Zoanoid, Aptom

Aptom CR 15

XP 51,200
CN Medium aberration (zoanoid)
Init +9; Senses blindsense 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., Perception +20

DEFENSE

AC 30, touch 16, flat-footed 24 (+5 Dex, +1 dodge, +14 natural)
hp 210 (20d8+120); regeneration 5 (sonic)
Fort +18, Ref +11, Will +10; +5 vs. mind-influencing effects
DR 10/slashing and magic; Resist acid 20, fire 20; SR 26
Defensive Abilities force of will, fortification (50%), zoanoid saves

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 claws +22 (1d8+7 plus 1d6 acid/19-20), gore +22 (2d8+7) or assimilate +22 touch (7d6+5)
Ranged 2 fire beams +20 touch (6d6 fire plus burn)
Special Attacks assimilate, blazing rend, breath weapon (40 ft. line, 15d6 acid, Ref DC 26 half, 1d4 rounds), burn (2d6, Ref DC 26), demoralizing charge, powerful charge (gore, 4d8+14)

STATISTICS

Str 24, Dex 21, Con 22, Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 20
Base Atk +15; CMB +22; CMD 38
Feats Deceitful, Dodge, Improved Critical (claw), Improved Initiative, Intimidating Prowess, Iron Will, Point-Blank Shot, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Step Up
Skills Bluff +24, Climb +25, Disguise +24, Intimidate +30, Perception +20, Sense Motive +17, Stealth +23, Swim +25
Languages Common, Zern, telepathy 100 ft (1 mile with other aptoms)
SQ alter ego (Small or Medium humanoid, alter self), assume form, hivemind

ECOLOGY

Environment any land or underground
Organization solitary or squad (2-6 aptoms)
Treasure standard

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Alter Ego (Su)

An aptom can assume the form of a specific Small or Medium humanoid. This functions as the change shape special quality, except that the aptom cannot choose the form it assumes. It may take other forms using its assume form ability.

Assimilate (Su)

As a standard action, an aptom can touch a living creature to steal its essence. A creature touched takes 7d6 damage plus the aptom’s Charisma modifier (Fort DC 25 half), and the aptom gains that number of hit points as temporary hit points. If the creature fails its save, the aptom may take its form as one of its assumed forms, if it chooses. The save DC is Charisma based.

Assume Form (Su)

An aptom may hold in reserve a number of forms equal to its Charisma modifier (5 for an ordinary aptom). It may take any of these forms when it uses its alter ego ability, except that it gains special attacks and special qualities from the forms it assumes. If the form is any creature except a zoanoid, it gains the relevant abilities as if it had used a greater polymorph spell. If the form is a zoanoid, it gains all of that zoanoid’s extraordinary and supernatural abilities (although the save DC are still as per the aptom).

Blazing Rend (Ex)

A creature struck by two of an aptom’s fire beams in a single round suffers a -2 penalty on its save against the aptom’s burn attack. If it fails its save, it takes 4d6 points of fire damage from the burn.

Blindsense (Ex)

An aptom’s blindsense is hearing based. It cannot use its blindsense if it is deafened or in the area of a silence spell or similar effect.

Demoralizing Charge (Ex)

If an aptom hits an opponent when using its powerful charge special attack, it can make an Intimidate check to demoralize that opponent as a swift action.

Fire Beams (Ex)

As a standard action, an aptom can fire two beams of fire from its shoulder pods. Treat these as ranged touch attacks with a range of 120 feet and no range increment. A creature struck takes 6d6 points of fire damage and is exposed to the aptom’s burn attack.

Force of Will (Ex)

An aptom gains a racial bonus on all its saving throws against mind-influencing effects equal to its Charisma modifier.

Hivemind (Su)

An aptom may telepathically communicate with all other aptoms within 1 mile. When two or more aptoms are within 100 feet of each other, they can react to dangers together—they are only treated as flat-footed if all members of the hivemind are flat-footed, and if one of them disbelieves an illusion, they all do. Whenever two or more aptoms are within 100 feet of each other, they gain a +4 racial bonus on Perception checks and initiative rolls.

Zoanoid Saves (Ex)

A zoanoid treats Fortitude as its good save and Will as a poor save.

ABOUT

This vaguely humanoid monster has a hulking form, with clawed arms, a crown of horns, and two pod-like structures growing from its shoulders. It is furred in places, scaled in others, and has a rugose carapace covering its legs.

An aptom is a Rogue Number, a type of zoanoid created only through very unusual circumstances. The circumstances are, in fact, unique—although there are multiple aptoms, they are all clones descended from the original individual. The intention of the aptom was for the zoalords to have a perfect spy and mimic of enemy fighting capabilities, but the creature functioned too well. Not only could it reshape its body to tailor to its needs, it also reshaped its mind into rebellious independence. Aptoms gain access to new forms by absorbing pieces of living or dead bodies—with enough biomass, they reproduce by fission, creating two bodies with the same mind and purpose. That purpose is now to gain as much power as possible and overthrow the zoalords that made them.

An aptom’s default form is a mixture of other zoanoids; it has the carapace and horns of a gregole, the claws and acidic breath of an enzyme, and the flame-shooting pods of a vamore. It combines blistering elemental assaults with its superior strength in combat, trusting to its regenerative abilities to keep itself alive long enough to assimilate biomass from its enemies and sample their abilities. Aptoms fight well together, coordinating their actions through telepathy, and may assume different forms in order to provide complementary tactics to one another. An aptom can give itself even the unique abilities of other zoanoids they encounter, so no two battles with aptom opponents are likely to be the same.

Section 15: Copyright Notice
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