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Gastropoda Aves Merostomata Hydrozoa 919

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by

Dale
in

The Gastropoda-Aves-Merostomata-Hydrozoa 919 (commonly referred to by Saṃsāra’s scavengers as the “Sky-Siphon Drifter”) is a surreal, atmospheric predator. It defies conventional biology by utilizing a combination of lighter-than-air gas bladders and rigid, prehistoric armor to dominate the high-altitude thermal vents of the 73 islands.

  • Original Life Forms Combined
    • Class Gastropoda: Sea Slug (Glaucus atlanticus)
    • Class Aves: Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
    • Class Merostomata: Horseshoe Crab (Limulidae)
    • Class Hydrozoa: Portuguese Man o’ War (Physalia physalis)
  • Appearance
    • The creature’s upper body is encased in a heavy, domed, horseshoe-shaped carapace of dull, rusted bronze chitin.
    • Beneath the shell, instead of legs, it sprouts vibrant blue and silver cerata (finger-like appendages) that act as rudders and venom-storage units.
    • It features the hooked, predatory beak of a falcon, but the head is mostly tucked under the leading edge of the shell.
    • Trailing behind it are long, translucent blue stinging filaments that can extend up to 30 feet, shimmering with bioluminescent electricity.
  • Size
    • Carapace Width: 4 feet.
    • Total Length (with trailing tentacles): 35 feet.
    • Weight: 25 lbs (mostly comprised of internal lifting gases).
  • Speed
    • Land (Crawl): 5 feet.
    • Air (Drift): 15 feet.
    • Air (Dive): 120 feet.
  • Stat Modifiers
    • Strength: +1 (Weak grip, strong beak).
    • Dexterity: +5 (Master of wind currents and precision diving).
    • Constitution: +2 (Hardened shell protection).
    • Intelligence: -1 (Reactive hunter).
    • Wisdom/Perception: +4 (Telescopic vision and pressure sensing).
  • Skills
    • Tachyon Dive: By collapsing its gas bladder, it can enter a vertical stoop, reaching terminal velocity to strike with its beak.
    • Nematocyst Lash: Its trailing tentacles deliver a potent sting that causes intense burning and muscle spasms.
    • Hemocyanin Armor: Its blood is copper-based, making it immune to the metallic toxins prevalent in Saṃsāra’s industrial smog.
  • Behavior
    • An atmospheric “trawler.” It drifts passively until its eyes lock onto prey below.
    • It uses its shell like a shield against ground-based projectiles while it circles its target from above.
  • Diet
    • Carnivorous: It feeds primarily on smaller flying feral creatures and the “Bio-Matter” found in floating industrial refuse.
  • Emotions
    • Driven by Patient Hunger and Detached Observance. It lacks the aggression of a pack hunter, preferring to wait for the perfect moment of vulnerability.
  • Environment Where Found
    • Found in Deathly high-altitude zones: the Stratos-Spires, open air gaps between islands, and near thermal exhaust vents.
  • Tags
    • Feral, Aerial, Armored, Venomed, Diver, Bioluminescent, Thermal-Sleeper, Tier 4, Atmospheric, Copper-Blooded, Gas-Bladder-Buoyancy, High-Velocity-Stoop, Chitinous-Dome-Shield, Copper-Based-Hemocyanin, Electrified-Filaments, Thermal-Vent-Sleeper, Stratospheric-Trawler, Nematocyst-Injection, Apex-Atmospheric, Kinetic-Beak-Strike

Life Cycle and Ecology of the Gastropoda-Aves-Merostomata-Hydrozoa 919

The 919 is a biological paradox of the stratosphere. It lives its entire life without ever touching the ground of the 73 islands, existing as a “living kite” in the constant thermal updrafts of Saṃsāra.

