Designing Star-Fantasy Races

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

I do hope I'm not misusing the forums, so I apologize in advance if I've posted this in the wrong place...

Anyway, I quite like the "D&D in space" angle of games like Spelljammer, Starfinder or even "space-set" Pathfinder, so I want to put together my own "Star-Fantasy" campaign setting. Now, for the most part, I can do that on my own but there's one thing I'm running into: "Alien" races.

See, Pathfinder's my big inspiration here, with races like the Android, Lashunta, Kasatha, Shoabhan and Triaxian feeling more "star-borne" than Spelljammer's array of various beast-folk races. So, I'd like to try and come up with a couple of oddball, non-classical races - and I was hoping that others might be interested in giving me critique or sharing ideas in order to come up with some really alien races.

Now, fair warning; my take on star-fantasy is of the "D&D in space" variety pioneered by Spelljammer, with added "science and sorcery is blurred" from 80s-ish toons and anime like Thundarr and Outlaw Star. A lot like my post-apocalyptic fantasy setting, in fact, which is why I'm planning on tying them together in the meta-cosmology.

So far, these are the "fantasy alien" race concepts I've come up with:

"Battlecats": An all-female race of amazonian cat-girls, these techno-barbarians hail from a particularly rugged world dominated by strange creatures that resemble a cross between cats and dragons. In fact, these rare and powerful feline monsters are actually the progenitors of the race, who are born from asexually produced litters and serve their "clan-mothers" much like how bees serve a hive. Fierce, independent and war-like, they are eager adventurers and renowned as mercenaries, bodyguards and, it must be admitted, concubines across the known stars.
Inspiration: Ctarl-Ctarl (Outlaw Star), Kaijhit (Elder Scrolls)

"Scavvers": Traveling the known stars in great colony-fleets, the Scavvers are an enigmatic race who never remove their protective enviro-armor suits save in the most intimate of positions. They are renowned and respected as master smiths, miners and, especially, lords of the mysterious sorcery-science of arcanotechnology: mining asteroids and moons, they trade valuable crafted goods across the worlds, commanding high prices and great respect - for their potent defense of their own lives if nothing else. Their homeworld was destroyed by some great apocalypse long ago; although welcome to settle anywhere, the truth is that they have developed a cultural fear to the very idea, believing their nomadic existence actually keeps their race safe from seeing it happen again.
Inspiration: Quarians

"Voidstalkers": Mysterious and feared four-armed psionic warriors who draw upon the cold darkness between the stars through their mental arts. Ruthless, they have crafted a reputation as assassins without peer, bloody warrior-sages who believe that suffering and struggle are the keys to enlightenment.
Inspiration: Dark Templar Protoss, Kasatha

[nickl_2000]

I don't know the world, but here is a guide for balancing racial abilities

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...Faqx7V1Dmw/pub

[Findulidas]

I would suggest just using the already existing races and just reflavoring them with diffrent skins and new fluff. There are many races to just straight up change. Then if you still need more then make few races, but use the homebrew guides and dont add too many special abilities.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Okay, so, not that I don't appreciate the sentiments from both of you, but... I think you've maybe misunderstood the purpose of this thread. It's to talk about racial fluff - I mean, I can't exactly start even worrying about racial stats if I don't have the fluff of the race to use as a building foundation, do I?

That's what this thread is about; establishing and refining racial ideas in terms of fluff and "skin" before I worry about the underlying mechanics - that's a thread for in the Homebrew forum.

And make no mistake, I do intend to use a lot of reflavored D&D races as well. This thread is to hopefully come up with things less rooted in D&D's roots, as I showed in my opening post.

If it helps, this is the list of "non-unique" races I have some idea-based concept of so far:

Humans: No real clues as to origins or societies here, just know they exist.

Aelfar: Space-faring elves whose culture is built on a foundation of necromancy and flesh-warping.

Ryujin: "Eastern" flavored Dragonborn, direct enforcers of the Oriental Dragon God-Kings who rule their own empire in one part of the known universe. These might arguably get new crunch based on PF's Lung/Imperial Dragons.

Hengeyokai: Vassal races of the Oriental Dragon God-Kings.

"Resplendent Ones": Couatl analogues to Dragonborn, currently unsure of their origins.

