[Pursuivant]

Telfi (VTXM) (Telf, Milky Way Galaxy) (214 points)

Radioactive, superheated, hive-mind beetles, or are they lizards?

This is another NPC species, both due to its high template cost and its physical limitations.

Like the other extremophiles in the Sector General books, the Telfi suffer from both physiological implausibility and dreadful continuity.

Description

Spoiler:  

Beetle-like or lizard-like. The beetle form is about 8 inches long. The lizard form is about 5’ long, has four stubby legs which can be bent double, a bulbous head with two tiny lidless eyes and a mouth, a vestigial tail, and a pair of tentacle-like arms which emerge from the base of the neck. The last are sufficiently long that individuals can rest their heads on their “arms” at the crossover point.

Skin is normally a pure light-absorbing black color and temperature is below room temperature. Starving or dead individuals have mottled and veined grayish skin which is reminiscent of marble and which is warm to the touch. Clothing and armor isn’t worn. Tools and other equipment aren’t typically carried by individuals.

Gestalts are typically formed from 100 to 500 individuals.

Native speech is a “staccato clicking and buzzing language.”

Telfi are a psionic, collective-intelligence species native to an intensely hot, radioactive, tide-locked world which occupies an orbit only thirty million miles from its sun. Telf’s flora and fauna are hybrids between animal and mineral-based life, and are capable of tolerating radiation and temperature levels which would be lethal to other species.

The ambient light level on their home planet is so intense that it will quickly blind anyone not wearing suitable protective eyewear. Theoretically, the light is intense enough that it will quickly cause severe sunburn and thermal burns to exposed flesh. Practically, lack of breathable atmosphere and intense radioactivity will kill aliens are more quickly than burns could.

Telfi are ergovores, capable of consuming all forms of radiant energy and are dependent on constant exposure to hot, bright, intensely radioactive environments. They can take one of two distinct forms, which might represent two different species or different life stages of the same species. One form is beetle-like, the other lizard-like. Certain Telfi are specialized to perform certain functions, much like cells within the Earth-human body, but they are capable of surviving indefinitely on their own. While individuals are very stupid, gestalt “collectives” are sapient. Large collectives can be highly intelligent.

When healthy, both types absorb all available spectra of electromagnetic energy, making them appear to be inky black. After several days, starving individuals lose both their radiation-absorbing and radioactive Affliction powers, taking on a grayish appearance.

Template

Spoiler:  

Attributes: ST 1 [-90]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 1 (Limitation: Mitigator (Emergent Intelligence), -60%; Psionic, -10%.) [-54]; HT 12 [20].

Optional Attributes: Increased ST [10/lvl]; Altered DX or IQ [±20/lvl]; Altered HT [±10/lvl].

Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-3/1d-2; BL 0.2 lb.; HP 1 [0]; Will 1 [0]; Per 5 [20]; FP 12 [0]; Basic Speed 5.5 [0]; Basic Move 1 [-20].

Optional Secondary Characteristics: Altered HP [±2/lvl]; Increased Will [5/lvl]; Altered Per [±5/lvl]; Altered FP [±3/lvl]; Increased Basic Speed or Basic Move [5/lvl].

Advantages: Allies (100% of cost, 51-100 individuals (x12), 15- (x3)) [180]; Damage Resistance 1 (Limitation: Cannot Wear Armor, -40%.) [3]; Detect (Radiation (Occasional)) [10]; Detect (Telfi (Rare)) [5]; Doesn’t Eat or Drink [10]; Enhanced Tracking 10 (Limitation: Accessibility (Levels Based on Current IQ), -70%.) [18];

Extra Legs (4 extra legs, Limitation: Cannot Kick, -50%.) [3]; Immunity (Metabolic Hazards) [30]; Injury Tolerance (Damage Reduction (Heat, x4), No Groin) [105]; Innate Attack 1 (Toxic (1d). Enhancements: Area Effect (8 yards), +150%; Radiation, +25%. Limitations: Accessibility (Not When Starving), -10%; Always On, -20%; Emanation, -20%; Dissipation, -50%.) [6];

Mind Probe (Limitations: Accessibility (Limited to Gestalt), -20%; Racial, -20%; Telecommunications, -20%; Telepathic, -10%.) [6]; Mind Reading (Limitations: Accessibility (Limited to Gestalt), -20%; Racial, -20%; Telecommunications, -20%; Telepathic, -10%.) [9];

Mindlink (100+ individuals) [30]; Nictitating Membrane 1 [1]; Protected Sense (Vision) [5]; Radiation Tolerance (x1,000) [45];

Telecommunications (Telesend) (Enhancement: Broadcast, +50%. Limitations: Always On (Nuisance Effects - Unconsciously broadcasts emotions. Causes itching or headaches in psionically sensitive individuals of other species.), -10%; Psionic, -10%; Reduced Range 1, -10%; Temporary Disadvantage (Truthfulness, All the Time, Limitation: Only when using telecommunication, -65%), -10%; Weakened Outside of Species, -10%.) [30]; Temperature Tolerance 20 [20].

