Guide to races

During your time on station you may find yourself face to face (or face to mirror) with the not quite human. Be they aliens, mutated humans, or self aware constructs you're expected to try and coexist on this deathtrap. Learning their quirks can be key to knowing how to keep them amicable in times of peace, and easy to put down in times of strife.

Roundstart Races

On tgstation, these are the races allowed to be chosen at round start. Because they are freely available, you should expect to deal with them nearly every round.

Humans

On the station humans enjoy a degree of superiority over other races, everyone you meet in a position of power will generally be a human. By default, the AI will apply the protections of its laws ONLY to humans, though they may extend that protection to other races out of preference provided doing so doesn't harm humans. Should a conflict arise between a human and another race, expect the AI to take the human's side.

Benefits

• AI Protection under the default Asimov lawset.
• Domination of Command Jobs.
• Strength in numbers.

Drawbacks

• Prone to mutation to other races.
• No special traits.

Where to find them:

• Everywhere.

Lizardpeople

Second class citizens, lizards are generally relegated to lower level work. Within a department a lizard staff member may enjoy anywhere from almost equal standing to obvious racism and disrespect, depending on their coworkers. They enjoy few advantages beyond their striking appearance.

Benefits

• Memorable appearance.
• Solidarity with lizards staffmates.

Drawbacks

• Likely target of racism.
• Also prone to mutation to mutant races.
• Noticeable lisssp.

Where to find them:

• Everywhere but command department.

Plasmaman

A recently discovered race that inhabits orbital bodies with high concentrations of Plasma. Plasmamen have a hard time living on oxygen based space stations as they breath pure Plasma as their air supply, thus they wear special environmental suits to protect them. They have almost no advantages mechanics wise, and must rely on their skill and respect to get by.

Benefits

• They stand out.
• Can use their bodies drawback of setting on fire offensively to scare off attackers.
• Flash-proof, welding-safe helmet.

Drawbacks

• They stand out, badly.
• Likely target of racism.
• They rely on a constant source of Plasma air to survive.
• If exposed to Oxygen their body will catch on fire.
• Double damage from heat and fire.
• They are stuck inside an environment suit.
• Can't drink or eat through helmet, so dependent on injections and patches.
• No ability to hide their identity.
• The AI and its minions are almost always free to maim or kill you if you are seen harming a human.

Where to find them:

• Everywhere aside from any command, security or entertainment department.

Human Mutants

Over the course of a shift, you or someone you know may lose their humanity. These races are not born, but made. These players are less likely to be the targets of racism, as many may simply acknowledge their former humanity, but are none the less NOT human anymore.

Podpeople

Human blood, resurrected through a plant. Podpeople are rare to see, often only making an appearance if the cloner has been destroyed or the power is out for an extended period of time. They enjoy a significant benefit in healing but suffer huge drawbacks. Without a source of light, they quickly wither and die.

Benefits

• Gradually heals and gains nutrition in well lit areas. Tip: use ammonia to double health regenaration.

Drawbacks

• Starves to death in darkness.
• Tendency to be overweight due to desire to stay in the light at all times.
• Extra vulnerable to chemicals designed to kill plant life.

Where to find them:

• Hydroponics.

Slimepeople

Former humans who were converted to slime by mutation toxin. Many scientists working in xenobiology will undergo this mutation willingly to work closer with their slimes, but others may mass produce the toxin and try to push it on others. Their bodies are composed of a toxic slime, which shouldn't be consumed by other races.

Benefits

• Full immunity from the wrath of hungry slimes.
• Toxic blood that can poison others if ingested.
• Immunity to bleeding out.
• Take reduced damage from heat, fire, and laser weaponry
• Can split themselves to create spare bodies.

Drawbacks

• More vulnerable to turning into nonhumanoid slimes.
• Large hunger from jelly production.
• Can be "drained" to death by removing their jelly manually or "cleansed" to death with drugs that treat toxin damage.
• Take double damage from sources of cold

Where to find them:

• Xenobiology.

Flypeople

Walking abominations of mishmatched DNA caused by teleporter malfunctions. Careful use and upgrading of the teleporter can assure those that dabble with it don't end up in this sorry state. Unlike other mutant races, there's absolutely nothing redeemable about existing like this, unless you just enjoy being a freak.

Benefits

• None.