"Traggen": The Space Orcs race; Scro with a dash of Krogan in terms of lore, undecided if I should/n't include a more "primitive" 40K-inspired Space Orc for them to stand out as bosses of.

Hmm... that's my knee-jerk list, but it's past midnight, I'm tired, I really need to get back to bed. I'll have to put thought into the more "traditional" races when I wake up.

[nickl_2000]

Sorry, just had a baby my mind is fuzzy from lack of sleep. Will look at fluff and see if I can assist more in a little bit

[Naanomi]

Sci-fi classics:

-a 'diplomat' race that works to foster trade and keep the peace, but also seen as manipulative or sneaky

-a wise ancient race that has mostly withdrawn from space society; probably not physically imposing

-a relatively primitive slave race that has recently (on a space scale) overthrown their master race (perhaps a place for goblinoids or another existing race?)

[Millstone85]

I do hope I'm not misusing the forums, so I apologize in advance if I've posted this in the wrong place...

Okay, so, not that I don't appreciate the sentiments from both of you, but... I think you've maybe misunderstood the purpose of this thread. It's to talk about racial fluff - I mean, I can't exactly start even worrying about racial stats if I don't have the fluff of the race to use as a building foundation, do I?

Yeah, I never know if it is okay to open a fluff thread in the forum section "specifically related to D&D 5e rules and procedures". And your inspiration here comes from more than 5e. Eh, whatever. I will soon make a thread with a similar problem.

First thoughts...

Humans: No real clues as to origins or societies here, just know they exist.

That's usually how it is done.

Aelfar: Space-faring elves whose culture is built on a foundation of necromancy and flesh-warping.

I would flavor it in a way that's intermediate between typical D&D lichdom and cyborg transhumanism, starting with necromantic items as implants.

Ryujin: "Eastern" flavored Dragonborn, direct enforcers of the Oriental Dragon God-Kings who rule their own empire in one part of the known universe. These might arguably get new crunch based on PF's Lung/Imperial Dragons.

Hengeyokai: Vassal races of the Oriental Dragon God-Kings.

"Resplendent Ones": Couatl analogues to Dragonborn, currently unsure of their origins.

Make sure you noticed the ki-rin in VGtM.

"Traggen": The Space Orcs race; Scro with a dash of Krogan in terms of lore, undecided if I should/n't include a more "primitive" 40K-inspired Space Orc for them to stand out as bosses of.

No idea here, but yeah, a setting can always use those.

"Battlecats": An all-female race of amazonian cat-girls, these techno-barbarians hail from a particularly rugged world dominated by strange creatures that resemble a cross between cats and dragons. In fact, these rare and powerful feline monsters are actually the progenitors of the race, who are born from asexually produced litters and serve their "clan-mothers" much like how bees serve a hive. Fierce, independent and war-like, they are eager adventurers and renowned as mercenaries, bodyguards and, it must be admitted, concubines across the known stars.

I hope you are prepared to hear "Because the hentai gods demanded it".

"Scavvers": Traveling the known stars in great colony-fleets, the Scavvers are an enigmatic race who never remove their protective enviro-armor suits save in the most intimate of positions. They are renowned and respected as master smiths, miners and, especially, lords of the mysterious sorcery-science of arcanotechnology: mining asteroids and moons, they trade valuable crafted goods across the worlds, commanding high prices and great respect - for their potent defense of their own lives if nothing else. Their homeworld was destroyed by some great apocalypse long ago; although welcome to settle anywhere, the truth is that they have developed a cultural fear to the very idea, believing their nomadic existence actually keeps their race safe from seeing it happen again.

It is always weird when there is that one species in the universe that needs a hazmat suit while everyone else is in pyjamas. But I like your justification for them being space nomads.

"Voidstalkers": Mysterious and feared four-armed psionic warriors who draw upon the cold darkness between the stars through their mental arts. Ruthless, they have crafted a reputation as assassins without peer, bloody warrior-sages who believe that suffering and struggle are the keys to enlightenment.

And now we have gone full circle, from a magical world, to space, to space magic. It works.

Edit:

Spoiler: Also, they remind me of this D&D creature.

Show

The weaver, a six-armed alien thing that likes to cast several spells at once and stab you too.

