Dirty Galaxy

Well, Heavy Weapons should be up in a couple more days. I sent it to Mark late last week, however, he's in the process of moving, so it will probably be a little bit longer than normal before it's up. Not too long though.

Right now, I'm putting the finishing touches on the Sentai POD product. The two combined Sentai Books topped out at about 38,000 words; Sentai Strike, as I've titled the POD version is 46,000 words, give or take. This afternoon I got a few rough sketches from Amanda for the last three pieces of art I need for Sentai Strike POD. Expect that one soon.

I'm working on two additional Heavy Future books, in addition to the eventual ER: Erobots racebook: Dirty Galaxy, which focuses on traps, diseases and other non-monster type hazards, and a follow on to Heavy Weapons, which includes more spells, gear and magic items. I thought I'd preview some new Heavy Future content- a new trap, new disease, new haunt, new spell and new piece of armor. The spell, Execution Finches, is directly inspired by a scene in the movie whose poster appears at right.

Enjoy,
CHRIS

New Spell: Execution Finches

School evocation Level druid 3, witch 3

Casting Time one standard action

Components V, S, M (the feather from any songbird)

Range medium (100 ft + 10 ft/level)

Duration 1 round/ 4 levels      

Saving Throw REF half Spell Resistance No

            This spell summons a swirling, chaotic swarm of glowing spectral songbirds the color of whore-house neon. The Execution Finches exist for one round per four caster levels. On the first round, they target a single victim of the caster’s choosing, inflicting 1d6 slashing damage per caster level (maximum 10d6) with a REF Save for half damage. On the second round and all subsequent rounds of the spell, the caster can direct the Execution Finches to attack either the original target or another target within range, as a free action.

New Armor: Bio-Ooze

            Bio-Ooze is a living form of space suit used through the galaxy. Bio-Oozes are cultured by techno-botanists; gardens for bio-ooze cultivation are rancid slicks of blue algae that can stretch for hundreds of acres. In its inactive state, the ooze is stored in a small cylinder worn on a neck or belt lanyard. When the container is open, the ooze crawls over the wearer’s body and into every crevice. The bio-ooze hardens into a thick coating of slime, fungal nodules and bark, which functions as a strange, techno-organic space suit. These growths flake away and fall off when the suit returns to its inactive state, leaving only a thin slick of growth matrix to return to the container to regenerate.

           

            Special: Bio-Ooze in its active state functions as a Space Suit. Applying or removing Bio-Ooze is a standard action, like applying an oil. The Bio-Ooze can remain active for up to 3 hours continuously, before returning to its canister to recover for 1d6 hours. The Bio-Ooze will also return to inactive state if targeted by diminish plants or similar magic, or exposed to any contact or injury poison that affects plants.

            Special: As a completely organic suit, Druids can wear Bio-Ooze without restriction.

Armor	Type	Equip. Bonus	Nonprof. Bonus	Max DEX Bonus	Armor Penalty	Arcane Failure	Speed (30 ft)	Weight	Purchase DC	Rest. Rating
HEAVY ARMOR
Bio-Ooze	Heavy, Tactical	+4	+1	+2	-4	30%	30 ft	35-40 lbs	650 gp DC 16	Lic +1

New Disease: Energix Pregnancy

            Energix are common pests, well known and well loathed by spacers. These fist sized bundles of plasma are native to hyperspace, and reproduce by using humanoids traveling through hyperspace as hosts. Zipping through the abdomen of a humanoid, the Energix leaves behind a charge of exotic energy and dark matter that progresses through a pregnancy in a matter of hours, resulting in a horrible ‘birth’- an explosion deep within the victim’s womb that births several new Energix parasites.

Type: contact (Hyperspace environments only)

Save: REF DC 20 to avoid ; FORT DC 18 to overcome
Onset: 1 hour

Frequency: 1/hour

Effect: 2d4 Fire damage, 1d4 Pleasure damage. If the disease goes untreated for a number of hours equal to the months of a normal pregnancy for your species (9 hours for baseline humans), the Energix Pregnancy comes to term.

           

            The victim suffers 5d6 points of Fire damage and 3d6 points of Pleasure damage. All creatures and objects within 30 ft suffer half damage (REF DC 15 none), and the disease ends. Dozens of new Energix parasites are created, blasting away in random directions to seek new hosts.

Cure: 3 consecutive saves

New Trap: Vore Flora (CR 4)

            Various kinds of carnivorous, acidic plant life exist throughout the galaxy. Most are deeply buried, concealing the majority of their substance beneath the topsoil or other ground cover. When the vibrations of large creatures passing nearby trigger them, Vore Flora lash out with several strong, barbed tendrils, attempting to pull their prey into the plant’s buried digestion chamber.

Type: natural hazard
Perception: DC 25 or Survival DC 20
Disable Device: Not applicable. Use Survival DC 25 to kill or nullify the danger the plant poses.  

Trigger: proximity
Duration: 6 rounds
Reset: automatic

Effects: 1d4+1 attacks +8 melee (1d8 bludgeoning plus 1d6 acid). If two or more attacks hit the same target, the Vore Flora makes a Combat Maneuver at a +12 bonus and pulls the target into its space. If this is successful, the target automatically suffers 2d8 acid damage per round. If the target is still alive after 6 rounds, or still struggling, the Vore Flora spits out or releases its prey and sinks back into the soil.

New Haunt: Disco Doom (Irresistible Dance) (CR 10)

            Long forgotten dance clubs, abandoned pleasure domes and zombie-haunted crime-stations occasionally ring with the psychic ghost of dance music from a century ago. Flashing, multicolored lights blast away thought, forcing explorers and tomb raiders to dance uncontrollably.

XP: 9,600

Alignment and Area: 40 ft x 20 ft chamber or corridor in an abandoned space station.

Caster Level: 16^th

Notice: Perception DC 21 to notice faint disco music from a previous decade or century echoing through the halls or over your comms network

HP: 16
Weaknesses: Characters who have chosen Elvis Presley the Uncrowned King as their patron deity receive a +4 circumstance bonus on WILL Saves against this trap. Elvis worshippers got no time for disco.

Trigger: When any sentient creature enters the area.
Reset: 1 hour

Effect: Any target entering the area must succeed at a DC 18 WILL Save or be affected by Irresistible Dance.

Destruction: At least 500 gp worth of disco data-crystals or other storage mediums must be placed at the center of the haunt, and burned by hand lasers.