful councilmen emerged who held the same sway as their clan heads. Also, the decisions of the king became more criticized if his decision was his own, and not one which integrated the advice of those powerful councilmen. The result slowly eroded royal power to the point where the king only approved the moves already decided upon by the most powerful in the council. Now, the council makes all the decisions as the crown has stepped aside with a tacit support of any society rulings. The most powerful people now in the council are the vizards, individuals who hold the greatest bloc of supporters in each society. Vizards can change positions at the beginning of any council session (usually once a year) and they set the agenda for their respective society. Outsiders may see the system as somewhat tyrannical and volatile, but the dwarven love of tradition means that societies often make very few rulings except the most necessary of changes.
Dwarven Gender The genders in dwarf culture are equal. Lineage is passed down through the first born either male or female. At some point in history, it is noted that traditionally dwarven society was patriarchal. However, after encountering other species it was also traditional to consider dwarven females as tough, capable, and respectable as the men. It was the latter tradition that eventually won out in the galactic age.
Kobolds:
Kobolds love of explosives and technology has allowed them to become neutral traders, or else. Many affiliated Kobolds would be quick to tell you that they have never been conquered, but the entrance of the Zern did do quite a number on them, and they indeed gave the Zern some of their strongest weapons in the Dragons.
Kobolds scales run a large range of color, and rarely they can grow spiny “hair” on their head, similar to a boar’s. The average height of a kobold is in a range of 0.6 to 1.2 meters, continuing to grow throughout their entire lives. Right in adulthood, they tend to range from 0.5 to 0.6 meters.
Noble and Scoundrel are the most common classes among Kobolds, fitting in with their mechanics and economics focused society. Some Kobolds not affiliated with the Konfederation sell their services as scouts, as their small, yet agile physique lends itself well to this role. Kobolds have seen firsthand what the abuse of the force causes more than anyone, and tend to have a distrust of it, leading to a great rarity of Kobold Jedi (which mainly follow the old Goblin ways, with a slight twist). Kobold soldiers are likewise rare, Kobold tradition frowns on a upfront fight, and those soldiers of Kobolds often find themselves working as anti-vehicular specialists.
Traits:
- -4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, + 2 Intelligence
- Small Size
- 6 square move
- Low-Light Vision
- Scales: Despite being thin, Kobold scales grant the kobold +1 to its reflex defense.
- Claws and Bite: Kobolds have claws on each hand capable of dealing 1d4 damage, and a bite capable of 1d6.
- Conditional Bonus Feat: Kobolds with training in mechanics gain Skill Focus (Mechanics) as a bonus feat.
- Weapon Familiarity: Kobolds with Weapon Proficiency (Rifles) are proficient with the Bowcaster.
Significant Minorities:
Humans:
History does not remember the humans apart from the oddity of the fact that they were discovered on many planets on far reaches from each other, but in relatively few numbers. It is theorized that the Humans were once populace in the time of the Goblin conquests, but lost to history, in the time before The Force, humans were the big empire holders. Space travel wasn’t needed to reach other planets at that time, and humans were among the greatest threats to any race that made became their enemy.
It is for this reason, the humans were crippled beyond repair when the Goblins launched their first offensive, but humanities greatest strength, adaptability, has allowed them to survive, and by some accounts flourish, in the many millennia since. Humans themselves still claim their lost homeworld is still out there, but in a modern society, these are just myths and legends.
Class wise, humans very commonly adopt all of the classes for various reasons. The humans have developed their own force tradition with a base in the Goblin ones of old, the Grey Knights as their called, have a strange emphasis on armor, and prefer force powers that hinder other force users. There are still many in the Goblin Order, and even in the Imperial Court.
Traits as Star Wars Saga Edition
Thri-Kreen:
Note: The Kreen are a more powerful race than the others, something not quite supported by SAGA, and are mainly here so as players have a general idea of what to expect. An adventuring Kreen would have no standing among its own people.
Before their discovery by the Kobolds, the Kreen had a small empire of their own in the outer rim, their homeworld of Athas at its center. The Kobolds, always with their ability to see opportunity, welcomed the Kreen into the Konfederation with open arms, and thus inadvertently set the Galaxy on the fast track to Dwarven Rule.
In modern times, the Thri-Kreen often work as an underground portion of the Konfederation, their minds not relating on the subject of “Laws” as the other races. Those not aligned with the Konfederation however, must learn to bridge this gap quickly, or perish The Kreen also all share a power of the mind they refer to as “psionics” similar to The Force, yet on a different axis.
Thri-Kreen come mainly in a dusty-sand color, and range from 1.5 to 2.3 meters tall.
Class-wise, Thri-Kreen are most often Scouts or Scoundrels, as their society favors the skills these bring to the table. Nobles are decently common, as people skills are needed, particularly when the other races are so alien to you. Jedi and Soldiers are not uncommon, but find themselves in the lower end of the ladder, the Kreen favor mobility over overpowering might of soldiers. Jedi traditions, the Kreen find themselves neatly split between the Elven Druids and the Goblin Order. The Kreen’s native power of the mind often provides an interesting spin on either tradition.
Traits:
- +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity ,-2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
- Medium
- 8 Square Speed
- Low-Light Vision
- Chitin: Thri-Kreen have a tough exo-skeleton, providing them with a +3 bonus to reflex defense.
- Multiple Limbs: Thri-Kreen have four arms, each capable of wielding a weapon. They have their own line of “multi-weapon fighting” feats.
- Poisonous Bite: Thri-Kreen have a slow-acting paralytic poison that they may deliver with a bite. The strength of the poison is 1 + their constitution Modifier + 1/2 their level. The average Kreen secretes enough poison to affect one person in one day.
- Leap: Thri-Kreen may reroll any jump check, however they must keep the reroll, even if it is worse.
- Weapon Familiarity: Thri-Kreen treat their native Gythka and Catkcha as Simple weapons.
Thri-Kreen Culture:
The world of Athas is a diverse one, but it is known for its great desserts, for it is here that The Kreen were born. An insectoid people characterized by their powerful, four-armed forms. It is thought that The Kreen wasted no time in conquering their planet forming a society of luxury on the backs of the Halfling people. This luxury belongs to the eldest Kreen, however, and takes a great ambition and cunning to achieve it when your elders own your possessions if they should so choose.