Optional Advantages: 360 Degree Vision or Peripheral Vision [25 or 10]; Acute Hearing [2/lvl]; Acute Smell & Taste [2/lvl]; Acute Vision [2/lvl]; Allies [Varies]; Combat Reflexes [15]; Common Sense [10]; Damage Resistance 1 (Limitation: Cannot Wear Armor, -40%.) [3/lvl]; Danger Sense [15];

Doesn’t Breath [20]; Eidetic Memory or Photographic Memory [5 or 10]; Empathy [15]; Extended Lifespan [5/lvl]; Fearlessness [2/lvl]; Hard to Kill [2/lvl]; Hard to Subdue [2/lvl]; High TL [5/lvl]; Indomitable [15]; Intuition [15]; Longevity [2]; Mind Shield [4/lvl]; Mindlink [Varies];

Pressure Support [5/lvl]; Protected Sense [5 each]; Racial Memory [5 or 40]; Rapid or Very Rapid Healing [5 or 15]; Recovery [15]; Regeneration [Varies]; Regrowth [40]; Shapeshifting (Morph - Body of Swarm) [190]; Single Minded [5]; Talent [Varies]; Terrain Adaptation [5]; Unaging [15];

Unfazeable [15]; Vacuum Support [5]; Vibration Sense [10].

Perks: Absorbs Visible Light [1]; Built-In Equipment (Geiger Counter) [1]; Can Speak and Think Even at Low IQ [1]; Low Stance [1].

Optional Perks: Acceleration Tolerance [1].

Disadvantages: Arms (Limitations: Short, -50%.) [-5]; Dependency (Hot, bright, radiant environments (Occasional), Constantly (x5)) [-60]; Gregarious [-10]; Honesty [-10]; Horizontal [-10]; Increased Life Support (Radioactive) [-10]; No Sense of Humor [-15];

Phobia (Autophobia) (12-) [-10]; Reputation (-1, “Dangerous to be around.” Aliens (Almost Everyone), All the Time) [-4]; Restricted Diet (Radiation (Occasional)) [-30]; Sense of Duty (Gestalt Family) [-10]; Truthfulness (12-) [-5].

Optional Disadvantages: Bad Sight [-25]; Bestial [-10 or -15]; Blindness [-50]; Callous [-5]; Clueless [-5]; Cowardice [-15*]; Deafness [-20]; Fearfulness [-2/lvl]; Hidebound [-5]; Incurious [-5*]; Low Empathy [-20]; Mute [-20]; No Sense of Humor [-10]; Numb [-20]; Oblivious [-5]; Odious Racial Habit [-5 or -10];

Pacifism [Varies]; Selfless [-5*]; Short Lifespan [-10/lvl].
Quirks: Dislike Cold and Dark [-1]; Dislike the presence of the dead and dying [-1]; Gestalt entity feels grief when individual units die [-1]; Like Heat and Light [-1]; Nudity Preferred [-1]; Sexless [-1].

Optional Quirks: Dull [-1]; Humble [-1]; Staid [-1].

Skills: Area Knowledge (Telf) (E) IQ [1] - 1; Computer Operations/TL (E) IQ [1] - 1; Survival (Telf) (E) Per-1 [1] - 4.

Optional Skills: Camouflage (A); Driving/TL (Type) (E); Electronics Operation/TL (A); Electronics Repair/TL (A); Engineering/TL (H); Hazardous Materials/TL (Radioactive) (A); Mathematics/TL (H); Mechanic/TL (A); Navigation/TL (A); Physics/TL (VH); Piloting/TL (A);

Professional Skill/TL (Reactor Operator) (A); Running (E); Stealth (A); Survival (Type) (A).

Cultural Familiarities: Telfi [0].

Languages: Telfi (Native) [0].

Features: Can have beetle or lizard form. Don’t absorb energy when starving or dead. Healthy individuals have a body temperature below room temperature. Prefer to die alone. Vulnerable to metabolic disorders caused by excessive or insufficient amounts of radiation.

Physiological Data: Physiological Classification: VTXM. Gravity: Unknown, presumably 1.0 G. Pressure: Unknown, presumably 1.0 ATM. Preferred Temperature: Unknown, presumably 335-390 °F comfort zone, preferred temperature: 372 °F. Height: 1-2 inches (1-1.5 feet for Lizard Form). Length: ~8 inches (~5 feet for Lizard Form). Mass: ~1 lb (100-120 lbs for Lizard For). Lifespan: ~100 years.