Starsmith Cultures Digital May 13 2023

A Fan-Made Supplement
By Eric Bright
A Fan-Created Supplement
for the Ironsworn: Starforged System
By Eric Bright
of Play Every Role
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Copyright © 2023 Eric Bright of Play Every Role
LICENSING INFO
Ironsworn: Starforged is copyright ©2022 Shawn Tomkin and Absolute
Tabletop, LLC. For more information about what you can do with the
license, see the Ironsworn website.
This work is created by Eric Bright and licensed for use under the
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY).
You may transfer the contents of this book to another medium (such
as The Augur, Roll20, or Stargazer) or create derivative works based
on this content. The only thing I ask is that you let me know how you
are using it in your design so I can follow along! You can contact me
most reliably by email at ericbright2002@yahoo.com. If you have any
questions or would like to collaborate on future designs, please drop
me a line!
WRITING AND DESIGN

All writing and design by Eric Bright.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
NOTE: This is NOT OFFICIAL Starforged content! It is fan-made
content made available through the generous licensing of Shawn
Tomkin, creator of Ironsworn: Starforged. Please support him by
purchasing the original Ironsworn: Starforged products!
Inspiration: Some of the inspiration for this supplement comes from
the excellent game Downfall by Caroline Hobbs where you play
characters within a doomed civilization who watch society fall apart.
Research: Information on Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension Theory was
gathered from the Hofstede-Insights website, James Madison
University, MindTools.com, and iEduNote.com.
IMAGE CREDITS
Hand and Handshake icons by Freepik licensed from FlatIcon. All
illustrations created with Midjourney AI through a paid personal
account.
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CULTURES FAMILIAR ..................................... 4
Forging Cultures............................................................... 5
A Note of Caution............................................................................ 5
Characteristics of Culture ............................................... 6
Cultural Misunderstandings.......................................................... 7
Dimensions of Culture ...................................................10
Power Distance Index .................................................................. 12
Individualism Index ...................................................................... 13
Uncertainty Avoidance Index ...................................................... 14
Competitive Index......................................................................... 15
Long-Term Orientation Index ..................................................... 16
Restraint Index.............................................................................. 17
Using the Six Dimensions .............................................18
Get a Response ............................................................................. 18
Primary and Secondary Values ................................................... 18
Government Structure ..................................................20
Societal Flaws ................................................................21
Cultural Traditions..........................................................22
Symbols.......................................................................................... 22
CULTURES ALIEN .........................................24

Aliens in the Forge.........................................................25
World Truths.................................................................................. 25
Xenobiology....................................................................28
Alien Form...................................................................................... 28
Communication Method .............................................................. 30
Reproduction and Family Groups ............................................... 31
Sensory Perceptions ..................................................................... 32
Xenoanthropology .........................................................33
Civilization Age .............................................................................. 33
Technology Level .......................................................................... 33
Values ............................................................................................. 34
Traditions ....................................................................................... 34
Alien Development Sheet .............................................35
Sample Aliens.................................................................36
Vexians ........................................................................................... 36
Kralkians ........................................................................................ 38
Ghograns ....................................................................................... 40
Vulain.............................................................................................. 42
Zanari ............................................................................................. 44
Qelthor ........................................................................................... 46
Alien Names....................................................................48
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CULTURES
FAMILIAR
4 STARSMITH: CULTURES
FORGING CULTURES
The Forge is a vast area of space. So vast that it is reasonable to
assume that as humanity spread throughout the regions, their
cultures grew more varied and unique. Settlements on the same
planet have many diverse cultures, but if the settlements were from
two different planets, that diversity would likely be more
pronounced. Now think of how wide the cultural gap could be
between settlements from different sectors!
If you choose to add true aliens to your game, you can see that the
possibilities are endless. What was the culture like for the Horta, the
beings made entirely from rock in Star Trek TOS? What differences
would a society of sentient squids have? Or what about a society of
AI? How different would their values be from our own?
This supplement will present you with tools you can use to help guide
your creation of vibrant cultures. I hope that in doing so, you can
enrich your immersion in the game world.
A NOTE OF CAUTION
Remember that the ideas presented here are painted with a broad
brush. Don’t pigeonhole your characters by imagining every NPC
from a specific settlement acting on the same exact value system.
Culture is dynamic and deep with room for infinite diversity in infinite
combinations. These tools are only meant to give you ideas to help
you achieve depth and immersion as you build your game world.
Remember to treat the process of culture building with respect.
While you might design an alien culture inspired by an IRL culture,
that’s not what this particular supplement is written to do. Instead,
it’s meant to give a framework for how to think about culture as as
an overarching concept and then guide you creatively to make
something completely new. Earth and its history were left far behind
during the cataclysmic event that sent humanity to the stars, and I
believe that concept is an opportunity to imagine how a brand new
culture could spring to life over the years. What started as a few
survivors in an iron home that happened to be lucky enough to find
a habitable planet likely morphed into a whole new culture unlike any
we’ve seen before.
CULTURES FAMILIAR 5
CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE
Before building a culture for your game world, consider that there are
generally five broad characteristics of culture. Culture is…
1. Learned: There is nothing inherent or innate about culture.
You aren’t born with it, but rather, you learn culture through
experience.
2. Shared: An individual’s actions or thoughts do not comprise

a culture of their own. Culture is shared throughout the
members of the group.
3. Symbolic: Culture is dependent on symbolism and the

shared and understood meaning of those symbols. For
example, language is a set of symbols that we ascribe
meaning to, and memes are symbols that we all recognize.
Outside of the culture, these symbols may either be
drastically misunderstood or completely meaningless.
4. Integrated: Themes, symbols, and ideas are interconnected

within a culture. They do not exist in isolation, and changes
in one aspect can influence changes in another.
5. Dynamic: Culture changes over time based on the rise and

fall of ideologies, preferences, and shared values.
All cultures and subcultures share these characteristics, so there isn’t

anything you need to plan when building your own cultures in
reference to these characteristics. However, they may be useful to
keep in mind if you want to use them to build tension.
Real-World Academic Analysis of Culture

In this section, Characteristics of Culture, and the next, Dimensions of Culture,
I’ve taken concepts from how culture is analyzed in real life in an academic
setting. I thought these ideas might help you build a deeper culture of your
own, but don’t take this as a textbook on culture that must be followed exactly.
Instead, think of how you can craft meaningful and respectful stories in your
games using these ideas.
CULTURAL MISUNDERSTANDINGS
There may be times where your character or an NPC get themselves
into trouble because they don’t understand something about the
culture they are surrounded by. In this case, you may choose one of
the five characteristics that the character is having trouble with.
Learned
Consider a character who did not learn about a particular culture or
learned about only a narrow band of the culture. They would find
many things completely alien about the behavior and values of the
people within that culture. For example, think of the aliens in Galaxy
Quest who only knew about humans from the TV show. Their
assumptions that the characters really had an intergalactic space force
nearly led to their destruction.
Shared
A character who did not share the same culture as the society they are
living in may come across as a counter-cultural rebel, much like the
hippies in the 60’s. For example, Ro Laren on Star Trek TNG wore her
Bajoran earring on the wrong ear as a big middle finger to her own
culture. Not sharing that religious culture immediately set the tone for
her character throughout the TV show and even the books that
featured her character in further storylines.
Symbolic
If a character lacked the understanding of particular cultural symbols,
they would miss the nuance of certain actions. For example, a speaker
at my school talked about living in another country where the
traditional gift at a wedding was sugar. She was proud of herself for
figuring this out and smiled as she handed the couple her single
package of sugar. The newlyweds chuckled a bit as they graciously
accepted the gift, and she didn’t know why. Later, she found out that
you are supposed to give multiple bags of sugar to newlyweds so that
they can take them back to the market to sell for cash. It wasn’t about
sugar at all, but about the monetary value that came from the gift! She
had completely misunderstood the meaning of the symbol and
practically insulted the couple with a gift of such low value.
CULTURES FAMILIAR 7
Integrated
What if a character did not understand how different aspects of
culture were connected? They may brashly make a decision that has
unintended consequences on other parts of society. For example, your
character might show mercy to an enemy because they know that
mercy is seen as virtuous on the planet S’kara IV. However, your
character didn’t know that the concept of mercy is tied into the
concepts of service and understanding the perspective of others. It
turns out that on S’kara IV, when you offer an enemy mercy, you are
implying that their point of view has some merit and that you want to
learn about it. Therefore, you serve that enemy for the next year and
a day to gain a better understanding of their viewpoint. Oops! You just
wanted brownie points with the leaders, and now you have a year long
obligation to fulfill.
Dynamic
A character who does not go with the flow of a dynamic culture is a
common trope in storytelling. It’s the old timer who says, “Back in my
day…” and really means, “These new-fangled ways are stupid.” If your
PC met an NPC with these attitudes, how could you win them over to
your side? How could you get them to see the value of “moving with
the times”? What if “moving with the times” is actually dangerous for
your character?
As you can see, these characteristics of culture can be background

