Non-Elemental, Non-Construct, Silicon-based Life?

[Coidzor]

Do we have any decent examples of this sort of creature in d20?

I was reminded of how I hadn't found a d20/3.P compatible version of Pratchettian Trolls just now and decided to see if anyone knew of anything potentially relevant if for no other reason than as an example of how one would model such a lifeform using the d20/3.P framework, or some decent 3rd-party/homebrew material on the subject, even.

I'm certain there's some form or another of living crystalline entities somewhere, and I recall Mineralize Warrior and the Mineral Warriors that spell produces.

[Palanan]

Monster Manual III has the stonesinger, on p. 168, which might be close to what you're looking for.

[Psyren]

I'd say anything with the earth subtype counts, and there are several creatures with it that are neither elemental nor construct. Gargoyles come immediately to mind for instance, and so do Shaitan genies.

[Palanan]

The susurrus (also from MMIII, p. 170) looks as if it should be silicon-based, although in the text there's only mention of an exoskeleton. Nothing specific to siliconicity, and yet it kinda sorta has that feel.

[No brains]

Someone once home-brewed xenomorphs, but I don't remember if they had any rules related to their silicon base. Were you looking for rules on how these creatures would function or just examples of them?

[danzibr]

This isn't helpful in the slightest (with regards to statted out creatures), but Chenjesu and Taalo from Star Control 2 are Silicon-based.

[Psyren]

Also, note that in PF, Inevitables are outsiders instead of Constructs now - just with a racial quality called Constructed that gives them back their immunities and robotic forms. So they would count for this too.

[Larkas]

Just a heads-up: this (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Apollo_synthetic_diamond.jpg) is carbon, and this (http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/4000000/cute-tiger-pics-tigers-4013680-1600-1200.jpg) is a carbon-based life form. There is no reason why a "real" silicon-based life form should be crystalline. That said, I'm not too keen on killing catgirls, so just do whatever floats your boat. :smallsmile:

[ksbsnowowl]

Someone once home-brewed xenomorphs, but I don't remember if they had any rules related to their silicon base. Were you looking for rules on how these creatures would function or just examples of them?

Here is one for d20 Modern: http://michael.tresca.net/

On the left, click on "Freebies," then in the list on the main part of the page, click on "D20: Aliens." On the page that takes you to, click on "T & M Bazaar" right at the top, left of "Download:"

(There's no direct link, and the actual link to download it is somewhat obscure and not really immediately obvious; thus my overly explicit directions.)

[Coidzor]

Also, note that in PF, Inevitables are outsiders instead of Constructs now - just with a racial quality called Constructed that gives them back their immunities and robotic forms. So they would count for this too.

Ah, I had forgotten PF *had* Inevitables. Nifty. Thank you. :smallsmile:


Someone once home-brewed xenomorphs, but I don't remember if they had any rules related to their silicon base.

Were you looking for rules on how these creatures would function or just examples of them?

I'd forgotten that's what xenomorphs were. XD

A bit of A, a bit of B. I'm currently thinking it'd probably best be modeled by either a subtype for animals/humanoids/etc. or a special quality.

Currently I'm most interested in Discworld-style trolls, that is to say, roughly humanoid creatures made out of rocks of various types which also consume rocks of various types.


This isn't helpful in the slightest (with regards to statted out creatures), but Chenjesu and Taalo from Star Control 2 are Silicon-based.

Indeed. I've always wondered what the Chenjesu were really supposed to look like and how they were supposed to get around. Even more so once they became the Chmmr.


Just a heads-up: this (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Apollo_synthetic_diamond.jpg) is carbon, and this (http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/4000000/cute-tiger-pics-tigers-4013680-1600-1200.jpg) is a carbon-based life form. There is no reason why a "real" silicon-based life form should be crystalline. That said, I'm not too keen on killing catgirls, so just do whatever floats your boat. :smallsmile:

I only mentioned the crystalline entities because I was sure they existed, I was just forgetting them in some way. Mostly the idea is living stone(or other inorganic substance) like a warforged without the construct part.

[No brains]

If silicon life is deliberately crystalline, maybe silicon could be a subtype that takes more damage from sonic and less from... I don't know... acid? Poison? I need to refresh my mind on the basic chemistry regarding silicon. What could ancient humans believe silicon creatures to be like?

[Coidzor]

If silicon life is deliberately crystalline, maybe silicon could be a subtype that takes more damage from sonic and less from... I don't know... acid? Poison? I need to refresh my mind on the basic chemistry regarding silicon. What could ancient humans believe silicon creatures to be like?

Well, I was mostly thinking about rockmen/people, so a fairly crude interpretation.

Getting a bit more exotic in your thinking, and I'm not sure I'm fully following you, but it sounds intriguing.

[No brains]

...Getting a bit more exotic in your thinking...

Buddy, when I think at all, it's exotic. :smallamused:

As for what I meant; I was trying to imagine silicon as a subtype that works in the same ways as other subtypes. One of the ways that energy types interact is through a simple, kinda holistic, style of thinking. Like the way an orb of frost can do even more damage to a fire elemental, even though in reality* that has a snowball's chance in hell of working. That idea comes from how fire is the ancient source of warmth, and how fire and cold must be enemies. In reality* any attack from a cold energy source would inhibit all chemical reactions, altering the effectiveness of electricity and acid as well, but that requires a bit more of an investment in chemistry than the ancients had to know that. A silicon typed creature would have a similar, 'simple' logic behind its strengths and weaknesses.

Because silicon is used as a semiconductor in most electronics, it must have some kind of relationship with electricity. Whether it's weak because electricity makes it move or strong because it makes electricity stop (although anything with non-RPG electrical resistance does that), I couldn't tell you.

Anyway, I just have a lot of fun spit-balling on this kind of thing.:smallsmile:

*Die, catgirls, DIE! :smallminigun: