Species

A character's species defines their biological baseline — the raw material they were born with. Species sets the starting Ability array, provides species-specific traits, and determines how much XP the character has to spend on everything else.

Every species entry provides three things:

Starting Ability Array — the six Abilities at their starting values, plus floating points to distribute.
Starting XP — the pool of experience points available for purchasing Skills, Disciplines, Specialties, and additional Ability increases during character creation.
Species Traits — unique rules, abilities, or restrictions inherent to the species. These are not optional. They are part of what it means to be that species.

Choosing a Species

Pick a species. Record the starting Ability array, distribute any floating points, and record the starting XP on your character sheet. Note any species traits. These are permanent and cannot be changed later.

The Ability array is a starting point, not a ceiling. Characters can increase Abilities during creation by spending XP (see Spending XP), and through advancement during play.

Species Tiers

Not all species are balanced. This is intentional.

The RFI universe is not a level playing field. Some species are simply more powerful than others because of their biology, their history, or their connection to Focus. The system is honest about this. Species are organized into three tiers:

Baseline species are balanced against each other and available to all players without restriction. These are the default choices for most campaigns.

Advanced species are more powerful than baseline species. They are available to players, but GMs may want to restrict them for new players or for parties where most players are using baseline species. Playing an advanced species in a party of baseline characters can create spotlight problems if not handled thoughtfully.

Restricted species are not meant for general play. They require explicit GM approval and a clear understanding of the narrative implications. These species are powerful enough to warp the game around them.

Baseline Species

Human

Humans are the galaxy's generalists. They have no biological extremes — no natural armor, no claws, no enhanced senses. What they have is adaptability, an unconscious connection to the most fundamental force in the universe, and an inexplicable ability to make other people follow them.

Humans built the League, the Terrans, and the Freelancers. Every major faction in the galaxy is human-led or human-founded. Whether this is a coincidence or a consequence of their innate connection to willpower is a question no one has answered yet.

Humans are one of only three known species in the galaxy capable of using Focus.

Array: All Abilities start at 1. Add +6 points distributed among any Abilities. No single Ability may exceed 3.

Starting XP: 90

Traits:

Can Use Focus. Humans can learn to consciously channel willpower. Most never do, but the potential is there.
Intrinsic Will. Humans unconsciously bend the universe in their favor. Willpower pool equals Will + 1, even without Focus training. A human with Will 2 and no Focus training has a Willpower pool of 3. If trained in Focus, their pool is Will + Focus + 1.
Coalition Builders. Humans lead and the galaxy follows. The character is automatically trained in Leadership or one Influence discipline of their choice.

Lyndri

The Lyndri are natural empaths — graceful, charismatic, and capable of reading body language with a precision that borders on mind-reading. Among their own kind, they can communicate volumes without a word. Among other species, they see through pretense like it isn't there.

Lyndri are slender and agile, descended from semi-arboreal hunters. Their retractable needle-like claws are a reminder that charm and lethality are not mutually exclusive. They have superior hearing and smell, though their eyesight suffers in bright conditions.

The Lyndri cannot use Focus. It is simply not part of their biology; the potential was never there.

Array: Agility 2, Presence 2, Perception 2. All other Abilities start at 1. Add +2 points distributed among any Abilities. No single Ability may exceed 3.

Starting XP: 100

Traits:

Empathic Reading. One Ability die is automatically upgraded to a Skill die on checks to read emotions, detect lies, or gauge intent. This does not cost Willpower and does not count as a Step 4 modification.
Natural Weapons: Claws. Retractable needle-like claws on each finger. Light melee weapon, Damage 2, Hidden quality. Cannot be disarmed.
Enhanced Senses. Superior hearing and smell. Reduce Risk by 1 on Perception checks involving sound or scent. Bright light environments add +1 Risk to visual Perception checks.

NorAellian (Adolescent)

NorAellians are evolved from pack hunters — eight to twelve feet tall at maturity, covered in tough scales, with claws and jaws that can tear through metal. They worship knowledge above all else and have positioned themselves as the galaxy's diplomats and mediators. Among Freelancers there is a saying: "The deal doesn't count unless a NorAellian says it does."

An adolescent NorAellian — roughly 100 to 200 years old — has not yet reached full physical maturity. They are closer to human size, strong and smart but still growing into what they will become. They are the most common NorAellian player characters, young enough to be out in the galaxy making their way.

NorAellians cannot use Focus. They have studied it extensively, perhaps more than any non-Focus-capable species, but the ability is simply not in their biology.

Array: Strength 2, Agility 1, Intellect 2, Presence 1, Perception 2, Will 2. Add +2 points distributed among any Abilities. No single Ability may exceed 3.

Starting XP: 90

Traits:

Scaled Hide. Natural Soak 1. The NorAellian's flexible, tough scales provide protection at all times. This stacks with worn armor.
Natural Weapons. Bite (+2, Piercing 1) and Claws (+1). Cannot be disarmed.

GikDaa

To human eyes, the GikDaa are childlike, hyperactive, genius problem solvers. Small, mostly hairless, and endlessly curious, they have an innate understanding of how the physical world operates and an irresistible need to find the most efficient solution to any given problem — whether or not anyone asked them to.

The GikDaa evolved alongside the NorAellians and were the dominant sentient species when the NorAellians were still pack hunters. They shared information freely and were dismissed for generations as clever but harmless tinkerers. This was a catastrophic underestimation. The GikDaa built the Wall — the defense network that froze the Sooni advance — and launched a hidden fleet to fight a war nobody asked them to fight. Almost none of them came back.

The surviving GikDaa are critically endangered and fiercely protected by the NorAellians. They are, as always, far more interested in what they can touch, take apart, and understand than in dwelling on what was lost.

GikDaa are instinctive Focus users through their philangial sucker structures. Their connection to Focus is autonomic — they cannot consciously control it or learn Focus disciplines. When they touch something, they simply understand it in ways other species cannot.

Array: Strength 1, Agility 2, Intellect 3, Presence 1, Perception 2, Will 1. Add +1 point to any Ability. No single Ability may exceed 3.

Starting XP: 100

Traits:

Intuitive Technologist. GikDaa cannot train Engineering. However, on Engineering checks, the GikDaa rolls their Intellect as Skill dice instead of Ability dice. Risk dice are added as normal. The result is volatile by design. GikDaa solutions are brilliant, incomprehensible, or catastrophic, often all at once. A Costly Success on a GikDaa Engineering check always means the fix works but nobody else can understand, maintain, or replicate it.
Autonomic Focus. The GikDaa's connection to Focus is instinctive and uncontrollable, channeled through physical touch. They cannot train Focus as a skill or learn Focus disciplines. When a GikDaa touches a person, object, or piece of technology, the GM may provide insight into its nature, purpose, or condition. The depth of this insight depends on the fiction.
Enhanced Touch. Microscopic sucker structures along the fingers and palms provide extraordinary tactile sensitivity and dexterity. Reduce Risk by 1 on checks requiring fine motor control.
Poor Eyesight. +1 Risk on visual Perception checks.

Advanced Species

Advanced species exceed the baseline budget. They are not balanced against baseline species and are not intended to be. GMs may want to restrict these for new players or for parties where most players are using baseline species.

NorAellian (Adult)

An adult NorAellian — 200 to 500 years old — has reached full physical maturity. They are eight to twelve feet tall, covered in thick scales, and possess natural weapons that rival military hardware. They have centuries of accumulated knowledge and experience. They are, in every measurable way, more than a baseline character.

This is intentional. An adult NorAellian is not balanced against a human fresh out of the marines. They have lived for centuries, survived things most species never encounter, and their bodies are built for violence in a way that no amount of training can replicate. The system is honest about this.

NorAellians cannot use Focus. They have studied it more extensively than any non-Focus-capable species, but the ability is not in their biology.

Array: Strength 3, Agility 1, Intellect 3, Presence 1, Perception 2, Will 2. Add +3 points distributed among any Abilities. No single Ability may exceed 4. Agility may not exceed 2.

Starting XP: 90

Traits:

Scaled Hide. Natural Soak 2. Thick, hardened scales provide significant protection at all times. This stacks with worn armor.
Natural Weapons. Bite (+3, Piercing 1) and Claws (+2). Cannot be disarmed.
Keen Senses. The parasitic back ridges are fully developed. Reduce Risk by 1 on Perception checks related to spatial awareness and detecting nearby movement.
Bulky. An adult NorAellian's size works against them in confined spaces. Agility cannot exceed 2. Any checks involving moving through tight spaces or narrow passages add +1 Risk.

