The Geonosian Encyclopedia
Being the Geonosian that I am, I've decided to compile as much information on my own species as possible, so as to share it with the galaxy. We Geonosians are, after all, better than any other species in the universe. Period.
-Thriggle
Geonosians According to www.starwars.com:
An insectoid species divided into castes, the Geonosians are native to the harsh rocky world of Geonosis. Geonosians construct immense, organic-looking spires within which reside their hive colonies.
There are two main types of Geonosians: the wingless drones that mostly work as laborers, and the winged aristocrat, which includes royal warriors serving as scouts and providing security to the hive. All Geonosians have a hard, chitinous exoskeleton, elongated faces, multi-jointed limbs, and speak in a strange clicking language.
Though labeled "warriors," Geonosians do not have a standing military. They instead use their droid foundries to build armies for corporate interests wealthy enough to afford them -- entities such as the Trade Federation and the Techno Union. Despite relatively simple minds, the Geonosians are adept at mechanical construction, and are contractors to many of the galaxy's biggest manufacturing concerns. They are responsible for the construction of some of the largest feats of engineering ever witnessed.
The hardships of the native environment coupled with rigid structure codified in their caste society has fostered a barbaric side to the Geonosians. Their simple minds view brutal violence as entertainment, and Geonosians congregate in massive execution arenas to watch victims doomed to die by being subjected to savage creatures.
Geonosian society exists for the benefit of the few in the upper caste. Ruling members think nothing of forcing thousands of workers to labor for their whims. They have overseen the creation of the spectacular architectural realm in which they all live, adapting forms they once built by instinct into more refined, spire-like structures.
Their caste system has evolved over millennia. Geonosians are born into specific castes divided along the lines of their physical attributes. Though most Geonosians are content to live within their assigned castes, a few develop ambition and aspire to ascend socially. The aristocrats are brutal in their management of the workers, forcing them to toil under harsh conditions regardless of any dangers.
What little hope an aspiring Geonosian has lies in escape through gladiatorial combat. Geonosians of lower-caste are often pitted against other Geonosians, other sentients, or savage creatures in immense gladiatorial arenas. If the Geonosian surivives, he achieve status and ascends socially, or accrues enough wealth to leave Geonosis altogether.
Even those with the capacity to depart rarely leave Geonosis. The importance of the hive is strongly engrained in the Geonosian mind, and they are, as a whole, contemptuous of other species. The few that have ventured offworld usually do so as work groups that ultimately benefit their home hives. Geonosian contractors can be found at Baktoid Combat Automata plants across the Rim.
The winged Geonosian soldier drones grow to adulthood rapidly, and are ready for combat at the age of six. While they have intelligence enough to defend the hive from natural predators, they prove easily conquerable by more sharp-witted foes.
The latest Geonosian subgroup is a separate caste raised to be pilots. These hardy specimens require no sleep. In training, each pilot pupa pairs with a fighter's flight computer, and they develop an idiosyncratic, coordination-enhancing rapport.
Geonosians are strong despite their thin builds. Their tough exoskeletons provide protection from physical impacts, and from bouts of radiation that occasionally shower their world.
Geonosis According to www.starwars.com:
A harsh rocky world less than a parsec away from Tatooine, Geonosis is a ringed planet beyond the borders of the Galactic Republic. Its uninviting surface is marked by mesas and buttes, and barren stretches of parched desert hardpan. The rocks and sky are tinted in red, and the creatures that evolved on Geonosis are well equipped to survive in the harsh ecology.
The most advanced lifeform are the Geonosians, sentient insectoids that inhabit towering spire-hives. The Geonosians maintain large factories for the production of droids and weapons. Save for attending to clients that venture to the planet to place orders, the Geonosians typically keep to themselves.
The droid foundries and the planet's remote location made it an ideal base of operations for the Separatist movement that spread through the galaxy in the later years of the Republic. The Archduke of Geonosis, Poggle the Lesser, hosted an important meeting of the heads of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The commerce barons in attendance pledged their mechanical military forces to Count Dooku, the charismatic leader of the Separatist movement. The Separatists were ready to wage war, but their plans were overheard by Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The Jedi was taken captive, though he managed to dispatch a distress call to the Jedi Council. With their forces spread throughout the galaxy in an effort to maintain the peace, the Jedi Council was only able to dispatch 200 of their ranks to Geonosis. Obi-Wan, meanwhile, was sentenced to death in a huge execution arena. He and his compatriots, Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, had to face down three terrible arena creatures before the Jedi reinforcements arrived.
