Symbiont, Lifesuit

Lifesuit CR 4

A humanoid collection of bark, roots, and leaves lopes along with surprising grace.

XP 1,200
N Medium plant (plant symbiont)
Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +10

DEFENSE

HP 50; EAC 16; KAC 18
Fort +8; Ref +6; Will +3; DR 5/slashing; Immunities cold, plant immunities

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.
Melee slam +12 (1d6+9 B) or bite +12 (1d6+9 P plus grab)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with bite)
Offensive Abilities steal oxygen (DC 13)

STATISTICS

Str +5; Dex +3; Con +1; Int –; Wis +1; Cha -2
Other Abilities bond, host abilities, mind link, symbiont healing

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Steal Oxygen (Ex)

When a lifesuit symbiont successfully grapples a creature it forces clusters of small tubes into its enemy’s mouth and nose. At the start of the lifesuit’s next turn, if the symbiont successfully renews the grappled or pinned condition with a grapple combat maneuver, it begins draining oxygen from the target’s lungs. The grappled creature must succeed at a DC 13 Fortitude save or begin to suffocate. A suffocating creature cannot speak or successfully cast spells with verbal components. This effect ends if either the lifesuit or the grappled creature breaks the grapple. Each round the lifesuit successfully forces a creature to suffocate replenishes 1 round of the suit’s oxygen supply.

HOST ABILITIES

Environment Protection (Ex)

A lifesuit protects the host from extreme cold as per armor as well as pressure changes of space. The natural ichor and fluids of the lifesuit symbiont allow the symbiont to seal any punctures or tears instantly.

Life Sealed (Ex)

While bonded to a host creature, a lifesuit subsists on the host creature’s exhaled breath and does not require air from outside sources. In return, a lifesuit generates breathable air for the host creature by converting exhaled breath into fresh oxygen. A lifesuit can perform this task even while underwater or in an airless environment. Additionally, a lifesuit’s host is rendered immune to inhaled poisons and diseases. A lifesuit can supply oxygen to a host in an airless environment for 24 hours, after which time the lifesuit must recharge in a breathable atmosphere for 1 hour.

Natural Armor (Ex)

When bonded, a lifesuit symbiont grants its host a +2 armor bonus to KAC.

Radiation Resistance (Ex)

A lifesuit completely protects its host against low radiation and reduces the effects of medium radiation to low radiation, but it offers no protection against high or severe radiation.

Space Flight (Ex)

When in the vacuum of space, the lifesuit can release bursts of oxygen from its supply through porous nodes on its body. This effect grants its host a fly speed of 20 ft. with poor maneuverability for 1 minute in exchange for 1 hour of its current air supply.

CONSTRUCTION

Slot chest; Price 30,500 gp; Cost 15,250 gp

The lifesuit symbiont uses its roots to attach to the host’s chest. From a central stem which covers most of the host’s body, thousands of vines branch out, completely encasing the host. Specialized membranous leaves cover the eyes, allowing the host to see. The vines secrete a fluid which temporarily binds them together, making the suit airtight. Thousands of tiny sacs pump oxygen through the suit as long as the symbiont is bonded.

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.

Detached, the lifesuit symbiont takes on a humanoid appearance, standing 5 to 5 1/2 feet tall. It features a long petiole with two hinged jaws equipped with special fibers allowing it to suck oxygen from other living creatures and store it. In combat, it can form vague, arm-like appendages from its vines to attack opponents.

The erahthi created the lifesuit symbiont in the earliest years of the Century War, which allowed engineers to repair ships in the vastness of space while traveling among other worlds. Though not as common as the ubiquitous airsuit, the lifesuit symbiont still sees much use among erahthi exploring space.