Life Cycle

  • The Atmospheric Polyps:
    • Eggs are released into the jet streams, where they hatch into tiny, translucent polyps.
    • These juveniles do not have shells yet; they cling to the undersides of floating industrial debris or “Cloud-Whales,” feeding on microscopic bio-matter in the smog.
  • The Shell-Hardening:
    • As they mature, they begin to process the copper and heavy metals from the atmosphere to grow their Merostomata-carapace.
    • Once the shell reaches a width of 1 foot, they inflate their primary gas bladder and detach from their hosts to become independent drifters.
  • The Elder Drift:
    • An adult 919 can live for nearly 50 years. As they age, their shells become pitted with “Atmospheric Rust,” and their stinging filaments grow longer and more complex.

Mating and Propagation

  • The Thermal Convergence:
    • Mating occurs only over the massive thermal exhaust vents of the metropolitan islands.
    • The 919s gather in “Swarms of Blue,” their bioluminescence creating a shimmering aurora in the high clouds.
  • Filament Weaving:
    • Mates do not touch bodies; instead, they intertwine their long stinging filaments in a dangerous dance of electrical synchronization.
    • The eggs are then released into the highest winds to begin the cycle anew.

Combat Tactics and Actions

The 919 is a “Trawler-Killer.” It does not pursue; it intercepts and drops.

  • Nematocyst Lash (Action):
    • Melee Weapon Attack: Reach 30 ft. The 919 sweeps its electrified filaments across a deck or walkway.
    • On a hit, the target takes Lightning and Acid damage and must succeed on a Constitution Save or be Stunned for 1 round by agonizing muscle spasms.
  • Tachyon Stoop (Action):
    • The 919 collapses its gas bladder and enters a vertical dive. It can move up to 120 feet in a straight line.
    • At the end of the move, it makes a Beak Attack (+7 to hit). On a hit, it deals massive Piercing damage (3d10 + 5) as its heavy shell adds kinetic force to the strike.
  • Carapace Shield (Reaction):
    • When targeted by a ranged attack, the 919 tilts its horseshoe-shell toward the attacker.
    • It gains a +5 bonus to AC against that attack. If the attack misses, the projectile is deflected harmlessly into the abyss.
  • Gas-Vent (Bonus Action):
    • The 919 releases a puff of lighter-than-air gas, allowing it to “Jump” 20 feet in any direction to avoid a melee engagement.

Other Interesting Information

  • Blue-Blood Alchemy:
    • Because their blood is copper-based (Hemocyanin), it is highly conductive.
    • Rule Breakers often hunt them to harvest their blood for use in high-tier electrical “Mana-Batteries” or as a stabilizing agent for experimental cybernetics.
  • The “False Cloud”:
    • From a distance, a cluster of 919s looks like a small, shimmering blue cloud.
    • Unwary pilots often fly directly into them, only to have their engines fouled by the long, sticky filaments and their hulls pecked open by the falcon-beaks.
  • Atmospheric Sensitivity:
    • They are the “Canaries in the Coal Mine” for Saṃsāra.
    • If the 919s begin to descend to lower altitudes, it is a sign that a “Deep-Mana Storm” is approaching, as they seek the denser air for stability.
  • The “Singing” Wires:
    • When the wind passes through the cerata (blue appendages) of a 919, it produces a haunting, flute-like whistle.
    • Ancient islanders believed this was the voice of the atmosphere itself, warning them of the “Predators in the Blue.”

The Gastropoda-Aves-Merostomata-Hydrozoa 919 is an elusive, high-altitude target. Because it occupies the “Deathly” zones of the stratosphere, most encounters are either disastrous accidents or highly planned surgical strikes by veteran “Rule Breakers.”

1. Harvesting the Copper-Based “Blue Blood”

The most common reason for a high-risk hunt is the 919’s unique Hemocyanin blood.

  • The Search: Alchemists and Tech-Smiths require large quantities of this copper-rich fluid.
  • The Application: It is a critical component in manufacturing high-efficiency Mana-Batteries and superconductive wiring for high-tier cybernetics. Because the blood is naturally resistant to the industrial smog of Saṃsāra, it creates gear that never “corrodes” in toxic environments.