While the Jedi could easily contend with the Geonosians, they had not counted on the sheer size of the droid army laying in wait. Scores of battle droids poured into the arena, slaying many Jedi. A scant few Jedi remained before even more reinforcements arrived -- in the form of the newly created Republic clone army. With the arrival of these forces, the first battle of what was to become known as the Clone Wars began on Geonosis. The Republic military, led by the Jedi, were able to drive the Separatists into retreat.
An eerie world, Geonosis is marked by spectacular yet uninviting vistas. Radiation storms occasionally blast the surface, driving lifeforms underground for protection. Dense high-altitude fog produces gloomy, night-like conditions that may last for weeks. Life on Geonosis has adapted for such circumstances, and many creatures are bioluminescent.
A casual glance of the planet's desert plains would suggest the world is uninhabited, so carefully crafted is the Geonosian architecture. Immense, organic spires are actual hive-mounds built by the Geonosians, and upon closer inspection, escaping steam and exhaust vents betray its artificial nature. Geonosians cultivate a parasitic creature called a phidna that excretes raw material that Geonosian artisans mix with stone powders to form a rock paste substance.
The rings that orbit Geonosis are a mixed blessing. Geonosians harvest their rich metallic content for raw materials used in their secretive manufacturing processes, however the asteroids themselves form a security liability. Corporate spies can hide within the ring, and asteroids falling through the atmosphere are so common that cunning pilots can exploit the laziness of Geonosian scanner operators by flying down to the surface with only the most basic of sensor stealth.
Geonosian Starfighters According to www.starwars.com:
A lean, needle-nosed fighter-craft with a distinct alien heritage, the starfighters of the Geonosians are small, compact vessels of great speed and superior agility. A single Geonosian pilot sits within the cramped cockpit, his head poking up to peer out of a bubble canopy allowing a 360-degree field of vision. Cradled within the forward needles of the ship is a turret-mounted laser cannon.When Count Dooku fled the first engagement of the Clone Wars, a pair of Geonosian starfighters provided escort and covering fire.
The Geonosians are a territorial lot, and guard their spires and factories with genetically-encoded zeal. They have applied their craftsmanship into the construction of such security assets as the Nantex-class starfighter. The twin-pronged needle-nosed fighter is an effective deterrent to intruders of Geonosian airspace, and unlike their battle droid designs, the Geonosians have not marketed the craft to outside consumers.
This is mostly due to the ship's control systems being specificially tailored for a Geonosian pilot. The complex multi-axis control yokes require a Geonosian's dexterity, and vital performance feedback is provided to the pilot via a scent-stimulator mask that exploits the accute Geonosian olfactory senses.
The fighter's primary weapon is a turret-orb mounted laser cannon. The weapon orb and engine cluster are modular, and can be swapped out for mission specific requirements. In addition to its primary weapon orb, the starfighter is lined with dozens of independently-aiming narrow-beam tractor/repulsor projectors. These devices provide the ship with increased agility in an atmosphere, but can be used offensively to reduce the maneuverability of target craft.
The outer hull of the starfighter is constructed of woven, reinforced laminasteel. The flexible building material allows the starfighter to rebound from impacts that would fracture more rigid vessels.
Geonosian Sonic Blasters According to www.starwars.com
Arms manufacturers for the highest bidders, the Geonosians were no strangers to exotic and advanced forms of weaponry. They employed advanced sonic technology to project discrete globes of concussive energy at their targets. The Geonosians employed both hand-held and turret-mounted versions of their sonic cannons.
The standard sidearm of the Geonosian soldier uses oscillators to produce a devastating sonic blast. The energy is enveloped in a plasma containment sphere shaped by emitter cowls that channel the sonic beam. This stabilizes the sonic effect until it impacts against its target, resulting in a powerful omnidirectional blast. Large-scale Geonosian sonic cannons can be deployed as platforms, wherein the two or more Geonosian gunners allow the advanced targeting computers of the cannons to do most of the work.
Creatures of Geonosis According to www.starwars.com:
Acklay: The acklay originally hails from the lushly fertile planet of Vendaxa, a world with a dense ecosystem that has produced predators of nightmarish proportions. Acklay are diurnal creatures that hunt for drowsy nocturnal lemnai and spear them with their immense claws.
