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Template Grafts | Universal Monster Rules


Xaarb

Source Starfinder #8: Escape from the Prison Moon pg. 61

Xaarb CR 5

XP 1,600
N Medium magical beast
Init +3; Senses blindsense (scent), darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +11

Defense

HP 72
EAC 17; KAC 19
Fort +9; Ref +9; Will +4

Offense

Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee slam +15 (1d6+10 B) or bite +15 (1d6+10 P plus swallow whole)
Ranged frostbite-class zero pistol +12 (1d6+5 C; critical staggered [DC 15]) or screamer grenade I +11 (explode [15 ft., 1d10 So plus deafened 1d4 minutes, DC 15])
Offensive Abilities oversized maw, swallow whole (1d6+10 A, EAC 17, KAC 15, 18 HP)

Statistics

STR +5; DEX +3; CON +2; INT +0; WIS -2; CHA +0
Skills Athletics +11 (+19 to climb), Intimidate +16, Physical Science +11
Languages Azlanti, Vesk, Xaarb (can’t speak any language)
Gear frostbite-class zero pistol with 1 battery (20 charges), screamer grenades I (2)

Ecology

Environment any (Arybus system)
Organization solitary, pair, crew (3–12), or squadron (13–30)

Special Abilities

Oversized Maw (Ex) A xaarb can use its swallow whole ability on creatures up to its own size.

Description

Xaarbs are a surprisingly vicious predator race from the binary star system of Arybus. At first glance, a xaarb appears to be an innocuous spherical lump of short, dark fur. Xaarbs have large eyes and four stout appendages, which they use to alternate between walking on all fours and standing upright. When frightened or riled, however, xaarbs can open their massive mouths to reveal jaws that take up most of their bodies, filled with long, pointy teeth.

Xaarb society is based entirely on physical dominance over other xaarbs—or anyone else they encounter. Xaarbs who have established supremacy over others can demand both obedience and tribute from their lessers, which is the expected method of gaining wealth and status; having to bargain or pay for something is considered an unspeakable shame. Only wars against other sapient species in Arybus allowed the xaarbs to stay united enough to become a starfaring race. Xaarbs eventually conquered their star system, but when interstellar travel via the Drift opened up the rest of the galaxy, xaarbs found themselves encountering—and outmatched by—both the Veskarium and the Azlanti Star Empire. This sobering paradigm shift shattered xaarb culture into three major factions. “Lesser” xaarbs accept that the vesk and Azlanti are dominant over them, and dutifully serve those races. “Greater” xaarbs muster their forces in order to some day conquer the other empires and reassert xaarb authority. “Unspoken” xaarbs—the most scattered of the species—feel that xaarb society has proven insufficient and now attempt to assimilate into and cooperate with other cultures. Unspoken xaarbs are considered the most reasonable of their kind by outside races, though their instinctual need to assert dominance at all occasionally surfaces.

Xaarbs are a species with only one gender, making gender roles a strange curiosity to them. They can understand the common languages of other species but can’t speak them. Their own language consists of a series of hand gestures and silent movements of their jaws. A particularly communicative xaarb might use a text-to-speech generator to talk to other species.