As soon as the Kreen discovered space flight younger Kreen leaped at the opportunity to establish their own turf, and in a very short period of time, the entire solar system was colonized. The Lizardfolk on the nearest planet of Q'Barra proved strong, and many earned enough respect among the Kreen to be free citizens of The Syndicate. Those captured by The Kreen, however enjoyed a more stable, yet short life in the new sport sweeping through The Syndicate: Gladiator Combat.
Not much changed for The Kreen in centuries, their society developing into a strange fusion of politics encouraging assassinations, and decadent luxury for those who survived long enough to earn it. This changed when the first Kobold scouts breached the borders of The Athasian System....
Halflings:
Halflings are rarely seen in Galactic society; that is not to say that they are not around, just unseen. The small creatures are naturally stealthy, and like the Thri-Kreen of their homeworld, Halflings more often than not find themselves in criminal pursuits. Many of the greatest Manhunters of the Galaxy are Halflings,
Halflings follow much of the various skin-tones of humans, but their hair is often bleached of any color, a strange effect of Athas’ sun. They average at a height of 0.9 to 1.1 meters, but they themselves often measure heights in decimeters.
Halflings generally are Scouts or Scoundrels, as they tend towards professions where their natural stealthiness comes in handy. The other classes are rare among them, but not unheard of.
Traits:
- +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma
- Small
- 4 Square Speed
- Like a Shadow: Halflings may reroll any stealth check, but they must keep the reroll, even if it is worse.
- Agility: Halflings tend to be able to evade many attacks that others would not be able to. A Halfling aware of an attack gains a +1 bonus to their Reflex Defense.
- Weapon Familiarity: Halflings with proficiency in Pistols are proficient with the Athas Holdout.
Elves:
Elves in current society are more or less in a self-imposed exile. As historic, the moment the winds of war blow through the Galaxy, Elves close up shop. They keep to their planets, which are all terraformed to dense forest. Through their force tradition of Druidism, they tell the forest what they wish of it, and care quite capable of completely sealing the sky off with tree cover.
Elves are most often Jedi or Scouts, having a Force Tradition of their own called Druidism. Elves of all classes tend to use the Lightbow, old traditions die hard it would seem.
Traits:
- As Rodians in the Saga edition except for these two points:
- +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution
- Weapon Familiarity: Elves Proficient with Simple Weapons are Proficient with the Elven Lightbow.
Goblins:
Goblins were almost non-existent in The Galaxy after The Great Zern War, the vast majority leaving in pursuit. For a race so instrumental in the history, how the modern Goblins got back to a decent population is unknown to any except them, it would seem the old fleets returned, but they left no sign of such. They are mysterious creatures, and often speak as if they know the future, history says they would be right, but it must have been a series of lucky guesses.
Goblins are green, have pointed ears and teeth, and average about 0.6 to 0.8 meters in height. Despite their size, they are quite fast, and this has been put to use with their native tradition of wolf-riding. This carries into their other tradition, the Jedi Order.
The race of Goblins at this point are almost exclusively Jedi, trained from before their memory in the ancient traditions. Even those Goblins that take a different profession, are generally those who have left the order, and often find themselves as scouts practicing in animal rearing for the Order.
Traits:
- -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom
- Small Size
- 6 Square Move
- Low-Light Vision
- Born in the Saddle: Goblins may reroll any Ride check, but must keep the reroll, even if it is worse.
- Weapon Familiarity: Goblins with Weapon Proficiency (Lightsabers) are proficient with the Riding Saber.
Rarities:
Gnomes:
Gnomes descended into chaos with the death of magic, when rediscovered by the Konfederation (their homeworld is Zephyr) they had reverted to a near tribal society. They quickly adapted to the new technology the Kobolds brought, but quickly tried to outdo the Kobolds in this regard, unsuccessfully. With Zephyr devolving into a new chaos with their newly heightened technology, the gnomes found the thing their society would revolve around.
Gnomes saw something very different from the other races when looking at the first battledroids odd, vaguely kobold build, perfection. AI, no need for thought, the reaction is known, performed instantly, encased in an immortal shell, immune to worry. The Gnomes began their drive to convert their race into robotics, and were the inventors of cybernetics. Most the other races keep well away from a gnome unless they really need a computer or cybernetic expert.
Gnomes average around 0.5 to 0.6 meters, a wide range of skin tones, though always with a “dusted” complexion, and tend to have very dark, or very light hair and eyes.
Traits:
- +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence -2 Wisdom, -4 Charisma
- Small Size
- 4 Square Move
- Low-Light Vision
- Conditional Bonus Feat: Gnomes with training in Use Computer get the Skill Focus (Use Computer) Feat as a Bonus Feat.
- Weapon Familiarity: Gnomes proficient with Pistols are proficient with the “Zephyr Disruptor”
Lizardfolk:
traits as Gamorreans from Star Wars Saga
Languages:
There are many languages throughout The Galaxy, as should be expected of such a high population. For the most part though, while planets have various dialectal differences, they are able to be broken down into a few overarching languages.
Imperial: The trade language of The Empire, and citizens are expected to know it. Origins are from the ancestral language of the Orcs.
Azer: The Dwarven language, and contains many regionally dependent honorifics.
Konfederate/Kobold: It's argued which is proper as they are synonymous within the language. Regardless, it is the language of The Kobold Konfederate, and knowing it is useful for traveling within their territory.
Aglar: Not widely spoken outside of the Elven planets, and native language of the Elves and various fae of Aglarond. It is a difficult and flowing language.
Kreen: The Kreen have difficulty speaking other languages, but can make a rough approximation. Thusly, most other species have difficulty speaking Kreen.
Ath: A language shared by the Halflings and Kreen on the planet of Athas. Still a difficult language to learn, but it is a rather neutral language that practically anyone can pronounce with practice, regardless of vocal limitations.
Molag: The "Human" language, named after the duo of planets claimed as the new human homeworlds, Molag Mar, and Molag Amur.
Zeph: Becoming Archaic as the population of Zephyr switch over to Binary.