[Honest Tiefling]

"Battlecats": An all-female race of amazonian cat-girls, these techno-barbarians hail from a particularly rugged world dominated by strange creatures that resemble a cross between cats and dragons. In fact, these rare and powerful feline monsters are actually the progenitors of the race, who are born from asexually produced litters and serve their "clan-mothers" much like how bees serve a hive. Fierce, independent and war-like, they are eager adventurers and renowned as mercenaries, bodyguards and, it must be admitted, concubines across the known stars.
Inspiration: Ctarl-Ctarl (Outlaw Star), Kaijhit (Elder Scrolls)

1) I would rework these guys. I don't have issues with single sex species, but this is falling into fetish territory.

2) Bees reproduce with sex, with unfertilized eggs becoming males. So the idea of an asexual being reproducing like that is a contradiction. Not to mention, only queen bees mate, further making that a confusing statement.

3) Why would an asexual species have sex? Some in the real world do, but they seem to be from species that once had males.

4) Why would a race known for being independent and fierce become concubines? Especially if they have a rigid clan structure and seem to be highly social?

[Balyano]

1) I would rework these guys. I don't have issues with single sex species, but this is falling into fetish territory.

2) Bees reproduce with sex, with unfertilized eggs becoming males. So the idea of an asexual being reproducing like that is a contradiction. Not to mention, only queen bees mate, further making that a confusing statement.

3) Why would an asexual species have sex? Some in the real world do, but they seem to be from species that once had males.

4) Why would a race known for being independent and fierce become concubines? Especially if they have a rigid clan structure and seem to be highly social?

One solution to this, if he wants to keep the fully female feline fetish fuel what he could do is make them sterile hybrids of two non-sapient species. It's like crossbreeding a chimp and a gorilla and somehow getting a human. They keep the other two species as livestock, perhaps with different strains and bloodlines for different purposes. Maybe that's how they got into domestication.

[Honest Tiefling]

One solution to this, if he wants to keep the fully female feline fetish fuel what he could do is make them sterile hybrids of two non-sapient species. It's like crossbreeding a chimp and a gorilla and somehow getting a human. They keep the other two species as livestock, perhaps with different strains and bloodlines for different purposes. Maybe that's how they got into domestication.

That would mean people are diddling a hybrid of animals and boasting about it at parties. Something tells me that this setting isn't meant to have that level of squick and questioning of human morality...

[Millstone85]

fully female feline fetish fuel

Fantastic feat for fun, fair friend.

[Balyano]

That would mean people are diddling a hybrid of animals and boasting about it at parties. Something tells me that this setting isn't meant to have that level of squick and questioning of human morality...

Well if they look like Ctarl-Ctarl there is much to boast about....but if they are full on furries.....no....just no.

[Honest Tiefling]

Well if they look like Ctarl-Ctarl there is much to boast about....but if they are full on furries.....no....just no.

Even if they looked like hot cat girls, if they were birthed by an animal that is just all sorts of squick for me. It's an interesting concept to have a society be more...Liberal? But not one I'd discuss on PG-13 forums.

[Millstone85]

Well if they look like Ctarl-Ctarl there is much to boast about....but if they are full on furries.....no....just no.

Yeah, what level of furry are we talking about?

1. talking animal
2. bipedal toon
3. anthropomorph
4. kemonomimi
5. human who reminds you of the rest

[Naanomi]

Even if they looked like hot cat girls, if they were birthed by an animal that is just all sorts of squick for me. It's an interesting concept to have a society be more...Liberal? But not one I'd discuss on PG-13 forums.

They are aliens, we can go full on alien biology here... maybe they 'eat' their mates; then go into a 'birthing state' where they swell up and eventually 'explode' giving birth to dozens of offspring (that exist as nonsentient animals for the first dozen years of their life) before growing into sexually mature 'seductive humanoid' form to start the cycle again. Their society could be run by 'matriarchs' who refused to mate after entering intelligent maturity

[Honest Tiefling]

They are aliens, we can go full on alien biology here... maybe they 'eat' their mates; then go into a 'birthing state' where they swell up and eventually 'explode' giving birth to dozens of offspring (that exist as nonsentient animals for the first dozen years of their life) before growing into sexually mature 'seductive humanoid' form to start the cycle again. Their society could be run by 'matriarchs' who refused to mate after entering intelligent maturity

Problem is, their best and brightest are taken out of the mating cycle, and that generations have to be staggered carefully else there won't be people left to teach younger members, like the octopus. Also, if both father and mother are dead, who is taking care of the children and keeping them alive?