Drawbacks

• Buz-zz-zing lisp.
• Grotesque appearance.
• Eats vomit

Where to find them:

• Near a teleporter, the surgical theater.

Construct Races

These races were never human to begin with, rather they were made without any original human to convert. They are decidedly even LESS human in the eyes of many, and are frequently mistrusted as a result.

Adamantine Golems

Lumbering people of shining stone, adamantine golems are born into the servitude of their creators. While some will immediately gift these golems with freedom others will keep them close as assistants, bodyguards, or attack dogs. Golems do not have a will of their own unless granted one by their creator, and are not directly responsible for their actions if commanded.

Benefits

• Extremely resilient to brute damage.
• Spaceworthy: immune to pressure, temperature, and breathing.
• Improved unarmed attacks.
• Have no blood to lose.
• Immune to the effects of radiation.
• Immune to item embedding.
• Immune to chemical injections.
• It beats being dead.

Drawbacks

• Bound to will of creator unless freed.
• Extremely slow.
• Immune to cryogenic drugs.
• Immune to medical injections.
• Cannot equip clothing.
• Cannot use guns.
• Often prejudiced against and slain without mercy by the station at first sign of trouble.

Where to find them:

• Xenobiology.

Exotic Races

These races have very few ways to come about, and often rely on very rare situations to exist at all. You will almost never have to deal with them, but should be aware of them all the same for when the time comes.

Skeletons

The skeleton within, unleashed! Somehow still alive, a skeleton is just a sack of stark white bones. Clattering spooks, due to their supernatural qualities they're almost always associated with wizards. Skeletons enjoy a wide selection of useful immunities, just don't expect the crew to ever enjoy looking at you ever again.

Benefits

• Don't need to breathe.
• Can survive in extreme temperatures.
• Have no blood to lose.
• Are immune to the effects of radiation.
• Immune to item embedding.
• Immune to chemical injections.

Drawbacks

• Too spooky for most to tolerate.
• Immune to medical injections

Where to find them:

• With wizards, on the station on Halloween.

Zombies

Rotted remains of former humans, brought almost all the way back to life. Unlike the zombies you find in movies, these zombies don't crave your brains despite what they might be compelled to say sometimes. It's perfectly possible to coexist with these zombies, though understanding their slurring speech might drive some to wish it wasn't.

Benefits

• Don't need to breathe.
• Can survive in extreme temperatures.
• Have no blood to lose.
• Are immune to the effects of radiation.

Drawbacks

• Very hard to understand.
• Very hard to look at.

Where to find them:

• On the station on Halloween

Shadowpeople

Cursed beings of darkness, shadows that cannot exist for long in the light. They skulk in darkened maintenance corridors or in workplaces with intentionally destroyed lighting. They are not intrinsically evil, but still invoke an understandable level of mistrust in pretty much everyone.

They share many of the passive effects of shadowlings, but none of their innate spells or abilities. They are far less a threat.

Benefits

• Gradually heals in the dark.
• Don't need to breathe.
• Have no blood to lose.
• Are immune to the effects of radiation.
• Can see far in the dark.

Drawbacks

• Will perish in the light.
• Cannot see well in the dark.
• Generally impossible to maintain a normal life on the station.

Where to find them:

• In the darkness.

Jellypeople

Bizarre three eyed beings with innervated skeletons immersed in a jelly frame. Their appearance is ghastly and utterly alien, though for some strange reason they almost seem nostalgic. They are functionally equivalent to slimepeople in almost all regards.

Benefits

• Toxic blood that can poison others if ingested.
• Immunity to bleeding out.

Drawbacks

• Large hunger from jelly production.
• Can be "drained" to death by removing their jelly manually or "cleansed" to death with drugs that treat toxin damage.
• Extremely nonhuman looking.

Where to find them:

• Unknown.

Golems

They function equivalently to their adamantine counterpart; they are made in Free Golem ships by completing printed golem shells. Unlike adamantine golems, they are not compelled to serve their creator, and can be made out of different minerals, althought that will only change their appearance.

Benefits

• Extremely resilient to brute damage.
• Spaceworthy: immune to pressure, temperature, and breathing.
• Improved unarmed attacks.
• Have no blood to lose.
• Are immune to the effects of radiation.

Drawbacks

• Extremely slow.
• Immune to cryogenic drugs.
• Cannot equip clothing.
• Cannot use guns.

Where to find them:

• Lavaland