Stating alien

[nintendoh]

Is everyone familar with with the aliens move. Yeah that one with the xenomorph. So i had a font of inspiration and likened the kythons to xenomorphs and played it as such. Did not completely flesh it out but it was still cool. Overwhelming odds and that. Would you say a xenomorph would be and adult kython and if not how would you change it up? Also durning that encounter i had arty strikes that had the silence spell cast on it. How would you rate that cr wise?


16 kython broodlings and 1 adult kython?

[Waker]

Kythons are a good choice for xenomorphs. You might also look into Kaorti first introduced in Fiend Folio, with extra information found in Dragon 358. You might even decide to mix it up a bit and houserule that Kaorti and Kythons are different forms of the same species, with Kaorti being the more "human" forms.

[DrMotives]

The Steel Predator also looks rather xenomorph inspired, although it doesn't have the variety of forms that the Kython does. Still, the artwork leans heavily in that direction.

[Fouredged Sword]

Well, if I was going homebrew it would be something like

Xenomorph
8 aberration HD, large, Str 24, Dex 20, Con 28, Int 8, Wis 18, Cha 8
Attacks +13 claw, claw, bite, tail whip with the bite having an extra 1d6 acid damage. Acid blood as a damage to any weapon that hits them, say 1d6 acid damage that ignores hardness under 20. Decent natural armor, say +8.

Maybe make a baby xenomorph as a tiny creature, 3HD, but advances to a full xenomorph pretty quick though HD advancement.

Face hugger, maybe tiny aberration, 2HD, mostly special abilities for grapples and such as they grip their target and implant. Something like really big grapple bonuses and the ability to grapple any size + constrict + acid blood that hurts the thing it grapples if it is hurt.

A queen is an advanced Xenomorph up to 16HD, shifting to huge at 12HD, with the standard stat increases.

[Maximum Carnage]

Well, if I was going homebrew it would be something like

Xenomorph
8 aberration HD, large, Str 24, Dex 20, Con 28, Int 8, Wis 18, Cha 8
Attacks +13 claw, claw, bite, tail whip with the bite having an extra 1d6 acid damage. Acid blood as a damage to any weapon that hits them, say 1d6 acid damage that ignores hardness under 20. Decent natural armor, say +8.

Maybe make a baby xenomorph as a tiny creature, 3HD, but advances to a full xenomorph pretty quick though HD advancement.

Face hugger, maybe tiny aberration, 2HD, mostly special abilities for grapples and such as they grip their target and implant. Something like really big grapple bonuses and the ability to grapple any size + constrict + acid blood that hurts the thing it grapples if it is hurt.

A queen is an advanced Xenomorph up to 16HD, shifting to huge at 12HD, with the standard stat increases.

I would agree with everything Fouredgedsword said, except that I'd bump the intelligence a tad, as they're known to show reasoning skills.

[Buufreak]

I would agree with everything Fouredgedsword said, except that I'd bump the intelligence a tad, as they're known to show reasoning skills.

They are also essentially space bees, operating of a hive mind. I think the intelligence is perfectly fine at a maximum of 8.

[The_Jette]

They are also essentially space bees, operating of a hive mind. I think the intelligence is perfectly fine at a maximum of 8.

I have to agree with you, especially since reasoning skills begin at Int 3.

[Thurbane]

Miniatures Handbook has Kruthiks and Phargions.

http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/mhbk_gallery/76957_CN.jpg

http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/mhbk_gallery/76963_CN.jpg

The Monster of Legend template (MM2) has the Raging Blood ability, which can simulate acid blood. Another option for this is the Fire in the Blood spell (HoH).

http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/images/hoh_gallery/91981.jpg

[Biguds]

Hello, guys.

Pathfinder's Horror Adventures have a Monsters entry for The Hive that is pretty close to xenomorphs.

