FrujaiSource Alien Archive pg. 52
On the toroid-shaped world of Orikolai, dramatic fluctuations of gravity, light, and temperature are commonplace. Sentient fungi known as frujais are among the most successful of the planet’s inhabitants, having developed not only a seasonal life cycle but also biological and psychic means of overcoming different gravity levels. Frujais function much like ants, with the colony’s living hub spawning hundreds of simple workers and soldiers to sustain it. During Orikolai’s frigid winters, frujais hibernate, awakening at the first signs of spring to blanket their territory in spores that take root in the thawing corpses of any animals that didn’t survive the cold. If not enough corpses are available, the colony begins to hunt aggressively, attacking whatever living organisms it comes across.
The immature drones that sprout from these infested cadavers (use the statistics for a frujai soldier above, without the colony guard ability) wander through unclaimed territory, scavenging and hunting to grow strong. In early autumn, the drones convene and mate in roiling ligneous mats, during which they spar with and even consume one another. Those that survive the process disperse to pursue migratory herds or shadow large prey back to the latters’ winter lairs, eating and killing as much as possible in order to stockpile as much nutrition as they can. They then consume these stores over the winter months, growing to their colossal mature size and metamorphosing into fully functional frujai colonies. Both colonies and the individual soldiers they spawn as guardians use their mastery of gravity to collect stones and other objects, which constantly orbit them and represent their only concessions to wealth or vanity.
Despite their strange shapes, frujai colonies and soldiers are surprisingly intelligent. Frujais see themselves as ecological caretakers, weeding out the weak and clearing the path for stronger creatures. Several attempts at settling Orikolai have failed when frujais interpreted the settlements as well-stocked larders of weak-willed flesh. Larger frujai colonies sometimes entertain interviews with avid xenobiologists, though the dialogues are as likely to descend into ravenous feasting upon the scholars as they are to explore the deep philosophical musings that occupy the frujais the rest of the time.Aliens in the "Frujai" FamilySource Alien Archive pg. 52Frujai Colony CR 19 XP 204,800
N Colossal plant
Init +0; Senses low-light vision; Perception +32
DefenseHP 420; RP 6
EAC 31; KAC 33
Fort +22; Ref +15; Will +20
Defensive Abilities absolute gravity; Immunities plant immunities
OffenseSpeed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee bite +33 (6d10+29 P) or slam +33 (4d12+29 B)
Multiattack bite +27 (6d10+29 P), 2 slams +27 (4d12+29 B)
Ranged gravity thrust +30 (8d8+19 force)
Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft.
Offensive Abilities gravity control, slough minionStatisticsSTR +10; DEX +0; CON +9; INT +2; WIS +4; CHA +9
Skills Intimidate +37, Life Science +32, Survival +32
Languages Frujai; telepathy 300 ft.EcologyEnvironment any forests (Orikolai)
Organization solitary or communion (2–5)Special AbilitiesAbsolute Gravity (Su) A frujai colony is able to control its apparent mass through a combination of organelles and psychic commands. It gains a +4 bonus to its KAC against bull rush, reposition, and trip combat maneuvers. Furthermore, it can ignore the effect of supernatural gravity effects such as control gravity and can always behave as though natural gravity conditions were up to two steps stronger or weaker.
Gravity Control (Su) A frujai colony can control gravity in a variety of ways. At the beginning of its turn, a colony selects two of the following five abilities that it can use before the beginning of its next turn. By spending 1 Resolve Point, a colony can select three of the abilities that round instead. If a colony has a sustained ability active (such as flight or gravity field) and does not select that as one of its abilities for the turn, that effect ends immediately.
Flight: As a free action, the frujai colony gains an extraordinary fly speed of 40 feet (poor maneuverability). When this ability ends, the colony descends gently at a rate of 60 feet per round and takes no damage when it lands.
Gravity Field: The frujai colony can create a zone of abnormal gravity as a standard action, as per control gravity (CL 19th). A colony can maintain only one such effect at a time, and the abnormal gravity field ends if it uses this ability again.
Gravity Shield: The frujai colony combines levitating improvised shields with pulses of gravity to deflect attacks, gaining a +4 bonus to its AC.
Gravity Thrust: The frujai colony can use its gravity thrust attack. This is a ranged attack against EAC with a maximum range of 200 feet and no range increment.
Gravity Wave: As a standard action, the frujai colony can unleash a wave of force in a 60-foot cone that deals 8d6+17 bludgeoning damage to each creature in the area and pushes affected creatures 10 feet away from the colony. A target can attempt a DC 24 Reflex save to halve the damage and negate the movement.
Slough Minion (Ex) A frujai colony can sprout frujai soldiers (see below) naturally in a process that takes several weeks, but as a full action, a colony can expend 1 Resolve Point to create a temporary frujai soldier in an adjacent space; the soldier can act immediately. A temporary soldier remains animate for 1 hour before crumbling.
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