When offworld interests began coming to Geonosis for droid and technology contracts, they would occasionally pay the Archduke with exotic beasts to fill the Geonosian execution arena. The acklay was a prized specimen delivered decades ago, and the Geonosians took to breeding them for arena entertainment. Escaped acklays have resulted in the deaths of entire hives, and the spiny creatures quickly carved themselves a niche in the brutal Geonosian ecology. They have infested the shallow filmy brine of the Ebon Sea, becoming the dominant predator of the area.
The acklay is well equipped for survival in the harshest of environs. Its long postcranial frill not only serves as a display of aggression, but also protects the sensitive neck area from attacks. While the acklay itself lacks armor, its limbs are long enough that it can swipe from a safe distance. The acklay's foreward slashing claws are actually hypertrophied fingertips sheathed in hardened skin incapable of feeling pain.
Orray: Hardy pack animals used by the insectoid Geonosians, orrays are leathery-skinned quadrupeds with great strength and a quick gait. They are used to haul heavy loads, and as mounts for the picadors found in the Geonosis execution arena.
Before their domestication by the Geonosians, orrays would use their long snouts to root into the sensitive egg chambers of a new Geonosian hive, devouring thousands of larvae in a single meal. In the wild, orrays have tail stingers for defense, but domesticated orrays have these weapons amputated, which makes them more docile.
Massiff: Massiffs are burly quadruped carnivores, standing about a meter tall at the shoulder. They have coarse skin, large jaws, toothy mouths, big dark eyes, and a line of hard spines along their backs. They are found on both Tatooine and Geonosis. Tusken Raiders have been known to domesticate the creatures.
The close proximity of Geonosis and Tatooine undoubtedly led to the migration of the creature from one world to another, most likely the result of careless traders introducing the animal into a new ecosphere. On Geonosis, massiffs are emblems of the Geonosian aristocracy, and domesticated massiffs are used to rid the hives of vermin. On occasion, massiffs are used in arena fighting. On Tatooine, they are similarly domesticated as camp guard animals.
There is also mention of a species called a creepy roga that inhabits rocky Geonosis. It is apparently some sort of spider-like creature. A concept picture from starwars.com is shown below.
(END OF INFORMATION DIRECTLY FROM STARWARS.COM)
Now, I must say that I am offended by the way that we Geonosians are portrayed at starwars.com. I mean really, look at the adjectives! Simple, barbaric, brutal, lazy?!. Their information insults our caste system, and even claims that our warriors are too stupid to fight off intruders! They seem to be ignoring evidence to the contrary: 1) Geonosians designed the Death Star, 2) Geonosians can fly Geonosian Starfighters which require the use of multi-axis control yokes, olfactory scent masks, and dozens of tractor beam/repulsor beam projectors! And these Geonosian pilots don't even need to sleep! No human that I know of can manuever a starfighter, fire at an enemy craft, and lock onto it with a single independently aimed tractor beam, let alone dozens!. Where was I? Oh, yes. Evidence of Geonosian superiority. 3) Geonosians have constructed massive, complex factories able to build thousands of droids a day, 4) Geonosians are able to tame orrays and massiffs, 5) Geonosians speak a more complex language than humans, but also take the time and mental capability to learn to understand Basic, and 6) Geonosians of the Warrior caste (these are the dumb ones, according to www.starwars.com) are smart enough to fly, handle a gun, speak Geonosian, navigate a factory, and fight off Acklays at the age of SIX! Humans are still drooling, picking their noses, and wetting their beds at the age of Six! Some human six-year-olds even require older humans to "wipe" them every time they discharge excrement. And they call us simple?! Let me also point out that we have strong exoskeletons, and, I'll say it again, we can fly. I assume that it is simple-minded jealousy on the part of the humans that they would attempt to belittle us so.
*sigh* Well, there is more information coming. I have better sources than www.starwars.com. However, starwars.com did provide us with some valuable data:
1. Geonosians have highly sensitive olfactory senses
2. Geonosians of the aristocrat/warrior castes have wings
3. All Geonosians have armored exoskeletons and some protection from radiation
4. Geonosians are skilled in the following main areas: manufacturing, animal husbandry, and starfighter piloting. Geonosians also try to be warriors, but end up relying more on weaponry than on combat skills.
Now, for some more sources. The following information was obtained from the book, "Inside the Worlds of Star Wars: Attack of the Clones."
The red, outer rim planet of Geonosis is ringed by asteroids which were created by the decimation of a local moonlet by a two-kilometer wide comet. The planet surface is scarred from falling meteors and episodic radiation storms, which have caused several mass extinctions [However, as stated by starwars.com, the majority of the radiation on Geonosis is caused by its sun]. The semi-insectoid Geonosians--the planet's higher life-forms--were consequently driven underground, where they inhabit hives and manufacture battledroids. The planet's barren exterior is dominated by huge insectoids called merdeths [No, they didn't confuse merdeths with acklays, merdeths are another species], and various other animals, including savage massiffs.
