STARSMITH: CULTURES

TABLES ONLY

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

TABLES ONLY 1
 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

2 STARSMITH: CULTURES
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

TABLES ONLY 3
 SOCIETAL 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

4 STARSMITH: CULTURES
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

TABLES ONLY 5
 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?

6 STARSMITH: CULTURES
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?

TABLES ONLY 7
 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
1 Clothing, armor or adornment
2 Environmental living conditions
3 Leadership / hierarchy structure
4 Locomotion method
5 Nonsensical behavioral quirk
6 Physical feature of biology
7 Reproduction or family structure
8 Social interactions
9 Technology

8 STARSMITH: CULTURES
ALIEN 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

ALIEN 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

ALIEN 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

TABLES ONLY 9
 ALIEN 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.

ALIEN CIVILIZATION 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.

10 STARSMITH: CULTURES
ALIEN 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

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.

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.

TABLES ONLY 11
 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

12 STARSMITH: CULTURES