Symbiont, Environmental Suit

Environmental Suit CR 2

This creature is a tall, bark-like humanoid covered with dozens of lashing vines baring tiny, hooked barbs. A vertical mouth at the front of its headless body is surrounded by a writhing ring of brightly-colored cilia.

XP 600
N Medium plant (plant symbiont)
Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +7

DEFENSE

HP 25; EAC 13; KAC 15
Fort +6; Ref +6; Will +1; DR 3/slashing; Resistances cold 15, fire 15; Immunities plant immunities

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.
Melee slam +10 (1d6+3 B plus grab)
Offensive Abilities bloody squeeze, constrict (1d6+3)

STATISTICS

Str +1; Dex +4; Con +2; Int –; Wis +0; Cha -3
Other Abilities bond, host abilities, mind link, symbiont healing

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Bloody Squeeze (Ex)

Whenever an environmental armor symbiont deals maximum damage with its constrict ability, it also deals 1 point of bleed damage as hundreds of small vines flay the target. Additionally, it can forgo dealing constrict damage in a round and instead deal 2 points of bleed damage.

HOST ABILITIES

Environmental Protection (Ex)

An environmental suit symbiont protects the host from extreme temperature conditions (as per armor) as well as changes in pressure. The symbiont also provides continuous oxygen as long as there is sunlight for photosynthesis; otherwise it only contains an oxygen supply up to 24 hours. It takes the symbiont 1 hour to recharge its oxygen supply through photosynthesis. The suit automatically repairs rips and tears as they occur unless the symbiont is reduced to 0 hit points or less.

Natural Armor (Ex)

When bonded, an environmental suit 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 7,000 gp; Cost 3,500 gp

An environmental suit symbiont attaches its roots to the host’s chest when bonded. Thousands of vines emanate from a long central stem encasing the host’s body, while membranous leaves cover the eyes, allowing the host to see. These vines secrete a specialized fluid to temporarily bind themselves together, making the suit airtight. The vines are conditioned to resist both extreme heat and cold, as well as protect the wearer from pressure changes due to different gravities.

As the erahthi began exploring the other worlds in the Aethera System, they designed the environmental armor symbiont to protect them from the extreme terrestrial environments they might encounter. Erahthi with strong constitutions often wear the environmental armor symbiont in conjunction with the suction boot symbiont or grappling claw symbiont, depending on the terrain they encounter. While not designed for deep space use, it’s frequently worn when exploring interiors of asteroids or other space objects with some discernible gravity. The environmental armor symbiont sees less frequent use outside of the erahthi, as many other races create mundane equivalents. However, its easy portability and combat application make it useful among independent exploration and mining organizations, as well as mercenaries and various pirate groups, particularly those in deep space.

The environmental armor symbiont takes a rough, stocky humanoid form when unbonded, and stands approximately 7 feet tall. The vines from its central stem form two legs and arms, though it has no discernible “head.” Its primary mode of combat is to engage and grapple its opponent while hundreds of small, hard vines and minute thorns constantly tear at held creatures, bleeding them dry. A common myth states the environmental armor symbiont grows stronger by soaking up the blood of its victims, though this is not true.