LIFEFORMS

·         All lifeform damage is perfectly constant, and appears based on a damage that would be done to a durability 2 lifeform (Elowan).  All damage ratings are in multiples of 5, and by taking the damage to an Elowan, you can divide by the durability rating of a lifeform to see it's damage scale.  For example, of a Purple Screecher does 85 damage vs a durability 2 lifeform, it will do 85 / 2 = 42.5 damage vs. a durability 4 lifeform, 85 / 3 = 28 1/3 damage vs. a durability 6 lifeform, 21 1/4 damage vs a durability 8 lifeform, and 17 damage vs. a durability 10 lifeform.  Round all numbers down.

·         The TV Lifeform shield tends to block about 50% of all lifeform attacks, but all storms, and certain lifeforms can bypass it.  It does nothing to reduce the damage of attacks that get past it.

·         Attacks by hostile sentients do random damage vs a single crewmember, and the damage is not modified by durability.


RACE(S) DURABILITY
ELOWAN 2
DWEENLE 4
HUMAN / THRYNN 6
VERLOX 8
SYNTHETIC / G'NUNK 10
NAME TRADE VALUE SIZE(M^3) MOBILE? RATING DMG(2) DMG(4) DMG(6) DMG(8) DMG (10)
Pop Beary Plant 400 1 immobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Plant Bird 600 1 mobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Rocket Melons 600 3 immobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Red Puff Wart 700 1 immobile * 15 7 5 3 3
Sticky Fruit 800 2 immobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Hive Plant 900 3 immobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Scaly Blue Hopper 900 1 mobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Hill Rat 1000 1 mobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Pulsating Gummy 1200 2 immobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Spinning Crab 1200 1 mobile * 50 25 16 12 10
Black Acid Squirter 1600 2 immobile * 35 17 11 8 7
Humanoid Hopper 1950 3 mobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Vacuum Slug 2000 2 mobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Hot Fungus 2000 1 immobile *** 175 87 58 43 35
Psychic Blaster 2200 2 mobile * 50 25 16 12 10
Oily Spore Bush 2250 3 immobile * n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Parachute Spider 2400 3 mobile * 24 12 8 6 4
Wandering Chandelier 2500 10 mobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Wheel Snake 2600 2 mobile *** 115 57 38 28 23
Glowing Spinner 2700 4 mobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Breathing Cactus 2700 3 immobile * 37 18 12 9 7
Nid Berry Bush * 2800 2 immobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Green Balloon 3000 6 mobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Poison Glider 3000 2 mobile *** 150 75 50 37 30
Crystal Sponge Plant 3250 5 immobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Expanding Hippo 3500 7 mobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Single Leaf 3575 11 immobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Yellow Hugger 3600 4 mobile ** 80 40 26 20 16
Fur Tree 4000 20 immobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Electric Balloon 4250 5 mobile ** 90 45 30 22 18
Running Fungus 4500 9 mobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Grey Anemone 4500 6 mobile ** 100 50 33 25 20
Green Blob 4800 8 immobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Funnel Tree 4800 16 immobile Harmless n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Purple Screecher 5200 4 mobile ** 85 42 28 21 17
Peacock Tree 5200 13 immobile ** 75 37 25 18 15
Sand Pit Stalk 6000 4 immobile *** 200 100 66 50 40
Eight Legged Rhino 9800 7 mobile *** 120 60 40 30 24
Stinging Cone 10000 10 immobile ** 95 47 31 23 19
Brass Harpooner 14400 8 mobile ***** 225 112 75 56 45
Dark Lighting - - mobile - death death death death death
(Stone Age Sentients)
Stones and Sticks
- - mobile - 10 5 3.3 2.5 2
(Metal Age Sentients)
Metal Weapons
- - mobile - 25 12 8 6 5
(Industrial Sentients)
Chemical Weapons
- - mobile - 35 18 12 9 7
(Space Age Sentients)
Energy Weapons
- - mobile - 50 25 16 12.5 10

LIFEFORM DESCRIPTIONS

Black Acid Squiter: A black, fuzzy, amorphous creature about the size of a rabbit. On the surface of the creature are several blue white globular clusters of light and heat sensors. Surrounding each cluster is a ring of small holes through which the creature shoots a powerful acid substance. The creature's rasp like eating apparatus is on its sticky underside.

Brass Harpooner: A large, rounded creature completely covered by metallic, brass colored, overlapping plates of armor. It seems to propel itself by means of thousands of small tentacles on its underside. Protruding from the front end of the creature are four barbed spikes which the creature is capable of shooting from its body. Upon harpooning its victim, these can then be pulled in by the sinewy chords that attach them.

