Xeno Haus Ideas

[Sailor Midgard]

Hey everyone! Since it's come up a couple of times, I figured we could start the fun! This house would be mostly based on those things strange even in the world of Nogosaua. Be they from another reality or simply just another world, they are things hard to be prepared for. The abilities those beings in this house will most likely be strange and fun as well. While I know we can't use many of the things listed below I figure they would be good for ideas.

Before I get into these I wanna speculate on the Trinary Archtype for this house. One of the elements I believe would fit is Devotion acting as a kind Essence for this house as most things I will talk about are exceedingly loyal to some being or other. Another possible one could be Favor having gotten this from those they serve, such as causing fear among the mortals being a fuel or taking humans back as offerings to shrines or leaders thus gaining favor. The main difference being Devotion is shown and Favor must be given. You may be extremely devoted but not gain any favor. Any ideas for the third one?

Cthulhu Mythos Based -

1. Cthonian - The first one I thought of is similar to the Mind Flayers of DND. These would probably work more as a spell caster class that refills it's mana by feeding on the heads of their enemies. This could however use the Lesser Star Spawns as a faster more physically based class. They could have camouflage capabilities as they are said to be very much like octopi in many regards. Another ability could be some small shape shifting allowing for them to dodge attacks better than most or reintegrate faster. This could also allow them to take the forms of those they fight.
2. Gaunts - The Night Gaunts would make for a very fast and stealthy class, moving silently through the air to capture foes, dropping them from high up to deal damage. They are also known to appear gargoyle like which could be used in game as a way to hide in plain sight. Sit atop a mausoleum and wait for some unsuspecting enemy to walk by then strike.
3. Gugs - being as big as they are would make for fine tanks. Large furred beast with four front paws for swiping would allow for them to grab multiple enemies and smash them together for damage or tear one poor soul limb from limb in one smooth motion. The vertical mouth, reputed to be quite large, could be a finisher swallowing a target whole. Weighing at two tons would provide for a lot of mass to throw around
4. Yith - The Yith could be interesting as a class that never knows what it'll be when a map starts. You're conscious being sent back into a random body as you enter. Another possibility could be you choose who to posses as the level progresses, jumping from host to host as you need. They could gain abilities based on what they posses, have abilities that they bring with them, or get half of the classes they posses while keeping some of their own.

Space Based

1. Xenomorph - Of course one of the first species that comes to mind for me is the Xenomorph. While I know that we couldn't have them specifically in the game I felt that something like them could be fun. Interplanetary killers that spread around trying to consume worlds but for an Old One playing their grand game rather than just an a hive. Although having them be just a free agent that actually can't or isn't really manipulate-able for the game could be interesting as well. Taking living beings back to the Queen would be an example of gaining favor.
2. Yuuzhan Vong - Another one I thought of with the help of Cpt.Cutthroat in the familiars thread was the Yuuzhan Vong from the Star Wars Expanded Universe. They use weapons, armor, clothing even tools and ships that are all individual living organisms. Each piece of armor would connect to the Yuuzhan Vong warrior in much the same way a parasite would. Even their prosthetic replacements would be creatures that fed off the old wound while protecting the host. They also served their gods by trying to maintain a constant state of pain. These would make for a fun kinda tanky class as damage could equal to devotion, and taking so much damage they lose limbs could gain Favor.
3. Symbiotes - The symbiotes from Venom are another one to consider. They could implant themselves on any of the beings from this realm making them extremely diverse. You could have a class of symbiote that's based on speed but attached to a giant creating a slightly weaker but faster giant. You could also jump from host to host for more options as the situation requires. These would have a low cap for Favor but a high Devotion either to the symbiotes as a whole or to an aspect. One ability could be to leave a host to hide somewhere until a better one walks by unsuspecting.
4. Space Versions - An extra-planetary version of a race from this world is one possibility that can't be over looked. In this instance the Dark Eldar of Warhammer 40K come to mind. Space elves traveling from world to world showing their devotion by killing and taking those from the worlds they find as offerings to their chaos god, leaders or just for entertainment. There could also be a species of vampires out there that come from another world or even the void itself. Maybe even a planet of beings completely immune to magic or essence based attacks.

