AtlapakSource Alien Archive 4 pg. 15
Often compared to evolutionarily unrelated mantis shrimp, atlapaks have banded shells that offer considerable mobility. Their eight pairs of legs have evolved for walking and swimming; to perceive their surroundings, they have inquisitive antennae and three compound eyes mounted on movable stalks. These large, amphibious arthropods are also famous for their explosively devastating claws—one pincer designed for grasping and tearing and another capable of opening and snapping shut with incredible speed to generate cavitating sonic blasts. Rather than creating a localized explosion, an atlapak can fan its abdominal plates to focus and direct the sonic energy into a distant burst that can stun or outright kill prey hundreds of feet away. The denser the medium—whether liquid or gas—the more effective the blast. Atlapaks can grow as much as 10 feet long, while juveniles are around 5 feet long.
Atlapaks prefer lurking in sheltered burrows that provide commanding views, such as coral reefs or low hills. From there, the creatures hunt by ambush, waiting for prey to approach within easy striking range before unleashing several sonic bursts and closing in for the kill. Underwater, atlapaks often cohabitate with colonial tube worms like the pileated tsorkos, which gradually accumulate sandy mounds and tunnels. The atlapaks help watch for danger and often leave food scraps, while the worms provide good hiding spots and vantage points.
Older atlapaks more often leave the water to seek terrestrial prey, using their natural buoyancy to hover several hundred feet above the surface while scouting for food. Drifting in this way also helps adults find mates, and although atlapaks most often reproduce in water, their eggs can survive in humid terrestrial environments. Some unlucky jungle explorers have fallen prey to the young arthropods when atlapak eggs adhered to the underside of tree branches hatch and drift into convoys.
Although unintelligent, atlapaks exhibit utterly uncanny ballistics mastery. Their antennae are extremely sensitive to humidity and currents, for which the arthropods adjust their aim. Not only do their questing compound eyes provide exceptional depth perception, but their lenses also help them compensate for the refracting and obscuring qualities of water vapor and other gases, providing them with a clear view of their surroundings even in foggy conditions. Collectively, these features enable atlapaks to pinpoint and strike even fast-moving targets.
Fresh atlapak meat has a clean taste that appeals to many species, though it acquires a repugnant sliminess within hours of the creature’s death. As a result, connoisseurs often commission live atlapak shipments to their restaurants, despite the danger the cargo presents for most starships. Kalos (Alien Archive 68) are especially partial to atlapak flesh, hunting the animals to near-extinction on their home world, Kalo-Mahoi.Aliens in the "Atlapak" FamilySource Alien Archive 4 pg. 14Atlapak CR 9 XP 6,400
N Large vermin (aquatic)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 180 ft., sense through (vision [fog only]) 90 ft.; Perception +17
DefenseHP 145
EAC 22; KAC 24
Fort +13; Ref +11; Will +8
Defensive Abilities amphibious; Immunities deafened; Resistances sonic 10
OffenseSpeed 20 ft., fly 30 ft. (Ex, clumsy or average), swim 30 ft.
Melee claw +18 (2d10+12 B)
Ranged sonic snap +21 (3d6+9 So; critical stunned [DC 16])
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Offensive Abilities atmospheric enhancement, sonic snapStatisticsSTR +3; DEX +4; CON +6; INT —; WIS +0; CHA +0
Skills Acrobatics +22 (+14 to fly in normal atmosphere), Athletics +17 (+25 to swim)
Other Abilities aerial buoyancy, amphibious, mindless, water breathingEcologyEnvironment warm or temperate hills or water
Organization solitary, pair, or cacophony (3–7)Special AbilitiesAerial Buoyancy (Ex) An atlapak can inflate its lightweight body and flap its gills to swim through the air. In normal atmosphere, the atlapak moves at half speed with clumsy maneuverability. In thick atmosphere, the atlapak flies at full speed with average maneuverability. It’s unable to fly in environments with thin atmosphere or no atmosphere.
Atmospheric Enhancement (Ex) An atlapak’s sonic snap ability becomes increasingly effective the denser its surroundings. In normal and thicker atmospheric conditions, the range increment increases to 100 feet, and the DC to resist the atlapak’s critical hit effect increases by 2. In thick atmosphere or underwater, the sonic snap gains the sniper (250 ft.) weapon property.
Sonic Snap (Ex) By cocking and then snapping shut its specialized claw as a standard action, an atlapak can create a sonic burst as a ranged attack. This attack has a range increment of 80 feet, targets EAC, and has the penetrating special property, ignoring 9 points of its target’s hardness. This ability doesn’t function in environments with no atmosphere.
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