[Thurbane]

Monster of Legend Greater Kruthik

Large Outsider (Native)
Hit Dice: 8d10+72 (116 hp)
Initiative: +12
Speed: 70 ft. (14 squares)
AC: 34 (–1 size, +8 Dex, +16 natural, +1 dodge), touch 18, flat-footed 25
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+19
Attack: Claw +22 melee (3d6+12/19–20 plus 2d4 acid)
Full Attack: 3 claws +22 melee (3d6+12/19–20 plus 2d4 acid) and bite +19 melee (1d8+6 plus 2d4 acid)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Rake 2d6+6/19–20 plus 2d4 acid
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., keen scent, low-light vision, resistance to acid 10
Saves: Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +4
Abilities: Str 35, Dex 26, Con 29, Int 6, Wis 15, Cha 14
Skills: Hide +12*, Jump +17, Listen +5, Move Silently +16
Feats: Improved Critical (claw), Improved InitiativeB, MultiattackB, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (claw)
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually lawful evil
Advancement: 9–12 HD (Large)

Greater Damage (Ex): Damage dice for the creature’s natural attacks are increased by one die type, as indicated on the table below.
Haste (Su): The creature is supernaturally quick. It can take an extra partial action each round, as if affected by a haste spell.**
Raging Blood (Su): Choose whether the monster of legend has acid, fire, or electricity in its blood. Each time damage is dealt to the creature with a piercing or slashing attack, its blood sprays outward in a 5-foot cone, dealing 1d4 points of damage of the selected energy type to all within range (no saving throw). A monster of legend is not harmed by its own blood.
Rake (Ex): Two claws, attack bonus +15 melee, damage 2d6+6/19–20 plus 2d4 acid.
Skills: Kruthiks have a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks. *In areas of natural vegetation, the bonus on Hide checks increases to +8.

**Haste included in stat block above. As per the 3.5 update, works as a Haste spell. A hasted creature gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves.

​I think I calculated that all correctly?

[BWR]

Well, if I was going homebrew it would be something like

Xenomorph
8 aberration HD, large, Str 24, Dex 20, Con 28, Int 8, Wis 18, Cha 8
Attacks +13 claw, claw, bite, tail whip with the bite having an extra 1d6 acid damage. Acid blood as a damage to any weapon that hits them, say 1d6 acid damage that ignores hardness under 20. Decent natural armor, say +8.

Maybe make a baby xenomorph as a tiny creature, 3HD, but advances to a full xenomorph pretty quick though HD advancement.

Face hugger, maybe tiny aberration, 2HD, mostly special abilities for grapples and such as they grip their target and implant. Something like really big grapple bonuses and the ability to grapple any size + constrict + acid blood that hurts the thing it grapples if it is hurt.

A queen is an advanced Xenomorph up to 16HD, shifting to huge at 12HD, with the standard stat increases.

Way too powerful for what we've been shown. Remember, they don't go up against inhumanly strong and skilled adventurers, they go up against normal humans, possibly some slightly skilled humans with powerful weapons. Whenever the aliens go up against proper guns (or stampeding space cattle) they die in droves. I would say 3 or 4 HD tops for the drones, half a HD for the facehuggers/newly hatched, 4-6 HD for bigger variants like predaliens/praetorians, and no more than 9 HD for the queen. And they are not nearly as smart as all that 3-4 is plenty.

[Buufreak]

Way too powerful for what we've been shown. Remember, they don't go up against inhumanly strong and skilled adventurers, they go up against normal humans, possibly some slightly skilled humans with powerful weapons. Whenever the aliens go up against proper guns (or stampeding space cattle) they die in droves. I would say 3 or 4 HD tops for the drones, half a HD for the facehuggers/newly hatched, 4-6 HD for bigger variants like predaliens/praetorians, and no more than 9 HD for the queen. And they are not nearly as smart as all that 3-4 is plenty.

For terminology's sake, I can fill in some blanks. Going by the PS2 RTS as canon, you have eggs, facehuggers, chest bursters, a cocoon state, drones, warriors, runners, and pred-aliens as half breeds, meaning that during the host phase, the xenomorph takes on certain qualities based on the host's abilities and DNA. The pure breeds, or those that are 100% xenomorph DNA and unaffected by host whatsoever, are the praetorians, queens, carriers, and ravagers.

