Version History

Version 1.0 September 27, 1997

Version 2.0 December 5, 1997

Version 2.1 March 15, 1998

Version 3.0 April 22, 1998

Version 3.1 April 28, 1998

Version 3.2 May 8, 1998

Version 4.0 November 1, 1998

Version 4.1 April 4, 1999

Version 5.0 December 12, 1999

Author's Notes

This work attempts to compile the events and information from all four Alien films as well as the numerous novels. Many times, these sources conflict or head in opposite directions. Aliens: The Breeding is an amalgam of all of these sources and often varies from the films. I have attempted to gather and stitch together all the information about the Xenomorphs that I have found, in an effort to create a unique and challenging antagonist for the World of Darkness. This work is designed to be a gaming accessory, not an Alien fan's bible. Please refrain from pointing out differences between this work and a.) the films or b.) the novels. I am aware there are differences, and they are intentional.

The information on the United States Colonial Marines is based on the film Aliens, and from information provided in the Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual by Lee Brimmicombe-Wood. This book contains lots of valuable information vital to anyone wanting to run a USCM Chronicle.

This may be freely distributed by anyone in any format as long as credit is given to the author but cannot be distributed for profit for any reason.

Known History

• Encounter One:

  The first humans to encounter the Xenomorphs were the crew of the transport ship Nostromo, a class M starcruiser owned by Weyland-Yutani Corporation. In the year 2122 A.D., the crew received orders from Mother (the ship's computer) to investigate a beacon on an unexplored planetoid (designated LV-426, Acheron, in orbit around Zeta 2 IV) where a derelict ship of unknown origin was discovered. Inside were the calcified remains of a large alien species, as well as thousands of pods which appeared to be eggs.

  One of these eggs hatched, and the entity inside attached itself to the face of one of the Nostromo's crew, Kane. He was brought aboard the Nostromo by an android doctor, but the "facehugger" could not be removed safely. Within a few hours, it removed itself and died, and crewman Kane seemed to have a complete recovery. Unfortunately, mere hours later an embryo implanted in his chest burst forth, killing him.

  The alien life form proceeded to grow until it was a large black creature resembling an insect, which began to hunt down and consume everyone onboard ship. Finally, the alien was eliminated by Lt. Ellen Ripley when she blew it out of an escape hatch into open space.

• Encounter Two:

  Thirty-seven years after the Nostromo incident, a colony of human terraformers settled LV-426. Twenty years after the colony was founded, all contact was lost, and a rifle platoon of United States Colonial Marines was scrambled to clear and contain the compound. Lt. Ripley, recently recovered from cryo-stasis and being the only surviving human to ever see an alien, was asked to accompany them.

  The compound was found to be devoid of human life, except for a small child, Rebecca Jordan. All of the colonists had been used as incubators for alien eggs; thus, the compound was swarming with Xenomorphs. The marines were overwhelmed and quickly cut down, and once again, Ripley was forced to destroy the aliens on her own. A nuclear meltdown caused the destruction of the compound and all aliens within. Only Ripley, Corporal Hicks, Rebecca, and the android, Bishop, survived to return to their ship, the Sulaco; however, the alien Queen stowed away on their UD-4 dropship and came with them. It proceeded to rip Bishop in half and tried to kill the humans. As she had done before, Ripley blew the alien out of an airlock.

• Encounter Three:

  A fire on the Sulaco caused all the survivors of the second encounter to be jettisoned in an escape pod which subsequently crashed upon prison planet Fiorina "Fury" 161. Only Ripley survived the impact. An alien "facehugger" was hiding aboard, and it proceeded to impregnate a dog. This birthed a four-legged Xenomorph which began devouring the inhabitants of the prison. Being a prison colony, there were no firearms to use against the creature. Thus, one Xenomorph was enough to eliminate almost everyone in the compound.

  Ripley discovered that she was impregnated with a Queen embryo. If hatched, it could start a whole new generation of aliens. Ripley was determined to eliminate the quadroped alien and then herself. She succeeded in destroying the alien, and moments later, she dove into a furnace as the Queen ripped out of her chest. Both were incinerated.

• Encounter Four:

  Two hundred years after the last "incident", scientists still sought an alien with which to experiment in hopes of using it for medical purposes, weapons, and genetic crossbreeding.

  To get a viable specimen, scientists used DNA taken from the scene of Ripley's death. Once impregnated by an alien, the DNA of the host is altered to include that of the growing Xenomorph. The scientists used advanced cloning methods to attempt to grow a new Ripley with a Queen growing inside. Seven attempts failed horribly, resulting in grossly deformed entities. The eighth time was a charm.

  This new Ripley survived and the Queen was surgically removed. The scientists, of course, allowed the Queen to mature and produce eggs. The new Ripley was allowed to live as well.

  The clone Ripley was not fully human, however. The DNA of the alien had combined with hers, and she became something else entirely, with superhuman abilities and alien traits. When the aliens broke free, it was up to her to once again stop the ship from reaching Earth.

  The DNA combination had an unexpected effect on the alien Queen as well. She began exhibiting human traits, such as developing a womb instead of laying eggs. This resulted in the birthing of a whole new breed of alien.

  All the aliens, including the new breed, were destroyed when the ship crash landed on Earth; however, the new Ripley survived. What became of her is unknown.

• Other Encounters:

  According to the novels, which were written before Alien: Resurrection, the Xenomorphs made it to Earth. A corporate facility experimenting upon a Queen alien was raided by a group of religious fanatics. These cultists believed that the Queen Xenomorph was the new Messiah. They got themselves impregnated by the aliens and fled across the globe. The aliens possess a survival mechanism allowing a Drone to mutate into a Queen, and thus the aliens began building nests all over the world.

