Source Starship Operations Manual pg. 131Zoaphorix Tier 10CN Huge starship aberration
Speed 6; Maneuverability poor (turn 3); Drift —
AC 22; TL 19
HP 300; DT 5; CT 60
Shields 180 (forward 45, port 45, starboard 45, aft 45)
Attack (Forward) seeds (4d6; 10 hexes), tentacles (1d8×10; 10 hexes)
Attack (Port) seeds (4d6; 10 hexes)
Attack (Starboard) seeds (4d6; 10 hexes)
Attack (Turret) seeds (4d6; 10 hexes), tentacles (1d8×10; 10 hexes)CrewEngineer (1 action) Engineering +24 (10 ranks)
Gunners (3 actions) gunnery +15 (10th level)
Pilot (1 action) Piloting +20 (10 ranks)EcologyEnvironment any vacuum
Organization solitarySpecial AbilitiesExpelled Tendril (Ex) During the gunnery phase, a zoaphorix can expel one of its tendrils with a deploy drone gunner action; this functions as a weapon with the deployed special property. A zoaphorix tendril has an AC and TL of 22 and 20 HP.
Living Starship (Ex) A zoaphorix is a living creature so immense that it functions as a starship (and thus engages only in starship combat). It has no crew, but it can take engineer, gunner, and pilot actions using the bonuses, level, and ranks listed above. Modifiers for its size, speed, and maneuverability have already been factored into its statistics. Use the following table to determine the effects when a zoaphorix takes critical damage. | D% | SYSTEM | EFFECT | | 1–30 | Weapons array† | Randomly determine one arc containing weapons; condition applies to gunner actions using weapons in that arc. | | 31–60 | Biome core | The zoaphorix can’t infest a vessel with its microbial infestation for 3 rounds. | | 61–90 | Tentacles | The zoaphorix can’t expel any tendrils for 3 rounds. | | 91–100 | Brain | During the next round, each of the zoaphorix’s attempted actions has a 25% chance of failure. | † Only a zoaphorix’s weapons array can gain critical damage conditions.
Microbial Infestation (Ex) A zoaphorix carries myriad bizarre bacteria within its microbiome. These bacteria don’t harm the zoaphorix but can quickly eat through starships. If a zoaphorix deals Hull Point damage to an adjacent target in its forward arc, the target is infected with hull-eating bacteria that deal 3d6 damage per turn.DescriptionThe few who have escaped a zoaphorix’s clutches have described it as resembling an upturned jellyfish with a mass of knotted, phosphorescent tentacles and smaller tendrils trailing along underneath. A zoaphorix hunts by expelling seeds and some of its tendrils to harry its prey, then attacking with its remaining tentacles to wear away at the vessel’s hull with its microbes. Once expelled, a zoaphorix tendril will grow to a full zoaphorix over several months if not slain. Though a somewhat instinctive predator, a zoaphorix is far from an unintelligent creature. It views itself as the guardian deity of the lesser creatures that make up its form, and it hunts ships it believes will be good “gifts” for its microbiome. Ironically, this tendency often leads it to pick more dangerous fights, risking the very biome it aims to protect. Zoaphorixes are typically solitary, traversing space until they find suitable gifts. Although capable of communicating with their prey, they rarely bother to do so.
|