Creeping Popper Xeno-necro
This particular conversion has been modified slightly from the original Necromorph to make it a little more challenging. In the Dead Space game, these 'cysts' were stationary and could attack at a range. Annoying to be sure, but not too deadly unless you were already injured.
I've given the evil little #$%^'s mobility.
Time to really annoy your players!
Weapons should be more than murder sticks. They should be works of art, each one as unique as the hero who wields them. So next time your adventurers raid a wicked duke's arms cache or plunder the tomb of an undead warlord, go beyond the usual +2 falchions and masterwork guisames and roll 1d10 on the table below to give each weapon its own design flourish.
- The surface of the weapon is coated in a thin layer of silver flecked with cold iron.
- The weapon is decorated with chunks of volcanic glass.
- Glowing runes adorn the weapon. The runes are purely cosmetic, and spell out the name of a weapon, a god, or a heroic motto.
- A royal seal is worked into the base of the weapon's hilt.
- The substance of the weapon is impregnated with alchemical trace elements, causing the weapon to throw impressive sparks with each strike.
- A subtle enchantment causes the weapon to produce a heroic tune when drawn.
- A stylized serpent adorns the weapon's grip. There is an equal chance this serpent is an adder, wyrm, sea serpent, or linnorm.
- The fangs of a great beast are worked into the business end of the weapon.
- The weapon's grip is hollow, with enough interior space to hold a few coins, a scroll, or a few shots of stiff drink.
- The weapon's grip is carved from a single flawless block of white jade.
Creeping Popper Xeno-necro CR ½ XP 200
Neutral tiny undead (Xeno-necro)
Init +2; Senses Darkvision 60 ft., life sense 500 ft.; Perception +10
Defense HP 4
EAC 16; KAC 18
Fort +0; Ref +3; Will +4
Defensive Abilities Camouflage, toughened hide; immunities Cold, undead immunities, vacuum
Weaknesses Energy vulnerability
Offense
Speed 60 ft.
Melee Bite, -1 (1d4-2 P)
Ranged Spur, +2 (1d4+3 P, range 50 ft.)
Space 2.5 ft.
Offensive Abilities Ambush
Statistics
Str -2; Dex +3; Con -; Int -4; Wis +2; Cha +0
Skills stealth +6 (+16 when camouflaged)
Feats Deadly aim
Languages None
Gear None
Ecology
Environment Space, space ships, space stations, ruins
Organization Large clusters (2d12)
Special Abilities
Ambush (Ex) The Creeping Popper is perfectly aware of the environment it inhabits, and as such it is able to use it to its advantage when hunting live prey to destroy. The creature gains a +4 racial bonus to Stealth as a result.
Camouflage (Su) Each creature is able to use this ability to match the surrounding’s almost perfectly. This is a full round action, and they will automatically gain an additional +10 to their stealth skill (which will stack with their ambush ability, above). As soon as they attack, the camouflage drops. They can also voluntarily drop it as a swift action.
Clinging (Ex) The creature is capable of clinging to any surface, and retains its full movement speed. No acrobatics check is required.
Energy Vulnerability (Ex) The Creeping Popper, like all Xeno-necro’s, are particularly susceptible to energy attacks, such as lasers, plasma weapons, and other similar weapons. They suffer an additional +1 point of damage per dice when facing this type of attack.
Life Sense (Sp) The Creeping popper is capable of sensing any living creature within a 500 ft. radius. They will travel towards the location of the creature and attempt to set up an ambush. The creatures also gain a +10 to perception when living organisms are involved. The life-energy can be hidden through full encasing armor, such as powered armor, space suits, and the like.
Toughened Hide (Ex) The flesh may appear to be heavily damaged, but it has become infused with bone shards, giving the creature a natural armor bonus of +6.
Xeno-necro Subtype
These creatures are created through strange necromantic energies generated by an ancient artifact. The victims must be in the area of effect of the artifact for typically 7 plus 2d8 days. During this period, they suffer from strange and horrifying nightmares, and slip into depression and near the end become violent and suicidal. The energies released by the artifact (which can vary in size from a small decoration, all the way up to a massive monolith), cause a fundamental change deep in the victim’s genetic code, causing them to mutate upon death into literal undead monster. No one knows for certain as to the purpose of this, and why this happens, as the creators of the artifact have long since departed this plane of existence.
This subtype can be added to any humanoid corpse. The humanoid automatically becomes Undead (gaining all the traits) and the subtype becomes Xeno-necro, likewise gaining the traits from such. All previous skills and feats are lost, and the creature retains a bare-minimum intellect, although its only desire is to hunt and kill. It cannot be reasoned with, spoken to or interacted with in any way.
It should be noted these creatures will only attack living, organic targets. They will ignore robots, androids and the like unless they come under attack from the aforementioned types.
Required Creature Type: Undead
Suggested Array: Combatant (although it can vary)
Traits: Ambush, energy vulnerability, toughened hide, all undead traits, immunity to cold.
Suggested Ability modifiers: Strength and Dexterity
Ambush (Ex) The Xeno-necro is perfectly aware of the environment it inhabits, and as such it is able to use it to its advantage when hunting live prey to destroy. The creature gains a +4 racial bonus to Stealth as a result.
Energy Vulnerability The Xeno-necro, like all of this subtype, are particularly susceptible to energy attacks, such as lasers, plasma weapons, and other similar weapons. They suffer an additional +1 point of damage per dice when facing this type of attack.
Toughened Hide (Ex) The flesh may appear to be heavily damaged, but it has become infused with bone shards, giving the creature a natural armor bonus of +6.
