Symbiont, pod Cannon

Pod Cannon CR 2

This quadrupedal plant creature resembles a mossy, hollow log on four root-like legs.

XP 600
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; DR 3/slashing; Immunities plant immunities

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.
Melee slam +11 (1d6+5 B)
Offensive Abilities thorn blast

STATISTICS

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

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Thorn Blast (Ex)

As a standard action, a pod cannon symbiont can fire a blast of sharp thorns that deals 1d4+3 piercing damage to all creatures in a 10-ft. cone (DC 12 Reflex halves) A pod cannon has enough thorns to use this ability 10 times per day.

HOST ABILITIES

Seed Pod (Ex)

Three times per day the symbiont’s host can fire a seed cluster from the pod cannon as a ranged attack with a range of 40 ft. and no range increment. On a successful hit the target takes 1d8 points of bludgeoning damage and gains the entangled condition for 1 minute. Entangled creatures must succeed at a DC 12 Reflex save or also be anchored in place if they are adjacent to a solid surface and cannot leave their space. Flying creatures (not using supernatural flight) that fail their save begin to fall immediately and become anchored to the first surface they touch.

Thorn Blast (Ex)

The host may use the pod cannon’s thorn blast ability.

CONSTRUCTION

Slot shoulders; Price 9,000 gp; Cost 4,500 gp

The pod cannon symbiont attaches its roots to one of the host’s shoulders, a long stem extending behind the host’s back toward the other shoulder. The stem gradually expands into a large, roughly cylindrical shape which rests on the host’s other shoulders, held down by numerous vines wrapping under the host’s arm and upper arm. The pod cannon symbiont is one of the few symbionts bred to produce reproductive seeds, which form the basis of the sticky material of its pod weapon. However, the process that bestows the seed clusters with their resinous, alchemical nature also renders them sterile.

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.

When not attached to a host, a pod cannon symbiont takes on a quadrupedal form measuring about 4 1/2 feet long and standing 5 feet high. The length of its body is comprised of the hollow cannon shaft, with a twitching ring of teeth around the muzzle.

The erahthi developed pod cannon symbionts at the height of the Century War, where they were used by soldiers against the enemy’s frontline fighters. The erahthi used the pod cannons to impede enemy movement while other units fired from a distance or closed in for the kill. Since the war, pod cannon symbionts have seen use among big game hunters, allowing them to stagger their prey from a distance.