  Military forces hunted down these nests and destroyed as many as possible; however, the Xenomorphs learned how to better hide them and started making many very small nests rather than large ones. Soon things got out of hand, and within six months, Australia was declared uninhabitable. Within a year, over a billion humans had been killed, and a mass exodus of Earth was begun.

  The Earth was dominated by the Xenomorphs, and the humans left behind lived their lives as prey for the bugs. Many join cults that believed they could ally with the aliens by feeding them other humans. After a few years, the Earth was a wasteland swarming with bugs and those insane enough to worship them.

  It was not until one of the great Queen Mother aliens was brought to Earth that the favor swung back to mankind. The aliens swarmed to the great Queen and were destroyed in a massive nuclear blast. Twenty years after the original infestation of Earth, man once again reigned, while the Xenomorphs survived only in isolated areas.

  Numerous scientists attempted to experiment on the aliens, causing one disaster after another. However, most of these events occurred at isolated outposts. To date, all such outposts had been destroyed.

  Also, on many occasions in which man encountered Xenomorphs, it was due to the efforts of the Yautja (see Predator: The Hunt). This often resulted in violence between humans, aliens, and Predators.

Xenomorph Life

The species of aliens known as Xenomorphs live distinct stages of life. The Xenomorph life cycle is thus: an egg hatches a small alien, often referred to as a "facehugger" (known scientifically as an ovipositor). This critter attaches itself to the face of a living being and implants an embryo inside the torso. This embryo gestates for 12 to 48 hours before ripping and chewing its way out of the chest cavity. The resulting alien takes many DNA traits from its host, and careful observation can reveal the nature of the animal an alien spawned from. These young aliens grow to full maturity within a few hours and begin acting upon their instincts. Members of a Hive will begin gathering living beings to impregnate. If there is no Hive, they will begin killing every living thing they find. If there is no Queen, one of the implanted aliens will develop as one, or a Drone will evolve into a Queen.

All "facehuggers" look the same, spider-like beings with a long tail, and they can impregnate a large variety of beings. The films show bugs born of human and dog hosts, and the books tell of a Hive born of rhino-sized herbivores. Aliens can be birthed from any animal large enough to contain a gestating alien. This rules out cats, bats, rats, and other small animals. Humans, dogs, cattle, sheep, moose, rhinos, tigers, gorillas, etc., are all fair game. Aliens take some of their genetic make-up from their host; thus, a biped host will produce a biped bug, etc. Once implanted, the alien radically alters the host's DNA so that it will be suitable for the alien to incubate within. This amazing ability is what allows the Xenomorphs to spawn from such a variety of animals. Aliens cannot gestate in plants, but it is not known if they can birth from reptiles or other more exotic creatures. Given their tremendous adaptive abilities, they most likely can.

Adult Xenomorphs share certain characteristics, they have a shiny black carapace over their entire bodies; thus, the resemblance to insects. This carapace is silicon based and harder than steel. Their green blood is a super acid (perhaps a type of hydrofluoric acid) and can eat through flesh, armor, steel, plastic, glass, and just about anything exposed to it. Xenomorphs have no eyes, so bright lights and absolute darkness have no affect on them. It is theorized that they may "see" using psychic vibrations. This psychic sense allows them to detect emotions such as fear and pain. Each emotion is seen as a color to the aliens. Also, their "visual" awareness extends in a 360 degree arc around their heads. The mouth of the alien is unique: a fanged maw that contains a toothed tongue within. This tongue is able to extend from its face about a foot and creates a puncture motion, enabling the alien to pierce armor.

All observed aliens have had tails which seem to have something to do with their communication abilities. They are able to slap with them, and the Queen can use hers to stab like a large blade. The aliens are exceptional climbers, even able to suspend themselves upside down from ceilings. It is unknown if a surface can be too smooth for them to climb. Unfortunately, the Drones possess a devious intelligence, the Queens even more so. All aliens have tremendous cunning and are experts at hunting and ambushing. As an example, to escape a cell, the aliens kill one of their own in order to make it bleed. The blood eats through the floor, and out they go. They are smart enough to plan and lay traps.

The Xenomorphs do have sexes; however, the average Drone is neuter. Those who do have a sex are generally female. Males do occasionally get the chance to mate with the Queen but are killed soon after. All Queens are, of course, female. There are no Kings in the Xenomorph society. It is important to note that Queens are born pregnant and do not need males to perpetuate the race.

The Hive

A Hive is marked by a horrible stench, reminiscent of rotting eggs and meat. Aliens secrete an enzyme that is used to create their Hive. They mold it in a pattern much like the inside of a rib cage. This enzyme is brittle, and can be broken fairly easily (Strength roll, difficulty 6). The inside of the Hive is very warm and humid, and in great numbers Hives can alter the weather systems of an entire planet. After the alien infestation on Earth, freak thunderstorms and intense heatwaves were found throughout the world.

The Hive generally encompasses a large area with the Queen’s chamber of eggs and Drones in the center. Along the walls leading to the chamber, living beings are bound to await impregnation. The bodies will be suspended in the enzyme (which is much more difficult to break when bound by it, Strength roll, difficulty 9). Also in the egg chamber is the sac of Royal Jelly (see below). A typical Hive will have huge Drones (add 1 to Strength and Stamina) protecting the Queen and eggs. Also note that the Xenomorphs leave the bodies of the incubators hanging in the Hive. When an area gets full, they simply move the birthing process elsewhere. This results in chambers "decorated" with the grisly remains of their prey.

Aliens are intent on breeding. In one case, aliens captured a ship full of humans, but rather than lay eggs in all of them, they kept one male and one female alive and forced them to mate. In order to ensure the propagation of future hosts, aliens feed their captives; however, their diet consists of the rotting flesh of those already used to birth aliens. They force this repulsive meal down the throats of captives. Heaven help any survivors of such an imprisonment, derangements are definitely in order.

