Symbiont, Assassin Ring

Assassin Ring CR 2

This creature resembles a barnacled centipede made of vegetable matter crawling on a writhing carpet of hair-like cilia.

XP 600
N Diminutive plant (plant symbiont)

Init: +2; low-light vision; Perception +7

DEFENSE

HP 25; EAC 13; KAC 15
Fort +7; Ref +5; Will +2; DR 3/slashing; Immunities plant immunities

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft.
Melee thorn +10 (1d6+2 P plus assassin ring toxin)
Ranged thorn +7 (1d4+2 P plus assassin ring toxin)
Space 1 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

STATISTICS

Str +0; Dex +2; Con +4; Int –; Wis +1; Cha -1
Other Abilities bond, host abilities, mind link, symbiont healing

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Thorn (Ex)

The assassin ring symbiont can fire a thorn up to 30 ft. with no range increment.

HOST ABILITIES

Assassin Thorn (Ex)

The assassin ring symbionts are bred to produce one of the below poison effects via a strong chemical located in the symbiont’s thorns. The thorns can be fired at a single target up to 30 ft. away or used as part of a natural attack that involves the hands. The symbiont produces enough thorns to be used once per day. Once an assassin ring symbiont is created to produce a specific kind of poison, the choice cannot be changed.

ECOLOGY

Environment any (Kir-Sharaat)
Organization solitary

Symbionts are custom-grown plant creatures tailored to serve specific purposes, like living tools. There are myriad forms of symbionts on Kir-Sharaat that serve mundane purposes, like mobility enhancing exoskeletons to assist erahthi who possess difficulty walking or lifting heavy objects, communication symbionts that can relay messages, even clothing that sizes itself to fit its wearer and protects against parasites and pests. This section focuses on combat-oriented symbionts designed during the Century War.

Though the erahthi created symbionts first, their widespread use is now found beyond the boundaries of Kir- Sharaat and organizations across the Aethera System traffic in the secrets of their creation. Creatures of all species can create plant symbionts, and some have even begun to experiment with creating symbionts of other creature types, like aberrations and elementals. Symbionts are created in special laboratories and each have a monetary cost associated with them like magic items.

Erahthi have created a wide variety of living plant symbionts to take the place of typical equipment, and these symbionts are often sought after as curiosities or specialized weapons. A plant symbiont can be affected by spells that target plant creatures, though it is mindless, incapable of independent action, and has no ability scores other than Constitution (which is always equal to its item level). It is subject to poisons and diseases, though it does not need to breath and is always protected as well as a creature with active environmental protection from armor. If it is forced to make a saving throw, its save bonus is always equal to its item level. If it suffers a condition that would normally cause it to take a penalty to attacks, damage, save DCs, saving throws, or AC those penalties apply to any attack or effect created with it. Plant symbionts “eat” by absorbing part of the charges or fuel (or energy from some other form of ammunition) when fired. They do not sleep or breathe, cannot communicate in any way, retain all plant immunities (including saving throw bonuses), are immune to pain effects, and are mindless.

If damaged, a plant symbiont can regain Hit Points from effects that restore Hit Points to living creatures, such as a mystic cure spell, and it regains a number of Hit Points equal to its item level each day. You can use the Life Science or Medicine skill instead of Engineering to repair a living weapon.

In addition to the relatively helpless normal plant symbiont, there exist advanced plant symbionts which can transform into an independent form and back as a full-round action. While in independent form, an advanced plant symbiont acts a drone with an effective mechanic level of its item level -3, save that it is considered a plant rather than a construct for the purpose of determining effects and possesses no feats or mods save for initial mods gained from its drone chassis. An advanced plant symbionts’ chassis is determined when it is created and items of lower than 4th level cannot be made into advanced plant symbionts. The owner of the advanced plant symbiont may control the advanced plant symbionts as if they were the drone’s master.

A normal plant symbiont version of an item costs 10% more than normal. An advanced plant symbiont version of an item costs 50% more than normal.

CONSTRUCTION

Slot ring; Price 6,000 gp; Cost 3,000 gp

Assassin Ring Toxin

Type poison (injury); Save Fortitude DC 11

Track Constitution (special); Frequency 1/round for 6 rounds (blinded or nauseated effect), 1/round for 4 rounds (staggered effect), 1/round for 3 rounds (paralyzed effect) Effect progression track is Healthy—Weakened—Impaired; no end state. The poison has a single effect at the Impaired state, which must be the same one it uses for its host ability (found in the potent assassin ring toxin). The possible effects are blinded, nauseated, paralyzed, or staggered.

Cure 1 save

Potent Assassin Ring Toxin

Type poison (injury); Save Fortitude DC 11

Track Constitution (special); Frequency 1/minute for 4 minutes (blinded or nauseated effect), 1/round for 6 rounds (staggered effect), 1/round for 4 rounds (paralyzed effect)

Effect progression track is Healthy—Weakened— Impaired; no end state. The poison has a single effect at the Impaired state. The possible effects are blinded, nauseated, paralyzed, or staggered.

Cure 1 save

When bonded, an assassin ring symbiont attaches via its roots to the underside of the host’s fingers. Dozens of vines sprout from a short stem to encase the finger, each with large, wickedly sharp thorns. Each of the thorns is filled with whatever poison the symbiont was designed to create.

Though able to wrap itself around a host’s finger, when detached the assassin ring is nearly 1 foot long. An assassin ring symbiont has no melee attack and instead keeps its distance and fires its thorns. It avoids areas of extreme heat and cold, as the heat interferes with its ability to produce poison and the cold causes the symbiont to become sluggish.

The assassin ring symbiont is one of a few weaponized symbionts created prior to the Century War, though it was considered illegal to manufacture. However, its small compact size and effectiveness made it a valuable choice to discreetly immobilize enemies. An assassin ring symbiont became regulated for military use only during the war, carried both by spies and troops specializing in covert missions. The assassin ring still sees a lot of use among numerous militaries throughout the system. While still hard to obtain, its production thrives in the criminal markets.