Q': Native language of the Lizardfolk, very harsh sounding to foreign ears.
Toril: A trade language spoken by certain members of The Toril League, there isn't much call for it in modern times.
Binary: A language used by computers, with great difficulty expressing abstract concepts. The Gnomes of Zephyr are trying to convert to this as their planetary language.
Force Traditions:
The Old Order:
Founded by the Goblins, and a tradition so ancient, it's been around since before recorded history. The Order is a pacifistic tradition, seeking to stave off a repeat of the horrors of Force Corruption. It also exemplifies the riding tradition that Goblins had from time immemorable.
The primary domains that Old Order Adepts use are clairvoyant abilities, and defensive ones, generally Adepts that travel outside of a conclave learn the ability to Sever Force. Usual lightsaber forms exemplify agility, such as Ataru and Makashi, and commonly lightsaber duels are performed for entertainment as well as training, "jousting" for special situations.
Darksiders among the tradition are refered to as "Shadow Walkers" they see the galactic strife as a sign that they need to step further into the forefront. They risk force corruption in their "knife edge" balance of Light and Dark, but of course, many just use the tradition as an excuse to gain quick power.
Jedi of The Old Order treat Ride as a class skill.
Imperial Guard:
Founded by the last remnants of humanity, The Imperial Guard (referred to as The Guard) are a strange, very martial art. A Guard's saber is his second greatest possession, followed by the exquisite armor each forms both by hand, and through the force.
Primarily, force abilities of The Guard revolve around stealth and maneuverability, relying on armor and saber to deal with enemies. Primary forms among The Guard are Shien, Djem So and Juyo.
Jedi of The Imperial Guard are proficient with Light Armor and may take talents from the Jensaarai Defender Tree (Saga pg 107)
Grey Knights/The Imperial Court:
The Court are the elite guardians of The Emperor and Empire in general. The main symbol of The Court would be their preference of the Lightsaber Pike as opposed to the standard Lightsaber, the better to keep the enemy further from themselves, and by extension, The Emperor.
Members of The Court primarily use force powers relating to kinetics and strength, with Force Grip being a favorite. Non-Orcs also frequently take up the power Dark Rage to keep up with their Orc brotheren in combat. Vaapad and Niman are the main forms utilized by The Court, and teach extensively the utilization of Sokan.
Druidism:
Sorcery:
Natural:
Force Powers:
Each of these will have one or more traditions following (never Sorcery or Natural) these are where the power is particularly common, this is not exclusive access to the power.
Force Spark [Druid]
Using the force to light a fire. Mainly used by the Elven Druids for controlled burns during the grooming of their forests.
time: move action target: one flammable object within 6 squares. Or any other object within 6 squares (including creatures).
If the target is flammable, it ignites, starting with a small spark and spreading.
Otherwise, make a force check the level of success determines the amount of damage done through fire. This is often used for welding.
DC 10 deal 2d6 damage
DC 20 deal 4d6 damage
DC 30 deal 6d6 damage
DC 40 deal 8d6 damage
Table of contents for things not in the first three posts:
Factions (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=11027773#post11027773)
Background History (courtesy of El_Pablo)
It has been four thousand years since the fall of Kentron. The glory of the galaxy. Back before the stars could be sailed when the home worlds of the many races were linked by the divine gates, and travel was just as likely to occur by accident than by design. Kentron, home of the humans, hub of the great wheel of worlds, as much a mess as it was a prize, was fought over by the many races which had gate access. Then, a great darkness came. There are some who say the gods made war on each other. Others claim it was the mortals, the humans, who made war on the gods. Only one truth still remains. Kentron is no more. The worlds lay divided, and the human survivors of a lost homeworld live by the light of alien stars. Everything changed when goblins found a way to access an inner power. A power that brought order to their race, and made machines that many today still see as impossible. The elves bitterly say it was greed that motivated the goblins. The humans jealously blame overpopulation. However, it was the greenskins who first sailed the stars. There colonies were a mix optimism and unending invasion based upon the other races perspectives. However, starship technology was founded, and the old races found each other a thousand years later. The galaxy was rediscovered one planet at a time, the human race found only intact on the most remote of worlds, where crossbreeding was impossible. Still the sang songs of their lost home, a home still not found to this day.
The galaxy began to be colonized without limit or control, and chaos began to spread among the stars as the colonies moved farther from their original homeworlds. The goblins also began a decline, and slowly their technology ceased to function quieting the unworldly machines which had made colonization originally possible. The goblins start to develop more pacifistic traditions and sought to understand at a greater level a Force they only recently begun to understand has a spiritual nature. Their learning is offered to others as the goblins find their numbers dwindling. The goblinoid colonies start to become barren or ruled by the other races, the the green thread that still linked the chaos of the colonized worlds snapped.
Dwarves and Orcs see their chance for a power grab as the races' natural fortitude and strength lends themselves to an easier power grab in a galaxy without magic, and they manage to conquer much of the known worlds, save for the kobolds who have taken to new non-Force technologies, and advanced by leap and bounds. The kobold konfederation became a syndicate who sold weapons to the two warbound races leading to an intergalactic conflict known as the Consolidation War. For three hundred years, the dwarves and orc fought across the worlds with primitive slug throwers, ill-equipped shuttles, human mercenaries, and orbital drop salvos. When the battle came across elven worlds the children of the fey sought independence from either group further fracturing the galaxy. It was during this chaos that the kobolds further developed light drive technology and could futher explore the outer rim. They found the desert world of Athas, the syndicate of the thri-kreen, the slave pits of the halflings, and their primitive space transport. The konfederation and kreens came to a powerful alliance in the opportunities of the war by bringing in lizardfolk troops from other kreen controlled planets. However, the kreen did not double deal like the konfederation. They wanted their presence to be known and force the winner. That winner would also be the highest bidder, and those were the dwarves. This formed the Toril alliance named after the world on which the pact was signed by all three groups. The orcs seemed to have no chance, and they fell back.