Xenomorph Psychology

Aliens are completely devoted to the Hive, or creche, as they refer to it. To protect the creche and serve the Queen is all that gives meaning to the lives of the Xenomorphs. A Drone will sacrifice itself for the Hive without a moment of hesitation.

Queens continuously transmit feelings of intense love and belonging. A Drone cut off from these feelings will suffer from a loneliness humans cannot possibly understand. Such an alien will try to return to the creche in any way possible. It is not known how far a Queen can broadcast such emotions, but the signal from a Queen Mother was strong enough for some humans on Earth to sense all the way from Hiveworld.

Unfortunately, these feelings of love do not extend to species outside their own. Everyone else is viewed as to their benefit to the creche, either as hosts or as food. They have no concepts of peace or co-existence. To them, only the Xenomorphs should survive. The aliens have no dreams of conquest or any other such motivation, living only to decimate all other races.

One of the most terrifying aspects of the Xenomorphs is their racial memory. Once something is transmitted to the Queen, all of her future offspring will remember it. For this reason, the Xenomorphs became progressively more difficult to deal with throughout the films. All aliens in the second through fourth films were descendants of the same Queen. Thus, all remembered every encounter they had with humans and how to deal with them. An entire Hive learns at the same time.

This kind of intelligence makes the Xenomorphs even more dangerous than previously believed. A strategy or trick that worked on one alien won't work on any of the others from the same Hive. In all likelihood, good ideas will be used right back upon their enemies. Few species could stand up against such creatures for long, and so far mankind has been lucky.

Royal Jelly

After Earth was reclaimed from the Xenomorphs, scientists began studying the Jelly and its uses. The result was a drug called Xeno-Zip (referred to as Fire in slang), produced by the chemical company Neo-Pharm. Upon taking a capsule of this, human senses, abilities, and endurance were heightened dramatically. Of course, the military decided to use it for "super soldier" experiments.

Unfortunately, Fire has many drawbacks. First of all, it is the most addictive drug ever designed. It takes an iron will to be able to stop taking the drug after trying it even once. Also, the threats of overdose are very serious. A person being burnt up by Fire is a terrifying sight. The instincts of rage become so great that a person will immediately attack every living creature around him until either himself or the object of his wrath is destroyed. No one has ever recovered from an OD on Xeno-Zip.

A person taking a normal dose of Xeno-Zip adds one Die to ALL dice pools. An extra action may also be taken every turn until the drug wears off (1 Hour minus (Stamina * 10 minutes)). He or she gains all the benefits and drawbacks of Acute Senses of Sight, Hearing, and Touch. Willpower is considered 10 for the duration as well.

When someone overdoses on the drug, they gain all of the above, plus all Health Levels are doubled. However, the poor person will attack any living being he can find until he is destroyed, or he dies when consumed by Fire (same duration as above). Rarely, a person will not go on a killing spree but will instead push himself beyond the brink. For example, a runner overdosed during the Goodwill Games and ran himself through a metal grate. Needless to say, it was fatal.

Hiveworld

The planet is ripe with seismic activity; earthquakes are common and volcanos dot the landscape. There is very little to welcome visitors, and the inhabitants are even worse. Not only does the planet swarm with Xenomorphs, but other predators prowl the barren land. Massive, winged reptiles patrol the skies in search of prey. Their wingspans are at least twenty feet across and their mouths are huge and lined with sharp teeth. Interestingly, these creatures don't hunt the Xenomorphs.

At one time, the planet was host to two huge alien Hives, home to thousands upon thousands of aliens. The two Hives were engaged in a genocidal war (see Red Ants below) when discovered by humans. As a gift, the humans left a nuclear bomb in each Hive, blowing them from the face of the planet. It is unknown if Xenomorphs from either race survived past the 22nd century on G-435; however, given the aliens' proven ability to survive, count on it.

Abilities and Characteristics

• Acidic Blood: The green blood of an alien can eat through most anything, including wood, metal, plastic, flesh, glass, and polymers. When wounded, their blood tends to spew from their bodies. Anyone within five feet of an alien when it is wounded is splattered with blood. One point of blood is spewed per wound level. Those sprayed must try to make a Dexterity + Dodge roll with a difficulty of 8. Each success negates one blood point’s worth of acid damage. Each blood point inflicts 5 levels of aggravated damage which can be soaked. The blood oxidizes soon after death, making it harmless. Note that using a melee weapon against an alien is suicidal; not only does one risk being sprayed with blood, the acid will destroy the weapon in one turn, unless it is made of dlex (see Predator: The Hunt).

  The novels make an interesting point about combatting the Xenomorphs. A body shot tends to cause the aliens to spew forth lots of acid as above; however, the head does not spurt as badly. Thus, a shot to the head only spews a blood point for every two wound levels inflicted. A combat strategy humans have learned in the Alien-Earth War is to shoot at the knees or the head of the aliens so blood spray is minimal. Once an alien has its legs blown out from under it, it is much easier to shoot in the head. In other words, aim low.

• Acidic Spit: The Xenomorphs possess the ability to spit acid up to 15 feet. This spit is not nearly as corrosive as their blood but is still extremely dangerous. The acid inflicts one point of aggravated damage for every success on a Dexterity + Spit roll, difficulty based on cover of the target, etc.

• Birthing: Newborn aliens rip their way out of their hosts. They do this in one turn, causing a horrendus mess that is fatal to normal humans and animals.

• Camouflage: Within a Hive, the bugs blend in almost perfectly with their secretions, which makes them very difficult to spot (Perception + Alertness roll, difficulty 8). Also, the aliens are invisible in the infrared spectrum.

