Symbiont, Pod Cannon

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

Pod Cannon CR 2

XP 600
N Medium plant (plant symbiont)
Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +0

DEFENSE

AC 14, touch 13, flat-footed 11 (+3 Dex, +1 natural)
hp 19 (3d8+6)
Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +1
DR 3/slashing; Immune plant traits

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.
Melee slam +4 (1d4+2)
Ranged thorn blast +5 (1d6 plus special)
Special Attacks thorn blast

STATISTICS

Str 14, Dex 17, Con 14, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 5
Base Atk +2; CMB +4 (+8 against trip); CMD 17
SQ bond, host abilities, mind link, symbiont healing

ECOLOGY

Environment any
Organization solitary
Treasure none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Thorn Blast (Ex)

The pod cannon symbiont can fire a blast of sharp thorns as a ranged touch attack that deals piercing damage. This blast targets all creatures in a 10-ft. cone as per the scatter firearm quality and fills the 10-ft. cone with thorns that act as caltrops. These thorns rapidly decay, lasting only 2 rounds.

A pod cannon has enough thorns to use this ability 10/day.

HOST ABILITIES

Thorn Blast (Ex)

The host may use the pod cannon’s thorn blast ability using the symbiont’s attack modifier or its own, whichever is higher.

Seed Pod (Ex)

Three times per day the symbiont’s host can fire a seed cluster from the pod cannon as a ranged touch attack with a range of 40 ft. 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 13 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. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Construction

Slot shoulders; Price 9,000 gp

CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS

Feats Create Plant Symbiont; 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.

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.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Alien Codex © 2018, Legendary Games; Lead Designer: Jason Nelson. Authors: Anthony Adam, Kate Baker, John Bennet, Eytan Bernstein, Robert Brookes, Russ Brown, Duan Byrd, Paris Crenshaw, Jeff Dahl, Robyn Fields, Joel Flank, Matt Goodall, Robert J. Grady, Jim Groves, Steven T. Helt, Thurston Hillman, Tim Hitchcock, Nick Hite, Daniel Hunt, Mike Kimmel Marshall, Isabelle Lee, Jeff Lee, Lyz Liddell, Jason Nelson, Richard Pett, Tom Phillips, Jeff Provine, Alistair J. Rigg, Alex Riggs, Wendall Roy, Mike Shel, Neil Spicer, Todd Stewart, Russ Taylor, Rachel Ventura, Mike Welham, George Loki Williams, Scott Young.

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