2. Retrieval of “Tachyon-Shield” Carapaces

The horseshoe-shaped shell of the 919 is a marvel of biological engineering, capable of withstanding the friction of a terminal-velocity dive.

  • The Encounter: Military contractors hire adventurers to retrieve intact carapaces.
  • The Application: These shells are used to plate the hulls of Reconnaissance Skiffs or to craft “Tower Shields” that are functionally immune to kinetic projectiles and fire-based spells.

3. Clearing the “Thermal-Vent” Blockages

The 919s are naturally drawn to the heat rising from metropolitan islands’ massive exhaust vents.

  • The Conflict: A cluster of 919s (a “False Cloud”) can settle over a vent, their long filaments trailing down into the machinery and causing electrical shorts and mechanical fouling.
  • The Objective: Adventurers are tasked with “Vent Clearance.” This is notoriously dangerous, as the 919s will use the Tachyon Stoop to strike at the party from the blinding glare of the sun or the steam of the vents.

4. Harvesting Electrified Filaments

The trailing tentacles of the 919 are biological “live wires.”

  • The Search: Trappers seek these filaments to create high-security Electric Fencing or specialized whip-weapons.
  • The Application: When properly preserved, the filaments retain their Nematocyst charge for months. They are favored by those guarding high-value data-vaults on the 73 islands.

5. Accidental “Trawler” Interception

Most adventurers encounter the 919 while traveling via airship or high-altitude cable-cars.

  • The Reality: During a “Deep-Mana Storm,” the 919s descend to lower, denser air.
  • The Danger: A party may find their vessel suddenly “hooked” by dozens of shimmering blue filaments. The 919 doesn’t want the ship; it wants the heat from the engines and the bio-matter (the crew). This creates a “Survival Encounter” where the party must cut the lines before the ship’s systems are shorted out by the electrical discharge.

6. Acquisition of “Telescopic-Cerata”

The blue, finger-like appendages (cerata) contain specialized sensory organs.

  • The Search: Professional scouts and snipers hunt the 919 for these organs.
  • The Application: They are processed into “Sky-Eye” Elixirs or integrated into high-tier scopes that allow the user to see through the thickest industrial fog and detect heat signatures from kilometers away.

Harvesting a Gastropoda-Aves-Merostomata-Hydrozoa 919 is a high-risk operation that typically occurs on the deck of a moving airship or while rappelling from a hovering skiff. Because the creature is filled with lighter-than-air gases and highly conductive copper-blood, a single spark during the harvesting process can lead to a localized atmospheric explosion.

Harvestable Items & Ingredients

  • Hemocyanin “Blue-Ether” Blood
    • Description: A thick, cobalt-colored fluid that remains liquid even at sub-zero temperatures.
    • Usage: Refined into Superconductive Flux for high-tier cybernetic neural-links or used as a Mana-Stabilizer for volatile spells.
    • Market Value: Extremely High (The “Gold Standard” for specialized electrical engineering).
  • Nematocyst Filaments (Live)
    • Description: The translucent blue trailing tentacles, which can retain their electrical charge for weeks if kept in an insulated brine.
    • Usage: Woven into Stun-Nets or used as the core of Arc-Whips.
    • Market Value: High (Prized by bounty hunters and “Rule Breakers” for non-lethal subduing).
  • Vitreous “Sky-Eye” Lenses
    • Description: Two large, multi-layered lenses protected by the Merostomata-carapace.
    • Usage: Ground into Telescopic Scopes or integrated into Aviation Helmets.
    • Effect: Allows the user to see through the “Industrial Smog” of Saṃsāra by detecting heat signatures and pressure differentials.
  • Aerodynamic Beak-Hook
    • Description: A lightweight, reinforced falcon-beak designed to withstand terminal-velocity impacts.
    • Usage: Forged into Climbing Picks or Armor-Piercing Daggers.
    • Market Value: Moderate (Valued for its strength-to-weight ratio).
  • Buoyancy Bladder Membrane
    • Description: A thin, incredibly tough internal skin that once held the creature’s lifting gases.
    • Usage: Used to create High-Altitude Environment Suits or Emergency Parachutes.
    • Effect: The material is naturally resistant to the acidic “Ebb and Flow” of the mists.
  • Conductive Cerata (appendages)
    • Description: The finger-like blue appendages that sprout from beneath the shell.
    • Usage: Dried and powdered to create Lightning-Resist Incense or used as Antennae for long-range communication arrays.