The Consolidation War was won by the dwarves who started organizing the known galaxy with the Toril league. However, the dwarves discovered themselves in questionable company as the konfederation used its league access to remain independent, and the thri-kreen abused the league as a means of ensuring safe transport of illicit goods beyond the reach of planetary governments. The dwarves themselves became fractured after only a hundred years without the common cause of the war. Their hatred of the orcs remained, but they were pacified restricted to a small corner of space without league permission. As well, orc lives were short, and orc memories shorter, the homeworld and colonies of the orcs began to run over in number, and civil war erupted among themselves. The Toril alliance became a buffer to that conflict, and their presence soon returned the taste of galactic war to the tusk of the orc worlds. The great thane of the dwarves became consumed with the orc threat as many of the lesser thanedoms opted out of the Toril league from the perceived problems with the standards of government. It was under the shadow of the orc threat, to representatives of a crumbling league, that the goblins returned to the forefront of galactic affairs. Their teachings were becoming formalized, and their students spreading across the galaxy spreading study of a universal power called the force. The league did not believe the goblins story until that goblin displayed his power, but they still did not believe when those goblins also spoke of powers of prophesy and of a great darkness that threatened the galaxy. The great thane only snapped at the goblin speakers informing him how aware he was of the orc threat. The goblin tried to continue, but he was kicked out of the league chambers. The great thane would not see that goblin again until much later, after those very chambers were a smoking ruin being trod upon by the boots of the zern overlords.
From the farthest reaches of the galaxy came the zern. Strange alien creatures, the zern were cruel beyond imagination. Creatures capable of adapting their bodies and dealing with the over abuse of Force which had ultimately crippled the early goblin race. It was in mutation and adaptation that the specialty of the zern lie. They twisted the minds and bodies of all those they encountered until a proper slave race had been tamed. The zern first were found by the kobolds, but those explorers were captured, their technology stolen, and twisted into the first of the dragons and the dragonwrought kobolds. It was this mixed force that began sweeping the galaxy. Every planet upon which they landed a new race was derived from its inhabitants. Aglarond, home of the elves, gave birth to the vicious trolls from a lesser developed race, the splinterwaifs from the dryads, and insane battle briars from the more dignified thorns. Azer, homeworld of the dwarves, was bastard father to the goliaths, and the duergar. This motley assortment of forces expanded and grew over every world they conquered, each new race a slave to the zern. The Toril league gathered its collective might, but were no match for the strange powers of the zern, and its mutated warriors. The great thane himself came to lock into combat with zern army with the largest collection of forces the league could muster. They were routed in less than a year, and the great thane injured in battle against Dorathus, overlord of the zern. It was during this battle that the great thane witnessed the zern's power, and remembered a small green man who had once prophesied doom to the league. Crippled and more than a century older, the great thane traveled to the goblin homeworld. There he found himself with an impossibility, that same old goblin still alive a century later staring at him not with the fire of emphasis from a hundred years prior but stooped with weariness and the responsibility for a galaxy's fall. The great thane begged for the goblins' help, and the old patriarch said he could have it, but it would be no use. The great thane silenced him once more. The fight was not over. They would need the orcs.
The scattered forces of the league began a new campaign that lasted over five decades slowly ceding lands to the seemingly endless zern horde. The kobolds had increased their technology endlessly, introducing the first true star fighters, but the zern adapted technology as quickly as they did biology. Secretly, the league fought to keep the zern away from orc space as that old goblin landed there. At the end of fifty years, the orcs launched an offensive on the zern in tandem with goblin strike teams who focused on killing only the alien overlords. The zern were driven back world by world, and each found themselves being incorporated into the orc empire under the united imperial clans. Those planets joined willingly, and offered warriors both natural and recovered mutants to the massive orc force. The zern found themselves spread to thin against a force growing in number and momentum. The zern mustered their forces on the fringe world of Eberron only to find themselves faced with a new threat. The heat of the orcs had allowed the kobolds to create a new technology, the battle droid. The mix of mechanical and military forces slowly enclosed the alien army, and the zern ovelords were forced to the fore front of the lines. They were all too surprised that the orcs had somehow adapted to fighting with and against the Force without the two groups ever having met until a green rain from the sky in the form of goblin commandos wielding both force power and weapons. Dorath was undone when the alchemical twisted blades of force energy he thought indestructible was cleft in twain by a humming blade of pure light.
The rest of the zern fleet fled known space, and the goblin forces dived into light speed after them. Hoping to end the threat those aliens posed to the galaxy. Those few goblins that remain act mostly as caretakers of a homeworld slowly recovering from an unsustainable population, and the confused goblin economy of unusable relics. The galaxy found a measure of peace under the orc empire, as its original satraps to the known worlds sought to better their own planets populations in an effort to gain power over the imperial council as a whole.
However, another thousand years has lapsed. The goblins are but a shadow seen in the empire, and the zern a nightmare forgotten. The satraps no longer work or even live on the planets they govern instead currying favor among the imperial clan council as a whole in a bid to control the entire galaxy. The orc empire has long held tyrrany over the majority of known space, but the kobold trade konfederation is revolting against the maneuvers to consolidate wealth in orc coffers. Secretly, they prepare to secede from the overreaching empire. The elves have convinced the trees of their homeland to repel all foreigners on either side of the upcoming fight, and they are even growing harvests of killoren warriors as an army ready to protect their colonies in the skies. The dwarves have once again militarized their planetoid colonies creating powerful defensive space stations for whichever side their thanes will claim allegiance. Halfling scavengers and pilots sell their skills to the highest bidder in a bid to escape the desert slave arenas for the vicious thri-kreen syndicate on their home world. As the tensions rise, a goblin addresses and gives warnings which fall deaf on the 40,000 ears of the imperial clan council. He speaks of a great of a great darkness that threatens the galaxy. The council's arbiter only snapped at the goblin speaker informing him how aware they were of the impending civil war. The goblin tried to continue, but he was dismissed off of the council's floor...
In this galaxy, there are 10 "Major" races, being ones frequently found in the galaxy. These are: Orcs, Dwarves, Kobolds, Elves, Humans, Thri-Kreen, Halflings, Goblins, Gnomes and Lizardmen. The Zerns' conquest practically doubled the sapient species in the Galaxy, and there were many more beyond the main ten; bringing the overall total to some rather large, undecided number. Currently, we only have the main 10, sans Lizardmen.