ideas that drive your story forward. When you come to a new planet or
settlement, you might ask yourself if lacking any of these five
characteristics will have an impact on how you interact with the people
and authority figures there.
Alternately, you can use the lack of one of these five characteristics as
a reason for a miss on a specific move. Consider the example on the
following page.
Your character has stopped at settlement on a rocky world in search of
trilithium crystals to repair your Eidolon drive. Your scans show there are
trilithium mines here, so you ask the authority figure for help but roll a
miss on the Compel check. Why did you miss?
• Perhaps you lack learning about this planet’s culture at all and
didn’t realize that before asking for help, you’re supposed to offer a
service first. By asking for help first, you have demonstrated
weakness and desperation such that the authority figure writes you
off as a vagabond.
• Maybe you know about this culture and know that mining trilithium
is part of their cultural identity. However, you didn’t realize that this
specific settlement didn’t share their culture’s love of mining. In fact,
they have been destroying trilithium as an act of defiance and now
want to strip the remaining trilithium from your Eidolon drive.
• Perhaps you didn’t know about the symbolism of trilithium within

this culture. It is considered a sacred ore that can only be used in
religious ceremonies. Just asking to use trilithium for another
purpose has caused great offense, and now the authorities are
demanding you go through a sacred cleansing ritual to erase your
offense.
• What if you didn’t know that mining was integrated with rites of
passage for young people? Only those seeking to claim adulthood
spend time in the mines, and selling the ore is the nest egg of every
child’s retirement. Therefore, you must find a family with
appropriately aged children to negotiate with and offer enough to
provide for them to start their first year of adulthood and
independence.
• Maybe you were familiar with this planet’s culture but didn’t realize
that it had dynamically shifted since you were last here. Mining was
outlawed due to the effects on the planet’s environment, and the
mines are shut down. You may now have to find a black market
dealer who is operating an illegal mining site, but then you run the
risk of being declared a criminal on this world.
CULTURES FAMILIAR 9
DIMENSIONS OF CULTURE
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension Theory was originally created based on
worldwide surveys in the late 1960’s and had four dimensions upon
which cultural values could be analyzed. Independent research added
a fifth dimension, and in 2010 Hofstede added a sixth dimension giving
us the framework below intended to be used for cross-cultural
communication. (To be clear, this is all real-life research, not stuff I’m
writing from the perspective of someone in the Forge universe.)
When you are developing the culture of a faction, settlement or planet,
it might be useful to think where they might fall on each of the
following spectrums that come from Hofstede’s work.
1. Power Distance Index: This describes the extent to which a
culture accepts and expects social hierarchy and power
imbalances.
2. Individualism vs. Collectivism: This describes the degree

to which culture is organized into social groups. This
encompasses the “I” vs. “we” mentality.
3. Uncertainty Avoidance Index: This describes a society’s

overall tolerance for ambiguity. A high degree of uncertainty
avoidance is associated with strict codes of behavior and
belief in an absolute truth that guides all other aspects of
life. A low value is associated with more relaxed attitudes.
4. Competitive vs. Cooperative: Originally called the

masculine vs. feminine index, this represents a society’s
preference for achievement, material reward, and
assertiveness vs. a preference for cooperation, modesty,
caring for the weak, and caring for the quality of life.
5. Short-term vs. Long-term Orientation: Society’s with a

short-term orientation tend to have traditions that are
honored and value steadfastness. Society’s with a long-term
orientation view adaptation as necessary for progress.
6. Indulgence vs. Restraint: This is a measure of how a society

feels about allowing gratification of human desire to enjoy
life and have fun. Where indulgent societies see themselves
in control of their emotions, restrained societies see others
as overly influencing their own emotions.
Remember that none of these dimensions are all or nothing. They are
a spectrum along which a culture may lie. When you create a culture
for a faction, settlement, planet or sector, roll 1d6 for each dimension
to determine where that culture lies on the spectrum.
POWER DISTANCE
1-2 Shared power
3-4 Hierarchy of power but general population can influence power
5-6 Strict power hierarchy with no input from lower strata
INDIVIDUALISM
1-2 Decisions stem from a desire for the greater good
3-4 Individual liberties exists but are balanced by community needs
5-6 Personal freedom is emphasized above the needs of others
UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE
1-2 Society is more relaxed and rolls with the punches
3-4 People are willing to thoughtfully take risks
5-6 Strict behavior codes provide unambiguous outcomes
COMPETITIVE
1-2 Consensus building and care for weak are prioritized
3-4 Individual achievement is balanced by a team player attitude
5-6 Individual superstars wield the most power and influence
LONG-TERM ORIENTATION
1-2 Decisions are made to better the present
3-4 Some sacrifices are willingly made for future benefits
5-6 Society is focused on bettering itself over the long haul
RESTRAINT
1-2 Society views happiness as the ultimate goal
3-4 Drive for personal happiness is tempered by moderate restraint
5-6 Indulgences are restricted and regulated to prevent vices
Check out the Hofstede-Insights website for more details about the six
dimensions of culture at:
https://www.hofstede-insights.com/
CULTURES FAMILIAR 11
POWER DISTANCE INDEX
Because all people are unique, there will always be power imbalances
and inequalities within a society. In a culture with a low power distance
index, the general attitude is one trying to minimize social inequalities.
In a culture with a high power distance index, both the followers and
the leaders agree with and endorse these inequalities.
Low Power Distance Qualities
• A pluralistic government exists that is based on the outcome of
a majority vote and has several key checks and balances to
discourage bias and discriminatory acts. The politics of
governing may take much more time as discussions are had, but
there is little political violence.
• Having power, status, and wealth are independent of each other.
You do not have to have one to have another.
• The most prevalent religious and philosophical outlooks stress
equality and openness.
• The use of force by authority is viewed as a failure of the system
as a whole.
High Power Distance Qualities