A better model might be the spotted hyena, which do actually have a high mortality rate in child birth due to both their anatomy and the size of their pups. Females are extremely aggressive to males and even the smallest, youngest female pup outranks any males in the group.

[Millstone85]

Also for reference, the official playable catgirl of 5e (VGtM, tabaxi).



Well, I think it is a girl, probably.

[Thrudd]

Okay, so, not that I don't appreciate the sentiments from both of you, but... I think you've maybe misunderstood the purpose of this thread. It's to talk about racial fluff - I mean, I can't exactly start even worrying about racial stats if I don't have the fluff of the race to use as a building foundation, do I?

That's what this thread is about; establishing and refining racial ideas in terms of fluff and "skin" before I worry about the underlying mechanics - that's a thread for in the Homebrew forum.

And make no mistake, I do intend to use a lot of reflavored D&D races as well. This thread is to hopefully come up with things less rooted in D&D's roots, as I showed in my opening post.

If it helps, this is the list of "non-unique" races I have some idea-based concept of so far:

Humans: No real clues as to origins or societies here, just know they exist.

Aelfar: Space-faring elves whose culture is built on a foundation of necromancy and flesh-warping.

Ryujin: "Eastern" flavored Dragonborn, direct enforcers of the Oriental Dragon God-Kings who rule their own empire in one part of the known universe. These might arguably get new crunch based on PF's Lung/Imperial Dragons.

Hengeyokai: Vassal races of the Oriental Dragon God-Kings.

"Resplendent Ones": Couatl analogues to Dragonborn, currently unsure of their origins.

"Traggen": The Space Orcs race; Scro with a dash of Krogan in terms of lore, undecided if I should/n't include a more "primitive" 40K-inspired Space Orc for them to stand out as bosses of.

Hmm... that's my knee-jerk list, but it's past midnight, I'm tired, I really need to get back to bed. I'll have to put thought into the more "traditional" races when I wake up.

When designing a setting specifically for a game, you can't completely divorce stats from fluff. You need to think about what types of roles players should be able to fill and what sorts of abilities you want them to have as you consider what types of creatures you will include as playable character choices. Writing fluff first has the danger of leading to disconnects between what you describe in the fiction and how things actual behave in game play, which is something you want to avoid.

So what you should have are the sorts of things you want players to be able to do, their power levels relative to each other, what sorts of game abilities they'll have. Then go wild with describing cultures and creatures that match those roles in different ways.

Going fluff first bears the danger of spending time writing a whole lot of stuff that you might not be able to use in the end, when you start considering game design and realize that a lot of it needs to be changed to be consistent with how play actually works.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

1) I would rework these guys. I don't have issues with single sex species, but this is falling into fetish territory.

2) Bees reproduce with sex, with unfertilized eggs becoming males. So the idea of an asexual being reproducing like that is a contradiction. Not to mention, only queen bees mate, further making that a confusing statement.

3) Why would an asexual species have sex? Some in the real world do, but they seem to be from species that once had males.

4) Why would a race known for being independent and fierce become concubines? Especially if they have a rigid clan structure and seem to be highly social?

Well... it's not as if "feminine monogender race for whom sex and reproduction are independent" is that unheard of a concept in fantasy. I can easily name two races who fit that bill - the Blind Warrior-Women of Altaria, from RIFTS, and the Asari of Mass Effect, know there was a third such race from some sci-fi game in the 90s - Star Commander, I think it was called, and I'm sure there's others.

Plus... even if the backdrop is stars & planets rather than dungeons & ruins, this is still D&D. Have you seen some of the stuff that passes for biology in this game? Hard science isn't exactly the building block of the game here.

But... I am open to discussing fixing them. My basic intention with the race is to throw together the Ctarl-Ctarl of Outlaw Star, the Khaijit of Elder Scrolls (where, depending on moon-phase, kittens produced by any female khaijit can grow up to be house-cats, dire tigers, or cat-people), and the Altarian Warrior-Women and see if I can come up with something suitably pulpy/80s.

Re:Millstone85
Yeah, even the 2e version was better, in my opinion - Warning! Barbie Doll style nudity!
http://dedpihto.narod.ru/games/Monsters1/tabaxi.gif

[Thrudd]

Well... it's not as if "feminine monogender race for whom sex and reproduction are independent" is that unheard of a concept in fantasy. I can easily name two races who fit that bill - the Blind Warrior-Women of Altaria, from RIFTS, and the Asari of Mass Effect, know there was a third such race from some sci-fi game in the 90s - Star Commander, I think it was called, and I'm sure there's others.

