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Symbiont, Energy Protection

Energy Protection CR 3

A veiny mass of plant matter and leaves the size of a large dog moves about on ropey vines. Stalks of bioluminescent fungus extend from one side of its body like protruding eyes.

XP 800
N Medium plant (plant symbiont)
Init +4; Senses low-light vision; Perception +8

DEFENSE

HP 40

EAC 14; KAC 16
Fort +7; Ref +5; Will +2
Defensive Abilities energy resistance; DR 4/slashing; Immunities plant immunities

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.
Melee slam +11 (1d6+3 B)
Offensive Abilities breath weapon (20-ft. line, 4d6 [energy type determined by energy resistance], DC 12, usable every 1d4 rounds)

STATISTICS

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

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Breath Weapon (Ex)

The energy protection symbiont gains a breath weapon which deals damage per the energy type from its energy resistance host ability.

Energy Resistance (Ex)

The energy protection symbiont gains a resistance of 10 against the type it protects against with its host ability.

HOST ABILITIES

Energy Resistance (Ex)

The energy protection symbiont wraps the host in hundreds of small vines, granting the host energy resistance 10 against one of the following elements: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. The type of energy resistance is decided when the symbiont is created and cannot be changed.

Natural Armor (Ex)

When bonded, the energy protection armor symbiont grants the host a +1 armor bonus to KAC.

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 chest; Price 21,000 gp; Cost 10,500 gp

The energy protection symbiont attaches its root system to the host’s chest. From a bulb shaped stem, hundreds of vines wrap around the host’s entire body, including membranous leaves that cover the host’s eyes, mouth, and ears. Depending on the type of energy the symbiont provides protection against, it takes on a certain hue: deep green or black for acid, pale blue or white for cold, orange or red for fire, and yellow or deep blue for electricity.

The energy protection symbiont saw some commercial application prior to the Century War, as the erahthi would use it when working in dangerous environments. During the war, production of the energy protection symbiont increased, particularly fire-resistant symbionts. Only the most crack erahthi soldiers wore the symbionts, often finding themselves in the thick of the fighting. After the war, as the erahthi began exploring the Aethera System in greater numbers, the energy protection symbionts proved valuable in a host of new environments. Additionally, the other races of the Aethera System desired the symbionts as well, driving up demand for their creation in markets across the system.

Detached, the energy resistance symbiont stands as tall as a large dog and moves on four trunk-like roots. Its central body is the bulb-shaped stem, engorged with the energy produced within its root system. Though designed to protect and use one type of energy, the energy protection symbiont shows no aversion when confronted with opposite elements. It does, however, tend to gravitate towards environments hosting the type of energy for which it was designed.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Alien Codex (Starfinder) © 2019, Legendary Games; Lead Designer: Jason Nelson. Authors: Anthony Adam, Kate Baker, John Bennet, Eytan Bernstein, Robert Brookes, Russ Brown, Duan Byrd, Paris Crenshaw, 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, Jeff Provine, Alistair J. Rigg, Alex Riggs, Wendall Roy, Mike Shel, Neil Spicer, Todd Stewart, Russ Taylor, Rachel Ventura, Mike Welham, George Loki Williams, Scott Young.