• Dictatorship, oligarchy, or military government exists that is
based on the current views of the few with the most power.
There is very little discussion about policy, and there are
frequent outbursts of political violence.
• Power, status, and wealth go hand in hand. Only the powerful
are rich, and being rich makes you powerful.
• The most prevalent religious and philosophical outlooks stress a
social hierarchy and stratification of the general population for
the greater good.
• The use of force by authority is viewed as the essence of power
and is therefore common.
INDIVIDUALISM INDEX
This score represents how tightly-knit the social framework is. In a
culture with a low individualism score (known as collectivism),
individuals expect members of an ingroup and relatives to look out for
them with staunch loyalty. In a culture with a high individualism score,
people prefer a looser grouping where they are expected to care only
for themselves and maybe their immediate family.
Collectivism Qualities
• The purpose of education is learning how to do things necessary
for society to function. Students are treated as a large group.
• Individuals willingly sacrifice personal desires for the greater
good. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
• Relationships have unwavering loyalty.
• Social harmony and interdependence are stressed.
• People work for the intrinsic reward of becoming a master of
their art.
Individualism Qualities
• The purpose of education is learning how to think. Students
expect respect and are treated as individuals with unique needs.
• Self-expression and autonomy are prioritized over the needs of
society as a whole.
• Loyalty is not expected, nor often given, as the expectation is
that each person will prioritize their own interests.
• Personal freedom and independence are stressed.
• People work for the means to get ahead of others.
UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE INDEX
While there are those in the Forge who can predict the future, it is still
generally accepted that future outcomes cannot be known with
certainty. This index quantifies how a society deals with that fact. Do
they endeavor to shape the future to their will, or do they roll with the
punches, content in knowing that many things are out of their control?
Low Uncertainty Avoidance Qualities
• People are open to change and new ways of doing things.
• Inclusiveness and diversity of ideas are expected.
• There is a lack of the sense of urgency in society.
• Decision making is an open-ended process where all contribute.
High Uncertainty Avoidance Qualities

• Culture as a whole tends to cope with societal anxiety with laws,
religion, and technology.
• People feel the rules should be followed all the time even when
it is detrimental.
• Rigid structure and conservative decisions provide comfort and
guidance.
• There is an intolerance for unorthodox behavior or ideas.
COMPETITIVE INDEX
In the research and literature, this is called the Masculinity Index, but
I think competitive vs. cooperative works a bit better for world building
in the Forge so I’ve changed the verbiage a bit. Hofstede Insights also
mentions that it may be called the “Tough vs. Tender” scale.
Cooperative Qualities
• Consensus building is important in decision making.
• Relationships are valued more than individual rewards.
• Modesty is highly valued.
• Gender roles have a high degree of overlap.
• Care for the weak and needy take precedence over personal
achievement. Live simply so that others can simply live.
• The quality of life is more important than the quantity of
achievements or material possessions accrued.
Competitive Qualities
• Assertiveness and strong leaders are important in decision
making.
• The lone wolf mentality is widely accepted, as is using
relationships as a means to success. Compromise can be viewed
as weakness.
• Pride, status and money are highly valued.
• Differentiated gender roles are accepted. It is often taboo to
discuss differences in the way genders are treated.
• Heroism is viewed as an end in itself rather than a means by
which the greater society is supported.
• Materialism is a status symbol, quantity over quality.
LONG-TERM ORIENTATION INDEX
All societies utilize their past to help them confront the challenges of
the present and future. They may attempt to learn from the mistakes
of the past lest they repeat them, or they may view tradition as the
ultimate guide.
Short-Term Orientation Qualities
• Traditions and strong convictions are leaned upon heavily in
decision making.
• Societal changes are viewed with suspicion.
• Leisure time is prioritized.
• There is an emphasis on quick results and the bottom line.
• Good and evil are seen as absolutes.
Long-Term Orientation Qualities

• Decision making centers around being thrifty and gaining
education in the present in order to make a larger impact in the
future.
• Adaptation and changing views based on circumstances are a
necessary part of life.
• Persistence in the face of hardship is valued.
• There is an emphasis on relationships because they outlast
current circumstances.
• Good and evil may depend on the particular circumstances of a
situation and are not absolute.
RESTRAINT INDEX
This final value, the most recent addition to the six dimensions, is a
measure of happiness within a society that stems from valuing the act
of satisfying natural human needs and desires.
Indulgence Qualities
• Society tends to be optimistic.
• Freedom of speech is valued and used regularly.
• There is a focus on personal happiness and an emphasis placed
on leisure time activities.
• Having many friends is valued.
• People have a perception of personal control over their lives.
• Smiling is viewed as normal.
Restraint Qualities
• Society tends to be pessimistic.
• It is believed that personal opinions should be kept to yourself.
• Personal indulgences are regulated and suppressed.
• Doing your job is more important than having friends.
• People feel that life is inflicted upon them and out of their
control. Victim mentality is common.
• Smiling is viewed with suspicion.
USING THE SIX DIMENSIONS
When designing a culture, you may roll your action die (1d6) for each
of the six dimensions and assign that value to the dimension. You may
then use those values to guide how members of that culture respond
to various situations using the following move.
GET A RESPONSE
When you are unsure how an NPC would respond to a
situation heavily related to a dimension of their culture,
you may Ask the Oracle if they follow their cultural norm with
the following odds.
If their dimension score is a 1 or 6, use Almost Certain odds.
If their dimension score is a 2 or 5, use Likely odds.
If their dimension score is a 3 or 4, use 50/50 odds.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY VALUES

You may find tracking all six dimensions cumbersome as it can slow
down your game. If that is too much bookkeeping for your tastes, you
can instead roll on the oracle on the next page to get a primary value
for a culture. Then, when you are unsure of how an NPC would
respond, you can refer to that primary value.
If you’d like a bit more detail, roll a second time to get a secondary
value. If there is ever a conflict between the two values, the primary
value would take precedence.
If you roll the opposite value of your primary value as your secondary
value, that tells you that there is cultural tension in the society about
this issue. Roll your action die (1d6) to see how high those tensions are
between the two values with a 1 meaning moderate tensions only and
a 6 meaning there are riots in the streets.
PRIMARY CULTURAL VALUE
1-3 Establishing individual uniqueness
4-6 Belonging to a group
7-9 Maintaining social hierarchy
10-12 Minimizing inequalities
13-15 Following strict social norms and laws
16-18 Maintaining flexible social norms and laws
19-21 Preparing for the future
22-24 Meeting short-term needs
25-27 Striving for high gender role overlap and gender equality
28-30 Keeping gender roles separate
31-33 Being assertive and competitive
34-36 Being modest and cooperative
37-39 Live life at a fast pace; “Doing” oriented
40-42 Live life at a relaxed pace; “Being” oriented
43-45 Caring first for others
46-48 Taking care of me and mine
49-51 Seeking pleasure
52-54 Restraining impulses
55-57 Emphasizing faith
58-60 Studying reason
61-63 Building consensus for decisions
64-66 Following a strong leader for decisions
67-69 Having a high quality of life with good relationships
70-72 Having quantity in life through materialism / consumerism
73-75 Considering all sides before judging
76-78 Fight against evil which is absolute
79-81 Maintain social harmony; Go along to get along
82-84 Advance personal freedoms
85-87 Generosity and hospitality
88-90 Productivity and achievement
91-93 Flexibility in the face of conflict; Go with the flow
94-96 Follow traditions in the face of conflict; Old ways are best
97-100 Roll twice
GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE
When you first encounter a new place, knowing their authority
structure can be hugely beneficial to how you roleplay interactions
with NPCs. Even the process of docking your starship at a starport can
change drastically based on the type of government. For example, in
an authoritarian regime, you may have to bribe the dock worker to
keep them from pilfering your stores during a customs check. While in
a theocracy, your religious affiliation may change the docking fees you
pay.
To some degree, the type of government you encounter during
gameplay can be ascertained from a culture’s Power Distance Index,
but you’re not likely to fully create a culture unless it’s a group that you
intend to be a major factor in your version of the Forge.
Instead, you may roll on this table to find a form of government for the
place you are interacting with.
GOVERNMENT
1-5 Advisory council reports to rubber stamping executive
6-10 AI-guidance trained to create the most “optimal” society
11-15 Charismatic leader who none dare or want to cross
16-20 Council of elders that deliberate with the wisdom of years
21-25 Criminal organization that rules from the shadows
26-30 Dictatorship that dispenses arbitrary and ruthless judgment
31-35 Elected executive holds all the power granted by the people
36-40 Faction leader (roll on the faction tables for more info)
41-45 Feudalism leads to squabbling lords moving up the pecking order
46-50 Hereditary monarchy with family drama and secrets
51-55 Mageocracy either arcane or psionic in nature
56-60 Martial law enacted for the protection of the people
61-65 Mercantilism where rights are bought and sold
66-70 Oligarchy with power held by only a few
71-75 Pure democracy where the people vote on every issue
76-80 Representative republic with a ruling body of congress
81-85 Ruling class of citizen who are chosen and trained from birth
86-90 Theocracy with the high priest seen as near divine
91-95 Tribalism with fractured policies, treaties, and other interactions
96-100 Unwritten code of conduct silently agreed to and carried out
SOCIETAL FLAWS
When designing a culture, it may be handy to include a flaw, or cultural
blind spot, that can add to the tension of your play. This flaw is viewed
as beneficial by the vast majority of society, and many traditions
and/or policies are built on this flaw. However, ultimately, it is still a
flaw that if left unchecked can bring down the whole society.
FLAW
1-3 Ambition 52-54 Loyalty
4-6 Classism 55-57 Materialism
7-9 Conformity 58-60 Narrow-mindedness
10-12 Consumerism 61-63 Nationalism
13-15 Cowardice 64-66 Neutrality
16-18 Curiosity 67-69 Obsession with beauty
19-21 Discrimination 70-72 Paranoia
22-24 Disregard for environment 73-75 Perfectionism
25-27 Greed 76-78 Polarization
28-30 Hedonism 79-81 Pride
31-33 Honesty 82-84 Reliance on technology
34-36 Hubris 85-87 Scheming
37-39 Hyper-competitiveness 88-90 Selfishness
40-42 Ignorance 91-93 Vanity
43-45 Inaction 94-96 Wealth
46-48 Intolerance 97-100 Zealotry
49-51 Jealousy
Many of these flaws would obviously be hard to support as a society,

