Qomok – Starjammer SRD

Qomok CR 15

A slight tremor in the face of the creature before you heralds the arrival of a ghastly horror. What was a man moments ago suddenly rips itself apart: its flesh bursts open, blood and viscera spray in all directions, and its internal organs liquefy and ooze to the floor. As the man-thing contorts and expands in impossible directions, great multijointed insectoid legs and a sickening array of clawed limbs, oily tentacles, and sucking mouths sprout from its ruined torso and its face ruptures to form an awful split-faced maw of jagged teeth.

XP 51,200
CE Large aberration (shapechanger)
Init +5; Senses all-around vision, blindsight (scent), darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +26

DEFENSE HP 200

EAC 29; KAC 31
Fort +17, Ref +17, Will +15
Defensive Abilities hard to kill, mutable form, regeneration 10 (fire); Immunities ability damage, ability drain, bleed, death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects, ooze immunities, petrification, sonic attacks
Weaknesses vulnerable to fire

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft. (see mutable form)
Melee claw +35 (6d4+22 S plus infection) or feeding tendril +33 (0 damage plus attach)
Multiattack 4 various attacks (bites, claws, pincers, tentacles, etc.) +22 (6d4+22 B, P, or S plus infection)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (20 ft. with feeding tendril)
Offensive Abilities feeding tendril, infection (DC 21), mutable form

STATISTICS

Str +7, Dex +5, Con +9, Int +5, Wis +5, Cha +5
Skills Athletics +31, Intimidate +26, Survival +26
Languages Aklo (see mutable form)
Other Abilities assimilate, compression, mutable form, no breath

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Assimilate (Ex)

When a qomok slays a creature (excluding non-native outsiders, oozes, plants, and creatures that do not have blood) by draining the creature’s blood with its feeding tendril, the qomok can completely absorb the creature’s remains and assimilate them into its own body. It takes a qomok 1 minute to absorb a creature’s remains (regardless of the creature’s size), and as it absorbs a creature the qomok is completely helpless. An assimilated creature’s body is annihilated and can only be restored to life using miracle or wish. After it absorbs and assimilates a creature, a qomok gains detailed information about the creature’s identity and personality and has access to all the creature’s memories. A qomok does not gain access to a creature’s abilities unless it uses its alter form ability to mimic the creature’s form.

Feeding Tendril (Ex)

As a full action, a qomok can create and attack with a long feeding tendril.

If the qomok’s feeding tendril attack succeeds, it automatically attaches and deals no damage on the round on which it hits. However, at the beginning of the victim’s turn and each turn it remains attached, the victim takes 4d6 points of damage as the feeding tendril drains the victim’s blood. An attached feeding tendril can be removed with a successful Strength DC 15 check made as a standard action, or the qomok can remove its feeding tendril from its target as a swift action.

Hard to Kill (Ex)

A qomok does not age, nor does it need to eat, breathe, or sleep. A qomok is also immune to the harmful environmental effects of outer space and vacuum as well as pressure damage from being immersed in deep water.

Each of the qomok’s individual cells is a separate living organism, and if the creature is not killed by fire it quickly fully heals. A qomok reduced to 0 hit points by any attack other than one that inflicts fire damage is not destroyed nor does it fall unconscious. Instead, the qomok becomes staggered until its regeneration ability restores it to at least 1 hit point. A qomok reduced to 0 hit points by fire damage immediately enters a state of hibernation. A qomok trapped in an environment of extreme cold or in the vacuum of outer space for more than ten minutes also enters hibernation. While in this state, the qomok can take no actions, is helpless, and its regeneration ability ceases to function. A qomok forced into hibernation after taking fire damage awakens in 12+2d6 hours once its charred remains cool. A qomok forced into hibernation due to extreme cold or exposure to the vacuum of outer space remains in hibernation until it enters a warmer environment, whereupon it awakens in 1d4 days.

Once a qomok awakens, it’s regeneration ability begins functioning again.

Infection (Ex)

When a creature takes damage from any of a qomok’s melee attacks (and does not die), is struck by the qomok’s feeding tendril, or if a creature damages a qomok with its bite attack, it must succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save or contract an exceptionally virulent infection that eventually overwrites the creature’s DNA and transforms it into a qomok. The infection works like a physical disease, except it ignores the target’s immunity to diseases. Detect affliction can reveal the existence of the infection (the infection is considered a disease for purposes of that spell) and remove affliction can remove the infection. A creature that succumbs to the infection and transforms into a qomok can only be restored via miracle or wish.

