Original life forms fused
• Marbled Salamander (Amphibia)
• Red Lionfish (Actinopterygii)
• Leaf-Cutter Ant (Insecta)
• Blue-Ringed Octopus (Cephalopoda)
Appearance
An elongated, semi-segmented body six feet long from snout to siphon, sheathed in overlapping keratin-chitin plates that flash iridescent copper-red like lionfish fins. The head is salamander-broad with a crown of twelve venom-spined finnage rays; beneath them squats a pair of multifaceted ant eyes backed by octopus radial pupils that dilate turquoise when hunting. Eight muscular limb-clusters line the trunk: each cluster carries one jointed ant-leg tipped with a micropad for vertical grip and one retractile octopus tentacle fringed in soft cirri for tactile sampling. A flattened tail ends in a twin-fin rudder; bioluminescent blue rings pulse along its length when the creature feels cornered.
Size
Average adult mass 210 lb; nose-to-tail length roughly six feet; standing height on foreleg pairs about three feet.
Speed
Ground scuttle 35 ft per heartbeat-count, vertical climb 25 ft, burst swim 40 ft; short aerial glide of 10 ft possible by spreading fin-rays to catch updrafts from coastal cliffs.
Stat modifiers
+3 Dexterity (rapid limb coordination)
+2 Constitution (amphibious resilience to toxins)
+1 Intelligence (problem-solving from octopoid neural loops)
−2 Charisma (alien visage and hostile pheromones)
−1 Wisdom (easily distracted by new scents)
Skills
• Stealth +4 in reef shadow or underbrush due to adaptive chromatophores.
• Climbing +5 via ant micro-pad traction and tentacle anchoring.
• Poisoncraft instinct: automatically identifies edible versus harmful plants and exudes neutralising mucus for allies.
• Toxin Delivery: spine strike deals mild paralytic; bite injects hemotoxic enzyme harvested from prey.
• Tool improvisation: fashions simple reef-stone pry bars with tentacles to crack shellfish or loosen cliff nests.
Behavior
Territorial ambush predator that patrols tidal caverns at dusk. It constructs burrow-reef hybrids: sandstone tunnels reinforced with chewed plant fibre, roofed by a lattice of discarded mollusc shells glued with salamander mucus. Packs of three to five juveniles cooperate under a single matriarch who directs hunts via low-frequency clicks transmitted through the tidal pool water. When threatened on land, an adult fans dorsal spines, floods chromatophores into swirling blue-ring warning, and emits citric scent bursts that stun small herbivores.
Diet
Omnivorous opportunist: devours crustaceans, small fish, carrion, fungal mats, and coastal succulents. Venom breaks down chitin and cellulose alike; excess minerals deposit into growing plate armour.
Emotions
Displays curiosity through tentacle tip ripples and slow fin oscillations. Aggression manifests as rapid strobe of blue rings and tail-whip slaps. Maternal bond strong—females coil tentacles over eggs and secrete iodine-rich gel until hatching. Social grooming occurs as ant-style antennae strokes along neighbour plates.
Environment where found
Half-submerged basalt grotto systems ringing El Argar’s southern scablands; also high-temperature mangrove rivers where mineral springs meet ocean surf. Requires brackish pools for spawning but forages inland up to two miles along mist-laden ravines.
Tags: Amphibio-Cephalo, Chitin-Plate, Venom-Spine, Chromatic-Ambush, Tide-Burrow, Tool-Crafter, Glide-Fin, Matriarchal-Pack, Mineral-Armor, Omnivore, Bioluminescent, Reef-Climber, Paralytic-Bite, Low-Frequency-Call, Heat-Tolerant, Coastal-Scavenger, Feral-Hybrid
Life cycle
Hatchlings emerge from gelatinous egg-clusters anchored to basalt-frond tangles in warm brackish sink-pools at the turning of the second rain moon. These thumb-sized larvae resemble translucent salamander fry with four proto-tentacles trailing behind a bulbous yolk sac. Over twelve dawns they absorb the sac, sprout miniature fin-rays, and begin alternating lung-gulp and gill-flare breathing. At three hand-spans long they enter the “cinderling” stage, shedding skin every eighth dusk; each shed hardens into the first brittle plates. Cinderlings group in sibling swarms that raid tide-wash detritus for calcium shards, a mineral rush that quickens plate thickening. By the sixth shedding—roughly two seasons after hatching—they gain full chromatic control, split from the swarm, and select one of the coastal grotto guild-colonies governed by an adult matriarch. Rapid growth continues until the second full eclipse year when length stabilises near six feet and limb clusters fully calcify. Elders past their sixth eclipse experience plate ossification that stiffens spinal undulation; they retreat to deeper geothermal vents where they act as living reef-walls, secreting limestone to strengthen colony nests while mentoring hatchling swarms through sub-sonic clicks.