such as discrimination, so you’ll need think about how the culture
does the mental gymnastics of seeing this as not only necessary but
generally beneficial.
On the flip side, some may seem only beneficial, like loyalty or
neutrality, but when taken to an extreme, even these can be a flaw. If
you are loyal to a fault, that can force you to condone evil acts. Extreme
neutrality only benefits the conqueror, not the victim.
CULTURAL TRADITIONS
Traditions are beliefs or practices that both stem from and reinforce
the primary values of a society. To make your cultures really come to
life, create three traditions that fall within any of the categories below.
Once you have a tradition category, think about how it relates to either
one of the dimensions of culture or to that culture’s flaw.
For example, a cultural tradition about birth that relates to the flaw of
curiosity might be called the Test of Blocks. After a newborn grows old
enough to be mobile, they are placed in a circular area with stacks of
colorful blocks set at each of the four points of the compass. Any child
who explores each stack of blocks is given priority access to high
performing educational institutions when they grow to schooling age.
Children who explore only a single color of block are viewed as zealous
and sent to a religious school. Children who explore multiple colors
but not all are sent to basic school systems.
A cultural tradition about birth that relates to the dimension of
individualism could be that giving a child a name that has been used
in the family before is viewed as bad luck. Therefore, in the month
before birth, the parents have a naming party where surviving
members of both sides of the family convene to recount the names of
all the previous generations. In this way, they avoid a naming faux pas
and pass down oral histories to future generations.
SYMBOLS
For each tradition, think of a symbol that may correspond with the
tradition. For example, roses are symbols of love and storks are
symbols of birth. What symbol does this culture associate with the
tradition you just created?
While this symbol is meant to be attached to a tradition, remember
that culture in general has a characteristic of symbols. If there is a
symbol that permeates your culture, you might incorporate that
symbol or variations of it into each of your traditions.
Create one to three cultural traditions for each culture. These are not
the only traditions, but they might be ones that are most widely known
or the most obvious ones.
TRADITION CATEGORY
1-3 Architecture 52-54 Hospitality
4-6 Art 55-57 Justice
7-9 Birth 58-60 Language
10-12 Coming of Age 61-63 Leadership
13-15 Communication 64-66 Literature
16-18 Death 67-69 Love
19-21 Economics 70-72 Military
22-24 Education 73-75 Music
25-27 Employment 76-78 Naming
28-30 Entertainment 79-81 Relationships
31-33 Family 82-84 Religion
34-36 Fashion 85-87 Seasons
37-39 Fellowship 88-90 Spirits
40-42 Food 91-93 Trade
43-45 Government 94-96 Travel
46-48 Grief 97-100 War
49-51 History
COMMON SYMBOLS OF TRADITIONS

1-2 Anchor 35-36 Eye 69-70 Rock
3-4 Apple 37-38 Fire 71-72 Rose
5-6 Axe 39-40 Gate 73-74 Shamrock
7-8 Bear 41-42 Golden ratio 75-76 Shield
9-10 Beetle 43-44 Grapes 77-78 Snake
11-12 Bird 45-46 Hammer 79-80 Squares
13-14 Book 47-48 Hand 81-82 Star
15-16 Braids 49-50 Heart 83-84 Sun
17-18 Butterfly 51-52 Horse 85-86 Sword
19-20 Candle 53-54 Infinity 87-88 Tiger
21-22 Circles 55-56 Knot 89-90 Tree
23-24 Cross 57-58 Leaf 91-92 Tree of life
25-26 Door 59-60 Lion 93-94 Triangles
27-28 Dove 61-62 Lotus 95-96 Triskelion
29-30 Dragon 63-64 Mandala 97-98 Water
31-32 Eagle 65-66 Moon 99-100 Wolf
33-34 Egg 67-68 Phoenix
CULTURES
ALIEN
ALIENS IN THE FORGE
So, you’re ready for aliens, huh? If the only changes you’re making to
your aliens fall more in line with Star Trek (possibly different skin colors
and a few more bumps or ridges), then you don’t really need anything
more. You can create their cultures using all the previous information.
If you’re looking to add aliens that are more like Star Wars in that they
are entirely new species of sapient life that are only remotely like
humans (think Jawas, Wookies, Yoda, or ET), then the original creature
oracles would be a good starting place.
Either way, you’ll want to decide on how these new alien cultures fit
into your Forge.
WORLD TRUTHS
In the Alien Diversity truth, you’ll decide the variety of aliens that live
within your version of the Forge, and in the Alien Relations truth, you’ll
decide how they get along with humanity.
CULTURES ALIEN 25
ALIEN DIVERSITY
1-33 As far as we are aware, the alien species we
encountered in the Forge is the only other sapient
lifeform in the galaxy.
The alien species has a wide breadth of diversity within their culture,
but like us, they believed they were alone in the galaxy. Finding each
other shook both our belief systems to their core.
Quest Starter: The original homeworld for the aliens is said to have
been destroyed within the Void. A lone pilot survived a harrowing
attack in the Void and claims to have seen an intact chunk of the
alien homeworld drifting in space with an entire city still intact on it.
Many consider him to be suffering from space madness, but what
about his story makes you believe him? Why does humanity need to
find this place before the aliens do?
34-67 When our iron homes first entered the Forge, there were a few
alien species arriving as well. Initially, each of us marked out our
own territories as we learned whether or not communication
would be possible between our species.
From what we can piece together, each of these alien species also
experienced a cataclysmic event in their home sectors around the
same time that we did. We can neither verify nor refute that these
events are related.
Quest Starter: An alien derelict from the time of their exodus is
rumored to be somewhere within the Void. If found, this ship may
contain data from their home sector during the cataclysm. What
faction is offering a high bounty for this data, and why do they want
it beyond scientific curiosity?
68-100 The number of alien species must be countably finite, but we

encounter new life and new civilizations with great frequency.
Establishing first contact with alien species has become an art that
takes specialists in communication, pathology, biology, and often
engineers. Without the perfect balance of wisdom, experience, and
luck, first contacts can turn hostile quickly.
Quest Starter: A new alien species has been encountered with a
bizarre technology unlike anything we’ve yet seen. What is the
nature of this technology, and what time-sensitive mystery might its
mastery help to solve?
ALIEN RELATIONS
1-33 From the earliest encounters, humanity was at war
with the aliens.
Each side blames the other for starting the conflict, but at this point
the hostilities continue without the need for a reason. All sides seem
to be losing this war of attrition that could empty the Forge of all life.
Quest Starter: A stealth surveillance platform has been the key to
alien advances in a nearby sector. Can this platform be found and
neutralized? What makes this sector so strategic to the war efforts
on all sides?
34-67 While skirmishes are not uncommon, the conflict between