Breathing Cactus: A spine covered cactus like plant with black, fleshy branches and triangular leaves. Covering the surface of this plant are many small pores which rhythmically take in and expell air with a hissing sound. Each time the plant breathes in, it visibly expands. Radiating out from the base of this plant are long, moving tentacle like branches, each of which has a rosette of long poison tipped needles at the end.

Crystal Sponge Plant: A many faceted crystalline creature with various crystalline protrusions extending upward at all angles from a spongy base. The bright, multi colored light refracted by the crystals make the creature difficult to look at. Buried within the crystals can be seen small structures which photosynthesize the focused light.

Dark Lightning: This appears to be a large sphere of blazing energy hovering several feet off the ground. Approximately three times the size of the terrain vehicle, it moves rapidly over the ground with no visible means of propulsion. Within the sphere is a core of charged electric energy that appears as writhing, dark, inverse lightning. The object, or lifeform, projects a crackling, throbing, subsonic force that is deeply disturbing and at close range, utterly unbearable.

Eight Legged Rhino: A large armor plated creature vaguely resembling an eight legged rhinocerous. The creature is however, longer and lower to the ground than a rhino, and along its back are two parallel ridges of bone spikes. The creature has no visible eyes, and on its snout is a thick, spiral horn. Before charging something this creature rears on its hind four legs and sways from side to side. This behavior seems to help it zero in on its target.

Electric Balloon: A Translucent, jellyfish like creature with a large, spherical, floating body, and a single, long, dangling tentacle. The creature's body is so transparent that against the sky it is very difficult to see. As it floats along it makes a sound like crackling electricity, and occasional discharges of lightning can be seen coming from its writhing tentacle when it nears the ground.

Expanding Hippo: A rotund, bulbous bodied creature on three spindly legs. This creature seems to be a cross between a fat hippopotomus and a a spiny blowfish. The creature's thick hide is covered with sharp quills, and when threatened, it can quickly blow itself up to a tremendous size. When it does this it also emits an ear splitting whine which generally frightens off most predators.

Funnel Tree: A large tree with twin trunks twisting around each other in a spiral. The trunks of the tree are soft, pink, and fleshy, and covered with small thorns. The upper part of the tree is composed of many tiny green leaves which spread out in a funnel shape. The tree makes a deep thrumming sound. In the middle of a forest the thrumming can be so loud as to block out all other sounds.

Fur Tree: A very tall, tree like lifeform. It has a tall straight trunk that is covered with thick, soft white fur. Hanging from some of the branches are long fur covered cylindrical fruits. The leaves of the tree are huge black and saucer shaped. They are all upturned in order to catch the rain water which runs down the stem at the center of each leaf.

Glowing Spinner: A human sized creature resembling a huge, three legged starfish with all of its legs pointing downwards. Ringing the rounded top of the creature is a circle of flexible eye stalks. This creature is bio-luminescent and glows a soft bluish-white. When it moves it spins like a top, on its three legs. Nightly these creatures can be seen to congregate and perform complex dances, weaving and spinning around each other.

Green Balloon: A tremendous spherical plant which appears to be filled with gas, like a balloon. The plant's surface is smooth and rubbery and seems to be covered with a film which causes the blues and greens in it to swirl and shimmer. Pushed along by wind, the huge spherical plant is often lifted by a strong gust. Each time it hits the ground it makes a loud sound like a large bass drum.

Green Blob: A large, amorphous creature that appears to be made of translucent green gelatin. The glistening gelatin is shot through with bluish veins , and visible inside it are luminescent yellow organs which move slowly around. The entire creature quivers continually, and every so often its body spasms as it emits gas with a loud, familiar sound.

Grey Anemone: A large, spherical anemone like creature with six long, hooked legs. It has a tough, cracked, leathery surface, and the whole creature is a dull grey in color. This creature generally hangs from trees and drops on its prey, but it can also run fast for a short distance. Each of the creature's tentacles is a symbiotic lifeform, capable of delivering a powerful sting, but incapable of moving under its own power.

Hill Rat: A small, spherical bodied creature with four legs and long, luxuriant fur. Sticking out of the fur at one end of the creature is a long, rigid rat like tail. At the other end is a pointed snout with long downward curving whiskers. The creature's primary habitat is along hillsides, as is evidenced by the fact that its two left legs are shorter than its two right legs. On flat ground it seems to tilt and has a tendency to go in circles.

Hive Plant: A medium sized plant with a ring of long symmetrical stems growing up from the base. On the end fo each alternating stem is a large yellow flower, and on each other stem is a heart shaped leaf. In the center of the plant is a thick stalk growing straight up, on top of which is a large thistle covered pod. This pod is hollow with many holes, and in it live thousands of tiny, symbiotic flying creatures which pollinate the plant's flowers.