Mating
Breeding occurs once per eclipse cycle at the peak of the magma-tide surge when seawater rises warmest. Adult females exude an iodine-sweet musk that carries on thermal plumes; males detect the scent through nasal tentacle pits, triggering copper-blue iris flashes. Suitors perform a circling glide around the matriarch, displaying venom-spine fans while drumming plates with ant-leg taps that resonate through the pool floor. The matriarch selects partners by mirroring the rhythm with tail rudder thrums. Fertilisation is external: both sexes release gametes into a mucus veil secreted from the female’s flank pores; tentacles whip the veil into a spiral funnel that settles into crevices. The female coils around the clutch and secretes antibacterial gel enriched with trace silver, warding fungi and carrion molds. Guard duty lasts twenty nights; during this time colony juveniles deliver crushed mollusc shells that the matriarch consumes to replenish calcium loss.
Tactics
Ambush mastery defines colony hunts. Scouts climb cliff faces at low tide, planting bioluminescent mucus dots that mimic glow-moss, luring crustaceans and small mammals toward concealed pool mouths. When prey enters shallows, silent tentacles erupt first, grappling limbs; ant-legs then brace on rock while the jaw pivots in a side-snap that injects paralytic enzyme. Against larger adversaries the Salamaroctant raises dorsal spines, discharging a mist of diluted venom into the air; inhaled droplets numb diaphragm muscles, slowing the target while the predator circles for a joint-severing bite. In open water it switches to high-speed pursuit, undulating tail fins in S-patterns that confuse sonar-based hunters. If cornered on land it vertical-climbs to overhangs and launches into a short glide, flattening fin rays to gain precious body-lengths before splashing into another tidal pool.
Actions
Bite: delivers hemotoxic damage plus lingering muscle cramp.
Spine jab: forward lunge that impales and pumps mild paralytic; usable twice before venom sacs require a six-breath recharge.
Tentacle lash: blinding slap that coats targets in light-dampening mucus, imposing vision-blur.
Tail rudder slap: wide arc knockback that can topple medium constructs or trip quadrupeds.
Camouflage flare: instantaneous colour shift matching reef stone or dune scrub; distracts foes for a single heart-beat, often preceding escape.
Tool pry: selects reef stones or abandoned bronze hinges, uses them as leverage to open shelled prey or wedge gates during nocturnal raids on coastal warehouses.
Other interesting information
• Colonies cultivate copper-rich algae in their burrow-reef tunnels; ingestion boosts bioluminescent intensity of warning rings, providing stronger deterrence against sky-born predators.
• Their mucus contains trace compounds that neutralise most coastal jellyfish stings; El Argar apothecaries harvest shed mucus plates to brew salves.
• Matriarch vocalisations overlap low forge harmonics; Covenant of the Molten Veil cantors sometimes invite elder Salamaroctants to Veil-Fire ceremonies, believing the shared resonance stabilises high-temperature crucible walls.
• When two colonies meet during spawning migrations they exchange juvenile “ambassadors.” These youths adopt the pheromone profile of the host colony, reducing future territorial conflicts and spreading genetic diversity across cliffs.
• Elders entering the calcified reef-wall phase become keystone enclave guardians; their plates host symbiotic glow-moss corridors that guide night-fishing boats through treacherous surf passages in exchange for periodic bronze-dust offerings scattered into the water, which the elders’ filtering tentacles ingest for mineral repair.
Caravans, free-lance prospectors, and magistrate-sanctioned companies all cross El Argar’s southern scablands for specific purposes; each purpose inevitably sends small parties into tidal grotto country where Salamaroctant colonies thrive. Several motives recur.
