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Astrazoan

The shapeshifting astrazoans have lived as humans, lashuntas, verthani and many other races for the past few centuries, but their origins are shrouded in mystery. They have little in the way of their own culture and strive to find their place in the galaxy.

An astrazoan in their native form resembles a seven-limbed, human-sized starfish, with a single visual sensor in the middle of each limb. Their skeleton is cartilaginous and their flesh jellylike, but an astrazoan can spontaneously mold and introduce pigment into their flesh to imitate the appearance of almost any creature of the same size. Astrazoans are capable of forming both male and female reproductive organs and thus are effectively hermaphrodites. Because most astrazoans live in humanoid societies with defined gender roles, it is common for them to develop a fixed gender identity, but just as many are gender-fluid.

There are very few astrazoans in existence, and the majority of them reside in areas where they can blend in with the local populace. They do so not for any sinister reason or even from fear, but out of a desire to make those whom they live among more comfortable. They are aware that their natural form might be a bit off putting to humanoids who primarily interact with only other humanoids.

On a hunch, a team of researchers recently compared the DNA of an astrazoan volunteer to samples from an ancient and extinct race, and found a remarkable number of similarities. This race was known for being unique: no two of them looked alike. These researchers theorize that some of them used highly advanced genetic engineering to completely transform themselves in response to an extinction level threat; the astrazoans’ innate ability to control their forms is thought to be a side effect of this change, though some believe it was the intended purpose.

Racial Traits

Ability Adjustments: +2 Dex, +2 Cha, –2 Con

Hit Points: 4

Size and Type

Astrazoans are medium aberrations with the shapechanger subtypes.

Change Shape

As a standard action, an astrazoan can physically alter their form to look like any Medium creature, as long as they have seen a similar creature before. They can attempt to either mimic a specifc creature or look like a general creature of the chosen type. The astrazoan gains a +10 bonus to Disguise checks to appear as a creature of the type and subtype of the new form. The DC of the astrazoan’s Disguise check is not modifed as a result of altering major features or if they disguise themself as an aberration or a humanoid (though the DC is still modifed if the astrazoan attempts to disguise themself as a different creature type). The astrazoan can remain in an alternate form indefnitely (or until they take another form)

Compression

An astrazoan can move through an area as small as one-quarter their space without squeezing or one-eighth their space when squeezing

Darkvsion

An astrazoan can see up to 60 feet in the dark.

Many Forms

For effects targeting people by type, Astrazoans count as both humanoids and aberrations.

Rapid Revival

Once per day, when an astrazoan takes a 10-minute rest to regain Stamina Points, they can additionally regain Hit Points as if they took a full night’s rest.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Starfinder Alien Archive © 2018, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Alexander Augunas, Judy Bauer, Robert Brookes, Jason Bulmahn, John Compton, Amanda Hamon Kunz, Thurston Hillman, Mikko Kallio, Jason Keeley, Jonathan Keith, Steve Kenson, Lyz Liddell, Ron Lundeen, Robert G. McCreary, David N. Ross, Owen K.C. Stephens, James L. Sutter, and Russ Taylor.