The Races:
The Big 3
Orcs:
Orcs are the current power in the Galaxy, having established the current Empire long ago. Their society is a strange blend between noble and savage, benefitting greatly from the law of their rule. They average in height between 1.8 and 2.4 meters tall with outliers in a range of 1.6 to 2.6. Hair is straight and black, and they have kept many of their more tribal traditions even to this modern day. Certain styles of facial or normal hair may signify that an Orc is a great warrior, scholar or even an outcast, and it can be offensive to higher Orcs in the social echelons to imitate these styles.
Orcs can most often be found as either Soldiers or Nobles, with almost all Orcs able to handle various varieties of primitive weaponry, such as an axe. Scouts and Scoundrels often are outcast Orcs, seeking to find success through a path that has no honor in their society.
Jedi among the Orcs are rare, and often of the Imperial Court, this code focuses opening oneself to their inner demons. All Orcs share an inner beast of a rage that may surface in combat, but the Imperial Guard have learned to harness this rage through an understanding of the force. Even Orc Jedi not of the Imperial Court tend to use the signature Force Pike of the Court.
Traits:
- +4 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom
- Medium Size
- 6 square move
- Darkvision
- Rage (As the Wookie ability)
- Weapon Familiarity: Orcs proficient with Simple Weapons are proficient with Atlatls, Cesta, and the Orc Flamberge
Dwarves:
Dwarves had an empire, their unreasonable fortitude, and resistance to the new magic of the era almost set them up for an unbeatable conquest. But what the Dwarves didn’t anticipate was the sheer numbers of sapient creatures in the Galaxy. As soon as an external threat or two came up, the “Toril League” popped like over-ripe fruit.
In the new Empire, the Dwarves still have a moderate amount of influence; controlling most of known space does not just vanish overnight. And indeed, it does not vanish over many millennia. Dwarven skin and hair is as varied as humans, and they average from 1 meter to 1.5 meters tall. Many dwarves fall slightly below the 1 meter range however.
Dwarves often become Soldiers or Scouts, following in the footsteps of a rich military tradition. Nobles are not uncommon either, and often are well respected in Dwarven society, if not as much as an accomplished general. Scoundrels, provided they are of the law-abiding variety are well loved, but a lawless dwarf is a dwarf in exile. Dwarven Jedi are incredibly rare, as their resistance to The Force limits their ability to use it. Those few Dwarves that do become Jedi often follow the old Goblin traditions to the letter.
Traits:
- +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma
- Medium Size
- 4 square move
- Darkvision
- Extreme Fortitude: Dwarves may reroll any Endurance check, even in threatening circumstances. They must keep the reroll, however, even if it is worse.
- Force Resilience: A Dwarf’s Defenses are counted as 2 higher when defending against the force. Unfortunately, this lowers Dwarven connections to the force, Dwarves only get half the bonuses to the Use the Force Skill from feats (added all together, than rounded down) compared to normal.
- Weapon Familiarity: A Dwarf proficient with Simple Weapons is proficient with The Dwarven Bearded Axe. Dwarves proficient with Rifles are proficient with the Dwarven Snub Rifle.
Dwarven Culture (Courtesy of El_Pablo)
The Clans In dwarven society, a clan is no different than a place. The dwarves who come from a single region, and that region share one name that is the clan. Most dwarves only have a given name and a clan name. Those who's lineage grants them authority or rights to property carry the parental name from whom those rights are derived. Often these are the rights to rule the clan. These rulers are also the only ones to identify themselves by the clan's proper name for Vestyr that is Brailn of which he is heir. Other dwarves who are in the clan often use derivatives of the original name to show their origin (Brailnov, Brailnish, Brailnek for example). Even clan regions which have no ruling family, called the freeholds, keep to this tradition though everyone uses a derivative name often with the suffix, -frey. Despite the huge size of the galaxy, many dwarves feel a strong yearning to belong to the home of their ancestors, and many inherited clan names are still found mostly in the area from which they come.
The clans may seem an outmoded concept, and many point to the similarity to the orc culture as a sign of its backwardness. However, no dwarf would criticize a tradition because "another race found it so great they needed to copy it". Mostly, the clan system helps mold economic as well as social ties. Any dwarf would hire, buy from, sell to, or trade with a clan member before any other. This favoritism helps maintain a clan's strength and prosperity even among the konfederation and imperial company offerings. Also, it fosters strong competition. This is because a dwarf does not always go with a clansmen's company or business unless it is equal to what is elsewhere. Only the best businesses have been able to spread across whole dwarven planets or dwarven space, and those businesses are rarely rivaled in quality throughout the rest of the galaxy. To offer something to a dwarf outside the clan is a sign of great merit to the recipient.
The FortressesDuring the war of Consolidation, the dwarf king ordered the creation of super space fortresses by converting orbiting planetoids into space stations. Technology was less advanced, and the age of star fighters had yet to come. Therefore, the best defense against incoming space traffic was larger land to space defenses which were limited in scope, and smaller space to space arms. The planetoids were designed to capitalize on their placement by allowing the more powerful land to space weapons to be anchored in space as opposed to the small weapons capable of being supported on smaller satellites. The fortresses were successful especially in holding back the orc hordes until the Toril Alliance was forged. However, the planetoid fortresses were largely defensive, being unable to travel outside of usually a two system range. To this day, only Niflhelm the cometary fortress is capable of entering light speed. When, the zern invasion began, the fortresses had been shut down since they were so far from orc space where the true danger was thought to lie, and only one fortress was ever outfitted for battle during that entire war. It was however that fortress, Bifrost, which slowed the Zern long enough for the orcs to launch their counter invasion.