humanity and aliens has largely turned into a cold war.
Both sides increase the pressure of the situation with a never-ending
arms race turning the Forge into a giant powder keg that could blow
up at any moment. Diplomatic relations are full of veiled threats and
back-handed insults. Espionage is seen as the key to long-term
victory, and secret factions abound.
Quest Starter: One side of the conflict is said to be on the verge of a
technological discovery that could tip the balance of power. One
faction within that side of the conflict is willing to sabotage their
own tech research facility in order to maintain the cessation of open
war. What is this new technology said to be capable of, and what
connection do you have that makes you well-suited to help with this
covert operation?
68-100 Despite initial conflicts of interest, humanity has peacefully

integrated into the greater Forge culture with their alien
counterparts.
Humans and aliens work side-by-side in most career fields, and
bigotry has been held at bay in favor of the benefits of peaceful
coexistence and cooperative problem solving. This is not to say there
aren’t social issues, but they generally do not rest upon differences
between species.
Quest Starter: Humans for Humanity is a xenophobic activist group
that operates in the gray areas of the law. They orchestrate protests
across the sector where they provoke violence all while blaming the
other side. They are now sponsoring a local candidate for governor
in the hopes of changing local laws to go against aliens. Which
political opponent of Humans for Humanity do you know that has
been jailed without cause under the group’s influence? What would
it take to clear their name and secure their freedom?
CULTURES ALIEN 27
XENOBIOLOGY
If you want truly alien beings in your version of the Forge, start by
thinking about how their basic biological structure differs from that of
humanity.
ALIEN FORM
Are they humanoid at all? Do they resemble other animal types? Are
they carbon-based lifeforms? You can use the creature oracles from
original Starforged with just a few tweaks in your thinking.
• Basic Form - What known lifeform do they most resemble?
• First Look - What striking features do you first notice?
• Encountered Behavior - In a creature, this behavior is usually

instinctual, but in an alien culture, this would be purposeful. Why
are they exhibiting this behavior?
• Revealed Aspect - Again, in an alien culture, why would they

choose to reveal this aspect? What purpose does it serve?
Alternately, you can roll your challenge and action dice using the
tables on the next page. The tens digit challenge die gives the form,
the action die gives a more specific form, and the ones digit challenge
die gives a category for you to develop a strange alien quality.
Think about how the alien’s biology affects practical concerns in your
game. Consider the following:
• What appendages do the aliens use for fine motor control? If
they are building faster-than-light starships, they must be able to
manipulate controls and tools with precision.
• What basic bodily functions or needs constrain their designs? If

they live underwater, are their starships filled with water that is
constantly filtered and recycled? If they are oddly proportioned,
what does their captain’s chair look like? What do their hallways
and doors look like?
• How do they attack and defend themselves in personal combat?

Do they have natural weapons or armor?
• Do they have any biological abilities like spitting acidic saliva or

the ability to survive short periods in the vacuum of space?
ALIEN FORM
00 Aquatic 50 Gelatinous or amorphous
1 Amphibious 1 Gaseous nebuloid
2 Crustacean 2 Liquid shape changer
3 Fish 3 Living water
4 Tentacled, squid 4 Plasma based
5 Whale 5 Pseudopod slime
6 Walrus, seal, otter 6 Slug
10 Avian 60 Insect or arachnid
1 Flier 1 Exoskeleton
2 Flightless 2 Jumper or web spinner
3 Gas balloons 3 Luminous
4 Glider 4 Segmented, many legged
5 Hover capable 5 Winged
6 Levitation 6 Worker drone
20 Beast, mammal 70 Mechanical or humanoid
1 Bovine 1 Cyborg
2 Canine 2 Hologram manifestation
3 Equine 3 Human not from Earth
4 Feline 4 Nanite collection
5 Pachyderm 5 Rogue AI
6 Simian 6 Sentient machines
30 Beast, reptile 80 Necrotic or parasitic
1 Chameleon 1 Animated corpse
2 Dinosaur 2 Infected host
3 Gator or croc 3 Organic amalgamation
4 Serpent 4 Spirit
5 Turtle 5 Symbiont
6 Winged 6 Undead
40 Elemental energy or matter 90 Plant or Fungus
1 Dark matter being 1 Carnivorous
2 Living energy, electricity 2 Flower or leaf
3 Living fire, magma 3 Pod or roots
4 Living rock, earth 4 Sporeling
5 Multi-dimensional 5 Tree or wooden
6 Primordial 6 Vine mass
STRANGE ALIEN QUALITY INVOLVING…

0 Communication method 5 Nonsensical behavioral quirk
1 Clothing, armor or adornment 6 Physical feature of biology
2 Environmental living conditions 7 Reproduction or family structure
3 Leadership / hierarchy structure 8 Social interactions
4 Locomotion method 9 Technology
CULTURES ALIEN 29
COMMUNICATION METHOD
You can roll on the table below to get an initial idea, but remember
that whatever means they have of communication must be able to get
across complex ideas in a relatively quick time. Think about how much
faster it is to talk than it is to type. We can communicate so much more
in 5 seconds of talking than 5 seconds of typing. Aliens should be able
to utilize communication at those same relative speeds.
Here are some more detailed questions for you to consider as you
design your alien culture.
• How do the aliens communicate with one another?
• What limitations exist in this method of communication?
• How are humans able to communicate and interact with them:

universal translators or interpreters?
• What is a famous example of a miscommunication?
For example, if your aliens communicate with pheromones, they must