• Carapace: The hard silicon exoskeleton of the bugs gives them an armor rating of 3. This only applies to firearms and melee weapons, not fire and cold. The weapons used in the novels and films are carbines which fire 10mm armor piericing exploding bullets. Smaller, less powerful rounds literally bounce off of the Xenomorphs. It is not unreasonable to assume that anything less powerful than a 9mm round will not even have a chance to harm an alien (this would include .22, .25, and .32 rounds) unless shot inside the mouth.

• Climbing: An alien can climb all but the slickest of surfaces. This includes the ability to hang suspended from walls and ceilings. Like insects, they don't seem to ever tire from "hanging on."

• Communication: Aliens communicate through a kind of psychic process that uses an organ in their cranium. This communication can be picked up on radio waves but is mostly indecipherable. In theory, a psychic can pick up these signals as well but is unlikely to understand them. It might be possible to disorient a group of aliens with a radio set to the proper frequency. These communications can also cause severe nightmares in nearby humans. During the early days of the Alien-Earth War, if people were having nightmares about aliens it was a good indication of a nearby nest. In fact, some people could sense the calling of the great Queen Mother from another planet in this galaxy. Their dreams were of intense feelings of love and belonging, like they were being summoned by their mother.

• Cunning: Aliens like to stalk and ambush and are sly enough to cut power lines and the like. Also, they often make use of unexpected openings. For example, in Aliens, they come in over the ceiling tiles. In Alien Resurrection, they lay a trail of weapons like bread crumbs down a dead-end corridor.

• Extraordinary Senses: Aliens have no eyes but can "see" in a 360 degree arc around their heads. They can smell and hear at least as well as the average human, but it is unknown if they have a sense of taste. They feel pain. It is assumed that they move with a kind of psychic sonar, much like a bat, but this is yet to be proven. In Alien Resurrection (the novel), the aliens distinctly detect color and movement, maybe as well as humans.

• Ferocity: An alien has no fear. It will fight until you or it dies. It is also aggressive, and once a battle is joined, all of its Hive mates will charge as well. Also, they will put up a chase. In game terms, this means that the aliens never need to check Willpower to continue fighting.

• Health and Healing: A Drone has as many Health Levels as an average human. A Queen has double that number, and a Queen Mother has three times as many! The "facehuggers" only have 5 health levels (OK, -1, -2, -5, Incapacitated). Aliens do not have the rapid healing abilities of many of the supernaturals in the World of Darkness. They heal at the same rate as humans.

• Hive Mind: Drones often cannot exist for long outside the Hive. An imprisoned Drone will gradually become listless and lose a point of Willpower per week until it dies. There are exceptions to this, the egg pods, the life span of which is unknown. The same egg clutch that infected the Nostromo infected the colony, Hadley's Hope, on LV-426 a full 57 years later. A Drone that is away from a Hive, but is in a suitable habitat will evolve into a Queen and setup its own Hive.

• Resilience: Xenomorphs can be burnt, fire does damage to them just like most living things; however, extremes in heat and cold don’t seem to affect them. So, while fire is an effective weapon, molten lead is not. They also seem to be somewhat afraid of fire, if they are really afraid of anything. An alien can survive in the vacuum of space for an undetermined amount of time. Their blood superheats to keep the creature warm in the absolute cold of space. In Alien Resurrection, a Xenomorph is sprayed with liquid nitrogen, causing the creatue pain but no lasting damage. They apparently don't breath, or are able to store air in their bodies.

• Swimming: In Aliens, one of the Xenomorphs swims up to Rebecca and captures her; however, it is unknown how long they can remain underwater. In Alien Resurrection the aliens show an amazing aptitude for swimming, being fast and graceful. One even jumped out of the water up to 15 feet. This is not surprising, as Hiveworld is covered in shallow water. If the aliens can truly exist without air, then there could be Hives entirely underwater.

• Teeth and Claws: An alien has sharp spindly six-fingered claws that shred flesh and clothing easily. Although this damage is not aggravated, the bite of the alien does inflict aggravated damage.

Combat

*A Grappled opponent may be drug off to the Hive, or bitten at Difficulty of 4.
**Only a Queen may stab with its tail.

Alien/Human Crossbreeds

The clone Ripley appeared almost completely human; however, she had many special attributes, notably her enhanced physical strength and stamina. At one point, she punches her way into an access panel. She also punches a large mercenary and sends him across the room. She had some mental abilities similar to that of the aliens, but she was not dominated by the Hive instincts.

Player Character Crossbreeds

All player character crossbreeds are humans with alien traits. They possess heightened senses beyond human norms (all crossbreeds have the Merits Acute Hearing and Acute Sense of Smell). They are also much tougher than humans, having a maximum Strength and Stamina of 6. It is important to note that their bones and muscle tissue are much stronger than human norm; thus, what appears to be a small woman could possess the strength of a large body builder. Their fingernails are green and sharp and made of the same silicon base as a Xenomorph carapace; thus, they are extremely strong. They can use these to inflict Strength +1 non-aggravated damage.

Crossbreeds are able to heal severe injuries, recovering from wounds three times faster than a human would. They also do not scar. They cannot, however, regenerate lost limbs or organs. A crossbreed can be extremely dangerous when wounded, as they have inherited the acidic blood of the Xenomorphs. This blood is nowhere near as caustic as a pureblood but is still hazardous. The red blood of a crossbreed inflicts 3 points of aggravated damage rather than the 5 points from a Xenomorph. It is handled in all other respects, exactly the same way. This blood will damage all that it touchs, including clothing, weapons, friends, and anything else it comes in contact with. Also, a human male having sexual relations with a crossbreed must be wary, as any blood will be a disaster. Crossbreeds are immune to the blood of Xenomorphs and other crossbreeds.