Blue-Tailed Dome-Sitter and Descent of Searing Thread

In the turnings of the world before the seventy-three islands were unbound from the Great Root, when the air was yet thick with the “Sweet-Drip” and the iron-trees breathed with the pulse of the deep-mana, there was a high-hung kingdom of glass-towers known as Stratos-Spire. This place was built upon the “Warm-Breath” of the earth-core, where the steam rises to meet the cold-void, and its people lived by the “Catching of the Wind,” for they had no feet for the soil, only the “Glide-Sails” of the fourth tier.

Among these people was a sky-watcher named Fal-Co, whose soul carried the heavy memories of a net-maker from a land where the mountains were made of frozen water. Fal-Co was tasked with the “Clearance of the Vents,” ensuring the hot-breath of the towers was not choked by the “Drifting-Rust” of the heavens. One high-noon, as the sun was a white-fire in the zenith, Fal-Co saw a shape that did not belong to the birds or the clouds. It was a rhythmic pulse, like the heart of a giant seen through a copper-plate.

Fal-Co looked into the “Deathly-Blue,” where the thin-air gathers into whirlpools of static-light. He saw there a sprawling shape, a thing that had the heavy, rusted dome-back of a sea-crawler but the shimmering, blue-finger-tails of a ghost. It was the Gastropoda-Aves-Merostomata-Hydrozoa 919, known in the ancient, unreadable scrolls as the Stooping-Shield of the Lightning-Veil. The creature had no voice, but its head was crowned with a “Hook-Beak” that could tear the very wind into ribbons.

The 919 had been drawn by the “Thermal-Whistle” of the Spire, for it mistook the heat-vent for the “Mother-Current” of the stars. As it drifted, it lowered its long, translucent “Stinging-Wires,” which were filled with the “Liquid-Pain” of the stinging-slugs. These wires extended thirty paces, creating a “Gully of Agony” around the tower’s primary exhaust. Fal-Co, sensing the “Unsafe” nature of the blockage through his Mind’s Eye, reached for his “Grounding-Pole” of brass and lead.

But the 919 was a master of the “Tachyon-Fall.” It sensed the “Push” of Fal-Co’s glide-sail through its Merostomata-carapace, which feels the weight of the air-atoms. In a moment of extreme territorial-anger, the creature performed the “Bladder-Collapse.” It let out its “Lighter-Than-Breath” gas and entered the “Gravity-Scream,” diving from the stratosphere like a falling-star thrown by a god of the void.

Fal-Co, though a sky-watcher of the fourth tier, knew that an avatar gains nothing from a short rest when the sky is falling. He banked his sail, but the 919 was too swift. It struck with its “Beak-Hook,” tearing a circular “Cookie” of metal from the tower’s rim. Then, it unleashed the “Nematocyst Lash.” The blue-wires swept across Fal-Co’s limbs, delivering the “Hydro-Spasm” that turns the muscles into “Singing-Wires.” The sky-watcher felt the “Searing-Burn” of the Blue-Ether, his body becoming a prisoner of the electrical-tide.

Yet, the soul of the watchman was wise in the ways of the “Conductive-Flow.” In his mind, he remembered how to “Dampen the Spark.” He did not pull against the wires. Instead, he channeled the “Copper-Blood” of his own ancient-blood-line into a single, concentrated “Marrow-Shield.” The 919, whose “Vitreous-Lenses” were tuned to the heat of the prey, was struck by the “Cold-Reflect.” It shrieked in a frequency that cracked the glass-towers and used its “Gas-Vent” to jump back into the thermal-updrafts.

