To create a custom xenotype in 's Biotech DLC, you have two main routes: the Xenotype Editor at the start of a new game or the Gene Assembler for mid-game creation. 🧬 Method 1: New Game (The Xenotype Editor)
This is the easiest way to design a custom race from scratch.
Open the Editor: On the pawn selection screen, click the Xenotype icon next to a colonist's name.
Create New: Select "Create custom" to open the full gene menu. Pick Your Genes:
Endogenes: These are inheritable (passed to children). Use these for permanent species.
Xenogenes: These are non-inheritable and often stronger, but won't be passed down naturally. Balance Your Stats:
Metabolic Efficiency: Negative genes (like "Awful Plants") increase hunger tolerance, while positive ones (like "Super-fast runner") decrease it.
Complexity: High complexity requires more advanced tech to replicate mid-game. 🧪 Method 2: Mid-Game (The Gene Assembler)
If you are already playing, you must "build" your xenotype through research.
Gather Genepacks: Buy them from traders or extract them from prisoners using a Gene Extractor.
Build Infrastructure: Connect a Gene Assembler to Gene Banks to access your stored genes.
Create a Xenogerm: Combine genes in the assembler to create a "Xenogerm" item.
Implant: Have a doctor implant the xenogerm into a colonist to permanently change their genes. 🛠️ Pro Tips for Success
Spawning custom Xenotypes :: RimWorld Общие обсуждения
Creating a custom xenotype in the DLC allows you to balance powerful traits with manageable flaws to suit your colony's specific goals. 🧬 Core Mechanics to Master
Understanding the balance between Metabolism, Complexity, and Archite Genes is essential for any build.
Metabolism: Determines how much food your pawns need; positive numbers reduce hunger, while negative numbers increase it.
Complexity: Limits how many genes can be combined in a single xenotype.
Heritability: You can choose between "Germline" (passed to children) or "Xenogenes" (implanted via xenogerm and not heritable). rimworld create xenotype
Archite Genes: These special "super-genes" like Deathless or Ageless require rare Archite Capsules and do not affect metabolism. 🛠️ Community-Favorite Custom Builds
Players often design xenotypes around specific themes or "OP" survival strategies. The "Melee God" (Combat Specialist)
Designed to survive the front lines of a raid with extreme durability.
Key Genes: Robust, Strong Melee Damage, Reduced Pain, and Superfast Wound Healing.
Trade-offs: Take Awful Cooking or Awful Social to gain metabolism points. The "Arctic Fur-Kin" (Cold Survival)
Perfect for "sea ice" or tundra maps where heating is a luxury. Key Genes: Furskin, Cold Tolerance, and Strong Immunity.
Playstyle: You can ignore heating in your base, causing raiders to freeze to death before they reach your doors. The "No-Sleep Worker" (Maximum Productivity) Focuses on 24/7 labor to keep the base running. Key Genes: Never Sleep or Low Sleep.
Note: Low Sleep is often better than Never Sleep because pawns still get "Comfort" and mood bonuses from using a bed for a few hours. 💡 Pro Tips for Creation
Free Metabolism: If you use a Nutrient Paste Dispenser, the Awful Cooking gene is essentially "free" points since you don't need a cook anyway.
Xenotype Spawning: By default, custom xenotypes won't appear in the world unless you start with them; use the Alpha Genes mod or Xenotype Spawn Control to see them on raiders or traders.
Genetic "Bank": You can create xenogerms of single cosmetic genes to sell to traders for easy silver.
For a visual walkthrough of the best vanilla traits and how to balance them, check out this guide:
Creating custom xenotypes in (Biotech DLC) allows you to design unique human subspecies by manipulating their genetic code. Whether you want to roleplay as specialized mountain-dwellers or min-maxed super-soldiers, the xenotype editor is your primary tool. How to Create a Xenotype
The easiest way to design a custom race is through the starting pawn selection screen when beginning a new game.
Open the Editor: On the colonist selection screen, click the "Baseliner" button (or current xenotype name) in the top right of a pawn's profile.
Access Customization: Select "Create custom" or click the "Xenotype Editor" button. Choose Genes: Pick from various gene categories. Germline Genes: Inherited by children (endogenes).
Xenogenes: Implanted "genetic bionics" that are not inherited.
Manage Metabolism: Balance powerful buffs with negative traits. Positive metabolism (from negative genes) reduces food requirements, while negative metabolism (from powerful buffs) increases hunger. To create a custom xenotype in 's Biotech
Save and Apply: Name your creation and save it to use for your starting colonists. Top Genetic "Cheat Codes" (Min-Maxing)
Veteran players often use specific gene combinations to create "ultimate" xenotypes:
The Immortal Tank: Combine Deathless, Scarless, and Ageless. To pay for these, take Major Cell Instability—it is completely countered by the ageless traits.