have complex olfactory senses to be able to detect different scents at
varying degrees of concentration or proportions. Also, they would
need a way to distinguish between different “speakers”, so individual
pheromones are likely. In addition, how would they keep “words” from
lingering in the air or from mixing with other peoples “words”? How
would they have private or “whispered” conversations?
COMMUNICATION METHOD
1-10 Clicks / beeps / screeches 41-50 Patterns of touch
11-20 Colors / visual patterns 51-60 Pheromones
21-25 Electrical impulses 61-80 Spoken words
26-30 Empathic urges 81-85 Telepathy
31-35 Indirect words / metaphor 86-90 Vibrational patterns
36-40 Movements / dance 91-100 Written symbols
REPRODUCTION AND FAMILY GROUPS
One defining characteristic of any biological lifeform is the need to
procreate and perpetuate the species. In sapient beings, this leads to
the formation of family groups for the purposes of bearing and raising
offspring.
You should also consider how their reproductive methods influence
their culture at large. For example, if it takes four parents to produce
an offspring, what role does each parent play? Are these roles fulfilled
by distinct genders, or can the same gender fill multiple roles? How
does this affect gender identity?
REPRODUCTION METHOD
1-5 Cloning
6-20 Asexual
21-55 Two-parent sexual
56-75 Three-parent sexual
76-90 Four-parent sexual
91-95 Community genetic contributions
96-100 Artificially designed, built and animated
CHILDBEARING METHOD
1-5 Buried zygotes that dig out as they grow
6-10 Chemical / energy reaction spawns young
11-15 Eggs fertilized and then laid
16-20 Eggs laid and then fertilized
21-25 External growth / protrusion off parent’s body
26-30 Gestated by a separate species
31-40 Incubated / grown in fully external nutrient sacs
41-50 Larvae spawned followed by external metamorphic stages
51-60 Larvae spawned and cocooned for metamorphosis
61-70 Live birth after full gestation
71-80 Live birth followed by pouch-dwelling period
81-85 Parasitic births where eggs / larva are injected into another species
86-90 Parent body consumed as young grows within
91-95 Seeds / pods planted in nutrient-rich substance
96-100 Symbiotic childbearing with another species
CULTURES ALIEN 31
SENSORY PERCEPTIONS
The aliens of the Forge don’t necessarily perceive things the same way
that humans do. While part of these perceptions may be cultural in
nature, their basis may also stem from biological differences.
SENSORY PERCEPTION
1-10 Sense of Sight - This alien sees things in a different way than
humanity. It may be seeing a different visual spectrum such as
infrared, or it may be seeing something other than light such as force,
electrical impulses, or background radiation.
11-20 Sense of Smell - This alien has an enhanced sense of smell that
allows them to detect details beyond human capability. For example,
they can detect diseases, discern lies from truth, or assess threat
levels all from olfactory inputs.
21-30 Sense of Sound - This alien can perceive audio signals at higher or
lower frequencies than humans. Alternately, they have super-
hearing and can navigate via sound alone.
31-40 Sense of Taste - An enhanced sense of taste has led to unusual
behaviors or communication in this alien species such as a lick of
greeting or messages embedded in food. They may have a highly
detailed culture of cooking and preparing sustenance. Alternately,
this alien may eat things that humans could not digest.
41-50 Sense of Touch - This alien can detect minute physical distortions or
changes in angles through a specialized touch sensory organ. This
has led to better medical care, feats of engineering, and other
scientific breakthroughs.
51-60 Sixth Sense - An entirely new layer of reality was discovered after
contact with this alien species was made. Their ability to natively
detect this reality gives them a leg up in all interactions with humans.
61-70 Hivemind or Sense of Others - This alien has an altered sense of self
because it perceives others of its kind not as distinct individuals but
as an extension of itself. This does not occur as a cultural choice but
rather as a biological byproduct of hivemind sensory ability.
71-80 Dark Matter - Perceiving dark matter is as simple for this alien as
perceiving matter is for humans. Their intimate knowledge of dark
matter has been both a boon and bane for their scientific research.
81-90 Time Perception - As far as this alien is concerned, time is non-
linear. Past, present, and future are all one and the same which
makes interactions with humans prone to miscommunication.
91-100 Pleasure / Pain - The way that pleasure or pain sensations are sent
to the brain of this alien are contrary to the human experience. Acts
meant to elicit calm or comfort within this alien species cause
physical discomfort in humans and vice versa.
It is also possible that aliens are lacking senses that humans perceive
as normal. For example, evolving underground could lead to a lack of
visual organs or living on a world with constant earthquakes may have
led to vibrational receptors but no auditory ones.
XENOANTHROPOLOGY
To make a culture feel truly alien to humankind, it may have totally
foreign goals, values, traditions, spirituality, etc. This could be due to
the relative age of the species or technology level of the society as a
whole. For example, there may be aliens who have not yet achieved
FTL travel and thus have beliefs and values that reflect a less full
understanding of science and the natural universe.
CIVILIZATION AGE
How old is the civilization of this species as a whole? Are they relative
new-comers to the galactic stage, or are they on the verge of evolving
into something entirely new and unthinkable in human terms?
AGE
1-20 Young - Came to sapience within the last few hundred years and are
still creating their initial cultural identity.
21-70 Established - The last few thousand years helped to build a robust
cultural history.
71-90 Venerable - This culture has reinvented their society as a whole
several times over tens of thousands of years.
91-100 Ancient - More knowledge and experience has been lost from this
culture over the past million years than humanity has yet gathered in
the first place.
TECHNOLOGY LEVEL
While technology may be derived from the age of the culture, it may
be interesting to have a random technology level because a disparity
between the two can help inform the backstory of the aliens.
TECHNOLOGY LEVEL
1-5 Primitive
6-15 Pre-space flight
16-30 Pre-FTL
31-70 Comparable to humanity
71-95 Advanced beyond humanity
96-100 Approaching Precursor level
CULTURES ALIEN 33
VALUES
You should feel free to use the values as described in the Cultures
Familiar section of this book, but adding in values that seem odd or
outside of human experience could add depth to your aliens.
ALIEN VALUES
1-10 Communal mindset should drive all decision making.
11-20 Suppressing emotions is necessary to live a pure life.
21-30 Post-scarcity economy should provide abundance for all.
31-40 Non-centralized power structures should lead to full participation
and undeniable rights of all citizens.
41-50 Different views of consciousness and what constitutes life should
lead to societal protections for vulnerable populations.
51-60 Non-interference should lead to absolute bans on expanding or
exploiting other planets and sectors as well as absolute bans on
participating in or influencing the decision making process of other
cultures.
61-70 The means should justify the ends, not the other way around.
71-80 Life outcomes should be viewed as decreed by fate and accepted.
81-90 All sapient life is inherently evil and only enough of a species should
be left alive to maintain the gene pool.
91-100 The time and place of one’s death should be chosen and carried out
during the height of life.
TRADITIONS
Alien cultures may have strange traditions brought about by unusual
circumstances. Build a tradition using the tables in the previous
section or roll a tradition with the table below.
ALIEN TRADITIONS
1-10 Certain colors or color combinations must be avoided as they are
inherently harmful or dangerous.
11-20 Disputes must be settled through games of pure chance.
21-30 Extreme reverence is held for inanimate objects.
31-40 Imperfections are celebrated, but it is taboo to create imperfections
on purpose in art, architecture, or engineering.
41-50 Mingling bodily fluids is a traditional greeting that shows trust.
51-60 Obsession with symmetry in all things has led to fanaticism.
61-70 Physical touch is frowned upon and viewed as a great offense.
71-80 Silence is taboo such that methods of continual background noise
have evolved biologically or been devised technologically.
81-90 The dead must be honored by consuming their corpses.
91-100 Time itself is viewed as divine and worshiped.
ALIEN DEVELOPMENT SHEET
When developing your own aliens, you can use the following template.
NAME:
HOME PLANET:
GOVERNMENT:
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:
TECHNOLOGY LEVEL:
PRIMARY VALUE(S):
NOTABLE TRADITIONS:
On the following pages are examples of aliens from common tropes

