ShipmindA shipmind is an ooze of thick, bubbling yellowish liquid. Unlike many oozes, this biological entity relies on a bizarre symbiosis with technology to survive. The creature lives in a container made of crystalline material and inorganic components, which serves the ooze like a shell. Outside this container, a shipmind is vulnerable and doomed to die, but this limited existence is little hindrance to a shipmind, since its sole purpose is to pilot starfaring vessels that serve the Dominion of the Black.
Dominion starships are bizarre amalgamations of organic and inorganic components. Strange membranes hold bulkheads and the hull together. Fibrous material resembling muscles and connective tissue work some of the ships’ mechanical components, such as doors, while a web of nerve-like cables carry power and data, and networks of tubules carry various fluids. At the center of this network in the largest Dominion ships is a shipmind, connected to everything through disturbingly organic cables.
A shipmind has an intimate connection to its starship and can survive as long as its craft does, sometimes for many centuries. The creatures are cruel even to their supposed allies, and they are given to fits of inexplicable behavior.Seeders are the most common large Dominion starships. Some are scouts or assault vessels with only a shipmind aboard, while others travel with a crew of other entities affiliated with the Dominion of the Black. These ships land on life-rich planets, unleashing Dominion-allied creatures to infest the region around the landing site, assimilating native organisms.
If left alone planetside for too long, a Dominion seeder’s shipmind can quickly degenerate, causing the ship’s organic aspects to also decay. In about a decade, the ship rots into uselessness and the shipmind dies. During that time, the shipmind might leave of its own accord, or it might spend its remaining time brutally toying with any creature it can.
Source Alien Archive 2 pg. 113
Large destroyer
Speed 10; Maneuverability average (turn 2); Drift 2
AC 30; TL 32
HP 210; DT —; CT 42
Shields heavy 420 (forward 105, port 105, starboard 105, aft 105)
Attack (Forward) gravity gun (6d6), plasma cannon (5d12)
Attack (Port) light plasma cannon (2d12)
Attack (Starboard) light plasma cannon (2d12)
Attack (Aft) gyrolaser (1d8)
Attack (Turret) light plasma cannon (2d12)
Power Core Gateway Heavy (400); Drift Engine Signal Booster; Systems advanced long-range sensors, computer countermeasures (feedback), crew quarters (common), mk 3 trinode computer, mk 8 armor, mk 11 defenses, self-destruct system; Expansion Bays cargo holds (2), guest quarters (common), science lab; Modifiers +3 to any 3 checks each round, +4 Computers (sensors only); Complement 1 shipmind; Complement 1CrewEngineer (Shipmind) Engineering +23 (13 ranks)
Gunner (Shipmind) gunnery +19
Pilot (Shipmind) Piloting +28 (13 ranks)
Science Officer (Shipmind) Computers +23 (13 ranks)DescriptionShipmind (Ex) A Dominion seeder can be crewed entirely by a single shipmind, which can take up to 5 crew actions (in any role except captain) each round of starship combat using the listed bonuses.
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