The Low-Maintenance Worker: Use Psychite Dependency. It prevents addiction while only requiring one dose every five days, providing a massive metabolism boost for minimal effort.
The Raw Eater: Pair Strong Stomach and Robust Digestion to allow pawns to eat raw food without illness or mood penalties, effectively removing the need for a cook. Community-Favorite Concepts
"Razorbacks": Tribal boar-folk with Strong Melee Damage, Robust, and Unstoppable for all-out aggressive combat.
"Scabtabbies": High-efficiency mechanitor cat-people designed for solo mountain base management.
"Deer Elves": Outdoor-focused specialists with Shooting and Social buffs, designed for Tree Connection ideologies. Advanced Spawning
By default, custom xenotypes only appear if you start with them. To see them in the wild, players often use mods:
's Biotech DLC, creating a custom xenotype allows you to tailor your colonists' genetics to specific roles or thematic challenges
. Whether you want a race of specialized mountain miners or psychic super-soldiers, the Xenotype Editor is your starting point. Creating Your Xenotype
You can create a custom xenotype at the start of a new game or mid-save using genetic infrastructure. At Game Start: In the "Create characters" menu, select the Xenotype editor
. Here, you can add or remove genes to create a unique template for your starting colonists. To modify existing colonists, you must use a gene assembler to create a
, which is then implanted into a pawn. This process requires gathered genepacks and sufficient gene processors. Genetic Balance: Each gene has a cost or benefit to Metabolic Efficiency Complexity
. A negative metabolic efficiency means your colonists will need significantly more food. Creative Xenotype Ideas
Players often use the editor to create themed factions or hyper-specialized workers:
, creating a custom xenotype is a core feature of the Biotech DLC. You can build your own genetically modified species from scratch during the game setup or by modifying pawns mid-game using a Gene Assembler. Creating a Xenotype During New Game Setup
When starting a new scenario, you can define exactly what your starting colonists are: The deepest layer of the xenotype creator is
Select Colonist: In the "Create characters" screen, click on the Xenotype name next to a colonist's background.
Open Editor: Select the "Create custom..." option at the top of the xenotype list to open the Xenotype Editor.
Choose Genes: Pick from hundreds of genetic traits (e.g., Fur-skinned, Fire-spewing, Super-fast runner).
Metabolic Efficiency: Each gene has a cost. "Good" genes (like high combat skill) lower efficiency, requiring the pawn to eat more often. "Bad" genes (like UV sensitivity) increase efficiency, allowing for more powerful builds.
Save Xenotype: Give your creation a name and icon. You can save it to use in future playthroughs or apply it to other starting pawns. Creating Xenotypes Mid-Game (The Gene System)
If you are already playing, you don't "create" a xenotype in a menu; you engineer it:
Extraction: Use a Gene Extractor on captured enemies or your own colonists to pull out specific "genepacks."
Storage: Keep your collected genes in Gene Banks so they stay viable.
Assembly: Use a Gene Assembler to combine multiple genepacks into a single Xenogerm.
Implantation: Use a medical operation to implant that Xenogerm into a colonist. This overwrites their existing xenogenes (but not their germline genes) and officially changes their xenotype to whatever you named your custom creation. Key Terms for the Feature
Germline Genes: Permanent genes passed down to children (like a Pigskin’s snout).
Xenogenes: Artificial genes implanted later in life; these are not typically inherited.
Complexity: The more genes you add, the more Gene Processors you need connected to your assembler to handle the data.
To see the visual interface and gene list in action, you can check the Official RimWorld Wiki Biotech Page.
The deepest layer of the xenotype creator is not mechanical—it is storytelling. Why do these people exist? Were they a failed glitterworld eugenics project? A resort species bred for beauty that outlived their creators? A slave race that rebelled?
When you start a new game, you can select "Custom Xenotype" and even choose its appearance frequency in the world (Rare, Common, or Only your faction). Imagine a playthrough where your "Noble" xenotype (Beautiful, Psychically Dull, Weak, Delicate, Slow Runner) crash-landed into a world of brutal, fast-healing Neanderthals.
The xenotype system also creates in-game social friction. A pawn with "Unstoppable" (ignores pain) will fight to the death, but a pawn with "Wimp" (high pain) will collapse from a bee sting. A colony of "Kill-Thirst" cannibals has a very different vibe from a colony of "High-Life" leaf-lovers.
Create a xenotype with Ageless, Non-senescent, Haughty (custom: +2 beauty, -2 social), and Psychic Sensitivity. Their goal: rebuild the empire. Their flaw: They view baseliners as cattle.