Now, as for stats: a drone was created when using a cow (or space variety equivalent) as a host. Runners from quadrupedal predators. Warriors from humans, and pred-aliens from... well, I think we can figure that one out. Drones were small, weak, and, as my bee analogy holds above, they did menial work for the hive. Runners could scout and build up enough speed to tear straight through an unarmored target, but at the cost of a smaller, sleeker build. Warriors were the bread and butter of an army, and preds were brutal "af" because they continuously evolved with experience. I remember having one with around 4k HP (starts around 800, I think?).

Praetorians were versatile, ready to evolve further as needed by the colony. Queens did the queen thing, carriers could weaponize facehuggers as projectile weapons (thus making a vary lethal range unit as facehuggers instantly kill), and ravagers were giant tank like "pseudo kings" that did something no other adult alien did: kill. They live to incapacitate so the hive can grow. A ravager gave not a single damn, usually decapitating enemies with a single swing.

As for the babies, its really important to note that a facehugger and chestburster died from a single hit from LITERALLY ANYTHING! They are so weak, they can accidentally get killed by a cow. The cocoon phase did add a little protection, but not much.

Beyond that, its up in the air. The franchise has done some crazy story gymnastics in the past decade, but I'm definitely not complaining about any of it.

Edit: also, as a nice solid goal post, a single marine with armor and gun could take on a warrior in single combat, usually.

[Pleh]

Well, if I was going homebrew it would be something like

Xenomorph
8 aberration HD, large, Str 24, Dex 20, Con 28, Int 8, Wis 18, Cha 8
Attacks +13 claw, claw, bite, tail whip with the bite having an extra 1d6 acid damage. Acid blood as a damage to any weapon that hits them, say 1d6 acid damage that ignores hardness under 20. Decent natural armor, say +8.

Maybe make a baby xenomorph as a tiny creature, 3HD, but advances to a full xenomorph pretty quick though HD advancement.

Face hugger, maybe tiny aberration, 2HD, mostly special abilities for grapples and such as they grip their target and implant. Something like really big grapple bonuses and the ability to grapple any size + constrict + acid blood that hurts the thing it grapples if it is hurt.

A queen is an advanced Xenomorph up to 16HD, shifting to huge at 12HD, with the standard stat increases.

The bigger xenomorphs ought to have Frightful Presence.

I wouldn't shy away from bumping up their int. They can strategize and outmaneuvered skilled marines (basically PCs) when they tried to fortify their position.

[Buufreak]

The bigger xenomorphs ought to have Frightful Presence.

I wouldn't shy away from bumping up their int. They can strategize and outmaneuvered skilled marines (basically PCs) when they tried to fortify their position.

And a river, given a brick wall as opposition, will find a way around it. The xenomorphs, thinking we are recalling the same scene, just found a different path instead of through the bulwark door, and then hunting instinct screaming in the back of their skulls to "stay low, be quiet" kicked in.

They might be big and scary, but so is everything with poor lighting, a jumpy camera, and the sounds of murder in the background. These things are only really effective in mass numbers, which is why any of the movies had that as an ultimate lose/lose scenario. Once the planet is swarmed, we bomb the planet.

[Pleh]

And a river, given a brick wall as opposition, will find a way around it. The xenomorphs, thinking we are recalling the same scene, just found a different path instead of through the bulwark door, and then hunting instinct screaming in the back of their skulls to "stay low, be quiet" kicked in.

They might be big and scary, but so is everything with poor lighting, a jumpy camera, and the sounds of murder in the background. These things are only really effective in mass numbers, which is why any of the movies had that as an ultimate lose/lose scenario. Once the planet is swarmed, we bomb the planet.

You forget the premise of the xenomorph, as stated by the android, Ash: "the perfect survivor." You don't get that kind of pedigree without intelligence at least comparable to human.

They are not just mindless animals. Rippley threatened to torch the eggs and there was communication from the queen commanding the warriors back off. Sure, int 8 can pull that off (int 3 probably could manage), but they consistently outmaneuver humans in small and large scale, the kind to put your average rogue to shame.

I think they are far keener than "smart fish" gives then credit.

[Thurbane]

"What do you mean 'they cut the power'? How could they cut the power, man?! They're animals!"