Hot Fungus: A small, rounded, fungoid lifeform with a slimy green exterior. The surface of the fungus is cracked, and issuing from the cracks is steam and a deep red glow. The lifeform also gives off a tremendous amount of heat. Whenever a creature approaches too closely, the fungus sprays a shower of molten rock in that direction.

Humanoid Hopper: A tall, willowy, two legged creature vaguely humanoid in shape. Its two slender legs bend in the reverse direction of a human's, and support a small body with a bulbous, upturned, insect like abdomen. It has long, human looking arms, and a noseless, humanoid face. Its body is covered with a fine downy fur, dark blue grey in color. The creature seems to be a herbivore, and it is obviously capable of hopping at great speeds on its long legs.

Humming Stone: A creature resembling a large, solid looking rock. It is coarse and grey, like granite, and is veined with brown and silvery lines. This lifeform exhibits absolutely no behaviors, with the one exception that it hums continuously. Periodically, and for no apparent reason, this humming seems to grow louder and more energetic. The rythm and melody of the humming seem strikingly familiar to an off key rendition of an ancient song known as the "Gilligan's Island theme."

Nid Berry Bush: A small, strange bush with numerous leaves. Every leaf on this bush is a different size, shape, and color from every other leaf. Some are small and dark, others are big and shiny, some are serrated, some are rounded, and so on. It's as if each one is from a completely different plant. In addition, the various branches of the plant seem to be covered with all different kinds of bark. At the top of this plant extends a branch with three juicy, purple berries on it.

Oily Spore Bush: A tangled bush like lifeform that appears to have some kind of webbing, similar to a spider's webbing, all over and through it. The bush's branches are twisted and oily, and inside it can be seen pods with small grey flowers. When this bush is approached it gives off a dense cloud of tiny, stinging self propelled spores which swarm onto the approaching creature.

Parachute Spider: A small bodied, spiny creature suspended upon many long spider legs. Between each pair of legs are tough transparent membranes that form a large dome when the legs are spread. At the feet are hooks which the creature can use to link the feet together. It feeds by leaping high into the air and then descending slowly and silently onto its victims, which it encases in its membrane until they suffocate.

Peacock Tree: A fairly large tree with a straight but flexible trunk. Projecting off the trunk at an upwards angle, from the base to the top, are large feathers that bear an unlikely resemblance to peacock feathers. Even when there is no wind, the trunk of this tree sways in a hypnotic fashion. At the base of this tree can be seen smaller creatures which have been grabbed by the strong prehensile roots of the tree and squeezed to death.

Plant Bird: Approximately the size of a small bird, this is a legless plant creature with green leafy wings. The creatures's body has no discernable head, but is dotted with tiny, inefficient eyes. Under each wing is an organ resembling a small flower whose apparent fuction is to detect sound. As this creature flies it makes a soft purring sound.

Poison Glider: A cat sized, insect like carnivore. This creature's body is covered with a shiny yellow exoskeleton with a black camoflaging pattern. It has two powerful rear legs for jumping, and extendable membranous flaps which allow it to glide long distances. Its front claws are hooked for grasping and it has a small swivel head with one large compound eye. It also has a retractable, needle like mouthpiece capable of injecting a potent poison.

Pop Berry Plant: A small delicate, rust colored plant with a few large hexagonally shaped leaves. Growing from the base of this plant are several large clusters of small pink berries with black spots. When this plant is disturbed, it releases a chemical into the berries causing them to explode like loud firecrackers, thus frightening off any predators.

Psychic Blaster: A small creature with beady eyes, a long conical snout, and huge, brightly colored fan shaped ears. The creature's green, furry, armless body tapers down to two spindly legs with large splayed feet. In spite of its appearance, this creature is capable of emitting a blast of psychic energy that can stun and even kill creatures many times its size.

Pulsating Gummy: A small, gummy looking creature suspended by a webwork of threads inside a beautiful, delicate, interwoven spherical structure of bone approximately the size of a beachball. The creature seems to pulsate slowly. With each pulse it glows brighter and emits a low-pitched buzzing sound.

Purple Screecher: A long, slender, four legged creature that resembles a large, hairless, tail less cat. The skin of the creature is a deep purple in color and extremely smooth. It has curved tusks, and two sets of eyes, the second of which are extremely large and are only opened at night. These creatures are extremely agile and generally hunt in pairs. When agitated or excited they will often emit a piercing screech.