The crossbreeds share many mental patterns with their alien relatives. This tends to make them act in a manner many would consider "alien". Thus, no crossbreed may have a Humanity rating above 5. They are also prone to violence, having a Rage pool just like a Garou. This pool can be used to gain extra actions like a werewolf, etc.

Xenomorphs are able to communicate with crossbreeds, and the aliens will not attack one, as it seems to them as "one of the family". The only exception to this is when the Xenomorphs are attacked by a crossbreed. A crossbreed can sense and understand the "language" of the Xenomorphs without a problem, but being individuallistic rather than hiveminded, they do not have to obey the commands of the Queen. It is important to note that crossbreeds share the same racial memory as the Xenomorphs; however, a crossbreed will not transmit knowledge unless actively trying to do so.

Crossbreeds are built upon an attribute base of 7/5/3 like a new vampire. They also have an ability base of 13/9/5. They have no natural aggravated attack, unless they care to wound themselves to get at their blood.

Vampires cannot gain nourishment from a crossbreed, and trying to do so will probably severely injure or kill the Kindred. A crossbreed can be ghouled, however. If this is done, their acidic blood is diluted greatly, inflicting only 1 point of aggravated damage. The crossbreeds cannot become lycanthropes (see Lycanthrope: The Changing). If drained of blood, a crossbreed can be Embraced by a vampire; however, like the ghouled crossbreed, the new vampire would have slightly acidic blood. Crossbreeds cannot Awaken, but they could theoretically be taught hedge magic.

Red Ants

These new deviants developed a distinctly red hue to their exoskeletons. Once the new Queens assumed control of their respective Hives, they immediately went to war to destroy each other. Both sides bred thousands of Drones and attempted to commit genocide upon each other. They were at a standstill until the humans came and nuked both Hives.

The "Red Ant" aliens were unique to Hiveworld, and they may well be an extinct breed; however, if even one survived, mankind may well encounter them again. Fortunately, the xenophobic nature of the aliens means that the Reds and Blacks will war with each other whenever they encounter one another. The greatest threat to the Xenomorphs could be themselves.

The genetic differences were the appearance of recessive genes (such as coloring) that had no effect on the abilities of the Red aliens. They are exactly like the Blacks in every aspect except for some minor changes on a genetic level that makes the Blacks want to exterminate them. An infestation of Red aliens would be the same to humans as that of a Hive of Blacks.

Exotic Aliens

Alien Queens never develop exotic characteristics from their hosts, the Queens are the source of Xenomorph perfection, and that is unwavering. Each Queen will look like every other Queen. Likewise, the facehugger aliens are always identical. As they are born without a host, there is no basis for exotic facehuggers. All Drones share some common characteristics as well. Coloring is always black (or red if of that breed), they always have the acidic blood, armoring, ability to spit, communicate the same, share the same ferocity, senses, resilience, and Hive Mind. Their size, methods of attack, and other physical attributes may change due to their body shape.

A Hive may have one or one hundred different "types" of aliens in it, depending upon the availability of hosts. A Hive born entirely of human hosts will all be exactly alike, but one with access to humans and cattle would have two different types of Drone. For simplicity, the Storyteller should choose the dominate strain of alien in the Hive that players will encounter if they roam.

Humans often make the mistake of believing the Xenomorphs are savage animals. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The Queen will utilize the special abilities of her children to best advantage. A Hive with a large number of hosts becomes even more dangerous and less predictable.

United States Colonial Marine Corps

Due to advances in technology, military units have become smaller, able to perform tasks it took many more men to accomplish in the past. The smallest division is a rifle squad, made up of a Corporal, Lance Corporal, and two Privates, each paired into two man teams: a Rifle Team, and a Gun Team. A section is composed of two squads led by a Sergeant accompanied by a driver for the M577 APC. If needed, a UD-4 Cheyenne dropship and crew are added to the section. A rifle platoon is made up of two sections, and it is led by a lieutenant and often supported by an android advisor.

USCM Offensive Weapons

M41A Pulse Rifle: The standard assault rifle of the USCM and U.S. Army, it commonly has an undermounted PN 30mm grenade launcher. The rifle has a retractable stock and can mount a 3x AN/RVS-52 CCD telescopic sight. The gun fires standard U.S. M309 10mm X 24 210 grain caseless high-explosive armor piercing (HEAP) rounds. The rounds are designed to pierce body armor and explode moments after impact. The gun operates using electronic pulses and must be recharged after every 10,000 rounds. It has a LED display showing the number of rounds left in a clip, and standard practice is to only load magazines to 95 rounds due to their tendency to jam. The rifle can be set to single, four-round burst, or full automatic fire.

PN 30mm Grenade Launcher: The grenade launcher is designed to be attached to the M41A assault rifle, and does not work as a stand alone weapon. It must be hand-loaded (four round capacity), and it is armed with a pump action. Once primed, it can be fired from a trigger in front of the magazine. A variety of ammunition can be utilized in the launcher.

• M40 HE: This is the most common 30mm round used in the PN launcher. It explodes, showering over 300 fragments in a 5 meter area. It can also be used as a hand grenade by flipping off the red plastic cap and twisting the nose clockwise. It has a delay fuse of 5 seconds, but care must be taken not to press the cap, as it will explode immediately. This round functions as a normal fragmentation grenade with a 14 Dmg base.

• M38 HEAP: This green-capped grenade is identical to the M40 except that it is armor piercing and can penetrate up to 7 centimeters of steel.

• M51A AB: The M51A has a blue cap and is air burst. When it impacts, a charge propels the grenade up two meters into the air where it explodes. It inflicts 14 Dmg like the grenades above, but damage is only reduced by one for every two yards from ground zero.