RIP Bill Paxton. :smallfrown:

Alien(s) is my favourite franchise of all time. I own the Leading Edge Aliens RPG, as well as many of the early Dark Horse Aliens comics, and several other books about the film both from a meta- and non-meta perspective. I've even read The Voyage of the Space Beagle, the alleged inspiration for the original movie creature.

In the LE RPG, from memory their sting was given a paralytic poison, which I personally never truly agreed with (I assume this was due to them being based on certain species of wasps that paralyze a host then inject them with eggs).

...if you were statting Xenomorphs from scratch (someone did an excellent 2E homebrew version, it was a Word document and excellently detailed, but I can't find a link now) , I would probably rate the drones Intelligence somewhere around 3-4 (maybe a little higher), and the queen should be in the 8-10 range, IMHO. I've seen homebrew that puts the queen's intelligence much higher, but I think putting her at around average human intelligence would be truer to the source material.

There was an adventure in an old issue of Dungeon (1E or 2E) that I ran through as a player that was loosely based on Alien, and used a Slaad as a stand-in for the xeno (it laid eggs in hosts).

[Buufreak]

You forget the premise of the xenomorph, as stated by the android, Ash: "the perfect survivor." You don't get that kind of pedigree without intelligence at least comparable to human.

They are not just mindless animals. Rippley threatened to torch the eggs and there was communication from the queen commanding the warriors back off. Sure, int 8 can pull that off (int 3 probably could manage), but they consistently outmaneuver humans in small and large scale, the kind to put your average rogue to shame.

I think they are far keener than "smart fish" gives then credit.

Let's compare this "perfect survivor" to something that literally is unkillable, the tartigrade. Can't burn it, drown it, smash it... People shot it into space and it survived the vacuum and sheer cold without issue. Can you argue they too have human intelligence?

[BWR]

Let's compare this "perfect survivor" to something that literally is unkillable, the tartigrade. Can't burn it, drown it, smash it... People shot it into space and it survived the vacuum and sheer cold without issue. Can you argue they too have human intelligence?

Not literally unkillable. You can turn up the heat enough to kill it and enough physical trauma will kill it as surely as anything else, and the right chemicals will kill it. It's just bit less wussy than pretty much any other life form we've encountered.

Regarding Ash' comments on the creature, I would take those with a heaping mound of salt. It's not like people have never said obviously stupid and incorrect things in fiction (or the real world) before.

[Pleh]

Let's compare this "perfect survivor" to something that literally is unkillable, the tartigrade. Can't burn it, drown it, smash it... People shot it into space and it survived the vacuum and sheer cold without issue. Can you argue they too have human intelligence?

Missing my point. A Rock is the perfect survivor by that estimation, because even if you break it, it fundamentally is no different.

A Paladin isn't braver for being immune to fear. Bravery is the ability to overcome fear when it threatens to overwhelm you, not an insensitivity to it.

Similarly, being "the perfect survivor" isn't about being immune to death, because then there's nothing to survive. The thing that "threatens" you can't affect you, so there is no work needed to "survive" it. It's a non-issue.

My point was that the xenomorph being the ultimate evolution of survival skills and biological traits through Natural Selection is essential to its conceptual narrative. It isn't really the Xenomorph if it is not the perfect survivor.


Regarding Ash' comments on the creature, I would take those with a heaping mound of salt. It's not like people have never said obviously stupid and incorrect things in fiction (or the real world) before.

This is just choosing to interpret the literature differently. You choose to see Ash's words as propoganda, I choose to see it as a deliberate moment where the screenplay writer is using the character to communicate essential character truths directly to the audience. Neither perspective is necessarily wrong, because literature is subjective like that.

But, being a horror movie, I prefer the interpretation that leads to the greatest element of horror, which is the interpretation that gives the monster the greatest amount of power.

Thurbane made an excellent point about the Aliens cutting the power to the facility. That requires a substantial amount of awareness of technological functions (compared to animalistic intelligence of 3-4).

You could say "flowing water sometimes hits a weak point", but I'll remind you that the power loss coincided with an imminent attack. Could the aliens accidentally break the power lines and then immediately realize the significance? Sure, but 1) that's an awful lot of coincidence and 2) that also speaks to a higher intelligence than "passably able to speak sometimes".

No, it seems pretty clear the movie intended to communicate to us that the aliens were using tactics and were able to figure out advanced technology that they had never seen before. Let's remember the difference between intelligence and education. Intelligence is really a measure of the rate at which you learn, not the volume of the knowledge you possess. It's not too surprising that when a xenomorph is birthed into a technological fabrication it has never seen before that it might react animalistically at first due to ignorance at manipulating the fabrication's functions. But when this tactic no longer suffices, an intelligent creature could study the technology and begin mastering the skill of manipulating it.

The quicker they master advanced technological systems, the more evident their intelligence. Remember they only had a matter of weeks at the human colony and seemed to understand the way that the machines used power, which machines generated and stored power, and how to isolate those machines. Instinct doesn't seem a likely explanation.

Could it all depend on the Queen's intelligence while the others are stupid without her guidance? Sure, it's possible, but it's equally possible that they aren't very far behind (after all, their genetics aren't all that different, and it would be an evolutionary advantage for more of them to be intelligent than less). We have no particular reason to believe that the drones would be substantially less intelligent. Let's not forget that in Alien: Resurrection, the three drones (warriors?) locked in a cage had the intelligence to kill one of their own so the blood would make a hole through which they could escape. This means that, on some level, they know their blood is acidic (or at least that it corrodes their surroundings) and they can use it as a tool. Also, we have the scenario in the first movie (in which there was no queen) where the xenomorph was intelligent enough to stowaway aboard the shuttle to escape the self-destruction of the Nostromo. Could it be an animal seeking to escape scary loud noises and take refuge in a small, quiet space? Sure, it's possible. But the Nostromo was HUGE. Was that one shuttle the only place it could be comfortable? That's quite a coincidence that they managed to pick the ONLY avenue of surviving the Nostromo's destruction without realizing that was what the Nostromo was urging it to do.

Int 8 could pull it off easily, but that's saying a Warrior is as intelligent as we were proposing that the Queen was.

Honestly, when I try to compare Xenomorphs to Orcs, asking what an average Orc might do in the same scenarios as the movies depict the Xenomorphs, would they be more or less intelligent, most of the time, it's a close call. But whenever they actually are forced to use some problem solving skills, I find a cruel and clever thoughtfulness in the xenomorph that makes me think that they may only use their intelligence when necessary, but that they have more than enough of it to get the job done. I rather think if Orcs and Xenomorphs were in the Alien movie scenario, the Orcs would not fare well. The Xenomorphs are just smarter, even if they were born yesterday.

[Buufreak]

"Big quote that I'm too lazy to trim because on phone"

Okay. So they have evolved, and are skilled at surviving. That would translate to racial bonus in this that and the other. It doesn't directly translate to racial bonus to Int. That's my point, mate. Yea, they survive pretty damn well, and can pull off some shenanigans, but it isn't because of some extreme level of intellect.

[Pleh]

"Big quote that I'm too lazy to trim because on phone"

Okay. So they have evolved, and are skilled at surviving. That would translate to racial bonus in this that and the other. It doesn't directly translate to racial bonus to Int. That's my point, mate. Yea, they survive pretty damn well, and can pull off some shenanigans, but it isn't because of some extreme level of intellect.

I'm not arguing for extreme intelligence, just against sub par intelligence.

Half the horror of the original Alien movie was the rapid escalation of the threat. First, an animalistic parasite. Then, a tiny animal, like a feral cat. Next, a large predator, but in the end it hinted at a cruel, sadistic intelligence comparable to human, but entirely..... alien.

[Buufreak]

I'm not arguing for extreme intelligence, just against sub par intelligence.

Half the horror of the original Alien movie was the rapid escalation of the threat. First, an animalistic parasite. Then, a tiny animal, like a feral cat. Next, a large predator, but in the end it hinted at a cruel, sadistic intelligence comparable to human, but entirely..... alien.

Okay, that is fair. I wouldn't call it human adjacent, but they aren't completely inept. Maybe about chimp levels? I will say that have a list of things that let them seem smarter, like electroscopic vision and a queen's ability to pseudo telepathically give orders.

[XionUnborn01]

Alien: Resurrection.

Those aliens contained part of Ripley's DNA just as she had part of theirs. That isn't a good basis for an argument about their abilities.