[In reference to the hangar used by Jango Fett:] These small hangars dot the perimeter of the droid loading fields, and are equipped with Geonosian fighters ready to make lightning strikes against the occasional marauding merdeth or any other uninvited visitors.
Geonosian hives are connected to each other by kilometers of populated tunnels that extend underneath much of the planet; each hive guards its own tunnels with vigilance. Periodically, great wars are fought for control of the major hives, with battles taking place throughout the tunnel networks. At these times, sabotage is common, with sonic mines laind in rival's tunnels. [More on sonic weapons later...]
Every major factory has a grand entrance [like the one Obi Wan encounters after he lands on Geonosis], through which Geonosians recieve visiting clients. Meeting rooms and board rooms are located along nearby corridors, which means that customers are afforded only the briefest of glimpses into the turmoil of the factory before signing the all-important contract. The Geonosian landscape is dotted with similar rock towers, constructed from solidified rock paste strengthened with a laminasteel framework. Most towers act as cooling chimneys for the heavily populated hives below, letting out hot air through side vents. The factories typically lie just beneath the surface, with the living areas for drones alongside; beneath this are the more opulent nests and public spaces occupied by the ruling caste. Deeper still are enormous caverns fed by underground sreams in which edible fungus is cultivated to feed the general population. The queens' quarters are located at the deepest level, where the eggs are laid and hatched.
In between shifts, workers rest in storage alcoves located in warm corridors off the factory floor. They do not actually sleep, but slow their breathing and reduce circulation of their limbs and extremities. They remain alert despite their stillness and it takes little to rouse them. The Geonosian rulers realize the usefulness of having such a vast number of watchful (but dispensable) eyes.
The Geonosian factories were excavated by huge teams of Geonosian worker drones and are more than a kilometer deep. To supply the vast amounts of metal ore required, the Geonosians mine the iron-rich rock from the asteroid ring surrounding their planet. The rock is then crushed, melted by superlasers [that explains why Geonosians came up with the Death Star, eh?], and distributed around the factory to be poured into molds to form droid parts.
The Geonosian factories were established many centuries ago. In the early days of the expansion of the Republic, the Core Worlds encouraged the growth of local industry to promote galactic cohesion and to ensure that technology reached the furthest corners of the galaxy. With the eventual erosion of such idealism, many Geonosian factories were abandoned, but were later reopened to supply droids to the Trade Federation.
For the Geonosian masses, who live most of their lives underground, a visit to the execution arena is a dramatic and festive occasion. As the surface of the planet is dominated by fierce predatory insects, the risk of the arena being attacked is an added thrill. As the ruling archduke watches imperiously, drones and aristocrats crack their forlimbs together in appreciation of staged events: public executions, unarmed prisoner combat, and choreographed battles that demonstrate the military skills of new droid prototypes or Geonosian soldier hatchlings.
Vertical windows in towers of the arena also serve as entrances for the upper-caste, winged Geonosians. High-ranking officials sit under membrane awnings, mainly to draw attention to their exalted position. The richer Geonosian classes occupy the better-kept, lower seats. The bases of arenas often have ancient low-relief carvings depicting famous battles and events. Food served at arena events often includes lightly grilled arch grubs.
Visiting clients often bring wild animals as gifts for the Geonosians. Guards and picadors fear the arrival of non-native creatures, as their diet, moods, and strengths can be unpredictable. It is often impossible to contain the most aggressive beasts. Soldier drones in sentry houses watch out for surface predators.
Underneath the Execution Arena of Episode II, there was a growth pit for a specialty fungus that interacts
with chemicals in a Geonosian's stomach to give off a body smell which produces euphoria.
Sonic cannons were operated by Geonosian soldier drones. The Cannons fire balls of high-impact concussion energy. The Geonosians house an arsenal of these weapons at the execution arena for use in the event of outbreaks by particularly violent creatures or disturbances in the audience. Geonosians also use sonic weapons in inter-hive conficts. Sonic cannons and blasters have the advantage in that they can be set to various degrees of force so they smash bones but leave rock tunnels unharmed.[This is why they used sonic mines in the tunnels...nothing gets damaged except things weaker than the rock walls]
Dooku's hangar is situated in the pinnacle of a tower above an abandoned factory that once supplied highly specialized, aquatic sonic weapons to both sides during a short-lived civil war on the swamp planet of Derenzil. The risk of the project made a security hangar for Geonosian fighters necessary. The Geonosians build or expand their factories when they receive big orders; afterward, once the project is completed, they relocate the surplus workers or consign them to dormancy.