- First, coven-endorsed forge-guilds prize the creature’s shed plate segments. When the hybrid molts, the discarded chitin-keratin armor hardens into slag-glass laminae streaked with copper ions. Pulverised and folded into crucible clay, this powder prevents hairline fissures during multi-day alloy quenches. Guild quotas for fresh plate dust are strict, and inspectors award tariff credits only for fragments no older than three tides—meaning retrieval crews must venture into active burrows while adults patrol.
- Second, apothecaries covet the mucus that coats Salamaroctant tail rudders. Dried and steeped in heated brine, it yields a stabiliser that neutralises jellyfish venom, reef-worm neurotoxin, and certain elemental frost burns. Black-market vendors sell counterfeit versions; reputable surgeons therefore commission escorted harvest expeditions to gather authentic secretion directly from source. Such parties bring alabaster jars charmed for heat retention, because the compound spoils if it cools before sunset.
- Third, territorial disputes arise between coastal foundry towns whose fishers complain of dwindling shellfish beds. Colonies enlarge their reef-lattices with limestone excreted by elders, gradually blocking tidal flow and altering nutrient currents. Civic councils hire troubleshooters to map colony tunnels, redirect water, or—when diplomacy fails—relocate a matriarch. Relocation requires a daring immobilisation plan: paralyse spines with resonance-tuned percussion strikes, haul the six-foot mass onto a bronze sled, and guide it by steam-powered pulley to an unclaimed vent farther down the cape.
- Fourth, geomancers under the Covenant of the Molten Veil study harmonic overlap between Veil-Fire chant and elder Salamaroctant sub-sonic clicks. They believe a precise duet can reinforce worn furnace walls. Scholarly expeditions therefore seek living elders willing to collaborate. Negotiations hinge on delivering bronze dust offerings and teaching juvenile ambassadors new forge rhythms. Adventuring escorts guard scholars against opportunistic reef-brigands and help translate ant-click pheromone scripts scrawled across burrow walls.
- Fifth, clandestine smelter-warlocks outside Covenant sanction view the creature’s paralytic enzyme as prime ingredient for “mirror-blood,” a glaze that coats ritual blades and induces muscle lock in targets. Because Covenant enforcers outlaw the practice, smugglers commission stealthy bands to infiltrate colony egg chambers, milk cinderling venom sacs, then erase signs of trespass before matriarch patrols return.
- Sixth, the molten-crown navy sometimes reports beacon failures along fog-laden surf passages. Investigation usually reveals that a calcifying elder, newly anchored as reef-wall, has extinguished guide lights by coating beacon pylons with bioluminescent moss whose glow outshines regulations. Naval engineers hire guides to enter the tide caves, bargain with the elder, and shift the moss rings to approved positions without disturbing symbiotic glow-eel nurseries. Escorting adventurers defend against rival salvage crews hoping to plunder elder-guarded bronze hinges left as maritime offerings.
- Seventh, reincarnate wayfarers following memory-quests often recognise fragments of past-life habitats in the creature’s limestone fortresses. They employ trackers to locate specific colony labyrinths, seeking personal relics encased as decorative debris within tunnel walls. Retrieval risks provoking guardians unless the wayfarer’s story convinces the matriarch that releasing the relic strengthens inter-colony ambassador bonds.
In every case—harvest, rescue, diplomacy, or clandestine theft—the Salamaroctant’s amphibious agility, venomous defense, and labyrinthine nest architecture force expedition leaders to balance speed, stealth, and harmonised cadence techniques. Parties prepared with ant-silk climbing ropes, resonance hammers, iodine masks, and copper-leaf bribes often gain safer passage; those who ignore the creature’s matriarchal hierarchy or the tidal calendar find themselves cornered by flashing blue-ring warnings and a sudden crush of plate-clad limb clusters emerging from the brackish dark.
Harvesters who brave the tidal labyrinths prize far more than the creature’s shed armor or living mucus. Once a Salamaroctant body lies still, skilled cutters can remove a wealth of niche reagents and forge-worthy materials before tide rot sets in.
- Dorsal venin spines – Twelve hollow ray-bones filled with slow-acting paralytic serum and lined with copper microfilaments. Apothecaries boil the serum down to “Echo Sleep,” a contact salve that muffles neuromuscular twitches in surgery patients; smith-alchemists grind the filament-laced bone into flux that steadies resonance in bronze tuning forks.