Fal-Co escaped the “Deathly-Drop,” but his hands remained marked by the “Blue-Scar” for all his cycles. He harvested a single “Electrified-Filament” that had snapped against the brass-pole, using it to create the first “Arc-Whip” so that others might touch the sky without being “Eaten by the Lightning.” The city of Stratos-Spire eventually drifted into the “Mist-Ebb” and was lost, but the story of the 919 remains in the high-places, whispered by those who travel the “Thermal-Vents” between the islands.

The Moral of the Story: The one who seeks the highest wind must first learn to carry the heaviest shield; for the beauty of the blue-cloud is but the veil that hides the stinging-thread of the fall.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Unique Name: The Sky-Trawler

  • Description: A bronze-shelled monstrosity that floats silently in the upper atmosphere. Its blue, stinging filaments hang like a deadly curtain of light beneath a predatory avian beak.
  • Characteristics:
    • STR: 40
    • CON: 60
    • SIZ: 70 (includes tentacle length)
    • DEX: 95
    • INT: 30
    • POW: 50
    • HP: 13
    • Build: 1
    • Move: 2 / 12 Flying (Dive)
  • Attacks per Round: 1 (Filament Lash or Tachyon Stoop)
    • Filament Lash: 60% (30/12), damage 1D4 + 1D6 Electrical. Target must succeed on a Hard CON roll or suffer “Hydro-Spasms,” becoming incapacitated for 1D6 rounds.
    • Tachyon Stoop: 40% (20/8), damage 2D6 + DB. The creature drops from the sky; this attack cannot be parried, only dodged.
  • Armor: 5-point reinforced Merostomata carapace.
  • Special: Hemocyanin Vitality: The creature is immune to all inhaled toxins and gas-based attacks.
  • Sanity Loss: 1/1D8 Sanity points to witness its sudden, high-velocity descent.
  • Syntax: Mythos Monster; Armor 5; Hydro-Spasms (Stun).

Blades in the Dark

Unique Name: The Spark-Drifter

  • Description: An armored atmospheric predator that haunts the lightning-heavy clouds. It “fishes” for soul-energy and bio-matter using electrified cerata.
  • Tier: IV (Massive scale and supernatural speed).
  • Threat Level: Extreme (Engaging it in the open air is a Desperate position).
  • Attributes:
    • Quality: Tier IV.
    • Scale: Large (35-foot filaments cover a wide area).
  • Abilities:
    • Atmospheric Shield: The chitinous dome provides Potency when resisting firearms or kinetic projectiles.
    • Electrical Entanglement: If a PC is hit by the filaments, they take Level 3 Harm (Electrical Paralysis). This harm forces a “Spasm” that prevents any physical action until the PC is “Grounded” by an ally.
    • Tachyon Strike: The drifter can initiate a clock Sudden Impact (4 segments). When full, it strikes with devastating force, destroying deck plating or armor.
  • Clock: System Overload (6-segment clock). Every time a PC uses a spark-craft or electrical device near the 919, tick this clock. When full, all electronics in the area short out.
  • Syntax: Feral Threat; Tier IV; Electrical Paralysis (Level 3 Harm).

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Unique Name: Gastropoda-Aves-Merostomata-Hydrozoa 919

  • Description: Medium monstrosity, unaligned. An apex predator of the high thermals.
  • Armor Class: 18 (Natural Armor/Carapace).
  • Hit Points: 104 (16d8 + 32).
  • Speed: 5 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover).
  • Stats: STR 12 (+1), DEX 20 (+5), CON 14 (+2), INT 8 (-1), WIS 18 (+4), CHA 6 (-2).
  • Senses: Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 14.
  • Abilities:
    • Dive Bomb: If the 919 is flying and dives at least 30 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a beak attack, the attack deals an extra 14 (4d6) piercing damage to the target.
    • Conductive Hemocyanin: The 919 is immune to Lightning and Poison damage.
  • Actions:
    • Multiattack: The 919 makes two attacks: one with its Beak and one with its Nematocyst Lash.
    • Beak: Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) piercing damage.
    • Nematocyst Lash: Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 30 ft. Hit: 10 (2d4 + 5) lightning damage. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be Stunned until the end of its next turn.
  • Reactions:
    • Tilt Shield: The 919 adds 4 to its AC against one ranged attack that would hit it. To do so, the 919 must see the attacker.
  • Syntax: Medium monstrosity; AC 18; Dive Bomb (Extra 4d6); Stun (DC 15).