• M108 Canister: This is a buckshot round designed for close-quarters combat. It has a black cap, and it fires like a shotgun out to 30 meters inflicting 8 dice of Dmg.

• M230 Baton: These are designed as riot control and nonlethal ammunition. They do not inflict damage on their own, instead damage is inflicted by the number of successes. For example, firing this grenade at someone will only inflict a number of Health Levels equal to the number of successes the firer scores.

• M60 WP: A grenade with a white cap, the M60 explodes and sprays white phosphorous over a 15 meter area. It inflicts an initial 12 dice of damage, as well as filling areas with smoke and starting fires. This damage is aggravated to supernatural creatures.

• M72A1 Starshell: A grenade marked with an "S", this is a flare fired 200 meters into the air. It then ignites and drifts down on a parachute for 45 seconds. It releases 50,000 candlelight, but it is not much use in atmospheres were fire cannot burn.

M56 Smart Gun: The M56 is the standard issue machine gun for the USCM, being pulse operated and firing the M250 10mm X 28 caseless HEAP round. It is operated from a gyrostabilized, self-steering bracket. The gun auto tracks targets and when fired, shoots for center mass. Its ammunition has a variable fuse setting for the delay of explosion. It can be optimized for soft or hard targets. The gun is powered by a DV9 lithium battery which can fire up to 50,000 rounds before being recharged. The gun can be set to a four-round burst or set on full automatic.

M240A1 Flamethrower: This rifle-like flamethrower does not have an accompanying fuel pack, instead having a canister of napthal attached like a clip. Each canister can fire for about 20 seconds of sustained fire, or around 20 one second bursts. Much like napalm, the flaming liquid burns underwater, and it is difficult to remove. Once lit, it blazes for about thirty seconds before being consumed. Note, while ignited napthal will burn underwater, the M240A1 cannot be fired underwater.

M42A Scope Rifle:This is designed as a high-power sniper rifle which can fire the M250 round like the M56 Smart Gun, or it can chamber its own match grade M252 HEAP 10mm X 28 caseless round. It includes a flash suppressor and bipod. Also, it has a twenty power scope with image, infrared, and electromagnetic emissions displays.

M4A3 Pistol: One of the few weapons of the modern USCM that closely resembles a weapon from the 20th century, this hardy pistol has not changed much over the past 60 years. Other than being crafted of lighter and more durable materials, this pistol strongly resembles the Colt automatics of the 1990s. It chambers the old fashion 9mm Parabellum ball ammunition. There is an experimental M901 round that has a metal core and encased in resin. The idea is that the resin shatters when impacting armor, allowing the metal core to continue unimpeded. While effective, there are problems with achieving terminal results.

M5 Rocket Propelled Grenade: Resembling a bazooka, this is a shoulder-fired weapon designed for use against light armor and bunkers. The M5 contains a single 60mm hypervelocity spin-stabilized HEAP rocket, and it can be manually reloaded. The M5 has a four power scope, and it also releases backblast when fired. Care must be taken not to injure others or oneself when firing the weapon in tight quarters.

M78 Phased Plasma Infantry Gun: The PIG is one of the most powerful weapons in the USCM, but it is also one of the slowest. The weapon is a 15 megawatt system that fires a vaporized Cadium Telluride pellet at hypervelocity for devastating effect. Unfortunately, it takes about three seconds for the weapon to fire, making it difficult to hit moving targets. For armor piercing, the PIG can't be beat, being able to blast through even the heaviest of tank armor. It looks like a bazooka attached to a large battery pack.

M83A2 SADAR: The shoulder-launched active-homing disposable anti-tank rocket is the 22nd century's version of the LAW anti-tank weapon. It uses IR targeting to lock on, making it a fire-and-forget weapon. It is a single-shot disposable weapon, and it does have a backblast. Once locked onto to a target, it seeks the hottest part of the target (which is typically the engine of vehicles) and adjusts course to strike it. The warhead is HEAP and can penetrate light and medium armor. The guidance system can be turned off allowing it to be fired at targets without an IR signature (like a Xenomorph).

M112 HIMAT: This is a high powered missile launcher designed to destroy tanks and other heavy armor. It can be linked into a sensor matrix (see below) for perimeter defense and can launch at land as well as airborn targets. It consists of a launch tube and bipod (resembling a mortar), and it can be reloaded in the field. When fired, the HIMAT accelerates to Mach 4.5 (yes, this does produce a sonic boom) and rockets towards its target. Like the SADAR, it determines optimum location for impact. Just before impact, the warhead explodes, projecting a tungsten rod forward at the target, penetrating most types of armor.

USCM Defensive Systems

The most important part of a defense system is the setup of a matrix. The matrix consists of overlaping sensors with infrared imaging, electromagnetic emission, IFF (Identification Friend Foe) transponder, motion tracking, lidar, radar, and robotic sentry. It is extremely difficult to penetrate a matrix, but it is not impossible. Stealth equipment does exist, and where there is a will, there is a way. After the matrix is in place, smart weaponry can linked in, allowing automated defense to handle the perimeter.

M3 Personal Body Armor: The dangerous weaponry of the 22nd century has necessitated the design of strong body armor. Not only must it protect against small arms fire, it must also protect against artillery and explosions. M3 is constructed of layers, including an outer plate of titanium aluminide over a boron carbide core bonded to a layer of graphite-composite carbon-fiber. Under this is a woven mesh of Venlar (next generation Kevlar). The multi-piece armor protects the torso, shoulders, groin, knees, shins, and backs of legs. Head protection is achieved with an M10 ballistic helmet. The armor is designed to afford maximum protection with the slightest encumberance. M3 armor provides level 4 armor rating and imposes a movement penalty of 1. Note that M3 armor is effective against firearms, impact, edged weapons, fragmentation, and lasers. It will also protect against the blood of the Xenomorphs, but it will be destroyed if used thusly.

