The Maelstrom-Scars are profoundly unfortunate beings, people whose forms were created or radically transformed by cruel experiments, unstable technology, or the direct, ruthless twisting by Rift-Entities. They are living testaments to uncontrolled science, bio-engineering gone awry, and the corrupting chaos of the Maelstrom, their forms a grotesque blend of biological mutation and unsettling cybernetic or technological components. Their unorthodox appearance can make it profoundly difficult for them to find a place for themselves in the Starfall Galaxy.
Once an ordinary humanoid or creature, your existence was fundamentally altered by horrific methods—sometimes a sapient being created whole cloth from raw biological material and salvaged tech, but often a victim unwillingly transformed by strange energies or sadistic creators. This transformation might have occurred in vats of foul bio-reagents, through uncontrolled bursts of Mana-energy, or via fringe cybernetic integration. Regardless of the source of their altered forms, Maelstrom-Scars bear their new shape forever, transformed beings living a wild and strange existence beyond what was possible for their original ancestry.
Although Maelstrom-Scars are broadly humanoid in function, no two look the same. One might possess limbs in unusual places and skin as smooth as polished chitin, while another might have a thick matting of spiny fur or exposed, glowing bio-circuitry. Some might have animalistic features, like a boar-like snout, scales, or cloven hooves, integrated with metallic plates. Others have entirely alien appearances, such as bulging eyes on the backs of their hands, or smoking ocular implants. Some may have only subtly uncanny features, like teeth that glow with latent Mana, eyes that emit faint energy, or fingernails made of sharpened bone or composite alloys. The only commonality among Maelstrom-Scars is their mismatched, often unsettling, nature.
If you want a character who is tough and hardy, whose form may continue to subtly change as they grow, and who can use their wholly unique appearance to inspire awe or terror in others, you should play a Maelstrom-Scar. You might embrace your unusual appearance to inspire respect or fear, be used to relying on yourself, and distrust large groups of people, particularly hostile mobs, based on past experiences. Others probably find your physiology fascinating or terrifying, assume you are an expert on strange creatures or occult phenomena, and consider you an enigmatic and unpredictable—and perhaps even dangerous—outsider.
Physical Description
Maelstrom-Scars are humanoids, ranging from 5 to 7 feet tall and from just under 100 pounds to more than 300 pounds. The proportion and appearance of their limbs and features differ widely, but Maelstrom-Scars functionally have two legs, two arms, and a single head; a Maelstrom-Scar with more functional limbs than this should consider an appropriate ancestry feat to reflect this variance, or one of their limbs might be vestigial and mostly nonfunctional. Even Maelstrom-Scar siblings or two people transformed through the same procedure might look wildly different due to the chaotic nature of their alteration.
As their bodies are constantly being rewritten by residual energies or unstable implants, Maelstrom-Scars do not age in a conventional sense. Their lifespans are unpredictable, often cut short by the inherent instability of their forms or by those who hunt them.
Societies Across the Spheres
Maelstrom-Scars are so few in number that large congregations of them are rare. They most often live on their own, with a small family unit (perhaps other transformed beings), or at the outskirts of a community. Some thrive in megacities, however, where they can remain anonymous among the crowds while pursuing careers that allow them to avoid direct contact with people who might fear or persecute them.
Maelstrom-Scars value endurance and are quick to learn from others. Those who come into contact with others of their kind usually share stories and survival tactics that help each other hide, or thrive more effectively. How a Maelstrom-Scar formed can be a painful or horrifying subject, one they consider rude to discuss with anyone besides close friends or loved ones.
Outer Sphere (Hidden Enclaves & Escaped Bio-Weapons): Many Maelstrom-Scars originate from clandestine bio-labs, abandoned military research facilities, or as failed experiments of rogue geneticists in the Outer Sphere. They are often on the run, seeking refuge in asteroid hollows, deep space wrecks, or the darkest corners of forgotten systems. They might form desperate, temporary alliances with other outcasts or fight as terrifying, unpredictable bio-weapons for hire in the Resource Wars, their horrifying appearance a psychological weapon in itself.
Inner Sphere (Urban Horrors & Clandestine Experiments): In the highly regulated Inner Sphere, Maelstrom-Scars are a terrifying and whispered-about anomaly. They rarely integrate openly, instead living in hidden sub-levels of ecumenopolises, forgotten data-tunnels, or as the captive "subjects" of powerful corporations or clandestine Commission research divisions. Their existence is a closely guarded secret, their unique physiologies offering insights into the limits of bio-engineering and Mana-manipulation. They are often hunted by specialized units designed to contain biological and planar threats.
