RED DWARF BEASTARY II
Mechalus
Mechalus are a race of cyber-humanoids
that millions of years ago evolved from the Human colonists of the planet Aleer
III. Physically and genetically they are
almost but not quite identical to their original Human stock. However they have
evolved to become an amalgamation of biological and mechanical parts. They are
not Cyborgs, living beings that graft mechanical improvements to their bodies.
Mechalus are actually born with their mechanical improvements. They are techno-organic
life forms. Their bio-technology is
quite fascinating, the Mechalus reproduce sexually & when a female
Mechalus’ ovum is fertilized the offspring grows in the Mother’s womb where the
Mother’s nano-bots begin the cybernetic augmentation of the fetus. Veins of circuitry weave with flesh and blood
to form a totally synthesized body. The hair of these beings is a combination
of protein strands and filaments of cable and wire. Even the skeleton has been
reinforced with super-strong synthetic material, and bony protective plates can
be seen beneath the translucent bio-organic flesh at the shoulders and across
the chest. Their eyes are a pure white
with a slight glow and because of their advanced digestive system they can live
on virtually anything organic. Finally
their biological body generates electrical current (not unlike an electric eel)
which powers their cybernetics.
The Mechalus home planet is totally urbanized & covered with metal also the industrial pollution is very toxic to most life forms with the obvious exceptions of Holograms & Mechanoids. Indeed the excessive pollution is the reason for the evolution of the Mechalus. You see rather than control or clean up toxic waste & smog on their planet the original Aleer colonists just began to use cyber-tech in order to survive. Way back in ancient times during the transition period from Human to post Human Cyber-humanoids much of the Machalus history was lost. The modern day Machalus believe they evolved naturally from the “metal jungles” of their world & have lost all knowledge of their human origins. As one might expect the Mechalus are experts at computer science & get a natural +2 for any computer skill checks.
Aleer III
This Planet is an inhospitable world of pollutant wastes and acidic clouds, the result of tens of thousands of years of industrial manufacture. The native Machalus people live in huge cities - constructions so tall that their higher levels pierce the toxic clouds that cling to the surface of the planet and rise into the upper reaches of the atmosphere. There are miles of steel, ash, & concrete waste strewed across the surface of the Planet. It was not always this way. Once Aleer was a garden world carefully & meticulously terraformed by a lost Robot Terraforming Star Fleet. Now it’s an environmentalist’s vision of hell! Only a handful of life forms can survive this toxic world. First there are the Machalus of course. Then an underground civilization of Evolved Rats (see main Red Dwarf RPG book) who in spite of the grungy nature of this planet STILL manage to have the cleanest most immaculate Zoot Suits you have ever seen (GELF scientists & GELF owners of Interstellar Laundry Mats are STILL trying with little success to learn the Rat’s secret). Various semi-edible Algae, Fungi, Lichens, & mutant weeds still grow on Aleer. Plus giant cockroaches & other large mutated intelligent & non-intelligent insects live in the industrial ruins.
Maximum Stat Caps
AGL: 6
DEX: 6 STR:
7 PER: 5
INT: 8 WILL:
4
Potato People
In the Canon Dwarf Universe the Potato People where nothing more than a delusion in Rimmer’s Holo-virus infected mind. But in some parallel universe (or maybe even the same Universe because it just so happened to be a lucky guess on the part of our favorite smeghead) somewhere on a distant moon with an S-3 atmosphere, the radiation shielding of an abandoned agricultural space colony began to weaken thus contaminating & mutating the leftover plant life. Especially a crop of genetically engineered ten foot tall Giant Potatoes! Anyway, moving on, after three million years the Giant Potato crop evolved intelligence, limbs and multiple eyes plus the uncanny but useless ability to alter the appearance of their faces. To be more specific, imagine a Giant Potato man with Sir John Gielgud’s face who at will can morph his features into Huge Grant or even Falicity Kendel! However keep in mind the face is still attached to the body of a Giant Potato Mutant! Thus they are not likely to fool anybody in regards to their true identity (except maybe the Cat). Still a clever Potato person might try & pass him or herself off as Elizabeth Hurley who had a rather unfortunate encounter with a DNA Modifier. He/She would then beg the Dwarfers to help him/her change back & promise all sorts of naughty sinful “rewards” if they succeed (Wink! Wink! Nudge! Nudge! Ez your wife a goer Squire? Is she into photography Squre? He asks him knowingly! Say no more! Say no more!.........................Well enough of that!). Anyway this is all just a ruse to get the smegheads alone so the Potato Person can mug them & take their wallets! Rather petty really!
The Potato People are extraordinarily tough beings (often having a SHRUG rating no less than 6 regardless if their Stats are too low to total that number) however they take double or triple damage if hit with globs of super hot melted butter. They also have a -1 in all saves & defenses involving any sort of mashing attacks. The Potato People HATE spicy foods & subsequently RED DWARF Characters who love curry (for example Lister) will receive a minus -2 on all Social Roles in encounter with the overgrown spuds. Additionally the Potato People are the blood enemies of the Vindaloovian GELFs. Vindaloovian weapons like the VPR-4 Rifle will have a Damage Bonus of +3 when used against Potato Persons. If someone modifies the VPR-4 Rifle (making a repair role at +1) the weapon can be filled with butter instead of curry sauce making it a devastating weapon against the Potato People (Note at the AI’s discretion Smegheads might be able to substitute margarine for butter).
