Random planet and species creation

[Chris]

Hello,
I was thinking of buying BASH sci-fi, and was wondering if anyone could tell me about the random planet and race creation charts. I enjoy random tables and was wondering what kinds of creatures I can create...

[BASHMAN]

Welcome to the boards; I can tell you that there are charts on how to do it, but would you like an example of the chart being used?

[Chris]

Hello!
Yes, an example of the chart being used would be very helpful.

[BASHMAN]

So let's do a random alien species. First we roll to see the degree of difference from humans.

I got an 8, indicating the species is moderately different. I get to roll once on the Minor Powers and once on the Moderate Powers chart.

The dice rolls indicate this species has a minor power of Clinging, and a moderate power of Flight 3. So this alien race has wings, but also has some means to stick to vertical surfaces. That could be something similar to a fly or bat maybe.

Next we roll for random alien trait differences from humans. Because the species is moderately different, I roll twice. The first roll (3) indicates a Stat difference, the second roll (5) indiccates an Advantage/Disadvantage difference.

My random stat difference is a (3) Agile. My species has a minimum Agility of 3 per character!

My random species trait I rolled (7) Star-born. My species has lived among the stars so long that they do not function well on the surface of planets (they call it "ground sickness") and is so technologcally advanced, they don't perform low-tech tasks well (so first aid requires a medpack, not bandages). On the upside, they have no penalties maneuvering in a Zero-G environment.

Putting this all together, I've decided that my species' wings and suction-cup tipped extremities have helped them to adapt to their zeroG space environment.

Last I roll for the culture of my species. I get an 8, they are a feudal system. So in spite of their high-tech space-faring lives, they are organized by a nobility system. Perhaps their "fiefdoms" consist of the planets this star empire rules from their "castles" in the stars. Their vassal people, the aliens indigeounous to these planets work in exchange for the protection of the star empire.

[BASHMAN]

Now let's make a planet.

First - is it habitable or not? If you want to roll it randomly, 12 on 2d6 it is (this is actually MUCH greater than the real life ratios). But it's recommended to just choose based on the needs of the game. For this example, let's pick a habitable world.

Step 2: Size & Gravity. For a habitable world, roll a d6. I got a 4. This indicates near-earth gravity. A 1 would be low G, a 6 would be high G. Uninhabitable worlds it varies MUCH more greatly.

Step 3: Atmosphere & Water. I rolled a 5. This means thin, but earth-like air. So it is breathable, just hard to breathe; like in the himalayas. A 1 would mean the people there breathe some other gas, a 6 would mean they have a thicker atmosphere. 2-4 is a regular earth like atmosphere.

Unihabitable planets this can vary much more widely; you might have a poisonous atmophere of amonia for example that would crush any starship that tries to land on it like a tin can or a sun scorched rock with no atmosphere at all.

Water distribution: roll a d6. I got a 2, indicating a dry world. So this is a desert planet.

Next roll for stellar distance and rotation.
I got a 1, so my planet is close to its sun, and therefore very warm. So it's a hot desert, not a frozen tundra (but still HABITABLE; so think dune / tattoine, not mercury).

Now for Rotation: I rolled a 6. NO RATATION AT ALL! My planet is perpetually day on one side, and perpetually night on the other. This means that the "habitable" portion is actually a narrow band around the center of the planet where day meets night. I've decided to name my planet "Dusk" for this reason. Too far onto the day side and you burn up, too far onto the night side and you freeze solid.

Note there is a whole lot of other variety possibe here!

[Baelor]

Love it BASHMAN!

For my game, I never rolled on the charts, just working from what I needed a planet to do. But I always worked through them as a checklist to make my planet.

[fairytalejedi]

Now I want to get BASH Sci-Fi.

[Baelor]

It is every bit as good as BASH supers. Lost of possibilities, easy game play, almost identical rules, Well worth while.