Many of the planet's valleys are occasionally flooded by sudden storms or vast groundwater eruptions.
Also worthy of note is that the book calls Geonosian starfighters "beak-wings."
(END OF INFORMATION FROM "INSIDE THE WORLDS OF STAR WARS: ATTACK OF THE CLONES")
So, what did we learn from all that? Plenty!
1. The Geonosian diet: mostly a cultivated fungus, but also a certain lightly grilled arch grub...yum! And certain fungus can cause Geonosians to smell euphoric (don't ask me, I didn't write the book).
2. Geonosians prefer sonic weapons over standard blasters and such because they leave less collateral structural damage.
3. In the Geonosian society there exists queens. No real information is given about these queens, however, but we know that they are not in charge of the hives. They are plural, however, even in reference to only one hive. What does this mean about Geonosian society? I don't know. But this is the only reference to Geonosian queens that I've ever found.
4. Geonosians, of the worker caste anyway, can go into a type of meditative relaxing trance or hibernation, but they remain fully alert and conscious while doing so.
5. Geonosians do not applaud. Rather, we crack our forelimbs together (ouch.)
6. Although Geonosis is a desert planet, there are two sources of water: underground streams, and occasional rain storms. Also, starwars.com mentioned that acklays "have infested the shallow filmy brine of the Ebon Sea," so, although it isn't much, there is at least one body of water on the planet. Probably too alkaline to drink.
NEW INFORMATION FROM STAR WARS ATTACK OF THE CLONES INCREDIBLE CROSS-SECTIONS!
Geonosian Fighter
During the climatic battle with the Republic, the Geonosian faction launches thousands of standby fighters to break the Republic's orbital cordon blocking Corporate Alliance ground reinforcements. These fightercraft combine high linear acceleration with phenomenal maneuverability as a result of the frictionless rotating mount of their thrusters. Despite their superior agility, few fighters are exported, since Geonosian senses and articulation differ from the galaxy's majority humanoid population. Furthermore, Geonosian policy has become fervently isolationist as the Republic stagnates, and their wary Archduke, Poggle the Lesser, believes that the hoarding of technical advantages is insurance of power and security.
Flying by Nose: A scent stimulator in the pilot's mask exploits the acute Geonosian sense of smell to convey flight status feedback. The mask also sprays subverbal pheromone signals so that air martials and flight controllers can remotely modify the pilot's mood and impart collective priorities.
Flexible Framework: Geonosian starship frames are built from long strings of laminasteel, which can be woven and wrapped at high temperatures, binding together the ship's components. The frame cools to a metallic hardness, yet the bonds can momentarily yield and rebound enough to survive impacts that would break a more rigidly constituted vessel.
Modular Orbs: The gun turret and engine orbs are magnetically suspended and inductively powered without direct contact. The sockets fit many alternative modules such as engine boosters and enhanced sensor suites for surveillance missions.
Hive Pilots: As well as being masters of Battle Droid desing, the Geonosians raise a caste of living combat pilots in immense cob-shaped air-defence hives. Pilots can potentially spend years poised for action, as their hardy species requires no sleep. In training, each pilot pupa pairs with a fighter's flight computer, and they develop an idiosyncratic, coordination-enhancing rapport.
Manufacturer: Huppla Pasa Tisc Shipwrights Collective
Make: Nantex-class territorial defence starfighter
Dimensions (excluding cockpit bubble): length 9.8 m (32 ft); width 1.9 m (6.2 ft); depth 2.2 m (7.2 ft)
Max. Acceleration: (linear, in open space) 4,500G
Max. Speed:(in standard atmosphere) 20,000 kph (12,400 mph)
Hyperdrive: None
crew: 1 pilot (bonded to specific fighter)
Armament: 1 laser-cannon turret (1x10^13 joules per shot);100 independently aiming narrow-beam tractor/repulsor projectors
(Also worthy of note: the Geonosian starfighter contains grapple notches for a docking clamp as well as landing gear)
Taken from "Solar Sailer":Bow Prongs:
Geonosian starships typically feature two or more multifunctional bow prongs. Rows of narrow-beam tractor/repulsor emitters along the prongs act as offensive grapples or steering aids when there are surrounding objects to pull and push against. Also, the spread of ray-shield energies around the prongs can be selectively adjusted to give the ship extra maneuverability.
