Empirica Galactica

Science fiction in the 23rd century, powered by GURPS.

There are many alien species in the Empirica Galactica setting. Humans are featured prominently, as the Sol system is within the Galactic Core. Many other species, both humanoid and otherwise also roam the stars, some living amongst others in peace, some living apart plotting the downfall of other civilizations.

The Ashaze (Ah-SHA-Zee) are a humanoid Alien from the cold planet <planet>.
(See Space pg. 139 about combustible).
(Low Basic Speed or Decreased Time Rate)
(Cold planet, warm blooded?)
Requires Encounter Suit.

5 points
Attribute Modifiers: IQ-1 [-20]
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers:
Advantages: Reduced Consumption 1 (Cast-Iron Stomach) [2]; Damage Resistance 1 [5]; Doesn’t Breathe (Gills) and Lungs [10]; Acute Hearing (4) [8]; Ultrahearing [5]; Scanning Sense (Sonar) [20]; Acute Taste/Smell (4) [8]
Disadvantages: Fragile (Combustible) [-5]; Odious Personal Habit (Carrion Eater) [-5]; Colorblindness [-10]; Callous [-5]; Loner (12) [-5]
Perks:
Quirks: Undiscriminating; Careful; Serious
Features: Hydrogen Breathing
Skills:

Chemical Basis: Hydrocarbon-based life (cold to cool worlds)
Habitat: Swampland
Trophic Level and Strategy: Scavenger
Primary Locomotion: Walking
Secondary Locomotion: N/A
Size Class: Human-scale (18″ to 3 yards)
Size (size modifier): 2 yards (0)
Weight: 200 lbs.
Symmetry: Bilateral
Number of Limbs: Two Segments (two limbs per side)
Tails: N/A
Manipulators: 1 set of manipulators with normal DX
Skeleton: Internal Skeleton
Skin: Scales (DR 1)
Breathing: Doesn’t Breathe
Temperature: Warm Blooded
Growth: Continuous Growth
Sexes: Two Sexes
Gestation: Egg-Laying
Special Gestation: N/A
Strategy: Median Strategy: 1d offspring per litter, moderate care after birth
Primary Sense: Hearing
Vision: Colorblindness*
Hearing: Acute Hearing 4 with Ultrasonic Hearing and Sonar*
Touch: Human-level touch
Taste/Smell: Acute Taste/Smell 4*
Special Senses: N/A
Intelligence: 9
Mating Behavior: Temporary pair bond
Social Organization: Pair-bonded
Chauvinism: Undiscriminating
Concentration: Normal
Curiosity: Normal
Egoism: Normal
Empathy: Callous
Gregariousness: Loner (12)
Imagination: Normal
Suspicion: Careful (quirk)
Playfulness: Serious (quirk)

Flavor text about the species. Include the name, pronunciation, and home planet.

X points
Attribute Modifiers:
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Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Quirks:
Features:
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Chemical Basis:
Habitat:
Trophic Level and Strategy:
Primary Locomotion:
Secondary Locomotion:
Size Class:
Size (size modifier):
Weight:
Symmetry:
Number of Limbs:
Tails:
Manipulators:
Skeleton:
Skin:
Breathing:
Temperature:
Growth:
Sexes:
Gestation:
Special Gestation:
Strategy:
Primary Sense:
Vision:
Hearing:
Touch:
Taste/Smell:
Special Senses:
Intelligence:
Mating Behavior:
Social Organization:
Chauvinism:
Concentration:
Curiosity:
Egoism:
Empathy:
Gregariousness:
Imagination:
Suspicion:
Playfulness:

Interstellar travel is through Jump Space. Only the largest ships with great financial backing (such as that of a government or military) have on-board Jump Engines. Other ships have to use Jump Gates, which are located strategically around known space. Jumps through gates have to follow assigned corridors, there is no variation. Jump Engine equipped ships can plot their own, more direct courses. More aggressive courses that travel closer to major gravity wells (stars, black holes, etc.) can decrease the amount of time it takes to jump through space. Jumps can go no closer to such gravity wells then 20 AU. This means ships must exit Jump Space in the outer part of a solar system, then use conventional propulsion to travel to their destination (as they can not exit a jump closer than 20 AU to the system’s star). Failed astrogation checks can result in a longer, or possibly fatal course. Normal astrogation uses preprogrammed coordinates that offer no risk, and a base speed of 1ly per 6 Earth days. The following chart shows the amount of days it takes to travel 1ly.

Penalties for greater distances traveled? May be too restrictive. Should a 40ly jump be harder to plot a 5ly jump? Why not just make 8 easier 5ly jumps to go the full 40ly? Assign bonuses for the quality of the astrogation computer?

Subspace transmissions, calculated in a strait line. Subspace communications equipment use special kind of energy that travels through Subspace at great speeds. 1ly per day? 2ly per day? 10ly per day? Consider amount of time it would take to respond to distress signals.

The Galactic Core extends roughly for a 20ly radius from Sol, which is at the center of the Galactic Map. Known space is divided into 8 cubic sectors, 20ly x 20ly x 20ly, with the orientation shown by the chart below.

Surrounding the Galactic Core is an area of space known as the Outer Rim. The Outer Rim is 20 - 30ly thick depending on the part of it you are traveling in. Beyond the Outer Rim are the Far Reaches, which essentially cover all the rest of space in this part of the Milky Way. None of the Core races know very much, if anything, about the far reaches (at least that they are telling). United Earth Alliance expedition ships have been to some parts of the Outer Rim. Other aliens, whose home worlds are closer to the edge of the Core, know much more about the Rim.