Star Trek (TM) Alien Generator

[marty4286]

I have an idea for creating aliens real easily when you have no ideas...

I think a table where you roll with random alien attributes (Not game statistic attributes) and traits (same) would make the creation process flow much faster and be easier on your brain. With this, you could get some facts on the appearance, abilities, and more on a randomly generated alien that you can then flesh it out and create stats for. Some descriptions are vague, and are meant to be - just imagine for yourself!

Roll 1D6 for each table and match up with the appropriate description.

Physique
1 - Exactly like a Human
2 - Redundant Organs, so more "ripped" than a Human in external appearance (Klingon)
3 - Natural Armor helps it withstand damage that would rip a Human in half (Eh?)
4 - Scaly or ridged, but still Exactly like a human (Gorn, Cardassian)
5 - Like a Human in external appearance, but considerably stronger (Vulcans)
6 - Like a human in external appearance, but considerably weaker (Ferengi)

Size
1 - Exactly like a Human
2 - Taller than a Human (Hirogen)
3 - Shorter than a Human (Ferengi?)
4 - Skinnier than a Human (Bajoran - I SWEAR!)
5 - Fatter than a Human (Pakled)
6 - Exactly like a Human (Most aliens seem to fit this category more than others in the show)

Skin Tone
1 - Human skin tones (Vulcans)
2 - Human skin tones but generally darker (Klingon)
3 - Human skin tones but generally lighter (Bajoran)
4 - Grey (Cardassians)
5 - Green (Orions!)
6 - Blue (Andorians, Bolians)

Facial Features (You have to roll 2d6 on this one - roll 1d6 / 2 on how many times you have to roll this)
2 - Exactly like a Human
3 - A series of ridges (Klingon, Romulan, too many to list)
4 - A series of spots (Trill)
5 - A depression that reminds Federation citizens of an eating utensil (Cardassian)
6 - A larger...
7 - A smaller or barely visible...
8 - A pointier...
9 - A fatter...
10 - A series of horns or spikes (Nausicaans, too many to list)
11 - A Bulbous protrusion (Ferengi)
12 - Exactly like a Human

Facial Features location (Roll this for each Facial Feature applicable)
1 - Nose (or between the eyes)
2 - Forehead/Brow
3 - Cheek (If you got 6, 7, 8, 9 on previous table, substitute "Lip")
4 - Neck (If you got 6, 7, 8, 9 on previous table, substitute "Tooth" or "Gums")
5 - Jaw
6 - Ear

These Aliens favor people that have... (Roll twice, if one comes up twice, use that as an extreme)
1 - Intelligence
2 - Strength
3 - Agility
4 - Craftiness
5 - Material Possessions
6 - Spirituality

These Aliens have disdain for people that have... (Roll again if one of their favors comes up)
1 - Intelligence (Pakleds?)
2 - Strength
3 - Agility
4 - Craftiness
5 - Material Possessions
6 - Spirituality

These Alien's philosophy dictate that they favor... (Roll twice, if one comes up twice, use that as an extreme)
1 - Order
2 - Justice
3 - Tradition
4 - Discovery
5 - Unity
6 - Independence

On Telepathy, they... (Optional)
1 & 2 - Don't have generally have it, and are mostly indifferent
3 & 4 - Don't have generally have it, and fear telepaths
5 - Have it, and afraid of using it (wrongfully)
6 - Have it, and are not afraid of using it

They communicate... (Optional)
1 to 4 - Verbally
5 - Sign or body language
6 - Telepathically (not necessarily have telepathy, if you get what I'm saying)

I should really make more tables :/, but I think this should suffice in getting people started

[qerlin]

This would be good for the 'head of the week' aliens from the last couple of series.

[Perrryyy]

Looks good!

Kinda reminds me of the monster generator tables from the Castle Greyhawk module.

[Kirok]

Okay, this will all sound silly, but I'm actually (fairly) serious here...
you know those offers you get in the mail for "animals of the world" cards sets? There are recipe card set offers like this, too. The offer usually includes some sample cards (there's almost always a polar bear card or a panda bear card in this free mini-set, I don't know why), each has a picture on the front, where the animal is found, the species name, descriptions, all that sort of thing.
Anyway, I have a set of these I got at a garage sale or a second-hand store. One could pick a random card and take one or more features of the selected animal and apply them to the species you're creating.
For instance, let's say you pick the ubiquitous panda bear card. That could mean the new race has fur, or that they have black and white spots or areas on their bodies, or that they eat wood.

As for skin color, you could just pull out your copy of Twister (The Game That Ties You Up In Knots), and use the spinner? Wee! Spin it twice and combine the results for more colros...or maybe there's some other game out there that has a spinner or colored pieces with a wider variety of colors.

For generating wierd facial structures, draw a random piece from a box of Mr. Potato Head parts. (Can you tell I like games?)

[pesterfield]

A class M world developed a life form in its jungle covered mountains. This species unfortunately has only a single food source, a plant Terrans would call bamboo. Much like the Terran panda they began as solitary creatures, but as intelligence developed and they developed the idea of agriculture they began to band together to help in the farming and defend their only food from others.

Time passed with wars being fought and technology developing, eventually they began experimenting with rockets and in system space flight. Progress presented population problems however and they are now engaged in constructing orbital habitats to grow their food, and with the invention of warp drive a desperate interstellar search for worlds that have the proper climate to produce their food and serve as colonies.