- Fin-ray membranes – Semi-transparent webbing between spines retains trace lithium salts from seawater filtration. Dried sheets stretch without tearing and hold arcane sigils that remain legible under salt spray, making them favored scroll stock for coastal weather-callers.
- Bioluminescent ring skin – Discs of epidermis around each blue ring glow for months once cured in brine. Lampwrights embed them in slag-glass sconces to create smokeless beacon lights; illusionists render the discs to powder, mixing it with resin for invisibility pigments visible only under specific chant frequencies.
- Tentacle cirri clusters – Soft fringe rich in mechanoreceptive nerves. Woven into fine reed pipes they translate minute water pressure shifts into audible whistles, useful for tidal engineers charting subsurface vents or for stealthy harbor sentries.
- Cranial ridge plate – Dense bone laced with naturally aligned ferromagnesian crystals. When forged into narrow bridge-struts it dampens torsional vibration, allowing aerial skiffs to mount lighter prop-shafts without resonance failure.
- Ant-leg traction pads – Chitinous foot discs coated with micro-setae. Tanners laminate them onto leather climbing gloves that cling to glassy cliff faces even when sprayed by wave mist.
- Heartstone nodule – A cleft of copper phosphate embedded beside the ventricle acts as an internal mineral reserve. Jewel-wrights facet it into faintly glowing focus gems that shorten attunement time for heat-aligned gear by several heartbeats.
- Ossified tail rudder – Interlocked vertebrae impregnated with iodine and silica. Break down into gravel and add to kiln clay; the resulting bricks resist thermal shock in continuous smelter cycles.
- Digestive gland slurry – Enzyme-rich gel capable of dissolving cellulose and decalcifying shell fragments. Papermakers blend a trace into pulp vats to soften tough bast fibers, yielding parchment thin enough for micro-engraved battle maps.
- Ocular lenses – Hard, amber-tinted discs behind the multifaceted outer eye pair. Mounted in brass gimbal frames they refine glare and refraction for surveyors’ theodolites used on shimmering mesa flats.
- Chromatophore sacs – Elastic pigment bladders that cycle through copper, teal, and charcoal hues. Dried whole, they become squeeze-bulbs delivering instant camouflage sprays for couriers evading scrying drones; powdered, they tint smoke bombs that confuse colour-sensitive predators.
- Ventral gland salts – Yellowish crust lining the abdomen’s evaporative pores. Scraped and baked with charcoal, the salts fizz on contact with brine, releasing a low-heat steam ideal for field sterilisation of medical tools where open flame risks tunnel collapse.
- Symbiotic glow-moss film – Faintly luminescent algae often found on elder plates. Alchemists distill its chlorophyll analogue into “cold ember” ink that stores ambient light during daywatch and emits it as dim orange script after dusk—perfect for map lines readable only to those who know the trick.
Timely extraction is crucial; corpse enzymes begin hardening tissues within two bells. Harvest crews therefore travel with portable saline casks, bronze bone-saws, and copper-leaf vouchers signed by guild scribes—proof that each valuable sliver of Salamaroctant remains will be taxed, catalogued, and put to sanctioned use rather than traded into clandestine mirror-blood markets.
Copper-Ringed Hunger That Walked on Many Angers
In age when moon still wore the foam cloak and cliffs sang names of unborn rivers, the Folk of Basalt Mouth carried fishbones for counting the tides. On the thirtieth bone they summoned courage, for rumor drifted that water itself had learned claws. Three sent foragers—Stone-Back Mali, Whisper-Tongue Ceret, and Young Torch Whose Eyes Forgot Sleep—ventured downward where light weighed less than silence.
At cave lip they spied a pool glowing with blue wheels like sky-stars drowned yet stubborn. In middle stood a pillar of breathing plates: Salamaroctant, child of molten vent and reef widow. Creature bowed not; it read the air with tentacle quills, and its tuskless jaw clicked a riddle: “Why does shell trust soft belly when tide is sharpening?” The foragers, startled by words shaped like broken bells, answered with empty silence, for tongues wore no hook for such sound.
Stone-Back Mali cast a net woven of cliff grass. Net fell gentle but parted mid-fall, sliced by fins that were also blades. Whisper-Tongue Ceret tried silver promise, offering cured squid; promise melted in the creature’s mucus cloud, turning to gray drip. Young Torch, remembering legends older than fishbone tallies, lifted a shard of sunstone polished with sweat. The shard flickered rings like those on beast’s hide. Creature paused its anger; its eyes, half ant hive half dusk pearl, narrowed as if reading a hidden inscription.