Honestly, 5 or 6 is probably a solid Int for the morphs, That's where Trolls lie and they're not thought of idiots or mindless, just below average. A Yrthak has 7 Int and is described as devious and clever and it even says 'despite their intelligence they don't speak' These monsters aren't stupid, they're nearly human level and the thought of an animal being that intelligent is pretty out there.

[Starbuck_II]

I make facehuggers youngest of kythons:

Facehugger Diminutive Aberration CR 1/2?
HD: 1/2d8 (2hp)
Init: +5
Spd 20', Climb 20'
AC: 20 (+4 size. +5 dex, +1 natural)
Base attack/Grapple: +0/+11
Attack: see Implant
Space/Reach: 1'/0'
Special Attacks: Implant, Kython Weaponry, Improved Grab
Special Qualities: Grappling's What I Do, Kython Traits
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +5, Will +2
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 20, Con 10, Int 5, Wis 10, Cha 5
Skills: Jump +15, Climb +8
Feats: Weapon Finesse
Implant If it succeeds on a grapple check, it implants itself through a opening (usually through the mouth). The affected creature must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 11) to avoid implantation. A successful save “coughs up” the facehugger. Often the Kython implants an unconscious or otherwise helpless creature (which gets no saving throw). The egg gestates for one week before hatching into a Broodling that eats its way out, killing the host. Twenty-four hours before the egg fully matures, the victim falls extremely ill (-10 to all ability scores). A remove disease spell rids a victim of the facehugger, as does a successful Heal check (DC 20) by someone with that skill. If the check fails, the healer can try again, but each attempt (successful or not) deals 1d4 points of damage to the patient.
Grappling's What I Do Dex instead of Str to Grapple, no penalty due to size, add half the number as a bonus instead.
Skills +6 racial to jump, +8 racial to climb

[Braininthejar2]

From what I understand they had a climb and a swim speed, some sort of paralyzing venom (tail stinger?) for abducting victims, the ability to create natural resin (for sticking helpless victims to walls for incubation) and an ability to charge their acid blood like a battery, allowing them to function without food by sleeping close to the base or ship's power generators.

I've seen them statted with actual, hivemind, but also seen some commanded by high frequency sounds or pheromones.

[nintendoh]

Next, a large predator, but in the end it hinted at a cruel, sadistic intelligence comparable to human, but entirely..... alien.

If that was intentional i am impressed.

[nintendoh]

I make facehuggers youngest of kythons:

Facehugger Diminutive Aberration CR 1/2?
HD: 1/2d8 (2hp)
Init: +5
Spd 20', Climb 20'
AC: 20 (+4 size. +5 dex, +1 natural)
Base attack/Grapple: +0/+11
Attack: see Implant
Space/Reach: 1'/0'
Special Attacks: Implant, Kython Weaponry, Improved Grab
Special Qualities: Grappling's What I Do, Kython Traits
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +5, Will +2
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 20, Con 10, Int 5, Wis 10, Cha 5
Skills: Jump +15, Climb +8
Feats: Weapon Finesse
Implant If it succeeds on a grapple check, it implants itself through a opening (usually through the mouth). The affected creature must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 11) to avoid implantation. A successful save “coughs up” the facehugger. Often the Kython implants an unconscious or otherwise helpless creature (which gets no saving throw). The egg gestates for one week before hatching into a Broodling that eats its way out, killing the host. Twenty-four hours before the egg fully matures, the victim falls extremely ill (-10 to all ability scores). A remove disease spell rids a victim of the facehugger, as does a successful Heal check (DC 20) by someone with that skill. If the check fails, the healer can try again, but each attempt (successful or not) deals 1d4 points of damage to the patient.
Grappling's What I Do Dex instead of Str to Grapple, no penalty due to size, add half the number as a bonus instead.
Skills +6 racial to jump, +8 racial to climb


Does tis imply that that can enter through other orfices?

[gooddragon1]

It's acid blood went through several decks of at least steel toughness metal. I'd say it should deal at least 4d6 per round for 1d4 minutes to simulate it appropriately.