Sooni

The Sooni are a modified version of humanity, created over a hundred thousand years ago by beings they worship as gods. They were bred specifically for their connection to Focus, and every aspect of their biology reflects this — superhuman reflexes, lifespans measured in centuries, and nervous systems that process sensory input at a fraction of the speed of light.

All Sooni are trained in Focus from birth. Their culture is built around mastery of it — social class, political power, and personal worth are all measured by Focus ability. Those who fail the trials are "shattered stones." Those who succeed become some of the most dangerous individuals in the galaxy.

The Sooni are not publicly known. Their existence is one of the galaxy's most closely guarded secrets. A Sooni player character is almost certainly a Heretic — one who has broken with the Council and works against their plans. Playing a Sooni requires explicit GM approval and a clear understanding of the narrative implications.

Array: Strength 1, Agility 1, Intellect 1, Presence 1, Perception 2, Will 2. Add +6 points distributed among any Abilities. No single Ability may exceed 3.

Starting XP: 90

Traits:

Born to Focus. The Sooni are trained in Focus from birth. The character is automatically trained in Focus and may take the first point in Focus for free.
Artificial Focus Users. The Sooni were designed, not born. Their Will and Focus may never exceed 4 through normal means. Humans have no such ceiling; their potential is raw and unbounded. The Sooni's creators built them with limits.
Superhuman Reflexes. Sooni nervous systems process sensory input at speeds no natural species can match. One Ability die is automatically upgraded to a Skill die on checks to react to danger or act before others.

Restricted Species

Restricted species are not meant for general play. They require explicit GM approval and a clear plan for how the character fits into the campaign. These species are powerful enough to warp the game around them. If they appear at all, it should be as a deliberate narrative choice that the entire table is prepared for.

NorAellian (Elder)

An elder NorAellian — 500 to 800 years old — is a force of nature. They tower over other species, their scales have hardened into something closer to plate armor, and their natural weapons can tear through ship hulls. They have spent centuries accumulating knowledge, making alliances, and shaping the galaxy's politics. In any room they enter, they are the most dangerous thing in it.

Elder NorAellians rarely leave their homeworld. Those that do are driven by something significant — a debt to repay, knowledge to pursue, or a threat to their people that demands personal attention. An elder NorAellian player character is an extraordinary narrative choice.

NorAellians cannot use Focus. An elder has had centuries to study it and understand it better than any non-Focus-capable species, but the ability remains beyond their biology.

Array: Strength 4, Agility 1, Intellect 4, Presence 1, Perception 3, Will 2. Add +3 points distributed among any Abilities. No single Ability may exceed 5. Agility may not exceed 1.

Starting XP: 150

Traits:

Scaled Hide. Natural Soak 3. An elder NorAellian's scales are dense enough to stop most small arms fire. This stacks with worn armor.
Natural Weapons. Bite (+4, Piercing 2) and Claws (+3). Cannot be disarmed.
Keen Senses. The parasitic back ridges are fully developed. Reduce Risk by 1 on Perception checks related to spatial awareness and detecting nearby movement.
Massive. An elder NorAellian is too large for most spaces designed for other species. Agility cannot exceed 1. Any checks involving moving through spaces not designed for NorAellians add +2 Risk. Standard furniture, vehicles, and equipment are unusable without modification.

Grey

The Grey are a restricted species. Full rules are TBD.

The Grey are one of the galaxy's most dangerous and least understood species. Once enslaved by the Sooni, they now serve them with a zealot's fervor. They are capable of communing with the Fallen Ones in the void, and their abilities are as unsettling as they are poorly documented.

A Grey player character would be an extreme edge case — one who has somehow broken free of Sooni influence. This requires a campaign built to support it.

Overseers

The Overseers are a restricted species. Full rules are TBD.

The Overseers are the beings who created the Sooni. They are, for all practical purposes, gods — or close enough that the distinction is academic. Their abilities, their technology, and their motives are beyond the comprehension of any other species.

An Overseer player character is not recommended for any standard campaign. If one appears, the campaign is about them.