Plus... even if the backdrop is stars & planets rather than dungeons & ruins, this is still D&D. Have you seen some of the stuff that passes for biology in this game? Hard science isn't exactly the building block of the game here.

But... I am open to discussing fixing them. My basic intention with the race is to throw together the Ctarl-Ctarl of Outlaw Star, the Khaijit of Elder Scrolls (where, depending on moon-phase, kittens produced by any female khaijit can grow up to be house-cats, dire tigers, or cat-people), and the Altarian Warrior-Women and see if I can come up with something suitably pulpy/80s.

Re:Millstone85
Yeah, even the 2e version was better, in my opinion - Warning! Barbie Doll style nudity!
http://dedpihto.narod.ru/games/Monsters1/tabaxi.gif

For your mono-sex cat-people issue, look at Niven's Kzin, from Ringworld and the Known Space setting. Only the males ever travel off of their homeworld and perform all social and civil functions. Females of the species are physically much smaller, have been bred to have very low intelligence and are basically only used for mating, and are kept safe and isolated on their homeworld. Your race could just be opposite, females of the species are bigger and more intelligent and perform all interactions and functions with other races.

[Honest Tiefling]

Well... it's not as if "feminine monogender race for whom sex and reproduction are independent" is that unheard of a concept in fantasy. I can easily name two races who fit that bill - the Blind Warrior-Women of Altaria, from RIFTS, and the Asari of Mass Effect, know there was a third such race from some sci-fi game in the 90s - Star Commander, I think it was called, and I'm sure there's others.

And technically speaking, treating various skin colors of humans like they are racially inferior is not an unheard of concept in fantasy. Doesn't make it a good idea. (the asari are also supposed to be agender, not feminine in the original trilogy.)

But... I am open to discussing fixing them. My basic intention with the race is to throw together the Ctarl-Ctarl of Outlaw Star, the Khaijit of Elder Scrolls (where, depending on moon-phase, kittens produced by any female khaijit can grow up to be house-cats, dire tigers, or cat-people), and the Altarian Warrior-Women and see if I can come up with something suitably pulpy/80s.

Well, what part of this race appeals to you? Making a list is a place to start.

Since I am impaitent, lemme throw out a suggestion: Perhaps this society is matriarchal, fulfilling the amazon role. To be like the Khajit, they have a fantastical caste system (which is quite pulpy sci-fi in my opinion) with different 'morphs' occupying different roles and having different rights in their society. Genetic manipulation is very common in this society, as are bio-weapons. Fertility is tightly controlled with hormones, surgery and other methods. Children are often reared in uterine replicators to ensure that a matriarch can continue her work and to properly monitor new children. Sex has very little to do with reproduction.

However, they're not terribly fond of outsiders, so actually getting to a planet settled by these people is going to be tough. That doesn't mean there aren't individuals who have decided to flee this society, particularly those of a warrior-caste and a laborer caste. The two are quite muscular and large, but those who know of the race can tell the two apart easily (ear shape, coat color, fang length, etc). Many decide to go into physically demanding jobs, such as mining, military work, and become bodyguards. Their keen senses (or some other feature) make them particularly valued as bodyguards.

I just can't find a way to introduce the concubine angle in. And even if you did want to, why wouldn't males be equally as valued as concubines as women? Or intersex individuals?

[Naanomi]

Problem is, their best and brightest are taken out of the mating cycle, and that generations have to be staggered carefully else there won't be people left to teach younger members, like the octopus. Also, if both father and mother are dead, who is taking care of the children and keeping them alive?

Unmated elders 'miss their chance' to mate after one (fairly long... 6-10 years?) mating cycle and enter 'menopause' with very long lifespans. They raise the young, and they are born in 'clone groups' (each birthing in sets of four or five sets of identical quintuplets) so have genetic imparitives to help raise their own sister-clone's children (and their offspring and so on)

[Millstone85]

1) I would rework these guys. I don't have issues with single sex species, but this is falling into fetish territory.