Frontier (Rift-Born Monstrosities & Unstable Nomads): The most terrifying Maelstrom-Scars are found in the uncharted Frontier, born directly from prolonged exposure to volatile Rift-phenomena or the direct influence of powerful Rift-Entities. They roam unstable Rift-Burgs and regions of intense temporal distortion, their bodies constantly shifting and reforming with the Maelstrom's chaotic energy. They might be drawn to areas of high Red Mana concentration, which sustains (and further distorts) their forms, and often engage in brutal, instinct-driven clashes with other creatures of the Rift.
Beliefs
Maelstrom-Scars have little to gain from broader society, and therefore rarely work to support it, beyond perhaps helping other Maelstrom-Scars or those they deem worthy. They need to be able to adapt quickly to survive on their own. As a consequence, few Maelstrom-Scars are lawful. Although bigoted or short-sighted people view Maelstrom-Scars as monsters, Maelstrom-Scars are no more or less prone to evil than any other people, and most seek only to live their lives without trouble. Most are neutral in alignment, for while alienation doesn't force a Maelstrom-Scar to feel contempt for others, neither does it encourage them to avoid it. This is especially true for Maelstrom-Scars living in the societies that gave birth to their traumatic transformation. Maelstrom-Scars aren't often casually religious; most either have little to do with faith at all (viewing themselves as scorned by the gods or simply seeing faith as impractical for survival) or are exceptionally devout. Their chosen cosmic entities or deities are often those associated with survival, trickery, or the wild, untamed forces of the cosmos.
Unique Maelstrom-Scar Traits
Maelstrom-Scars are defined by their "mismatched nature." They possess varied forms due to the unique circumstances of their creation, and even those from the same origin might look wildly different. Their ability to adapt quickly, their reliance on self-sufficiency, and their distrust of large, organized groups are core to their survival.
Maelstrom-Scar Mechanics
Maelstrom-Scars are a Aberration, Humanoid, Maelstrom-Scar (or Beast, Maelstrom-Scar if originally animalistic, chosen at creation) ancestry.
Hit Points: 10
Size: Medium or Small (Choose at creation, reflecting their varied original forms).
Speed: 25 feet
Attribute Boosts: Constitution, and one Free Ability Boost.
Languages: Common, and one additional language of your choice (reflecting their varied origins or the languages of their tormentors).
Senses: Low-Light Vision (You can see in dim light as though it were bright light, and you ignore the concealed condition due to dim light.)
Traits: Aberration, Humanoid (or Beast), Maelstrom-Scar.
Unusual Anatomy: Your unorthodox body resists physical afflictions meant for other creatures. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to saves against diseases and poisons.
Rift-Warped Physiology: Your body is a product of intense manipulation by Rift-Entities or unstable energies. You do not need to breathe, eat, or sleep in a conventional sense, but your system requires periods of recalibration every 24 hours (similar to an Automaton's standby, 2 hours). Failing to do so causes you to become fatigued. Due to your inherently unstable nature, you are vulnerable to prolonged or intense Rift-Taint; if you are exposed to new Rift-Taint that would normally cause a persistent negative effect, you must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save or take 1d6 mental damage and be sickened 1 in addition to any other effects.
Maelstrom-Scar Heritages
At 1st level, choose one of the following Maelstrom-Scar heritages, representing a dominant aspect of their transformation or origin. Although any Maelstrom-Scar may have any appearance you desire, each heritage provides typical characteristics reflecting its source.
Cataphract Scar: Your battle-hardened skeleton is laced with additional cybernetic cartilage and dense plating to help bear heavy weapon systems or armor across vast areas of operation. Your skin might be bedecked with tiny spurs of resilient keratin or optimized for integrated armor. You gain the Armor Proficiency feat. If your class makes you trained in all types of armor, you instead become trained in Athletics (or a skill of your choice if you're already trained in Athletics) and gain the Armor Assist skill feat.
Bio-Engineered Scar (Created Fleshwarp adaptation): You were created through advanced bio-engineering processes, such as being grown in a vat of mutagenic compounds or stitched together from the biological and technological components of other creatures by a mad scientist. Your manufactured body is durable; you don't need to eat and can't starve. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to saving throws against diseases.