The fortresses require large populations to operate and man since all planetoids are a combination of self-sustaining space station and fortress, though few are truly self-sustaining. When the fortresses were completed, the king of the dwarves considered each fortress a thanage and granted the title of Thane to warriors who would lead clans to man the fortresses and defend dwarven space. The largest fortress was granted the title of Great Thane which came with the responsibility of overseeing and organizing the new thanages. The thanages also gained access to shipping rights in the space they guarded and mining rights withing a similar area. At first, those rights were granted mostly for security purposes, but no thane was foolish enough not to take advantage. The land-bound nobles, generally called princes for the most common title, first mocked the lesser thanes. That first generation of mockers lived long enough to realize the control of off world shipping and mining rights gave the thanes more economic rights to the whole of the galaxy than they would ever have. It was therefore, during the Toril Alliance that the dwarf clans assembled themselves underneath the thanes with those supporting princes forming blocs of support. In seeing this trend, the dwarf king granted control of the Toril Alliance to the Great Thane. After that, the dwarven royal family became more of a symbol than a true political power. The authority of the crown is strongest on Azer where its holdings reside, but its wealth is still legendary throughout the galaxy.
With the fall of the Toril alliance, the authority of the thanes waned. The orcs respected the existing government structure, but, without the threat of war, the fortresses were to expensive to maintain. Many thanes put the planetoids in orbit with small maintenance crews, and they maintained their wealth by slowly selling off mining rights for profit. The shipping lanes for the dwarves became smaller sources of income as ships stopped coming past unmanned planetoid stations and therefore avoiding fees. Several clans turned to mercenary work or bounty hunting as a means of continuing to supply security but avoid becoming penniless. Clan Brailn is an exception to this rule, Goremore the last thane of Brailn inherited the clanr ruler at a young age. The fortress passed to him skipping a generation as his father was too busy with mercenary work to bother with a hunk of rock he saw as a pocket book drain. Goremore's father was still a leader in the clan as the Brailn had become a militant clan like many of the thanages. Though, Goremore discovered the reason the fortress was costing so much money was because his grandmother, the previous thane was pulling all the mining rights back into the clan, lowering revenues. It took a few years before the new thane discovered why. The mining and shipping revenue could easily be many times that of the mercenary ventures of the clan. The fortresses were simply ill-equipped to support such things. His grandmother had been traveling constantly to kobold space to observe their operations and learn from them. Goremore followed in her advice, and began upgrading the fortress. Brailn gained more living space, more storage, docks, means of energy capture, and even an ever advancing system of hydroponic plant growth. To counter criticism, he also constantly upgraded and expanded the military capabilities. The planetoid fortress may be more vulnerable since its shell is no longer a layer of rocks lined with guns, but it's defensive capabilities are on par with many larger space stations and its abilities as a space port and mining base are the best in the region. It was for these reasons that his son Strodhelm became a businessdwarf involved in both shipping and mining using the clan rights his father controlled. Slowly, the dwarves of Brailn stopped ignoring their fortresses and fighting for others and transitioned to merchants and miners. Still, the costs of upgrading and maintaining the planetoid consumes a large portion of the wealth generated by the clan, but Strodhelm is still considered one of the most profitable dwarves alive. New imperial guidelines designed to curb the power of the konfederation are a growing threat to the economy of Brailn which Vestyr is determined to undo.
Dwarven GovernmentThe clans are organized in a very simple manner. Each clan sends councilman based on the clan's size. Usually, councilmen are picked from the clan's eldest and wisest, but some clans have other methods (some even by simple lottery). The council used to serve only as counsel to the royal family, and groups of councilmen were formed into societies for their fields of expertise. As communication improved, the princes and thanes of clans were able to hold more sway over their councilmen and powerful councilmen emerged who held the same sway as their clan heads. Also, the decisions of the king became more criticized if his decision was his own, and not one which integrated the advice of those powerful councilmen. The result slowly eroded royal power to the point where the king only approved the moves already decided upon by the most powerful in the council. Now, the council makes all the decisions as the crown has stepped aside with a tacit support of any society rulings. The most powerful people now in the council are the vizards, individuals who hold the greatest bloc of supporters in each society. Vizards can change positions at the beginning of any council session (usually once a year) and they set the agenda for their respective society. Outsiders may see the system as somewhat tyrannical and volatile, but the dwarven love of tradition means that societies often make very few rulings except the most necessary of changes.
Dwarven Gender The genders in dwarf culture are equal. Lineage is passed down through the first born either male or female. At some point in history, it is noted that traditionally dwarven society was patriarchal. However, after encountering other species it was also traditional to consider dwarven females as tough, capable, and respectable as the men. It was the latter tradition that eventually won out in the galactic age.
Kobolds:
Kobolds love of explosives and technology has allowed them to become neutral traders, or else. Many affiliated Kobolds would be quick to tell you that they have never been conquered, but the entrance of the Zern did do quite a number on them, and they indeed gave the Zern some of their strongest weapons in the Dragons.
Kobolds scales run a large range of color, and rarely they can grow spiny “hair” on their head, similar to a boar’s. The average height of a kobold is in a range of 0.6 to 1.2 meters, continuing to grow throughout their entire lives. Right in adulthood, they tend to range from 0.5 to 0.6 meters.
Noble and Scoundrel are the most common classes among Kobolds, fitting in with their mechanics and economics focused society. Some Kobolds not affiliated with the Konfederation sell their services as scouts, as their small, yet agile physique lends itself well to this role. Kobolds have seen firsthand what the abuse of the force causes more than anyone, and tend to have a distrust of it, leading to a great rarity of Kobold Jedi (which mainly follow the old Goblin ways, with a slight twist). Kobold soldiers are likewise rare, Kobold tradition frowns on a upfront fight, and those soldiers of Kobolds often find themselves working as anti-vehicular specialists.
Traits:
- -4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, + 2 Intelligence
- Small Size
- 6 square move
- Low-Light Vision
- Scales: Despite being thin, Kobold scales grant the kobold +1 to its reflex defense.
- Claws and Bite: Kobolds have claws on each hand capable of dealing 1d4 damage, and a bite capable of 1d6.
- Conditional Bonus Feat: Kobolds with training in mechanics gain Skill Focus (Mechanics) as a bonus feat.
- Weapon Familiarity: Kobolds with Weapon Proficiency (Rifles) are proficient with the Bowcaster.
Significant Minorities:
Humans:
History does not remember the humans apart from the oddity of the fact that they were discovered on many planets on far reaches from each other, but in relatively few numbers. It is theorized that the Humans were once populace in the time of the Goblin conquests, but lost to history, in the time before The Force, humans were the big empire holders. Space travel wasn’t needed to reach other planets at that time, and humans were among the greatest threats to any race that made became their enemy.