Torch spoke with words scraped on caves long before—poor words, chipped by time: “Trade bright for hush.” Creature understood partly, for glow rings dimmed as if listening through sand. It coiled tail rudder and birthed a single plate piece, still warm, smelling of storm iron. Torch laid sunstone upon rock. Exchange sealed, the cave breathed again.
The three returned. Plate, ground to dust, cured the village’s cracked kiln that once devoured every batch of winter pots. Pots now held broth, broth fed bellies, bellies sang praise of blue-ringed hunger they no longer feared.
Seasons broke like brittle shells. News of curative dust traveled quick, slower than greed but faster than gratitude. Iron-Hat Traders marched with sacks of copper prayer and empty maps. They entered cave at low moon, chanting coins instead of riddles. Salamaroctant matriarch rose, rings pulsing storm warnings, yet coins do not know to bow. Traders bled, their tin voice stilled by hemotoxic bite. Cave grew quiet again, but current carried tale of broken helmets to distant jetties.
Years later, coastal prince sought armor that laughs at dragon breath. Remembering kiln miracle, he ordered black-shell divers to harvest every plate and fin they could pry from living or dead. Divers dragged chains, lanterns, and pride. First tide gave them nothing but petrified moss. Second tide, tunnels shifted; a new elder, ossified in stone seat, welcomed intruders with cloud of venom that stilled lungs like winter on reeds. Third tide, divers retreated leaving only bubbles and rumor.
Prince, angered, hired singers of low cadence to mimic forge rhythm that calms furnace walls. Cadence drifted through grotto, stroking colony nerves. Matriarch, hearing distant comfort of molten mantle, allowed humans passage. They gathered molt plates, not flesh, carried them home, forged armor thin as clam shell, strong like oath. Prince wore it once at tournament; applause rang, but armor’s foreign resonance cracked two ribs with each breath. He cast it into sea; sea returned it the next night, plates fused into shape of wounded crown. Prince decreed no more harvest without understanding heartbeat beneath blue rings.
Time spiraled. Coastal scholars, fishwives, and stone-reader children learned to speak broken riddle-click. Colonies accepted bronze dust tribute, guided boats by glow ring constellations, traded tentacle cirri for cedar charcoal. Yet whisper endures: when moon hides behind ash cloud and copper veins sing famine, matriarchs recall Iron-Hat greed. They line burrow walls with ring discs brighter than forge ember, awaiting next visitor who forgets to ask before taking.
Moral: Seek the glow to share its warmth, not to steal its fire; for rings that guide may also close like jaws.
Suggested conversions to other systems:
CALL OF CTHULHU 7th EDITION — Copper-Ringed Hybrid
STR 85, CON 75, SIZ 70, DEX 65, INT 45, POW 60. Luck Roll 50. Move 8 land / 10 swim.
Hit Points 14 (CON + SIZ divided by 10). Build 2. Damage Bonus +1d6. Armor 3-point chitin plates (half damage from heat; double from extreme cold). Sanity Loss: 0/1d6 on first sight.
Skills: Stealth 60, Climb 70, Swim 80, Track by scent 55, Spot Hidden 50.
Attacks (each round choose one):
• Bite 50% — 1d8 + db; targets failing a CON roll (vs venom POT 60) fall limp for 1d10 minutes.
• Venin Spine Jab 40% — 1d4 + db; same paralysis effect; usable twice then sacs must refill (1 hour).
• Tentacle Lash 45% — 1d6 and imposes −20% to visual skills for 1d6 rounds from mucus blur.
Special: Chromatophore Shift (CON×5 roll to activate) grants 70% Stealth for 3 rounds, once per encounter. Sub-sonic Clicks (POW vs listener POW) may either rally colony allies (bonus die to next attack) or stun a single target for 1 round on a success. Failure costs the creature 1 Magic Point.
BLADES IN THE DARK — Mantle-Tide Stalker
Threat 3; Quality equals Tier + 1; Scale 1 (individual) or 2 (pack of three).
Stats: Prowess 2 dots, Insight 1, Resolve 1. Coil-plated hide counts as Heavy Armor.