that you can readily drop into your version of the Forge.
CULTURES ALIEN 35
VEXIANS
PHYSICAL The Vexians are fish-like humanoids with pale blue scales
DESCRIPTION: and large, black eyes. They have webbed fingers that end in
claws, and their heads are elongated with a prominent eye
ridge. They have a set of gills on their necks for breathing
underwater, but the gills also evolved to be able to breathe
in the moisture-rich atmosphere of Nexara. When traveling
in starships, Vexians either fill the ship with water vapor or
wear vapor-producing collars to breathe.
HOME PLANET: Nexara is an Earth-like world with larger oceans and a much
higher percent of a water vapor in the air.
GOVERNMENT: A technocracy governs Nexara through a council of the best
and brightest scientific minds who endeavor to use data and
logic as expressed through advanced technology to make
decisions for the civilization as a whole.
TECHNOLOGY The Vexians have a technology level comparable to
LEVEL: humanity but are known for their particular specialty in data
analysis, machine learning, and AI.
PRIMARY The Vexians value efficiency above all else as demonstrated
VALUE(S): through productivity, innovation, and attempting to
streamline all processes.
NOTABLE The Vexians have a tradition of holding efficiency contests
TRADITIONS: where individuals or teams attempt to complete tasks in the
shortest amount of time possible. These usually take the
form of solving elaborate logic puzzles or mysteries.
They also have a tradition of augmenting their bodies with
cybernetic enhancements often as a status symbol or to
improve their productivity. Many augments allow them to
interface with technology more quickly and completely, but
physical augments are also common particularly in jobs
involving physical labor or law enforcement. Mental
augments are outlawed because they are viewed as
distorting one’s natural efficiency. Instead, technological
assistance for decision making, such as AI models or AR
overlays, are kept as purely external equipment.
There is a Vexian ritual where they meditate in isolation for
days at a time in order to clear their minds and improve their
focus. While there is no vacation time from work, it is
expected that workers take one meditation day per week,
one week of solitary mediation per year, and one month of
solitary mediation per decade.
CULTURES ALIEN 37
KRALKIANS
PHYSICAL Kralkians are a towering, insectoid species with multiple
DESCRIPTION: limbs and chitinous exoskeletons. At first glance, their limbs
appear to be only a single digit and fragile, but many small,
hooked hairs cover the ends of each limb allowing them to
grasp and use tools with any limb. They have large,
compound eyes and long, prehensile antennae that they use
to communicate with the hive as well as manipulate objects.
They also have wings that are usually folded and protected
by a strong, hinged shell on their back which they can unfurl
in an instant allowing them to fly short distances.
HOME PLANET: Krallos is a hot, rocky world that is riddled with holes and
tunnels because the Kralkians mainly live underground.
GOVERNMENT: The Kralkians are part of a hivemind collective with a queen
acting as a central intelligence who directs the actions of all
individuals. Individuals have autonomy and discretion over
small decisions, but the directives of the queen are the law.
TECHNOLOGY Kralkians are slightly less advanced than humanity but have
LEVEL: developed advanced genetic engineering, nanotechnology,
and gravity-manipulation technology which allows them to
build and operate living starships that are part of the hive.
PRIMARY Adaptability and persistence are the key values in Kralkian
VALUE(S): society. They know that with overwhelming numbers and a
willingness to change tactics, they can handle quickly
changing circumstances and environments.
NOTABLE The Kralkians have a tradition of undergoing genetic
TRADITIONS: modifications to enhance their physical abilities and adapt to
different environments. Children are genetically coded to
specific purposes while still in the egg.
They also have a tradition of using nanotechnology to create
intricate works of art including sculptures and paintings.
Most of their art involves giant swarms of brightly colored
nanites that swirl within a 3D space in specific patterns.
The Kralkians have a ritual where they engage in communal
flying exercises using their wings to perform intricate aerial
displays. Different “dances” are used for different
ceremonies, but the most awe-inspiring aerial dance is
known as the Queen’s Vanguard in which the whole colony
takes flight in death-defying patterns at the birth of a new
queen.
CULTURES ALIEN 39
GHOGRANS
PHYSICAL The Ghograns are a semi-transparent, gelatinous species
DESCRIPTION: that can change shape and size at will. They have a core of
glowing energy at their center that powers their movements
and telepathic communication.
HOME PLANET: Granida IV is a large gas giant in the Granida system with a
surface of strange, solid plasma formations. Many forms of
life evolved here, but most have similar plasmoid properties
like the Ghograns. The planet has yet to receive a unique
name as the Ghograns have never had a reason to reference
it as anything other than “home”. Little to no light reaches the
plasmatic surface of Granida IV which likely contributed to
the transparent nature of the Ghogran’s body.
GOVERNMENT: The Ghograns live in small, loosely organized tribes, with
each tribe led by a wise elder. There is no centralized
government for the planet as a whole.
TECHNOLOGY Ghograns have not yet developed the advanced technology
LEVEL: that would allow them to travel the stars. They rely on their
shape-shifting abilities to survive and thrive on their home
planet in relative isolation. However, they are aware of
humanity’s presence in the Forge, and some tribes are
seeking to join the galactic community by actively
researching ways to extend the capabilities of their natural
form that would enable them to enter and survive in space.
PRIMARY Exploration and experience are the primary values of the
VALUE(S): Ghograns. They believe that the more forms they master
with their shape-changing ability, the closer they get to their
divine source. Finding the existence of humanity is viewed as
divinely ordained because it brought them knowledge of
many more shapes and solids that they could transform into
thus expanding their own divinity and purity.
NOTABLE The Ghograns have a tradition of sharing memories and
TRADITIONS: experiences with one another using their telepathic abilities
to create a short-lived communal consciousness while also
amorphically mixing their physical forms. This mingling is
known as a Hygrogrania and occurs whenever a group of
five or more gather. Those who do not participate in such a
shared consciousness are viewed as outcasts or criminals.
In formal negotiations or debates, Ghograns traditionally
shift into different forms to express their emotions and
communicate their intentions rather than directly expressing
them.
Despite having no vocal chords and no auditory receptors,
Ghograns have a ritual where they “sing” harmonious
melodies composed of telepathic pulses of emotion and
sensation. So strong are these songs, that they create
vibrations in the air that the Ghograns can physically feel.
CULTURES ALIEN 41
VULAIN
PHYSICAL The Vulain are a silicon-based life form with a crystalline
DESCRIPTION: structure resembling tall, humanoid figures made of
prismatic crystal. They have short, thick limbs and a
reflective surface that refracts light in mesmerizing patterns.
HOME PLANET: Lumos Prime is a planet orbiting a white dwarf star that has
a highly reflective surface of various crystalline formations.
The planet emits a constant bright glow that can be seen
throughout the system.
GOVERNMENT: The Vulain operate under a meritocracy with leaders chosen
by a triune ordeal testing mind, body and spirit. Potential
leaders earn the right to compete in the ordeal based on their
demonstrated abilities and accomplishments that have
benefited all of Vulain society.
TECHNOLOGY The Vulain are a highly advanced species with mastery over
LEVEL: energy manipulation and crystal-based technologies. Much
of their technology is indistinguishable from magic as its key
lies in their knowledge of how crystal matrix formations
interact with dark matter. The ways in which they
manipulate energy streams in this manner are currently
beyond humanity’s understanding of physics.
PRIMARY The Vulain deeply value exploration and discovery. They are
VALUE(S): constantly seeking out new knowledge and experiences in
the Forge but are generally more interested in inorganic life
or inanimate objects.
NOTABLE Vulain writing often involves the creation of intricate crystal
TRADITIONS: structures which are imbued with brilliantly colored energy
to represent various concepts or emotions. As the structures
morph and change, so too do the colors, which in turn
communicates the meaning more deeply. Different colors are
associated with different genres such as green for scientific
writing, red for poetry, blue for narrative stories, and purple
for history.
The Vulain believe that each individual's consciousness is
tied to a specific, small portion of their crystalline body which
is broken off and grafted onto the next generation as a sort
of "soul stone" after their death. In this way, the sum total of
knowledge is believed to never be lost but incorporated
directly into the body of the next generation. This causes
each successive generation of Vulain to be slightly larger in
size, but they only reproduce every 100 years.
In Vulain culture, it is considered a great honor to gift
someone with a small crystal taken from a particularly
elaborate formation on ones own body as it represents a
deep connection and appreciation for that individual. The
nearer this crystal is to one’s soul stone, the more honoring
the gift.
CULTURES ALIEN 43
ZANARI
PHYSICAL The Zanari are a reptilian species with scales that absorb
DESCRIPTION: light making them nearly invisible in low-light environments.
Using this ability takes concentration, fortitude, and practice
as they have to forcibly pump more blood through their
scales.
HOME PLANET: Xyphon is a planet with a perpetually dark atmosphere due
to thick cloud cover and heavy rainfall. The prolific jungle
plant life on this planet evolved a stronger form of
photosynthesis that takes very little light energy to produce
vast amounts of oxygen and sugar.
GOVERNMENT: The Zanari operate under a system of consensus democracy
where leaders are chosen based on their ability to bring
together differing viewpoints in order to form the best
solutions to problems. No new law is passed until a full
consensus has been reached by the elected representatives.
TECHNOLOGY The Zanari have a moderate level of technology compared to
LEVEL: humanity. They have made advances in bio-engineering and
stealth tech capabilities that came from a focus on
harnessing the unique properties of Xyphon's plant life.
PRIMARY The Zanari prioritize community and cooperation. They
VALUE(S): believe that working together as a whole is essential for
survival within the galactic community.
NOTABLE Zanari gatherings often involve high energy dances that
TRADITIONS: incorporate the use of their tail to create complex patterns.
As the dance evolves, more Zanari join and synchronize their
tail movements symbolizing unity and support for the
community as a whole.
The Zanari believe in a cyclical concept of time where events
and experiences repeat themselves in a predictable pattern.
They hold ceremonial days of reflection once a month to
search for these patterns and look back through history for
how prior generations responded to the circumstances.
These ceremonies are called Dotrai Nomani which roughly
translates to “Refining from the Past.”
Zanari art often takes the form of intricate murals or wood
carvings that depict natural scenes from Xyphon with a
focus on the interconnectivity and balance of different
organisms in the environment. Most of these art forms tend
to be circular in shape, reflecting the idea that all creation is
the same distance from the center, and usually incorporate
entwined jungle vines, representing unity and strength in
numbers.
CULTURES ALIEN 45
QELTHOR
PHYSICAL The Qelthor are a mammalian species with thick fur and
DESCRIPTION: tough, leathery skin. They have two powerful limbs with
sharp claws for digging through ice and snow and another
set of smaller arms that usually stay hidden beneath the
larger pair. A thick stump of a tail can serve as both a
portable chair and a blunt weapon in a fight. Qelthor tend to
not wear clothes in frigid environments (besides gloves that
cover their claws as a symbol of peaceful intentions), but
they will don cooling suits in warmer environs.
HOME PLANET: Yetibos is a frozen planet with harsh, icy terrain and minimal
flora and fauna. While life is more diverse underground, the
Qelthor live predominantly on the surface. For sustenance,
they hunt Shulmati, blubbery birds that migrate with passing
blizzards, and gather the fruit of the Jotrel plant, a leafless
vine that produces pulses of internal heat along its length.
GOVERNMENT: The Qelthor operate under a system of clans who each
swear allegiance to the monarchy. Each individual clan is led
by the strongest and most respected member who has
proven themselves through rigorous survival experiences in
the harshest areas of the planet.
TECHNOLOGY While somewhat primitive by humanity’s standards, the
LEVEL: Qelthor have developed advanced technology in order to
survive the harsh conditions of their planet. They have
mastered advanced forms of temperature control, survival
gear, transportation methods, and communication systems
that can cut through the frequent blizzards.
PRIMARY Qelthor culture values inner strength, resilience, stoicism,
VALUE(S): and self-sufficiency. They believe that only the strongest and
most adaptable individuals will survive in their unforgiving
environment. Displaying emotion or asking for help on
individual matters is seen as a weakness.
NOTABLE Qelthor warriors calmly engage in ritual combat to settle
TRADITIONS: disputes. The winners of these combats are judged based on
solely on their technique and endurance and usually end
without injuries. They are often initiated by one Qelthori
taking off his or her gloves which is seen as a challenge for
the right to make the final decision in any given situation.
In large scale disputes, these ritual combats are carried out
by appointed champions rather than armies. To prove their
strength to the clan, a leader will often appoint himself or
herself as champion unless there is a leader-in-training who
needs the experience.
The Qelthor often paint intricate designs on their chest fur as
a symbol of their strength. During ritual combat between
clans, they paint their fur with their own colors and then
intermingle with the other clan to encircle the champions in
what is called the Hulqel (roughly translating to “Eyes of the
Qelthor”). If a Hulqel member feels the opposing champion
has demonstrated superior technique, they turn their backs
on their own combatant. The champion who cannot see their
own color among the Hulqel has lost and must yield.
CULTURES ALIEN 47
ALIEN NAMES
You can use these random names for an individual NPC within an alien
species, the name of an alien species, or the name of an alien planet.
RANDOM ALIEN NAMES