It is for this reason, the humans were crippled beyond repair when the Goblins launched their first offensive, but humanities greatest strength, adaptability, has allowed them to survive, and by some accounts flourish, in the many millennia since. Humans themselves still claim their lost homeworld is still out there, but in a modern society, these are just myths and legends.
Class wise, humans very commonly adopt all of the classes for various reasons. The humans have developed their own force tradition with a base in the Goblin ones of old, the Grey Knights as their called, have a strange emphasis on armor, and prefer force powers that hinder other force users. There are still many in the Goblin Order, and even in the Imperial Court.
Traits as Star Wars Saga Edition
Thri-Kreen:
Note: The Kreen are a more powerful race than the others, something not quite supported by SAGA, and are mainly here so as players have a general idea of what to expect. An adventuring Kreen would have no standing among its own people.
Before their discovery by the Kobolds, the Kreen had a small empire of their own in the outer rim, their homeworld of Athas at its center. The Kobolds, always with their ability to see opportunity, welcomed the Kreen into the Konfederation with open arms, and thus inadvertently set the Galaxy on the fast track to Dwarven Rule.
In modern times, the Thri-Kreen often work as an underground portion of the Konfederation, their minds not relating on the subject of “Laws” as the other races. Those not aligned with the Konfederation however, must learn to bridge this gap quickly, or perish The Kreen also all share a power of the mind they refer to as “psionics” similar to The Force, yet on a different axis.
Thri-Kreen come mainly in a dusty-sand color, and range from 1.5 to 2.3 meters tall.
Class-wise, Thri-Kreen are most often Scouts or Scoundrels, as their society favors the skills these bring to the table. Nobles are decently common, as people skills are needed, particularly when the other races are so alien to you. Jedi and Soldiers are not uncommon, but find themselves in the lower end of the ladder, the Kreen favor mobility over overpowering might of soldiers. Jedi traditions, the Kreen find themselves neatly split between the Elven Druids and the Goblin Order. The Kreen’s native power of the mind often provides an interesting spin on either tradition.
Traits:
- +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity ,-2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
- Medium
- 8 Square Speed
- Low-Light Vision
- Chitin: Thri-Kreen have a tough exo-skeleton, providing them with a +3 bonus to reflex defense.
- Multiple Limbs: Thri-Kreen have four arms, each capable of wielding a weapon. They have their own line of “multi-weapon fighting” feats.
- Poisonous Bite: Thri-Kreen have a slow-acting paralytic poison that they may deliver with a bite. The strength of the poison is 1 + their constitution Modifier + 1/2 their level. The average Kreen secretes enough poison to affect one person in one day.
- Leap: Thri-Kreen may reroll any jump check, however they must keep the reroll, even if it is worse.
- Weapon Familiarity: Thri-Kreen treat their native Gythka and Catkcha as Simple weapons.
Thri-Kreen Culture:
The world of Athas is a diverse one, but it is known for its great desserts, for it is here that The Kreen were born. An insectoid people characterized by their powerful, four-armed forms. It is thought that The Kreen wasted no time in conquering their planet forming a society of luxury on the backs of the Halfling people. This luxury belongs to the eldest Kreen, however, and takes a great ambition and cunning to achieve it when your elders own your possessions if they should so choose.
As soon as the Kreen discovered space flight younger Kreen leaped at the opportunity to establish their own turf, and in a very short period of time, the entire solar system was colonized. The Lizardfolk on the nearest planet of Q'Barra proved strong, and many earned enough respect among the Kreen to be free citizens of The Syndicate. Those captured by The Kreen, however enjoyed a more stable, yet short life in the new sport sweeping through The Syndicate: Gladiator Combat.
Not much changed for The Kreen in centuries, their society developing into a strange fusion of politics encouraging assassinations, and decadent luxury for those who survived long enough to earn it. This changed when the first Kobold scouts breached the borders of The Athasian System....
Halflings:
Halflings are rarely seen in Galactic society; that is not to say that they are not around, just unseen. The small creatures are naturally stealthy, and like the Thri-Kreen of their homeworld, Halflings more often than not find themselves in criminal pursuits. Many of the greatest Manhunters of the Galaxy are Halflings,
Halflings follow much of the various skin-tones of humans, but their hair is often bleached of any color, a strange effect of Athas’ sun. They average at a height of 0.9 to 1.1 meters, but they themselves often measure heights in decimeters.
Halflings generally are Scouts or Scoundrels, as they tend towards professions where their natural stealthiness comes in handy. The other classes are rare among them, but not unheard of.
Traits:
- +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma
- Small
- 4 Square Speed
- Like a Shadow: Halflings may reroll any stealth check, but they must keep the reroll, even if it is worse.
- Agility: Halflings tend to be able to evade many attacks that others would not be able to. A Halfling aware of an attack gains a +1 bonus to their Reflex Defense.
- Weapon Familiarity: Halflings with proficiency in Pistols are proficient with the Athas Holdout.
Elves:
Elves in current society are more or less in a self-imposed exile. As historic, the moment the winds of war blow through the Galaxy, Elves close up shop. They keep to their planets, which are all terraformed to dense forest. Through their force tradition of Druidism, they tell the forest what they wish of it, and care quite capable of completely sealing the sky off with tree cover.
Elves are most often Jedi or Scouts, having a Force Tradition of their own called Druidism. Elves of all classes tend to use the Lightbow, old traditions die hard it would seem.
Traits:
- As Rodians in the Saga edition except for these two points:
- +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution
- Weapon Familiarity: Elves Proficient with Simple Weapons are Proficient with the Elven Lightbow.
Goblins:
Goblins were almost non-existent in The Galaxy after The Great Zern War, the vast majority leaving in pursuit. For a race so instrumental in the history, how the modern Goblins got back to a decent population is unknown to any except them, it would seem the old fleets returned, but they left no sign of such. They are mysterious creatures, and often speak as if they know the future, history says they would be right, but it must have been a series of lucky guesses.
Goblins are green, have pointed ears and teeth, and average about 0.6 to 0.8 meters in height. Despite their size, they are quite fast, and this has been put to use with their native tradition of wolf-riding. This carries into their other tradition, the Jedi Order.