Red Puff Wart: A small lifeform that resembles a lump of bubbling, bright-red wax. The top of the creature is roughly dome-shaped, while the underside is flat and surrounded by small pink tentacles, two of which are barbed and much longer than the others. Periodically, the creature puffs out and then emits a long, high pitched whistle.

Rocket Melon: A mass of tangled green vines with numerous upright red and yellow striped melons. At the base of each oblong melon are several rigid leaf structures, like rocket fins, that hold it upright. As the melons grow, great pressure builds up inside them until, finally, the weakest part of the melons, the plugs on the underside, pop out. The melons then rocket into the air in some direction, where they fall and break, spreading their seeds.

Running Fungus: An irregularly shaped, spongy, fungoid lifeform with numerous branching leg appendages. It has a yellow and green, wart covered surface, and several feathery antennae. The Creature seems to stand very still, then scurry in some direction. It moves with surprising speed, then stops suddenly. When they are in the same area it can be seen that they are synchronized in their starting and stopping.

Sandpit Stalk: A lifeform resembling a plant with a single, tall, thick stem. It stands in the middle of a circle of finely grained sand. The stalk of the stem sways gently back and forth, and is completely covered with large, beartiful, red and white flowers. The lifeform exudes a strong, sweet odor that seems to attract other creatures. When it is approached, the stem immediatly wraps itself around the creature and pulls it under the sand where the bulk of this creature actually resides.

Scaly Blue Hopper: A creature which resembles a very small, featherless one legged ostrich. It has a large, clawed foot, a single leg on which it hops, a small round body covered with blue scales, a telescoping neck, and a tiny head with a huge curved beak and throat sack. When in groups of any size these creatures have the curious behavior of hopping in long single file lines.

Single Leaf: An extremely tall, straight, slender tree with one single gargantuan leaf at its top. The bark of the tree is a dark red, and ringed with serrated ridges from bottom to top. Early in the day the giant leaf is red in color, and as the position of the sun changes, the leaf's color cycles up through the spectrum to violet, and then down again: the position of the of the leaf changes so that it is always facing the sun.

Spinning Crab: A small multi-legged creature that resembles a disk-shaped crab. The hard shell covering its body has a dark carapace and a light plastron, and it is thick in the middle, thinning to a razor sharp edge at the outside. Along the edges are curved serrations, like a circular saw. This small carnivore attacks its prey by launching itself with its powerful legs. Once in the air it gives its body a ferocious spin by expelling gas with great force from holes in its shell.

Sticky Fruit: A medium sized bush of gnarled, fibrous branches. The branches are a deep blue at the base, going to light violet at the tips, and hanging from them are many large, globular fruits. The spherical fruits are a translucent white and HAVE an extremely sticky surface. They also give off a strong scent similar to cinnamon. When approached, the entire bush shakes violently.

Stinging Cone: A massive fleshy, pink, conically shaped creature. It has a cracked, mucousy surface and a long, whip like projection at its top. Around the base are several long, vertical slits which are filled with sharp, tooth like serrations. This creature exudes a strong odor which has narcotic properties and seems to have the effect of luring other creatures within range of its stinging whip.

Vacuum Slug: A long tube of shiny, black gelatinous material. Projecting out along the body of this lifeform are thousands of small waving feelers. At each end of the creature is a writhing hose. As it moves the front hose sucks up dirt and small lifeforms while the rear hose shoots out the debris. The lifeform leaves a trail of slime as it moves, and gives off a pungent odor of rotten meat.

Wandering Chandelier: A squat tree with thick branches. The trunk extends up about two meters and then spreads out to form an extremely wide, low canopy. From this canopy hang thousands of long teardrop shaped leaves which seem to be made of glass or crystal. The tree has several thick, tentacle like roots which it uses to move itself about in search of mineral deposits. As it moves its leaves make a loud tinkling sound.

Wheel Snake: A long, flat, snake like creature. This creature has the curious habit of grabbing its tail with its mouth and rolling along the ground like a flattened, elliptical wheel, propelled by wave like muscular contractions. It is capable of delivering a powerful electrical charge.

Yellow Hugger: A low, squat, powerful looking biped. The creature is covered with matted yellow fur and has four muscular arms and no visible head. Along the inside lengths of each of its arms are holes out of which the creature can effect long stilletto spikes. It does this when tightly squeezing its prey in its four gorilla arms. In the center of the chest of the creature are eight small red eyes and a circular gaping mouth with inward facing teeth.

 

 

 

Game Design Ideas > SF1 Universe > Starmaps (corrected) > Artifacts > Locations > Beat Game Steps > Miscellaneous > Trade Routes > Continuum Fluxes > Colonizable Planets > Ships/Combat Analysis > Lifeforms > Alien Comms > Screenshots