2) Bees reproduce with sex, with unfertilized eggs becoming males. So the idea of an asexual being reproducing like that is a contradiction. Not to mention, only queen bees mate, further making that a confusing statement.

3) Why would an asexual species have sex? Some in the real world do, but they seem to be from species that once had males.

4) Why would a race known for being independent and fierce become concubines? Especially if they have a rigid clan structure and seem to be highly social?

If a species that once had males but now reproduces asexually can still have mating behaviours, it might not be such a stretch to imagine the asexual workers and soldiers of a bee-like colony also having such desires. It could even be useful as a mean to fraternize between colonies, or as it happens with alien species.

For your mono-sex cat-people issue, look at Niven's Kzin, from Ringworld and the Known Space setting. Only the males ever travel off of their homeworld and perform all social and civil functions. Females of the species are physically much smaller, have been bred to have very low intelligence and are basically only used for mating, and are kept safe and isolated on their homeworld. Your race could just be opposite, females of the species are bigger and more intelligent and perform all interactions and functions with other races.

The males could also go the way of bees and ants, dying soon after the deed, either because it actually hurts them or because no colony will feed them afterward.

Or it could be a matter of extreme sexual dimorphism. Strange how all these catgirls also seem to be crazy cat ladies.

[lunaticfringe]

I'd go Satyxis is Space, refluff Tabaxi to be more cat girl, and make them Bad Ass Space Viking/Pirate/Klingon/Raiders.

Satyxis are a Succubus like Race in Iron Kingdoms. Last I knew the males were cursed or infected with a Mysterious Disease that degenerated them so they stayed locked up at home. The ladies took to the Seas as Pirates & Mercs.

[Honest Tiefling]

I'd go Satyxis is Space, refluff Tabaxi to be more cat girl, and make them Bad Ass Space Viking/Pirate/Klingon/Raiders.

Satyxis are a Succubus like Race in Iron Kingdoms. Last I knew the males were cursed or infected with a Mysterious Disease that degenerated them so they stayed locked up at home. The ladies took to the Seas as Pirates & Mercs.

...Do...Do they not try to cure their males? I could see that in a fantasy setting trying to cure a curse is a bit of an undertaking. But if there is no curse-space-magic, why aren't the ladies trying to cure their menfolk?

Through they could be like the Krogan and be so aggressive and single minded that they just don't have many scientists.

EDIT: It's still fetish fuel, but having a muscular amazonian pirate race also serving as concubines catering to a particular taste might be amusing to certain groups. Less the doting type and more demanding snu-snu.

[lunaticfringe]

...Do...Do they not try to cure their males? I could see that in a fantasy setting trying to cure a curse is a bit of an undertaking. But if there is no curse-space-magic, why aren't the ladies trying to cure their menfolk?

Through they could be like the Krogan and be so aggressive and single minded that they just don't have many scientists.

EDIT: It's still fetish fuel, but having a muscular amazonian pirate race also serving as concubines catering to a particular taste might be amusing to certain groups. Less the doting type and more demanding snu-snu.

Well yeah I forgot about that bit. I ain't here to judge (well mostly, dammit I try) every aspect of somebody's setting. Maybe they go into heat or something and only go Sex Worker during a specific period of time. They have temples or brothels for ladies going through 'Pon Farr' run by elder females who have gone through menopause and retired from Space Fightin'.

[Shadow_in_the_Mist]

Make sure you noticed the ki-rin in VGtM.

Actually, I owe you a huge thank-you and a kudos for this comment. I was struggling to figure out what "hook" to give the Oriental Stars "cluster" in this setting as a racial hook, because I've had a very hard time coming up with Oriental Adventures races for vanilla D&D that don't boil down to some flavor of obake/hengeyokai, because apart from Oni they make up the bulk of the yokai species that actually easily transition to PC status - it's hard to come up with good crunch for things like the Futakuchi-onna or Kejoro.

What you've just inspired me to do is to go full-on "beastfolk in space!" with that cluster. Hengeyokai, Moon Rabbit-folk, Oriental Dragonborn, and Ki-rin-folk as government-sponsored priest-sages, for example.

It gives that territory and its races a nice, obvious "hat" to wear and a foundation to build from, which means it's fertile ground for me to sow ideas in.

I really can't thank you enough for this!

Also, you cemented the idea to make the "Coatl-born" into the last remnants of a lost civilization that once spanned a vast swathe of the galaxy, so thank you a lot for that.