Acid Blood (Ex)

Whenever an ~ takes piercing or slashing damage, creatures in a 5 foot radius must make a Reflex save of DC 10 + 1/2 HD + ~'s Constitution modifier or be struck by its acidic blood. A creature so affected takes 4d6 acid damage each round for 1d4 minutes unless it can somehow remove the acid before the acid loses potency. Removing armor or clothing may be effective if it is durable enough and can be removed quickly enough. Any spell or similar effect (such as a psionic power) that could confer at least 10 points of acid damage resistance can be used in a variant manner to cause the acid in a 10 foot cube to immediately lose potency. An ~ may also choose to deal 1d6 damage to itself with it's claws to throw it's acid as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 20 feet. ~'s are immune to the acid blood ability of other ~'s.

[Fouredged Sword]

One interesting idea would be to create the race as a template. You have face huggers and xenomorphs. Xenomorphs could exist as an inherited template applied to the race the facehugger used to implant the egg. It then grows from there in several stages as it rapidly gains HD.

[Starbuck_II]

Does tis imply that that can enter through other orfices?

Yes, I left the option open, but in the movies it seems to prefer the mouth.

[Buufreak]

It's acid blood went through several decks of at least steel toughness metal. I'd say it should deal at least 4d6 per round for 1d4 minutes to simulate it appropriately.

Acid Blood (Ex)

Whenever an ~ takes piercing or slashing damage, creatures in a 5 foot radius must make a Reflex save of DC 10 + 1/2 HD + ~'s Constitution modifier or be struck by its acidic blood. A creature so affected takes 4d6 acid damage each round for 1d4 minutes unless it can somehow remove the acid before the acid loses potency. Removing armor or clothing may be effective if it is durable enough and can be removed quickly enough. Any spell or similar effect (such as a psionic power) that could confer at least 10 points of acid damage resistance can be used in a variant manner to cause the acid in a 10 foot cube to immediately lose potency. An ~ may also choose to deal 1d6 damage to itself with it's claws to throw it's acid as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 20 feet. ~'s are immune to the acid blood ability of other ~'s.

Potential for death throes as well, I've seen that neon sludge spurt a damn good distance before, in movie, comic, and game.

[gooddragon1]

Potential for death throes as well, I've seen that neon sludge spurt a damn good distance before, in movie, comic, and game.

Death Throes (Ex)

When killed if above -10 hit points -an additional two hit points per HD, an ~ usually thrashes about violently and in doing so covers everything in a 30 foot area with its acid blood (Reflex DC 10+1/2 HD+Con Modifier to avoid exposure). If the ~ took cold damage within 1 minute of it's death this ability will not trigger on it's death. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Just for fun.

[Pleh]

Okay, that is fair. I wouldn't call it human adjacent, but they aren't completely inept. Maybe about chimp levels? I will say that have a list of things that let them seem smarter, like electroscopic vision and a queen's ability to pseudo telepathically give orders.

But why not human adjacent? I've given several examples that their intelligence frequently catches humans off guard, even to the extent of becoming rudimentally familiar with technology [thurbane].

What reason do we have to say their intelligence is less than human?


Those aliens contained part of Ripley's DNA just as she had part of theirs. That isn't a good basis for an argument about their abilities

A fair point, but weren't xenomorphs ALWAYS using a bit of someone else's DNA?

I thought that was why they were called Xeno (meaning "all") and morph (meaning, "change").

Maybe they were smarter than your average xenomorph. It's been a while since I saw that movie (for particular reason). Did the rest of the xenomorphs in that movie demonstrate higher intelligence than previous xenomorphs? If not, then maybe they were already comparable to Rippley's intelligence to begin with.


If that was intentional i am impressed.

Cinemasins is giving you a sin for playing the pronoun game and making me ask what "that" is supposed to be.

If I understand correctly, I'd say the movie did it intentionally and I merely observed that was the point of the movie. The fact that it is impressive is what makes it a good movie.

[Buufreak]

Death Throes (Ex)

When killed if above -10 hit points -an additional two hit points per HD, an ~ usually thrashes about violently and in doing so covers everything in a 30 foot area with its acid blood (Reflex DC 10+1/2 HD+Con Modifier to avoid exposure). If the ~ took fire damage within 1 minute of it's death this ability will not trigger on it's death. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Just for fun.