Special Abilities:
• Paralyzing Venom — when it inflicts Level-2 Harm or better, victims mark a bonus “Numb” clock (4-segment). Filling it drops them helpless.
• Chromatic Disguise — on a Risky roll to hide or escape it always starts with +1d.
• Reef Tools — can “spend” its environment as fine tools, cracking locks or breaching hulls without equipment.
Weakness: extreme cold or frost salts reduce its Threat by 1 and remove Heavy Armor.
Clock: Venom sac refill (6 segments) — once full it can unleash a spine volley as an Area attack counting as a small gang.
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 5e — Salamaroctant Matriarch
Large aberration, unaligned.
Armor Class 16 (plated hide). Hit Points 114 (12d10 + 48). Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 50 ft., glide 10 ft.
STR 20 (+5), DEX 15 (+2), CON 18 (+4), INT 7 (−2), WIS 12 (+1), CHA 6 (−2).
Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +7, Wis +4. Skills Stealth +5, Perception +4. Damage Resistances fire; Vulnerability cold. Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft., passive Perception 14. Languages understands Primordial clicks but cannot speak. Challenge 8 (3 900 XP).
Traits: Amphibious; Pack Tactics; Reactive Chromatophores (as a reaction gain advantage on Dexterity saves or Stealth checks until start of next turn).
Paralytic Venom: a creature damaged by the bite or spine must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution save or be paralyzed for 1 minute; repeat save at end of each turn.
Actions: Multiattack — bite once and use Tentacle Lash once, or two spine jabs.
Bite — Melee +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., 17 (2d10 + 6) piercing plus venom.
Spine Jab — Melee +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., 9 (1d8 + 5) piercing plus venom. Limited to 3 uses; regains 1d3 spent spines after a short rest spent submerged.
Tentacle Lash — Melee +8, reach 15 ft., 13 (2d6 + 6) bludgeoning; target must make DC 15 Dex save or be blinded by mucus until it or an adjacent creature spends an action to wipe it away.
Bonus Action: Chromatic Shroud — once per short rest, turns invisible (as Greater Invisibility) until end of its next turn.
KNAVE — Reef-Tide Scuttler
Hit Dice 6 (average HP 27). Armor Defense 14 (natural plates). Attack Bonus +6. Movement: land 30 ft., swim 45 ft., climb 25 ft.
Attacks: Bite 1d10 damage; on a failed CON save (difficulty 14) target is paralyzed for 1d6 turns. Optional Spine Flick once per encounter: 1d8 damage at reach 10 ft., paralysis save as above.
Saves: STR 12, DEX 14, CON 12, INT 8, WIS 10, CHA 8.
Specials:
• Adaptive Camouflage — if it spends a turn motionless it gains advantage on the next Sneak check.
• Amphibious — breathes air and water.
• Venom Recycle — after it paralyzes a foe it may choose to ingest part of the prey as a free action, regaining d4 HP.
• Vulnerable to frost; takes double damage from ice or cold iron.
Treasure: 1d4 bioluminescent skin discs worth 50 coin each to alchemists; 1 heartstone nodule (acts as tier-2 focus gem).
FATE CORE — Copper-Ringed Tide Prowler
High Concept: Amphibious venom-spined ambush predator
Trouble: Heat-bound wanderer pained by chilling wind
Other Aspects: Shifting Chromatophores; Matriarchal Reef Protector; Many-Limbed Tool Crafter
Approaches: Force +3, Quick +2, Sneaky +2, Careful +1, Clever +1, Flashy 0
Stress: three boxes • • • Consequences: Mild (2), Moderate (4), Severe (6)
Stunts
• Paralytic Spine Strike — when you succeed with style on a Forceful melee attack you may spend 1 Fate point to replace the boost with the “Paralysed” Aspect, lasting one scene or until overcome (Fair +2).
• Echoless Glide — gain +2 to Sneaky when escaping detection by remaining motionless or gliding through water.
• Reef-Craft Improviser — once per session create a useful stone or shell tool as a free Create Advantage with +2.
Extras: Natural Armor (+2 to defend vs physical when plates intact) but gains the Aspect Cracking Carapace after any Cold-based attack (free invoke for enemies).