It is always weird when there is that one species in the universe that needs a hazmat suit while everyone else is in pyjamas. But I like your justification for them being space nomads.

Technically speaking, they don't actually need the survival mantles in day-to-day life. It's a cultural quirk; they started out as a means of protection when their world became too toxic to live on (the period between realizing "we gotta get out of here!" and "ships are done, let's go!"), survived as a means of further protection during the early generations of space-borne nomadism, and now it's just become a cultural issue: don't take your suit off in front of strangers, that's something you reserve for intimate settings. They're a private and reserved sort of people; passionate, when they're alone together, but privacy is very important to them.

And technically speaking, treating various skin colors of humans like they are racially inferior is not an unheard of concept in fantasy. Doesn't make it a good idea. (the asari are also supposed to be agender, not feminine in the original trilogy.)

Okay, I really don't want to come off as hostile here, but I feel I need to say this: an argument that boils down to "I don't like this" is not, to me, a convincing argument. I honestly believe you are here in good faith and I'm going to talk about this sincerely. But, if in the end the debate boils down to you taking the stance "this is not to my taste", well, that is your right and I respect that, but likewise, please respect that I will not necessarily change the detail if I don't agree with you.

Well, what part of this race appeals to you? Making a list is a place to start.

Since I am impaitent, lemme throw out a suggestion: Perhaps this society is matriarchal, fulfilling the amazon role. To be like the Khajit, they have a fantastical caste system (which is quite pulpy sci-fi in my opinion) with different 'morphs' occupying different roles and having different rights in their society. Genetic manipulation is very common in this society, as are bio-weapons. Fertility is tightly controlled with hormones, surgery and other methods. Children are often reared in uterine replicators to ensure that a matriarch can continue her work and to properly monitor new children. Sex has very little to do with reproduction.

However, they're not terribly fond of outsiders, so actually getting to a planet settled by these people is going to be tough. That doesn't mean there aren't individuals who have decided to flee this society, particularly those of a warrior-caste and a laborer caste. The two are quite muscular and large, but those who know of the race can tell the two apart easily (ear shape, coat color, fang length, etc). Many decide to go into physically demanding jobs, such as mining, military work, and become bodyguards. Their keen senses (or some other feature) make them particularly valued as bodyguards.

I just can't find a way to introduce the concubine angle in. And even if you did want to, why wouldn't males be equally as valued as concubines as women? Or intersex individuals?

Getting on to more pleasant topics; this is actually a pretty handy comment. In a nutshell, what I wanted to do with this race was invoke some of the admittedly cheesy charm of the works that inspired me: catgirl amazons, with inspiration from the bizarre alien reproduction of the khaijit for some added "alienness".

Incidentally, the "concubine" angle was perhaps a poor choice of word. Essentially, it's the Bodyguard Babe trope - warlords and crime bosses take "Battlecats" as bodyguards as a show of power; "Look at me! See how powerful and awesome I am! I can make the fearsome Catamazons serve me and obey my every order! Fear me!" - you follow what I'm saying?

Anyway, here's what I'm thinking: the Felinoids are the artifically created daughters of "Cat-Dragons", feline-like magical beasts of draconic stature and power - and intelligence. Don't think "giant tiger with catgirl daughters", think "feline analogue to Smaug magically creating warforged for company". These "Clan-Mothers" are a mystery to other races; how they reproduce themselves, nobody knows, but they created the Felinoids from themselves: Felinoid creation-myths state that they did so because they were lonely, and wished for companionship that they cannot have from their own people. Thus, the Felinoids fight, hunt, feast, laugh and live for the amusement and happiness of their Clan-Mothers, eager to repay their beloved matriarchs for the great gift of life itself.

Maybe the Cat-Dragons themselves are all that's left of a near-extinct race; though unaging, their males were all killed, and whilst they can spawn Felinoids through magic, some limitation in the art means that they can only produce daughters by doing so. Just an aside thought, but the more I think about it, the more that actually makes sense to me.

Different castes, with different body-styles, definitely work, although the shaping of different sisterhoods is something done by the Clan-Mothers themselves. I really want to preserve the "Barbarian" motif with this race, so they're not great crafters or masters of magic themselves, depending on trade with other races for "shinies" (not necessary to survive, but a status symbol) and the gifts of the Clan-Mothers to sustain their people. This does simplify the list of castes, but still preserves the idea, I think.