Knave (2nd Edition)

Unique Name: Sky-Jelly

  • Description: A flying horseshoe crab with a hawk’s beak and long, shocking tails.
  • Level: 7 (HD 7, HP 32).
  • Armor: 17 (Bronze Shell).
  • Movement: Slow (Drift) / Near-Instant (Dive).
  • Attacks: 2 (Filament +7 / Beak +7).
  • Abilities:
    • Hydro-Spasm: If a Filament hit deals damage, the target must make a CON Save or drop whatever they are holding and lose their next turn.
    • Deflect: On a successful DEX Save, the Sky-Jelly reflects a ranged projectile back at the shooter.
  • Morale: 10 (Will not retreat from a thermal vent).
  • Treasure: 3 Gear Slots of “Conductive Blue Blood” (used for batteries) or 1 “Unbreakable Beak.”
  • Syntax: HD 7; AC 17; Hydro-Spasm (CON Save); Deflect (DEX Save).

Fate Core

Unique Name: The Armored Stratos-Drifter

  • Description: A bronze-shelled atmospheric trawler that dangles miles of electrified filaments over the clouds. It is nearly invisible from below until it collapses its bladder to dive.
  • Aspects:
    • High Concept: Living Bio-Electrical Atmospheric Dreadnought
    • Trouble: Dependent on High-Altitude Thermals
    • Physiology Aspect: Reinforced Merostomata Shield-Dome
    • Tactical Aspect: Lethal Thirty-Foot Stinging Curtain
  • Skills:
    • Great (+4): Notice, Athletics (Diving/Flying)
    • Good (+3): Fight, Physique
    • Fair (+2): Will, Provoke
    • Average (+1): Stealth
  • Stunts:
    • Tachyon Stoop: Once per scene, when the Drifter moves at least one zone to enter a conflict, it gains +2 to its first Fight roll and deals +2 physical stress on a hit.
    • Hydro-Spasm Sting: When the Drifter succeeds with style on a Fight attack using its filaments, it can choose to forgo a boost to apply a Total Muscle Lockdown situational aspect with two free invokes.
    • Carapace Deflection: Use Physique instead of Athletics to defend against ranged physical attacks (bullets, arrows, bolts).
  • Stress: Physical [ ][ ][ ][ ], Mental [ ][ ]
  • Syntax: NPC; Skills (Notice +4); Stunts (Hydro-Spasm); Stress 4/2.

Numenera & Cypher System

Unique Name: Gastropoda-Aves-Merostomata-Hydrozoa 919

  • Description: A level 5 (target number 15) monstrosity often mistaken for a floating piece of ancient sky-rubble until its filaments begin to glow with a sickly blue light.
  • Level: 5 (15)
  • Health: 25
  • Damage Inflicted: 6 points
  • Armor: 3
  • Movement: Long (Diving), Short (Drifting/Hovering)
  • Modifications: Defense rolls as Level 7 against ranged attacks due to the sloped carapace.
  • Combat:
    • Nematocyst Lash: If the 919 hits with its filaments, the target must make a Might defense roll. On a failure, the target is stunned (loses their next turn) and moves one step down the damage track from agonizing spasms.
    • Tachyon Dive (Action): The 919 moves a long distance and makes a beak attack. This attack inflicts 8 points of damage and ignores 2 points of Armor due to kinetic force.
    • Blue-Ether Conductance: The 919 is immune to lightning damage and gains a free immediate action to move a short distance if struck by an electrical cypher or ability.
  • Syntax: Creature (Level 5); Health 25; Armor 3; Tachyon Dive (8 DMG).