Mutable Form (Ex)

A qomok’s body is extremely mutable and can adapt to respond to almost any situation. This ability is identical to change shape with the following additions and exceptions:

When a qomok attacks, its body bursts open to display a variety of strange and terrifying body parts and portions of anatomy from creatures it previously absorbed with its assimilate ability. As a swift action, a qomok can alter its form and use any of the following special attacks in conjunction with one of its melee attacks:

Attach, Grab, Swallow Whole (8d6+22 A, EAC 29, KAC 27, 68 HP)

As a full action, during which the qomok is completely helpless, a qomok can perfectly mimic the last creature it absorbed with its assimilate ability. A qomok can use this ability to assume the appearance of specific individuals with perfect accuracy, right down to matching the original creature’s DNA. A qomok replicates the appearance of any scars or physical wounds (though it does not suffer damage itself), illnesses or diseases possessed by a victim (though it does not suffer any ill effects), as well as any physical deformities, such as missing eyes or limbs. None of the qomok’s ability scores are adjusted when it mimics a victim’s form.

While it mimics a victim’s form, a qomok knows (and can speak) any languages known by the victim and gains the use of the victim’s feats, racial traits, skills (default to the qomok’s skill modifier if it is higher than the victim’s skill modifier), and extraordinary abilities. A qomok uses its victim’s DCs when it mimics an ability it does not already possess; however, any DCs less than 21 become 21. If the victim had immunity or resistance to any energy types, the qomok gains resistance 20 to those elements, though the qomok cannot gain immunity or resistance to fire. A qomok gains any weaknesses (such as light blindness) and vulnerabilities of the creature for as long as it continues to mimic it. A qomok does not gain the use of a victim’s supernatural abilities, spellcasting, or spelllike abilities.

As a move action, a qomok can generate body parts that provide it with one of the following additional forms of movement: burrow 20 ft., climb 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (average), or swim 30 ft.
As a reaction to being struck by a fire attack that reduces it to less than half of its maximum hit points, a qomok splits into two identical copies of itself. Each copy has half of the original’s remaining hit points (rounded down) and decreases by two size categories. A split qomok can continue to split if it suffers additional fire damage, until the copies become Diminutive or the qomok is reduced to 10 or less hit points.

Except for its Intelligence score, the qomok’s statistics do not change when it decreases in size. A qomok reduced to a size of Tiny or Diminutive, gains an Intelligence score of 2. A Tiny or Diminutive qomok becomes focused on self-preservation and generally avoids combat unless it can attack without endangering itself. Two or more copies of the same qomok can merge as a full action.

The copies that merge combine their total remaining hit points. A qomok increases one size category for each copy that merges and cannot grow larger than size Large.

ECOLOGY

Environment warm and temperate land
Organization solitary or invasion (2–5)

The remote reaches of the universe are home to bizarre phenomena and horrific alien life forms beyond normal comprehension, most of which pale in comparison to the unspeakable and utterly alien horror epitomized by the qomok. Known by many names throughout the universe, but most often as “Things,” qomoks are shape-shifting parasitic organisms with the ability to absorb, assimilate, and then perfectly mimic the bodies of other living creatures. A qomok’s original form resembles a fleshy mass of oozing viscera, covered with ropelike tendrils and undulating sucker-mouths that slithers and shambles with surprising agility. In this form, a qomok is roughly 12 feet in diameter and weighs 2,000 pounds. However, most qomoks haven’t assumed this shape since the first qomok left its distant homeworld billions of years ago, for the creatures are driven by an irresistible drive to absorb and assume their victims’ forms.

Extremely paranoid, and with an unrivaled instinct for self-preservation and survival, qomoks prefer to attack lone targets so they do not needlessly endanger themselves. When attacking, a qomok shifts its body asunder in a spectacle of gore and violence, generating various extremities and toothy maws, in an attempt to surprise its prey. It then ensnares its victim with its feeding tendril so it can be absorbed and assimilated. When a qomok’s true nature is exposed, the creature will react depending on its current size, health, and the nature of the threat. Smaller copies of a qomok will usually attempt to flee, whereas a full-sized and healthy qomok will often attack multiple creatures head on in an attempt to quickly overwhelm and neutralize them. However, true to its self-preserving nature, a qomok will almost always prefer to flee if its cover is not completely lost.

Ecology

A qomok has only assimilation and self-preservation in mind. It will selfishly save itself or even attack other qomoks or other copies of itself in order to avert attention and suspicion.