This even explains why they leave; thirst for adventure and a desire to acquire status-boosting boosting treasures by serving amongst the "Star Peoples". Eventually, every merc plans on returning to the clans, to inspire her Mother and sisters with the stories of the things she has done.

And, maybe, for the rarest and most powerful of veteran adventurers, something greater lies in store. Proving their worth to receive the greatest secret and honor of their people; to undergo a magical transformation and become a new Clan-Mother.

If a species that once had males but now reproduces asexually can still have mating behaviours, it might not be such a stretch to imagine the asexual workers and soldiers of a bee-like colony also having such desires. It could even be useful as a mean to fraternize between colonies, or as it happens with alien species.

This is a D&D setting. Asexual reproduction methods do not have to mean being aromantic or incapable of sexual pleasure. Look at the Thriae of Pathfinder; only the queens need to mate with human men to produce offspring, but the sterile majority of the hive still feels sexual desire and romantic attraction, and they do fall in love with humans themselves.

[Honest Tiefling]

Incidentally, the "concubine" angle was perhaps a poor choice of word. Essentially, it's the Bodyguard Babe trope - warlords and crime bosses take "Battlecats" as bodyguards as a show of power; "Look at me! See how powerful and awesome I am! I can make the fearsome Catamazons serve me and obey my every order! Fear me!" - you follow what I'm saying?

Still fetish fuel, but I'd argue far less creepy. Since this is something that occurs in real life, I could see space fantasy humans (and other human-like races) doing the same thing. Through I'd worry about balance issues if these catamazons are so powerful in comparison to other PC races. Also, would this mean that there should be a catamazon pirate queen or other catamazon raiders?

Maybe the Cat-Dragons themselves are all that's left of a near-extinct race; though unaging, their males were all killed, and whilst they can spawn Felinoids through magic, some limitation in the art means that they can only produce daughters by doing so. Just an aside thought, but the more I think about it, the more that actually makes sense to me.

If they have mammalian or mammalian like genetics, then females are XX and there might just not be a Y chromosome anywhere to replicate. Yes I know it's magic, but maybe the magic has limitations that work with genetics. Only question is, what wiped out the males? Perhaps this should remain a mystery.

Different castes, with different body-styles, definitely work, although the shaping of different sisterhoods is something done by the Clan-Mothers themselves. I really want to preserve the "Barbarian" motif with this race, so they're not great crafters or masters of magic themselves, depending on trade with other races for "shinies" (not necessary to survive, but a status symbol) and the gifts of the Clan-Mothers to sustain their people. This does simplify the list of castes, but still preserves the idea, I think.

I think having techno-magic overlords is sorta required for pulpy sci-fi, and turns them from what I would call 'Greenskinned space babes with unfortunate implications' to ' interesting race that just happens to be female'. Also gives plenty of plot hooks as well as an explanation for why males don't exist. Through removing the word concubine (which has implications of power) probably helps a bunch.

[Nifft]

If you're looking for aliens that feel alien, then I highly recommend reading some good Sci-Fi, and working to emulate the creatures & people you find.

For example, A Fire Upon the Deep (by Vernor Vinge) gives us the Tines (a "pack" person, composed of several separate wolf-like creatures -- if the area was too noisy, the individuals couldn't communicate sufficiently to remain sapient, and each individual wolf-creature would behave as though confused); in some ways they'd be a playable swarm creature. It also gave us Skroderiders, which are six-wheeled potted plants that rely on external machinery (the "Skrode", or plant-pot) to augment their short-term memory buffers, and which are basically sentient but not sapient without the machinery. They're an example of a hybrid biological-cybernetic person, with a well-defined behavior mode when the parts are separated.

If you want specific inspirations from other games, then I'd recommend looking at Star Frontiers, in specific the Dralasite:

[Naanomi]

I'm always a big fan of 'plant people' as well... maybe a species who spends their adult life as a 'magical tree' but their seeds are humanoids and travel extensively to find places to 'root' (which is based on magic stuff like galactic leylines and the like). This could be your 'ancient mysterious race'; with trees found in many worlds seemingly predating space travel of most races. Maybe central figures in Druidism?

Also, perhaps a small but strong race from a 'high gravity world'... small size but also +Str/Con mechanically? A good subversion of visual expectations