Hey, you there! Reader! Yes you! Listen up for a second!
This month we’re doing something a little different with our blog post. Here at Starfinder Facts, we love animals and nature. As such, we are completely heartbroken by the devastation of the Australian wildfires we have witnessed in the past month. Close to one billion animals have perished in the fires, many of them suffering painful deaths, and an untold number of insects have also died – crippling the Australian backbone of a healthy ecological system. The worst part is: there are still three months left in Australia’s fire season.
In honor of Australia Day, we’ve created two pieces of content. The first one, below, is part of our standard free monthly offerings to our fans - just to remind you that we’re funny and cool and make good work - and is loosely based off of exactly how unique and wierd and fascinating Australia’s unique wildlife is.
Our second piece of content is going to be part of a unique giveaway we are doing to help Australian ecologists in the monumental task at hand. What we ask of you is to donate to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, take a screenshot, and send it to us (either through Twitter DMs or at StarfinderFacts@gmail.com). In exchange, we’ll send you a pdf with the art, lore, and stats of this guy, as illustrated by the wildly awesome Savannah Hensley (as seen on Instagram @rockingyourstar):
Sound good? If you’re curious to know what the plasmaroo’s whole thing is (or just want to see your player’s faces when you spin around that artwork to describe their new ally or enemy), make your donation today and we’ll send you that sweet sweet artwork and stat block.
And if that wasn’t enough to convince you: behold Hybridization, a new field of study for Biochackers!
Some biohackers study physiology and pharmacology in order to push the limits of the physical form and unlock the potential in every body. Other biohackers just really want to make duck-billed mammals that can lay eggs and put a venom sac in everything. The Hybridization field of study is perfect for any aspiring biohacker who is more interested in stingers than safety, and views body horror more as inspiration than object lesson.
Field Of Study: Hybridization
Hybridization is the study of specialized biological methods of combining two or more disparate species into a single unique lifeform.
Booster: You temporarily boost a living creature’s anatomy, granting them deadly modifications to their biology. The target grows a natural weapon of your choice (claws, a bite, a stinger, a slam, or another natural weapon). The target is considered armed. They can deal 1d3 lethal damage with unarmed strikes and the attack doesn’t count as archaic. If they are 3rd level or above, they gain a unique weapon specialization with their natural weapons, allowing them to add 1–1/2 × their character level to their damage rolls for their natural weapons (instead of just adding their character level, as usual).
Inhibitor: You deliver a body-warping compound into a living creature, weakening its body against attacks. Reduce any DR the creature has by 5; if the creature does not have DR, it takes a -2 penalty to its AC.
Breakthrough
You can use the following ability when you achieve the breakthrough for this field of study.
Venomous Growth (Ex): As a standard action, you can create and deliver a formula that causes the target to grow venom sacs. The target’s natural weapons all automatically inject venom into the target on a successful hit. An affected creature can attempt a Fortitude saving throw (DC = 10 + half the creature’s level + their Constitution modifier) to resist the effects of the venom. On a failed save, the creature takes 1d6 damage immediately and must attempt a new Fortitude saving throw at the start of its turn each round to end the effect. Each time it fails this save, it takes an additional 1d6 damage. Effects such as remove affliction and antitoxin affect this venom as though it were a poison. At level 11, increase the damage dealt by the venom to 2d6; at level 17, increase the damage dealt by the venom to 4d6.
Are you still reading? Stop reading this, go donate, and send us the screenshot so you can start giggling and gasping in child-like glee at the plasmaroo!