NUMENERA / CYPHER SYSTEM — Tide-Crested Salamaroctant (Level 6; target 18)
Motive: Territory defense and shellfish predation
Environment: Coastal caves, brackish vents
Health 24 Damage 6 (bite) or 5 (spine) plus Level-6 paralytic poison (might defense to resist)
Armor 2 natural plates; Speed defense modified by +1 step in water, –1 step on ice-slick ground
Movement long; short climb; long swim
Special Abilities
• Chromatic Camouflage (2 Intellect points): reduce opponent attacks by one step for a round.
• Tentacle Strike: attack all within immediate distance; victims dazed for one round if they fail Speed defense.
• Venom Reserve: three spine attacks per hour; out of spines it only tail lashes for 4 damage.
GM Intrusion: Its glow rings mesmerise, lowering a PC’s next defensive action by two steps or luring them one range band closer.
PATHFINDER SECOND EDITION — Salamaroctant Reef Matriarch
Creature 8 N Large Aberration Initiative +11 (chromatophore feint)
Perception +16; darkvision, wavesense 30 ft
Languages Aklo (click dialect) Skills Athletics +18, Stealth +15, Crafting (tools) +14, Survival +14
Str +5, Dex +3, Con +5, Int –1, Wis +2, Cha –2
AC 26; Fort +19, Ref +15, Will +16; HP 150; Resist fire 10; Weakness cold 10
Reactive Camouflage (reaction) Triggered by being targeted; gains concealed until start of its turn.
Speed 35 ft, climb 25 ft, swim 50 ft; Glide 10 ft (requires height)
Melee Bite +18 (reach 10 ft), 2d10+9 piercing plus paralytic venom (DC 26 Fort save or paralyzed 1 min, save end each round)
Melee Spine Jab +18 (reach 15 ft), 2d6+9 piercing plus venom; three spines, regrow after 10 minutes submerged
Melee Tentacle Lash +16 (reach 20 ft), 2d8+9 bludgeoning and DC 26 Reflex or blinded 1 round
Chromatic Burst (two actions, ◇ once per 10 minutes) The matriarch flashes rings; creatures in 30-ft cone attempt DC 26 Will save or become dazzled and flat-footed 1d4 rounds.
Tail Rudder Knockback (one action) Strike with tail; if it hits the foe is pushed 10 ft and must DC 26 Reflex or fall prone.
SAVAGE WORLDS ADVENTURE EDITION — Blue-Ringed Salamaroctant
Wild Card Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d12, Vigor d10
Skills: Athletics d10, Fighting d12, Stealth d10 (+2 in water), Notice d8, Survival d8, Swimming d12
Pace 7; Parry 9; Toughness 12 (4)
Edges: Ambush, First Strike, Florentine (tentacle/tail combo)
Special Abilities
• Amphibious — moves at full Pace in water.
• Armor +4 chitin plates; Vulnerable: Cold (-4 Armor vs cold or ice).
• Paralytic Venom — bite or spine inflicts Fatigue each round until Vigor roll at –2 succeeds; at 2 Fatigue victim is Incapacitated.
• Spines (Range 3/6/12, ROF 3, Damage Str+d4; ammo 3, Regenerate 1 spine per hour).
• Tentacle Flurry — Fighting at –2 to attack all adjacent targets once.
• Chromatophore Invisibility — with a full round of stillness gains –4 to be detected (or +4 Stealth) until it acts.
• Leap-Glide — can make a horizontal leap of 6″ ignoring difficult ground, descending 1″ per 2″ travelled.
SHADOWRUN 6E — Copper-Ring Chimera
Attributes: Body 8, Agility 6, Reaction 7, Strength 9, Willpower 5, Logic 2, Intuition 5, Charisma 2, Edge 1, Essence 5.8.
Condition Monitor: 12 P / 11 S. Initiative 12 + 1D6 (astride land) or 13 + 1D6 (submerged). Movement 10 m Walk, 20 m Run; Swim ×1.5; Vertical Climb 6 m. Armor 8 (natural plate).
Skills: Athletics (Climbing) 4 (+2), Close Combat (Tentacle Lash) 6 (+2), Exotic Ranged Weapon (Spine Volley) 5, Perception 4, Sneaking 5, Survival (Coastal) 4 (+2).
Attacks:
• Bite: DV 9P, –2 AP, paralyzing toxin (Vector: Injection, Speed: Instant, Power 9, Effect: Physical stun then full Paralysis if not resisted).