Anomaly Scar (Discarded Fleshwarp adaptation): The biomancers and mutagenists who warped your form labeled you a "discard on discovery"—a euphemism for destroying you on sight. An anomaly among anomalies, your body stubbornly repudiates the efforts of fleshcrafters seeking to mold you to their grandiose visions, and your immune responses blunt the worst effects of unwanted bio-manipulation attempts. If you roll a success on a saving throw against a transmutation or biological effect, you get a critical success instead.
Rift-Mutated Scar (Mutated Fleshwarp adaptation): Transformed by uncontrolled Rift-Mana or chaotic planar energies, you originated in a volatile Rift-zone or another region similarly devastated by uncontrolled cosmic forces. Due to your toughened or redundant organs/bio-circuitry, the DC for your checks to recover from persistent bleed damage is 10 instead of 15, and it's reduced to 5 instead of 10 if you have particularly effective assistance recovering from the persistent damage.
Psionic-Warped Scar (Shapewrought Fleshwarp adaptation): A victim of powerful psionic fleshwarping, you likely bear loose flesh, bony spurs, or features of inhuman creatures sprouting from your skin, reflecting the psychic toll. You have nevertheless turned this psychic trauma into a strength. You gain resistance to mental damage equal to half your level (minimum 1).
Mana-Attuned Scar (Surgewise Fleshwarp adaptation): The undulations of your body's cilia or integrated bio-sensors are hyper-attuned to wellsprings of Mana; they trill and thrum with insights into occult energies, and their vibrations alert you to the presence of secrets. You gain the trained proficiency rank in Occultism. If you're trained in Occultism, you instead become trained in another skill of your choice. You also gain the Oddity Identification skill feat.
Techno-Warped Scar (Technological Fleshwarp adaptation): Your transformation is due to manipulation by advanced, often ruthless, technology or rogue AI. Your emotions are dulled and hard to influence, a side effect of cranial cybernetics or neural restructuring. When you roll a success on a saving throw against an emotion effect, you get a critical success instead.
Maelstrom-Scar Ancestry Feats
You can select Maelstrom-Scar ancestry feats from the following options.
1st Level Feats
Aberration Kinship (Common, Maelstrom-Scar) Feat 1: Your mind resonates with the inscrutable thought processes that inhuman aberrations or chaotic Rift-Entities use to communicate. You can speak Aklo. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks when interacting with Aberrations.
Deepvision (Common, Maelstrom-Scar) Feat 1: Your vision is suited for the deep void or the subterranean. Your Low-Light Vision becomes darkvision. If you already have darkvision, your darkvision range increases by 10 feet.
Embodied Legionary Protocol (Uncommon, Maelstrom-Scar, Uncommon) Feat 1: Prerequisites Cataphract Scar heritage. Your form was engineered not to achieve individual greatness at arms, but rather to become a part of a legion, a modular piece integral to the combined arms stratagems of ancient war-mages or ruthless corporate militaries. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to attack rolls when flanking an enemy with an ally of the same heritage.
Living Weapon (Common, Maelstrom-Scar) Feat 1: You've learned to use part of your mutated form as a weapon, whether a bladed arm, a crushing claw, or an acidic maw. You gain an unarmed attack (e.g., bone blade, crushing cyber-fist, acid maw) that deals 1d6 piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning damage (your choice). This attack is in the brawling weapon group and has the finesse and unarmed traits.
Startling Appearance (Common, Maelstrom-Scar) Feat 1: Your appearance is enough to frighten without words. As a 1-action activity, you can attempt an Intimidation check to Demoralize one creature within 30 feet that can see you.
5th Level Feats
Embodied Dreadnought Protocol (Uncommon, Maelstrom-Scar, Uncommon) Feat 5: Prerequisites Cataphract Scar heritage. Your colossal might marks you as a behemoth, engineered as the pride of ancient Fleshforges, and the heaviest ordnance is a child's toy in your monumental grasp. When you critically hit with an unarmed attack, the target must succeed at a Fortitude save against your class DC or be pushed 5 feet.
Finned Ridges (Common, Maelstrom-Scar) Feat 5: The ridges and flaps of your skin or integrated bio-hydrofoils steer you through the water. You gain a swim Speed of 15 feet.
Gaping Maw (Gaping Flesh) (Common, Maelstrom-Scar) Feat 5: Your wound yawns open, or your mouth unhinges to an appalling size, unnerving your attacker. As a reaction when a creature hits you with a melee Strike, you can force that creature to succeed at a Will save against your Intimidation DC or become frightened 1.