Geonosians According to Star Wars Roleplaying Game Books:
Geonosians are a caste-dominated species from the world of Geonosis, in the system of the same name. They dwell in a spectacular architectural realm carved from the soaring, rocky spires that dot the planet's landscape. They are somewhat resistant to the radiation that occasionally showers their world, though Geonosians actually live underground to escape that phenomenon.
Geonosians are born into specific castes divided along the lines of their physical attributes, and thought most Geonosians are content to remain within their caste until they die, some develop ambition. The life of a low-ranking Geonosian worker is ordinarily one of ongoing toil, laboring to fulfill the whims of a Geonosian aristocracy that sometimes makes spectacular demands. The society allows Geonosians to escape fromt the drudgery through gladiatorial combat.
Geonosians relish battle and public executions. Anyone the Geonosians capture is sent to the arena to provide amusement for the masses. There, the hapless individual either faces some savage beast or fights to the death against another sentient being. A Geonosian from a low caste who volunteers for these battles can, if he survives, achieve some measure of status by distinguishing himself in the arena--if only in the form of fame, fortune, and the right to be recognized by aristocrats (thought still not treated quite as an equal). Most who survive long enough to amass any amount of real wealth or prestige use it to buy their way off Geonosis, never to return.
Despite their proximity to the Corellian Run trade routes, Geonosians receive few visitors. They might get none at all if their droid factories weren't among the finest and most productive in the galaxy.
Personality: Geonosians tend to be contemptuous of other species, although the lucky few who escape the turmoil of their caste driven society quickly learn to be more tolerant. Geonosian aristocrats are manipulative, domineering, and ambitious. They constantly strive to improve their standing and holdings while conspiring to eliminate or ruin their rivals. Geonosian warriors are highly competitive and eager to prove themselves.
Physical Description: Geonosians come in two varieties: aristocrats (leaders) and warriors (drones).
[WRONG! NO! Stupid Wizards of the Coast can't get anything right. Geonosians come in many varieties, but the two main ones would be aristocrats and workers, with warriors falling under the aristocrat variety. But apparently the makers of the Star Wars RPG didn't put much research into Geonosians. Jerks.]
Both varieties are physically strong and covered in bony ridges that protect arms, legs, and vital organs. They walk on two legs, and most Geonosians have rapidly fluttering wings sprouting from their bony shoulder blades.
[Wrong again. Most Geonosians do NOT have wings. Only aristocrats have wings; workers do not. And, since workers outnumber the aristocrats, most Geonosians are wingless.]
They stand 1.6 to 1.8 meters tall.
Homeworld: Geonosis, a rocky world in the Outer Rim that is periodically bombarded by radiation showers. Geonosis has its own asteroid ring, believed to be the remains of two collided moons.
Example Names: Deetle, Eorlax, Hadiss, Krylla, Lysslo, Mazzag, Poggle, Qorn, Sollas, Vikkal.
Age in Years: Child 1-6; young adult 7-10; adult 11-35; middle age 36-50; old 51-64; venerable 65+.
Adventurers: Due to their reluctance to leave their hives, Geonosians are rarely encountered away from their homeworld. A few manage to buy their way offworld. Some Geonosian aristocrats pursue offworld adventure as fringers or nobles, while free warrors might become fringers, soldiers, or tech specialists. No Geonosians Force-users are known to exist.
Geonosian Species Traits:
Aristocrat Ability Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution.
Warrior Ability Modifiers: +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma.
Worker Ability Modifiers*: +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma.
*as taken from Revised Core Rulebook (all other stats taken from Ultimate Alien Anthology)
Medium Size
Speed: Geonosian base speed is 10 meters. Geonosians with wings [i.e. aristocrats] also have a fly speed of 16 meters (poor maneuverablity).
Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Geonosian warriors with professional or heroic levels receive the bonus feat Exotic Weapon Proficiency (electro-staff) or Exotic Weapon Proficiency (sonic staff).
Natural Armor: A Geonosian's bony ridges provide a +2 natural armor bonus to Defense.
Radiation Resistance: Geonosians receive a +2 species bonus on Fortitude saves against radiation poisoning.
Low-Light Vision: Geonosians possess low-light vision. They can see twice as far as normal in dim light, and they retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Skill Bonus: Geonosians receive a +2 species bonus on all Craft checks.
Bonus Feat: Geonosian workers gain the bonus feat Endurance at first level.