1 Ari 35 Jorion 69 Stiesnull
2 Axyran 36 Jorokai 70 Stren
3 Azorin 37 Juggarimari 71 Stucraks
4 Bheldeak 38 Kakruls 72 Thaxor
5 Bigai 39 Khaktaits 73 Thraax
6 Bix'ota 40 Krenkoils 74 Trarqrails
7 Bultis 41 Kryxar 75 Tridait
8 Chesler 42 Laxal 76 Ulthar
9 Cimolla 43 Laxor 77 Ulthion
10 Crugran 44 Lomphil 78 Urkaix
11 Cuwrop 45 Lothar 79 Uthyr
12 Derp'eep 46 Luzioptra 80 Uuqai
13 Domhear 47 Minzi 81 Valtiri
14 Dradit 48 Nacce 82 Valtor
15 Drinwar 49 Naminal 83 Vraks
16 Eixiss 50 Naxar 84 Vruq'eods
17 Elgoi 51 Nexil 85 Vryss
18 Elku 52 Nexolon 86 Vulpinor
19 Exalon 53 Nyril 87 Vytren
20 Firpol 54 Oroxian 88 Vyxal
21 Fyvex 55 Orynn 89 Wryndar
22 Fyvion 56 Orythar 90 Wryxar
23 Gedats 57 Osqal 91 Xainqil
24 Getoiks 58 Palizupa 92 Xerathor
25 Giktuil 59 Pk'ryz 93 Xyvar
26 Gragi 60 Pyxal 94 Yamoith
27 Gyrith 61 Qinquks 95 Yonlari
28 Haklima 62 Quolth 96 Yoril
29 Hyvax 63 Qyxar 97 Zalor
30 Iluxar 64 Rilior 98 Zargen
31 Inqrids 65 Romit 99 Zuveh
32 Ir'zyp'tk 66 Rylar 100 Zyrin
33 Isnos 67 Rynvar
34 Jiraaq 68 Sall
BUILD NEW CULTURES
With humanity spread across the Forge, new and diverse
cultures have formed in each new sector. This fan-made
supplement will help you develop those cultures from
the ground up to bring a new immersion to your games.
Also, with strange new worlds come strange new

civilizations including non-human sapient lifeforms.
What aliens await you in the Forge? How will they relate
to humanity? Find out with this supplement!

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Starsmith Cultures Digital May 13 2023

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A Fan-Made Supplement

WRITING AND DESIGN

CULTURES ALIEN .........................................24

2. Shared: An individual’s actions or thoughts do not comprise

3. Symbolic: Culture is dependent on symbolism and the

4. Integrated: Themes, symbols, and ideas are interconnected

5. Dynamic: Culture changes over time based on the rise and

All cultures and subcultures share these characteristics, so there isn’t

Real-World Academic Analysis of Culture

As you can see, these characteristics of culture can be background

• Perhaps you didn’t know about the symbolism of trilithium within

2. Individualism vs. Collectivism: This describes the degree

3. Uncertainty Avoidance Index: This describes a society’s

4. Competitive vs. Cooperative: Originally called the

5. Short-term vs. Long-term Orientation: Society’s with a

6. Indulgence vs. Restraint: This is a measure of how a society

High Power Distance Qualities

High Uncertainty Avoidance Qualities

Long-Term Orientation Qualities

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY VALUES

Many of these flaws would obviously be hard to support as a society,

COMMON SYMBOLS OF TRADITIONS

68-100 The number of alien species must be countably finite, but we

34-67 While skirmishes are not uncommon, the conflict between

68-100 Despite initial conflicts of interest, humanity has peacefully

• First Look - What striking features do you first notice?

• Encountered Behavior - In a creature, this behavior is usually

• Revealed Aspect - Again, in an alien culture, why would they

• What basic bodily functions or needs constrain their designs? If

• How do they attack and defend themselves in personal combat?

• Do they have any biological abilities like spitting acidic saliva or

STRANGE ALIEN QUALITY INVOLVING…

• What limitations exist in this method of communication?

• How are humans able to communicate and interact with them:

• What is a famous example of a miscommunication?

For example, if your aliens communicate with pheromones, they must

On the following pages are examples of aliens from common tropes

RANDOM ALIEN NAMES

Also, with strange new worlds come strange new

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