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Xoraphond

Xoraphond CR 3

This blob of translucent flesh surges forward, stretching and reshaping its body to manifest a hood-like face and three, long pseudopods covered in foul-smelling slime.

XP 800
NE Small aberration
Init +10; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +8

DEFENSE HP 40

EAC 14; KAC 16
Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +4
Defensive Abilities all-around vision, amorphous; DR 5/bludgeoning; Immunities cold, critical hits, precision damage
Weaknesses vulnerability to sonic

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Melee slam +11 (1d6+3 B) or anesthetizing touch +11 (anesthetize)
Offensive Abilities xoraphond retrovirus

STATISTICS

Str +0, Dex +2, Con +4, Int +0, Wis +1, Cha +0
Skills Athletics +8, Engineering +8, Life Science +13, Stealth +8
Languages Aklo (can’t speak); telepathy 30 ft.

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Anesthetizing Touch (Ex)

If a xoraphond successfully strikes a target’s EAC with this attack, the target is paralyzed for 1 round (DC 12 Fortitude negates). This is a poison effect.

Xoraphond Retrovirus (Ex)

The xoraphond’s alien masters engineered it to carry a variety of nanite-based diseases and retroviruses, all designed to support its mission of infecting, weakening, and eventually assimilating a world’s sentient population. As a full action, it can transmit a disease carried in its aberrant flesh to a helpless creature by extending a pseudopod into any orifice or open wound.

Those victimized by the assault can resist the resulting infection with a successful DC 12 Fortitude save. The effects of the disease vary according to the exact infection it carries. A xoraphond automatically knows when it has successfully infected a creature but can carry only one type of disease at a time. It can select a new strain at the beginning of the day.

Vulnerability to Sonic (Ex)

If a xoraphond takes sonic damage, it must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC equals damage inflicted) or become dazed for 1 round.

ECOLOGY

Environment any aquatic, land, or underground
Organization solitary, pair, scouting party (3–8), or invasion (9–16)

One of many artificially engineered creatures manufactured by the jagladine, xoraphonds are designed to spread nanite viruses, particularly a dreaded assimilation strain intended to convert sentient creatures into new recruits for the jagladine war effort. This virus weakens the minds of sentient creatures, remapping and repurposing their brains for alien influence. When the jagladine develop an interest in assimilating inhabitants of a new world, they often dispatch an invading force of xoraphonds, directing them to work independently and establish a stronghold from which to begin their mission of assimilation. A xoraphond’s resilience, ability to survive in hostile environments, and cautious, inquisitive nature makes it an exceptional scout and infiltrator.

Xoraphonds typically carry out their missions by abducting a hardy specimen from the local population, often using jagladine biotechnology to turn the creature into a willing thrall, before infecting it with the assimilation strain. The xoraphonds then direct such thralls to infect their own kind. As the virus spreads, the xoraphonds study the new world and its other inhabitants, compiling a vast amount of data for their jagladine masters, while reacting swiftly to protect themselves and their missions—even directing thralls to slay interlopers and sow discord in their communities to hide their presence. Unhindered by emotion, xoraphonds never hesitate to sacrifice thralls or any of their infected flock to ensure their survival and the success of their missions.

Creatures infected by a xoraphond’s assimilation strain carry thousands of microscopic trackernanites, dooming them to capture and experimentation by the sadistic jagladine in their alien bio-labs. There, the jagladine perform further tests on a candidate’s viability, before subjecting them to unspeakable procedures involving surgery, chemical infusion, radiation exposure, and psychological reconditioning. Most of these candidates are eventually transformed into a special breed of shock troop called klaven, however, the jagladine produce an array of other creatures from these vile assimilations, including new xoraphonds.

A newborn xoraphond oozes forth from its birthing vat completely autonomous and fully functional.

Though xoraphonds are amorphous and can flatten themselves to form a bewildering number of forms, most prefer to remain in a roughly oval shape, about 4 feet in diameter and 3-1/2 feet tall.

Xoraphonds weigh around 90 pounds.

Assimilation Strain

Type disease (contact); Save Fortitude DC 12; Track mental; Frequency 1/day

Effect At the impaired state and beyond, the victim must succeed at a DC 12 Will save or its alignment changes one step toward evil and it gains the assimilated template graft.

Cure 2 consecutive saves

Occluding Strain

Type disease (contact); Save Fortitude DC 12; Track physical; Frequency 1/day

Effect At the Debilitated state and beyond, the victim must succeed at a DC 12 Fort save or become permanently blinded.

Cure 2 consecutive saves

Submission Strain

Type disease (contact); Save Fortitude DC 12; Track mental; Frequency 1/day

Effect At the impaired state and beyond, the penalties from the weakened state become permanent until the victim benefits from a remove affliction or restoration spell.

Cure 2 consecutive saves

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Alien Bestiary (Starfinder) © 2018, Legendary Games; Lead Designer: Jason Nelson. Authors: Anthony Adam, Kate Baker, John Bennet, Eytan Bernstein, Robert Brookes, Russ Brown, Duan Byrd, Jeff Dahl, Robyn Fields, Joel Flank, Matt Goodall, Robert J. Grady, Jim Groves, Steven T. Helt, Thurston Hillman, Tim Hitchcock, Nick Hite, Daniel Hunt, Mike Kimmel Marshall, Isabelle Lee, Jeff Lee, Lyz Liddell, Jason Nelson, Richard Pett, Tom Phillips, Alistair J. Rigg, Alex Riggs, Wendall Roy, Mike Shel, Neil Spicer, Todd Stewart, Russ Taylor, Rachel Ventura, Mike Welham, George Loki Williams, Scott Young.