History Characters / AlienTheRoleplayingGame

* PsychicPowers: The game doesn't definitively state whether the Queen's ability to control the hive is based on pheromones and body language or something more exotic, but there is evidence for the latter, including those who score high on esper tests reporting vivid dreams about a Queen in the vicinity even if they're unaware of her, and prodreamers having problems producing quality dreams after encountering a Queen.

[[folder: Stage IV: Stalker, Scout, Drone]]

* TheTurretMaster: The Remote talent also qualifies a Marine to deploy automated sentry guns, of the kind seen in the Director's Cut of ''Aliens''.

* MoreDakka: The Machine Gunner talent lets a Marine use full auto without increasing their stress.

* DroneDeployer: The Colonial Marines Operations Manual adds the Remote talent, typically for Comtech marines, which enables them to use certain remote-controlled devices and remote-pilot certain vehicles.

* MasterOfUnlocking: The Bypass talent from CMOM gives marines a bonus to opening electronically locked doors.

* CasualDangerDialog: The "Banter" talent they can take gives them a mechanical benefit for doing this, allowing them to crack wise or get a laugh from a snarky joke when the crew is at least temporarily in a position of safety to reduce their stress levels and the stress levels of those around them.

* EurekaMoment: The "Breakthrough" career talent allows a Scientist to automatically pass an Observation test once per game session.
* OmnidisciplinaryScientist: In lore, the character probably has a specialization or two, but in game mechanics this is simplified. Regardless of the speciality, scientists operating on the frontier often need to be a little well-rounded in their knowledge base since there are rarely enough specialists to cover all the things they might encounter.
* TheSmartGuy: Liable to be the best educated person in a given crew. With the "Inquisitive" career talent, they can push a Wits roll twice.

* AdaptationalBadass: Compared to their depiction in ''Film/{{Aliens}}'', and certain media based on it where the Xenomorphs are only a threat to well-armed humans in large groups and striking from ambush, the Xenomorphs here are terrifying. A single one can be a threat to even a squad of Marines armed with pulse rifles, thanks to high armor and health, as well as a critical hit chart that makes them hard to put down for good. Their Signature Attacks, rolled randomly by the GM, can also be instantly lethal, NoSavingThrow.
* AdaptationalNameChange: The game notes two previous scientific names applied to the Aliens, ''Internecivus raptus'' (murderous theif) and ''Linguafoeda acheronsis'' (foul tongue from Acheron) -- but notes neither is correct as there is no ''Internecivus'' or ''Linguafoeda'' genus for the species to belong to. Instead, the game posits that Xenomorphs are best classified as two different symbiotic species; the facehugger ''Manumala noxhydria'' which carries the chestburster ''Plagiarius praepotens''. Though this nomenclature, and the bacteria presented below, are not wholly accepted facts in-universe, given the scarcity of xenomorph subjects to study.

* BloodyMurder: Virtually every xenomorph variant has the '''Corrosive Blood''' subtype. This can mean that short-range combat with it (in which it's ''already'' very lethal) can result in anyone nearby it getting splashed with an AcidAttack when it takes a penetrating injury. If that's not bad enough, the acid will rapidly eat through deck and hull plating, risking breaching anything from a reactor to the inner hull's pressure vessel while in space or other environment hostile to human life.
* KillItWithFire: While most Xenomorphs have natural armor (with more evolved forms typically being even tougher) that armor only applies by half to damage from fire. Something like a flamethrower or cutting torch will threaten it more readily than a ballistic weapon, though being close enough to use one effectively comes with its [[AlienBlood own]] [[AcidAttack problems]]...
* ShoddyKnockoffProduct: The Xenomorphs seen in ''Film/AlienCovenant'' are dubbed Praetomorphs, and are not quite as deadly as true Xenomorphs, but close enough they follow mostly the same rules.