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Unique Name: Sky-Siphon Drifter

  • Description: Creature 7, N, Medium, Animal, Monstrosity. An armored flyer that utilizes gas-buoyancy and kinetic energy to dominate the upper atmosphere.
  • Perception: +18; Greater Darkvision, Cloud-Vision (Ignores concealment from mist/smog).
  • Skills: Athletics +15, Acrobatics +17 (+19 to Maneuver in Flight), Stealth +14.
  • Str +3, Dex +6, Con +4, Int -2, Wis +5, Cha -3.
  • AC: 26 (28 with Shield Tilt); Fort +15, Ref +18, Will +13.
  • HP: 115; Immunities: Lightning, Inhaled Poisons.
  • Speed: 5 feet, fly 40 feet (hover).
  • Melee [one-action]: Falcon Beak +18 (Finesse), Damage 2d8+9 piercing.
  • Melee [one-action]: Nematocyst Filament +18 (Reach 30 ft, Agile, Finesse), Damage 2d6+6 lightning plus Hydro-Spasms.
  • Abilities:
    • Hydro-Spasms (Poison): DC 25 Fortitude. Stage 1: Clumsy 1 (1 round). Stage 2: Stunned 1 and Clumsy 2 (1 round). Stage 3: Paralyzed (1 round).
    • Tachyon Stoop [two-actions]: The 919 Flies up to double its speed in a straight downward diagonal or vertical line and makes a Beak strike. If it hits, it deals an additional 2d10 damage.
    • Shield Tilt [reaction]: Trigger The 919 is targeted by a ranged attack. Effect The 919 tilts its Merostomata shell. It gains a +2 circumstance bonus to AC against the triggering attack.
  • Syntax: Creature 7; N Medium; AC 26; HP 115; Tachyon Stoop (+2d10).

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Unique Name: Dome-Back Trawler

  • Description: A high-altitude predator that resembles a bronze shield trailing electrified ribbons. It is a Wild Card threat to any airship crew.
  • Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d10.
  • Skills: Athletics d10, Fighting d8, Notice d10, Stealth d6.
  • Pace: 2; Parry: 6; Toughness: 12 (4).
  • Edges: Dodge, Extraction, Steady Hands.
  • Special Abilities:
    • Armor +4: Merostomata heavy carapace.
    • Flight: Pace 8. Can “Dive” for Pace 24 but only in a downward trajectory.
    • Nematocyst Filaments: Reach 4. On a hit, the victim must make a Vigor roll (-2) or be Stunned by electrical spasms.
    • Tachyon Strike: If the 919 moves at least 10″ in a round before attacking with its beak, it adds +4 to the damage roll.
    • Immunity: Lightning, Environmental Toxins.
    • Size +1: The carapace and tentacle mass make it larger than a human.
  • Syntax: Wild Card; Toughness 12 (4); Reach 4; Tachyon Strike (+4 DMG).

Shadowrun (6th World Edition)

Unique Name: Awakened Stratos-Trawler

  • Description: An iridescent blue and bronze monstrosity that “fishes” for prey from the high smog layer. It utilizes its internal mana-buoyancy to hang motionless before striking with terminal velocity.
  • Attributes:
    • BOD: 6, AGI: 6, REA: 5, STR: 4, WIL: 4, LOG: 2, INT: 5, CHA: 2, EDG: 1, ESS: 6, MAG: 5
  • Initiative: 10 + 2D6
  • Defense Rating: 11
  • Condition Monitor: 11
  • Armor: 4 (Reinforced Chitin)
  • Skills: Athletics 6 (Diving +2), Close Combat 5, Perception 6 (Visual +2), Stealth 3
  • Powers:
    • Low-Light Vision: The creature treats darkness as full light.
    • Tachyon Stoop (Movement): The 919 may collapse its mana-bladder to quadruple its downward movement for one Combat Round. If it makes a Melee attack at the end of this movement, increase the Damage Value by +4.
    • Nematocyst Lash: Successful filament attacks inflict the Shock status and -2 to all Physical actions. The target must succeed on a BOD + WIL (4) test or become Paralyzed for (10 – BOD) minutes.
  • Syntax: Awakened Predator; Initiative 10 + 2D6; Tachyon Stoop (+4 DV).

