Star Wars Universe Roleplaying Game

Dug

Dugs are a distinctive and often misunderstood Star Wars species known for their inverted physiology, sharp tempers, and fiercely independent nature. Native to the industrial and polluted world of Malastare, Dugs evolved a unique gait that places them on their powerful upper limbs while using their dexterous feet as hands. Their homeworld’s dangerous predators, toxic environments, and political turmoil shaped them into a tough, resilient people with highly competitive instincts and a cultural emphasis on proving one’s strength. Across canon and Legends, Dugs appear frequently as mechanics, mercenaries, gladiators, podracers, and underworld operators, each driven by ambition, pride, or survival.

Malastare’s diverse biomes—from its swamps to its fuel-rich wastelands—forced Dugs to adapt both physically and socially. Their society historically contended with dominant Gran colonists, leading to strained political relations and long periods of oppression. This history of exploitation fostered a deep cultural resentment, pushing Dugs to adopt hardened attitudes toward outsiders and to value personal achievement as a form of resistance. For many generations, Dug communities relied on aggressive negotiation, territorial pride, and fierce clan loyalty to maintain autonomy and dignity.

Throughout their history, Dugs excelled at combat and high-speed sports, developing reputations as formidable duelists and fearless racers. Their agility and explosive strength made them natural athletes, while their quick reflexes allowed them to compete in some of the galaxy’s most dangerous arenas. These physical talents, combined with Malastare’s harsh living conditions, encouraged a worldview centered on risk, boldness, and self-assertion. Their contributions to podracing circuits, underground fighting rings, and mercenary guilds have made many Dugs famous—or infamous—across the galaxy.

Despite their abrasive demeanor, Dugs often demonstrate remarkable intelligence and technical aptitude. Many offworld Dugs find employment as mechanics, engineers, or starship technicians where their hand-feet dexterity provides a unique advantage. Their problem-solving methods favor improvisation, speed, and bold decision-making, making them capable of repairing or rerouting systems under circumstances that leave others paralyzed by indecision.

Dugs are known for their pride, quick wit, and sometimes cutting sarcasm. These traits, while intimidating to more diplomatic Species, help Dugs thrive in competitive environments where confidence and intimidation are tools for survival. Their intense loyalty to those who prove themselves creates surprising depth in relationships, revealing a cultural belief that respect must be earned, not granted.

As player characters, Dugs offer dynamic personality, agility-based combat potential, and craftsmanship rooted in Malastare’s industrial grit. Their fiery spirit and adaptive talent create storylines centered on survival, rivalry, redemption, and the struggle to carve out identity in a galaxy that often underestimates them.

Home Planet: Malastare
Physical Description: Dugs possess inverted bodies that place their powerful arms on the ground while their legs serve as fully functional hands. This unusual arrangement gives them remarkable leverage, balance, and mobility, allowing them to sprint at high speeds and perform precise manipulations with their lower limbs. Their limbs are long, wiry, and densely muscled, supporting athletic movement patterns that combine both quadrupedal and acrobatic tendencies.

Their facial structure is sharp and canine-like, with pronounced snouts, narrow eyes, and expressive brows capable of communicating a wide range of emotions. Their skin, typically gray, blue-gray, or brown, is thick and textured, offering protection from Malastare’s harsh climates. Their torsos are compact but flexible, enabling rapid twisting motions useful in combat or evasive maneuvers.

Dugs prefer durable clothing designed for mobility—tight vests, utility belts, harnesses, and protective wraps around their limbs. Offworld, they often wear reinforced gear suitable for mechanics, racing, or mercenary work, reflecting both their pride and need for practical protection.

Average Height: 1.0 meter
Average Weight: 30–35 kilograms
Age of Adulthood: 15 standard years

Personality & Customs: Dugs are competitive, loud, and fiercely opinionated, shaped by generations of conflict and territorial struggle on Malastare. Their brash behavior is not mere aggression but a culturally reinforced survival trait meant to assert strength and discourage exploitation. They respect boldness and despise cowardice, viewing hesitation as weakness and decisive action as a mark of character. Their speech patterns—rapid, sharp, and sometimes insulting—serve as both defense mechanism and cultural shorthand.

Clan structure plays a major role in Dug identity. Extended families maintain tight, protective bonds, and loyalty within these groups is absolute. Ritual challenges, athletic contests, and status-driven competitions reinforce hierarchy and personal worth, giving young Dugs a constant proving ground for earning respect. Outsiders often misinterpret these traditions as hostility, but to Dugs, confrontation is simply communication.

As adventurers, Dugs bring agility, fire, and tenacity. Their mix of technical skill and combat readiness makes them valuable operatives in high-risk missions. They may clash with gentler personalities, but once trust is gained, a Dug ally becomes fiercely loyal—a companion willing to take bold risks to protect their team and prove their worth.

Languages: Dug (few Dugs bother to learn Basic)

Example Names: Drodwa, Flugello, Flugo, Gorlok, Langro Dis, Luvagwa, Pugwis, Rewulga, Sebulba, Sloor