The Home World of the Potato people is covered with cities that resemble something out of the Arabian Nights. Complete with Flying Carpets, an unusual weaving (literally) of anti-gravity & advanced rug technology. Incidentally the King of the Potato People is not himself a Potato Person. But rather is an Aqua Team Hunger Force Frylock Waxdroid! At the AI’s discretion King Frylock may or may not have as royal advisers a Waxdroid Master Shake, a Waxdroid Karl or a Meatwade GELF.
FLYING CARPET
Crew: Seats 4, One Pilot and three passagers. SPD:5 MAN: 5 HULL: 10
Requires mental concentration to fly. Add WIL to PER in place of Piloting skill. Telepathic beings (Psirons, Pleasure GELFs..etc) get a +1 in operating Flying Carpet.
Maximum Stat Caps
AGL: 3 DEX: 6 STR: 7 PER: 8 INT: 5 WILL: 4
King Frylock
AGL: 4
Self defense:4
DEX: 2
Repair: 6
STR: 2
Swim: 5
PER: 5
Awareness: 4
Empathy: 3
Passive Games(Trivial pursuit): 4
INT: 7
Computer Ops: 6
Life Sciences(cloning): 2
Mathematics: 4
Philosophy: 3
Medicine: 2
Theoretical Physics: 3
WIL: 5
Cool: 5
Intimidation: 5
Resist: 3
INIT: 9
SHRUG: 4
SAVE: 7
Personality: Celebrity(2), Rank(3), Dumb Luck (2),
Stoicism, Pet Peeve: Master Shake, Mooninites, & very loud Rap Music,
Intolerance: MC Pee Pants & Love
Mummies.
Can shoot energy blasts from eyes WR:
6 with DB+1 at a special skill of 3 rolled with his perception attribute. Vulnerable to heat like any other
WAXDROID.
CHODE GELF
In the TV series TRIPPING THE RIFT Chode is a strange three eyed purple alien with green spots. On the other hand since there are no aliens in RED DWARF the Chodes are transformed into a rather obnoxious smegheaded GELF race with three eyes, purple skin, green spots & (I almost forgot!) four tentacle like protrusions sticking out of the Top of their heads.
Three Million years ago the Chode GELFs were created to do industrial work, toilet cleaning, janitorial duties, street cleaning, sewer maintenance, working in morgues and other menial jobs considered too degrading for even Mechanoids. Millions of years after the passing of Human Race the remnant of this GELF species now occupies a small Empire of Planets on the edge of the Galaxy.
The Chode GELF race was created to
believe a person's path in life should be decided by society rather than by the
individual. So their civilization is governed
in a rather fascistic totalitarian manner.
The Chode GELFs are models of order & efficiency. They could conceivably conquer the Universe
if it were not for the fact they are all genetic cowards who will run away from
a fight. It is rumored they have a War
Droid defense force whose sole purpose is to protect their space from invading
Rabbits, Simulants and other possible menaces.
Chode society is ALL MALE. They reproduce by cloning. They also use drugs to suppress their sex
drive otherwise the whole planet would degenerate into a God awful prison movie
rather quickly (Yeckh BTW!). Every so often a mutant Chode springs up from
the cloning vats that doesn’t want to conform to the State but would rather be
an individual. These odd men out often
wind up banished from Chode society which suits them just fine. Rogue Chode GELFs travel the Galaxy on a
quest for the things they are denied at home such as adventure, wealth, drugs,
alcohol, DVD players & girls.
Rogue Chodes are natural Smegheads, they are cowardly (unless enraged
then that cancels out their cowardice), selfish, randy & greedy. They travel the galaxy with at least one
female android sex slave companion (since unless programmed too do so only the
very rare self-hating female with self-esteem so low it could crawl under a
pregnant ant walking across the floor of Hell’s basement would ever willingly
have a relationship with a Chode GELF)!
Avoid at all costs!
Maximum Stat Caps
AGL: 3 DEX: 6
STR: 4 PER:
6 INT: 5
WILL: 8
Evolved Fish
Maximum Stat Caps
AGL: 6
DEX: 7 STR:
4 PER: 4
INT: 7 WILL:
6
Special Abilities: Swimming 1, Mathematics or Theoretical
Physics 1. After centuries of life swimming around in glass enclosures, unable
to go anywhere while their brains continually evolved, many fish became
preoccupied with purely abstract concepts to amuse themselves. The end result
is nearly all fish are great mathematicians or theoretical physicists (although
only in terms of "pure thought" exercises)
Drawback: While fish have evolved into an amphibious
humanoid life form, they still require at least one hour of total immersion in
fresh (not salt)water every 24 hours. If this regimen is not followed, the fish
begins taking one wound level every two hours of in-game time. If the fish
reaches Fleshy Lump status before reaching fresh water, that's it. He's
effectively suffocated.
A typical fish resembles a humanoid with an overly large
cranium, bulging eyes with large black pupils (no colored iris). Skin color
ranges from a deep orange, bluegreen to coal black.
Fish have large fins that start at the top of their heads
and run down their backs. The effect out of water is like looking at someone
with a really hairy back and a bad comb over. They also have webbed fingers and
toes, which aid them in swimming.
Fish have absolutely no sense of style. Their idea of haute
coiture is anything from the late 1970s or early 1980s. Polyester is
predominant, and leisure suits are a status symbol among fish.
As far as religion goes, Fish have a laid back approach
to it, while they don't worship any god, they do believe in an afterlife
wherein they are sent to the great beyond by way of the Great Golden Toilet
Bowl in the Sky. Fish burial custom is to build a giant toilet in a suitably
large area and flush the dead fish to his final reward.
(Note I took the idea for the Evolved animal above
verbatim from a Player named Shallow15.