Motion Tracker: This handheld device emites ultrasound bursts and relies on doppler-shift to detect motion in the scanned area. Outdoors, the system can detect movement up to 1000 meters away. However, indoors walls and other obstructions can cut this down to as little as 20 meters. The sounds bursts can be detected by electronic listening devices and can be used to target someone carrying the unit, thus they are often used when hunting beings without high tech equipment. The devices filter out small movements, such as crawling insects and rustling leaves. A creature moving extremely slowly can by-pass the system without setting it off.

UA 571-C Remote Sentry Weapons System: The UA 571-C is a smart weapon that can be setup by a marine in close to three minutes. It has a tripod stand, battery pack, sensor array, gun assembly, and 500 round drum magazine. The sentry gun can be linked to a matrix, or rely on its own IFF, ambient light optics, lidar, and ultrasonic motion detection array to identify targets. It can fire in a 360 degree arc and fire up and down. The pulse action receiver chambers the M250 10mm X 28 HEAP round (identical round fired by the M56 Smart Gun). The weapon can be set to auto fire or to signal a sentry and ask for instruction when a target is detected. The weapon fires most optimal round grouping and number to eliminate the identified target. The smart system fires with a difficulty of 7 and 9 dice of damage.

There are two variants, the 571-D and the 571-F. The 571-D mounts a 20 megawatt high frequency laser which is identical in every way except that it can fire 50 times and inflict 10 dice of damage with a difficulty of 6. The 571-F mounts a 30mm grenade launcher that fires the same rounds as the PN 30 mm grenade launcher. This model hits with a difficulty of 7 and can fire 40 rounds of grenades.

Environmental Considerations

In the film Aliens, the marines could not fire due to risk of causing a nuclear meltdown. Imagine a stray bullet going through the hull of a space ship! Heaven help the poor soul who fires a M240A1 flamethrower in an air-sealed environment, such as in a dropship. A sustained firefight inside of a building could easily bring down the roof.

Another factor that anyone fighting the Xenomorphs must consider is the acidic blood of the aliens. This super acid can eat through just about anything, and it is extremely hazardous on a battlefield. For example, shooting at an alien above you would most likely result in an acid bath from above. Fighting on multiple levels can be exceedingly dangerous to allies below your position. Shooting an alien on the third floor of a building will result in acid running straight down through all of the lower levels. Careful planning must always be taken in order to combat the Xenomorphs effectively. Poor decisions can lead to avoidable casualties.

H/K Berserker Teams

Conversion to a MAX berserker is irreversible and debilitating. The human and MAX become one and cannot be separated. The exoskeleton is armor plated and is heat and acid resistant. The two arms are tipped with weapons instead of hands. One is tipped with a revolving liquid-propulsion 30mm grenade launcher and M41A pulse rifle. The other arm is a tricapacity M210 flamethrower unit. A fully loaded MAX carries 5000 rounds of M309 10mm X 24 HEAP rounds, 100 M38 HEAP grenades, and 60 napthal blasts. The computer tracking system allows the MAX to fire all weapons with a difficulty of 5. The thick dull orange armor of the suit is level 7 defense, meaning that most small arms cannot even damage the system. Additionally, the suit can wade in XT blood and not take damage.

The volunteers in an H/K team are all long term convicts who are offered early release if they serve. There is a huge mortality rate in the teams, but for many convicts, it is their only chance at freedom. They are equipped like a regular USCM and sent into heavily infested areas. One of the volunteers is always a "baiter". This unfortunate individual wears a special mask and allows himself to be captured by Drones. This requires him to enter an infested area unarmed and "play dead". He will be taken to the center of the Hive and bound to the walls. The mask will prevent the "facehuggers" from being able to implant him (but it won't stop them from trying!). The "baiter" carries a transponder that the MAX uses to locate the center of the Hive and the Queen. Thus, man has found a way to use the alien's habits against them. Unfortunately, most of the "baiters" suffer from severe mental trauma. They continually surrender to the most dangerous creatures man has ever encountered, and there is no guarantee that the MAX will succeed in the rescue!

Unfortunately, the people in the MAX systems are NOT volunteers. Even the techs who help run the MAX systems are unaware of this. It is important to note that a person can interface with a MAX without being surgically altered, but it is crippling. The the probe interface shoots into the brain stem and links directly. This inflicts 3 points of damage (soakable) and the link can only be maintained for a number of hours equal to the person's Stamina. Each time the person interfaces he loses a permanent point of Intelligence (this is an unavoidable loss) and risks gaining a permanent derangement.

Use in the World of Darkness

• Kindred: A Xenomorph would not attempt to lay an egg in a vampire; however, the territorial bugs would definitely kill a vampire if found. It would be interesting to see what effect vampire blood would have on an alien. Could they be ghouled, and if so, could they be controlled? Sounds like a potentially disasterous experiment much like found in the novels. Ghouls can be used as incubators, with unknown results. The trauma will put them at incapacitated when the baby emerges, and they will die unless supernatural intervention occurs. But what about the resulting alien? Will it have powers of a ghoul and addiction to vampire blood? What about a ghouled Queen? A vampire with a high level of Auspex might be able to communicate with the Xenomorphs.

• Changing Breeds: The Xenomorphs have been known to implant humans and dogs, so there is no reason why a Garou could not be impregnated; however, most beings are rendered helpless in a cocoon of secretions so a "facehugger" can attach itself. Assuming a Garou could be imprisoned thusly, an alien could grow inside it. A Garou that has an alien rip its way out of it may die. It is immediately rendered incapacitated, and it will die if in Breed form. If not in Breed form, or if it is Metis, it will heal at the normal Garou rate. This damage is not aggravated, but it does require a roll on the battle scars table.

