Species/Doronai Nui

There are some characteristics shared by nearly all inhabitants of the Matoran Universe, elaborated upon here. If a Species has a Boon (a certain benefit that is usually unique to each Species) that alters or contradicts what is true of most other Species, it will be noted in their individual Species sections.

Common Species Characteristics

Species Category

Your Species will determine a great deal of how your character is able to interact with the world around them and the other beings within it, even outside of actual Boons. More specifically, your Species Category largely denotes how powerful or dangerous a species is, and denotes the kinds of threats a Game Master should be prepared to pit against their party. These Categories are A, B, and C, with Category A containing species that are frail or otherwise weaker than many other species within the Matoran Universe; Category B containing many powerful Species that often have the ability to use Kanohi, Powers, or the Elements; and Category C containing Species of exceptional strength and skill. Category C Species specifically tend to require an experienced player of great knowledge with the system in order to play them effectively.

Within each of these Categories are three Grades: Plus, Neutral, and Minus. Plus denotes that the species is on the higher end of its Species Category, while Minus denotes the species is weaker than average. A GM should take into account these assessments of power when building encounters, since there is a marked difference in a team made up entirely of Toa versus a team made up of Prime species members, or a team of Turaga versus a team of Matoran.

It is highly recommended that when forming a party, players pick Species that are within the same Species Category, as weaker members of the party are likely to struggle significantly or even die when facing the kinds of threats intended for higher Categories. As such, the Categories could be considered a “difficulty option.” This can be overcome in some cases by giving lower-Category members of a party extra boons such as increased armor or better weapons, or by making sure that they’re placed in roles outside of the higher Category’s combat group.

Generic Skill Points

Generic Skill Points (abbreviated to Generic SP or GSP) refers to how many Skill Points you get each time you level up, and varies from Species to Species. These Skill Points can be spent on any Skill you want, including Talents.

Movement Speeds

All Species have one or more kinds of Movement, and can travel at varying speeds with each of them. Movement Speed, unless otherwise noted, refers to the speed at which a being walks. Flying and Swimming Speeds refers to how quickly a being can move in the air or water (optionally in 3D space). Dig Speed determines how quickly you can remove dirt or any other material with a PEN multiplier of 1 out of the way. Hover speed is similar to Fly Speed, with the restriction that it cannot be used to travel upwards in 3D space.

Save Bonuses

Every Species has different qualities inherent to their Fortitude, Willpower, and Reflex saves. Some Species have Proficiency or ranks of Expertise in one or more of their saves, described in a table in their Species entry.

Path Point Calculation

When you initially create your character, you must fill in their life before beginning their adventure. This is represented by the sum of one or several of their Attribute Score mods, with the specific calculation determined by their Species (this represents the various levels of skill and commitment each Species traditionally has to their non-adventuring activities). Once you have this sum, you can spend the Path Points to purchase Path Ranks on Paths relevant to your character’s background.

Note: Even if the sum of your Attribute Scores is less than 1, you still begin play with at least one Path Rank (Paths given by Species can meet this requirement).

Resource Pools

All Species have a variety of Resource Pools, which dictates how much Health or Energy they have for abilities like Elemental Powers or Universal Powers. All Species have a Health Pool. These Pools all have a Floor, the minimum amount of the Pool’s resource that you can have; a Rate of Climb, the amount of points you gain for this Pool each time you level up, as well as a Minimum Roll that you can take instead, should you roll particularly low while leveling up; a Natural Cap, which is the maximum amount of that resource that you can naturally gain; and Rest Recovery Dice, which dictates the type and quantity of dice you may roll to recover this resource when you take a Rest.

Inventory Capacity

Every Species has a natural capacity to store gear, both for combat and for activities unrelated to combat. The number of Sheathes that a Species has determines how many spaces on their body they can store a weapon of some kind (in the same way the Sheathe Component works in the Armor System) starting off as a Sheathe capable of holding up to a Two-Handed (or smaller) weapon. If your Species allows you to begin with a Heavy weapon, then these Sheathes can be upgraded to hold your starting gear for free.

The number of Magazine slots that you have on your person works the same way, determining how many Magazines, Thrown Weapon Braces, Traps, Universal Batteries, or Admixture Containers you can carry before needing to either stow them in a larger container like a backpack, or adding additional bandolier space.

Finally, your Carry Weight value determines how many pounds of gear you can carry in a stowed container like a backpack or satchel, before the addition of bonuses from your Athletics score or other gear which may modify the Carry Weight value.

Elemental Power

While not all Species are capable of wielding the power of the Elements, it is a relatively common Boon, which bears similarities across the Species that can use said powers. All members of those Species are able to use a personal pool of Elemental Energy (EE) to exert control over a specific element, pertaining to their Elemental Tribe. This power pool regenerates over time. The amount of EE that you begin with, as well as the natural maximum limit of your EE, will vary from Species to Species, and will be listed in the individual Species sections.

Unless otherwise stated, you get to choose your starting Elemental Attack Forms: select any two Elemental Attack Forms to be unlocked for free at level 1. All further Attack Forms and Elemental Talents can be purchased using Skill Points generated from Constitution, Intelligence, or Wisdom.

Some use of Elemental Power references your Elemental Attribute Score Modifier. This is whichever Modifier is higher between your CON, INT, and WIS Modifiers at character creation. Your Elemental Attribute Score Modifier cannot be swapped after this, even if that Attribute Score suffers from ASD, or another Attribute Score is increased.

When using your Elemental Powers, your attack rolls are (1d20 + your Elemental Attribute Score Modifier + your Proficiency bonus). If you were required to make an attack roll to hit with the effect (for example, with Bolt or Elemental Strike), you may add your Elemental Attribute Score Modifier to the damage roll. If your Elemental Attack requires a DC, it will be determined by your Species.

Kanohi Use

Most Species are capable of at least using Noble Kanohi, but are usually not required to wear them (unless otherwise stated). In order to use a Great Kanohi, you must be Proficient with the Use Kanohi Skill, and most Species will not be naturally Proficient. Some Species can gain Proficiency with Kanohi through training. The calculation for your total Kanohi Charges is your WIS Modifier + your Proficiency Modifier (if applicable) + any points in the Use Kanohi Skill. This total is adjusted whenever one of these values changes, such as gaining an increase to your WIS Modifier.

Species Body Units and Armor

All Species make use of Body Units, which may be filled with Armor Pieces to increase their Armor Class (AC). The number of Body Units will vary from Species to Species, depending mostly on your number of appendages or other factors. In the Armor Class Tables for each Species, the number of a type of limb or body part will be specified. Most Species have Arms (2), and Legs (2), for example, and each of those typically has 1 Armor Slot. Most Species must meet the Strength requirements to wear Heavy and Ultraheavy Armor Pieces and have a set limit to how many of these they can use (though some Species have Boons that allow them to wear a number of these Armor Pieces without counting against their limit).

During character creation, you can use your starting currency to purchase individual armor plates of a different value. Unless otherwise stated in a Species section or by your GM, you should assume that you are starting with Continental Quality gear. By default, the weight of your Armor Pieces will vary based on your Species. Always add the bonus from your DEX Mod in addition to the AC provided by your armor.

Sustenance

Nearly all Species must breathe and sleep, as well as eat (which is often achieved through absorbing energy from food via hand contact, though many can also consume food with their mouths). The only way to resurrect most deceased beings is on the Red Star.

Universal Restriction Notices

If a Species doesn’t natively have access to an essential feature required to use an Archetype or a Supertype, such as the case for non-elemental species and the Elementalist Supertype, it is assumed they cannot take levels in those Archetypes or Supertypes.