Symbiont, Psychic Ward

Psychic Ward CR 2

This spidery plant has long, branch-like legs and is covered in an armored carapace that resembles dead coral.

XP 600
N Tiny plant (plant symbiont)
Init +1; Senses low-light vision; Perception +7

DEFENSE

HP 25; EAC 13; KAC 15
Fort +6; Ref +4; Will +1; DR 3/slashing; Immune plant immunities

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft.
Melee bite +10 (1d6+4 P plus psychic parasite)
Space 2 1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft. (5 ft. with bite)
Offensive Abilities mental blast, psychic parasite

STATISTICS

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

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Mental Blast (Ex)

Each time a psychic ward symbiont damages a creature’s Intelligence with its psychic parasite ability, it can store the point of Intelligence as mental energy. It can only store 4 points of mental energy at a time (subsequent points are lost). As a full action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity, the symbiont may expend up to 4 stored points of mental energy to deal 1d6 points of damage per point of mental energy expended to all creatures within a 10-ft. radius. A successful DC 11 Will save halves the damage. This is a mind-affecting effect.

Psychic Parasite (Ex)

When a psychic ward symbiont hits a creature with its bite attack, the creature must succeed at a DC 11 Fortitude save or take 1 point of Intelligence damage in addition to the normal damage. A successful save negates the Intelligence damage.

A creature cannot be reduced to 0 Intelligence with this attack.

HOST ABILITIES

Psychic Fortification (Ex)

A psychic ward symbiont grants a +4 resistance bonus on Will saves against illusion spells and mind- affecting effects.

CONSTRUCTION

Slot head; Price 10,000 gp; Cost 5,000 gp

A psychic ward symbiont attaches roots to its host’s forehead when bonded. Thousands of small, hair-like vines burrow harmlessly into the host’s skull, secreting a specialized fluid to assist and strengthen brain functions.

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 from a host, the psychic ward symbiont stands about 1 1/2 feet tall and moves about on spidery, branch- like legs. The symbiont attacks by extending its petiole and clamping on prey with hinged, jaw-like leaves. Specialized filaments in the leaves allow a psychic ward symbiont to drain the mental energy from its prey, which it can then release in a damaging burst.

During the Century War, the erahthi quickly learned the dangers of magic used to assault the minds of their soldiers. Akasaati spellcasters devastated entire units of erahthi soldiers or used their enchantment magic to infiltrate erahthi defenses and positions. The erahthi designed the psychic ward symbiont to equip squads of specialized troops trained to hunt down spellcasters. After the war, the symbiont’s popularity continued to spread. Those engaging in high-level negotiations throughout the Aethera System are aware of the threat mind-affecting magic poses, particularly when there’s very little trust on either side. It’s not uncommon, even among non-erahthi, to see a psychic ward symbiont worn by members of the negotiating parties.