• Mages: Mages are basically normal human beings with extraordinary abilities. If another mage were able to heal the impregnated mage (or any other human) during exodus, he would survive, but he would be at the incapacitated Health Level. With no outside help, the process is fatal. Mages cannot heal themselves while a newborn Xenomorph claws its way out of the torso.

• Wraiths: Having no physical form, wraiths have nothing to worry about. Many a wraith has been created by a birthing Xenomorph, however. It would not be odd for a Hive to have wraithly denizens. A Risen wraith, like the vampire, is of no use to an alien and will be attacked like a threat to the Hive.

• Changelings: A faerie can be impregnated just like a human. This will not cause death to their fey souls, but it will kill them in this life.

• Mummies: A mummy is, for all intents and purposes, a normal human being to the bugs, and an alien could gestate inside one. If the corpse is kept in the Hive, this could result in a horrible fate as the mummy returns to life over and over.

• Gypsies: Like the mummy and the mage, these beings are treated as normal humans.

• Fomori: Assuming it can be captured, it is just as useful as a human. Depending on the powers of the Fomor, it may or may not survive the birthing. Would the resulting alien be Wyrm tainted or even a form of Fomor in itself?

• Immortals: The immortals are of great use to the Hive, as they can birth alien after alien. Such an agonizing existence would definitely result in some serious derangements.

• Yautja: The alien beings from the movies Predator and Predator II, these hunters pride themselves on their abilities to Hunt the bugs. Aliens can grow inside a Yautja host. For more information about the interaction between these two races, see Predator: The Hunt.

Chronicle Ideas

As in the books, the bugs arrive on Earth and breed faster than rabbits. It is up to the humans or the supernaturals to stop them. This type of chronicle works well for mortals; however, it also is a nice way to unite a group of diverse character types. They either work together or perish. Thus, vampires and werewolves could work side by side in the war. Mages would be very likely to be involved, especially the Technocracy, for they likely brought the aliens here to begin with. Wraiths may try to protect their loved ones. Of course, with a full-scale invasion, millions of new wraiths would be created very quickly.

Umbra Exploration

A Void Engineer ship encounters the aliens in deep space. The aliens could be on a derelict ship, strange planet, or aboard a Yautja ship. The Engineers could be in a fight for their lives much like in the films, or they could bring the aliens home for experimental purposes. They could break lose or some very interesting results could come of the experiments.

Crossbreed

The Void Engineers or Progenitors could create one or more human/alien crossbreeds. Appearing human, they could escape and try to hide in society using their enhanced powers to fend off "collection teams". Alternately, the crossbreeds could be an elite combat team. They would make excellent weapons against the Xenomorphs, since they can hear their communications. Would they remain loyal or try to join the Hive?

Bug Hunt

A ship of young Yautja in training (see Predator: The Hunt) have stocked a planet with bugs. Now they want to Hunt. Characters could play as Yautja in the Hunt, or they could be other races who have proven themselves worthy to Hunt with the predators. Werewolf and Yautja fighting back to back deep in the Hive?

Genocide

Characters could easily be caught in the middle of a race war between the Red aliens and the Blacks. It would be interesting to see how a troupe could use the genocidal tendencies of the aliens against them. This kind of war would make most sense some time after the Alien-Earth War, but a creative Storyteller could probably come up with a good reason to have the Reds come to exist "early".

Semper Fi

This is probably the most common Chronicle for those not wishing to mix the Xenomorphs and supernaturals. The characters play as soldiers in the United States Colonial Marines. Perhaps they are replaying the movie Aliens, or are taking on a mission at a point after the film. This type of campaign works well with the Invasion concept.

LV-426

Something that is never mentioned in the movies, the explosion that wiped out Hadley's Hope on LV-426 was not near the derelict ship containing the Xenomorph eggs. Not only was the ship well outside of the nuclear blast, it was shielded from fallout by the Ilyium mountain range. For those who care to look, the ship is still there, and it still contains its lethal cargo!

Statistics

Talents:

Alertness 4, Athletics 4 (Climbing), Brawl 4 (Bite), Dodge 2, Intimidation 5 (Physical)

Skills:

Survival 3, Stealth 4 (Silence), Security 2, Spit 4, Hunting 3, Tracking 3

Willpower 8

Facehugger:

Talents:

Alertness 3, Athletics 3, Brawl 2 (Facehuggers may only Grapple), Dodge 2

Skills:

Stealth 4 (Hiding)

Willpower 6

Queen:

Talents:

Alertness 3, Athletics 3, Brawl 4 (Bite), Dodge 1, Intimidation 5 (Physical)

Skills:

Stealth 2, Survival 3, Spit 3, Security 2

Willpower 9

Queen Mother:

Talents:

Alertness 3, Athletics 3, Brawl 5 (Bite), Intimidation 7 (Physical)

Skills:

Stealth 2, Survival 3, Spit 3, Security 2

Willpower 9

Alien Crossbreed:

Talents:

Alertness 3, Athletics 3, Brawl 5 (Bite), Dodge 2, ntimidation 5 (Physical)

Skills:

Stealth 2, Survival 3, Security 2

Willpower 8

Bibliography

Movies: Alien, Aliens, Alien³, Alien Resurrection

Novels: Alien Harvest, Alien Resurrection, Berserker, Genocide, Labyrinth, Rogue, Alien-Earth War Series: Book I: Earth Hive, Book II: Nightmare Asylum, Book III: The Female War, Aliens vs. Predator Series: Prey, Hunter's Planet, War

Other Books: Colonial Marines Technical Manual

Video Games: Aliens vs. Predator