Starfinder (2nd Edition)

Unique Name: Void-Atmosphere Drifter

  • Description: This Level 7 creature is a common hazard on gas giants or orbiting space-hulks. Its copper-based blood makes it immune to the radiation and electrical storms of the upper void.
  • Perception: +18; Blindsight (Vibration/Pressure) 60 ft., Greater Darkvision
  • AC: 26; Fort: +15, Ref: +18, Will: +13
  • HP: 115; Immunities: Electricity, Radiation.
  • Speed: 5 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover).
  • Melee [one-action]: Kinetic Beak +18 (Finesse), Damage 2d10+9 P. On a Critical Hit, the target is Stunned 1.
  • Melee [one-action]: Shocking Filament +18 (Reach 30 ft, Agile), Damage 2d6+6 E plus Hydro-Spasms (Fort DC 25).
  • Abilities:
    • Tachyon Dive [two-actions]: The 919 Flies up to double its speed in a straight downward line. It makes a Beak strike with a +2 circumstance bonus to hit; on a hit, it deals double damage.
    • Shield Tilt [reaction]: When targeted by a ranged attack, the 919 gains a +2 circumstance bonus to AC against that attack.
  • Syntax: Level 7 Creature; N Medium; AC 26; HP 115; Reach 30 ft.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Unique Name: Gas-Bag Dome-Back

  • Description: A high-altitude scavenger found on worlds with dense atmospheres. It uses its long tentacles to “trawl” for smaller flying animals or low-flying drones.
  • Characteristics:
    • STR: 8 (+0), DEX: 12 (+2), END: 10 (+1), INT: 2 (-2), INS: 14 (+2), PAK: 4 (-1)
  • Armor: 8 (Heavy Chitinous Dome)
  • Skills: Athletics (Dexterity) 3, Melee (Unarmed) 2, Recon 3, Stealth 1
  • Attacks:
    • Beak-Hook: 3D6 damage. On a “Dive,” this damage is doubled.
    • Electrified Filament: 2D6 damage. The target must make an END check (10+) or suffer the Hydro-Spasm condition (-2 DM to all actions) for 1D6 hours.
  • Special: High-Altitude Hunter: The 919 ignores all DMs for high winds or thin atmosphere. Blue-Blood: Its blood can be refined into 2D6 Units of High-Efficiency Fuel or Conductivity Paste.
  • Syntax: Animal (Hunter/Atmospheric); Armor 8; 3D6 Beak (Doubled on Dive).

Warhammer (Age of Sigmar: Soulbound / Fantasy 4e)

Unique Name: The Sky-Siphon Horror

  • Description: A monstrosity of the high clouds, often mistaken for a drifting kite until the lightning-blue filaments begin to lash out at airship crews.
  • Characteristics:
    • M: 2 / 12 (Diving), WS: 55, BS: 15, S: 45, T: 50, I: 65, Agi: 65, Dex: 25, Int: 15, WP: 35, Fel: 05
  • Wounds: 22
  • Traits:
    • Tachyon Stoop: When the creature charges from a higher elevation, it doubles its damage on the first attack.
    • Nematocyst Reach: Its filaments have the Reach (Extreme) and Shock traits.
    • Merostomata Dome: The creature counts as having a Shield and has +2 Armor against all ranged attacks.
    • Hydro-Spasm (Difficult -10): Anyone wounded by the filaments must pass an Endurance Test or be Stunned for 1 round.
  • Syntax: Elite Monster; M 2/12; Nematocyst Reach (Extreme); Hydro-Spasm (Endurance Test).