Free Language Skills: Read/Write and Speak Geonosian.
[Although the RPG guide doesn't mention it, Geonosians also have keen senses of smell. To account for this, I suggest that Game Masters allow Geonosian heroes to have a +2 species bonus on Search checks and/or a +2 or +1 species bonus when tracking by scent. We can guess that the Geonosian sense of smell, though sensitive, does not have as much range as, say, a Sakiyan.]
Geonosian Electro-Staff:
cost: 1,500 (available only on Geonosis)
Damage: 1d6 + 1d6 electricity
Critical: 20
Range Increment: -
Weight: 2 kg
Stun/Fort DC: 15
Type: Bludgeoning/Energy
Multifire/Autofire: -
Size: Large
Group: Exotic
This weapon is a 1.8-meter-long staff composed of hollow bone coated in resin. The tips of the staff discharge electricity that deals 1d6 points of additional energy damage with each successful hit.
The electro-staff can discharge electricity 20 times before its power cell must be recharged. Recharging the weapon takes 4 hours.
Characters without the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (electro-staff) feat suffer a -4 penalty on attack rolls when wielding the electro-staff.
Geonosian Sonic Staff:
Cost: 2,000 (available only on Geonosis)
Damage: 2d8 ranged or 1d6 melee
Critical: 20
Range Increment: 10 m
Weight: 2 kg
Stun/Fort DC: -
Type: Bludgeoning/Energy
Multifire/Autofire: -
Size: Medium-size
Group: Exotic
A sonic staff is shorter and thicker than the electro-staff, with a 1-meter-long resin haft. The sonic staff discharges a pulse of sonic energy that cannot be deflected by lightsabers.
The weapon can discharge sonic energy 20 times before its power cell must be recharged. Recharging the weapon takes 4 hours.
Characters without the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (sonic staff) feat suffer a -4 penalty on attack rolls when wielding the weapon. The sonic staff can be used as a club but does not deal sonic damage (or drain charges) when used in such a fashion; a character with the Weapon Group Proficiency (simple weapons) feat can wield the staff as a club without suffering a -4 penalty on attack rolls.
Other weapons that would be used by Geonosians include variations of the sonic weapons found in the Star Wars RPG Arms and Equipment Guide, and the force-pike found in the Star Wars RPG Sourcebook.
Now, as there are other Geonosian castes, I've taken the liberty of making RPG stats for them.
Geonosian Pilot Ability Modifiers: +4 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom, -4 Charisma
Medium Size
Speed: Base speed is 10 m. Geonosian Pilots have no wings.
Bonus Feat: Geonosian Pilots automatically gain the Starship Operation(starfighter) feat at first level (therefore, they must devote at least two ranks to the Pilot skill, to meet the requirements of the feat).
Sleepless: Geonosian Pilots do not require sleep.
Natural Armor: A Geonosian's bony ridges provide a +2 natural armor bonus to Defense.
Radiation Resistance: Geonosians receive a +2 species bonus on Fortitude saves against radiation poisoning.
Low-Light Vision: Geonosians possess low-light vision. They can see twice as far as normal in dim light, and they retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
Flight Computer: All Geonosian Pilots are paired with a single 10 kg flight computer in their pupa stage. This flight computer may be plugged into any fighter-class starship with a succesful repair check (DC 15 for a Geonosian fighter, DC 25 for any other). Whenever the Geonosian Pilot pilots a fighter in which his flight computer is installed, he gains a +4 bonus on all pilot checks. The Geonosian Pilot cannot replace or duplicate the flight computer, though he may use other flight computers without any bonus or penalty.
Skill Bonus: Geonosian Pilots receive a +2 species bonus on all Craft and Pilot checks.
Free Language Skills: Read/Write and Speak Geonosian.
Geonosian Picador (Prestige Class)
Requirements:
Base Attack Bonus: +3
Skills: Ride 6 ranks, Handle Animal 4 ranks
Feats: Animal Affinity
Special: In general, only members of the Geonosian species are eligible for this prestige class. At the GM's discretion, non-Geonosian characters who meet the above requirements can become Picadors if they have 5 or more ranks in the Entertain (trick riding), Entertain (gladiator), or Knowledge (Geonosian) skills, or 10 ranks in the Knowledge (alien species) skill
Game Rule Information:
Vitality: Geonosian Picadors gain 1d8 vitality points per level. The character's Constitution modifier applies
Class Skills: The Geonosian Picador's Skills, and the key ability for each skill, are as follows:
Ride(Dex), Handle Animal(Cha), Entertain(Cha), Tumble(Dex), Balance(Dex), Climb(Str), Profession(Wis), Knowledge(Int), Craft(Int)
Starting Feats:
Exotic Weapon Proficiency(Geonosian Electrostaff)
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier
Bonus Feats:
Beast Language*, Primal Sympathy*, Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge, Trample, Acrobatic, Alertness, Athletic, Fame, Lightning Reflexes, Nimble, Quickness
*If the character does not have the Force-Sensitive feat, but meets all other requirements for this feat, the character may still take and use this feat, but its bonuses and effects apply only to the character's current mount, if any.