Mutate Weapon (Common, Maelstrom-Scar) Feat 5: Prerequisites Living Weapon. Your weaponized body part continues to twist and grow, dealing more damage. Increase the damage die of your Living Weapon unarmed attack by one step (e.g., 1d6 to 1d8).
Enhanced Guts (Powerful Guts) (Common, Maelstrom-Scar) Feat 5: Your internal organs or redundant bio-systems are particularly durable. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Fortitude saves against sickened or nauseated conditions.
Transposable Bio-Shell (Transposable Compliance) (Common, Maelstrom-Scar) Feat 5: Your protean vitality is fecund and many-succoring: your veins run with life-giving ichor that adapts to the bio-signatures and physiology of any body, and your skin molts on command, creating wound-stanching sheaths of tissue for yourself and others. Once per day, you can produce a single dose of a healing salve that acts as a potion of healing (minor).
Uncanny Awareness (Common, Maelstrom-Scar) Feat 5: You have a keen sense of movement around you, perhaps due to subtle tremorsense or integrated motion sensors. You gain imprecise tremorsense with a range of 10 feet.
9th Level Feats
Captivating Aberration (Captivating Curiosity) (Common, Maelstrom-Scar) Feat 9: You can snare the attentions of onlookers with your unique appearance, turning repulsion into fascination. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks to Make an Impression on creatures who have not previously reacted with fear or hostility to your appearance.
Coating of Slime (Common, Maelstrom-Scar) Feat 9: An acidic ooze or a corrosive bio-film coats your limbs, a natural defense or byproduct of your transformation. Your unarmed attacks deal an additional 1d4 acid damage.
Eerie Compression (Common, Maelstrom-Scar) Feat 9: Prerequisites Medium size. Your limbs and even your torso can collapse in on themselves, allowing you to fit through tight spaces as though you were a Small creature. You can Squeeze through a space that is normally too small for you at your full Speed, rather than half, if you succeed at the Acrobatics check.
Embodied Dragoon Protocol (Common, Maelstrom-Scar) Feat 9: Prerequisites Cataphract Scar heritage. When your allies call for swift reinforcements or lightning raids, you're ready to answer, your form optimized for rapid deployment. You gain a +10-foot status bonus to your Speed when you use the Stride action.
Gripping Limbs (Common, Maelstrom-Scar) Feat 9: Nodules, hooks, or claws on your limbs allow you to cling to surfaces with ease, a natural adaptation or cybernetic enhancement. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Athletics checks to Climb.
Slip the Grasp (Common, Maelstrom-Scar, Flourish) Feat 9: You have some feature that allows you to quickly evade effects that restrain you, perhaps by shedding a layer of skin, dislocating and relocating a limb, or emitting a slippery bio-film. As a single action, you can attempt to Escape from a grab or a restrain effect with a +2 circumstance bonus to your check.
13th Level Feats
Augment Senses (Common, Maelstrom-Scar) Feat 13: You open vestigial eyes, unfurl tympanic flaps of skin, or otherwise enhance your senses through further mutation or cybernetic integration. You gain one additional sense from the following list: imprecise scent (30 feet), imprecise echolocation (30 feet), or imprecise vibrationsense (30 feet).
Spew Tentacles (Common, Maelstrom-Scar) Feat 13: You can open your mouth to an immense size and spew forth an impossibly large field of prehensile tentacles, a truly horrifying and chaotic display of your mutated form. As a 2-action activity, you can unleash a 15-foot cone of writhing tentacles. All creatures in the cone must succeed at a Reflex save against your class DC or be restrained for 1 round.
Titanic Roar (Common, Auditory, Maelstrom-Scar) Feat 13: You unleash a terrifying, guttural roar that sends shockwaves through the very air. As a 2-action activity, you can attempt an Intimidation check to Demoralize all enemies in a 30-foot cone.
17th Level Feats
Dissolution's Sovereignty (Common, Maelstrom-Scar) Feat 17: With discipline born from a lifetime of chaos and trauma, you learn to exert control over a fragment of another creature's biological or technological essence. Once per day, as a 3-action activity, you can create a warped duplicate or exert temporary control over a single Medium or smaller living creature or construct within 30 feet that you can see. The duplicate or controlled creature has the statistics of a minion of a creature half your level, and acts on your turn. It lasts for 1 minute or until destroyed.
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