The race of Goblins at this point are almost exclusively Jedi, trained from before their memory in the ancient traditions. Even those Goblins that take a different profession, are generally those who have left the order, and often find themselves as scouts practicing in animal rearing for the Order.
Traits:
- -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom
- Small Size
- 6 Square Move
- Low-Light Vision
- Born in the Saddle: Goblins may reroll any Ride check, but must keep the reroll, even if it is worse.
- Weapon Familiarity: Goblins with Weapon Proficiency (Lightsabers) are proficient with the Riding Saber.
Rarities:
Gnomes:
Gnomes descended into chaos with the death of magic, when rediscovered by the Konfederation (their homeworld is Zephyr) they had reverted to a near tribal society. They quickly adapted to the new technology the Kobolds brought, but quickly tried to outdo the Kobolds in this regard, unsuccessfully. With Zephyr devolving into a new chaos with their newly heightened technology, the gnomes found the thing their society would revolve around.
Gnomes saw something very different from the other races when looking at the first battledroids odd, vaguely kobold build, perfection. AI, no need for thought, the reaction is known, performed instantly, encased in an immortal shell, immune to worry. The Gnomes began their drive to convert their race into robotics, and were the inventors of cybernetics. Most the other races keep well away from a gnome unless they really need a computer or cybernetic expert.
Gnomes average around 0.5 to 0.6 meters, a wide range of skin tones, though always with a “dusted” complexion, and tend to have very dark, or very light hair and eyes.
Traits:
- +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence -2 Wisdom, -4 Charisma
- Small Size
- 4 Square Move
- Low-Light Vision
- Conditional Bonus Feat: Gnomes with training in Use Computer get the Skill Focus (Use Computer) Feat as a Bonus Feat.
- Weapon Familiarity: Gnomes proficient with Pistols are proficient with the “Zephyr Disruptor”
Lizardfolk:
traits as Gamorreans from Star Wars Saga
Languages:
There are many languages throughout The Galaxy, as should be expected of such a high population. For the most part though, while planets have various dialectal differences, they are able to be broken down into a few overarching languages.
Imperial: The trade language of The Empire, and citizens are expected to know it. Origins are from the ancestral language of the Orcs.
Azer: The Dwarven language, and contains many regionally dependent honorifics.
Konfederate/Kobold: It's argued which is proper as they are synonymous within the language. Regardless, it is the language of The Kobold Konfederate, and knowing it is useful for traveling within their territory.
Aglar: Not widely spoken outside of the Elven planets, and native language of the Elves and various fae of Aglarond. It is a difficult and flowing language.
Kreen: The Kreen have difficulty speaking other languages, but can make a rough approximation. Thusly, most other species have difficulty speaking Kreen.
Ath: A language shared by the Halflings and Kreen on the planet of Athas. Still a difficult language to learn, but it is a rather neutral language that practically anyone can pronounce with practice, regardless of vocal limitations.
Molag: The "Human" language, named after the duo of planets claimed as the new human homeworlds, Molag Mar, and Molag Amur.
Zeph: Becoming Archaic as the population of Zephyr switch over to Binary.
Q': Native language of the Lizardfolk, very harsh sounding to foreign ears.
Toril: A trade language spoken by certain members of The Toril League, there isn't much call for it in modern times.
Binary: A language used by computers, with great difficulty expressing abstract concepts. The Gnomes of Zephyr are trying to convert to this as their planetary language.
Force Traditions:
The Old Order:
Founded by the Goblins, and a tradition so ancient, it's been around since before recorded history. The Order is a pacifistic tradition, seeking to stave off a repeat of the horrors of Force Corruption. It also exemplifies the riding tradition that Goblins had from time immemorable.
The primary domains that Old Order Adepts use are clairvoyant abilities, and defensive ones, generally Adepts that travel outside of a conclave learn the ability to Sever Force. Usual lightsaber forms exemplify agility, such as Ataru and Makashi, and commonly lightsaber duels are performed for entertainment as well as training, "jousting" for special situations.
Darksiders among the tradition are refered to as "Shadow Walkers" they see the galactic strife as a sign that they need to step further into the forefront. They risk force corruption in their "knife edge" balance of Light and Dark, but of course, many just use the tradition as an excuse to gain quick power.
Jedi of The Old Order treat Ride as a class skill.
Imperial Guard:
Founded by the last remnants of humanity, The Imperial Guard (referred to as The Guard) are a strange, very martial art. A Guard's saber is his second greatest possession, followed by the exquisite armor each forms both by hand, and through the force.
Primarily, force abilities of The Guard revolve around stealth and maneuverability, relying on armor and saber to deal with enemies. Primary forms among The Guard are Shien, Djem So and Juyo.
Jedi of The Imperial Guard are proficient with Light Armor and may take talents from the Jensaarai Defender Tree (Saga pg 107)
Grey Knights/The Imperial Court:
The Court are the elite guardians of The Emperor and Empire in general. The main symbol of The Court would be their preference of the Lightsaber Pike as opposed to the standard Lightsaber, the better to keep the enemy further from themselves, and by extension, The Emperor.
Members of The Court primarily use force powers relating to kinetics and strength, with Force Grip being a favorite. Non-Orcs also frequently take up the power Dark Rage to keep up with their Orc brotheren in combat. Vaapad and Niman are the main forms utilized by The Court, and teach extensively the utilization of Sokan.
Druidism:
Sorcery:
Natural:
Force Powers:
Each of these will have one or more traditions following (never Sorcery or Natural) these are where the power is particularly common, this is not exclusive access to the power.
Force Spark [Druid]
Using the force to light a fire. Mainly used by the Elven Druids for controlled burns during the grooming of their forests.
time: move action target: one flammable object within 6 squares. Or any other object within 6 squares (including creatures).
If the target is flammable, it ignites, starting with a small spark and spreading.
Otherwise, make a force check the level of success determines the amount of damage done through fire. This is often used for welding.
DC 10 deal 2d6 damage
DC 20 deal 4d6 damage
DC 30 deal 6d6 damage
DC 40 deal 8d6 damage
Table of contents for things not in the first three posts:
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