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.
• Non-human to the AI.

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 breathe 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.
• Immune to cold, viruses, and radiation.
• Can't bleed.
• Does not need to eat.

Drawbacks

• They stand out, badly.
• Likely target of racism.
• Move slowly, due to their jumpsuits.
• They rely on a constant source of Plasma air to survive.
• If exposed to Oxygen their body will catch on fire.
• 150% 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.
• Cannot be cloned without a specifically built plasma room, or debraining.
• Cannot be defibrillated.

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 thrive in light and can't survive darkness for too long.

Benefits

• Gradually heals and gains nutrition in well lit areas.
• Immune to plant-based hazards such as space vines and killer tomatoes.
• Bees don't mind them.

Drawbacks

• Darkness drains nutrition.
• If starving, takes damage over time.
• Tendency to be overweight due to desire to stay in the light at all times.
• Extra vulnerable to chemicals designed to kill plant life.
• Takes extra burn damage and heats up quickly.
• Mutates if shot by a floral somatoray in mutation mode.

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

• Anything that would deal toxin damage (for example, Plasma) will heal toxin damage instead.
• Full immunity from the wrath of hungry slimes.
• Toxic blood that can poison others if ingested.
• Immunity to viruses and bleeding out.
• Take half damage from heat, fire, and laser weaponry.
• Can split themselves to create spare bodies.
  • To split they need to acquire slime jelly; they generate it either by being well fed or by taking toxin damage (which heals them). Toxin healing chemicals will remove blood at a fast rate.
  • Reaching 1100 jelly volume will let you split once, and reset you to 600.
  • They can swap between bodies at will as long as they're conscious; dying in your current body will still kill you, being unconscious in one will trap you in that body.
• Can grow limbs back using their slimelike blood.

Drawbacks

• Lose limbs when blood volume is low.
• Take toxin damage from chemicals that would normally cure it. This will also drain blood, and thus causes loss of limbs.
• Nonhuman to the AI.
• Large hunger from jelly production.
• 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.
• Badly hurt by pest spray.
• BADLY hurt by fly swatters.

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 and can't be dismembered.
• Spaceworthy: immune to pressure, temperature, and breathing.
• Their punches deal high damage and can stun.
• Have no blood to lose.
• Immune to the effects of radiation and viruses.
• 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.
• The Free Golem ship.

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.
• Aren't bothered by extreme temperatures and pressure.
• Have no blood to lose.
• Are immune to the effects of radiation, as well as viruses.
• Immune to item embedding and chemical injections.
• Do not need to eat.
• Can attach limbs from the ground without surgery.

Drawbacks

• Loses limbs easily.
• Too spooky for most to tolerate.
• Immune to medical injections

Where to find them:

• With wizards, on the station on Halloween.

High-functioning Zombies

Unlike the zombies you find in movies, these high-functioning 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 pressures.
• Immune to cold.
• Have no blood to lose.
• Are immune to the effects of radiation.
• Can attach limbs from the ground without surgery.
• Immune to Changeling transmutation stings.

Drawbacks

• Loses limbs easily.
• Hard to understand.
• Ugly.
• Tends to be confused with the infectious kind of zombie.

Where to find them:

• Xenobiology, or on the station on Halloween

Romerol Zombies

Rotted remains of former humans, brought way less back to life. Unlike the zombies you find in Xenobiology, Romerol zombies aren't just a human mutation. They are aggressive by nature, and spread an infection when hitting other humanoids, causing them to turn into Romerol zombies on death.

They cannot use their hands for anything but clawing their targets. They're strong enough to punch through airlocks given enough hits.

They also won't stay dead as long as the infection is active and their head is intact: to stop them permanently, the body must be destroyed or beheaded, or the infection must be surgically removed. If this does not happen, the zombie will revive at full health after some time.

The infection in concentrated in a tumor located in the brain. Should this tumor be removed surgically, the body will revert to a normal corpse, which can then be cloned.

They can also see in the dark, so hiding is not an option in most cases. Just run.

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.
• Immune to viruses.

Drawbacks

• Will perish in the light.
• 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

• The same as Slimepeople, but without the extra vulnerability to cold.

Drawbacks

• Same as Slimepeople, without the added resistance to fire/heat/lasers.
• Extremely nonhuman looking.

Where to find them:

• Xenobiology

Synths

Humanoid robots, disguised as an organic race. When damaged enough, their fake flesh will fall off and has to be repaired with synthflesh.

Benefits

• Immune to all chemicals but synthflesh.
• Does not need to breathe.
• Immune to viruses.
• Can't be dismembered.
• Does not need to eat.
• Gains all the passive bonuses/immunities of the race they're disguised as, until the disguise falls.

Drawbacks

• Usually valid. Expect the crew to attack you if you're revealed as synth.
• Disguise falls if you take more than 25 damage.
• Can only heal with synthflesh.

Where to find them:

• Only if the admins gods spawn them.

Military Synths

A special type of synth. In addition to classic synths, it has:

• 25% natural armor against all damages.
• High punch damage, with 50% chance of stunning on hit.
• Need to take 50 damage instead of 25 for the disguise to fail.

Androids

Humanlike robots, distant cousins of synths. A similar result can be achieved by fully augmenting a human.

Benefits

• Does not need to breathe, immune to gases and viruses.
• Immunity to pressure, cold and heat, can't be set on fire.
• Does not bleed.
• Does not need to eat.
• Can attach limbs from the ground without surgery.
• Cannot be pierced by syringes or glass.
• Can repair brute damage with welding and burn damage by replacing wires.

Drawbacks

• Cannot heal brute and burn damage with conventional means.
• Paralyzed and heavily damaged by EMPs.

Where to find them:

• Robotics
• Xenobiology

Abductors

Alien beings sent here to probe the station's crew. They cannot speak normally, but instead use a special frequency tuned to their mothership: different abductor teams have separate channels. Abductors created in different ways share a common abductor channel instead, and cannot hear natural abductors.

Benefits

• Does not bleed.
• Does not need to breathe.
• Is immune to viruses.
• Can use abductor-specific equipment.
• Can see in the dark for short ranges.
• Can communicate without restrictions with fellow abductors.

Drawbacks

• Can't use guns, except the one they start with.
• Cannot be heard by non-abductors when speaking.

Where to find them:

• Abductor ships

Golems

They function equivalently to their adamantine counterpart; they are made in Free Golem ships by completing printed golem shells or in Xenobiology by using iron on adamantine slimes. Unlike adamantine golems, they are not compelled to serve their creator, and can be made out of different minerals.

Benefits

• Extremely resilient to brute damage.
• Spaceworthy: immune to pressure, temperature, and breathing.
• Improved unarmed attacks. They deal a lot of damage and can stun.
• Have no blood to lose.
• Are immune to the effects of radiation.
• Have extra bonuses depending on the mineral they're made of.

Drawbacks

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

Where to find them:

• Lavaland