Mount Companion: At the first level, the Geonosian picador gains the service of a loyal herd animal, which can serve as a mount or a beast of burden. The herd animal can be up to two size categories larger than the picador and must have a level equal to or less than the picador. Lastly, the herd animal must be an indigenous creature (a picador can't find a creature that doesn't exist on the world) or an Orray (the typical Geonosian mount) [if it is utterly unfeasible for an orray to be present at a location--say, the character is the first non-native to set foot on a certain world in the unknown regions--then, at the GM's discretion, the character must choose a different creature or wait to use the Mount Companion feature at a later time].
The herd animal willingly carries up to a heavy load, but bucks and attempts to throw anyone other than the picador who mounts it. An unwelcome rider must succeed a Ride check (DC 20) each round on his action or be thrown from the beast, taking 2d6 points of damage from the fall. Characters with at least 1 level in the Geonosian Picador prestige class do not need to perform the check each round after they've already succeeded, although they must still make the check every time they mount the beast.
Creature Combat Sense: This ability allows a Geonosian Picador of 3rd level or higher to designate a single creature opponent during his action and receive a +1 competence bonus on attack rolls against that creature. The picador can select a new creature opponent on any action.
Mount Defense: At 5th level and above, the Geonosian Picador can add his Geonosian Picador class bonus to Defense to the defense of his mount whenever he is riding the beast. This bonus only applies to creatures that have been trained as mounts (including the picador's Mount companion).
Unobtrusive: Starting at 7th level, the Geonosian Picador is adept at avoiding the notice of a creature. He adds his Geonosian Picador level to his Hide bonus when Hiding from any one creature, and his mount does not detract from the Hide bonus.
Ignore Damage Reduction: At 9th level, the Geonosian picador can pinpoint weak spots in a creature's carapace or chitinous armor. Whenever the picador scores a critical hit, the creature's DR does not apply to the damage dealt by the picador's attack. This ability applies only to sentient beings and creatures with natural damage reduction. The picador cannot circumvent the damage reduction provided by manufactured armor or equipment.
Manipulate Beast: At 10th level, the Geonosian Picador gains the ability to control the action of a wild animal through slight movements and disturbances. The picador makes an opposed skill check (1d20+Picador's Ride Bonus+Picador's Handle Animal bonus vs. 1d20+Animal's Intelligence Modifier). The Picador must be armed and mounted or takes a -5 circumstance penalty. If successful, the Picador may control the creature's actions for 1 round. A new check must be performed every round, or control of the creature is lost. While controlling the creature, the picador himself suffers a -5 penalty to defense.
Level/Base Attack Bonus/Fort save/Ref save/Will save/Special/Defense Bonus/Reputation Bonus
1/+0/+1/+2/+0/ Mount Companion /+1/+0
2/+1/+2/+3/+0/ Bonus Feat /+2/+1
3/+2/+2/+3/+1/ Creature Combat Sense /+2/+1
4/+3/+3/+4/+1/ Bonus Feat /+2/+1
5/+3/+3/+4/+1/ Mount Defense /+2/+2
6/+4/+4/+5/+2/ Bonus Feat /+3/+2
7/+5/+4/+5/+2/ Unobtrusive /+3/+2
8/+6/+5/+6/+2/ Bonus Feat /+4/+3
9/+6/+5/+6/+3/ Ignore Damage Reduction /+4/+3
10/+7/+6/+7/+3/ Manipulate Beast /+5/+4
Known Geonosian Castes
(an asterisk (*) denotes a probable but unconfirmed caste)
- Aristocrat - Vaulted
- Aristocrat - Greater *
- Aristocrat - Lesser
- Aristocrat - Warrior
- Aristocrat/Worker? - Caretaker *
- Aristocrat - Picador
- Worker - Picador
- Worker
- Pilot
- Queen
Thundercraft Automaton Industries