I left out the Deep Ones cause I felt fish like people may be more towards what Varik was posting about in his thread Another Haus Idea. These were all just ideas bouncing around in my head for a while and needed to get them out, hopefully they provide some food for someone else's thoughts now. I know there are many examples from all over the place that could fit in here and I apologize if I missed some obvious ones. I can't wait to see what this Haus holds for us, or what waits to hold us in it's thrall...

 

[Varik Keldun]

Before I get into these I wanna speculate on the Trinary Archtype for this house. One of the elements I believe would fit is Devotion acting as a kind Essence for this house as most things I will talk about are exceedingly loyal to some being or other. Another possible one could be Favor having gotten this from those they serve, such as causing fear among the mortals being a fuel or taking humans back as offerings to shrines or leaders thus gaining favor. The main difference being Devotion is shown and Favor must be given. You may be extremely devoted but not gain any favor. Any ideas for the third one?

I think a good third option would fall under self centeredness / self worship / egotistical. it would work well (in my opinion) - more-so with the Devotion-Selfish archetypes than the Favor-selfish archtypes. but it lets say one bar would affect the other in this sense... the more of ability X you use the more of Skill Y you lose.... the selfish side could push out the favor / devotion aspects.

i believe that would even work with the Favor / Devotion archtypes, and the middle (vampire in deadhaus) archtype as well.

 

[Brolnir]

the idea of space based creatures sounds really appealing if done properly. Aliens can fit into a more cosmic horror theme similar to some of the races mentioned above.

A race that is horrifying are the brood from the xmen. They are a alien race of giant space insect like creatures and for the most part don't use advance technology. They look terrifying, have tentacles, have a hive mind, and their main purpose is to reproduce by laying their eggs in other species.The main "ships" they travel in are creatures called Acanti which are giant sentient space whales that the brood enslaved.

The star control series has some really out there takes on alien races as well, like giant space faring spiders. They do have a interesting race called the Arilou that can travel immense distances using quasispace portals which functions differently from how one would views ships traveling through hyperspace.

If DHS does do aliens I think they should be as low tech as possible to not clash so much with the other haus. It would be odd to see "traditional" spaceships flying overhead in Nogosaua, but things like giant flying whales might fit slightly better

 

[Sailor Midgard]

I agree on the low tech thing, something as simple or organic (to the game) as possible. Portals would be a really good way for them to get around, maybe that could even be used as a mechanic, hopping around the map. That would also maybe allow those of us from Nogosaua to travel elsewhere.

I'm trying to remember what species it was and from what, but I remember reading or watching something in which the aliens traveled by flinging asteroids that they hid in just randomly into space. Afterwords they would hibernate until impact woke them up. It may have been the Tryanids from Warhammer 40k.

The Brood were a really great take on the space locust swarm concept. Most of the time the space bugs are just that, bugs, but the Brood actually enjoyed the fact their victims felt fear. It made them way creepier in my opinion.

 

[Golden Xan]

I don't have any particularly interesting suggestion to make, but I would like to say that I found the idea of using species from the Cthulhu Mythos as potential classes to be interesting. Like in Hyperspace, the game released by Petersen Games after Cthulhu Wars, would use some of the creatures from Cthulhu's lore as alien races, with their own technology and intricacies.

I think something might be positively done in this regard.

 

[Roband]

I definetly would like to see a "Cthulhu Mythos" house, as for a Xeno house while i am a Tyranids fan myself i would probably prefer a more insect based house whith the same characteristics (hive mind, very different forms and sizes based on their role in the colony, even parasitoids like the Xenomorphs why not)

Xenomorphs and Tyranids are already insnpired by real life insects in many ways, it just seems more "right" to me (since Dead Haus Sonata has a medieval setting) to tend more to the insect side than the alien side of things.