A qomok’s level of intelligence is determined by its size. Larger qomoks are extremely intelligent; it is theorized that full-sized qomoks have the combined intelligences of all the organisms they have ever assimilated. Smaller copies are much less intelligent, and often show little creativity or goals other than survival.

Qomoks have little regard for organic life, seeing living creatures merely as prey and conveniences by which they can gain newer, more versatile forms. They care nothing for emotions, and have no need for personal relationships, religion, or mercy. Due to their intense paranoia and overriding instinct for self-preservation, as well as their callous indifference for “lesser” life forms, qomoks rarely communicate with sentient prey. When they do converse, they do so only to maintain their cover, avert attention away from themselves, or confuse their prey. Qomoks have only slightly more regard for their own kind, including their own infection-spawned offspring.

Although they will cooperate with one another when they share a common enemy or goal, qomoks only do so if the association serves their personal need for assimilation and survival.

Though highly intelligent and able to use most technology and magic items, qomoks are not adept at spellcasting. Whether due to their alien physiology or some other psychological barrier, qomoks cannot cast spells or mimic the supernatural or spell-like abilities of other beings.

While their natural forms are decidedly alien, they can spontaneously generate limbs and other body parts that allow them to use tools and magical items as easily as a humanoid. Though they are able to wield weapons with as much skill as an assimilated creature, qomoks prefer to use their natural weapons in combat.

Habitat & Society

Qomoks originated on a tiny, swamp-covered moon orbiting a gas giant world in a remote corner of the universe. They began as microscopic clusters of semi-sentient cells that took a bizarre turn on the evolutionary path and developed the ability to assimilate and mimic other organic cells. After a few billion years, the qomoks grew prodigiously and became the dominant species on their homeworld. The immortal qomoks then spent eons slithering about their muddy little world, occasionally absorbing and assimilating one another. Though highly intelligent, these qomoks were unfathomably savage; they formed no society, no religion, and were content to focus their attentions on the swampy surface of their world, remaining completely unaware of the stars above and any worlds beyond their own.

That changed when an elder thing explorer happened upon the qomok homeworld. Having visited scores of inhabited worlds in its own long lifetime, the elder thing immediately recognized the qomoks’ physical resemblance to the bioengineered shoggoths—a powerful slave race created by the elder things. Insatiably curious, the elder thing began a long-term study of the qomoks with the goal of eventually collecting a live specimen and weaponizing it. Unfortunately for the elder thing, and for many future denizens of the universe, this ill-planned scheme was a disaster.

One day, after several years of safely studying the qomoks from the air, the elder thing landed on an outcropping of rock that was too close to one of the creatures. The qomok ensnared the elder thing with its feeding tendril and swiftly absorbed and assimilated the overmatched explorer.

In that instant, as the qomok absorbed the elder thing’s body and mind, its own consciousness expanded a million-fold. The qomok’s thoughts flooded with the memories, knowledge, and experiences of the elder thing, and it suddenly became cognizant of the existence of other living creatures and other worlds. Led by an insatiable drive to assimilate other life forms, the qomok assumed the elder thing’s winged form and immediately launched itself into the sky. Mimicking the elder thing’s ability to travel between the stars, the qomok hurled itself through interstellar space and slipped into hibernation.

Eventually, untold eons later, the sleeping qomok fell to the surface of an inhabited world. Since that time, this single qomok has seeded its kind on many worlds as it slowly and inexorably spreads its race across the universe.

Qomok Infection

Type disease (injury); Save Fortitude DC 21; Track physical; Frequency 1/minute

Effect When an infected creature reaches the dead state, the victim transforms into a qomok.

Cure 2 consecutive saves

The infection works insidiously, with the victim feeling and showing no signs of discomfort and the presence of the infection is nearly undetectable, save via detect affliction or similar magic or the use of a medical lab (requiring a successful DC 30 Medicine check). When the infection transforms a creature into a qomok, the transformation is extremely subtle as well.

Creatures observing the victim as he or she transforms must succeed on a DC 30 Sense Motive check to notice something is amiss. Additionally, victims that transform into a qomok often do not realize they have transformed into a monster, as the qomok’s personality prefers to hide beneath the replicated personality of its victim.

When the qomok’s personality takes over (usually in response to a threat or to feed), the victim’s replicated personality “blacks out” and the qomok erases all memory of the event from the replicated personality’s mind. Infected creatures that die before transforming into a qomok rise as a qomok 2d6 minutes after death. Creatures killed and reduced to sludge by a qomok’s feeding tendril attack are automatically infected and transform into a qomok 2d6 rounds after death if the qomok does not assimilate the creature’s body before that time elapses.

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.