* FaceFullOfAlienWingWong: Naturally, but with a twist. Rather than what many had assumed to be the case -- the facehugger implanting an egg or embryo into the host -- the game posits the facehugger feeds the host a dose of mutagenic bacteria which begins transforming host cells into the embryo that quickly grows into the chestburster. Though the idea if implanting an egg, embryo, or cancerous mass are noted as not having been disproven in-universe.
* InstantSedation: The reason a facehugger victim rapidly loses strength and stops resisting after being grasped is because the facehuggers secrete a powerful sedative. So long as they remain attached to the victim, the victim will remain comatose.

* MetamorphosisMonster: Par for the course. The Xenomorph lifecycle is broken into stages for this reason, since they change, molt, and mature based on the initial circumstances of their birth and the level of development of Aliens around them. This is the start of this phase, showing Xenomorphs hatched in the absence of a queen, the Stalker (of ''Covenant''), the Scout (of ''Film/Alien3''), and the Drone (of the original ''Film/{{Alien}}''). The Stalker is the final phase of Praetomorph development, with them lacking Queens and a analogous hive structure to join. Though the book notes this is based on observed evidence, and may not be correct.

** DegradedBoss: While a fully mature xenomorph queen is a horrific threat, a young "new queen" (who is smaller and still in the process of growing her ovipositor) has much weaker stats. But that's ''relatively'' weaker, she's still one of the deadliest things the party can encounter.

* BewareMyStingerTail: While not a literal stinger, the Facehugger is capable of [[TailSlap swinging its tail like a whip]], lashing and damaging targets. If it can manage it, it'll try and [[PrehensileTail wrap its tail around the neck of a target]] to grapple it and [[PersonalSpaceInvader pull itself in]].

A representative of an offworld power who represents that power locally, either to see it's assets are secure or to scout for new opportunities on their behalf.

* BewareMyStingerTail: While not a literal stinger, the Facehugger is capable of [[TailSlap swinging it's tail like a whip]], lashing and damaging targets. If it can manage it, it'll try and [[PrehensileTail wrap it's tail around the neck of a target]] to grapple it and [[PersonalSpaceInvader pull itself in]].

* BullfightBoss: The Charger's favorite tactic is to get going at a good clip in a straight line and [[FoeTossingCharge ram a target with it's over-sized crest]], breaking the target, [[TrampledUnderfoot knocking it over and trampling it]], throwing it aside, or simply [[SquashedFlat crushing it into a solid object behind it]]. Baiting it into doing so might even be necessary, since it's chitinous armor is thinner on it's sides and rear than it is on it's toughened front.

** BullfightBoss: The Charger in particular, since it's favorite tactic is to get going at a good clip in a straight line and [[FoeTossingCharge ram a target with it's over-sized crest]], breaking the target, [[TrampledUnderfoot knocking it over and trampling it]], throwing it aside, or simply [[SquashedFlat crushing it into a solid object behind it]]. Baiting it into doing so might even be necessary, since it's chitinous armor is thinner on it's sides and rear than it is on it's toughened front.

** BullfightBoss: The Charger in particular, since it's favorite tactic is to get going at a good clip in a straight line and [[FoeTossingCharge ram a target with it's over-sized crest]], breaking the target, knocking it over and trampling it, throwing it aside, simply crushing it into a solid object behind it. Baiting it into doing so might even be necessary, since it's chitinous armor is thinner on it's sides and rear than it is on it's toughened front.

* FlunkyBoss: The Praetorian and Charger can summon Soldiers to join it in a fight. The Queen can summon Sentries.

* BewareMyStingerTail: While not a literal stinger, the Facehugger is capable of swinging it's tail like a whip, lashing and damaging targets. If it can manage it, it'll try and wrap it's tail around the neck of a target to grapple it and [[PersonalSpaceInvader pull itself in]].

* BloodyMurder: One of the Signature Attacks at this stage is for a Soldier or Sentry to leap at an enemy, tearing itself apart to shower the target in acidic gore.

* ActionBomb: One of the Signature Attacks at this stage is for a Soldier or Sentry to leap at an enemy, tearing itself apart to shower the target in acidic gore.