Owen K.C. Stephens

Continuing the idea of Starfinder-compatible crossbreed races, we present the lashirren. You can go back and find our first crossbreed, the aeshun, here.

Lashirren

Lashirren are the product of two shirren parents, and one lashunta parent, and only exist as a result of powerful magic. In general the two species are not in any way genetically compatible, but with delicate application of transmutation and conjuration magic, it is possible for one shirren and one lashunta parent to combine their genetic material into an embryo that then gestates in a shirren host. This step is rarely taken but the shirren drive for individuality, even from the shackles of species, sometimes leads to situations where it is seen as desirable.

Lashirren view the world differently than any of their parents, and indeed each lashirren appears to form a worldview unique to them, and often incomprehensible to others. This often leads to valuable insights missed by those who accept common theories as to how and why things work, but it also sets lashirren apart, and sometimes sets them down long rabbit-holes of false equivalence or misunderstood phenomena. While shirren delight in the individualist approach of lashirren, other races often find them obtuse and frustrating.

Appearance: Lashirren look much like lashunta, but have ridges of chitin across their brow and protecting most joints, knuckles, and the soles of their feet. Their coloration generally matches one of their shirren parents, with their hair generally green, black, or deep brown.

Racial Traits

HP: 6

Dimorphic: All lashirren have a deep understanding of how differences drive the universe, but can become so emgoressed in contemplating such differences they overlook practical matters. Lashirren all have +2 Wisdom, and -2 Intelligence. Like their lashunta parents, lashirren are dimorphic and at puberty can choose to become muscular korasha (+2 Strength), or nimble damaya (+2 Dexterity).

Size and Type: Lashirren are medium humanoids with the lashunta and shirren subtypes, and a 30 foot speed.

Blindsense: As the shirren racial ability.

Focus: Lashirren often become strongly focused on one idea or skill early in their lives. Select one skill. If it not a class skill for your theme or first class level, gain it as a class skill. If it is a class skill from some source other than your race, you gain a +1 bonus to all skill checks.

Individualism: A lashirren knows that ultimately it is alone in the universe, and must depend on itself above all others. Once per day, as long as no ally is within 10 feet, a lashirren can roll a single attack roll or skill check twice and take the higher result.

Limited telepathy: As the lashunta racial trait.

Vital Statistics

Lashirren stand between 5’ and 7’ tall, weigh between 120 lbs. and 180 lbs., with korasha skewing on the shorter but heavier side of those numbers. They reach maturity at 10,
aging similarly (though not as quickly) as their shirren parents, and have a maximum age of 60 +3d10 years.

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Yep, it’s time for more out-their ideas for the Starfinder Roleplaying Game! (And remember folks, this is unofficial, third-party, Rogue Genius Games content!)

The core rulebook presents two crossbreed races—the half-elf and half-orc. It also presents a universe with multiple species sharing the same homeworlds (elves and lashunta, for example), biotech grafts, powerful magic, and machine gods. It seems unlikely that with all those environment-changing, reality-warping options, no new crossbreed races would emerge.

So over the next week or so I’ll be presenting three crossbreeds – the aeshun (elf/lashunta), lashirren (lashunta/shirren), and vorruk (orc/vesk) – each with a different circumstance leading to their creation.

Aeshun

Aeshun are the crossbreed children of elven and lashunta parents. While mating between elves and lashunta is not uncommon, the production of aeshun is. Fewer than 1 in 100 elf/lashuna couples produce children, and even among those that do roughly half are indistinguishable from damaya lashunta (though they are born with that state already in place, rather than selecting it at puberty). Aeshun are often seen as miracles by parents that build lasting, living relationships—but can also be viewed as burdens by couples that are already unstable in their relationship, or not ready for the additional stress a child brings.

Aeshun are gifted with natural curiosity and unusual ways of looking at the world, but their heritage causes each aeshun to have their own innate strengths and weaknesses. Generally considered curiosities by lashunta (who often wish to study them), and dangerous wild cards by elves (who generally don’t trust aeshun they don’t personally know well), aeshun often have trouble fitting in on their hoemworld. However once they leave their native lands and travel into the larger galaxy, they often find truly alien races have no preconceived notions of what aeshun should be like, and do not care about their unusual lineage.

Appearance: Aeshun appear to be tall, lithe elves with lashunta-like antennae (though roughly one in 16 aeshun lacks the antennae). Their skin is even and smooth, though coloration can range from creamy to dark. Many have natural patterns of darker skin in small spots or lines along their temples, spines, and lower back. They have pupils, unlike their elven parents, and their hair and eye color generally match, but can be of nearly any hue.

Racial Traits

2 HP

Ability Adjustments: Though aeshun are all generally tall and lean, their actual natural talents range from being strong and wise, to weak but tough and nimble, to likeable and bright but klutzy. It’s not quite true that no two aeshun are alike, but they do have a broad range of inherent advantages and drawbacks. An aeshun gains +2 to any 2 ability scores, and -2 to any 1 ability score. These modifier must be applied to three different ability scores.

Size and Type: Aeshun are medium humanoids with the elf and lashunta subtypes, and a 30 foot speed.

Aeshun Magic: At character creation select either the elven magic racial trait, or the lashunta magic racial trait.

Limited telepathy: As the lashunta racial trait.

Low-Light Vision: As the elven racial trait.

Vital Statistics

Aeshun stand between 5’10” and 6’6” tall, weigh between 150 lbs. and 200 lbs. They reach maturity at 17, much faster than either parent race, but rarely know when their natural time is up due to a tendency to die suddenly with little sign of aging, with a maximum age of 300 + 3d100 years.

Pateon-Exclusive

I also posted the similar-but-not-the-same-idea of android ratfolk, the e-soki, over at my patreon as (for the moment) patron-exclusive content. Check it out!

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