Fixed that. The buggers don't freeze, but they burn well.

[DrMotives]

A fair point, but weren't xenomorphs ALWAYS using a bit of someone else's DNA?

I thought that was why they were called Xeno (meaning "all") and morph (meaning, "change").



No, Xeno means "foreign", like the word "xenophobia" for fear of other cultures. And while morph is taken to mean change, it actually is the word "shape". The idea of change comes from polymorph, "multi-shaped" which is to change shapes. Morph as an English word is just a shortening of polymorph. So putting it together, a Xenomorph is a "foreign-shape" or an unknown, alien life form.

[Buufreak]

But why not human adjacent? I've given several examples that their intelligence frequently catches humans off guard, even to the extent of becoming rudimentally familiar with technology [thurbane].

Because of all the reasons I have already listed. And trying to cite Thurbane is a bad call, considering he already called them out as having Int 3-4. Which they do (at least half breeds do).

What's happening here is I am answering 1 question of yours, just so you can try to apply that answer to another, which doesn't work. You are constantly moving goal posts, so lets try it this way: Go ahead and make a comprehensive argument about everything that aliens have been documented as doing, and I will systematically address each one individually. Is that fair?

[Fouredged Sword]

Xenomorph -

Xenomorph is an inherited template that can be applied to any small or larger corporal living creature except, constructs, undead, elementals, and outsiders. The target creature is the resulting birth caused by a facehugger implanting into a parent creature. The parent creature is used as the base for the xenomorph.

HD - parent creature racial HD - A facehugger is born fairly weak, but soon grows
Size - One size smaller than the parent creature
Type - A xenomorph is always an aberration
Str + 2, Dex +6, Con+4, Int-8 (min 2), Wis +2, Cha -4 - A xenomorp, even just born, is strong, fast, and tough, though the intelect is rarely more than a smart animal, they have keen senses but are repugnant.
A xenomorph gains the following racial skill bonuses - +6 to hide, +4 to move silently
A xenomorph gains the scent special ability.
Acid blood - A xenomorph is immune to acid damage. In addition any piercing or slashing weapon that strike a xenomorph take 1d6 acid damage that ignores hardness of less than 20.
A xenomorph has whatever natural weapons the parent creature had as well as a two claws, a bite, and a tail whip attack. A xenomorphs bite attack deals an additional 1d6 acid damage that ignores 20 points of hardness. The natural weapons deal damage normal for the size of the xenomorph.
Hungry Growth - A xenomorph can and will grow rapidly. Every 24 hours a Xenomorph can eat it's own size in creatures (two creatures add up to one creature of a size bigger) and grow. Each time a xenomorph grows it gains 1 HD and +1 int. Every two HD it grows it gains 1 size category, gaining the normal attribute bonuses for doing so. The stops 4 HD and one size larger than the base creature. The xenomorph can grow 2 additional HD, but only one will do so at a time. This xenomorph becomes a xenomorph queen.

[Maximum Carnage]

The bigger xenomorphs ought to have Frightful Presence.

I wouldn't shy away from bumping up their int. They can strategize and outmaneuvered skilled marines (basically PCs) when they tried to fortify their position.

Thanks for the backup, I do believe they are insanely intelligent apex predators, and while they can't speak in tongues, throughout the movies they display communicative body language and intelligent reasoning skills.

[Thurbane]

But why not human adjacent? I've given several examples that their intelligence frequently catches humans off guard, even to the extent of becoming rudimentally familiar with technology [thurbane].

What reason do we have to say their intelligence is less than human?

Many animals, especially predatory ones, can be extremely cunning and often catch humans (and other prey) unawares - it doesn't equate to a human level intellect, though.

I'd certainly stat them as being more intelligent than other animals, but I feel 3-4 for the drones is enough to represent this.

Queens are probably higher.

[gooddragon1]

Fixed that. The buggers don't freeze, but they burn well.

Makes sense, I was thinking of the movie where they tried to use it as a means of containing them, but now that I think about it that didn't work. Whereas when the specimen tanks were burned they didn't have acid start eating through the floor.