Hadrogaan Smart-merc

Hadrogaan Smart-merc CR 10

XP 9,600
Doluma hadrogaan soldier
N Medium humanoid (hadrogaan)
Init +12; Senses blindsense (vibration) 30 ft.; Perception +19

DEFENSE

HP 165
RP 5
EAC 23; KAC 26
Fort +12; Ref +10; Will +11

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Melee comet hammer +19 (4d6+15 B)
Ranged tactical autobeam rifle +23 (5d4+10 F; critical burn 2d4) or frag grenade IV +22 (explode [15 ft., 6d6 P, DC 17])
Offensive Abilities fighting styles (guard, sharpshoot), focus fire, intense focus, sniper’s aim

STATISTICS

Str +5; Dex +8; Con +3; Int +1; Wis +2; Cha +0
Skills Athletics +24, Computers +19, Physical Science +19
Languages Common, Hadrogaan
Other Abilities armor training
Gear specialist defiance series, comet hammer with 2 batteries (20 charges each), tactical autobeam rifle with 2 high-capacity batteries (40 charges each), frag grenades IV (2)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Dual Nervous Systems

Hadrogaans have both an organic brain and a crystalline nervous system. A hadrogaan can install an additional brain augmentation.

ECOLOGY

Environment any (moons of Hadrogess)
Organization solitary, pair, or squad (3–8)

All hadrogaans know for sure is that some catastrophe caused the planet’s atmosphere to begin slowly leaking into space. Faced with extinction, they scrambled for a possible solution. Following a series of frantic and unsanctioned experiments, a team of fringe scientists discovered a sapient crystal that grew deep beneath the planet’s crust, one that could merge with a hadrogaan body in a process that—in most cases— led to greater intellect and insight. These scientists claimed that the crystalline organisms, collectively called kallestrine, not only willingly participated in these experiments, but that they had sent psychic signals to the scientists—leading the latter to discover them—and had even proposed merging the entire hadrogaan species with kallestrine. Successful merging caused a rapid processing-power expansion that many felt could propel the two organisms into a new era of enlightenment, and in fact, many hadrogaans saw this way as their only hope for salvation.

Modern hadrogaans know that most of their people accepted the merging and somehow found a way—before the advent of starships—to settle their planet’s three moons. In their new symbiotic forms, hadrogaans formed a society dedicated to science, philosophy, progress, and utilitarianism in all matters.

Most hadrogaans stand at about 8 feet tall with long limbs, thin bodies, and elongated fingers. Large hollows perforate their torsos, limbs, and sometimes their necks and faces, each filled with glimmering crystals—the organism that hadrogaans merged with during the Gap. The merging altered the species’ genetic makeup, and hadrogaan children are born with these crystalline hollows, which can grow and shift over time.

From infancy, hadrogaans have a constant internal dialogue between their organic brains and the crystalline neural network inhabiting their body. The crystal pushes them to consider the practicality and utility of every action, as well as that of any person or object they might encounter.

What is its purpose? How might it be of use? At what point does its usefulness outweigh its drawbacks? This extreme practicality isn’t always logical or in the individual’s best interest, but most hadrogaans agree that attempting to drastically alter their symbiotic relationship would prove detrimental to the species as a whole.

For reasons unknown—the most common theory being that the initial merging of organisms didn’t always work as intended—hadrogaans are dimorphic. Luma hadrogaans have more dominant crystalline features and frailer bodies, while doluma hadrogaans have fewer crystals—sometimes only one or two hollows—but far more bulk. While genetically distinct, these two subspecies can still reproduce with the other. No consistent pattern exists for the expression of this dimorphism in offspring, regardless of the parents’ types.

Luma hadrogaans possess the increased intellect that was, in theory, the goal of the merging. The crystals of doluma hadrogaans, on the other hand, tend to instead reinforce their musculature. Despite these physical differences, hadrogaans of both subspecies can serve in a variety of societal roles, though luma hadrogaans lean toward positions that require strategic thinking or deep and rapid analysis. Outside their home systems, they typically work as explorers, scientists, and diplomats. Starfaring dolumas, on the other hand, more likely eke out their living as lone thrill-seekers, mercenaries, or bounty hunters.