• Tentacle Lash (Reach +2): DV 7S, –1 AP, On hit target resists Knockdown vs Strength 9.
• Spine Volley (Simple Action, 3-shot burst, Range 15 m): DV 7P, –3 AP, Toxin as bite; carries 3 spines, regrows 1 per hour immersed.
Powers: Adaptive Camouflage (Simple Action to shift, −3 dice to opponent Perception for three Combat Rounds), Amphibious, Enhanced Senses (Low-light, Thermographic, Water Pressure Sense), Natural Weapon (bite, tentacle), Venom Reservoir (as toxin).
Weaknesses: Cold-Blooded (receives +2 DV from Cold environmental effects; Movement halved below 5 °C).
STARFINDER — Salamaroctant Tide Matron CR 7
XP 3 200 N Large aberration (aquatic, amphibious)
Init +4; Senses blindsense (vibration) 30 ft, low-light vision; Perception +14
DEFENSE HP 125; RP 4 EAC 22; KAC 24
Fort +12, Ref +9, Will +10; Resist fire 10; Weakness cold 10
OFFENSE Speed 40 ft, climb 30 ft, swim 60 ft, 10-ft glide (Ex)
Melee bite +15 (2d10+11 P plus paralytic venom, Fort DC 18)
Melee tentacle lash +15 (2d8+11 B plus blind 1 rd, Ref DC 18)
Melee venom spine +15 (1d12+11 P plus venom; 3/day, 10-ft reach)
Ranged spine volley +13 (1d12 P plus venom, 30 ft)
STATISTICS Str +5, Dex +4, Con +4, Int –1, Wis +2, Cha –1
Skills Acrobatics +14, Athletics +19, Stealth +19 (+24 in water), Survival +14
Feats Multiattack, Swimming Mastery
Languages clicks and chromatic displays (cannot speak others)
ECOLOGY Environment warm coastal caverns; Organization solitary or colony (1 matron + 3–8 young CR 5)
SPECIAL ABILITIES Paralytic Venom (Ex) Bite or spine; target Fort DC 18 or paralysed 1 minute, new save each round. Adaptive Chromatophores (Ex) As a standard action, gain total concealment until it attacks or is hit. Spine Regrowth (Ex) Regains all venom spines after 1 hour submerged.
TRAVELLER (Mongoose 2e) — Reef-Edge Stalker
Characteristics (DMs): STR B (+1), DEX A (+1), END A (+1), INT 6 (+0), EDU 3 (–1), SOC 2 (–1)
Traits: Amphibious, Natural Armor 8, Venomous (paralysis; END 10, 2D rounds), Camouflage (DM +2 Stealth in reefs), Climber.
Skills: Athletics 1, Melee (Tentacle) 2, Stealth 2, Survival 1.
Armour 8; Weapons: Bite 3D damage + venom, Tentacle slap 2D, Venom spine 2D at 10 m (three shots, 1 hour regrow).
Movement: Land 10 m, Swim 15 m, Climb 7 m, Short Glide 5 m/round downhill.
Instincts: Defends eggs, ambushes lone travellers, retreats if cold grenades used. Equipment Value: plates worth Cr3 000 for advanced ceramic filters, venom worth Cr8 000/litre to medtechs.
WARHAMMER FANTASY ROLE-PLAY 4e — Blue-Ringed Platebeast
M WS 55, BS 20, S 55 (5), T 60 (6), I 40, Ag 40, Dex 35, Int 25, WP 35, Fel 10
Wounds 34 TB 6 SB 5
Movement 6 (Swim 8, Climb 5)
Traits: Amphibious, Armour 3 (Natural, Everywhere), Fast, Night Vision, Pounce, Weapon (Bite), Venom (Paralysis: Easy +20 Endurance or Paralysed 1d10 Rounds), Camouflage (Average Stealth vs Perception tests while motionless).
Attacks: Bite (SB+4) Damage 9; if hits, venom test. Tentacle Lash (SB+2, Dam 7, Snare: Opposed Strength or Entangled). Spine Flick (Ranged 8 yd, Dam 6, Venom, 3/day).
Weakness: Chillblood — all Cold damage ignores Armor, and creature takes +1 Wound from such sources.
Psychology: Causes Fear (2) in steeds and sailors; subject to Frenzy if its eggs threatened.
Experience Award: 165 XP.